This is a collaboration that has been in the works for quite some time. Ever since they performed together late last year, Natasha Noorani and Hasan Raheem have been mulling over working on a track together. Well, halfway through this year and it has finally happened. The result is a quirky song that reflects both of their fun sides.

Faltu Pyaar [Worthless Love] has been written and performed or vocalised by Natasha Noorani and Hasan Raheem. It’s been produced, mixed and mastered by Talal Qureshi. Hasan Raheem has also played the guitars on the track and is one of the executive producers of the song as well, along with Natasha Noorani and Zayan Abedeen.

This is an upbeat song that you can dance to and is a song that’s ideal for performing live. One can completely picture how fun it would be to attend a live version of Faltu Pyaar in real life. It kicks off with Hasan Raheem strumming the guitar, setting an upbeat, preppy tone to the song. Radio voice effect vocals play over the strumming before the rest of the music — the electronic percussions and keyboards — comes in, with Hasan Raheem appealing to the object of his attention to take his declarations of love seriously. But she is not impressed.

Natasha Noorani and Hasan Raheem engage in a playful, cat-and-mouse verbal dance in 'Faltu Pyaar'

Noorani and Raheem’s interactions give us an indication of what Faltu Pyaar is about — a kind of courtship dance — and becomes clear at this point during the song:

Hasan Raheem: Kyun meri baatein asar na karein tujh ko meri jaan?/ Yuun meray jigar ke tukrray bata mujhko kya chaahti tu / Pyaar mohabbat ke alfaaz kar tu shuruu/ Yeh koi saazish nahin tu tamanna meri

[Why aren’t my words having an effect on you, my love?/ O my sweetheart, tell me what you desire/ Start saying sweet nothings to me already/ This is not a conspiracy, you are what I want]

Natasha Noorani: Teray jhootay alfaaz/ Don’t be a dhokaybaaz/ Baatein saari bekaar/ Jaa re jaa
Yeh do din ka faltoo pyaar/ Aik pal ka bharosa/ Karoon kyun meri jaan?/ Jaa re jaa

[Your lying words/ Don’t be a fraud/ What you say is meaningless/ Go away
This fleeting worthless love/ One moment of trust/ Why should I repose, my love?/ Go away]

Faltu Pyaar is fun and playful but I wish we had more of Natasha Noorani in it. This song doesn’t do justice to her vocal talent — incidentally, her sparklingly clear enunciations stand in stark contrast to Raheem’s typical mumbling style. Faltu Pyaar sounds like a typical Hasan Raheem song with Natasha Noorani in it; the stage here is not being shared somewhat equally, one feels. And there was potential for more.

The official video released online is also quite slick. Here’s hoping one sees more of their collaborations in the future.

Published in Dawn, ICON, June 19th, 2022

[3]: https://i.dawn.com/primary/2022/06/62ae99370fa0d.jpgemphasized text