Humsafar

Humsafar (Urdu: ہم سفر‎ transl. Companion or Life Partner[1]) is a 2011-2012 Pakistani drama television series based on the novel of the same name by Farhat Ishtiaq (who also wrote the screenplay). It is directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat and stars Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Naveen Waqar, Atiqa Odho, and Hina Khawaja Bayat. It was initially released on Hum TV and was later distributed on channels in the UK (Hum Europe), India (Zee Zindagi), and on MBC Bollywood in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. It is currently playing on Netflix.

For other uses, see Humsafar (disambiguation).

Humsafar
Also known asRafeeq Al Ruh
Genre
Created byMomina Duraid
Based onHumsafar
by Farhat Ishtiaq
Written byFarhat Ishtiaq
Directed bySarmad Sultan Khoosat
Starring
Theme music composerWaqar Ali
Opening theme"Woh Humsafar Tha"
by Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch
Composer(s)MAD Music
Country of originPakistan
Original language(s)Urdu
No. of episodes23 (list of episodes)
Production
Producer(s)
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time38-42 minutes
Production company(s)
  • Momina Duraid Productions
Distributor
Release
Original networkHum TV
Picture format
Audio formatStereo
Original releaseSeptember 24, 2011 (2011-09-24) –
March 3, 2012 (2012-03-03)
External links
Website

Plot

Khirad Ahsaan (Mahira Khan) belongs to a small middle-class community in Hyderabad and lives with her widowed mother, Maimoona (Saba Faisal). As the series open, she is completing her Bachelor of Science degree, and (as her father was a math teacher) is very strong in mathematics.

Maimoona's brother, Baseerat Hussain (Behroze Sabzwari), is a self-made millionaire who lives in Karachi. He is married to Farida (Atiqa Odho), a social worker who runs a human rights NGO. They have one son, Ashar (Fawad Khan), who received his MBA from Yale University, and runs a high powered firm.

After receiving a cancer diagnosis, Maimoona turns to Baseerat for help. Baseerat then brings Maimoona and Khirad to his home 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 both Ashar & Farida.

As Farida always wanted Ashar to marry Sara (Naveen Waqar), the daughter of Farida's sister Zarina Ajmal (Hina Khawaja Bayat), Farida is upset and violently opposes the marriage. Sara, Ashar's childhood friend and colleague who is secretly in love with him, is devastated by this news and confesses her love to him, to which he responds saying he only sees her as his friend. In addition, neither Ashar, nor Khirad are about happy about the proposed marriage. However, Baseerat forces his will on the entire family for the sake of his dying sister and the marriage takes place shortly before Maimoona dies. Despite being against the idea, Ashar and Khirad marry each other out of obedience to their parents. Farida appears to have had a change in heart, taking Khirad under her wing, and treating her like a daughter.

After an initial period of complications, Ashar and Khirad eventually fall deeply in love. Ashar admires Khirad's innocence, simplicity and purity of heart; his admiration is reciprocated by Khirad, who is in awe of his caring personality. While he develops a strong and loving relationship with his wife, Ashar remains friends with Sara. Noticing Ashar's bond with Khirad is getting stronger, Sara attempts to interfere in their relationship. When Sara humiliates Khirad at a party, Ashar reprimands her for her callousness. Ultimately, Baseerat falls ill and shortly before his death, he reminds his son that Khirad is very fragile and has no one except Ashar so he must always protect and love her. The family must now survive without Baseerat's support for the marriage.

Encouraged by Ashar, Khirad enrolls in university for graduate studies in mathematics. One of her classmates is Khizar, Sara's paternal cousin. Unknown to Khirad, this makes Ashar jealous. Khirad also discovers that she is pregnant, a fact known by Farida but not Ashar as he is upset with her. Khizar is in love with Sara but Sara is always hostile towards him because she only loves Ashar. In order to win Sara's affection, Khizar agrees to a conspiracy initially concocted by Farida, and aided by Sara and Zarina (she developed the idea while Baseerat was still alive, but could only go through with it after his death). Farida plans to separate Ashar and Khirad because she never accepted her as her daughter in law and also so Sara can get closer to Ashar. Farida offers Khizar a large sum of money to study in the US so he can marry Sara (which Sara plays along with), in order to get him to frame Khirad. Ashar, on a business trip to Islamabad, apologizes to Khirad for his behavior and decides to return early. Meanwhile, Farida earns Khirad's compliance to Khizar's house along with Zarina for a supposed occasion. While Khirad was in the kitchen, Farida and Zarina bring Ashar inside Khizar's apartment, pretending they do not know Khirad is here. On Ashar's arrival, he sees Khizar with Khirad and is shocked. Khirad cries and begs Ashar to believe her that she was brought here by Farida but Farida opposes everything as Khizar frames her for having an affair with him.

Distraught, Ashar storms out. Khirad returns to her house where Farida reveals her true self to Khirad and drives her out of the house, in the middle of the night with no where to go. Khirad quickly writes a letter to Ashar which explains what really happened, and leaves it with one of the house's staff. She then meets a good samaritan who takes her to stay with her former neighbor in Hyderabad, Batool Bano. Khizar is nowhere to be seen because Farida sends him to study in the United States for four years, which Khizar does so to win Sara's love. Meanwhile, Khirad makes several attempts to contact Ashar by phone but fails, as his mother told him that Khirad ran away with Khizar, a lie which he believed. Ashar also refused to read the letter Khirad wrote for him and left it in a box. During labor, Khirad vows that she will never forgive Ashar for not trusting her despite Khirad's honest and pure character.

Four years later, Khirad (now a mother and math teacher in Hyderabad) reluctantly returns to Karachi, where she visits Ashar to seek financial assistance for their daughter, Hareem, who needs open heart surgery. It is also the first time that Ashar learns of Hareem's existence. While he initially refuses to help, he finally relents after meeting Hareem. Farida goes out of country for a business trip, so Ashar moves Khirad and Hareem back to his house, and arranges for Hareem's medical treatment. Years of misunderstandings has left Ashar filled with anger. Khirad on the other hand is furious that Ashar was so blinded by his mother's lies that he couldn't see her true character, refuses to engage in any conversations about the past with him.

When Sara discovers that Khirad has returned with her daughter, she confronts Ashar and informs Farida, who returns early from her trip to America and threatens to exile Khirad once again. In retaliation, Khirad says she has no interest in her son anymore and that she is only here for her daughter, Hareem. Sara confesses her love to Ashar once again but he informs Sara that he has never loved her but asks her to forgive him and suggests that she should stop pursuing him, leaving Sara devastated. 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 and blame Farida for using them for her plan and ruining Sara's life. Sara, distressed by Farida, furiously reveals to Khizar that she never loved him and only promised to marry him because of Farida's plan. Meanwhile, Hareem's operation is successful and Ashar finds that his feelings for Khirad have rekindled.

Zarina regrets for ever taking part in Farida's plan and is also disturbed by Sara's everlasting depression, which stems from Ashar's rejection and Farida's betrayal. Ashar attempts to reconcile with Khirad, citing love of their daughter, but she rejects him and decides to leave Hareem in his care. Having realized that Sara will never marry him, Khizar visits Ashar to reveal the truth, but an angered Ashar has him escorted out by security.

The incident sparks the memories of Ashar's past with Khirad and, in his sorrow, he turns to a box of photo albums which he accidentally knocks over. While putting the albums back in the box, he accidentally discovers the letter that Khirad left for him and reads it for the first time. Given the events of the past four years, Ashar finally believes the words in the letter. In addition, at that moment, Ashar overhears a telephone conversation his mother is having with Khizar, who is still trying to blackmail her. This conversation confirms that Khirad was completely innocent and framed by his mother. Ashar is devastated and tortured by the truth. Meanwhile, Sara is deeply disheartened by the fact that Ashar only loves Khirad and she will never have him, and unable to cope with this truth, commits suicide.

Ashar goes to Hyderabad to get Khirad, coming under the pretense that Hareem is missing her and not eating anything. Ashar then asks Khirad to return to Karachi. Now jobless (due to the time off she spent taking care of Hareem's illness) and herself missing Hareem, Khirad reluctantly consents to return with Asher.

Upon entering the house, they meet a disturbed Farida, who tries to slander Khirad again in front Ashar. Ashar, however, fights back against his mother for the first time in his life. He pronounces Khirad's innocence, dismisses Farida's narrative as lies, and states that her abuse of Khirad is over. When Farida realizes that she has lost the battle with Khirad, she has a nervous breakdown, and loses all touch with reality.

The series end with Ashar begging Khirad to forgive him and asks her to return to his life. Khirad is confused, stating that too much time has passed to find the love that was lost when he abandoned her. Ashar agrees with her stating that she has no reason to ever forgive him for his crimes, but that they have a child to raise together. Khirad tentatively consents to stay as he acknowledges and proved that she is indeed innocent. Three months later, the two are shown to be living a happy life with their daughter.

Cast

Guest Appearances
  • Khalid Anam as Khirad's father
  • Mansha Pasha as the wife of Ashar's friend
  • Kanwar Arsalan as Raza, Ashar's colleague
  • Kanwar Atiq ur Rehman as Umar, Ashar's colleague
  • Sarmad Khoosat as Dr. Idrees, Khirad's Professor

Soundtrack
Woh Humsafar Tha
Soundtrack album by
Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch
GenreTheme song
Length39:47
LanguageUrdu
ProducerMomina Duraid

The show's theme song Woh Humsafar Tha was composed by Waqar Ali and sung by Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch. It was written by Naseer Turabi in 1971 after the fall of Dhaka. The song is frequently played throughout the episodes.[2]

Track list
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Woh Humsafar Tha"Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch6:26

Production

Development

Humsafar’s producer Momina Duraid, notes that its development was somewhat serendipitous.[3] Duraid was working with author Farhat Ishtiaq 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.”[3]

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."[4]

Reception

Release

Humsafar had a large impact on Pakistan's television industry (which had previously been dominated by works from India and Turkey).[5] It was an enormously popular show during its national television run, and was extensively discussed in social media.[1][6][3][7][8][9] The series also had a large global audience.[1][10] Star reported that the Humsafar page on Facebook had thousands of Pakistani origin European and North American fans and viewers, with many saying they had never watched any Pakistani drama before but are completely hooked on Humsafar.[1]

Critical reception

Many stated that the series led to a new phase in Urdu drama.[3][9][11] Others argued that the series upheld misogyny and was regressive in its tendency to fall into stereotype.[7][12] 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, but also a response to it, offering characters and plot lines that reflected a degree of reality.[13] Human rights activist Abira 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. It is a modern day fairy tale, better than Cinderella, worse than Shrek; the born again revival of TV drama in a tweeting world.”[13] 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."[14]

Promotion

Hum TV gave the show its Hum Honorary Phenomenal Serial Award.[15]

International broadcasts

Humsafar was dubbed into Arabic and broadcast by MBC in the Middle East, under the name Rafeeq-Al-Rouh (رفيق الروح). The show immediately gained immense popularity and after airing its first few episodes, became the most watched drama on the channel. Because of its popularity the show was telecast again after few months. Before this Pakistani dramas were not as popular in the Middle East due to language barriers and also due to the popularity of Latin dramas.

Country Local title Network Premiere date
 United Kingdom Humsafar Hum Europe August 17, 2014
 India हमसफर Zee Zindagi October 14, 2014[5]
 United Arab Emirates رفيق الروح MBC Bollywood April 2, 2016
 Saudi Arabia رفيق الروح MBC Bollywood April 2, 2016

Home media

The drama is available as video on demand on Netflix.[16]

Awards and nominations
Date of Ceremony Award Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Ref.
2012 11th Lux Style Awards Best Original Soundtrack Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch Won
Best Song Of The Year Woh Humsafar Tha - Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch Won
2013 12th Lux Style Awards Best Television Serial - Satellite Momina Duraid and Nina Kashif Won
Best Director Sarmad Khoosat Won
Best Best Television Actor - Satellite Fawad Khan Won
Best Television Actress - Satellite Mahira Khan Won
2013 Pakistan Media Awards Best Drama Serial Humsafar – Momina Duraid and Nina Kashif Won
Best Director Sarmad Khoosat Won
Best Actress Mahira Khan Won
Best Supporting Actress Naveen Waqar Won
2013 1st Hum Awards Hum TV Phenomenal Drama Serial Award Humsafar Won
Best On-Screen Couple Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan Won
gollark: Just buy power from the GTech™ fusion reactor.
gollark: By "them", I actually mean matter fabricators.
gollark: Why overclock recyclers when you could just give them more power?
gollark: If you send me a video I can complain about your thing remotely.
gollark: The big ones, obviously.

See also
  • List of original programs distributed by Netflix

References
  1. "Popular Pakistani television drama Humsafar reaches Toronto fans via web". The Star. 16 February 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  2. Subramanian, Nirupama (15 November 2014). "Humsafar in the gulzar that South Asia might have been". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  3. Anwer, Zoya (18 February 2015). "Humsafar was rejected by two production houses: Momina Duraid". Dawn. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  4. Lakhani, Somya (15 November 2014). "Love Struck: Pak author on success of her TV show Humsafar". The Indian Express. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  5. Singh, Harneet (10 October 2014). "In conversation with 'Humsafar' couple – Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan". The Indian Express. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  6. Haider, Sadaf (9 July 2017). "10 iconic Pakistani TV dramas you should binge-watch this weekend". Dawn. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  7. Zakariya, Sabahat (3 March 2012). "Drama serials: Golden Age?". Dawn. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  8. Ilyas, Ferya (29 January 2012). "10 things I hate about Humsafar fans". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  9. Tejani, Quratulain (14 December 2011). "Humsafar: Here's what the noise is about". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  10. InPaper Mag (25 February 2012). "Double click: The drama frenzy". Dawn. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  11. Odho, Atiqa (24 February 2012). "Humsafar — Mohabbaton ka safar". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  12. "10 things I hate about Humsafar Finale". Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  13. Ashfaq, Abira (7 February 2012). "The terrible appeal of Humsafar". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  14. Rajani, Kanika (31 October 2014). "Humsafar/Not your regular romance". The Indian Express. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  15. "Hum Honorary TV Award". Dawn News. 16 March 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  16. "Humsafar". Netflix. May 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
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