Mehdi Hassan: Yeh watan tumhara hai

Posted on August 14, 2006
Filed Under >Adil Najam, Music, People, Urdu
51 Comments
Total Views: 110890

Adil Najam
In my August 12 ATP post I had written about this wonderful ad from Mobilink and the even more wonderful song from Mehdi Hasan that it was based on. I had mentioned how, for me, it is my all-time favorite Pakistani milli naghma and I simply cannot hear it with getting goosebumps, and more.

In a comment sabizak mentioned that there was also a video version of this. I did not know that and began looking for it on the web. I just found it. You can view it here. At the center of the page the song should be the only one under ‘video list.’


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I have been listening to and watching this song repeatedly since I found it some half hour ago. This version does not seem to have the entire song. My favorite line (hum tou mehz unwaaN thay, asl daastaN tum ho…) is missing, for example. However, the other amazing line (yeh watan amaanat hai, aur tum ameen loogo..) is very much there.

Mehdi Hassan – Exclusive – Yeh Watan Hamara Hai
02:16

I had always loved the old PTV version – with the screen split in half, Khan sahib with his harmonium on the left half of the screen and black and white still pictures flashing on the right. But this video is an amazingly powerful one, for different reasons.

I am not ashamed to say that the first few times I replayed it my eyes swelled up. Not just because of what the song means to me, but mostly because the video has evocatively included Mehdi Hasan into the video… sitting there on a wheel chair, tears glistening in his eyes, the lines on his face not even trying to hide the rush of unrestrained emotions, memories, hopes, fears, and more.

What a wonderful tribute, with what a wonderful song, to what a wonderful artist!

P.S. For those who may not know, and as one sees in this video, Khan sahib suffered a paralytic stroke in 2005 and his health continues to be a grave concern for his many admirers.

51 responses to “Mehdi Hassan: Yeh watan tumhara hai”

  1. Roshan Malik says:

    Adil,
    I also think he is Munir Niazi and am surprised to see his health. I want to share his famous punjabi verse:

    Kujh onj vee rahwaan aukhian sun
    Kujh naal ghumaan da tauq ve see
    Kujh shehr dey loak ve zalim sun
    Kujh sanoon maran da shauq ve see

    Its rough translation:

    Somehow the path was tough
    Additionally, I was grieved
    Somehow the peopel of the city were cruel
    Somehow i was fond of death.

    PS. Pervez Mehdi, one of Mehdi Hasan’s pupil, shared this information in one mehfil that Daler Mehdi (Indian Singer) and his family are great followers of Mehdi Hasan Sb. Therefore Daler’s last name is derived from Mehdi Hasan Sb as a respect to their Ustad.

  2. Yes he is munir niazi.See one of this old picture(http://www.apnaorg.com/poetry/munir/munir. gif).Did i guess right?

    Speaking of him,one of his famous writing, http://www.bizbrowse.com/UrduDiegest/UrduPoetry/Mu nirNiazi/munir.htm

    Do you remember who sang this ghazal?Taranum Khanam?

  3. Adil Najam says:

    QUESTION
    Folks, in his blog Adnan (http://kadnan.blogspot.com/) also wrote about thsi ad. He mentioned something that I had also noticed but had not been sure of. That the seond gentleman who appears at the of the ad is poet Munir Niazi. Can someone please confirm if it is? If so, his health also looked seriously deteriorated?

  4. Saad says:

    Wah, dil ronay lag gaya video daikh ker. Good job mobilink. And wasnt there Qateel Shifai the poet who wrote the gazal in the video as well?

  5. Video is awesome and each bit of it actually mesmerize you.I wish someone upload it Youtube or google version.

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