Watch Rangeela
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The Story Behind Rangeela
Rangeela brought Ali Azmat back to Coke Studio for Season 8's fifth episode in September 2015. Sabir Zafar wrote the lyrics, Bilal Maqsood originally composed the song, and Strings produced this studio rendition. The arrangement announces itself with Omran Shafique's electric-guitar hook, then folds Tanveer Tafu's mandolin into the groove before Azmat enters with his unmistakable rasp. Contemporary coverage presented the track as a meeting of veteran rock voices, while later reviews heard both its addictive pulse and echoes of Azmat's Junoon years. That contrast gives the performance its character: bright, muscular instrumentation carries words about impermanence, allowing Azmat's swagger to coexist with a sober reminder that worldly display does not last.
Meaning & Translation
Rangeela means "colourful" or "full of colour" in Urdu and Hindi, and here the word carries both delight and irony. The song presents life as a vivid spectacle of status, possessions and youthful pride, then reminds the listener that all of that display is temporary. Its recurring thought is that worldly grandeur remains behind when the human traveller must move on. Ali Azmat's exuberant delivery makes the warning feel celebratory rather than sombre: enjoy life's colour, but do not mistake it for permanence. Beneath the rock swagger is a plain moral about humility, mortality and loosening one's attachment to outward show.
Details
Artists & Credits
- Ali Azmat singer
- Bilal Maqsood composer
- Sabir Zafar lyricist
- Omran Shafique musician
- Tanveer Tafu musician
- Strings producer