One year of ‘Disco Diljala’: Was Umair Jaswal's 2023 track a foreshadowing?

The shockwaves sent by the announcement of Pakistani actor Sana Javed’s marriage to cricketer Shoaib Malik may finally be dying down but Sana’s former husband Umair Jaswal’s IG posts hint at a continued turmoil. While neither celeb has remarked on their divorce which was first revealed when Shoaib announced his marriage to Sana, the internet has been rife with speculation.

Among the singer-songwriter’s latest Insta Stories to gain traction, his followers were encouraged to listen to his 2023 track Disco Diljala. Released in February last year as part of his EP Dance Karein Saari Raat, the record marked both his musical comeback after 3 years and a departure from the rock scene.

For dedicated Umair and rock fans, perhaps Disco Diljala mixes all the tame registers of a run-off-the-mill disco record. If the house-inspired synth raises some brows, the other tracks on the musician’s EP only affirm his multi-genre turn. But this is all the stuff of 2023.

Almost one year after the song’s release, Umair’s post has injected it with a new meaning. With lyrics taking on themes of loneliness, regret and shattered dreams, was Disco Diljala a foreshadowing all along?

“Andhairon main dil / Ki tarikiyoon main chala / Dil jala,” the song’s opening sets a grim scene that layers an external sense of despair on a deeper void. Allusions to a wrecked home come more subtly with “Tootay huway khwaabon kay ghar pay khara / Tanha,” intensifying with the follow-up of an aggressive verse:

“Raatein hain kaali / Aankhain hain khaali / Guzeray zamanay / Kisay fasanay

Rang aur tamashay / Jhootay dilasay / Kis ko sunanay / Sab hain bahanay.”

Hitting all streaming platforms four days before Valentine’s Day last year, one can easily wonder if the song’s prechorus is a capture of the writer’s heartbreak. Even if “Bhool ja / Koi nahi tera / Jhoom ja / Is dunya mein tanha,” does not personally ring true for Umair, it might be a breakup anthem to recall for many this February.

As for the man himself, his other recent IG Story finds him cuddling his pet dog amid a morning cardio session as relayed by an adorable picture of the two. Known for his passion for workout and fitness, Umair also added a widget showcasing his targetted step count of 10,000, of which he had met a milestone of 5,384 steps at that time.

In another candid Story, he shared a reel of a child mispronouncing Arabic letters as “Daal ke baad chawal,” (rice after lentils). Using the comical pun, Umair termed daal chawal his “comfort food” and expressed his desire to eat the dish in the overlaying text.

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.