Woh Humsafar Tha ( ur, , ''lit.'' He was yco-journeyer) is a

ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...

written in 1971 by

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 ...

. It serves as the title song for the

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

i drama serial ''

Humsafar ''Humsafar'' ( ur, , lit=Companion or Life Partner) is a 2011 Pakistani drama telenovela based on the novel of the same name by Farhat Ishtiaq (who also wrote the screenplay), and directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat. It stars Fawad Khan, Mahira ...

''. The ghazal was originally sung by

Abida Parveen Abida Parveen (Urdu, sd, ; born 20 February 1954) is a Pakistani singer, composer and musician of Sufi music. She is also a painter and entrepreneur. Parveen is one of the highest paid singers in Pakistan. Her singing and music has earned he ...

and later 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 educa ...

Background

This ghazal was written in 1971 after the

Fall of Dhaka The Pakistani Instrument of Surrender ( bn, পাকিস্তানের আত্মসমর্পণের দলিল, translit=Pākistānēr Atmasamarpaṇēr Dalil) was a written agreement between India, Pakistan, and the Provisional ...

. The poem's lyrics describe the writer's feelings regarding the separation of

East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Scheme, One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India ...

Production

Who Humsafar Tha was first sung as a ghazal by Abida Parvin in the late 1970s. More recently, it was sung by

and used as the title song for the Urdu Drama Hamsafar. The lines of the song are frequently used during the course of the show.

Popularity

Upon the release of the Hamsafar drama, the ghazal Woh Humsafar tha (sung by Quratul Ain Baloch) topped charts in

along with some other nations and captured a positive reviews from both critics and audience. The song was also a huge hit in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

when the serial ''Humsafar'' was broadcast on the Indian channel Zindagi in 2014.

Awards

In 2012,

won two

Lux Style Awards The Lux Style Awards is an award ceremony held annually in Pakistan since 2002. The awards celebrate "style" in the Pakistani entertainment industry, and it is the oldest event dedicated to cinema, television, fashion, music and film industry ...

at 11th Lux Style Awards for Woh Humsafar Tha.

References

{{reflist 1971 songs Urdu-language songs Pakistani songs