Junaid Khan is an extremely talented singer and his band, ”Call” achieved a great deal and won a huge fan following. As an actor, Junaid Khan has his share of critics but there’s no denying that he’s worked with some of the finest directors including Mehreen Jabbar, Abis Raza, Shehzad Kashmiri among others. In an interview with Mag The Weekly, Junaid Khan talks about his band, acting career and shares a bit about his Coke Studio debut.
How did ”Call” happen? ”During my university days I found a few friends who shared my love for the kind of music I was into. Two brothers, Farooq Nasir and Usman Nasir, introduced me to a seasoned muscian Omer Pervaiz who recommended me to meet the ex member of Call, Khurram Jabbar Khan who was looking to start the band again with a new line-up. I brought in two guitarist friends in the band and Sultan, who was Xulfi’s (Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan) student at the time, was added as the bass player. This made the first line-up of Call and Xulfi was our music producer who was in the band EP at that point.”
The band broke up and then got back together. ”Well, a band is a relationship between individuals just like any other relationship. We, as a band, saw great heights in our field; travelled the world, got numerous awards, released two albums and various singles. At times, misunderstandings develop and when they build up, relationships end. But I am glad we got over our issues and got back together.’‘
He took a break from music and turned to acting. ‘‘After I left Call, I spent more time finding myself as an actor but I did not stop writing music even back then. Though, it seemed I took a break from music, I never discontinued actually. I released a few solo tracks, So Close, So Distant, Keh Do and Koi Rokey Mujhey, over the span of three years and I continued writing more, which you will see compiled in my first solo album releasing this year.”
Talking about Coke Studio, ”I was approached for the first season but unfortunately, I could not be a part of it back then. I was glad that I composed the song with Noori; we share the same music philosophy and they made the entire process quite comfortable for me. Strings, who I have observed ever since I got into this field, are great mentors; they are professional, humble and very creative.”
He shared a bit about the song he’s composed with Noori for this season of Coke Studio. ”The song is titled Main Raasta. The genre is what Noori and I love doing – rock. It is an upbeat track and is a duet with Momina Mustehsan. It will be different because Coke Studio is known for classic pop and folk fusion but this will be a pure pop-rock song.”
So it turns out that all the videos of Ali Azmat taking a dig at the young musicians and Umair Jaswal reacting to his verbal attacks went viral only to promote the Red Bull Soundclash – a concert will be held in Expo Centre, Karachi, on August 27th where Ali Azmat and Umair Jaswal will battle it out on stage. Can’t believe we fell for their publicity stunt.
Watch the video here:
https://youtu.be/MavZtMTBPAA
Do you think this was a smart way to attract attention and hype?
Recently, in an interview with Something Haute, Mehwish Hayat talked about the much loved and discussed play Dillagi that airs on ARY every Saturday night and is a breath of fresh air for viewers.
So the talk of the town is definitely the ”thappar”. Mehwish Hayat said, ”I’m loving peoples’ reactions on it! There are two schools of thought here. People who think that if Mohid loved her so much then why did he mistrust her. And how could he slap her! The other school of thought believes that she should have been slapped ages ago.”
The drama serial is 24 episodes long so with four more episodes to go, viewers are wondering if something bad will happen to Mohid. ”It will surprise people. But with only four episodes left, every episode certainly is a must watch.”
Why couldn’t she tell him that she went to the doctor for a friend? ”Anmol is an egoistical character. She flipped. That was expected from her. But the real debate is whether Humayun should have slapped her. We (Mehwish, Humayun and Nadeem Baig) were at Butlers last night and so many people came up to us; they had stepped out after watching the play and had so many opinions on it. And they were women, men and people from all walks. It’s the love of the people that Dillagi has been so successful.”
Talking about her journey from Namaloom Afraad to Actor in Law, ”It’s been 3 years since NMA, which was a special appearance. It as a small role but one reason why the film clicked. JPNA was an ensemble cast. Actor in Law is special because I’m a solo lead. It’s a lot of pressure but it’s a great feeling to have the lead role. I had been testing the waters in NMA and JPNA and here I’ve dived in completely. No one has done this kind of character before. I represent a minority and I worked very hard on developing the character.”
Having worked with Humayun Saeed on two big projects, she spoke highly of her co-star. ”We didn’t know each other at all before JPNA. And I had zero dosti with him during JPNA. But you learn so much about people when you work and travel with them. We traveled a lot for the film and working with him I realized that he was a great guy; warm, funny and generous. Humayun and I became friends. When Nadeem read the character in Dillagi he said only I could do it. He had already worked with me in Manjali. Dillagi is intense and there was chemistry. We looked good together in JPNA but the chemistry developed in Dillagi.”
She is also making her Coke Studio debut this year. ”Critics have not even heard me sing. People should wait and hear the song before they judge it. There are people who will hate, regardless, but all the haters who are talking negative about my CS debut, saying I can’t sing, should know and realize that someone like Shiraz Uppal or Faisal and Bilal would not have asked me to perform on one of the most prestigious music platforms if they didn’t think I could. This is a HUGE opportunity for me. Coke Studio is a huge platform. The whole season is special. I can predict it’ll have the maximum number of hit songs. I have worked with Shiraz Uppal on the song, in fact it’s a duet with Shiraz Uppal himself and it’s an original track not a cover of an old song. You’ll see that I’ve been very experimental, from Billi to Anmol’s character and now to CS. I’ve taken risks and I’ve been blessed with success.”
Were all these episodes of Mann Mayal written by the same person? The characters change their minds with every episode and some of the characters have been forgotten yet again. Mannu’s father’s surgery was a success and after that she was supposed to go back to her parents’ house but the parents along with the entire family have disappeared. The moral police aka Salahuddin’s parents wanted him to marry Mannu in this episode, it won’t come as a surprise if they change their minds too next week.
Salahuddin decided he could “make do with” Jeena!! And Mannu – oh Mannu!!!! What do you really want?? Mannu kept on looking at Salahuddin with those tarsi hui nazrei like she expected better from him when she should have been worrying about her kids. It is funny just how easy it is to distract Mannu – every time she hears Salahuddin having a conversation with someone she considers it her immoral duty to listen to what he has to say. Mannu insists on getting hurt again and again. If she stops eavesdropping on Salahuddin, she will not succeed in her mission.
So, is Mikael dying?? Or is he afraid that the people he owes money to will kill him when he does not give them the money? Looks like Mikael is going to die and he will ask Salahuddin to look after his ex-wife and kids…phir Jeena ka kya ho ga?? Mann Mayal is another one of those dramas in which a husband divorces his wife and then pretends like it never happened – something which is highly objectionable yet it is shown in our dramas like it is very normal. It is funny how some of the characters like Salahuddin’s mother keep on voicing our thoughts yet they stop making sense themselves every now and then too! The fact is that even the parents don’t have any deen emaan. It wasn’t very long ago when Salahuddin’s mother was going gaga over Jeena and now Mannu is the flavor of the month.
Mannu didn’t think twice before answering Jeena’s call even after the way she insulted her last time, not only this Mannu also decided to meet her and was very interested in what she had to say – all of this could only happen in Mann Mayal! Mannu and Salahuddin’s “confrontation” was like a fight between teenagers. It was supposed to be intense in a cute way but when the heroine’s husband is keeping her kids hostage and the hero just spent the night at his ex-fiancé’s house nothing is cute or ‘intense’!!
It is impossible to sit through this mess which is truly a drama now!! How many of you watched this episode? Do share your thoughts about it.
Hamza Ali Abbasi’s sister Fazeela Abbasi is also a well known personality who was seen giving advice to people regarding their skin and anyone who was interested in any kind of surgery. Fazeela Abbasi is a Dermatologist who specializes in skin whitening and skin care fillers and botox. She runs a clinic in Islamabad.
Dr. Fazeela Abbasi recently got married in Islamabad. The wedding ceremony was also attended by the leader of PTI Imran Khan. Imran Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi have the same goals in politics. Hamza Ali Abbasi is also an active member of PTI. There are many people who think that Dr. Fazeela Abbasi looks a lot like Katrina Kaif. People always praise her for her good looks.
Here are some unseen pictures from Dr. Fazeela Abbasi’s wedding.
Ohkay so, Nawab Nosha Asif Jahan ka sabun slow hai kya? Like I have said before, this entire drama is running on the basis of communication gap & the way they have brought the fact that this is the king & his family & the affairs concerning a government, that we are watching, everything that is happening makes it even harder to believe & execution of each & every situation seems like a joke to me!
Asif Jahan ordered Taimur’s arrest only on the bases of rumors that he heard that too even before he inquired what actually happened & what was the reality. Where was the inquiry committee & where were the eye witnesses that could testify against Taimur that he was the one who killed Dilawar Khan? As usual, just because Asif Jahan is impulsive & just because he’s missing a prowess of rational analyzation of a situation, he put his own son behind bars? Quite smart I must say. Later he did realize that he did something wrong & he after realizing that he doesn’t have another son, so because like I said his sabun is slow, he ordered everyone to bring in the eye witnesses to know what actually happened, whereas this was something that he should’ve done before taking the decision of arresting Taimur.
As Asif Jahan tried to dig deep into this affair, he found out that all the ladies of his house had more brains than him & may be that’s why he lost his in the last part of the episode. After meeting Taimur, Asif Jahan got to know about the letter that Badshah Begum wrote to Dilawar ordering him to kill Taimur, which makes me wonder why didn’t Taimur hand this letter over to his father the moment he returned to Mor Mahal after winning a battle? What was he waiting for? I don’t really understand because what Taimur read in that letter was a big deal so why did he take it so lightly & choose to spend so many days in the prison for no good reason? After inquiring from Badshah Begum, Asif Jahan found out that Farrukh Zaad also sent her brother to kill Dilawar Khan & that’s when Asif Jahan lost it. He was so confused & heart-broken that while he was busy being in love with all these ladies, they were back stabbing him hard!
I really am not sure why Asif Jahan hasn’t snapped out of the fact that Dilawar Khan is dead, like what was so special about him that he is ready to put everything, especially his son at stake for just a guy who was his adviser & nothing else? I really believe Asif Jahan’s priorities are not in place because no matter what happens, no one puts anyone ahead of their children at least. The way Asif Jahan is mourning the death of Dilawar Khan shows that deep down he is hurt to see Taimur alive in stead of Dilawar Khan!
After seeing that Asif found out the truth about Farrukh Zaad, Badshah Begum made her move once again & told him to let Shujat succeed him, like does she really think that Asif Jahan is going to listen to her after finding out that she wants her grandson & Asif’s son Taimur killed? I think what Farrukh Zaad told her brother to do is justified because she was protecting her son after finding out that Badshah Begum had ordered Dilawar to kill him, but there’s nothing that can justify what Badshah Begum did & there’s nothing that can justify her evil intentions of having her own grandson killed only because she hates Farrukh Zaad?
Akhtari predicted that Shujat will come into the power & looks like what Akhtari says or does turns out to be true, so I will request the director to let Akhtari go in a trance & tell us the remaining story in one go because she can foresee the future & I can not sit through this drama anymore to see what is yet to come. I am actually disappointed that this drama has turned out to be like this where there’s nothing special about it, where it turned out to be another story which showcases the politics between women & nothing else. I really had high hopes with the character of Asif Jahan because he seemed like a perfect ruler but as the episodes progressed I found out that he was everything but that as in stead of him doing the brainstorming, it was the women of Mor Mahal who were in charge of the situation & were indirectly running the government themselves. I actually missed seeing the ruler’s ministers & I missed seeing huge assemblies where they would be discussing the affairs of the state, they did however show a meeting that Asif Jahan had with the experts who were less in number but were too old to think straight. It looks like Asif Jahan is the only man who is running the government himself which actually again is a delusion as it is not him who was doing all the thinking, it was either Badshah Begum or Wazeer Begum that would do that & IF Asif Jahan planned on taking an action on something, that again turned out to be an idea that was whispered in his ear by another woman named Shahista.
I actually thought that they would take us on a journey through history where they will cover all the aspects of how a government is run by the ruler but ever since the drama has begun, seems like they wanted to show everything but that & sadly, it ended up looking like a saas bahu saga set in a royal setting in an olden era. Also, what happened by the end of this episode is enough to show that the main lead isn’t strong enough whereas I wanted to see a ruthless king who actually ran the affairs & tackled them on his own terms & conditions but seems like Asif Jahan was too engulfed in loving the ladies that he didn’t mind them doing what seemed to be his job!
Well, in this episode, Asif Jahan has lost his marbles & as the preview suggested, he won’t be regaining his senses anytime soon, so what’s the point of watching a drama where the main lead is so so so weak mentally that he couldn’t tackle a high-pressure situation. I think this episode sealed the deal for me & I am done watching this drama. This is going to be the last review of this drama as I am done trying & I am done getting disappointed week after week. I am actually not sure what went wrong at the creative team’s end because this doesn’t come near the work that Surmed Sultan Khoosat has done previously. Even though I haven’t seen Mera Sultan but I have read plenty of comments on the social media where everyone made it obvious that Mor Mahal was an attempt to recreate Mera Sultan but they failed miserably so even though I haven’t watched Mera Sultan, I still say that it was a very weak attempt so, better luck next time guys! However, before concluding the review I will say that Umair Jaswasl has emerged as a promising actor & I think he should consider giving acting career a go & I wish to see him in more dramas in the future. Anyways, please share your final goodbyes at this last review of Mor Mahal!
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
ps: My dear readers who have been reading my reviews from the last few years know that I have endured high-intensity tortures like Mujhe Khuda Pe Yakeen Hai, Izteraab, Aahista Aahista, Tumhare Siwa & never gave up despite them telling me to but this time around, I don’t think I can waste my time anymore & yes, I’m losing my patience so for that reason quite happily, I declare that I give up!!!
Ohkay so, surprisingly I am enjoying how the story of this drama is unfolding. I actually thought that it would derail & won’t have much to offer but I am so glad that the writer gave us so many positive & appeasing things through this story. I really really like how Mehru’s character is shaping up to be, which actually is a pleasant surprise because she being someone who never really stepped outside her home has been coping well with the change life offered to her.
The best thing about this entire situation right now is the way Mehru & Ahad are forming a relationship with each other. They both are complete strangers who are forced to share one roof & they both are trying really hard to develop an understanding where this entire progress comes with a lot of arguments, some positive gestures & some heart-to-heart conversations because both Mehru & Ahad know that they have no one else to rely on, so despite having a difference of opinion almost every single time, every single day, they walk past it & try to move forward, which is really good & refreshing to see because we hardly ever come across such characters who believe in dealing with the obstacles with a positive mind-set that too as a team.
Ahad has lived quite a care-free life where he never really took care of his own responsibilities, but now he not only has to fend for himself but he has a wife to take care of too, that is why despite being rational most of the times, he loses the plot & becomes frustrated as he wasn’t used to the idea of having someone around him who actually depended on him. Mehru on the other hand lived such a life where she had to seek permission for every single thing, she lived a life where she wasn’t even allowed to walk freely in her own home because her brothers thought that they were ‘protecting’ her & she was forced to be dependent on her brothers too. Mehru & Ahad have lived completely different lives & they come from completely different backgrounds that is why they both end up arguing with each other because Ahad expects Mehru to listen to him without questioning & Mehru believes in reasoning every single time as she has always felt that people misunderstood her so she wants to put her opinion forward & let Ahad know what is running through her mind.
I really like how the writer has etched out the character of Mehru because she could’ve easily become a ‘bechari’ who felt like a fish out of water after having her life turned upside down but the way Mehru is conducting herself & the way she is coming to terms with her current situation is commendable. I really really like how she never leaves an opportunity to stand for herself & makes sure to let Ahad know that she is opinionated but politely at that. It was good to see Mehru realizing her faults & reflecting on herself, which actually looked like some unnatural phenomenon because we never actually get to see the characters in our dramas doing that, but anyways, I found it admirable that Mehru realized she was becoming bitter whereas she didn’t have the reason to & that is why she ended up apologizing for the way she treated Ahad. Ahad on the other hand ended up hurting her with a derogatory remark about where he met her & he ended up judging her character but he made up for it because he heard what Mehru had to say & she made sure that she got a fair chance to explain herself.
On the other end, Shiraz is getting married & Ehtasham has declared that he has nothing to do with Shiraz & his mother. I think the way Ehtashaam reacts & has become an irrational control freak is also a mistake of his mother Zeenat because in the flashback scene where Mehru recalled what her mother used to say to her, it was made clear that even Zeenat felt that the guys reign supreme & that is why she allowed Ehtasham & Hassam to make decisions of Mehru’s life on her behalf. I believe if it wasn’t for her, her sons might not have turned out to be so rigid & wrongfully staunch because she never took a stand for her daughter & allowed her sons to do what they deemed fit & to be honest, all the things she said about how girls shouldn’t think too much & they should do what the men of the house tell them do made me dislike her thought process a tad bit!
Well, the conversation Saira & Zeenat had about Mehru where Saira ended up telling her to accept everything as a Decree of Allah was written beautifully & it had a positive message because Saira told Zeenat how Allah loves His creation a 70 times more than a mother can love her child. This entire conversation about Allah left me feeling really good & it somehow showcased the mindset of the writer & it left me feeling positive that there are still ‘some’ writers who have their concepts about Allah & His teachings crystal clear, unlike so many other ‘so-called’ writers who find it hard to even use Allah’s name in their dialogues & end up playing with the basic concepts of marriage & divorce set by Allah only for the sake of ratings!
Anyways, Mehru has started depending on Ahad because she spoke to him about how she missed her mother & also Mehru has started to feel that she is getting used to having him around, I just love how she is not afraid to give words to her feelings. Ahad has done a lot such gestures to make her feel comfortable & the way he lashed out on those strangers to protect ‘his wife’ did make Mehru feel that their relationship is getting stronger, may be more than they both acknowledge & realize.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed watching this episode & I am really glad that the writer & the director have kept the ‘bechari’ factor out of Mehru’s character because the way she stands up for herself is refreshing to see & it is good to have a character who believes in herself & is rightly opinionated. Both Farhan Ahmed Malhi & Sanam Chaudhry have acted really really well & their chemistry as strangers tied together as a couple is quite good too. The preview of the next episode seemed a bit rushed but I am not sure if all that will happen in one episode as last week’s preview showed that Ahad will meet his father in this episode but that didn’t happen. Looks like Ahad will suggest his father to come & live with him in Islamabad which will raise a lot of problems for Mehru as Ahad’s father is a bit unreasonable & hard to deal with, but let’s see. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Kathputli.
This episode of Udaari was extremely depressing because it showed Imtiaz getting exactly what he had been waiting for all these years and Sajida’s worst nightmare came true. All the developments in tonight’s episode were shown realistically but it was very painful watching Sajida suffer. Imtiaz got plenty of screen time which gave the viewers even more of a reason to hate his character. It has been very well established by now just how villainous and evil Imtiaz’s character is therefore it would be great if the upcoming episodes focus on his downfall instead of showing how he gets away with everything. It took Sheedan time to figure out who she should call but once she talked to Milli’s mother, there was hope that Imtiaz will finally get the punishment he truly deserves. That is something I am looking forward to. Tonight’s episode also focused on Illyas. Illyas says he still loves Meeran but the fact is that he never loved her. While talking to his mother he revealed the real reason why he had been pursuing Meeran. He wanted to enjoy the luxuries she had. Many years back he rejected Meeran so that he could continue enjoying the lifestyle he had because he did not think she was worth the sacrifice. Now that Meeran is not only popular but also financially stable, he wants her back in his life. He knows that Meeran still has feelings for him but what he doesn’t know is that Meeran will never allow him to manipulate her now. The growth in Meeran’s character has been shown really well and I missed watching her in this episode and the previous one, the drama is not the same without her. Illyas’ new plan to get closer to Meeran was an unexpected twist in the story. Illyas has proved that he is incapable of keeping his commitment, not once but twice. He got married for money and now that he knows Meeran has even more money, he does not want to live with his wife any more. Haris Waheed’s makeover was superb in tonight’s episode, the new hairstyle and the beard made him look older but his acting was not on point. There were many times when he completely changed his accent from Punjabi to Urdu. Unfortunately so far Zebu does not have a bigger role to play in the story, she is the victim and that’s it. HinaAltaf‘s acting leaves a lot to be desired. Same is true for Ins-e-Yazdan whose t-shirts so far have been standing out more than his performance. Whoever is responsible for casting made some major compromises by choosing these two actors for these roles. When a drama has powerful performers like Bushra Ansari, Sammiya Mumtaz and Ahsan Khan then it needs equally talented actors for playing the supporting roles. Urwa Hocane and Farhan Saeed definitely fit the bill but Hina Altaf and Ins-e-Yazdan have been major disappointments. Hina Altaf’s acting has been-there-seen-that written all over it. Am I the only one who thinks that there was an overdose of Imtiaz’s character in this episode?? We all love to hate Imtiaz and there is no denying the fact that Ahsan Khan has portrayed this character brilliantly on screen but isn’t it about time that Imtiaz starts paying for what he did to Zebu? The preview of the next episode showed that Meeran will turn to Arsh for help – something which we were all expecting. I am also waiting to find out why Illyas has been given such an important part in the story once again. How many of you watched this latest installment? Do share your thoughts about it. Fatima Awan
In a live Facebook chat with Express Tribune, the incredibly talented and beautiful Saira Shahroz talked about her career, personal life and future ventures.
About the many times she’s been approached to do Bollywood films, she revealed, “I have been offered a lot of movies from India. But I never opted for them. Either the story wouldn’t click or the script wouldn’t be strong enough to pull me in.”
“I was offered Rock on 2 as well but I couldn’t sign it because I was getting married at that time. They wanted to have meetings and wanted me to fly in but I said I can’t do it at this time — Meri shaadi horahi hai.”
“I want to focus more on Pakistani films but I don’t mind exploring my boundaries. I have been offered a film from Hollywood as well which was supposed to be directed by one of the producers of Dil Se [Dil Se featured Shah Rukh Khan in lead role]. I didn’t take that up because although they wanted a Pakistani character in the movie, they wanted her to be a really bold Pakistani girl.”
She is excited about her upcoming film, Project Ghazi. “Project Ghazi is like a dream film for me. I have always wanted to be a super hero and this is a dream come true.”
Her favourite Pakistani actresses are Maya Ali and Sajal Ali. And about favourite Pakistani actors, “Apart from Shahroz (of course), I think Humayun Saeed is brilliant. Adnan Siddiqui and Feroze are good.”
She spoke highly of Sharoz and her in-laws for being very supportive. “I think the fact that Shehroz is such a great support is a big factor in helping me juggle. He’s always there. My own parents, my in-laws, everyone is there for me.”
She also wants to do more projects with her husband. “Shahroz and I really want to work together because I love working with him. But for us to come together the project needs to be super awesome.”
She revealed that she’s always wanted to be a chef. “I’ve always wanted to become a chef. Acting wasn’t planned at all. I was really camera shy, it just happened. I cook regularly. I make really good fish, pastas and I have tried making sushi too. It turned out great.”
She also wants to direct movies. “I really want to direct. I want to direct a movie because it is compact. I have written something down. It’s a love story. I love love stories. The audience comes to find an escape so I want something entertaining. I can even cast Shahroz but I would want to direct the movie.”
She had a nice message for all her fans out there. “I think nowadays there is too much hate in the air so don’t hate on each other. Don’t jump into conclusions, give everyone a chance to explain themselves. Just be happy and work for what you want in life.”
The first look of Coke Studio season 9 tells us that we can expect great things from this season. With Independence Day just around the corner, Coke Studio presents the heart-achingly beautiful “Aye Rah-e-Haq Ke Shaheedo”. The rendition is dedicated to those who sacrificed their todays for our tomorrows.
The video features the line-up of artists for season 9. The incredibly heart-felt rendition had us all tearing up at Amjad Sabri’s part. I can only imagine how heart-rending will be Amjad Sabri and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s collaboration, Aaj Rang Hai.
Ohkay so, this episode of Thora Sa Aasman was quite interesting. I am glad that the director is taking the story forward at a decent pace, as there’s a lot left to be conveyed & that’s why all the tracks are developing swiftly & all the questions are being answered without leaving viewers wondering about things on their own. Also, I must say, I really liked how this episode in particular juxtaposed between the mentality of an elite & the lower class of the society & that has to be my favorite aspect of this entire episode.
Haroon is ruthlessly practical, that is why he knew that his wife could easily achieve what he couldn’t in the matters concerning Baqir Shirazi, that is why even after Baqir’s indirect yet direct insult, Haroon didn’t mind sending Shahista to meet him again because he was confident that Baqir would never refuse Shahista’s request. It is actually unfortunate that despite having a wife, Baqir has his sights on Shahista & he has gotten this edge only because he knows that her husband Haroon is shameless when it comes to his personal benefits, so Baqir is making the most of the dependency Haroon has on him regarding his business.
Baqir ended up informing Shahista about Haroon’s reputation & seems like this was for the first time when Shahista not only confronted her husband, but threatened to leave him in case she ever spots him with another woman. I felt that this threat came a bit late & didn’t even leave much of an impact because it’s not like Shahista hasn’t seen that scenario till date. Shahista did spot Haroon with Zarka in a shopping mall & he brushed all her concerns under the carpet. If only Shahista had taken a stand back then, may be Haroon wouldn’t have done what he just did with Zarka. Just like Haroon got married to her out of the blue, he decided to throw her out of his life just like that too, but what’s sadder is that he doesn’t want to own his child that Zarka is carrying now. Zarka has lost everything & she is paying a huge price for trusting such an emotionally absent businessman. Sadly, Zarka was just a flavor of the month & just when Haroon felt that he was benefiting nothing out of this relationship, she decided to call it quits!
Saiqa, who’s trying hard to make the ends meet, falls in a deep pit when her husband, who has pretty much disowned her creates a scene accusing her of infidelity. Zafar, in stead of giving a shut-up call to his friend, makes a point to drag Saiqa in front of everyone to let them & her know that he is still the supreme authority in her life. Zafar is a depiction of those hypocrite men of the society, who find no shame in leaving their wives & their daughters in the lurch, but when they hear the rumors, they are the first ones to make a commotion about how their wives are disloyal & unfaithful & how their dignity means everything to them. Saiqa comes from such a background where men are considered supreme, despite them never proving themselves to be, but still their verdict is taken to be a final word & then, a woman is forced to face the brunt for the things she might never have even thought of doing. Saiqa’s parents made sure that she doesn’t leave their house but when they realized that feeding Saiqa & her three daughters was not something that they could afford, they allowed her to resume her job. This was another mind-set that was unveiled that those who are poor can only afford the luxury of ‘dignity’ for a short span of time & when they are forced to wake up & smell the coffee, they go against their word & curb their values.
Who would’ve thought that the same Fatima, who was always accused of being ill-mannered & loud would get the label of being polite? Fatima’s politeness surprised people around her & may be it is the addition of Shaheer in her life that has forced her to do some thinking & reflect on the fact that now she has a child to take care of & more than that she has to be a positive influence on the child that she is raising. Shaheer has brought drastic changes in Fatima’s personality & she might not be his biological mother, but she sure is taking her status as a mother a bit too seriously, which is quite heart-warming. The way Fatima cried for Shaheer was actually quite overwhelming, which proved Fatima’s perspective that you don’t have to give birth to a child to be called his mother, you can become one if you think of yourself as one.
So, it was Shahista Kamal who sent Aliya to the orphanage to check on Shaheer. I am sure there’s a lot to this track that will unravel in the episodes to come. It was a blessing for Fatima that Rabeea ended up being Shahista’s friend, that is why Shahista stepped forward to bail Fatima out of the prison as she couldn’t resist seeing the sight of a child like Shaheer without his mother.
The note at which the episode ended actually came as a surprise to me. Saiqa of today ended up listening to the advice that was given to her by the Saiqa of tomorrow (referring to the conversation she had with the woman in the previous episode). Saiqa ended up succumbing to the pressures that the future of her daughters inflicted on her mind. Sadly, she was a girl who was trying hard to make a decent & honest living for her daughters but the society pushed to a limit where it made her realize that no matter how hard she protects herself or no matter how much she’ll sacrifice, it will only take one lie & just one rumor for them to tear her into pieces & assassinate her character mercilessly. Sadly, what Saiqa did shed a light on all such women who give men the edge & allow those men to exploit them because of lost faith in people surrounding them which unfortunately include their families too. It was the betrayal of Zafar & the lack of confidence that her parents showed in her, which drove Saiqa to take a short cut in life which she at one point didn’t even want to think about. This is why in the beginning I said that this episode highlighted the contrast between the mind set that the people from two different social classes endorse, where in elite class it was the husband who was shamelessly making the most of the affection that another man had towards his wife only because it guaranteed him a monetary gain that he was after & in the lower class of the society, just a sight of a woman standing with a man was enough to ignite the fire & assassinate her character to a point where she herself didn’t mind compromising it for the sake of her children & forced herself to do which was most certainly not right. Beautifully written & executed I must say!
Overall, this episode was really interesting. I know the theme of the drama is a bit on the serious & mature side but this entire story & all the characters have a meaning attached to them. The preview seemed interesting too, I am sure Baqir is not going to stop & looks like Zarka will end up becoming a fish-bone stuck in Haroon’s throat, which he most certainly won’t be expecting. Even though I have liked all the actors & their acting but only in this episode, I repeat only this time around I found Zeba Bakhtiyar’s dialogue delivery a bit weak & Alyy Khan’s expressions a bit too flat, which I am sure will improve in the episodes that are yet to come. The direction, as always was on-point. Please share your thoughts about this interesting episode of Thora Sa Aasman.
Jeena is definitely the most hated onscreen character these days but Aisha Khan wants people to draw a line between the reel and real life of an actor. Aisha Khan speaks out against viewers who judge or hate on actors just because of the characters they choose to play. Recently she posted a quote on insta directed towards “haters”.
A lot of comments poured in response to this and the hateful comments were deleted by the actress. She also joined in the conversation to give the haters a piece of her mind.
“Mein wadaa krti bhi nahi. Waada tum jaise log kr sakte hein Mohid jo nibhana jante hun. Mujh jaise log jo apne ghusse ke agay bebas hu, unhe waday nahi krne chahyeh. Ghussa waday bhula deta hai!!”For the first time tonight I truly felt for Anmol, not because Mohid hit her but because he thought she was capable of doing something like this to hurt him. And also because this happened when Anmol was willing to make a new start after admitting to herself that she let her anger control her. Anmol of course hasn’t given Mohid much of a reason to have faith in her but until now he had the patience of a saint and now all of a sudden he does not know who and what he should believe. Anmol’s reaction was completely justified and was shown brilliantly. Everything she wrote in her letter went to prove that she had more faith in Mohid than she had in herself. She knows that she might break promises and go against her own word because when she gets upset, she has no control over herself but Mohid would never do that. At the same time Mohid’s state of mind was shown really well too. He kept on thinking about what the nurse said all day and all the things which Anmol had said to him before she married him therefore at the end of the day all he needed was a logical explanation for all that he had heard from Anmol. Anmol could not do that because she was bound by a promise, one she wanted to keep no matter what. I must say that I am dead against men hitting women in dramas no matter what therefore although Anmol left Mohid with very little choice but even then it would have been better if he threatened to hit her and Zulekha stopped them.
The episode opened with scenes which showed Anmol truly was in love, she was willing to do much more than before for Mohid in order to show her love for him. Zulekha picked up the change in her behaviour instantly and Anmol hoped that Mohid will also read her mind. Unfortunately for her Mohid came home with a completely different frame of mind. Anmol has fallen in love with Mohid but she is still the same person she was before, she never believed in giving people explanations and she still does not. She could have persuaded Mohid without telling him the truth but she chose not to. Mehwish Hayat and Hamayun Saeed once again nailed every single scene in tonight’s episode and they were exceptional in the last scene. The last scene was also directed brilliantly except for the hitting bit of course!
“Dil sawalo ke jawab dhundne aur pahelian boojhne mei bara nikama hota hai.”This dialogue summed up Mohid’s state of mind. Sadly, Anmol is not the kind of person who believes in explaining herself to anyone therefore the situation went from bad to worse. Not only this, the way she reacted was completely in line with her character. Once again she let her anger control her which will actually give rise to an interesting situation. Will Sabiha and Zulekha do what needs to be done?? Or will the letter which Anmol wrote make Mohid question his judgment? Most importantly will Anmol forgive Mohid for the thappar??
Zulekha in her own way pleaded Anmol’s case when Mohid came home! I am waiting to see how she will react to the latest developments. Once again all the actors gave superb performances in this episode too. Saba Hameed has an undeniable screen presence which makes all her scenes count. Anmol’s letter to Mohid was beautifully written – it covered every little aspect of her personality and was very honest! It went to show that Anmol did not develop a new personality overnight but was more willing to accept her faults and her feelings for Mohid. Zulekha and Anmol’s scene in the kitchen was the most ‘happy’ scene of this episode. The last scene was extremely powerful and it made up for the slow pace in the first half of this episode. The thappar however was uncalled for.
This episode laid the foundations for what is coming ahead. Since ARY does not show preview of the upcoming episode therefore we can only guess what is going to happen next. Zulekha did say that Sabiha was coming tomorrow therefore I am expecting Sabiha to play an important role in clearing up the misunderstanding. (xanax) We will also know how much damage this misunderstanding has done in the upcoming episode and whether it is repairable or not!!
How many of you watched this latest installment? Do share your thoughts about it.
Well! Directed by Kashif Nisar and written by Asma Sayani, Intezaar airs on A-Plus every Thursday at 8pm. When I first saw the OST and the cast, I was interested enough to think I would watch and review it. However, I came across an article online which gave the story away a bit stating that the play touches upon the issue of child abuse. Given that it took me ages to get round to watching Udaari, I decided to give this serial a miss. However, hearing how popular the drama has become and thinking I could stop watching if it got a bit too depressing – I began to watch.
Intezaar is initially the story of two cousins, Zoya (Sana Javed) and Azmeer (Azfar Rehman) who are in love and are getting married soon, with their respective families’ (reluctant) blessings. Their fathers are brothers but they do not get along very well rather Azmeer’s father and Zoya’s mother have short tempers and are not exactly overjoyed by the match. Things move along and the day of their nikkah arrives and the two are married but an argument erupts over the jewellery given to Zoya by Azmeer’s family which is declared fake by Zoya’s mother which in turn angers Azmeer’s father. With tempers and egos pitted against each other, Azmeer’s father demands that Amzeer divorce Zoya on the spot – to which Azmeer reacts by walking away from the whole scenario. Egged on by her mother’s taunts and Azmeer’s obvious disappearance from the scene, Zoya feels he has left her in the lurch and not stood by her. Wanting to escape from it all, she asks to be allowed to go back to her hostel where she stays while working as a doctor. Azmeer comes to visit her there and manages to convince her that at the time the only thing he could do was walk out and the two begin to see each other and meet on weekends.
While the two live in their secret, happily married bubble, Zoya’s mother wants to see a proper end to Zoya’s nikkah and asks her to sign khula papers. Azmeer tells her to sign them so as to get her mother off her back. Zoya learns she is now pregnant with Azmeer’s baby and they decide to go back home and face their families so that they can stop meeting in secret and move on with their lives. A medical emergency at the last minute prevents Zoya from getting on the train with Azmeer – the train that crashes and kills Azmeer. Zoya’s parents are shocked to learn she is pregnant but Azmeer’s father refuses to believe the baby is Azmeer’s and rejects the idea of the very obvious DNA test as well. Zoya’s mother then feels that the step forward is to have Zoya abort her baby and marry her nephew, to which Zoya balks and runs away from home to the hostel. One thing leads to another where she ends up staying with a friend’s cousin who turns out to be a creepy man who tries to make a move on her and she ends up at a train station where she meets Shariq (Mikaal Zulfiqar). He convinces her that it is unsafe for her to be alone and brings her to his house.
Shariq is the DC of the area and we learn that his father dies when he was very young and he and his mother go to live with his mamu. Mamu bears the responsibilities of his sister and nephew, giving them room in his house and bears their expenses including Shariq’s educational expenses. Mamu has a daughter Saba (Anam Fayyaz) who is a victim of child abuse at the hands of their household servant. Although her parents eventually found out, but the abuse has left its mark on Saba who at times seems to live a fairly normal life but then at times has fits due to flashbacks from her horrific ordeal where she lashes out at everyone and is uncontrollable. Psychiatric sessions have had no effect and the psychiatrist throws in the ultimate trump card saying only marriage could possibly cure Saba otherwise nothing else can be done. Maami thinks Shariq is the ideal candidate for Saba knows him well and is comfortable with him and also because he ‘owes’ them for all the favours they have bestowed on him. Although Shariq’s mother balks at the idea at first, she gives in to the pressure and visits Shariq to convince him to marry Saba. Emotional blackmail prevails and Shariq returns to his mamu’s house to go ahead with the marriage to Saba.
I actually enjoyed the first few episodes which focused on Zoya and Azmeer. With Saba’s entry, even though I was aware what her basic story was, the flashbacks do give you goosebumps. However sickening it may feel, I suppose this is a much more common occurrence than we care to admit for children are often left at the hands of servants and pedophiles are unfortunately a very horrifying reality. While we see Zebu in Udaari react to her ordeal differently and grow up to be a strong individual although tormented by her past at times, Saba in Intezaar seems to have let the experience engulf her to the extent that she rarely leaves the house and is scared of any male presence except for her father and Shariq. To be honest I really can not comment on her mental state for God knows how such children are impacted and each individual is different. We do not know how long the abuse went on, and how it finally ended but well, the result is a very frightened, young girl who gives in to moments when she is unable to control herself or her emotions and is trapped in her past. Come to the psychiatrist’s advice – I am no psychiatry major, thankfully have not known of anyone or heard of real life child abuse victims that was cured by such advice – but really, marriage? The psychiatrist does not even suggest that she be married to someone she knows well or anything. Just that marriage is the only (if at all) cure to Saba’s state of mind. Why? So that she may be ‘given’ away to another man to go through what she went through earlier? Boggles the mind – so I will leave it at that.
Anyhow, once Saba learns she is to wed Sherry Bhai (God, not another Sherry Bhai!), she is uncomfortable around him and also gives into her emotions and gets up at the scene of the nikkah. Shariq has fallen in love with Zoya who does not reciprocate his feelings but he convinces her that he will put a lid on his feelings but she must not leave his house. I have to say, there’s a lot of ‘convincing’ going round in this drama. Azmeer convincing Zoya they are meant to be, Mamu convincing Shariq’s mum, she in turn convincing Shariq, etc!
To be honest, I am not sure where this play will lead with Saba’s track. Whether she is truly cured, how Shariq is able to make this marriage work for as he rightly says that he can take care of her as a brother but does not feel he will be able to do justice as a husband. Mamu and Maami are unaware of Zoya’s existence but next week’s promo shows that Maami learns of Zoya and that she is pregnant. Shariq seems very adamant not to let Zoya leave from his house or life so I suppose he will take a stand for her. The dialogues between Shariq and Zoya although cheesy at times, still do seem to fit in well with the play and the characters such as when Shariq says to Zoya that she has done her share of ‘mohabbat’ but he has not so she can not stop him from feeling what he does.
The scenes between Meekal and Sana are done well and I like how we see he is shown to care for her but I do have to say I miss Azfar. I find he performs such characters well and he was very convincing as Azmeer, the young engineer in love with his wife and bent on making things work. I know some of us find Meekal lacking in his acting at times, but I for one like his acting and find he has not disappointed her either- so far. Sana Javed in most of her plays is either an outspoken, bubbly character (Zara Yaad Kar to name one)- as Zoya was when Azmeer was alive or a monotonous bechari (Paiwind) – as she is now, but I have yet to watch a drama where she plays a balanced character. While I found Shariq odd deciding to go ahead with the marriage with a ‘Zoya you left me no choice’ when she does not come to the phone, but the pressure on his mother and the pressure imposed by Mamu on Shariq seemed very real where people are forced to give in to pressure thinking it is their ‘farz’. Shariq must apparently choose between his ‘farz’ and his ‘mohabbat’ but his farz being that he must marry his Mamu’s daughter because the Mamu raised him does make you question the real definition of ‘farz’ but sadly, such situations (bar the abuse element) are in abundance in reality.
I will say that the constant flashbacks Saba has do make me uneasy especially as there are different scenes, with the door locks, the swing, the sweets etc. It is hard to sit through such scenes no matter how short they are and my heart does break for children who have had to go through such living nightmares. So far, Anam Fayyaz has acted well and does make you believe her character is real.The play is visually easy on the eyes, not to mention the OST which is extremely catchy and I have found myself crooning, rather belting it out loudly for a while after watching an episode, LOL!
I am very curious but at the same time, very wary as to how this drama moves forward and how much screen time is actually spent on Saba’s journey to being ‘cured’ and how convincing that may be. Does Zoya finally begin to feel more for Shariq and is she aware of his marriage to Saba? Do Saba and Zoya eventually meet? How does Saba react to her marriage? I wonder how many of you are watching this play, what your thoughts are and whether you would like to have weekly/fortnightly reviews.
When I saw the teasers and promos for this play, the first thing which attracted me was the inclusion of veteran artists like Abid Ali and Talat Hussain. Even though I wasn’t in favour of violence against women which was the first thing shown, a scene between the characters of Goher Mumtaz and Sumbul Iqbal, I still decided to watch the first episode because of all the actors whom I admired such as the veterans and Tipu Sharif, Sumbul and even Asad Siddiqui who has improved quite a lot since he started out. I also had an exchange of comments on Facebook with the director Furqan T. Siddiqui about how plays should stop showing violence against women and should show women empowerment. He also said the play does go into showing how the girl overcomes her obstacles and I love the OST ‘Rangreza mere’. All these factors made me want to watch this play and try out my first drama review on this one.
The opening sequence was quite ‘filmy’ with the protagonist Tooba (Sumbul Iqbal) on the swing and the OST playing in the background. The characters were introduced well, showing that Tooba is the middle one among three sisters, Maira and Tania. Her parents Obaid ur Rehman (Abid Ali) and Khadija don’t have any son and consider his family friends’ Waqar (Talat Hussain) and Salma’s son Adil (Goher Mumtaz) as their son. Adil and Tooba have been childhood friends and now that Maira was getting married to her Phuppo’s eldest son Fayez (Tipu Sharif), Adil has been coming in to help with the wedding preparations. Waqar also assures Obaid to not worry too much with the wedding expenses over a phone call in the first few scenes. We get to know then, that Obaid’s sister Amna is coming from America with her two sons Fayez and Moiz (Asad Siddiqui) that morning and would be staying at
Waqar’s place. It was arranged that Adil would be coming to get the family to go to the airport to pick them up.
What I enjoyed about the episode was the ‘nokjhok’ and bonding between the sisters and also it looked like they were really a family and not a ‘reel’ family. Another character was of Geeti, who was in Tooba’s house for Maira’s wedding and was her khala’s daughter. She likes Adil and all the girls know about it.
After Amna and her sons arrive, it is shown that she wants to make Tooba her second daughter-in-law but her mother isn’t too keen on it. It is also shown that it isn’t only Amna but Moiz and Tooba also like each other. All her sisters and cousins are aware of this except Adil.
It also becomes clear from Amna Phuppo’s way of talking that she is not particularly fond of Adil. Meanwhile, Adil’s mother goes sees Tooba’s pictures stuck on his closet walls and feels that she needs to talk to her husband and take Tooba’s ‘rishta’. But Waqar says it is important that they get to know how Tooba feels about Adil before taking any steps. Even after this, Adil’s ever doting mum plans to do the engagement on the same day as Maira and Fayez’s.
I felt the character sketch was also well done in the sense that Fayez was shown to be a bit snobby unlike his brother Moiz who seemed a bit flexible. This came across from the scene where Adil says that his ‘mayun’ will be on the rooftops and Fayez asks why it can’t be arranged in a banquet hall.
Little scenes like Adil catching Tooba and Moiz having a private moment in the kitchen when Moiz tries to make Tooba confess her love for him, shows Adil’s possessive streak.
It seems that Obaid ur Rehman can’t confront his sister and yields to her wishes when she asks for Tooba’s hand in marriage for Moiz and Khadija can’t do anything but to agree.
Since Adil’s father was very adamant about making sure of Tooba’s consent before taking a proposal from Adil, he asks Geeti to talk to Tooba. He tells her that she’s his best friend after Tooba and that she is the only one who can do this for him. Geeti is upset when she comes to know how Adil actually feels since she was under the impression that Adil liked her. She wonders how to tell Adil the truth about Tooba and Moiz.
Adil lies to his mother and says that Tooba agreed to marry him. When Adil asks Geeti whether she had talked to Tooba, on the day of Fayez and Maira’s engagement, she also lies. Adil’s mum also doesn’t get time to talk to Tooba’s mum and during this time, comes the big surprise, Moiz and Tooba’s engagement ceremony.
I liked how the episode was first paced and it got straight to the point. Even though I am not in the favour of most of the plays starting and revolving around marriages, I hope this play goes on to show more than just that. The play is written by Shagufta Bhatti, writer of Paiwand and although I really don’t know what to expect from this play since I didn’t watch that play, I just hope this one goes well.
How many of you are watching this play? Do share your thoughts about them.
Ohkay so, the drama has come at that stage where things have not only become monotonous but have also become stagnant too. It’s been quite a few episodes now that things aren’t moving forward & all the situations & scenarios are looking repetitive. I really enjoy watching this drama so I really hope that they don’t ruin it by dragging things to a point where Deewana loses its charm completely. I really think the story should move forward because this drama has a very few characters so slowing down the pace makes all the characters look like fillers actually.
Haris has waged a war against his so-called parents. He knows that they never really treated him as a son & only gave him favors because first he was a toy for Rabeea & after her death, he became a pawn that they used, to play their mind games. Haris has understood that more than him needing Amtul & Tabrez, they both are the ones who need Haris the most as they have planned their revenge on Subhan & his family keeping Haris in their minds. Amtul & Tabrez thought that they had hired a lifelong slave who will do everything that his masters will tell him to & it was actually their misapprehension to believe that Haris didn’t have a mind & heart of his own. Even though I know that Tabrez won’t succumb to Haris’s pressures, but in the meantime, the tension that has overtaken their lives is well-deserved & much needed. I guess it’s about time that Amtul & Tabrez realize that they need to snap out of the hatred they have towards everyone because they are earning nothing out of it.
Shama has lost all the faith in Mehru that’s why she actually felt the need to guard the entrance to Mehru’s room. It is at times sad to see a mother having no confidence in her child & holding her responsible for all the problems that their family is facing. I think Shama should sympathize with Mehru in stead & she should actually console her as her daughter has endured way more pain than Shama can imagine. Mehru has finally addressed the elephant in the room & she has told her mother that she is in love with Falak. I am not sure if that’s something that she is saying under the influence of the spell that Falak must’ve cast on her or that are her genuine feelings for him, but I guess Mehru actually has fallen for Falak because like Falak said, he didn’t do anything to Mehru & he is not the one controlling her mind & heart.
What Subhan tried doing to Mehru was downright evil & I don’t really understand both Shama & Subhan as parents nor I want to because they are on a self-pity spree & I find it ridiculous how they believe that Mehru is the root cause of entire emotional trauma that they are facing? How can Subhan forget that it is his own brother Tabrez who has made things difficult for them & why does he forget that Mehru has suffered because of his brother Tabrez too? I find it absolutely irrational of Subhan & Shama to be forgetting everything that Amtul & Tabrez did & for treating Mehru as someone who invited these troubles on their entire family, whereas being parents, they should be the ones who should be extending moral support to her.
All of Husn Ara’s fears are coming through. She dreaded that things might get serious between Falak & Mehru but that still happened against her will, then she also assumed that Mehru will never confess her love for Falak but they both found out that she finally did that too in front of Shama. Now Husn Ara knows that Falak is going to be unstoppable as he knows what Mehru feels for him. Husn Ara can’t go back to her world as she herself is protecting her family from Agha. I am not sure what role Agha has to play in their lives but I wish that his character makes an appearance soon as that might make things a tad bit interesting & he will definitely break the monotony. Gaiti & Shabnam’s scenes didn’t offer a comic relief this time around as they are looking purposeless too. Shabnam wants Gaiti to get married to Haris & Gaiti has fallen in love with Falak & there’s nothing more to their track right now.
Honestly speaking, these two episodes were actually hard to sit through, plus my concise review is also an evidence of the fact that I didn’t get anything special to talk about in this week’s episodes. I feel that it’s been quite a while that the situations & the actions of the characters are on the loop where Shama taunts Mehru & Subhan, Amtul & Tabrez torture Haris mentally, Mehru laughs & cries alternatively, Husn Ara reminds Falak how he should maintain a distance from Mehru, Falak tries to make Mehru happy & Gaiti & Shabnam are seen bickering with each other mostly & that’s all that has been happening which is making it hard to keep the interest alive in the show. I still believe that this drama & the story itself has a lot of potential & there might be a lot in store for us but I hope they take things forward quickly because it is becoming a bit monotonous. Please share your thoughts about these two episodes of Deewana.
Iconic film artist, director and producer Shamim Ara (شمیم آراء) has passed away in London today after a prolonged illness. She was in coma for past several years.
Shamim Ara was the leading face of the Pakistani Urdu cinema in 1960s when most of her successful films as heroine were released. Her successful heroes were Darpan, Santosh Kumar, Waheed Murad and Aijaz.
Born in Aligarh, United Province, British India in 1938 her actual name was Putli Bai. She migrated to Pakistan after 1947 after British India is partitioned. Here she started her film career from the film Kanwari Bewah (1956). She rose to prominence in 1960s when many of her successful films like Saheli(1960), Qaidi (1962), Chingari (1964), Farangi (1964), Naila (1965), Aag Ka Darya (1966), Doraha (1967),Lakhon Mein Eik (1967), Saiqa (1968) and Salgirah (1968) were released.
She was the heroine of the first colored film of West Pakistan Naila in 1965 which proved quite successful.
In the late 1960s she became a film producer by producing Saiqa in 1968 which proved successful. In 1970s she also ventured in the film direction by directing Jeeo aur Jeene Do in 1976. She became a prominent director of Urdu cinema and continued film direction through out 1980s and 1990s. Her famous films as a director are Playboy (1978), Miss Hong Kong (1979), Miss Singapore, Miss Columbo, Lady Smuggler (1987), Lady Commando (1989), Hathi Mere Sathi (1993) and Munda Bidga Jaaye (1995). Kaun Banega Ka Crorepati in 2002 was her last movie as a director.
In the late 1990s she suffered a severe stroke and after 2002 she permanently shifted to London to live with her only son Salman Iqbal.
Shamim Ara married four times in her life. Her first marriage was with a Baloch sardar named Sardar Rind in the 1960s which ended due to the death of the Sardar Rind in a traffic accident. In the late 1960s she married Kareem Majeed who was the head of Agfa Films a company which supplied the film negative material.She has a son named Salman from this marriage which eventually ended in divorce. The third marriage was with the film director Fariduddin Ahmed which ended in divorce within a week. Her fourth and last marriage was with film writer Dabeerul Hassan which ended due to the death of Dabeerul Hassan in 2014.
I was glad to see on ARY’s facebook page that this is the second last episode of the drama. Surprising as it is that it has managed to hold our interest past the 25 episode mark, it definitely is time for it to wrap up before the viewers begin to feel it is dragging. Today’s episode showed the characters’ lives move forward and not entirely how I may have predicted.
If Novera spent even half as much time working on her own marriage than she did worrying and trying to poke her nose into Zainy’s marriage, she could have possibly made things work for herself and Sherry. Her smiling face when she offers to take Zainy shopping sent alarm bells ringing in my head and true to form, she did not disappoint as we learn she rang Ahmer to come and take Zainy home. Zainy is pregnant and Novera takes it upon herself to inform Ahmer. ‘Shauhar tailormade nahin miltay. Mera shauhar tumharay leeyay utra tha, lekin mila mujhay’. How interesting. True, Zainy herself did not wish to be with Sherry but if Novera realized he really was not meant to be hers, then why ‘sawaar’ herself on Sherry’s head?!
I am not sure if Sherry knew Novera rang Ahmer or had asked her to ring him but he was definitely on Team Novera when he spoke to Yusuf later about how the right thing for Zainy to do is to go back to Ahmer. Yusuf has always been very encouraging to the extent of being borderline pushy when it comes to Zainy’s education but I do not think he was wrong to say that they could have waited a few days and let Zainy give her exams. But then later, when Zainy says to Ahmer that giving CSS is her father’s dream, he was not entirely off the mark when he said she had not come to his house to fulfil her father’s dreams. While I find he is wrong to forbid her to meet her father, I do think Zainy’s stance about her exams, education and career is a bit off since these were things she had not discussed and come to a mutual agreement with Ahmer about before marriage and yes, we may say women have the right to do with that they want even if they are married but my personal opinion and the way our society is, makes me think that for Zainy to be so firm about giving these exams and the way she argues with Ahmer rather than rationally discussing it with him, when it was not something they had both mutually agreed on before is a bit out of line. Especially when she justifies it as something that her father wanted to do – the very father she yelled at and gave no respect to in front of Ahmer. (Ambien) But then Ahmer reacts to her attitude by going out of control and that just makes things worse. Anyhow, what Ahmer also said to her about how she could be a bit calm when he is angry and vice versa makes sense but probably not for these two for they are like two peas in a pod as far as maturity, anger and sense is concerned.
With Novera riling Ahmer up, he emotionally blackmails her into telling Yusuf she will not be meeting him again. His reply to her was very sweet and emotional. It was probably what she needed to hear and we see Zainy moving on with her life with Ahmer. We see a different side to Ahmer now where he thinks nothing of using his wife’s beauty to his advantage like when he tries to convince her to act in the Ruby Soap commercial. ‘ Meray dil ki awaz Ruby Soap’ what a tagline, LOL! No wonder Zainy said no, although the reasons she cited were obviously different! Aslam Sleazeball/Sb tells Zainy that Ahmer has committed on her behalf to act in his upcoming serial and has also taken an advance off him. He sends Ahmer away on the pretence of checking out a location for a shoot and while Ahmer later swears he did not know of Aslam’s intentions, I am still unclear about the advance. Did he commit and take the advance or was that also a fabrication on Aslam’s part?
Even though Sherry is hell bent on making sure Zainy stays with Ahmer and does not speak to her but when she reaches out for his help, he appears and takes her home. She asks to be taken to Yusuf’s house, saying she wants nothing to do with Ahmer but he drops her back at Ahmer’s house and tells her ‘ Tum ek guzray huay pal mein jeenay wali larki ho. Yeh jang tumhari hai jo tumhein he larna hoga. Apni iss laraayi ko doosron par masalat na karo’. I feel Sherry is being harsh for Zainy is clearly miserable and feels she has made a mistake so just because she is pregnant now, Sherry is letting his own feelings for her overrule what is actually probably better for Zainy. Sigh, a glitch in angel Sherry’s character. Zainy is immature, makes nonsensical and impulsive decisions but after how Ahmer treated her when he locked her in her room and then this incident at Aslam’s house I would think Sherry should have let her gone to Yusuf’s house and his own feelings for her are overshadowing and clouding his judgement for what may be better for Zainy.
Ahmer – yet again earnest, yet again declaring his undying love, yet again asks for another chance. And Zainy relents. Time passes, Zainy’s baby arrives and we see Yusuf is unwell and confined to a wheelchair. Novera, the ever ‘tactful’ Novera feels he can not recover from whatever illness seems to have overcome Yusuf. Ahmer seems to quite busy with his production business but not doing so well for he is unable to pay all the household expenses. Whatever happened to Zainy’s CSS result? When he promises her that she and the baby are his responsibility, is that when it was decided Zainy would give up her pursuit of her career? I may be digressing here but seriously why did Phuppo never get married and have a family of her own? She is nice looking, a reasonable and sensible woman – did she not deserve more in life than to pick up after her crazy brothers and their crazy offspring?!
I have really enjoyed this drama so far and I like the twists and turns and unexpected events the writer has thrown our way, which has kept this drama interesting. Seher Afzal as with every episode has acted really well in this episode and Muneeb Butt (yes I know a lot of us are not fans) – but he has fit well into the character of Ahmer. The OST and the visuals give a very ‘slow’ look to the drama but after the first few episodes, the drama has been anything but slow.Next week’s preview shows that Beena is back (or maybe she had never really left) and we see Zainy with Yusuf and then a much older Zainy meeting an older Sherry. So I suppose Sherry and Zainy do not end up together now at least – maybe in their ‘barhappa’? Looking forward to the last episode and seeing how this all ends. Any guesses as to whether Sherry and Zainy end up together – ever?! Would love to hear your thoughts!
After watching these two episodes of Mein Sitara, I am more convinced than ever that Mein Sitara is the best play of this season and will remain on top of my list for a very long time. Every character in this drama has a story to tell and all these stories are not only interlinked but equally interesting. This drama is surely the most underrated and under appreciated drama of the year. It might not be getting the ‘ratings’ it deserves but people who are watching it find it very difficult not to fall in love with it because it has a powerful script, an amazing cast which is meant to play the characters assigned to them and the detail and precision with which this drama has been directed is exemplary. Watching this drama is like reading a beautiful novel; every page holds your attention and you can’t wait to turn the page to find out what is going to happen next. I am in love with all the characters in this play because they are not one dimensional. Although Sitara’s father has been a one dimensional character yet the way he manipulates his daughter makes him so much more than just another negative character. Like all the other characters, he has a presence and a very important role to play in the story. Also, unlike many other dramas he is not the one running the show. Sure, there will be times like in these two episodes when Sitara might have to do things she is dead against because she is a sensitive soul who cannot see her family suffering due to the lack of money when there is something she can do to help them but mostly she tries to do what she feels is right. Another aspect of this drama which sets it apart from the rest is that although this is the story of Sitara but the supporting characters too manage to hold your interest. Their stories are just as important as that of Sitara’s, in fact Sitara’s story would have been incomplete without them.
In both these episodes Sitara dragged her feet with as much determination as a person in her condition could gather together yet her past kept on haunting her. She is filled with regrets and guilt which might have lessened had she met Jharna. She did not get the opportunity to apologize to Jharna, to have that one final conversation which might have put her mind to ease. In a desperate attempt to vent out her feelings, she went to meet Farhad but that proved to be an even bigger shock. Jharna too struggled to get over what had happened and kept on hoping that Farhad might be his old self again. Jharna’s meeting with Farhad in episode 18 was exceptional. When Farhad says that Jharna’s role in the film was over, it was a very emotional scene. Aisha Gul has been absolutely brilliant as Jharna. She has definitely made this character memorable.
Mein Sitara is all that it promised to be and much more. It reveals the bitter hidden realities which are a part of the world of glitz and glam. The OST promised that Mein Sitara will be the story of rise and fall of celebrities and the kind of compromises people have to make in order to stay in the business. In the end it is all a ‘dhoka’ – those who shine on our big screens as stars do not always live a very glittering life! Mein Sitara is a very sensitive story in which the writer has very intelligently told everyone’s side of the story in such a way that you find it very hard to put the blame on anyone at all. All these wonderful people got caught up in situations beyond their control and ended up being a story of the past and a story of regrets. Sitara’s struggle continues and she still has the spark and determination. She still believes in herself and is not willing to be just another face in the industry. Episode 18 was fast paced and extremely poignant. Episode 19 marked the start of a new life for Sitara and Nauman Ijaz’s character made his entry with this episode. Sitara finally has a chance but this time around she is all on her own against all those people who will do everything it takes to see her downfall. Although all the actors played their roles really well in these episodes but in my opinion Saba Qamar was the star of the show. Sitara’s character went through many different emotions in these two episodes but Saba Qamar never faltered.
The preview of the next episode showed that Sitara and her new director/producer will develop a close bond with each other. It also showed Jharna in a very helpless state, I thought this episode marked the exit of Jharna’s character but that is not the case. Watching both these episodes together was a real treat. I am so happy that I decided to watch and review this drama. A big thanks to the entire team of Mein Sitara for giving us something truly entertaining and novel to look forward to every week.
How many of you watched these episodes? Do share your thoughts about them.
Everyone who wants Mahira Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi to pair up for a project will be ecstatic to hear that DIVA Magazine brought them together for a shoot. The designer is Shehla Chatoor, and Umayr Waqar did the make-up.
Humaima Malick was approached by the Punjab government to endorse the Punjab Women’s Protection Bill 2016 (passed in February 2016) which contains remedies for victims of violence, criminalise all forms of violence against women and also provides them with special centers which remove the usual red tape hurdles that complicate a woman’s quest for justice.
She talks about female empowerment in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX5HHS_VO1U
Talking to Dawn Images, Humaima Malick said, “The essence of this campaign is to empower women to break the stigma around them fighting for their own rights. Violence against women needs to stop. It’s 2016 and only now has the right to protect yourself as a woman been given a legal platform.”
“As a woman, I will do everything in my power to tell every girl to imagine what she can be and work towards achieving it. For me, women’s empowerment means [protecting] a woman’s right to be unapologetically be herself. To find the courage to pursue their dreams without any hurdle or social stigmas. Every woman should find what she’s good at, make mistakes and learn from them. To be given an equal chance to fight for what she wants in life. We are finally moving towards an era that recognises this need.”
“This mindset that men are superior to women and can do whatever they want and get away with it has been entrenched in our society for many years. The only thing that can change this is education, awareness that your rights exist and are your own.”
“Our government and all local bodies should act on every ill this society is inflicted with. Stop people from thinking that they can harm a woman, call it honor and get away with it. We need to change the thinking that’s entrenched in our society only then will we see a positive change.”
For the entire Udaari team, Udaari is not merely a drama serial – it’s a campaign to raise awareness and talk about the hushed-up issue of child abuse. Ahsan Khan’s interviews and write-ups show that taking up this role has had a huge impact on him and he’s become very sensitive to the plight of the victims of child abuse.
Ahsan Khan has decided to donate 20% of his earnings from Udaari to the victims of child abuse. He is also working with an NGO to make his contribution more substantial.
If you thought the Ali Azmat-Umair Jaswal feud was over… it’s not. Umair Jaswal had reacted to the leaked video of Ali Azmat where the latter was seen taking a dig at young musicians. In response to Umair Jaswal‘s video, Ali Azmat posted a video on his official Facebook page in which he said, “Umair Jaswal apnay bhaiyon ki tarah hai lekin agar woh samajh raha hai kay ek hit song say woh star bangaya hai tou we can fix that.”
Umair Jaswal was quick to react and posted a video, saying that he and Ali Azmat represent two different generations of musicians. Watch his video:
https://youtu.be/QjhWG_JF_F0
That’s not it. Farhan Saeed was asked to comment on the whole situation. All he had to say was that Ali Azmat’s views really surprised him.
Ahmed Ali Butt obviously had to share his two cents on the matter: lock them in a room and the person who comes out alive is a better singer.
This whole thing is crazy, not Taylor Swift vs. Kanye West level of crazy, but crazyyy.
The previous two episodes piqued my interests with intriguing and rather unexpected twists. Bilal’s return made Kulsoom’s heart flutter and before they knew it, these two were beginning to fall in love. But fate had something else in store for them. The lovers Kulchu and Billu were doomed before they had a chance due to the differences in their families and their outlook. Bilal became aggressive because he didn’t understand why Kulsoom was ready to dismiss him without letting him try. Kulsoom tried to make him understand that her family was considering a proposal for her. Bilal’s mother fears for her son and would rather he leave than deal with the heartache and disappointment that is destined for him.
In her confusion, Kulsoom went back to Bibi Sahiba and was assured everything would work out. Bibi Sahiba has a very unique equation with her husband Habibullah. The all-powerful peer is subdued by his wife. Furthermore, he loved someone else but had to marry her and she too harboured feelings for another. What circumstances led to their marriage remains a mystery but they both acknowledge each other’s sentiments without any seeming bitterness. Bibi Sahiba convinces Habibullah to use his influence over Kulsoom’s family to convince them to consider Bilal as a prospect for her.
We usually come across peers as negative characters in our dramas who take advantage of their status for their own selfish reasons. It is refreshing to see a conversation between Habibullah and his wife that revolved around Kulsoom. There’s much more to their story and it would be interesting to see how their stories shape up and eventually intertwine with Kulsoom and Bilal.
I have to say I’m extremely impressed with the actors Kulsoom and Bilal for their effortless portrayal of star crossed lovers. This drama has a very different feel to it that makes me curious to watch each new episode. I don’t know if it’ll remain interesting till the very end and I hope it doesn’t turn into a 30 plus episode soap styled saga. For now, I’m savouring every bit of it and hoping it doesn’t dwindle into nothingness.
Who else is watching? What are your thought? Predictions?
The story is moving ahead at a snail’s pace at this point and the writer used eavesdropping generously in this episode to take the story forward. Having said that I must also add that this is one of those very few dramas which can easily be passed as a family drama. Although it deals with the usual shadi shuda zindagi ke masail and have a very bechari aurat as a lead but the director and the writer did not cross any lines which would make this drama into one of those which make you cringe every step of the way. Elma and Ramish were emotionally involved with each other at one time but even then when they met in this episode or earlier it was clear that both of these people shared nothing more than utmost respect for each other now. Also, Ramish kept on asserting the fact that Elma’s father wanted him to look out for them therefore this was something he was doing to keep a promise he made to a dying man. Zarbab’s affair with Javeria has also been given just as much screen time as was necessary. Unlike many other dramas, the negative character isn’t shown plotting and planning all the time which is also a plus.
Neha’s conversation with Ramish and later on everything she said to Zarbab was completely in line with her character. There were however a lot of dialogues and situations which were highly repetitive. This has been the biggest negative point of this drama – the characters, dialogues and scenarios which haven’t changed at all in all these episodes. Zarbab’s sister’s marriage could have been a turning point but she is happily married. Also, Elma’s father’s death and the way her in laws acted in the situation could have been one of those situation which serve as a wake up call but Elma’s character shows no signs of changing. Zarbab’s character is the only one which has changed from bad to worse otherwise all the characters are pretty much the same since the beginning. Lack of character development in my opinion has to be the biggest flaw in this drama, other than that it is still a play which keeps on giving you something to look forward to.
Arif’s track is getting interesting. His character is negative but it holds your interest. He told Rania, he didn’t want anything to do with his family and at the same time he told his mother that she can come stay with them after a while. He is a very clever person who does not believe in burning his ships. Neha explained Zarbab’s family in a very apt manner; they are insensitive and selfish. The confrontation between Zarbab and Elma however was not very gratifying. When Zarbab told her she was getting everything a gherulu aurat needed she should have told him she wasn’t get any affection – something which a person, any person needs more than anything else. Unfortunately, Elma is no match for Zarbab or his family and what is even more unfortunate is that even with the present circumstances she feels a sense of belonging towards these people. It is also strange that she chose to ignore the fact that her husband is cheating on her. Sharafat begum’s rants are getting monotonous. It has been very well established by now that she is very insecure and self-centered therefore showing scenes which reinforce this side of her personality are unnecessary. It is always a pleasure watching Hina Bayat on screen but I do feel that she is being wasted in this role.
Tum Kon Piya has been directed really well and it has been written well too but the dialogues and scenarios were quiet average in tonight’s episode. All the actors have done complete justice to their characters. It is one of those very few dramas in which every actor has given immaculate performance but the characters are mostly black and white which makes this drama a decent watch but nothing outstanding which gives you something to reflect upon. We do need such dramas because the viewers need something logical yet not very heavy duty to watch during weekdays.
The preview of the next episode showed Arif accusing Elma and Ramish, something which was expected from him.
How many of you watched this latest installment? Do share your thoughts about it.
In a rather startling move, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Wednesday submitted a first of its kind resolution in the Punjab Assembly calling for a ban on famous Japanese anime series Doraemon.
PTI legislator Malik Taimoor Masood urged Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to impose a ban on Doraemon or limit its airtime as it contains explicit content which has a bad impact on children.
The legislator argued that 24-hour cartoon channels are adversely affecting the educational and physical growth of children. The resolution also claims the language used in cartoons run on channels is damaging societal norms. The resolution will be discussed in the next PA session.
Doraemon is a Japanese manga series and is dubbed in Hindi for viewers in Pakistan and India. The anime series revolves around a robotic cat named Doraemon and a young boy Nobita. It is aired on various cartoon channels.
Here’s how people reacted to the news:
The move comes after Ashish Chaturvedi, the whistleblower of India’s biggest education scam, voiced concerns against two of the world’s most famous Japanese cartoon characters – Doraemon and Shin Chan. Chatuvardi feels the adverse psychological impacts of the two Hindi and English dubbed ‘violent’ cartoons are grappling a whole generation of kids across India and the world, according to the Times of India.
Chaturvedi is seeking a ban on the telecast of the two Japanese cartoons as he claims several medial reports highlight mental abuse and other serious adverse impact of these cartoons on kids.
Further, in 2014, Chinese newspapers cautioned their countrymen against Doraemon saying, Beware of this “blue fatty” — the Japanese are exporting their values through him. According to The New York Times, three major newspapers in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, fired accusations against Doraemon for its “political overtones” and being a tool of Japan’s “cultural invasion.”
Japan’s former foreign minister, Masahiko Komura, appointed Doraemon an “anime ambassador” in 2008 in the hope that the character would deepen the world’s understanding of the country.
Doraemon is a Japanese animated character and cartoon series which is very popular worldwide. In Pakistan Doraemon is not televised on any channel. However it is televised after dubbing it in Hindi on the Indian channel for kids Disney India. Disney India is also aired in Pakistan and all of its series are widely watched by kids in Pakistan.
Indian content be it Bollywood films, reality shows, television dramas, award shows are widely watched in Pakistan and are popular among youngsters and adults alike. Indian content in Pakistan is aired on the Indian entertainment channels (like Star Plus, Colors, Zee, Sony) as well as the Pakistani entertainment channels (like Geo Kahani, ARY Zindagi, Hum Sitaray, Express Entertainment, Filmazia). Like the elders the kids are also fond of watching the Indian content available for kids in the Hindi language on the channels like Cartoon Network, Pogo and Disney India. The series like Doraemon, Chota Bheem, Best of Luck Nikki are popular in Pakitsan.
Sana Javed was to star alongside Gohar Rasheed and Bilal Ashraf in upcoming romantic musical, ”Rangreza”, but due to date issues and some family emergency, she opted out of her debut film.
Sana Javed told Express Tribune, ”Due to some family emergency, dates manage nahi ho rahay thay (the dates could not be managed). There wasn’t any other issue. Anyone in my place would have done that. I decided to walk out due to mutual understanding.”
She’s been replaced by Urwa. Talking to Dawn Images, the producer, Usman Malkani revealed, ”We didn’t think twice before casting Urwa. We brought her on board just a couple of hours before rolling the camera. She’s just like a blessing for our film.”
Urwa confirmed this by saying, ”I’ve started shooting for the film already.”
She shared that she is playing the lead character, Reshmi who is “a kind-hearted, soulful, beautiful girl. Her purity makes her rare. She is as reshmi as her name.”
Rangreza is Aamir Mohiuddin’s directorial debut. “It is a film based on music, in which we are exploring the contrast between classical qawwali and modern pop music. A love story will join the contrast.”
The film also stars Akber Subhani, Saleem Mairaj, Tanveer Jamal, Shahid Naqvi. Its music has been directed by the film’s writer Akhtar Qayyum, who has been a music director and producer for 30 years. The eight song soundtrack features Qurram Hussain of Josh, Farid Ayaz and Abu Mohammad qawwals and others.
Gohar Rasheed is portraying the character of a dholak-player so this is his new look for the film:
From becoming the showstopper for India’s leading fashion designer to hosting the grandest IIFA Awards – Fawad Khan has done it all. Now, in an interview with Hindustan Times, Fawad Khan compared the Pakistani and Indian film industries, and said that the former needs time to grow.
“The Indian film industry has been around for more than a 100 years now. So, it has far more credibility than the Pakistani film industry, which has witnessed a demise of sorts over the last 30 years. Now, the Pakistani film industry is getting back on its feet.”
Fawad Khan strongly believes in cross-border exchange of talent. “The exchange of talent is increasing slowly. I would like an active exchange of movies too. We have been working on films and have been actively looking for talent from the Indian film industry to work with in Pakistani movies.”
“And it is not just me. Film-makers such as Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt, and actors such as Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, have all been trying to work across the border. It will take some time, and hopefully, I will be one of the first ones [to witness that change firsthand].”
Momin Durrani is part of the Coke Studio family and at LSA 2016, he and Zeb Bangash were nominated for singing the Best Original Soundtrack category for TV drama Diyar e Dil. In an interview with Express Tribune, Momin Durrani revealed that he received his invite at the very last minute.
“It had a silver code which meant instead of sitting with the artists, I was supposed to sit with the audience at the back.”
Durrani didn’t show up because awards don’t matter to him anyway. “But all my friends and family have asked me what happened. My name is still there in the credits. This is humiliating.”
According to ET, when approached, LSA media manager Fareshteh Aslam said invites were delayed across the board and for that she apologised on behalf of the organising team. Further, she said that the award rightfully belonged to the producer of the show, Momina Duraid. “It was Momina Duraid’s award and neither Bangash’s nor Durrani’s. Because Duraid was not present on the occasion, Bangash accepted it on her behalf.”
Zeb Bangash, however, didn’t mention in her speech that she was accepting the award on behalf of Momina Duraid.
The Jaswal brothers are immensely talented and there’s no doubt about that. Uzair Jaswal is a singer and music composer, his most popular song being ”Tere Bin”. He played a very small role in his brother, Yasir Jaswal’s film, Jalaibee. Now, following in Umair Jaswal‘s footsteps, he will be screen on the small screen.
In an interview with Dawn Images, he revealed,”I haven’t announced it, but I am. I will be playing a tough guy who loves being in love, and would do anything to get things done his way. I can’t say much right now.”
The upcoming drama serial is directed by Nadeem Siddique, produced by Abdullah Seja and written by Rabia Razzaq.
Uzair Jaswal will share the screen with Neha Rajput.
“But it’s a really nice script by Rabia Razzaq, I’m really nervous so I don’t want to say too much about it. Let’s see what happens.”
“I’ve been getting offers for TV serials for a year now, but I never took up anything because I was so busy with my music and didn’t want to step into TV. Call this an accident or something, but yeah it was very unplanned and last minute. And now I’m doing my first TV play, halfway shooting it and it’s been a fun learning experience.”
He’s also signed his first film in which he will be play the lead, so he sees his TV drama as a warm-up “right in time for my debut film as a leading character.”
Uzair Jaswal is currently in the Northern areas for the drama’s shooting.
There was once a time when Pakistan experienced mesmerizing dramas, dramas that used to be so popular that the shopkeepers used to close down their shops just for the sake of watching them once a week. With the introduction of private tv channels the literary content of the dramas were compromised. The more private tv channels were introduced more was the content of dramas compromised, it came to such an extent that Pakistani’s were left with no choice but to watch Indian “infinite” soaps. By 2010 Pakistan’s drama industry suffered the negligence and it was crumbling down to the level of Lollywood. Like a breath of fresh air Hum tv made a few dramas that were worth watching, dramas like Dastaan, Humsafar, Zindagi gulzar hai, Dil e muztar were so captivating that they brought back the attention of the audience from the Indian soaps.
Sadly, today the trend of ratings and TRPs is now bringing back the compromised writing issue. The writers of dramas have turned into such pathetic people that they are making fun of our religion. For example the trend of divorce is very common in the dramas, without watching the first episode one can easily judge that the drama will have atleast one character divorced.
Another issue is the method of divorce in Islam giving three Talaks consecutively is forbidden that is why a time limit is set for reconciliation but hats off to our writers who make sure the guy says “Talak, talak, talak” in a single breath, without even considering what will be the effect of such irresponsible understanding of religion on the audience.
Third problem is that the writers have made Halala a joke in their dramas. An example of this issue is Zara yaad kar, what type of image are the writers portraying to the audience? That halala is easy? It’s that simple? Anyone can do it without any restriction? Today almost every drama ends up in halala, why? Because people want a happy ending, so the writers feel free to make fun of much serious matters.
The issue of living with na-mehrams. I don’t want to sound like a very clergy person but last time I checked majority of people in Pakistan are muslims, I fail understand how mothers in Mann Mayal are ok with their daughter who was in idaat to live with a na-mehram. How Jeena thought it was ok for a divorced couple to live together back again under the same roof? How the mature character of Pakeeza thought it was her duty to stay in the same house with her ex-husband just because her daughter is mentally retarded grownup girl who happens to be getting married? How it is going to be ok with her in laws that that Pakeeza was living with a na-mehram all this time? Just a general question to the audience, would you people do that? If no, then why is such culture being shoved in our faces via TV?
Though a minor matter not that big of deal but when did we all started wearing whites on a death? I am sure that at time of such great loss and depression no one has enough time to search their wardrobe to pick out white only for a death! This is completely bored! Don’t portray what isn’t ours please!
I have request our drama writers humbly, that if you don’t know your religion please please don’t make fun of it at least. Our dramas are watched throughout the world just for the sake of TRPs don’t give a wrong image of your religion to the world. Writers have the power to bring about changes in the thinking of a society. Please don’t ruin ours. We already have a lot of sexual harassment and abuse cases, don’t promote a culture which doesn’t belong to us, don’t write dramas like Bashar Momin, Sangat and Chup Raho to promote the romanticizing rapists culture.
Ohkay so, honestly speaking, out of all the episodes of App Ke Liye that have gone on air, I enjoyed watching this one the most only because of Shaheer & Washma & their conversations. Things are being taken forward in regards to Shaheer & Washma’s track, so it makes the upcoming episodes look promising because apart from their characters, the rest of the characters are quite typical.
Maryam went to Arsalan’s place but he told her to go back to her husband’s house. I think in stead of using Washma as a scapegoat, Arsalan should have the decency to at least be honest about everything in front of his sister & own his mistake like a man. Waheed has been financing Arsalan’s education so it is understandable that he feels burdened & doesn’t want to hurt Waheed especially after all that he has done for him, but what Arsalan can do is, tell his sister about the reality so that she stops being so nasty with Washma & stops blaming her for everything. Maryam will obviously have to keep things to herself because after knowing that it was Arsalan who forced Washma to do the heavy-lifting, she will stop being so bitter about it & will accept everything since she will know that this is exactly what her brother wanted too.
Oh dear, the scenes & dialogues of Nishat Apa are just as OTT as her character is. The entire conversation about giving away her child to Shaheer after beating around the brush for million seconds was so not done well. I am sure that it is not the direction, it is the acting of Samina Peerzada that is making it hard for me to tolerate Nishat’s character. It is actually quite ridiculous that she wants Shaheer to adopt her child, whereas Shaheer has been bearing their expenses right from the beginning. He has taken care of his entire family so what’s the point of adopting Nishat’s son? Nishat thinks that her husband’s name won’t make things easier for Ali so can she please elaborate how using Mamu’s name will shape Ali’s future? Nishat obviously has her sights on Shaheer’s property & wealth, so that in any case is being shared by his family members, so can she stop being so petty brained & not use her son for her ulterior motives? Thankfully, Shaheer talked her out of it & didn’t just surrender to this order by his Apa since he does everything that she tells him to do.
Areesha has asked Shaheer to meet Omar so that he can give his blessings to them. Areesha prepared Omar for the meeting & made him familiar with Shaheer & his personality. It is good that at least Shaheer is far more considerate about others choices in comparison to Nishat because she is a control freak & wants everyone to follow what she prescribes for them. Areesha doesn’t know but Nishat is planning her wedding with Imdad’s brother. I want to see how Areesha will take a stand for herself against Nishat’s orders!
I loved the way Washma taught Imdad a lesson & luckily, Shaheer found out the truth that Washma was only explaining things to Arsalan & wasn’t actually spending time with him. It is good to see that Shaheer doesn’t just believe in listening to the one side of the story & gives fair chance to everyone. I liked the conversation Shaheer & Washma had, it’s like Shaheer has found a new friend who he knows will walk an extra mile for him, but before even talking about his personal issues, Shaheer gave the chance to Washma to vent out where she explained what Arsalan put her through & how she accepted everything for the sake of her brother & his wife’s happiness. Washma & Shaheer might be oblivious of it right now but these conversations are giving them an insight into their natures & likes & dislikes, which is a good thing because unconsciously, Shaheer & Washma will start depending on each other for moral support & then they might even fall for each other as well. Well, Washma assigned herself a duty of doing a background check on Omar for Shaheer’s peace of mind & I am sure this is another quality of Washma that Shaheer will admire that she is good at heart & believes in helping people without expecting anything in return.
Well, I am getting tired of Maryam’s character but yes, the only good thing about the bickering scene between Waheed & Maryam was the insight that we got into what Waheed feels for Washma & how he has raised his sister. It is actually quite refreshing to see that Waheed believes in giving Washma a complete freedom of choosing what she likes for herself & not only that, he has empowered her by turning her a confident individual. It is a rarity in our dramas to see such brothers who trust their sisters & respect their judgments – that entire conversation was done really well & I commend the writer for coming up with such a unique bonding of Waheed & Washma that is built solely on trust.
Overall, this episode was good & I really enjoyed watching Shaheer & Washma’s bits. It looks like Shaheer will have no idea when he will start relying on Washma because she has such a positive attitude & energy that he will find himself drawing closer to her unconsciously. I can’t wait to see what these two have in store for us. Please share your thoughts about this episode of App Ke Liye.
Ohkay so, this episode of Besharam was interesting but they have started taking things a bit slow & honestly speaking I am dreading that things are going to become difficult for Haider & Mishail because the external factors are going to affect their relationship & they both will fall prey to the circumstances.
Sikandar told Khadija about his plans of selling the shop but he actually didn’t come clean & didn’t resort to honesty. Sikandar is selfish & mean & unfortunately, he thinks that he will progress in life & this deal of selling the shop will bring him ease & happiness, which he is sadly mistaken about. Sikandar has a few responsibilities to take care of, that is why he isn’t thinking about the future because if he had, he would’ve understood that selling of this shop will take a toll on both the families in the long-run. Sikandar is quite ecstatic to know that Wahab is giving him a good amount but he can’t foresee that this money won’t last him for a life time. Haider could feel that Sikandar had made up his mind that’s why he didn’t retaliate much & went ahead with what his uncle demanded.
It was made clear that Wahab knows that Haider also has an ownership of this shop, that is why he hinted about ruining a deal for someone. I am sure in order to make Haider suffer, Wahab will deceive Sikandar too but I hope Sikandar won’t make Haider face the brunt for it because it is Sikandar who became greedy after getting an offer from Wahab & Haider had no say in this matter whatsoever. The way Wahab kept on convincing Sikandar to hand over the shop to him went to show that Wahab will definitely betray Sikandar’s trust, which he actually deserves but sadly, Haider’s family will end up suffering some loss too but I am hopeful that Haider will take care of his family members himself.
Saba has fallen in a deep pit & she knows that it is only Mishi who can help her in this situation. Honestly, I want Sikandar to find out the truth about his daughter so that he can realize that what he did with Khadija, Humna & Haider was wrong & also, he was at fault for judging Mishail because of her career choices. I want Sikandar to find out that it was Mishi who helped Saba & saved her life from getting ruined. Saba will definitely come in contact with Mishi & then we’ll have to see what solution Mishi will come up with in order to deal with Kabeer!
I really am not happy about the coverage that Sara is getting & I am wondering how long is she going to milk it? When the drama began we saw that Mishail did what she deemed fit so it is hard to absorb that she is letting Sara dominate her without even realizing that Sara has an ulterior motive. Yes, Mishi has grown far more considerate about her mother after her marriage but to see her putting everything on hold for her mother doesn’t go with her personality. Mishi knows that Haider needs her too & he stood by her side & gave her the courage when he found her worried about her mother, so it’s time for Mishi to go back & reciprocate the love & attention Haider showered at her. All the things Haider said to Sara about giving security & protection to Mishi were quite sweet & I hope Mishi goes back ASAP because otherwise this track will end up getting dragged & it might as well ruin the charm too.
Haider saw what Mishi was upto at her mom’s house & he was disappointed, but what hurt him more was the fact that Mishi didn’t stop him from leaving & didn’t bother explaining to him about what he saw her doing with her friends. I think Mishi really needs to return to Haider’s house, work on her marriage in stead of letting Sara take up all her time & attention. I like Humna’s presence in the drama & what makes her character even more likable is the fact that she is honest & blunt & doesn’t hold back from saying the truth, that is why she told her mother to see the good in Mishi & also told Haider that he was agitated because Mishi wasn’t around, haha!
Overall, this episode was pretty decent but things have started to go a bit slow. I hope they revive the aspect of Haider’s political career as well & also open up the truth of Saba on Sikandar as soon as possible because that way Sikandar & Shakira will snap out of the fixation of calling Mishail besharam time & again. As always, the acting of every actor was spot on in this episode & the direction was top-notch too, the only thing I feel is that things need to get moving because it was the fast pace that got us hooked to this drama in the first place & oh, the chemistry between Saba Qamar & Zahid Ahmed was spot on too, they both make a perfect on-screen couple & I hope we get to see them again working together in a love story soon. & yes, there are so many things that work for me & one of it is the dialogue writing & a touch of humor that a few conversations have. I actually lol’ed at the things Sikandar said to Shakira about watching ‘Nagin’, I must say Mehmood Akhtar’s timing & expressions are amazinggg! Please share your thoughts about this episode of Besharam. :)
Ohkay so, I am pretty sure that the drama has lost its purpose. There’s absolutely nothing that happened in this episode that contributed much to the story & everything at this point has started to look meaningless. Where Mahnoor should accept that she’s shameless, Haadi should also accept that he is gutless & a coward too!
I am amazed at Aneesa’s approach towards Mahnoor’s shamelessness, I actually thought that she would question her daughter because she returned home after 3-4 ‘nights’ & in a condition that would make anyone wonder what she went through but all Aneesa showed concerned about was whether Mahnoor got married or not. I don’t think Aneesa’s sarcastic one-liners are serving any purpose now & sadly, they now only look like an attempt by the writer to show how deep his own thinking is. Mahnoor has crossed all the limits so seeing Aneesa expecting that her one-liners will have any effect on dheeeeeeeeeeeeeeet Mahnoor makes her look like a bigger fool in this situation.
Haadi found out the truth that Mahnoor was now getting married to Waqar to which Mahnoor’s response was ‘shadi to karni hi thi, boss se karoon yan Waqar se’, making it sound so silly like she was out to buy a lawn suit so she’s like ‘suit to lena hi tha, Khaadi se loon yan Gul Ahmed se’, like seriously? This whole idea of switching partners is cringe worthy already & to see it being elaborated with the usage of such dialogues makes it puke-worthy actually. It is actually quite amusing that Mahnoor still hasn’t learned her lesson because she made it all about Haadi & tried to make him feel guilty that she endured the beating of her temporary potential sautan only because of him, like seriously, for how long is she going to put blame on others for her own faults & mistakes & what surprised me was Haadi’s reaction on that entire situation where he drank a gallon of water, left her place, drove the car & recalled everything that Mahnoor said on the road & then scurried to Uzma like a loser. I think in stead of going to Uzma’s place, Haadi should’ve gone to Nadra’s office to tell them that he needed to change his gender on his ID card, because he mistook himself for a ‘male’, which he clearly is not since he’s a mazloom aurat in reality!
Well, Uzma welcomed Haadi cordially & said everything to him which actually looked like a closure that she was looking for before her husband-to-be arrived. ‘Mohabbat uske liye bacha ke rakhni chahiye jo deserve karta ho’, finally, Uzma told Haadi the truth & more than telling it to him, she was feeding it to herself too because she knows that she has to come out of her past & snap out of her love for Haadi & move on. It is actually good that the character that started off as a weakling has emerged to be quite dignified & strong & probably the only good thing about this drama & guess what, Haadi didn’t drink a gallon of water though he demanded it, left her place, drove the car & recalled everything what Uzma said on the road & scurried to his house like a coward. I mean doesn’t Haadi get tired of being so lifeless & monotonous? I mean why couldn’t he tell Uzma straight away that she shouldn’t get married & that he was tired of Mahnoor & her adventures & wanted to get rid of it? I think Haadi is also responsible for what Mahnoor is doing because if he had ended everything with her gracefully, she wouldn’t have become so desperate to be searching for a tom, dick & harry to get married to him in order to get back with Haadi. Haadi gave Mahnoor a green signal, that is why she went on a temporary husband hunting spree, which makes Haadi look as selfish as Mahnoor is. When this drama began the writer tried to show that a male can be like Haadi too, who believes in giving freedom to his wife & who doesn’t believe in enforcing his own thought process (if any) on his partner, but after the drama progressed, that exact approach of the writer started making Haadi look like a loser & unmanly at that too!
I honestly am not feeling the entire Anoushay-Haadi-Waqar scenario. I am not really sure why things have started revolving around Anoushay as if she’s a main lead because everything looks like a forced attempt & unrealistic at that too as all of a sudden she has become a part of this entire mess & now Haadi is trying to be her savior. It is quite obvious that the writer wanted to establish a ground for Haadi & Anoushay’s union in the future, therefore he made Anoushay related to the people who have ruined Haadi’s past only for her to become sympathetic towards him. Also, where is Gaiti? Just when this question popped up in my mind, we got to see a split second ramp walk of Gaiti, which left me wondering what was the point of that entire shot? Was it only to inform us that Gaiti is alive & kickin’ or was it a mistake committed by the editor where he unconsciously added that second-long walk of her? We saw how clingy Gaiti was so it is actually quite unbelievable that she hasn’t tried to get in contact with Waqar or hasn’t sent her spies to track down where he is & why isn’t he returning her calls? Also, now that Anoushay has occupied the front seat in Waqar’s car ‘out of nowhere’, it makes me wonder why did the writer & the director put us up with the OTT & unrealistic family of Mehtab Deswali? Why did they put us up with Gaiti’s fake Urdu/English accent & those blood-boiling scenes where Gaiti would stammer like a toddler who’s learning how to talk? What was the point of adding that political dimension to the drama when it had no purpose to serve? I am not sure but may be after the drama went on-air, they must’ve decided to cut down on that political aspect of the story in order to save themselves from infuriating anyone!
Anyways, the preview of the next episode seemed boring too & once again, Anoushay will be getting the details of Haadi’s life which she should not be concerned about but the writer & the director are doing everything to push her character & her existence down our throats without any reason. Haadi is a loser & I guess he is so spineless that he is waiting for any girl to propose him, which he will ‘silently’ accept, since he has no thought process & no stand of his own & he wants people to take decisions for him so I am sure this is the reason why Anoushay is getting so much information about Haadi as in the end, she will sympathize with him & will end up proposing him & they will live silently ever after! Anyways, please share your thoughts about this boring episode of Zara Yaad Kar.
