Alu Anday: sardonic schoolboys with a message

“Tehreek-i-Insaaf = Good-looking Jamaat-i-Islami?” “Mumtaz Qadri a hero?” Alu Anday indeed.

Laleen Khan October 29, 2011
This song actually has very little to do with potatoes and eggs despite ‘Alu Anday’  being its title and part of its chorus.

Beygairat Brigade’s indie music video is ideally positioned for the social media community. It’s creative, funny, and unique; ideal traits for going viral (and it has).

Alu Anday starts off with quirky dork-humour: the trio transforms their geeky glasses and school uniforms to a punk-rock-meets-boy-band style complete with loosened ties, childish face paint and plenty of kooky behaviour. That is, until the urban Lahori slang-infused lyrics convey a darker socio-political reality (e.g. “Where Qadri is treated like a hero”) along with cheeky placards held by the ‘Beygairats’ (shameless) in various parts of the video (e.g. “Tehreek-i-Insaaf = Good-looking Jamaat-i-Islami”).

And the Alu Anday?

They were the contents of the boys’ lunch boxes that disgusted them in the opening scenes of the video. The Beygairat ended up jeering about a lot more than the stinky lunch that their ammis (mothers) had prepared for them; it seems the stench of socio-political hypocrisy is more unbearable than soggy, eggy potatoes.
WRITTEN BY:
Laleen Khan An international columnist and media consultant who Tweets @laaleen
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (20)

Laaleen | 12 years ago | Reply Like my blog? Please vote at http://pakistanblogawards.com/2011/11/19/best-infotainment-blog-laaleen-khan/ Thanks
Mehboob Aap Kay Qadmon Main | 12 years ago | Reply These boys should enjoy their 15 minutes of fame while it lasts. They will soon fade away like the other one-hit-wonders.
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