It is said that when Riaz Qadri sings, he does not simply sing; his voice transcends the barrier of time itself. The high-octane Sufi singer-songwriter's take on 'Jhang Da Dhola' — written in the dhola tradition of Punjabi folk songs about pure, innocent, divine love — recorded in 2018 forms the heart and soul of 'Stereo Punjab', a cross-border collaboration between Pakistani musician, music director, and record producer Zohaib Kazi and Indian photographer-filmmaker Avani Rai.
"I first connected with Zohaib on Instagram, having admired his work for a long time," Rai says of how the project came together. "As we began talking, I shared the story of my father (the legendary photographer Raghu Rai), who was originally from Jhang on the other side of the border. When my father was just five years old, he crossed the border and settled here. During our conversations, I shared images of my father’s visit back to Jhang much later in his life. Zohaib eventually shared a track with me called Jhang Da Dola and asked if I would be interested in visually interpreting it. I was deeply honoured and excited by the opportunity".
"The story I created for the song centers on the idea of memories being symbolized as flowers, inspired by the concept of Gulistan, the name of Zohaib’s album, of which Jhang Da Dola is a part. My interpretation portrays an old man looking back on his childhood, gathering memories like flowers."Avani Rai
Seen through this lens of nostalgia and memory, the cinematic music video reflects the man's journey of revisiting the past, reconnecting with his roots, and contemplating his life experiences. "The narrative also explores how borders, though physically dividing, cannot sever memories or erase a shared history," Rai says.
This story of an elderly man gazing back across the border of time — and two nations — into his lost childhood, carrying with him the old stereo system he once owned, complements Riaz Qadri's reverberating vocals. Each flower the man encounters embodies a distinct memory, blooming with the innocence and joy of his younger, innocent self. As he retraces these moments, the stereo plays the soundtrack of his past, each song resonating with a memory, unfolding like a petal. The film paints a nostalgic portrait of the boy he once was — a tapestry of experiences that shaped his early years. Through this musical journey, he finds solace and sorrow in the bittersweet remembrance of his bygone days — eternally preserved in the garden of his mind.
Jhang Da Dhola speaks of separation and longing at a deeply intimate, personal level. But in Punjab — where the wounds of Partition are still open — separation and longing can never be spoken of in isolation. Geopolitically divided between India and Pakistan, both Punjab and Punjabis exist in both countries and in neither — they exist in a united Punjab of memory, and a divided Punjab of reality.
"I deeply believe that if you don’t know where you come from, you can’t truly understand where you’re going," Rai says. "Recognizing and respecting your roots creates a sense of identity, belonging, and purpose. It shapes a value system that is deeply internal and often spiritual".
"For me, acknowledging where I come from and what has shaped me is integral to everything I do. It’s part of how I’ve experienced life — embracing the realities of my journey rather than rejecting them. By honoring the past and connecting it with the future, I strive to bring them both into the present, creating a unified and meaningful existence."Avani Rai
The project is part of a recent wave of cross-border collaborations between Indian and Pakistani creators that try to bridge the fault lines created by Partition.
"Through creative expression, art has the profound ability to connect human beings," Rai says. "It transcends the boundaries of the conscious mind, reaching into a deeper, shared inner consciousness. That’s the power of art — it touches spaces within us that logic and reason cannot access".
Exploring what it truly means to be separated by a political boundary becomes even more profound when viewed through this lens. "Despite being divided, culturally we remain the same people," Rai says. "Through art, we can bridge those divides, accessing emotions and shared histories that go beyond rational thought. When people from across borders come together in a creative dialogue, those artificial fault lines begin to fade. The experience becomes one of unity and shared humanity, dissolving the barriers that once seemed so permanent".
Stereo Punjab is part of Gulistan (Janoobi) / Side Down, a follow-up to the acclaimed 2023 album Gulistan (Janoobi) / Side Up by Pakistani musician Zohaib Kazi. It is the third and final instalment of Kazi’s folktronic travel series, marking an end to the 9-year-long project driven by identity curiosity.
Watch the music video here:
Follow Avani Rai here.
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