Timeless Ghazal Hosh Walon Ko Khabar Kya Celebrates 25 Years; Know Its Connection With Kabir’s Couplets

The voice for the ghazal was given by ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh.

You must have often heard the ghazal, Hosh Walon Ko Khabar Kya Bekhudi Kya Cheez Hai. This ghazal from Aamir Khan and Sonali Bendre-starrer Sarfarosh (1999), celebrating the 25th anniversary of its release, tops the list of most listened-to songs in history and serves as a poignant reminder of its legacy. Be it an occasion of sorrow or sadness, this ghazal even today takes the mind to a stress-free state as soon as it comes to the ears. The craze for this ghazal has not diminished even today and has resonated with listeners for generations.

But very few people know that this ghazal was inspired by an 800-year-old couplet of Kabir Das. The writer Nida Fazli, who wrote this timeless ghazal, herself has accepted this. She had told in one of her interviews that the idea of this ghazal is from the revered 15th-century poet Kabir Das.

Kabir Das had written in his couplet 800 years ago the lines, ‘Haman hai ishq mastana, haman ko hoshiari kya? Rahein azaad ya jag se, haman duniya se yaari kya?’ Influenced by this couplet, Nida Fazli wrote the first stanza of her ghazal, ‘Hosh Walon ko khabar kya bekhudi kya cheez hai, ishq kijiye phir samadhi, Zindagi kya cheez hai.’

Kabir writes in the second line of his couplet, ‘Jo bichade hai piyare se, bhatakte dar badar, hmara yaar hai hum me haman ko intezari kya hai?’. In this couplet, Kabir Das had thrown light on love and its nature 800 years ago.

In the last line of this couplet, Kabir writes, ‘Kabira ishq ka mata, dui ko dur kar dil se, jo chalna rah najuk hai, humne sir bojh bhari hai?’ Stealing the idea from this couplet, Nida Fazli writes, ‘Hum labon se keh na paaye unse haal-e-dil kabhi, aur woh samjhe nhi ye khamoshi kya cheez hai.’

This ghazal was filmed for Sarfarosh and released in 1999. The voice for the ghazal was given by ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh. This ghazal has also brought a lot of fame to him. Jagjit Singh sang this ghazal dozens of times in his gathering and received a lot of applause.

Aamir Khan and Sonali Bendre played lead roles in this film. People also liked the pairing very much. This film made Aamir Khan a Bollywood superstar. Not only this, this film was also a super hit at the box office.

Directed by John N. Mathan, the film garnered widespread acclaim upon its release on April 30, 1999, becoming a box office success. The film was made with a budget of Rs 8 crore. As soon as the film was released, people gave it a lot of love. The film had earned more than Rs 33 crore worldwide.

Jatin-Lalit duo gave their music in the film. People also liked the songs from the film very much. The ghazal of the film was brought to life on screen by veteran Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah. This ghazal has now been viewed more than 10 million times on YouTube.