Sheheryar Munawar's 'The Notes of Chagla' pays homage to the man behind Pakistan's national anthem

A cellular company has paid tribute to Ahmed Ghulamali Chagla, the unsung hero of Pakistan with its latest ad campaign to mark 75 years of independence, as per a press release.

Taking the lead to be the first brand to pay homage to the scholar, writer and renowned composer who famously wrote the national anthem of Pakistan, Zong 4G presents a message of hope, optimism, and unity through The Notes of Chagla.

The short film commemorates Azadi through the eyes of a youngster who finds his inspiration in the national anthem. Viewers are introduced to Sami, played by Sheheryar Munawar, who is working on his musicology thesis for which he initially aims to explore and present the work of Mozart. But after his idea is rejected, he struggles to decide on another artist.

Seeing him muddled, his mother encourages him to explore the rich cultural heritage of Pakistan. Intrigued by the idea, he begins to dig deep into the past of the country to find an ideal melody for his dissertation. It is then that he stumbles upon Chagla’s work, which entails Pak Sarzameen, composed by the artist in 1949, a year after being appointed to the National Anthem Committee.

He urges his followers on social media to help connect him to the crème de la crème of music in Pakistan that is otherwise sidelined. But after he prepares to perform the national anthem with them, his professor bars him from taking centre stage with a bunch of “nobodies”.  He takes to his live feed, once again, to perform for the world to see and discovers that his idea was always meant for a bigger audience.

The campaign sums up beautifully the message of the national anthem while taking into account its maker. Here’s hoping more such ideas follow.