Hasan Raheem finds himself caught in a colourful fantasy of love in ‘Rangeen’, the latest release from Coke Studio Nu.WAV, but the romance takes an unexpected turn.
Released on Friday, the song brings together Raheem, emerging singer Izzchugtai and producer Umair Tahir, better known as Umair. It follows ‘Dil’, which launched the new Coke Studio platform nearly two weeks earlier.
The music video opens during Basant in Lahore, with Raheem standing on a rooftop as kites fill the sky. He spots a woman across the way, played by model Sukaina Zaidi, and begins imagining an entire relationship with her.
What follows is largely a romance created inside Raheem’s imagination. He pictures their meeting, courtship and growing connection as the song explores youthful affection and longing.
Izzchugtai’s character brings a dose of reality to Raheem’s fantasy. He appears to recognise that the woman does not share Raheem’s interest and tries to make him understand the situation.
Director Arham Ikram deliberately blurs the line between reality and imagination throughout the video. Production designer Hashim Ali has created a nostalgic visual world inspired by the early 2000s, using pastel-coloured walls, patterned tiles, old computers, CDs, cassettes and film posters.
The story later moves towards a neighbourhood wedding. Raheem travels there in a decorated pink rickshaw with his mother, played by Salma Hasan, alongside Izzchugtai and Umair. The wedding venue features a brightly decorated two-storey house, with fairy lights covering its windows, doors and balconies.
The romantic fantasy reaches its turning point when the sound of a shehnai, performed by Muhammad Salim, signals the wedding ceremony. Raheem then discovers that the woman he had imagined building a relationship with is actually marrying someone else.
Despite the heartbreak, the video keeps the mood playful rather than turning the moment into a tragedy.
Raheem is also seen dressed as a groom in the video while imagining his relationship with Zaidi. The appearance has already reminded fans of his earlier ‘MEMORIES’ promotional campaign, which also featured the singer in a fictional marriage storyline.
Fans took the opportunity to joke about Raheem appearing as a groom once again, with some recalling the reactions to the earlier campaign.
