Saba Qamar is very talented'

It is no secret that Pakistani audiences have the names of their favourite Indian stars at their fingertips. But do Indian stars return the favour for stars across the border? For Indian singer-songwriter Guru Randhawa, the answer comes to him in a heartbeat: A-lister Saba Qamar.

"Honestly, I really like Saba Qamar," said Randhawa during a recent promotional outing for his upcoming Punjabi film Shahkot. Noting that he would love to share screen space with the Mrs & Mr Shameem actor, Randkawa added, "I've also worked with her in my song Tenu Suit Suit Karda, with Irrfan [Khan] in the film Hindi Medium. She is very talented."

Comedy-drama Hindi Medium (2017), starring the late Irrfan Khan and Qamar, focuses on a couple's struggle to get their daughter admitted to a prestigious English medium school. Receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback, Filmfare rated Hindi Medium 4.5 out of 5 stars, noting that it was a "refreshingly funny and brilliantly insightful film on parenting and education", whilst the Deccan Chronicle called it a "masterpiece". Hindi Medium marked Qamar's Bollywood debut, with Randhawa's Tenu Suit Suit Karda forming part of the soundtrack.

Qamar's ability to take on a range of different roles has made her a household name across Pakistan. Having begun her career in 2004, she is one of the highest-paid actors in showbiz in the country, and was last seen in Pagal Khana. Evidently not one to let a promotional opportunity slip by, the High Rated Gabru hitmaker, who recognises Qamar's star power, jokingly added, "I would like to tell her that because I've taken her name today, she must promote my film as well!"

This is not the first time Randhawa has publicly lauded Qamar. In 2020 when Qamar launched her vlog, the Punjabi singer was among those who singled it out on social media. "Amazing, Saba," wrote Randhawa at the time. "Nicely written and delivered, and music from Interstellar made it so beautiful." In turn, Saba had responded, "Mean a lot!"

Randhawa's upcoming film Shahkot, also featuring Isha Talwar and Seema Kaushal, is scheduled for theatrical release on Friday. The title is directed by Rajiv Dhingra, who also co-wrote the story with Davinder Virk. As per IMDb, Shahkot explores the life of a determined Punjabi youth who decides to pursue his passion of venturing abroad, only for his life to take an unexpected turn.