Woh humsafar tha, magar uss se humnawai na thi… [He was a partner, but there was no bonding between us…]”

Quratulain Baloch’s strong vocals ring out and the listener is engulfed in a wave of emotions. Love, loss, separation and union; two souls meant for each other, torn apart by a cruel world. The lyrics are poignant, penned by poet Naseer Turabi to express his sadness at the secession of East Pakistan in 1971. In 2011, however, the historic significance was set aside, and the words became synonymous with a star-crossed love story that had the country smitten.

“Ke dhoop chhaon ka aalam raha, judaai na thee… [There was uncertainty, but no separation]”

The song remains one of the most famous title tracks in the annals of Pakistani TV drama history — one of Quratulain Baloch’s (QB’s) most memorable songs, defining crowning moments for the Hum TV Network, producer Momina Duraid, the drama’s cast and crew, director Sarmad Khoosat, and actors Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan.

The popularity of the TV drama OST or Original Sound Track is a phenomenon that may largely be unique to Pakistan. In other parts of the world, film soundtracks may receive similar adulation but in Pakistan, where television drama now surpasses film in popularity by miles, there have been many times when the drama title track has become so iconic that it is remembered for many years, and has jumpstarted an artist’s career.

A case in point: Ahmed Jehanzeb. You might have heard his voice, ringing out from a rickshaw winding down a busy road. ‘Tu kahay tau ishq murshid mera [Whatever you say, my love, my guiding light]’ — the song replacing the rickshaw driver’s selection of Bollywood hits.

While Jehanzeb may have many other hits to his credit, his songs for last year’s Ishq Murshid have become his current claim to fame, the ones that he is requested to sing again and again in live performances and TV shows. Interestingly, during his early years, another song of his, incorporated into a drama, had propelled the singer into the limelight: ‘Ek baar kaho tum meri ho [Say you are mine just once]’, from the drama Laila Majnoo.

Sometimes, the title song of a hit TV drama becomes just as big a success and an intrinsic part of its story, destined to be played and replayed over the years. Can good tracks guarantee a drama’s success? And how do they impact musicians who compose and sing them?

“My most popular song to date is ‘Kaho aik din’, which was not part of a drama, but yes, our dramas are watched the world over and, if a song’s audio is good, then it is likely to connect with more people as part of a drama,” says Jehanzeb.

“I have been very lucky with some of my compositions, from ‘Ek baar kaho’ to the title track of Khuda Aur Mohabbat to the songs in Ishq Murshid, doing so well. From my perspective, the drama may give a little push to the song but, ultimately, the song needs to be a good one.”

“I sometimes spend hours listening and re-listening to a song that I am considering for a drama’s soundtrack,” says producer Sana Shahnawaz of Next Level Entertainment. “If I don’t get tired of the song even after listening to it at least 18 to 20 times, then I am hopeful that the audience will also enjoy it. The song needs to resonate with me emotionally and, also, align with the story of the drama.

“In my experience, the original soundtrack is extremely important for a drama series. If it is composed perfectly to match the tones, emotions and storyline, it can truly elevate the viewing experience and leave a lasting impact on the audience. A well-crafted OST doesn’t just support the scenes, it becomes a part of the story itself.”

Sana recalls the selection of the title track for her drama Jaan-i-Jahan, which was sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. “I think it was during the coronavirus pandemic that I had asked composer Naveed Nashad to work with me on a song that would be different. He had laughed and asked me what I meant by ‘different’, to which I had told him that it should take the audience to another dimension. He came up with the initial composition and I told him that I would save it for when a drama came along. Then, when we started working on Jaan-i-Jahan, I asked him to compose the rest of the song.”

Naveed Nashad — one of the ‘it’ names amongst drama OST composers — observes, “A lot of awareness has come in regarding the importance of TV drama title tracks. This wasn’t the case when I first started out. I come from a musical background — both my father Wajid Ali Nashad and dada [paternal grandfather] Nashad were renowned musicians.

“I first delved into composing drama title tracks with the drama Alif Allah Aur Insaan. Then, I worked on the track for the drama Sunn Yaara. My work took off, with directors Syed Faisal Bukhari and Aehsun Talish acting as my mentors. I met producers Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi and they were very appreciative and supportive of my work. I was working constantly but, till then, people really didn’t know of me.”

Things changed when Nashad composed the title track for Next Level Entertainment’s drama Do Bol. He recalls, “I sent the tune to the drama’s producer, Sana Shahnawaz, and once it was selected, it became one of the very first drama OSTs to cross 100 million views on YouTube. Sana is very passionate, going into every detail of a song and adamant that I complete her work before anything else.

“After that, I composed another title track which became a hit, for the drama Mere Paas Tum Ho. The drama’s playwright Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar had also written the song and he didn’t want me, a relatively new name, to compose the music. However, the producers Humayun Saeed and Nadeem Baig had faith in me. In that same year, another song of mine became a big hit, for the drama Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3, produced by Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi of 7th Sky Entertainment.

“This was when my life changed. People got to know of me, I started earning more, I moved from a home in Samnabad to one in Defence, Lahore!”

Some of today’s biggest drama title tracks can be credited to Nashad. He lists them; “Mere Humsafar, Khaie, Gentleman … some of the singers that I really enjoy working with are Nabeel Shaukat, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Asim Azhar and Aima Baig.”

Shani Arshad, another top-tier name in the realm of TV title track compositions, similarly observes that more importance has been given to developing drama OSTs over the past five years.

He narrates his story: “I was producing music and working on TV commercials when a friend of mine, director Seraj-ul-Haq, suggested that I compose the title track for his drama Raaz-i-Ulfat. I created a sample and sang it, planning to replace my voice with some other singer’s once the song was selected. When producers Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi heard the song, they liked it just the way it was, in my voice. Since then, I have been composing title tracks for dramas and also singing them.”

Describing the composition process, Shani says: “Usually the drama-makers give us a one-liner defining the drama’s story and the song is created accordingly, with the lyricist and myself collaborating. There have been times when I might come up with the main ‘hook’ or chorus for the song, and the rest of the lyrics are then written by the lyricist. This was the case with Tere Bin!”

The effort obviously paid off; drive down Karachi’s Seaview on a weekend and you are likely to hear car sound systems blaring out Shani singing Tere Bin’s emotional ‘Kya hoti hai bewafai [What is unfaithfulness]’ at full volume!

“We often use a live orchestra to record an OST,” producer Asad Qureshi had told Icon in an earlier interview. “It would be very easy to create computerised sounds of different instruments, but there is a soul to music created by human hands. It becomes memorable and powerful.”

He had added: “Once the drama shoot goes on the floor and we start getting the raw footage, we assess the different characters and their interactions with each other. Based on the visuals, we get several title tracks composed by different musicians. We then play the songs with the video footage and decide which one works best.”

Producer Abdullah Seja of iDream Entertainment is inclined towards innovating with his dramas’ soundtracks. “Faisal Kapadia and Arif Lohar have collaborated for the very first time for the title track of our most recent drama, Sher,” he says. “The sound is new and I feel that it adds to the viewing experience, making situations in the drama more impactful. We have similarly experimented in the past — Eva B and Bisma Abdullah collaborated for the title track of our drama Baby Baji and Asim Azhar, Manu and Shazia Mansoor sang the track for Baby Baji Ki Bahuwain.”

He adds: “The drama’s OST usually gets released before the drama and so it helps in building up hype, in giving people an idea of what the drama will be like. I also invest a lot of time into developing the lyrics. They need to fit into the situation on which the story is based. I am very passionate about my dramas’ soundtracks, maybe because I enjoy listening to them myself, and also because they really improve the overall narrative.”

Singer Faisal Kapadia — a fledgeling in the business of singing drama OSTs, having sung the title track for the short series Nadaan and, more recently, having collaborated with Arif Lohar for Sher — observes: “As musicians, we frequently release our independent music, but its reach is relatively limited. Our own fan base is more likely to listen to it. When you sing for a drama, you instantly feel that you are catering to a wider audience that may not be part of your immediate followers but who will hear the song because they are watching the drama. That’s always a great feeling!

“Also, being part of a drama OST has given me the chance to collaborate with other artists. I always enjoy that. It adds new flavours to a song, and you get to learn a lot as a musician!”

“As a musician, singing a drama’s title track actually takes your graph up, rather than down,” points out actor and singer Farhan Saeed. “This wasn’t always the case. When I first started my musical career, we never really paid attention to drama soundtracks. A different set of musicians would sing and compose for dramas. Now, though, Pakistan’s drama industry has become huge and title tracks are great for a musician’s career.

“I see a new band such as Aur sing for the drama Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum and I am impressed that, at this early stage in their career, they have realised what would get them maximum eyeballs.”

He adds: “When you sing a drama OST, the song gets promoted every day of the week, seven times per episode by the channel and the producers. No musician would be able to invest in that kind of promotion!”

Farhan may have sung many hit songs in his career — as part of the band Jal and also as a solo artist — but he confirms that in live concerts, the audience invariably goes into an uproar when he sings ‘Suno Chanda’!

Ali Zafar, also with many hit drama songs to his credit, says, “I get to sing a song composed by someone else, which then gets promoted extensively by the drama-makers. And people usually love the song because they connect my voice and the lyrics with the various characters in the drama. It’s always worked out well for me.”

But does a strong, hummable title track ensure a drama’s success?

Director Fahim Burney — who recently utilised the title track of his drama Iqtidar with great abandon in the plot’s many romantic scenes — says, “No, the title track actually clicks with the audience when they like the drama. They begin to associate the song with the characters, the romance, certain scenes. That’s when the song truly takes off. There are some dramas that have beautiful OSTs that fade from memory simply because the project does not do well.”

When a drama is a hit, though, sometimes the title track becomes as big a success, an intrinsic part of its story, played and replayed over the years. Back in 1987, actors Rahat Kazmi and Marina Khan smiled at each other across a field of overgrown grass in the drama Dhoop Kinaray. The late Nayyara Noor’s voice sang out Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s timeless verses, ‘Raat yun dil mein teri khoi hui yaad aayi … [Last night, your lost memory crept into my heart…].’ The song, its words and that scene have since become iconic, inherently connected to each other as one.

Actor Shehryar Zaidi, Nayyara Noor’s husband recalls, “She sang many well-loved songs but, certainly, that song was one that people requested her to sing very often. People connected not just with her voice and Faiz sahib’s words, but also with the characters and the situations in the drama.”

Music, after all, doesn’t always just deliver an audio experience. Sometimes, as is the case with drama soundtracks, it is accompanied by strong visual narratives. Visuals have, in fact, become a strong focal point on popular platforms such as Coke Studio and Velo Sound Station, where as much — if not more — time and finances are invested into developing the video for a song. The drama title track similarly gets bolstered by a compelling story and characters.

We come full-circle to ‘Woh humsafar tha’: “Bichharrnay walay mein sub kuchh tha, bewafai na thi… [The one who separated had everything except unfaithfulness].”

The poet may have been writing of a geopolitical partition but, today, his words resonate with the story of two lovers, torn apart by cruel circumstances. Today, an emotional TV drama aficionado may smile sadly listening to the song, remembering not the tragedy of a country torn apart, but the emotional highs and lows of the star-crossed lovers Ashir and Khirad. That’s the power of a strong title track.

Published in Dawn, ICON, June 6th, 2025