Zeeshan Haider, also known as Zeeshan Vicky Haider, has quietly shaped some of the most emotional soundscapes in recent Pakistani music. From co-creating early-2000s hits to becoming the creative force behind the Neelofar soundtrack, his journey reflects a rare blend of honesty, craft, and instinct. In this exclusive interview, he opens up about his roots, his evolution, his experience creating every track for Neelofar, and where he sees himself among today’s Pakistani singers and storytellers.
About Zeeshan Vicky Haider (The Artist)
Q: Zeeshan, your artistry feels deeply personal and layered. How did your journey into music, writing, and composition begin, and what shaped your creative identity?
Zeeshan Haider:
I didn’t really “step into” music, I was born into it. Growing up in a family of deeply skilled musicians, music was always around me like a second language. From a very young age, I was trying to understand it, break it down, and make sense of it in my own way. I’d always have this internal debate of “Lahore ka music ya Karachi ka?” but deep down, my own sense of listening and musicianship was already forming.
Very early in life, I co-produced and programmed songs with my elder brother, Shuja Haider, who has always been an exceptionally talented artist. Together, we worked on hits like Channo, Kaho Ek Din, Dil Se Maine Dekha Pakistan, and many others. I also co-composed Tera Woh Pyar with Shani Haider, one of Shuja’s most iconic tracks. I wanted to sing it myself, but I was too young, and Shuja absolutely nailed it.
Over time, as life changed, my musical taste evolved too. One of the first songs I ever wrote and composed for myself was Tu Akela Nahi, a message of motivation that I recorded exactly as I felt it in that moment. It’s still on Spotify in that raw form.
Later, when I moved from Karachi to Lahore, I discovered another version of myself. Lahore gave me the space to pause, breathe, and reconnect with my own being, and out of that feeling of transition came Ja Rahe Tere Shahar Se.
During that phase, I lost weight, wrote my songs, met people for music videos, and eventually played my tracks for Ammar Rasool, the director of Neelofar. The songs I had written for myself ended up becoming part of Neelofar’s emotional world.
Then COVID happened, and many intentions were paused. But with Neelofar finally releasing, it feels like that journey has picked up exactly where it was meant to continue.
Experience the Neelofar soundtrack by Zeeshan Haider — now streaming on spotify.
Q: People often describe your sound as emotionally cinematic. How would you define the essence of Zeeshan Haider’s music?
Zeeshan:
As I mentioned earlier, I ended the Lahore-versus-Karachi battle in my mind when I realised that what I truly love lies somewhere in between the two. Because of my connection with Lahore’s film industry, I naturally understand the mindset of cinematic music, and through Karachi, I understand the heartbeat of pop.
Blending these two worlds comes very naturally to me. Whether it’s a ballad, pop track, or a cinematic piece, the emotional grandness just appears on its own without me intentionally pushing for it. Maybe that’s what people call an artist’s “flavor.” I’ve also always felt that my songs don’t fully belong in TV dramas or typical pop spaces, they breathe better on stage and in cinema.
Q: You’ve worn multiple hats, singer, songwriter, composer. Which one feels the most natural, and how do you balance all three without losing your authenticity?
Zeeshan:
Writing feels the most natural to me. It’s the one space where I find truth. Whether I’m expressing something, appreciating someone, searching for meaning, or simply asking questions, writing is always my instinctive starting point. It’s the thing I can do anywhere, anytime: before sleeping, after waking up, or in any corner of the world.
Four Years Later Neelofar Teaser Finally Arrives And It’s Pure Emotion
Zeeshan Haider Journey in the Music Industry
Q: The Pakistani music scene has evolved. What’s the biggest challenge for an independent creative like you navigating this industry?
Zeeshan Haider:
The biggest challenge for skilled artists today is that while Pakistani music is evolving, the listener isn’t evolving at the same pace. And evolution doesn’t always mean improvement, sometimes it builds things, and sometimes it destroys them.
Yes, the industry is moving somewhere, but where we’re going can only be measured by the quality of listenership. You can grow an industry by selling anything, even harmful things, but real progress comes from grooming mindsets, elevating personalities, and nurturing genuinely skilled people. That’s true evolution.
Even those who genuinely want to learn often get trapped in trends and slowly drift away from their real potential. The result is that we begin losing skilled singers, musicians, writers, and composers. This challenge is global, and many artists don’t even realise the trap until it’s too late.
Q: With digital platforms giving more visibility, do you think the industry values artistic honesty or viral trends more?
Zeeshan:
If I’m being honest, the industry today feels very different from what it used to be. There was a time when the industry created artists, invested in deserving talent, nurtured originality, and gave new voices the space they needed. Now the mindset has shifted. Many artists chase whatever seems potentially viral, and old Pushto and Saraiki songs keep getting remixed, not out of respect, but because they come with built-in recognition.
And when I say “industry,” I mainly mean the people who buy and sell. Their priority is whatever sells quickly. Instead of discovering and uplifting deserving talent, they often prefer faces that are already trending.
Everyone gets valued, but the value usually falls on context, not content. On popularity, not craft. And if you ask many of the most visible names today to speak deeply about their art, there might be silence. I say this respectfully, because I still believe that deserving artists eventually find their own audience. And I hope the focus shifts back toward real artistry.
Q: How do you stay inspired in an industry dominated by commercial hits and celebrity names?
Zeeshan:
I’ve worked on countless sound designs for television, and honestly, commercial hits have given me so many ideas about styles and arrangements. If you truly want to learn, you’ll find lessons everywhere, every song, every trend, every project. But if someone is lost in pride or arrogance, they only find confusion, not clarity.
For me, observing well-crafted commercial songs and the aura around celebrities is motivating. I appreciate it, I study it, but I don’t let it shape my artistic identity. I take what’s useful, leave what isn’t, and stay focused on building my own path.
Neelofar – A Creative Leap
Q: You composed, wrote, and sang every track for Neelofar, something rare in mainstream cinema. What inspired you to take full creative control?
Zeeshan Haider:
Before Neelofar, I was already working on my singles. While collaborating with Ammar Rasool, the writer and director of Neelofar, on one of his commercial projects, I played him my songs because I wanted him to direct my music videos. But when he heard them, he immediately opened up about a film he was working on and said the songs fit perfectly.
Tu Meri and Ja Rahe were then shared with Fawad Khan, Hassan Khalid, and Usaf Shariq, and the producers loved them. They requested a third song, and even in my rough vocals, it left the same impression. Then came the fourth and fifth tracks, and the pattern repeated.
I was taken on board because my style, lyrics, compositions, and vocal character made sense for the film’s world. Even then, the idea of bringing in other singers was discussed internally and with some of the finest minds in the industry during the five-year break.
Honestly, I expected that someone popular might end up singing at least one or two tracks. But I think the team valued the uniqueness and emotional consistency my voice brought to the project. They chose creativity over clichés and commercial shortcuts, and that’s something truly rare.
Fawad Khan himself has an incredibly deep musical insight. His guidance genuinely helped shape the background score. I feel lucky, honoured, and grateful to become the first artist to ever take on this level of creative involvement for a Pakistani film.
Q: Every song in Neelofar feels emotionally charged. Can you walk us through the creative and emotional process behind crafting the album?
Zeeshan:
Since two of my songs were already selected, we had a very clear musical direction from the start. Both of those songs came from deeply personal moments in my life, and Neelofar also carried moments that shared that emotional frequency. I think that’s what connected me to the project instantly.
For the remaining songs, I had to step out of my personal emotions and understand how the characters of Neelofar had built their own emotional worlds, and how my creativity could merge with theirs.
My meetings and long discussions with Fawad and Ammar helped me decode the emotional language of the film. If you listen to Tum Hi Ho, you’ll find my poetic colour in it, but it was Neelofar that gave me the space to write something like that. Every song is a fusion, of the composer’s heart, the writer’s emotions, and the soul of the characters.
Q: Despite such powerful work, the media highlighted the actors far more than your role in the music. Why do behind-the-scenes artists often get less recognition, and how do you handle that?
Zeeshan:
Saying the media didn’t highlight me would be too early, and even if they did, comparing my recognition with someone else’s would be foolish. In the film world, everyone receives recognition in proportion to the space they create in people’s hearts, and the kind of work they deliver. Real work can’t stay hidden.
What matters is consistency. If you want that long-lasting, larger-than-life recognition, you have to keep showing up with great work, again and again.
The Vision Ahead
Q: Fast forward to 2030, where do you see yourself musically, personally, and creatively?
Zeeshan Haider:
I’m reminded of a verse from Kishore Kumar and R.D. Burman’s classic Zindagi Ke Safar Mein Guzar Jaate Hain:
“Waqt chalta hi rehta hai, rukta nahi,
Ek pal mein ye aage nikal jaata hai,
Aadmi theek se dekh paata nahin,
Aur parde pe manzar badal jaata hai.”
You’re asking me about 2030, but the truth is, I don’t even know what 2026 holds. But if we talk about intentions: Musically, I just want to stay genuinely connected with people, perform live, and create songs that feel timeless and emotionally real for anyone who listens.
On a personal level, my faith in Allah is everything. I pray that it grows stronger, and that I remain spiritually grounded. And creatively, I want to continue making music that feels unique, like Neelofar, while also exploring new directions as long as they touch hearts and connect with the world.
Final Thoughts
Zeeshan Haider is stepping into a space very few Pakistani singers occupy, one where storytelling, composition, and emotion come together with absolute honesty. His work on Neelofar shows what happens when an artist is trusted with a complete creative vision, and his journey hints at a future shaped by sincerity, depth, and fearless experimentation. If this is the foundation he has built, the next decade could be one of the most meaningful chapters in modern Pakistani music.
Everything shared in this interview reflects the artist’s personal views and experiences. It isn’t meant to generalize or criticize anyone. As a publication, Quill Quest Magazine respects and presents the artist’s creative perspective as it is.
[…] of truth without even knowing the story. After speaking with Zeeshan Vicky Haider in an exclusive interview for Quill Quest Magazine, it became clear that the emotional weight of this track is far deeper than its calm melody […]