Review: Shehzad Roy's ‘Jind Jaan’ is forgettable, at best

Roy submits to pressure of restoring image as artist who still believes in the lighter side of life

KARACHI: One does not recall the last time musician-turned-philanthropist Shehzad Roy did something apolitical (some may argue that every act is inevitably political). All the while others debated the sorry state of affairs, Roy continued to release music and rally support for causes he believes in. His latest venture, however, stands apart from his recent preoccupations.

His much-awaited collaboration with Zoe Viccaji, Jind Jaan, came out on Saturday. Fashion designer Yousuf Bashir Qureshi and actor Iman Ali feature in the video that resurrects a clichéd storyline.

It is said that all great stories have already been told and when it comes to femme fatale, we’d say the archetype has been beaten to death. While listening to and viewing Jind Jaan, we could not help but recall Ali Zafar’s Sajania.

Almost 10 years ago, Zafar released the song as part of his second album, Masty. With Zafar’s Kishore Kumar-esque vocals and a video that saw femme fatale done reasonably well, Sajania became an instant hit. Back then, good music accompanied by a great music video was taken for granted. Today it seems like novelty.

Jind Jaan’s video tells a less thought-out version of the same story told by Sajania – a woman charming her lover into a compromising situation.

Before we get to the thick of the debate, let’s settle one issue for now. People may be on the lookout for the well from which Mahnoor Baloch draws her amrita, few talk about the fact that Roy and Iman too have refused to age. The ingredients for Roy’s effortless rockstar look are still the same – stubble, leather jacket and an acoustic guitar.

However, the look may still be intact but Roy’s winning streak no more is. Anticipation still surrounds his work because he has time and again continued to impress audiences with bold takes on fresh concepts. On the other hand, Jind Jaan at best is a half-cooked melody that could have been so much more than just another run-of-the-mill song. It seems Roy has bowed down to the pressure of restoring his image as an artist who still believes in the lighter side of life. With the Zafar of Sajania too gone missing, Roy does not need to reconfigure his image. He is and will continue to be one of the industry’s most bankable icons.

The inclusion of Viccaji in the song does hold promise. After introducing herself to the music industry with Coke Studio, she is yet to fully establish herself as a mainstream artist whose original music tops charts and can be heard in cars zipping through the streets. With Jind Jaan, we can say, Viccaji has taken a step in the right direction and done something quite similar to what Quratulain Balouch did only last week. It is time both women take charge as Pakistan’s top singing women.

To avid Roy fans: Jind Jaan does somewhat grow on you, only to make you ask more questions. This is not a chorus you will hum for long and something forgettable is not what you expect from someone of Roy’s abilities.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 3^rd, 2016.

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