Ayee ayee, bahaar rut ayee, and we couldn’t be more excited!

To us, spring means celebrating colour, dancing to the tunes of our favourite melodies, and finding excuses to step outside. Now that the dull winter days have morphed into warmer ones, the fragrance of fresh flowers seem to be begging us to break free from the daily rut and let ourselves loose. Our Nai Rang video does exactly that. With Amir Khusrau’s powerful poetry in the background, the video not only celebrates the season of colour and rebirth, but also our freedom to just be! Choreographer Omar Rahim encapsulates this euphoria in an interpretative dance performance choreographed around Naveed Riaz’s powerful narration of Khusrau’s verses. Meanwhile, our performers, Howra Batool, Maira Mustufa, and Amal Nadeem, execute it to the T; their movements reminiscent of the mustard flowers swaying passionately with the spring breeze. Now, let’s meet the ladies who translated the magic on screen, each depicting a different hue chosen from god’s most beautiful palette!

Meet Howra

Howra Batool is currently pursuing her Fine Arts degree from National College Of Art (NCA), Lahore. On working with Generation “It was an honour for me to work with Generation,” says Howra. Trust us, Howra, the pleasure and honour was all ours to work with such a performer! “I simply love how Generation considers their workers as family members and for the short time that we worked with the brand, we became part of the family too,” she adds. “I think this is what makes you stand apart because you value people. I’m looking forward to working more with Generation.” On her performance in Nai Rang “Coming from a background where even going out in public is a huge deal, performing at such a platform made me feel strong and confident. I overcame my fears of facing the society. The experience with Generation has really boosted my confidence specially the theme they chose for it. I felt really empowered after expressing myself as a performer,” Howra shares her experience. On being comfortable in her own skin “I am confident just the way I am. Skin tone doesn’t matter at all,” says the Pakhtun. “I have faced many difficulties because I belong to a minority community. We are not allowed to come in front of the camera but I really want to break these stereotypes for the upcoming generation.”

Meet Maira

The Visual Communication Design student from NCA, Maira, is passionate about finding ways to express herself through different mediums. On working with Generation “Generation has my heart from my very first shalwar Kameez till now. It's not just about the prints and styles but the thought behind it which counts,” she explains her bond with the brand. “I love how Generation always finds a way and makes room for diversity in one way or another. I love the "Nai Rang" campaign! It celebrates the colors of spring, flowers, and skin; each of them unique and beautiful.” On her performance in Nai Rang “Being a part of Generation's campaign was an amazing experience,” Maira shares. “It was lovely to see diverse women, with different talents and paths of life, coming together on one set. The team was the most generous and humble. It was quite a learning experience and we had a lot of fun with Omer Rahim the choreographer. The energy on the set was overwhelming.” On being comfortable in her own skin “I am pretty comfortable in my skin now because the older you get you have more things and goals set to focus on rather than achieving the so-called "perfection",” she says. “Being a darker shade did get the best of my self-esteem, especially as a teen, but with time, support of my family, and awareness around the globe, I am confident in my skin more than ever.”

Meet Amal

Another Fine Art student from NCA, Amal Nadeem is majoring in print making, and has faced the brunt of our society’s obsession with fair, spotless skin On working with Generation “My experience with Generation was one of the best. I love how Generation does not lose the element of creativity while portraying women as a strong part of our society,” explains Amal. On her performance in Nai Rang “I met and hung out with some really talented people which was a great experience on its own,” Amal shares similar views as her co-performers before praising the choreographer. “Omer Rahim , with his sense of humour and amazing talent, made my experience worth remembering.” It seems the choreographer, Omer Rahim, made the shoot all kinds of fun for the performers! On being comfortable in their own skin “I have faced a struggle over the years over my skin colour as I have been dark skinned and everyone has always commented on that,” Amal laments. “But I think I realised, as I got older, that it doesn't really matter what people think of me, especially if they judge me by how I look.”

The team behind the "Nai Rang" video.

As Amir Khusrau puts it: “Tarha Tarha ke phool lagaye (They bring all kinds of flowers) Le garwa hathan mein aaye (In bouquets, in hands) Nizamuddin ke darwazay per (To the house of Nizamuddin) Aawan keh gaye desi rung (Yet the lover who promised to come) Aur beet gaye barson (Is still awaited, for years) Sakalband phool rahi sarson (As mustard flowers bloom in every field) So, what say? Let’s step outside like Amal, Maham, and Howra?