Sohail Haider’s ‘Mahiya’ is a tribute to the Armed Forces

Singers and songwriters in Pakistan may produce patriotic songs each year, especially ahead of August 14 but music composer turned singer Sohail Haider takes a giant leap and releases a number paying tribute to the Armed Forces. The music video of the song features him alongside his wife Dua Malik, who has been away from showbiz from some time. ‘Mahiya’ is being appreciated by all because of its vocals, its unconventional video and also because it shows the Armed Forces of Pakistan in a real light. We need to understand that the soldiers busy defending the borders 24 X 7 also have a personal life although their love for the motherland surpasses everything else.Instep Today had a chat with Sohail Haider and his wife Dua Malik about the song and this is what they had to say…Instep Today: What gave you the idea to come up with a romantic video for the Armed Forces?Sohail Haider and Dua Malik: We wanted people to know the reality behind an army officer’s life, so came up with Mahiya as a tribute to the armed forces. Although the audience has been witnessing the life at borders on screen for a long time, there was hardly any attempt to showcase the family life of an army officer. We have tried to bring forward that aspect of their lives, their relationships and the emotions they hold back home from their family while serving the nation.Instep Today: You and your wife acted in the music video, what was the reason you two decided to appear together?Sohail Haider: The song, its lyrics, and its melody are very close to my heart and we needed the best chemistry to portray it on screen. That’s why Dua and I decided to appear in the music video so that the emotions and the romance could be portrayed as real. My expressions might have been different had there been someone else besides Dua in the video, so the romance is closest to reality! Instep Today: What was the message that you wanted to send across to the audience and do you think it was conveyed well with the video?Sohail Haider: There were so many messages that this video helped us send across. There are countless women amongst us who wait for their husbands to return from the borders. They know that their first priority is to fulfil duties for their country, yet when it comes to passing remarks, people do that without thinking once about their feelings. We wanted to show to the world that soldiers are not robots but humans who have emotions and how they survive a long distance relationship with their spouses. This music video is not just a tribute from us but is filled with gratitude. It will help those women understand that they are not alone as we all are thankful to their husbands for their services to the nation. An army wife might feel incomplete on certain occasions without her husband but the cause for which she is sacrificing their personal life is greater than all.Instep Today: How different was composing this song as compared to the OSTs you compose?Sohail Haider: An Official Sound Track (OST) is made on demand of the producer. The lyrics have to be according to the storyline and the melody, according to the feel of the drama. Thus the creativity zone for a music composer is quite limited. For ‘Mahiya’, I had a limitless creative zone so I put my heart and soul into it to come up with something that stays around for a long time.Instep Today: Dua, you have limited your appearances after marriage; when do you want to make a proper comeback or should we consider this a step towards that?Dua Malik: Currently, I have been focusing on my courses as a Psychotherapist; ‘Mahiya’ helped me give more time to my little ones while studying and being around them. Now that they are grown up and stable, I am all set for returning with a bang!Omair Alavi is a freelance journalist and can be contacted at omair78@gmail.com

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