YEH BLOCKBUSTER HAI!
Team behind Blockbuster, the viral song from Pakistan, on the number trending on Instagram and the love it has got in India
Humara gaana aapko achcha laga, inshallah humare desho ki dooriyaan bhi khatam ho jaayengi. Humne Instagram par dekha, toh zyaadatar India wale hi like kar rahe hain.
SABA HASSAN, Singer
If you are on Instagram, it’s unlikely that you haven’t come across reels featuring the song Blockbuster. Released in May, the track — featuring the lyrics Ve Kurta Laaiyan Main Ludhianu, Main Suneya Si Kahaaniyan, Ve Mar Janiyan — has received 25 million views on YouTube and inspired nearly half a million Reels on Instagram. In fact, FIFA used it for a video showcasing French footballer Kylian Mbappé’s onfield highlights.
The brainchild of Pakistani artistes Zulfikar Jabbar Khan (Xulfi), Umair Butt and rapper Faris Shafi, Blockbuster features a catchy folk music touch. The artistes behind the song admit they didn’t anticipate it would go viral. Butt, who has composed, written and sung the track, tells us, “Considering the kind of effort and time that went into its conceptualisation and execution, we were hopeful that our song would resonate with the audience. However, it was a month after the release that I realised the track was gaining traction.”
Besides Butt, the song also features singers Shafi and an all-female group called Gharwi Group, comprising Abida, Rooha Rawal, Sajida Bibi, and 12-year-old Saba Hassan, who are now internet sensations. Abida says, “Yeh (the success of the song and their popularity) logon ki meherbaani hai, humne bahut mushkil se yeh gaaya.” Rawal adds, “Blockbuster poori duniya mein chhaa gaya hai.”
Xulfi recalls the moment he realised the song’s immense popularity: “I woke up like any other day and saw people aged between three to 70 vibing to it on Instagram.” On the song receiving love in India, Shafi says, “Our art is a beautiful display of all the things that unite us, like heritage, culture and music. The love that we are witnessing is undeniable proof of that.”
The Blockbuster music video was shot in one take, with 400 extras and 200 crew members on set. Zeeshan Parwez, who directed it, tells us, “As a director, you make certain decisions with respect to the dynamic high points of every song. From the moment I heard Blockbuster’s demo, I knew that I would like the story to be told without any cuts.”