‘WAADA’: An Independence anthem to remind us of forgotten promises

Pakistani youth is gifted, talented, and hardworking but are we also as united and disciplined as Quaid-e-Azam envisioned us to be?

Film producer Habib Paracha’s recent release, WAADA, aims to remind the nation of Jinnah's message of “Unity, Faith, Discipline”, to commemorate the country’s 75th year of Independence.

During his conversation with Geo.tv, Habib shared: “I wanted to make an effort in uniting people of Pakistan by reminding them the message of Quaid-e-Azam, especially to the young generation.”

Habib realized that encapsulating Quaid’s vision in the lyrics of the song is the perfect way to provoke the thought of unity in youth.

“Music is the one thing that connects people regardless of the ethnicity, language or culture,” he said.

The anthem features soulful vocals of Waqar Ehsin, Natasha Baig, Kashif Din, Wahid and Sajjid Bakhsh, Akhtar Chennal, Shan Khan, Ahsan Ali and Sana Malick Awan, Sanam Marvi and Nabeel Shaukat.

Weighing in on the inspiring lyrics of the song, Habib said: “I went to Farheen Chaudhry and shared my idea with her with hopes for her to come up with lyrics fitting the initial thought and she certainly didn’t disappoint. “

The song, by shedding light on the love, passion and loyalty of the martyrs of the nation, aims to resonate the same message among people from different regions of Pakistan.

“We translated the same lyrics in different regional languages despite it being a challenge to perfectly complement one composition," shared Habib.

The anthem is also more than capable of leaving viewers spellbound with postcard-worthy frames, captivating locations and absolutely beautiful cinematography.

“Filming the video was also quite an experience as we wanted it to go well with the lyrics for which we shot it in nothing less than 100 locations so that it portrays our diverse cultures, regional heritages and people of Pakistan.

“We also refrained from music actors in the music video so that the real smiles and emotions of the locals can be captured," Habib said.

“I do not hold copyrights of the music as I want it to be listened to and enjoyed by our youth as much as they want whether its schools, flights or social platforms so that the message could be spread far and wide.

“Similarly, the song neither has any product placement nor sponsors as the anthem is purely a gift for my country," Habib added.