Aalu Andey vs Gandey Andey: A Tale of Two Videos

Raza Habib Raja
In the past few days, I have had the privilege of seeing two extraordinary videos, one of which spanned barely 3 minutes, and the other was a real brain tester, which lasted for over 30 minutes. The formats were very different, as one was a song, and the other was a television talk show. The schism and the contrast ran much much deeper than the formats, and yet in a strange paradoxical way, there were similarities and an ironical linkage between the two videos.
The thing which connected the two videos was that  in the first video, in just breath-taking three minutes, three aspiring musicians gave very credible reasons for what exactly was wrong with the second video. Both the videos were linked in another way: First featured a totally raw rock and roll band, and the second one had Pakistan’s premier vocalist, who once belonged to the most famous rock and roll band Pakistan has ever produced. Two set of musicians, belonging to the same genre, vastly different in experience, but furthest apart in their take on the socio-political scenario of Pakistan.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have posted the links so that you can independently judge yourselves also. The second video has not been posted in its entirety as I have only posted the most “important” portion
Aalu Anday
Ali Azmat with Luqmaan on Khari Baat
Regarding the first video, well I have never in my life seen a video in Pakistan, which within a span of merely three minutes, bares all the hypocritical instinctive foundations of our parallel universe. In those pulse fastening, bewildering, amazing three minutes three youngsters (one of them I happen to know personally also) beat the crap out of the whole right wing narrative. In lyrics, which were simple yet incisive, in a tone which was humorous yet dead serious, and in a video that had innuendos and yet was also so head on, the new group named as “Baighairat Brigade” (Dishonourable Brigade) showed everyone a mirror and showed what in essence honour meant. It showed us that honour is not delusional and misplaced self importance, which in essence is an outcome of our humongous failures in life to achieve anything in economic, cultural and development spheres, but it lies in acknowledging our shortcomings. The group did not try to indulge in some kind of pseudointellectual analysis through some heavy nonsensical words but in a simple intelligible language just sang through the plain facts. Yes, in order to bring out the absurdities they made sure to contrast between what was actually happening and what should actually happen. The following lyrics take the cake:
“Aithe Qadri Baran Nawab hai ithe Hero Ajmal Qasab hai, Mullah nasseya wich Hijab hai, ithe Abdul Salam nu Puchda Koi Nayee “
( Here the Mumtaz Qadri is treated like a Royal, Ajmal Qasab is a hero, the Mullah- the lal Masjid priest who preached about Jihad and yet was coward enough to run veiled as a woman when his own life was under threat- and yet Dr Abdul Salam, Pakistan’s only nobel laureate is being totally ignored just because of his Ahmedi faith)
All these sentences merely state the obvious and yet often denied facts, with the onus being as to how much misplaced heroes we have. In this regard, the contrast between terrorists, murderers and the completely disowned Doctor Abdul Salam was amazing. In merely ten seconds, the group said something which is so obvious and yet never acknowledged. Then the singer went on to poke fun at the rampant conspiracy theory culture particularly the Black Water obsession.
The video was made even more potent by some placards, one of which read: This video is funded by Zionists.
The second video is of a talk show where ace Pakistani singer- solo now- but once the part of the legendary Rock n Roll band Janoon, gave his unique “insight” as to what was wrong with Pakistan. I have over the time become quite accustomed to nonsense, which these talk shows utter but even by their standards, this was “exceptional”. God, Ali Azmat made even Zahid Hamid look like a credible commentator.
Mr. Ali Azmat’s thesis was that West had conspired against us to impose their cultural imperialism and in order to do that had rearranged their music frequency in such a way that it would create mass hypnotism. Mr. Azmat, claimed that everything, including Wall Sreet protest movements, were some sort of a grand conspiracy to take over the world with the ultimate objective to bolster consumerism to help struggling capitalism. And then, under active encouragement from Mubashir Luqman, the fiery host of the program, Ali Azmat went on to declare that everything happening in Pakistan was being directed by the imperial powers with the eventual aim of helping consumerism.
What was mocked at the first video was on full display in the second video. Yet both the videos were humorous though the latter only in its irony. First was a satire, and the second could only be termed as some sort of a black comedy, whch depicted as to how delusional we have become.
But despite everything, the first video has given a faint hope that may be some of us are realizing and therefore articulating of whatever is wrong with the content and intellectual thrust of the second video. And some how or the other, I want to hope because I have still not given up. As the torch of Political Rock N Roll passes to younger blood, some of whom have the nerves to finally say that should have been said long ago, there is every reason to believe that though in fringes, sanity still exists. Well Done Baighairat Brigade..You have  given us hope..And yes Daniyal, you have made me proud!!!!