Pakistani pop artists team up for the track with co-composer Hassan Ali Hashmi and producer Sulaman Naseer Nayel and Hasan Raheem in the video for 'Roop.' Photo: Courtesy of the artist Karachi pop singer-composer Nayel Wajahat (who goes by his first name as an artist) walks into a high-stakes situation straight out of a spy actioner in the music video for his new song “Roop” with fellow Pakistani artist Hasan Raheem. The intriguing visuals match up with the playful, soul-searching aesthetic of “Roop,” which is co-composed by Hassan Ali Hashmi, produced and recorded by Sulaman Naseer, and features backing vocals by Farzeen Saleem, Monica George and Salma Sabir.
The song was mixed and mastered by desi hip-hop’s go-to audio engineer Hanish Taneja. In the video directed by Shahrukh Kazim with the production house FEPO, Nayel finds his way into a speakeasy, drawn to a woman named Susan directing him from her table. As Nayel is drawn into a conversation and a test of loyalty, the club’s singer – portrayed by Raheem – reveals himself as law enforcement, entrapping the woman and her associates.
In a sort of epilogue, Raheem tells Nayel that Susan was a big-time mafioso. In a press statement, Nayel says, “‘Roop’ explores the theme of desire for love in all its imperfections. I wanted to fuse eastern melodies with modern beats to kind of represent my listening, which includes both modern music as well as old classics.
” He adds about collaborating with Hasan Rahe.
