Aastha Gill’s ‘Nazar’ Sees the Pop Artist Playfully Ward Off the Evil Eye

Punjabi pop singer Aastha Gill’s new song “Nazar” takes the club-friendly route to talking about a possessive kind of love, with the music video taking a comedic route.

Gill tries (and misfires) as she tries to catch the attention of a mysterious man (portrayed by actor Suhail Nayyar) at a masquerade party, with the humor matching the laidback nature of her song, produced by Hiten and co-written with lyricist Dilberr.

Gill says in a statement, “This song is all about those hilarious, heart-fluttering moments when you’re smitten. I wanted to create something relatable and light-hearted, and the music video brings that to life. I’ve also tried to tap into the traditional Indian belief of the ‘evil eye’ or ‘Nazar,’ using this metaphor to weave modern-day romance with an age-old cultural concept. I wanted to fuse tradition and contemporary themes to enhance the song’s appeal.”

A press release goes on to describe the video as “a party where nothing goes as planned” for the “Paani Paani” hitmaker. The release adds, “With her effortless comedic timing, Gill’s character embarks on a series of misadventures as she tries to impress a mysterious boy, Nayyar.” The video is directed by Supreet Kaur from the production house Jugaad Motion Pictures.

“Nazar” marks Gill’s first solo release of the year, following her 2023 singles “Ve Mai Kehna” and “Kyun,” among others. Often a counterpart to hip-hop/pop artist Badshah’s best-known songs like “Paani Paani” and “DJ Waley Babu,” this new song continues Gill’s filmi, Punjabi pop style. Gill had recently teased the upcoming song on Instagram, proclaiming to her fans, “In my brat era. Exciting things are coming up, and I’m ready to go all out, but are you ready for it?”

For the track’s producer Hiten, 2024 has been a prolific year, most notably for his contributions to Badshah‘s album Ek Tha Raja earlier this year, including the hit song “Daaku” featuring singer Sharvi Yadav. Hiten, who recently released “Huzoor Ji” with singer Mansimran Sandhu, has been known for his work on previous hit tracks like Haryanvi rapper MC Square’s “Laado.”