[26] Music producer Abdullah Siddiqui noted that the song is a mix of various cultural influences: "you get to listen to a little bit of the classical tune of a rubab along with a modern reggaetón beat.

"[30] Sethi shared in an interview that the inspiration for the song came to him as he was driving from Faisalabad to Lahore and noticed a quote in Punjabi on the back of a jingle truck that said "aag lavaan teri majbooriyan nu" (transl.

"[32] He describes that the words inspired him to brainstorm further to come up with lyrics that would go well with that expression and add weight to the song, and that is when he came up with "aan jaan di pasoori nu" (transl.

"[7] Sethi revealed that "Pasoori" took around one year to develop and that his goal was to infuse "the Turkic, Indic, Arab, Persian, and...the global placeless, ubiquitous 'beats' vibe that is also our inheritance.

"[33][40] According to a Coke Studio press release, Sethi began writing and composing "Pasoori" at a time when Pakistani artists were barred from working across the border in India,[30][5] which led to a sense of frustration and anguish.

"[38] Consistent with his musical style of challenging norms and voicing dissent,[42] Sethi shared that his objective with "Pasoori" was to make a statement on the "free movement of ideas and melodies through a song,"[32][33] turning angst into art, and celebrating artistic self-expression in a world where "borders and boundaries of all sorts have become more rigid.

"[43][44] In its description of the song, The New Yorker stated: "'Pasoori' is ostensibly about star-crossed lovers, but it’s also an apt metaphor for the relationship between two countries in perpetual conflict whose histories and cultural touchstones are entwined.

[46][47][48] On 8 December 2022, Sethi released an acoustic version of "Pasoori" featuring guitar work by Noah Georgeson and trumpets by Los Angeles-based musician, Jordan Katz.

[49] In an interview with The Harvard Crimson, when asked to reflect on the viral popularity of the song, Sethi stated: "It's like some of the Punjabi limericks I learned as a kid, which were half-nonsensical, but kind of magical...They were built on themselves, and became these fabulous myths with the head of one thing and the tail of another.

"[50] In a 2023 interview, Sethi shared that he was surprised by the global popularity of "Pasoori," stating: "I thought it was going to be this...indie, niche thing that a bunch of my nerdy fans were gonna like.

"[31] The song trended heavily on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok,[67] inspiring numerous user-generated reels, dance challenges, covers, mashups, spin-offs, and fan artwork.

[56][68] The production design of the music video by Hashim Ali received praise for its striking visual appeal,[29][64] intricate layout,[69] bohemian esthetics,[27][30][70] and vibrant color palette.

"[7] Writing for The National, Mariam Nihal contended that "the track embraces unity in diversity as it features Pakistani dancer and activist Sheema Kermani performing bits of a Bharatnatyam, an Indian dance.

The Turkish baglama (string instrument) features in the video while Shae Gill, who's from the Christian community, is joined by Sethi, a Muslim, as they sing in Punjabi, a language spoken in both India and Pakistan.

[72][73] In June 2023, a T-series remake of the song titled "Pasoori Nu" was released as part of the soundtrack of the Indian film Satyaprem Ki Katha, starring Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani.

[74] The track was sung by Arijit Singh and Tulsi Kumar, composed by Rochak Kohli and Ali Sethi,[26] with modified Hindi lyrics penned by Gurpreet Saini.