‘Pari’ by Kashmir is hardly a fairy tale

Vocalist Bilal Ali reveals how the band’s new song is inspired by his sister’s struggle with depression

KARACHI: Kashmir, the band has become a household name in Pakistan. The alternative rock troupe from Karachi rose to fame with its song Kaghaz Ka Jahaaz back in season two of Battle of the Bands and eventually, emerged victorious, taking the coveted trophy home.

While Kaghaz Ka Jahaaz was a tongue and cheek, up-beat number about taking life as it comes, Kashmir’s latest track Pari explores a much darker and ambient side of the band. Pari might seem like a tale out of Peter Pan but in reality, the song is all about introspection and finding the courage to face your demons. It is an ode to those fighting depression.

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"I wrote the song for my sister while she was going through a rough patch in her life," the band’s lead singer Bilal Ali told The Express Tribune.

With Pari, the band members want to break the taboo around depression – a mental illness that is common but rarely ever discussed in the open. The song is a step in the right direction and Kashmir hopes it will encourage a longer discussion about mental health awareness.

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The video has been directed by Ashar Khalid and revolves a young girl – the 'pari' – suffering from severe depression, to the point of contemplating suicide. The black and white colour tone creates a sense of wickedness in the visuals, with the protagonist trying to confront her demons and move on from them. The song, as shown in the video, plays in the girl’s head and the lyrics are supposed to be the balm on her bruises.

Symbolically, when Pari ends, the girl looks back and everything disappears, just like Bilal’s sister's worries did.

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"The boys felt the weight of the lyrics and that is when we sat together to work on the composition of Pari," Bilal said.

Since the song’s release, people have written to Kashmir, appreciating their efforts to broaden the discourse around mental health.

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"They have written to us saying this song is just what they needed and how it helped them cope up with a difficult time," Bilal concluded on a positive note.

Kashmir comprises of six musicians. Bilal is the lead vocalist while Usman Siddiqui and Zair Zaki play the bass and rhythm guitars respectively. Vais Khan is the lead guitarist while Shane J Anthony plays the drums and Ali Raza is on the keys.

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The band will be releasing the full album Khwaab in a few months when all the video songs are out. Bilal has also been nominated for the Best Vocalist at this year’s LUX Style Awards (LSA) for the song Khwaab.

Listen to the full song here:


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