''Humsafar'' ( ur, , lit=Companion or Life Partner) is a 2011

Pakistani drama Pakistani dramas, or Pakistani serials, are televised serials produced in Pakistan. Although most of the serials are produced in Urdu, an increasing number of them are produced in other Pakistani languages such as Sindhi, Pashto, Punjabi an ...

telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ...

based on the novel of the same name by

Farhat Ishtiaq Farhat Ishtiaq ( ur, ) (born June 23, 1980), is a Pakistani writer, author and screenwriter. She is best known for her romantic novels ''Humsafar'', ''Mata-e-Jaan Hai Tu'', '' Diyar-e-Dil'', ''Dil se Nikle Hain jo Lafz'' and ''Woh Jo Qarz Rakh ...

(who also wrote the screenplay), and directed by

Sarmad Sultan Khoosat Sarmad Sultan Khoosat (born May 7, 1979) is a Pakistani actor, film/ TV director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing the super-hit TV dramas ''Humsafar'' and ''Shehr-e-Zaat''. He is considered to be one of the best South Asian f ...

. It stars

Fawad Khan Fawad Afzal Khan ( ur, ) (born 29 November 1981) is a Pakistani actor, producer, screenwriter, model and singer having received several awards including a Filmfare Award, two Lux Style Awards and six Hum Awards. Khan began his acting caree ...

Mahira Khan Mahira Hafeez Khan (; born 21 December 1984) is a Pakistani actress. She started her career as a VJ in 2006. Khan is best known for portraying the role of Khirad Hussain in the romantic-drama ''Humsafar'' for which she received numerous acco ...

Naveen Waqar Naveen Waqar is a Pakistani television actress and former video and radio jockey. She is best known for her negative role as Sara in 2012 series ''Humsafar.'' Her television appearances includes a series of acclaim projects including ''Annie Ki A ...

along with

Atiqa Odho Atiqa Odho ( ur, ; born 12 February 1968 ) is a Pakistani television and film actress, television host, and the namesake of her own founded cosmetics brand Odho cosmetics. She debuted in Anwar Maqsood's TV series. She is famous for, '' Sitara au ...

, and

Hina Khawaja Bayat Hina Khawaja Bayat ( ur, ) is a Pakistani actress whose appearances include ''Uraan, Ishq Gumshuda, Aunn Zara, Humsafar, Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Muqaddas'' and '' Shehr-e-Zaat'' and '' Baaghi''. Early life Hina is ethnically Kashmiri and lives ...

in supporting roles. ''Humsafar'' become the most successful program of the channel to date, earning it widespread acclaim and international recognition. Due to its success, critics referred to this era of

Pakistani television Television in Pakistan started in 1964 and the first live transmission of Pakistan Television began on 26 November 1964, in Lahore.

Plot

Khirad Ahsaan belongs to a small middle-class community in

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

and lives with her widowed mother, Maimoona, in a small apartment. As the series opens, she has recently completed her

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degree, and (as her late father was a math teacher) is very strong in mathematics. Maimoona's brother, Baseerat Hussain, is a self-made millionaire who lives in Karachi. He is married to Farida, a social worker who runs a human rights NGO. They have one son, Ashar, who received his MBA from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

, and runs the family's high-powered firm with his father. After Maimoona receives a cancer diagnosis, Baseerat then brings her and Khirad to his large home in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

for treatment. When she realizes that there is no cure, Maimoona asks Baseerat to arrange a marriage for Khirad. Feeling guilty for not taking better care of Maimoona, Baseerat compensates by promising that Ashar will marry Khirad, unbeknownst to Farida, Khirad, or Ashar. Farida is opposed to the match until Baseerat threatens to throw her out of the house if she does not accept it. While initially opposed, Ashar is then manipulated by his father to accept the marriage, as is Khirad by her mother. Meanwhile, Sara (who is in love with Ashar) attempts suicide after both learning about the match and hearing from Ashar that he only sees her as a friend. After he rescues her, she promises to move on. Despite being against the idea, Ashar and Khirad get married in a home ceremony. Within a short period of time, Maimoona dies, and Farida appears to have had a change in heart, treating Khirad as a daughter. After an initial period of complications, Ashar and Khirad eventually find themselves deeply in love with each other. After Baseerat's sudden death, and encouraged by Ashar to follow her dreams, Khirad enrols in a master's program in

applied mathematics Applied mathematics is the application of mathematical methods by different fields such as physics, engineering, medicine, biology, finance, business, computer science, and industry. Thus, applied mathematics is a combination of mathematical s ...

. Shortly after joining the program, she discovers that one of her classmates (Khizer) is Sara's paternal first cousin. Ashar becomes secretly jealous of both this friendship and of Khirad's involvement with the school, and her success there. She and Farida also learn that Khirad is pregnant, but decide to keep it as a surprise for Ashar. However, Khirad never has the opportunity to tell him the news, because she is framed by Khizar, Farida, and Zarina. Khirad learns that the love and attention from Farida, Zarina, and Khizar was a facade that hid a complex conspiracy. Farida feels that because Khirad had a middle-class upbringing she is beneath Ashar. Zarina hopes that Sara will stop obsessing over Ashar's marriage to Khirad. Farida made a deal with Khizar to pay for his graduate studies in the United States and a marriage to Sara, unbeknownst to Sara and Zarina. With Baseerat gone, Farida (who never forgave him for threatening to throw her out) can convince Ashar that Khirad and Khizar were having an affair, despite her pleas of innocence. Unable to bear the idea (and not willing to hear Khirad's side of the story), Ashar disappears. Farida uses his absence as an opportunity to further develop the fabrication and throw Khirad out of the house (as an act of revenge against Baseerat) in the middle of the night. Khirad is able to quickly write a note to Ashar proclaiming her innocence and leaves it with a member of the house staff. She is then taken to Hyderabad by a

good samaritan In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil and is of interest in the study of ethics, morality, ph ...

, and finds a home with her former neighbour, Batool Bano. As Farida told Ashar that Khirad ran away with Khizar, Ashar refused Khirad's multiple calls. Thus, she realizes that she will never be able to convince him of her innocence, and gives up on their marriage. She gives birth alone to a premature baby and decides that she will raise Hareem on her own, working as a math teacher. Four years later, driven by Hareem's need for open heart surgery, Khirad confronts Ashar. Her youthful innocence and fear of the world have now been both replaced by a firm and courageous persona that allows her to stand up to Ashar. She has also learned how to protect herself with documentation, evidence that forces Ashar to accept the reality that Hareem (whom he did not know existed) is his daughter. He brings them both back home during the medical procedures. Khirad is then forced to confront both Sara and Farida, but the strength, independence, and confidence born of her hardships prevent them from bullying her. Sara confesses her love to Ashar once again, but he informs her that he cannot love anyone and that she should stop pursuing him. Khizar also returns from America and starts to blackmail Farida by threatening to reveal Khirad's innocence to Ashar if Sara does not marry him. Under pressure, Farida visits Sara and urges her to marry Khizar, but Sara and her mother Zarina refuse. Distraught, Sara attempts suicide again, and this time she succeeds. After Hareem's successful operation, Khirad secretly returns to Hyderabad and leaves Hareem with Ashar (telling him through a letter that he has full custody because she is not financially capable of taking care of her). However, the period with Khirad had rekindled Asher's feelings for her. While looking through a box of albums, Ashar finds Khirad's letter from four years earlier and finally reads it for the first time. The truth of the letter overwhelms him as he realizes he committed a terrible mistake in believing the scene from four years before. He then overhears a phone call between Farida and Khizar, which confirms that what he saw was a fabrication and that Farida deliberately threw Khirad out to disavow the unborn child. Horrified by the reality of his unintentional complicity with the conspiracy against Khirad, he flees to Hyderabad to beg her forgiveness. He manages to convince Khirad to return home, where they face Farida. In his absence, Farida had found the letter, and thus upon seeing them both, begins to repeat her series of lies. However, this time, Ashar stands up to her, perhaps for the first time in his life. He rejects Farida's narrative, proclaims Khirad's innocence, and states that she belongs in this home with his daughter (whom Farida also attempted to disavow). Farida becomes so frightened by Ashar's decision to support Khirad that she has a nervous breakdown, and loses all connection with reality. Ashar then takes full responsibility for all of the events and begs Khirad to stay in the home. Khirad is hesitant, stating that she is a different person now and that she isn't certain she can love him as she used to. She also wonders how Ashar could have imagined she was capable of the narrative fabricated about her, and how he could have abandoned her if he genuinely loved her. Deeply ashamed, Ashar agrees, and states that it was entirely his fault and that he has no right to expect she can ever forgive him. However, he hopes that she will stay so that they can raise Hareem together. Khirad reluctantly consents to the arrangement, and a few months later, the three are shown as a real family unit.

Cast

as Ashar Hussain *

as Khirad Ashar Hussain (Nee'Ahsaan) *

as Sara Ajmal *

as Farida Hussain *

Behroze Sabzwari Behroze Sabzwari ( ur, بہروز سبزواری; born 1957) is an actor from Pakistan, appearing in films, on television, and in voice acting roles alike. Career Behroze began his career in Radio Pakistan as a radio presenter. In the late 1 ...

as Baseerat Hussain *

as Zarina Ajmal *

Noor Hassan Rizvi Noor Hassan Rizvi ( ur, ) is a Pakistani model and actor. He has acted in Pakistani television drama serials, including '' Aseerzadi'', '' Humsafar'', ''Maat'', ''Mah-e-Tamam'', '' Shanakht'', ''Ladies Park'' and others. Acting He is kno ...

as Khizar *

Saba Faisal Saba Faisal ( Punjabi, ur, ) is a Pakistani actress and former news anchor. In her career more than a decade, she has appeared in several acclaimed television serials, theatre, plays and films mainly in Urdu language. Film Television Award ...

as Maimoona Ahsaan *

Salma Zafar Salma Zafar is a Pakistani actress. She is known for her roles in dramas ''Yeh Zindagi Hai'', ''Kaash Main Teri Beti Na Hoti'', '' Humsafar'' and ''Zebaish''. Early life Salma was born in 1965 on 10th August in Karachi, Pakistan. She completed h ...

as Sherish *Shahbaz Rajput as Ali *

Qaiser Naqvi Qaiser Naqvi is a Pakistani actress. She is known for her roles in dramas ''Main Chand Si'', '' Humsafar'', '' Shikwa'' and ''Ek Tamanna Lahasil Si''. Early life Qaiser was born in 1958 on December 8th in Karachi, Pakistan. She completed her stu ...

as Batool Bano * Sara Kashif as Hareem Hussain

Guest Appearances

Khalid Anam Khaled Anam is a Pakistani actor, producer and singer. He has acted in various dramas, like ''Kahi Unkahi'', '' Muqaddas'', ''Bhaagti Bareera''. As a singer, he's best known for his rendition of Shah Hussain's kalam ''Peera Ho'' during the 1990 ...

as Khirad's father *

Mansha Pasha Mansha Pasha (Urdu: منشاء پاشا; born October 19, 1987) is a Pakistani actress and television presenter. She is known for her supporting roles in several critically and commercially successful television series, including ''Shehr-e-Zaat'' ...

as the wife of Ashar's friend *

Kanwar Arsalan Kanwar Arsalan, is a Pakistani television actor and a model. Career Kanwar started his career as a Model but later entered in serials. He made his debut in Tum Jo Miley. After that he appeared in Pul Siraat, Talluq, Tahir-e-Lahoti, Kuch Unka ...

as Raza, Ashar's colleague * Kanwar Atiq ur Rehman as Umar, Ashar's colleague *

Sarmad Khoosat Sarmad Sultan Khoosat (born May 7, 1979) is a Pakistani actor, film/ TV director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing the super-hit TV dramas '' Humsafar'' and ''Shehr-e-Zaat''. He is considered to be one of the best South Asia ...

as Dr. Idrees, Khirad's Professor

Deviations from the novel

Although author

adapted the screenplay from her novel, '' Humsafar'', there are differences between the two. While the novel is written from Hareem's perspective, the serial focuses on Khirad and Asher. In the novel, Ashar is the brother of two sisters, while in the drama he has no siblings. In the novel, Sara is a minor character who is never close to Asher, becomes mentally ill and is hospitalized. In the serial, Sara is a main character who loves Ashar, is the love interest of Khizar, and dies at the end. In the novel, Khizar loves a girl named Mehreen and never returns from America. Khirad and Maimoona reside in

Nawabshah Nawabshah ( sd, نوابشاھ, ur, ) is a tehsil and headquarters of the Shaheed Benazirabad District of Sindh province, Pakistan. This city is situated in the middle of Sindh province. It is the 27th largest city in Pakistan. Nawabshah Teh ...

in the novel, while the serial's location is in

. While the drama ends with the Farida's nervous breakdown and Ashar and Khirad's slow reconciliation, the novel ends with Asher begging Khirad to take him back, and Khirad falling into his arms.

Soundtrack

The show's theme song '' Woh Humsafar Tha'' was composed by

Waqar Ali Waqar Ali (Urdu: وقار علی) is a Pakistani musician and singer working mostly in Pakistan. Ali has produced many albums and singles for the Pakistan film industry. His father is the classical singer Shafqat Hussein, and Waqar Ali often ...

and sung by

Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch Quratulain Balouch ( ur, ) is a Pakistani American singer-songwriter. Also known as QB or the Humsafar Girl, she became popular for her title track "Woh Humsafar Tha" in Hum TV's serial ''Humsafar''. Career Balouch has no formal music educati ...

Naseer Turabi Naseer Turabi ( ur, نصير ترابی; 15 June 1945 – 10 January 2021) was a Pakistani poet. Playback singer Ahmed Rushdi played significant role in his success and also helped popularize his ghazals. Biography His father, Allama Rasheed ...

wrote the poem to express his sorrow after the fall of

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...

(marking the end of the

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 until the Pakistani capitulation in Dhaka on 16 Decem ...

). It serves as both the song for the title sequence, as well as background music during each episode.

Production

Development

''Humsafar’''s producer

Momina Duraid Momina Duraid ( ur, ) is a Pakistani director and producer. She is a senior producer and creative head of television network Hum TV and CEO of her own production company MD Productions. She has produced and created several series including ' ...

, notes that its development was somewhat serendipitous. Duraid was working with author

on another of her works, when she suggested ''Humsafar'' as a potential project (due to the fact that Duraid had just read “and thoroughly enjoyed” the novel). Ishtiaq then told her that ''Humsafar'' “had already been declined by two production houses,” to which Duraid responded: “If I can feel it," then the "public can feel it as well.” Ishtiaq states that when she first started working on the novel, she "wanted to understand if the idea of love is complete without trust." Although she wrote the screenplay for ''Humsafar'', she notes that the novel is different from the television series, as "the former is more about the child, while the show concentrates on the parents as lovers."

Reception

Release

''Humsafar'' had a large impact on Pakistan's television industry (which had previously been dominated by Indian Television). It was an enormously popular show during its national television run, was extensively discussed in social media, and by 2014 was the highest-rated Pakistani series to date. The series also had a large global audience. Star reported that the ''Humsafar'' page on

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

had thousands of Pakistani origin European and North American fans and viewers. Many said that although they had never watched a Pakistani drama before, they are now completely hooked on ''Humsafar''.

Critical reception

Many stated that the series led to a new phase in Urdu drama. Others argued that the series upheld

misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...

and was regressive in its tendency to fall into stereotype. Finally, some critics offered a middle ground, suggesting that the popularity of the series was due to a narrative that was both entrenched in

patriarchy Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of dominance and privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical anthropological term for families or clans controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males a ...

, but also a critical response to it, offering characters and plot lines that reflected a degree of reality. Human rights activist Abira Ashfaq criticized the plot for being overly simplistic and reliant on patriarchal cliches, with the primary female character lacking complexity and agency. On the other hand, less passive female characters were cast as the villains. Ashfaq notes that “the terrible appeal of ''Humsafar,'' is that it confirms characters and stories set in deeply patriarchal frameworks. It is sexist justice that soothes the hearts of patriarchal vigilantes, and keeps us on because we want to see the mother-in-law shamed, humiliated and thrust out, and moral purity rise to the top in the reunion of Khirad and Ashar.” Kanika Rajani of ''The Indian Express'' argues that the series is unique in its decision to portray its protagonists as flawed, particularly "Asher’s frustration at his initial failed attempts to communicate with his wife." Amna Ali, meanwhile, criticized the plot for its use of cliches, such as casting the mother-in-law as the villain and portraying Sara, a westernized girl who wore jeans, in a negative light in contrast to the more traditional Khirad.

Response to Khirad

's portrayal of "Khirad" received positive feedback from critics and was popular with viewers when the serial debuted. To those who called Khirad a "downtrodden woman," Khan argued, "no she was not. Go back and look at it, and there is a reason why she was not, because the slap was removed from it, there were things that were removed and there were things that were brought in just to show that she had a spine." Khan further states that, "Khirad is closest to my heart. We have a lot of crying women in serials. But despite going through so much hardship, Khirad is so dignified." Later, in September 2020, Khan reflected on ''Humsafar,'' stating that "Khirad is by far my most special character. She loved fiercely, she gave whole heartedly and when it came to her self respect she held that closest to her heart. What a woman."

Promotion

Hum TV gave the show its

Hum Honorary Phenomenal Serial Award The Hum Honorary Phenomenal Serial Award is given by the Board of Directors of the Hum Television Network and Entertainment Channel (HTNEC) to the Hum Television Network most critically acclaimed and cult followed drama serial of the year. The ...

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
Humsafar Trailer (with title song)
- HUM Music/ Hum Network
#10YearsofHumsafar: Mahira eternally grateful for Khirad
(September 25, 2021) {{Authority control Farhat Ishtiaq Hum TV Hum Network Limited Hum TV original programming Pakistani romantic drama television series Television series set in Punjab, Pakistan Television series about bullying Television series based on the novels of Farhat Ishtiaq Television series created by Momina Duraid Television series by MD Productions Urdu-language telenovelas Pakistani telenovelas Zee Zindagi original programming Hum Sitaray