The fifth edition of Pakistan Super League is underway and by now the nation has settled itself to enjoy this cricket season that celebrates and promotes the game that is beloved by the entire country. And the celebrations start when the official anthem for the tournament is released. However, this year that celebration was mired with a rather peculiar controversy.

For the first time in PSL’s history, the official anthem for the year was welcomed with some rather mixed feedback on social media. Its video uploaded on Youtube received a harsh mauling from social media users, and many online platforms were flooded with fans who were disappointed by what they considered was a dip in the quality of the league’s official song. To be more specific, the fans were severely missing the presence of Ali Zafar, who has sung three of the five official PSL anthems over the years.

To all this Ali replied, “Bhaee Hazir Hai.”

Anthem controversy

The trouble began when Ali Azmat, one of the singers of this year’s PSL anthem, went on national television and indirectly accused Ali Zafar of orchestrating the entire negative trending against the anthem on social media. The disappointing reviews towards the anthem as well as the actual performance, botched due to event mismanagement at the PSL opening ceremony, had left Ali Azmat quite embittered and he spilled it all on TV during an interview.

While this could’ve easily been brushed off as yet another regular unnecessary social media spat, Ali Zafar took the opportunity and spun it all in his favor in what was a masterstroke. He addressed the accusations in a cheeky twitter video where he sarcastically invited every person to put the blame of everything wrong in their life on him. He said people were free to put his picture on a dartboard and attack it every time they got frustrated with their life. In his own words, Ali was ready to be there.

Ali rallies the social media

And thus, began another social media trend that urged Ali Zafar to come back with a PSL anthem that is on the same scale as the famous Ab Khel Jamay Ga. The topic was even raised in the same TV show where Ali Azmat had made the accusations. Ali Zafar used the same platform to drop the news that he was willing to make a PSL anthem if that is what the fans and the audience wanted. Bhaee hazir hai.

All controversy was forgotten and now all eyes were on Ali Zafar and his promise. The response to his news was overwhelmingly positive and within two days, Ali had dropped videos announcing the progress of the anthem which was nearing its completion. And because this entire thing was done due to the fans’ insistence, Ali Zafar did not exclude them out.

The Channo rockstar sent out an open invitation to all his fans around the globe to be part of the anthem’s official music video. The process was simple – just send a video of dancing to the song’s hook step by following an easy tutorial taught by Ali Zafar himself and email the video. Simple, engaging, and effective; the anticipating fans’ put on their dancing shoes and readily answered Ali Zafar’s call with full enthusiasm.

Fast forward to the video

It did not take Ali Zafar even ten days to drop the hint of him making a PSL anthem and releasing the final version of the anthem alongside its music video. And he made sure that the entire process of making the anthem was not done in secret. It was out in the open for everyone to witness. It could be seen as Ali Zafar flexing the power of his fan following. Honestly, he can’t be blamed.

The title of the anthem could not be apter. Mela Loot Liya can very easily apply to Ali Zafar’s own brilliant strategy that had him spin a negative attack on him into a golden opportunity to be back in the game. Without wasting time and energy in engaging in a petty fight after being accused of being a mastermind behind a slandering campaign on social media against this year’s official anthem Tayyar Hain, Ali Zafar used the very same social media to prove that the audience’s acceptance and love cannot be bought. It was a clever move and it worked.

A win-win situation

Ali Zafar’s association with PSL has always bought both him and the tournament great benefits. One can’t forget that the teaser of Teefa In Trouble was released during the opening ceremony of PSL in 2018. In return, Ali Zafar had put up a brilliant performance at the ceremony. No other performer has elevated the PSL stage the way Ali Zafar did. The power move that he pulled in just ten days with Mela Loot Liya can be interpreted as Ali Zafar sending a message that he is the force that cannot be just pushed to the side like that, especially with all the successes to his name.

Mela Loot Liya is officially released and is already trending on top spots. While it might not be the official anthem for PSL, it has already gone viral and is pretty much on every person’s lips. Even Ali Zafar dedicated his hard work to all his fans who pushed him to do this. At the end of the day, what sells is what the audience wants.

And the audience clearly wants Ali Zafar.