Atif Aslam, Shae Gill’s Covid-themed track ‘Manzil’ is an emotional ride

The video of the song, directed by Sarmad Khoosat, stars Sarwat Gilani

Atif Aslam and Shae Gill’s highly-anticipated Covid-themed collaboration is finally here. Manzil, a song dedicated to the Covid effort as well as the ongoing work towards prevention, premiered on YouTube on Sunday. The track has been released in collaboration with the US embassy, with the video featuring Sarwat Gilani.

The song is an uplifting message of hope and perseverance made complete with the soul-stirring vocals of Aslam and Gill’s soothing voice. The video has been directed by Sarmad Khoosat, with Gilani writing on Instagram, “A beautiful reminder to stay safe, healthy and get boosted. [US embassy] and [Khoosat Films] collaborate with the superstar Atif Aslam and our newest sensation Shae Gill to remind us what our manzil [destination] is.” 

The video follows a group of mask-clad students putting up a play about the struggles of the past two years, paying tribute to frontline workers as well as those who have passed on due to the illness. 

The lyrics of the song have been penned by author Mohammed Hanif, who is known for his books A Case of Exploding Mangoes and Our Lady of Alice Bhatti.

"The US Embassy Islamabad partnered with Pakistani Cannes-nominated film director Sarmad Khoosat to produce a new song promoting Covid-19 vaccinations and booster shots," read the caption for the teaser. "The song, Manzil, included Mohammad Hanif as the lyricist and Shamsher Rana, Varqa Faraid, Nimra Gilani and Ali Hamdani as producers and composers. Vocals were provided by internationally renowned singer Atif Aslam and Coke Studio sensation Shae Gill."