Ready Steady No’s Nachee Ja Makes You Dance As If There Is No Tomorrow!
If Ready Steady No number Dekho Dekho was a romantic ballad for all ages, Nachee Ja is a dance number for the wedding season. It not only takes you back in the 1990s when shaadi numbers were a rage but also keeps you engrossed with its impressive lyrics, simplistic dance steps and of course, the ravishing Amna Ilyas. In an era when item numbers are preferred over situational songs, when vulgarity is evident in lyrics than actual poetry and when songs featuring DJs are usually remixes, Nachee Ja is like a breath of fresh air and might be played when the shaadi season takes place later this year.
The lead pair’s chemistry is to die for!
They were at their romantic best in Dekho Dekho and when you thought that their chemistry could only be good for romance, they show you the dance moves that will make dance like crazy. Newcomer Faisal Saif, and the strikingly beautiful Amna Ilyas dance to what can be termed as the shaadi song of the year, and if the film does well in the cinemas, it will be mostly due to its soundtrack. And due to its sizzling lead pair who set the screen on fire in every scenario, be it dancing or not.
It brings the best in Asrar
Asrar is, without doubt, one of the most talented singers Pakistan has produced in recent times. Be it his chartbusters Shakar Wandaan or his songs in Donkey King, he continues to raise the bar with every hit. Even in Nachee Ja where he doesn’t provide his vocals for lip-syncing, he is present all over the place with his dynamic vocals. If you don’t believe me, listen to the song on YouTube with your eyes closed and you will realize that it is all about Asrar, with music playing second fiddle.
Hisham Bin Munawar delivers another hit!
And we had no idea that the talented writer and director of Ready Steady No Hisham Bin Munawar could pen lyrics as per the mood of the song. First, it was Dekho Dekho (that he sang as well) and now this and we are already excited to witness his writing and directing skills. Although the song is in Punjabi language, it resonates with the audience no matter what the cultural background. One hopes that through this song, and those from the house of IRK Films, Punjabi dance numbers will come back in fashion and we will have an array of songs to choose from when the wedding season arrives.
The comedy element is present in abundance
And since Ready Steady No is a romantic comedy film, there was bound to be some comedy element in the shaadi song. Veteran actors Salman Shahid and Nargis Rasheed get to shake a leg in the song and while we missed Ismail Tara (who plays an important role in the film), there is Marhoom Ahmad Bilal (in what was supposed to be his film debut), Nayyar Ejaz (who looks too different from his other film roles), and others who share the spotlight with their silly mannerisms. The most interesting moment in the song happens when the DJ’s phone rings and the whole momentum comes to a halt that actually happens in weddings these days, but no one uses them in films.
And then there was Amna Ilyas!
She first killed all competition in Baaji with her sizzling dance moves and goes one step further with Nachee Ja where she dances like there is no tomorrow. The only person who you must notice on the screen during the song, makes you want to notice her, and that’s what makes Amna Ilyas so brilliantly amazing. It is like she is informing the audience that while she can be at ease displaying her moves on a dance floor, she can easily set the dholki floor on fire as well. Her steps were choreographed as per her carefree character’s requirement and other actresses must follow her in order to be known as both good actresses and amazing dancers.
Baqir Abbas’s music direction is on the spot!
In the 90s, every singer and band tried his or her hand at Punjabi dance songs and while a few succeeded, the rest faltered. Nachee Ja has all the ingredients of becoming a chartbuster since it makes you dance unintentionally, lets you live in the moment and above all, wants you to go and watch the film when it is screened on July 19th. After Amna Ilyas’ towering performance in Baaji this film is a not-to-be-missed affair especially since it features her in a different avatar, in a different setting and somehow in a different era as well. One must thank music director Baqir Abbas’s for the diversity in the song as he makes it sound fresh as well as different at the same time. He also uses the singer in a way that every time you listen to the song, you find something new that wasn’t there the last time.