‘Mata-e-Jaan Hai Tu’: Composition he wrote

Composer Waqar Ali believes Bilal Khan’s voice will make his new OST a hit with youngsters.

KARACHI: The burst of innovation in Pakistani television has kick-started a trend of focusing extensively on Original Sound Tracks (OSTs) and in the last few years, we have seen a number of OSTs that have become more popular than the dramas they were made for. For instance, many people heard and appreciated the OST of “Humsafar” on YouTube before they even started watching the drama. The track hit a chord with the listeners because of Waqar Ali’s composition and Quratulain Balouch’s (QB) soulful vocals.

After the phenomenal success of “Woh Humsafar Tha”, Ali has returned with yet another OST called “Mata-e-Jaan Hai Tu”. This time around, up and coming singer Bilal Khan will be contributing his vocals to Ali’s composition.

The track falls under the pop/rock genre and has the right amount of commercial value that will make it a hit amongst the youth. “I knew Bilal is not a professionally trained singer, so I had to come up with a composition that would suit the pitch and strength of his voice,” states Ali. “His voice has a distinct texture that I have capitalised on in this song. And since the drama is catered to the youth, I felt he would be the perfect choice,” adds the composer. The fact that Ali has brought legendary guitarist Faraz Anwer back on board — after their previous collaboration for the OST of “Humsafar” turned out to be a mega success — which has raised the expectations for this track.

The drama “Mata-e-Jaan Hai Tu” is an adaptation of a novel by Farhat Ishtiaq of the same name. It is a project of Pakistan’s ace film-maker and television director Mehreen Jabbar and revolves around the love story of a Pakistani boy and a US-born girl. The drama has a star cast of actors including Sarwat Gillani, Adeel Husain, Sanam Saeed, Junaid Khan, Sajida Syed, Javed Sheikh and Hina Bayat. According to the “Mata-e-Jaan Hai Tu” Facebook page, the television venture will be aired from February 24 on Hum TV.

 

Some of Pakistan’s most popular OSTs

 

Drama Serial: “Dhoop Kinare”

Song:  “Raat Yun Dil Mein Teri”

Singer: Nayarra Noor

 

Drama: “Zaibunissa”

Song: “Khwaab Marte Nahi”

Singer: Nayarra Noor

 

Drama Serial: “Dhuwan”

OST: “Kisay Da Yaar Na Vichre”

Singer: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

 

Drama Serial: “Aashiana”

OST: “Aashiana Yeh Suhana”

Singer: Rage the band

 

Drama Serial: “Aansoo”

OST: “Ansoo”

Singer: Ali Azmat

 

Drama Serial: “Mera Naam Hai Mohabbat”

OST: “Mera Naam Hai Mohabbat”

Singer: Waqar Ali

 

Drama Serial: “Humsafar”

OST: “Woh Humsafar Tha”

Singer: Quratulain Balouch

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2012.