Pakistani singer Farhad Humayun passes away, condolences pour in on social media

Photo for representational purpose. Picture Courtesy/iStock

The untimely demise of Pakistani musician Farhad Humayun has shocked everyone. He was 42 when he breathed his last. The news of Farhad's demise was announced on the official Facebook page of his band Overload. "The magnificent Farhad Humayun left us for the stars this morning. Stoic in the face of challenges, uncompromising in his values, generous to a fault, witty as hell! Fadi was far too ahead of his time, both in spirit and art," the post read.

After hearing about Farhad's demise, singer Atif Aslam took to Twitter to pay his condolences. "Thank you, Fadi, for giving us great music, good times & for playing on my 1st album. Buddy, I was thrilled abt our collab - I have finished the lyrics as well but I didn't know we won't be able to make it happen," he wrote. "Your legacy - fire, passion and insane courage - will live on forever," he grieved.

Actor and singer Ali Zafar described Farhad as a fighter. "Good bye old friend. You were an inspiration for so many. Your contribution to music and in people's lives cannot be defined in a few lines. You were more than a musician and a performer...you were a fighter... destined for greatness and great you were. R.I.P #farhadhumayun," Zafar wrote.

Not only from the Pakistani film and music industry but members from the Indian entertainment industry have also taken to social media to pay their respects to the late singer. 'Made in Heaven' actor Arjun Mathur is completely heartbroken. The star revealed that he and Farhad were childhood friends. Recalling his memories with Farhad, Arjun took to Instagram and wrote a lengthy post.

"What does one say about a comet? Or a shooting star? My first memories of Farhad Humayun, or 'Fadi', as I knew him, are from when I was just a toddler and my parents' best-friends -Shahzad Uncle and Nivi Aunty - visited from Pakistan. We would wait for the parents to leave for their parties so we could hit 'Excite-Bike' on the 8-bit NES, or watch our favourite movies from the time.. 'Jaanbaaz' and 'Veerana', no less. As a kid, when our family visited them in Lahore, I remember the largest Aloo-Parathas I had ever seen, at their home.. and the best post-swim chicken sandwiches at Lahore Gymkhana," he shared.

Arjun shared how conflicts between India and Pakistan had reduced their in-person meet-ups. "As we grew up, Fadi and I, both turned out to be the 'artists' in our respective families. I saw him as my own reflection from across the border (so much so that we even had our weddings around the same time and were getting divorced from our short and brief marriages around the same time). Fadi became a musician - a drummer par excellence, to be precise -and formed a fusion Pakistani rock band called 'Overload' that pounded hearts with their drum and traditional dhol beats and shredded heartstrings with their electric guitars and Fadi's golden voice. I watched him rise from strength to strength. He became a bonafide rockstar in Pakistan," he wrote.

"As tensions between our countries grew and the mutual visits became less frequent due to bureaucratic and political processes, I saw him more on posters, in music-videos and on Coke-Studio, than I would in real life. We would then end up meeting over summers in London, where among other things, he would magically appear at the toughest of times, to lift my unwell brother out of an emotional slump just when it was most required. Just like his father, Shahzad Uncle had done for my parents, Fadi was always doing the most he could, to make us feel supported and secure," Arjun recalled.

Arjun remembered staying with Farhad at his tiny '1 BHK' house in Mumbai and how police then enquired him for allowing the Pakistani national to come to his house.

"He got to visit me in Bombay one time.. He stayed with me in my tiny 1 BHK at the time and we went together to hear Roger Waters live in concert. When he moved out of my home and into a hotel, I had the police visit my home to inquire about the Pakistani national that just stayed in my home'. Fadi was not as shocked by this as I was and we were able to laugh about it after I had expressed enough anger towards the State," he wrote.

According to Arjun, Farhad was battling "cancerous brain-tumour". "3 short years ago and completely out of the blue, Fadi - one of the fittest, best-looking, healthiest people I knew - got diagnosed with a cancerous brain-tumour. After two brain-surgeries over two years and no real sign of getting any better, Fadi finally surrendered and decided to end the treatments and medication. Today, the world has lost him. And it will never be the same again. In my last real exchange with him, he sent me a new song that he made after two brain surgeries.... I love you and always will, and you will inspire me and my art forever, just as you always have. Safe travels, my brother and oldest friend," he concluded.

Farhad was quite popular on Coke Studio. Before forming Overload in 2003, he had worked as the drummer for Co-Ven and Mindriot, two other bands he founded.

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