When news broke of pop giants Strings and heartthrob of the masses, Atif Aslam collaborating  for a song, it caused a sensation. This time around, even the lyrics were coming directly from Strings, that is, Bilal Maqsood and not his father, lyricist Anwar Maqsood who is a regular feature on Strings' records.

More buzz followed the story as ace director Jami was roped in to shoot the video. And this at a time when new songs from both artists were unexpected. After all, Strings were still promoting Koi Aanay Wala Hai and Atif Aslam had been signed by Shoaib Mansoor for his next feature film.

Fans of both acts waited anxiously and excitedly. And then the song, 'Ab Khud Kuch Karna Parega' released online and across channels everywhere.

With a signature Strings sing-a-long chorus, the song instantly caught attention. Unlike other Strings videos, this one was different. Rough around the edges with dark images of our reality juxtaposed with the singers performing.

But the video has invited flak from a few quarters for being too vague. However as far as the song goes, everything in the video is in a context. Even the black wardrobe, according to Bilal Maqsood, was to maintain a mood of sobriety and to give a broader prospective.

Speaking with Instep about the concept of the video, Bilal recalls, "This is my concept. It was conceived when we returned from our US tour last year. As one returns from a successful tour, one is excited about it. However, upon returning, we witnessed critical issues such as security, terrorism, load shedding, inflation, unemployment, disturbing almost everyone. Hence, I decided to pen the lyrics which depicted the current scenario."

The footage includes some horrifying images including police officers being bribed and bomb blasts, lawyers heated up and out on the streets, its grim imagery, one that we see on news channels ad nauseum.

"The problem is that we get used to such things so quickly that it's scary. 10 years ago, if there was a bomb blast and 20 people were killed somewhere in Pakistan, the whole media used to mourn and one could feel that something was wrong. Now, if people die it's just news for us. And, if five people are killed we say   'shukar sirf paanch maray, warna ziada bhi ho sakta thaa' (thank God, only 5 people died, otherwise the death-toll could have been  higher). We have become "dheets" and have stopped bothering about what's happening around us," responds Faisal.

The inclusion of the Chitral police issue comes as an even bigger surprise.

 "Chitral was a big issue in the media five months ago. Now, media has moved on and so have we. But, that issue is still there. It's been there for ages. Remember 'drawing room ki sair' in our famous TV show Andhera Ujala? What was that? So, these images are there to wake people up. If someone finds these images violent and disturbing then that person needs to realize  he can't run away from it for long. Reality has changed. Now we can't make a regular patriotic song saying 'mera phoolon jesa watan' because it's not. We have to face reality and that's the only way out," says Bilal.

But musicians are ambassadors of country on the international front. Didn't Strings think that these clips would portray a negative of Pakistan abroad? "Hello? Pakistan right now is the most discussed country in the world and for all the wrong reasons. What do you want us to show? Kailash dancing girls and Baluchi carpets? We have been showing that for the last 60 years and trust me even that doesn't work. We are people with a conscience and we'll do what we feel is correct. We need to know where we are going wrong and that's the only way forward!"
So what do Strings aim to achieve from this video?

 "We never keep any expectations from any project. We would only want people to relate with this song. We blame others and expect others to rectify mistakes. But the time has come that we will have to do things on individual levels," says Faisal optimistically.

I also inquired their experience of working with Atif Aslam. The band merrily responds, "It was a tremendous experience. He has a lovely personality and who could be better than him for collaboration. He has done so much for Pakistan."

Strings have done many songs on issues whether it was the anti-war 'Beirut' or the anti-terrorism, 'Yeh Hum Nahin'. So what's next on their agenda?

"There's no agenda as such but working on another song. We write on issues we feel strongly about. Right now, the only thing on our minds is Pakistan and what's happening to it. Since we are musicians, we can express ourselves best through our songs. Musicians are there to inspire people and not to give solutions. I hope we are able to inspire our brothers and sisters," says Bilal emphatically.

Historically musicians all over the world have been doing it. Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick in the Wall' was about the rigid British education system but the song eventually became an anthem to the fall of the Berlin Wall just like 'Winds of Change' by The Scorpions. The songs didn't break the wall but they reflected the sentiment of the people. So what if Strings and Atif also took a shot. It may not be perfect but at least it's a step in the right direction. It's proof that our musicians don't live in a bubble anymore and neither does their music.

Interestingly though, when the video shoot was being planned, Strings were in the US of A for a tour. From the House of Blues in Houston to George Mason University, Virginia to New York City, Strings were at the top of their game, playing hits like 'Sar Kiye Ye Pahar', 'Akhri Alvida', 'Dhaani', 'Koi Aanay Wala Hai' among many others to packed houses. And Strings know just how to cater to their Indian fans, some of whom were feeling slightly lost. Strings took New York by surprise by playing a medley of old Kishore Kumar numbers as well as a few currently Indian songs to spice up the mood.   "Sound, light and the crowd was just fantastic. It was a good mix of Pakistani and Indian fans," concludes Strings. 

Photo by: Emron; Video still by Tarik Hussein Images