Close your eyes. Imagine it is the early 2000s. It is your job to come up with a hit patriotic song that is going to light a fire in people and get the blood pumping in the nation. Just to make things trickier, you are not allowed to use the word ‘Pakistan’ even once.

Ah, but that is not the only thing going against you. In this blandest of eras, pretty much all you have at your disposal are synthesisers and hollow electronic drums. An early 2000s musical number can only pack in so much raw emotion, and you don’t want to tap into the go-to happy drug of choice for Pakistanis (cricket) to enhance your patriotic hit. There already exists the perfect cricket song that will be played in stadiums across the world until the end of time. You know that to combat it is futile.

So how are you going to do it? This is the burning question that must have plagued Jawad Ahmad as Dosti came to fruition, so without further ado, let’s see how this now iconic number captured the heart of a nation.

Don’t let the pop façade put you off

Is there any better way of marking the patriotic hit territory than beginning with the national anthem? I don’t think there is, and it’s heartening to see that someone had the brainwave to do it. If aiming for a nation’s soul, nothing flies straighter and truer than a national anthem. If you want to bottle up tears and emotion, a national anthem is the path of least resistance, and in the case of Dosti, it is definitely the sign of someone understanding the assignment – and the assignment, of course, is helped massively by the fact that the Pakistan national anthem is a haunting tune that automatically kicks the goosebumps into gear. The scene is set: thanks to the title, you already know that you are going to be spending the next five minutes or so ruminating over everlasting friendship. And now, thanks to that memorable opening, you know that that friendship is going to have something to do with Pakistan.

Chugging along in typical pop fashion, Dosti brings in the synthesisers, the hollow electronic drum beat (but with a traditional twist) and the same three chords used by every pop hit. There is no memorable riff that worms its way into your head or repeated phrase that you will be unable to scrub from your mind no matter how hard you try, but that’s okay. Not every number needs an earworm riff, and in the case of Dosti, the ‘oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh’ is something anyone can repeat even if they haven’t yet learnt the words.

A refreshing change

Having said that, if you take the trouble to pay attention to said words, you will realise that as an ode to platonic love and friendship, Dosti is a refreshing change from almost every other patriotic hit that has been churned out by the music industry, and repeated listening will ensure its forever spot in your playlist. For a start, the lyrics actually make sense. They are coherent. They are not meaningless empty words interspersed with a random ‘Pakistan!’ somewhere in the middle. What’s more, those coherent lyrics are brought to you by Jawad’s powerhouse vocals. Can the man carry a note? Yes, he most certainly can – and he does it in a deceptive, unassuming way that takes you completely by surprise. Just when you think Dosti has plateaued, Jawad kicks it up a notch at roughly the four-and-a-half-minute mark. The drums become stronger, the synths get louder, and Jawad’s timeless vocals crescendo into powerhouse territory. You can’t help but be swept along. Despite the shades of 2001, you are now totally invested in this musical story and unable to stop yourself moving in time to the simple beat.

Tugging at the heartstrings in expert fashion

It’s not easy to build a video around just a theme, but this is a video that tells a solid story – and as everyone knows, there are no bonds stronger than those forged through war. Want to combine friendship with patriotism? The army is your obvious choice. Dosti explores the simple but heart-wrenching tale of three army buddies whose lives are intertwined with one another. They say goodbye to their mothers together, they laugh together, they face the enemy together, wield weapons, flee from gunfire, dodge exploding buildings, deal with bombs. You know what’s coming from the moment you see the army montage, and you are acutely aware that there is going to be at least one fatality in this video. And sure enough, one army buddy perishes – and try as you might, there is going to come a point where you succumb to the tears you were confident you could keep at bay. In six minutes, you have gone on an entire journey powered by early 2000s pop, steady vocals, and a concise tale of friendship that packs a solid punch. And you’ve done it without mindless riffs or phrases and without hearing the word Pakistan once! Dosti may not be the song that netizens flock to when in need of a dose of sentiment – but it should be. The hit was instrumental in securing Jawad’s place in pop history, and a trip back in time to soak in Dosti makes it crystal clear why.

August Playlist is a series that recalls old songs that continue to fuel the Independence Day spirit.

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