When Dhurandhar hit theatres this month, it quickly became clear that the film was more than just a box office winner.
Alongside its high-octane narrative and larger-than-life characters, its soundtrack began living a life of its own. In an era where movie albums were slowly disappearing from public conversation beyond a launch weekend, Dhurandhar's music has managed to stay in circulation, trending across platforms and sparking conversations that go far beyond the film itself.
At the centre of this buzz is Ishq Jalakar - Karvaan, a song that feels both intensely contemporary and deeply rooted in history. What many new listeners are discovering, sometimes with surprise, is that the track draws from a qawwali that is over seven decades old.
Why Ishq Jalakar - Karvaan Stands Out
Among all these tracks, Ishq Jalakar - Karvaan has also emerged as one of the most talked-about moments from the album. It arrives in the film as an intro song for Ranveer Singh. A part of the song was also used in the end.
Released in late November 2025 as part of the film's promotional campaign, the song quickly found traction on social media, with reels, edits and reaction videos flooding timelines.
The virality, however, is not just about its placement or production value. The song at its core is borrowed from one of Hindi cinema's most legendary qawwalis.
Tracing The Song
Ishq Jalakar - Karvaan is directly inspired by Na Toh Karvan Ki Talash Hai from the 1960 film Barsaat Ki Raat. Composed by Roshan with lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi, the original qawwali is widely regarded as a landmark in Bollywood music. At over 12 minutes long, it defied conventional song structures and proved that audiences would sit patiently for music that moved them.
The original featured an extraordinary lineup of voices including Mohammed Rafi, Manna Dey, Asha Bhosle, S D Batish and Sudha Malhotra. Its lyrical richness, spiritual depth and dramatic build made it timeless. The word Ishq alone appears dozens (84 to be precise) of times, turning the song into a hypnotic meditation on love, devotion and surrender.
Interestingly, even this iconic qawwali has deeper roots.
It was inspired by the traditional qawwali Na To Butkade Ki Talab Mujhe, sung by Pakistani singer Mubarak Ali and Fateh Ali Khan in 1950. Fateh Ali Khan, notably, was Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's father. This lineage places Ishq Jalakar - Karvaan at the end of a long cultural and musical continuum that spans borders and generations.
A Qawwali That Changed The Rules
Roshan's contribution to Indian film music is often described as revolutionary, and Na Toh Karvan Ki Talash Hai is one of the clearest examples of that. Musician Kishore Desai once remarked that "Roshan ji brought a kind of algebraic division into qawwali", structuring it in a way that allowed multiple voices, philosophies and emotions to coexist seamlessly.
During the launch of the song, playback singer Ira Nagrath, Roshan's wife, recalled questioning him about the length of his compositions in a Netflix series, The Roshans. She said she told him that 'no one listens to three-minute songs anymore, so who would have the time for a 15-minute qawwali'.
Roshan's response, she suggested, was prophetic. "Dekhna ekdin esa hoga ki chirag lege dhundege ki Roshan kaha hai (One day, people would search for him and ask where Roshan was)".
Decades later, that prediction feels uncannily accurate.
The rehearsals for the qawaali, themselves, were intense. Asha Bhosle, playback singer in the same series, revealed that they spent days rehearsing, with the entire chorus and multiple singers seated together, practising repeatedly until every transition felt right.
Shailendra Singh, playback singer further recalled how towards the final antara, Mohammed Rafi's entry left everyone stunned. "Mana Dey recalled that when Rafi took his alaap, sab shant hogye (everyone went silent)."
Shah Rukh's Favourite Song By Roshan
The song's legacy is best understood through the voices of those who revere it. Superstar, Shah Rukh Khan in The Roshan's spoke about his love for the qawwali, calling it his favourite.
He recited lines from memory, speaking about how Ishq in the song becomes something you must consume, even if it is poison, because love demands that kind of surrender.
Singer, Sonu Nigam described it as a once-in-a-lifetime creation, saying that neither before nor after has a qawwali like this been made. He pointed out how each singer's portion, whether it was Manna Dey, Asha Bhosle or S D Batish, required a different kind of genius. The brilliance, he said, lay in knowing how to use each ingredient.
These reactions explain why Ishq Jalakar - Karvaan has struck such a chord today. It is not merely a remake or a sample. It is a continuation of admiration that has existed for decades.
Reimagining The Past
For Dhurandhar, composer Shashwat Sachdev took on the challenge of reinterpreting this legacy. The new version retains the iconic phrase Na To Karvan Ki Talash Hai while reshaping the arrangement for a modern cinematic context. Sahir Ludhianvi's timeless lines are blended with new lyrics by Irshad Kamil, creating a bridge between eras.
The production leans into layered vocals, contemporary rhythms and heightened drama, making it accessible to listeners who may have never heard the original qawwali. At the same time, it preserves the spiritual and emotional core that made the song endure in the first place.
And, the success of Ishq Jalakar - Karvaan has reignited conversations about the evolution of qawwali in Hindi cinema. In a landscape dominated by quick hooks and algorithm-friendly music, the song's popularity suggests a deeper hunger for substance and history.
A Soundtrack That Mirrors The Film's Ambition
Dhurandhar's music album reflects the film's restless energy. Each song seems carefully placed to heighten mood rather than simply fill runtime. FA9LA, a Bahraini rap track by Gulf hip-hop artist Flipperachi, is a prime example. Originally released in May 2024, the term roughly translates to fun time, hype or party. In the film, it plays over the dramatic entrance of a villain, creating an ironic contrast that audiences instantly picked up on.
Then there are tracks like Ez Ez, Naal Nachana and the title track, each bringing a distinct sonic texture. The album also leans heavily into nostalgia, reviving popular older numbers such as Hawa Hawa and Monica, using familiarity as a tool to build instant connection. These choices have helped the soundtrack feel eclectic but cohesive, rooted in pop culture memory while still sounding current.
READ MORE: Why Akshaye Khanna's Viral Dhurandhar Song With Bahraini Roots Became A Hit