Laal’s ‘Jhoot Ka Uncha Sar’

The band’s new video is a satirical take on Pakistani society.

LAHORE:

Laal’s latest single “Jhoot Ka Uncha Sar”, has become a popular song due to the social relevance portrayed in the music video and the tongue-in-cheek lyrics by Habib Jalib.

The band’s next album titled Utho Meri Duniya will be released by Fire Records in Pakistan and by Times Music in India and is expected to hit the market soon. According to the band members, the overall theme of the album will be somewhere on the lines of political aggression with a tinge of satire. The band, widely known for its leftist tendencies, has made it a point to promote prominent Pakistanis such as Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Habib Jalib and even Aitzaz Ahsan.

The video of “Jhoot Ka Uncha Sar” is as unique as its lyrics. The video shows women dressed up as men, representing different aspects of Pakistani society in a comical fashion. The use of director Bernolt Brecht’s idea of de-familiarisation proves to be an important element of the music video and as a whole it helps in connecting with the general audience.

Brecht was a 20^th century Marxist director who influenced modern theatre with his theory, which suggested that powerful theatre should encourage self-reflection in viewers, rather than evoking an emotional connection between characters and audience. De-familiarisation allows one to discuss and explore various issues in a way that highlights thought, rather than passion.

“The Brechtian idea of de-familiarisation is actually used to demonstrate the constructed nature of a performance, in order to convince the audience that just as the performance is a constructed reality, reality itself is a collective social construct,” says Taimur Rehman — a left-wing activist, who also happens to be the band’s frontman, as well as the director of this video. “And since the authors of social reality are the members of society as a whole, they can change the way the story and society progresses.”

Brecht’s methods are evident in the video on three fronts. Firstly, girls playing the role of men; secondly, the roles being unrealistically exaggerated and lastly, the deliberate inclusion of bloopers — reminding the audience that the performance is a construct and not to be mistaken as reality.

Rehman revealed that the idea to use females to portray various politicians came to him after he saw a play at Kinnaird College. The play, though on an amateur level, left people in the audience laughing. It was then Rehman realised, that by watching something familiar in an awkward way, a video or play could have great impact. Also, beneath the layers of comedy and de-familiarisation, Rehman wanted to communicate a deep-seated disapproval of male chauvinism and patriarchal domination.

Satire is becoming increasingly popular in recent times, with the release of politically charged albums by artists such Shehzad Roy and Azal (the band) and singles by artists such as Ali Azmat. Rahman commented that satire is a great tool for social criticism and artists are turning towards it to highlight the frustration piling in the roots of society.

Musically, the song has a classic rock feel to it, with whistles and instrumentals making up the major part of the tune. The strong vocals present Jalib’s passion for irony, in a manner that the listener, instead of being overwhelmed, simply hums the catchy track.

Sarah Waqar, a student at Beaconhouse University and one of the actors in the music video, says, “The distinguishing thing is the female actors portraying men. It is very new and something that one has not seen in Pakistan before.”

Through the fusion of contemporary music and eye-catching visuals, this song proves to be a much-needed advertisement of Jalib’s poems to the mainstream audience.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 30^th,  2011.