‘They brought kurtas from Ludhiana, I heard such stories, they are dying’
It is impossible to be on Instagram today and miss this catchy line in at least one reel. The blockbuster song was created by our neighbour Pakistan, and was released in May this year. However, no one thought it would become even more popular in India!
The song has almost 25 million views on YouTube, and almost five lakh reels on Instagram. FIFA has created a video showing Mbappe’s on-field highlights using the song with Punjabi lyrics. Meanwhile, the team behind the song is in complete awe.
Umair Butt, who has been a part of composing, writing and singing the song, tells us, “Given the effort and time put in during its conceptualisation and execution, we all hoped that it would be loved by our audience. However, a month after the song’s release, which coincided with Eid, I realised that the song was gaining popularity.”
It has been sung by Faris Shafi, Umair and the all-female Gharwi group – Abida, Ruha Rawal, Sajida Bibi and young girl Saba Hassan, and has been an internet sensation. Abida says, “Ye logon ki herbani hai, humne bahut mushkil se ye gaya hai,” while Ruha Rawal adds, “The blockbuster has taken over the world!”
Xulfi, who worked on almost everything from the composition to the mix of the song, says, “After the release, I woke up like any other working day and saw everyone from a three-year-old to a 70-year-old man excited about it on Instagram.”
Singer Faris Shafi says, “Our art is a tribute and a testament to the roots we all share, a beautiful display of everything that unites us, like heritage, language, culture, music and more. The collective love we are witnessing is undeniable proof of that.”
What’s most surprising is that the entire music video was shot in a single take, with 400 extras and 200 crew members on set. Zeeshan Parvez, who directed it, told us, “As a director, you make certain decisions regarding the dynamic high points of each song. The moment I heard the demo of Blockbuster, I knew I wanted to tell the story without any cuts, where we emphasize the celebration of a community in “real time”. Butt added that the shoot involved around 10 takes, and took a whole day.
That little girl in the music video
12-year-old Saba was originally not a part of the video, and was only in the studio with the Gharvi group. However, when the producers heard her humming, they asked her to sing on the mic, and liked it so much that they included her in the video for the line ‘Oh dear Tenu, I understand Riya‘. She shouts, “You liked our song, Insha Allah the distances between our countries will also end. We saw on Instagram, and mostly people from India are liking it!”
Quickstyle Choreographed It
The Norwegian dance group, a fan favourite in India, shared how they choreographed the one take video, “It was an exciting and challenging task. From the start, we wanted to create something that felt raw and authentic – a performance that captured the energy and passion of the dancers in a single, unbroken flow. The concept of a one-take shot was perfect for this vision, but it also meant that every move, every beat and every expression had to be executed precisely and at the right time. We spent countless hours rehearsing, tweaking and perfecting the choreography to ensure that everything aligned seamlessly.”
