Momal sheikh who is acting with Javed sheikh, Dianna Penty,Ali Fazal and Jimmy Shergill in an Indian film is making all the cast members happy at the set of “Happy bhag jayegi”
According to Ali fazal the cast member of film, it was Momal Sheikh who had a very positive energy and joked with all the cast members. According to the cast members she was like “mehfil ki jan.” She shared the culture and lifestyle of Pakistanis with the cast members, something which cast members were not familiar with.
Momal will surely turnout to be a successful heroine but thanks to her for projecting the positive image of Pakistani individuals across the border.
The father (Javed Sheikh) and daughter (Momal) Bollywood film “Happy Bhag Jayegi” will be released on 19th August.
Ohkay so, the production of Baber Javed, writing of Hashim Nadeem & the direction of Ali Faizan; Dhaani is a drama that is currently being aired on GEO Entertainment on Tuesdays & 5 episodes have gone on air so far. The very first impression that I had about this drama was good & now that I am done with all 5 episodes, my impression hasn’t changed & I believe that it qualifies as a quality entertainment that one can tune to. The production value is good & the direction is great, the acting of all the actors is amazing & the chemistry between all the characters makes it a treat to watch.
So far, we have been introduced with 2 families & the story is pretty much going to revolve around them too. The first family happens to be of Sheikh Kaleem ud Din (Touqeer Ahmed Nasir), who has two daughters Dhaani (Madiha Imam) & Shaani. Kaleem ud din’s sister Bee Jee (Azra Aftab) along with her son Raja (Mubarak Ali) also lives with them & they are a close-knit family. Bee Jee is like a mother to Dhaani & Shaani & Kaleem is like a strict father to Raja that he doesn’t have. Kaleem ud Din is a man of principles, he is loyal, he is simple & he is very very conservative & that is why he has made sure that his household follows his footsteps too. Bee Jee makes sure that Dhaani & Shaani don’t really do anything to upset their father but when she feels Kaleem is taking it a bit too far, she always intervenes & requests Kaleem to go easy on his daughters. Kaleem most certainly is not appeased with the way Raja is leading his life. In order to instill the sense of responsibility in Raja, Kaleem opens up a kite shop for him which Raja along with his friends takes care of. Raja may seem a bit immature but when it comes to Dhaani & Shaani, he is like an over-protective brother who is mature enough to deal with any situation that his sisters report to him.
The second family that got introduced was of Rehan Seth (Asad), who is a son of a late politician who belonged to the interior part of Lahore. Rehan Seth’s family includes his wife (Ayesha Sana) & his two sons Tanveer & Sameer (Sami Khan). Tanveer is married whereas Sameer is a fresh graduate from London & is a party animal. Rehan’s father was a down-to-earth sort of a politician who stayed true to his people even after he won the elections & moved out of the interior Lahore, that is why even after his passing, the people of that neighborhood still respect him & his family. Rehan went abroad to study & that’s when he became far more commercialized & grew indifferent to his roots that his father was way more in touch with. On the request of his friend Riyasat, Rehan decides to join the politics again & that’s when he decides that he will contest from the same area that his father used to contest from, as he knows that only because of his father’s name, he will be able to win the elections & he will get a massive support of the residents of that area.
Kaleem ud Din manages the Haveli that belonges to Rehan’s family & he has been doing that from the time when Rehan’s father used to be alive. Rehan decides to celebrate Basant in the interior Lahore in his father’s Haveli, only to form a connection with the residents of that area & to let them know that he still is in touch with his roots, which actually is nothing but just an act that he puts up. That’s when Dhaani & Sameer come across each other & their track begins.
Sameer’s friend Maya, who happens to be Riyasat’s daughter is interested in him & even Rehan & Riyasat feel that Maya & Sameer should be together, that is why they don’t mind their friendship & allow them to hang out with each other as their parents feel they need to spend time with each other in order to form an understanding. Maya seems a bit more involved in this relationship whereas Sameer doesn’t take her too seriously.
On Dhaani’s front, she is a care-free, happy-go-lucky sort of a girl who is actually quite content with how her life is rolling. She shares a beautiful relationship with Shaani & Raja happens to be her partner in crime. These three are like best of friends but Dhaani & Shaani still draw a line in front of Raja at times as they know that he is not only over-possessive about them but he is short-tempered too, so they most certainly don’t want any more restrictions upon themselves as Kaleem has set plenty for them. On Shaani’s demand, Kaleem allows them to attend the college & that’s when Raja makes it his duty to keep a check on his sisters, so much so that he makes sure the cyber cafe is vacant when Shaani goes to get her notes printed & also he makes sure his friends follow their rickshaw when they go to college.
Everything in this drama was working for me & I actually really enjoyed how the story was situtational rather than being narrative, but the way the relationship between Dhaani & Sameer established & developed was something that was hard for me to digest & I most certainly believe that they could’ve used Basant & kite challenge as the grounds to do that too. As far as they have shown, Dhaani belongs to a very conservative background, so I didn’t really understand how she took ‘peena pilana’ so lightly that she went ahead with the bet initiated by Sameer as something that will restore her name & status. I know the writer was trying to make things different but I most certainly don’t agree with how in the name of comedy, questionable things are rubbed on our faces where Sameer challenged Dhaani to have a ‘drinking’ session with her & she went ahead with it, whereas in normal situations, girls from such backgrounds wouldn’t even dare sharing a conversation with such guys who so openly talk about drinking & drink right in front of them too! Yes, it would’ve looked far more justified if Dhaani belonged to an elite class because that thing wouldn’t have been such a big deal for her but to see a girl from such a humble background being totally cool with the idea of peena pilana was a bit hard to absorb. Anyways, this was the only thing that I most certainly didn’t enjoy & I am glad that it lasted for a very few scenes & I wish they subside the ‘drinking’ habits of Sameer because it will still feel a little out of the place if a girl like Dhaani will ignore these habits of Sameer & fall for him. I still believe they could’ve used Basant & the kite challenge as a reason for establishing a relationship between Dhaani & Sameer, but sadly, it was an opportunity wasted.
Sameer has developed an interest in Dhaani only because he finds her different & also because she happens to be different from those girls who drool over him. Dhaani only took his bet seriously & there were no strings attached from her side, but looks like Sameer is going to pester her till he will have a conversation or two with her. There are a few side characters too like Babu Botal (Kamran Mujahid) who supplies alcohol in the area & he is someone Kaleem loathes the most. Then we have Halwai whose daughter is Dolly. Dolly is interested in Raja & Raja is now trying hard to get away from her.
Overall, I really really liked the first 5 episodes of this drama & I thoroughly enjoyed watching them. There are a lot of great things about Dhaani but the best one for me is the relationship that Dhaani, Shaani & Raja share. Even though all three of them belong to conservative background, but they live their life to the fullest. I actually really like how things have evolved situationally & that keeps the entire journey a lot more light-hearted & interesting. I definitely like the comic dimension that the script has & that is something which earns extra points from my side. All the actors have done a fab job but Madiha Imam along with the actor playing the role of Raja take the crown. Madiha Imam impressed me with her acting in her debut project & she has grown so much as an actor. She really has done justice to this character & has carried the entire drama on her shoulders. I actually enjoy watching the scenes of Raja the most & I feel that is only because of the actor who has played that character to perfection, so much so that he not only has adapted that body language but even his accent is on-point. Touqeer Nasir & Azra Aftab add so much intensity & warmth in their scenes & that’s only because of their experience which speaks for itself. Sami Khan on the other hand looks comfortable for the first time, even though he is used to playing the roles that are quite opposite to what Sameer is like. I will however say that in the beginning the entire scenario of Dhaani did remind me of Preet Na Kariyo Koi because the similarities were quite evident, like interior Lahore, a close-knit joint family, girls not having a mother & a guy not having a father, a little touch of politics & an entire scenario being dedicated to the festival Basant & then the focus on kites in general. The way the life of interior Lahore was highlighted was what I loved about Preet Na Kariyo Koi the most & similarly, this is what I loved the most about Dhaani too. The director has done a flawless job & he actually has done justice to the energy & the vibrancy that Lahore offers by capturing it aptly. I am definitely looking forward to what is yet to come & if you’re following this drama, please share your thoughts about the first 5 episodes of Dhaani.
Excellence and increasing fame is what Fawad Khan is headed to. By every passing day Fawad Khan is receiving appreciation at new platforms.
Lately it was at the Indian Film Festival 2016 of Melbourne where Fawad khan talent was encouraged and appreciated by awarding him the “Diversity award” for his film Kapoor and Sons. The film “Kapoor and sons” also won the best film award.
Fawad Khan also gave away the Best Actress award to Sonam Kapoor for her film Neerja.
It can be said the very smart and extremely talented Fawad Khan is progressively paving his road towards success in Bollywood. As his upcoming Bollywood film is Ae Dil Hai Mushkil in which he has an extended role, with numerous actors Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Imran Abbas.The expected date of the film release is 28th October.
As Sarmad Khoosat shared this extraordinary news that he is receiving pride of performance on Facebook, all the celebrities warmly congratulated him on his great success.
Sarmad Khoosat is very famous nationally and internationally for his super hit drama serial “Humsafar” and later for his well-directed , block buster movie “Manto.”It has been announced on the 14 August 2016 that Sarmad will receive the President’s Award for Pride of Performance for making the Pakistani nation so proud.
For sharing this great moment with Sarmad, celebrities like Humayun Saeed, Meesha Shafi, Mahira khan, Mawra Hocane shared their feelings with sarmad on twitter.
Sarmad has no words of gratitude and is humbled for all the appreciation, love and acceptance that he has received not only from the media industry but from all the people of Pakistan.
Ohkay so, honestly speaking this drama has exceeded my expectations as it is turning out to be a very good watch. Even though in the initial stages of the drama, it looked like it was going to be a story that will rely heavily on the ‘bechari aurat’ factor, I am so glad that hasn’t turned out to be a case. All the characters are quite different and their personalities set them apart from all those characters that we might have seen in the past in such dramas that revolved around the similar themes.
Ahad went to Karachi & going by what he told Zaid, even he could deduce that Mehru has become quite special for Ahad, because of which he took a stand & fought for her. Right now, Mehru & Ahad, both are not ready to accept that they have grown into this relationship & they both mean something to one another but at least, it is good to see that they are taking their responsibilities seriously & they don’t mind lending a shoulder to each other to cry on when things get emotionally upsetting for them. Ahad’s concern about Mehru being alone while he was away was quite admirable. Even though Mehru tried to put up a facade that she was doing alright without him but the moment she found out that Ahad will keep on going away due to his job demand made her anxious, which was enough for Ahad to know that she wasn’t as comfortable as she was posing to be. I must say, I really really like the way Ahad & Mehru’s relationship is building up & also the way they both are dealing with each other because it looks like they have become such friends who can rely on each other emotionally & don’t mind going out of the way for one another.
Ahad met his father at an old age home & learned the truth about everything that transpired after he left his parent’s house. His mother passed away & Ahsan & Mehwish sent their father in an old age home to save themselves from fulfilling the responsibilities that they’d have towards him. Ahad finally convinced his father that he should come with him to Islamabad but he was concerned that his father will not only give a hard time to Mehru, but he will also taunt her & judge her character, which Ahad knew Mehru most certainly didn’t deserve, which was also quite admirable & mature of Ahad to be honestly admitting the truth about his father. It was good to see some changes in Ahad’s father’s perspective where he recalled about all the things he used to say to Ahad. Ahad might not have gotten a chance to take care of his mother, but at least he has his father to care of & not only that, he has a very mature & wise partner as Mehru who is ready to help him as well. Mehru’s concern about Ahad’s parents melted his heart & made him realize that she is a selfless & good human being who was ready to help him & go through the pain of dealing with his father who can be difficult at times. I am sure when Ahad will see Mehru taking care of his father, he will realize that she is someone who he should never let go of.
It is good to see that at least there’s someone who can silence Ehtashaam & force him to do some thinking & that is Saira. Saira is doing everything she can to make Ehtashaam realize that he is wrong & his decisions are affecting his mother’s health too. Zeenat finally realized that she wasn’t what a mother is supposed to be when it came to Mehru as she was too busy lecturing her to follow the instructions & abide by the rules that her brothers have set for her. It is good that things changed in Mehru’s life & she got away from that dull & depressed surrounding where she wasn’t even allowed to breathe freely. Mehru is living the life that she imagined that too on her own terms & conditions which actually is a blessing in disguise for her. Well, the new entry Saira’s cousin will only come in her life to create problems between her & Ehtashaam. I hope things won’t be stretched & the focus will be kept on how Saira will be trying to change Ehtashaam’s mentality because that’s what’s needed the most.
Overall, this episode was really interesting & I really liked the conversations that Ahad & Mehru shared whether it was about Ahad telling Mehru to keep the doors locked or whether it was Mehru telling Ahad how he shouldn’t ignore his father & his needs. I am sure Ahad’s father will give Mehru a hard time but eventually he will also learn the truth about her which will change his perspective about her. The preview of the next episode suggested that Shiraz will become Mehru & Ahad’s neighbor & things will then get a bit more tangled up. I am not sure if I am looking forward to the havoc that Shiraz’s presence will create in Mehru’s life but I hope Ahad will stand by her & will decide to to stay by her side. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Kathputli.
The second episode of Be Aib started with the engagement of Tooba and Taimoor. Sadaf finds it necessary to upstage everyone around her which is why she gifted Shahana APA and her husband with exquisite presents. Sadaf’s fake pride and controlling nature was further highlighted during her scenes with Tooba. The pact between the mother- daughter duo is supposedly for Tooba’s benefit. Tooba doesn’t have a personality of her own- she’s caught between what her mother expects of us vs her inability to think for herself. Overpowering mothers can impact children negatively as they never let their children grow into themselves but expect their children to be an extension of themselves. This pressure results in low self esteem and leaves them incapacitated to make their own decisions. Something as simple as taking her friends out for lunch becomes a topic of debate. Even though Sadaf has secured a suitor like Taimoor for Tooba, she feels insecure which is why she discouraged Tooba from introducing him to her friends and also instructed her to maintain a distance from Taimoor until they are married. Typically, I would’ve expected Sadaf would be encouraging Tooba to spend time with Taimoor but that’s not the case here.
Samina Peerzada’s gaudy saris, chokers, make up and those headphones are just too much. She’s such a fine actress and could’ve effortlessly conveyed this character minus the razzmatazz. I wonder why the director envisioned her this way instead of keeping her more real.
Alisha Yusuf has been very convincing albeit monotonous thus far- let’s see how her character shapes up in the upcoming episodes. Much of this episode focused on Inaya’s rishta. Shahana APA referred a rishte wali to Aisha and Safi to find a suitable rishta for Inaya. Not only is Inaya very self-conscious about her birthmark but as she parades back and forth with her tray of chai, every rejection is taking a toll on her. It’s hard enough for girls who have to walk the walk in front of countless rishtewalis and potential suitors, but for someone like Inaya it’s even tougher.
It didn’t help that Sadaf lured a prospective proposal elsewhere. Sadaf seems to loathe her brother and his family because of their financial situation. She couldn’t even say a few kind words to Ahmed before he left but made it a point to stress on him working hard and not wasting his life like his father. The contract between Sadaf and Shahana is nicely done. Shahana genuinely wants to see her brother and his family doing well and without making them feel less than her, she tries to encourage them with her warm word and gestures.
The promo for the next episode revealed the turning point in the story. I like the pace of the drama so far and I hope they keep it moving. I don’t know who recommended that hairstyle to Noor Hassan but it is awful. It would’ve been a suitable look post his accident to signify his trauma. Let’s see if someone in the styling department makes any changes soon…
Rahm (رحم) is an upcoming Urdu film based on the drama ‘Measure for Measure’ written by Shakespere. Some famous names like Sanam Saeed and Sajid Hassan are playing the leading roles in this film. The film is shot entirely in Lahore and its crew comprises of Pakistani and British technicians.
The trailer of the film is released today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDo6l3ijlss
Starring: Sanam Saeed as Sameena,Sajid Hasan as Governor/Fakir,Sunil Shanker as Qazi Ahad,Nayyar Ejaz as Councillor Kamal,Seerat Jafri as Marium, Khalid Butt as Nawab Sahib, Rohail Pirzada as Qasim Mian
Director: Ahmed A. Jamal
Written by: Mahmood Jamal
Produced by: Mahmood Jamal
Co-Producers: David Shanks and Ahmed A. Jamal
Director of Photography: Jono Smith.
Edited by : Kant Pan.
Executive Producers: Yasin Alireza and Mahmood Jamal
Co- Executive Producer: Saqib Qureshi
Associate Producer : Omar Shah Ahmed
Line Producer : Matteela Films / Mazhar Zaidi
Art Director: Shehzad Shuja
Sound by : Faiz Zaidi
Unit Production Manager: Furqan Ahmad
Music Composed by : David C. Heath
Music features : The English Chamber Orchestra / John Anderson (Oboe), Gary Kettel (Percussion).Songs by Sami Brothers,Noor Jehan and Reshma
The website of the film describes it as
A Sufi Adaptation of Shakespeare – a plea for tolerance from the heart of the Muslim world.
Lahore at an imagined time ….
A kindly Governor goes into hiding after appointing a younger, puritanical Deputy in his place who is convinced that Lahore needs harsh punishments and strict implementation of laws.
Fear grips the city as a young man is condemned to death for getting his fiancee pregnant on the accusations of her parents. When his sister Sameena goes to meet the Deputy Governor to beg for mercy, he finds her physically irresistible and asks to sleep with her in exchange for commuting the death sentence on her brother. Sameena has to outwit him, and helped by the ex- Governor she tries to turn the tables in a gripping climax.
Here is a video showing Behind the scenes during the shooting in Lahore
Tonight’s episode focused on Arsh’s attempts to find out Sajida’s side of the story. All the developments were covered in detail which has slowed down the pace of the drama but there were no unnecessary scenes in tonight’s episode but the story should move to the next level in the upcoming episode. The scene in which Arsh asks Sheedan why they lied was one of the best scenes of this episode mainly because of the way Sheedan didn’t have much to say in her defense. Also, the fact that Sajida has a very weak case was further highlighted because she is not willing to tell what actually happened. This episode definitely had a lot of important messages to its credit. Firstly, Arsh’s advice to Sajida that she should not tell the police anything without asking him first and secondly telling her that no one was allowed to hit her were two very important points. The police had to change its behaviour after Arsh started representing Sajida which was another important message which showed how vital it was for people to take help from a professional in such a situation. Thankfully there was very little focus on Imtiaz in this episode. I must admit I am finding it really hard to relate to or feel for Zebu’s character ever since Hina Altaf took over. The little girl playing Zebu definitely added more substance to this character. Also, the chemistry the little Zebu had with all the other characters has been missing every since she grew up. Basically two very important characters – Zebu and Jaaza – have lost their effectiveness ever since they were taken up by these young actors who are not fitting into the roles. Sajida is not willing to tell the truth even if it means that she will be in prison for the rest of her life. This was another important message in this episode. By hiding the facts she thinks she is helping her daughter but she is actually helping the culprit get away. Imtiaz only has a stronger case because there is no way for Arsh to prove that this was an act of self-defense. Imtiaz also knows that Sajida will not tell anyone what transpired that night therefore he is taking advantage of the situation. It basically goes to prove that staying silent about such things isn’t a smart move. Farhan Saeed has done complete justice to his character. He has performed brilliantly right from the first episode. When his character was that of an immature youngster who had a big ego, he appeared to be just that and now that Arsh is mature and settled, he is equally convincing. The way Arsh tried to persuade Sajida to share her past with her was ideal but right now everyone is hoping that he will manage to find a way out without knowing the truth. Once things get worse for Sajida, someone will decide to tell him the truth. Arsh’s feelings for Meeran have not changed in all these years, something which was apparent from all his interactions with Meeran. Sheedan’s meeting with Arsh outside the prison and the way she kept on telling Imtiaz off showed yet again that she was fearless. Bushra Ansari was the perfect choice for playing this role, her effortless acting makes her character even more impactful. Sajida’s character turned out to be somewhat disappointing in this episode but I do feel that showing all this was important because many of the women out there will probably be able to relate to why Sajida is covering up for her daughter. I am also waiting to find out when and how Arsh will know the truth. In this episode all these intelligent people – Sheedan and Meeran in particular – were unable to think what Imtiaz could do if he wasn’t punished for his crime. Inz-e-Yazdan and Hina Altaf are standing out in this play for all the wrong reasons. It is unfortunate that the director was not able to find better actors for playing these roles. The young actors playing these roles were brilliant therefore the viewers had high expectations from the actors who were going to play the roles of Zebu and Jaaza now. The bond which both these characters had with rest of the family members has been broken because of total lack of chemistry and the lack of expressions and acting! Even the actor who plays Sheedan’s brother is a very gifted performer. Rest of the cast is so perfect that it never seems like any of them is acting; they are faultless in all the scenes. The preview of the next episode showed Arsh talking to Zebu and hopefully the secret will be out in the next episode because this track got a lot of screen time in this episode. The drama needs to pick up pace at this point. How many of you watched this latest installment? Do share your thoughts about it. Fatima Awan
Ohkay so, this episode was interesting, but I am concerned about one thing & that is the lacking similarities between the script of this drama & the original novel itself. I do understand that when a novel is dramatized, a little bit of tweaking is required as drama & novel are two different mediums of story-telling, but what I am not understanding is the reason behind changes that have been made in the original story because if I consider the story of the novel itself, I find it just perfect for it to be dramatized, so not sure if they will be able to justify these changes that they have made. I know the drama-makers have tried to simplify the story by interlinking the tracks of all the characters in the early stages of the drama but what I am most concerned about is the track of Fatima because I have started to feel that she has become a supporting character in the course of the story being over-simplified for the drama, whereas in the novel, she was the integral part of the entire story. I hope they do justice to her character & do not compromise on her value because Fatima is the binding force & is the main part of this story.
Baqir Shirazi is fixated with Shahista Kamal & that is why only for the pleasure of her company, he has started to broaden his trap by preying upon Haroon Kamal too. Since the day Shahista has grabbed Baqir’s attention, things related to her have started to unravel in front of him & it seems like what he is wishing for is meant to happen because first, he found out that Haroon needed his approval for his business deals & second, he found out the major link through which Baqir could black-mail Haroon & that was Zarka. Baqir found out that Haroon not only had relations with Zarka but he married her as well & that was something that Baqir decided he could use to put Haroon in his right place & take a step closer to Shahista Kamal.
Only a single meeting between Baqir & Haroon was enough for Haroon to know what Baqir knew about him & how he was ready to use his personal life details against him, that is why he told Shahista to draw a line, but then, Haroon has always been quite opinionated & he never really cared about what Shahista might have to say about his reputation, so to see Haroon getting intimidated by Baqir wasn’t really in line with his character. Haroon has been ruthless & he never really held back in letting Shahista know what sort of a person he was even after she spotted him with Zarka in a shopping mall, so to see Haroon getting burdened by a detail of his past was quite unlike him.
Fatima came across Shahista in quite an early stage of the drama, however she thanked Shahista for the help she extended & later with the help of Rabeea, she met Sadia & started living with her at her home. Sadia is a new entry, in the story & in the drama as well because her character never existed in the novel. I somehow feel by making things easier for Fatima & by showing that everyone around her has been quite generous with her, the director has compromised on Fatima’s potential & the emotional strength that she embodied. Through Fatima’s character, the drama-makers could’ve sent out such a strong message that a woman can achieve whatever she wants to against all the odds, because of her will but somehow, I feel the character of Fatima has been made weak & the purpose that she had is not coming through like why did she adopt Shaheer & also, how will she stay strong & fend for herself because as per the novel, Fatima’s entire journey was quite inspiring & it showcased the struggles that a woman like Fatima had to go through who chose to live life on her terms & conditions & who shaped up not only her life but the life of those children that came into her life. In this episode I actually detested seeing Fatima in the background like a supporting character, as if she had no personality & had no direction in life & then I also disliked seeing the actual supporting characters come into the foreground & getting all the coverage!
Sadia happens to be Zarka’s sister & seems like even she married someone out of her love for him, just like Zarka married Haroon because she loved him. Sadia chose a totally different path in her life where despite having nothing, she feels she has everything. Zarka on the other hand after giving birth to the twins, has once again decided to get married & revive her career that suffered due to her marriage & then her pregnancy. Zarka could also have lived a fulfilling life if only her husband wasn’t so selfish & so emotionally absent. Anyways, Zarka’s mother thinks it is better for Sadia to look after Zarka’s twins because she doesn’t have a child of her own & this should be a secret that Zarka’s potential husband should never find out about.
Saqia has made quite a progress in her life & she is ready to live independently. Saiqa has forgotten all about those limits that her parents & her good-for-nothing husband set for her & that is why, she has gained a confidence that even confuses her parents now. Saiqa knows she has a strong back due to which she can deal with Zafar & now when she is fending for herself, Zafar holds no importance in her life to sit & listen to his taunts & commands. Looks like Shahista is still in search of a baby & that is why she keeps on visiting the orphanage & now it has been made clear that even Haroon is not oblivious of the reason why Shahista goes to Hyderabad. A lot of things have yet to unravel & I can’t wait to find out more.
Overall, this episode was interesting & the preview of the next episode suggested that things will move forward. I wish the director hadn’t kept all the focus on Shahista/Haroon/Baqir’s side of the story & had given Fatima’s character the due coverage too because her story is what I was most excited about. I wish as the episodes progress, Fatima’s character takes a front seat & her journey is covered appropriately too because right now I am not feeling her character at all as she is looking like someone who has no clue & is only making through life with the helping hand of others. Fatima’s character was the most positive character of this entire novel/story & I wish we get to see more of her. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Thora Sa Aasman.
Many of our celebrities are as patriotic as can be, and they celebrate Independence Day with great enthusiasm and joy. Each year, they love to share pictures and uplifting messages on 14th August.
Even in the midst of negativity and issues, the month of August serves as a reminder of all the sacrifices that were made, lives that were lost in order for us to have Pakistan, our azaad mulk. Our celebrities also celebrate 14th August with great zeal and zest.
Some of our actors including Adnan Siddiqui, Aijaz Aslam and Danish Taimoor are played a cricket match for a noble cause: raising awareness about drug abuse.
Others, however, see this as a great opportunity to promote their upcoming ventures. Team Janaan was seen promoting Janaan in a concert at Port Grand while the Actor In Law team is promoting their film at Azadi Festival.
This year ARY decided to get creative and they initiated a campaign, “Shukria Pakistan” and encouraged peope to step up, show their love for Pakistan and thank their homeland for everything it’s given them. A concert was held last night at Port Grand where well-known musicians including Zoe Viccaji and Fuzon band performed.
Also, team Jannan was also present at the concert to promote their film.
Aurat ki kam-akli aur jazbat ko tamancha maar ke qaboo krne wala mard hi nahi hota … Superb!!! This episode was everything I wanted to see and more! I have to admit that I was very disappointed at the way the previous episode ended since in my opinion that thappar was unjustified (it always is, no matter what) but this episode put things in perspective. Everything that Zulekha said to Mohid was on point, couldn’t agree with her more! I have always liked her character but in this episode she completely won me over. The powerful dialogues and the manner in which Saba Hameed delivered them made all her scenes a must watch. We need to see more mothers like Zulekha in our dramas who are not perfect but they have some very strong positive personality traits. She was shown as one of those mothers right from the first episode who took pride in having the perfect son but even then she did not defend Mohid’s actions in this episode which basically proved that a man can never be justified in hitting a woman.
For once I don’t see much of a reason to support Mohid although I understand that his heart was in the right place. The way he asked Anmol about her visit to the gynecologist did suggest that he was convinced what the nurse was saying was true although that was not the case but Anmol was justified in overreacting. Mohid’s side of the story however was narrated convincingly in this episode. Mohid has finally given up, too bad the fact that he hit Anmol has dinted this love story. It does prove that Mohid too is human but it would have been nice to see this love story progressing without showing Mohid lose his self control like that. It looks like something tragic might happen to Mohid and that is how this love story will come to an end – which I hope would be happy. Anmol is in love with Mohid but she will not forgive him easily therefore right now only a tragedy can bring them together – I would hate to see Mohid die!
Gilla beti se nahi hai, gilla us se hai jis ne beta bunane ka dawa kiya tha … loved this dialogue and the entire conversation between Anmol and her mother. Anmol is no longer the person she once was, she is more willing to admit her mistakes and it is good to see a sensitive side of her character. I am glad Anmol’s mother had faith in her daughter although she knows that Anmol is not perfect but she also knows when she is hurt and needs her support. jub baat kirdar tuk aa jaye tu baat khatam ho jati hai was another dialogue which hit home, for once I find it very easy to connect to Anmol’s character and everything she is going through. Although Mishal has always been the voice of reason in Anmol’s life but tonight she was just as confused as Mohid was because she has been very close to Mohid therefore she could not come into terms with what had happened. The scene between Dastagir and the new character went to show that this particular track will play an important role in taking the story forward most probably from the next episode.
This episode was on point; there wasn’t a single scene which was out of place but the ending was rather abrupt and sudden, I was expecting to see a little more at the end. Zulekha was the star of the show tonight. The best thing about the latest developments was that the misunderstanding was cleared sooner than most of us expected it to end. The timeline in tonight’s episode was slightly confusing. When Mohid was sitting next to the bridge it seemed like it was evening but there was daylight outside when Zulekha was talking to Anmol in the next scene. The opening scene and the conversation between Zulekha and Anmol at her house when she was about to leave were my favorite parts of this episode – they were written, directed and acted out beautifully. Saba Hameed and Mehwish Hayat gave brilliant performances in this episode. The fact that their scenes and dialogues were very powerful added more substance to their scenes.
How many of you watched this latest episode? Do share your thoughts about it. Any predictions?
This interesting new trend of asking Americans what they think of things that are genuinely Pakistani is getting some reactions which are in many ways entertaining too. This time a group of Americans which consisted of 4 girls and 2 boys were asked separately their first impressions of Pakistani actresses after they had a look at their instagram accounts. The reactions these Americans gave were very interesting.
These people were shown Aiza Khan’s instagram account first and were told that she wasn’t running this account herself. This generated some funny comments because they were surprised that a fan could get their hands on these personal photographs. One of the girls thought this was a smart move. All of them thought that Ayeza looked royal in Hoorain’s birthday celebration pictures and they all thought she was very pretty. “She looks like a beautiful princess” was one of the responses. But what won everyone’s heart was the fact that she had a baby too. The family pictures gave them the impression that she was family oriented, something which surely won the girls over. Everyone said they would definitely follow her to see what was going on in her life.
Mehwish Hayat’s instagram was shown to this group next and the comments were very interesting. Some said she should have been a teacher and others thought she was real and had a nice energy Her name was interpreted as “May I wish” instead of Mehwish! Cute, gorgeous, cool, real, good actress (guessing from the video clip on the page) were some of the compliments she got. But when it came to the question whether they will follow her or not, one of the boys said “casual like” and the other one said unfollow. Only 2 girls said they will follow here, rest said there wasn’t anything too interesting on her page.
Mahira got the wow she is so pretty reaction from everyone. All of these people were blown away by her looks. Sexy, hot, beautiful, edgy, stylish were the comments she got. The boys said she was a winner because her page was not all about selfies. Most of them said they won’t just follow her but would directly message her because they liked her so much.
Sanam Baloch was another actress whose instagram page was shown to the group. The first reaction from the boys was “she also looks like a princess.” They also said, she looked very intelligent. Everyone loved her outfits, the boys said she had tons of outfits and the girls said they wanted to go shopping her. the boys said they won’t follow her because she wasn’t glamorous enough. The girls said they would DM her for advice or follow her.
Mawra was the last actress on the list. First reaction was that she looked very young. one girl said she loved her outfits and she would follow her for outfits!The boys and girls wanted to follow her except for only one.
Honestly speaking, this drama has something missing in it. Something which should be there to make things seem justified. It is a love story and while I say this I’m reminded of lines from my favorite novel: “Ishq to wo marz hai jis kay mareez ko ye mashra, is ka literature thapkian de kr sulata hai. Kiunke jo cheezain rawaj me a jaen un ka ghalat hona zehnon se nikal jata hai.”
It’s all about a girl Manal (Rubab Hashim) and her intense desire to act freely or I should say it’s all about her whereabouts lol because her many times disappearance has been discussed in this drama more than anything else. Her behnoi (Baber Ali) bears her family’s expenses. Irfan, her behnoi is a very rich person with a zamindar background and runs an FM channel and has a far relative Zain (Junaid Khan) work in his channel. Manal makes a call to his live show and falls for him. And beside her “love” for Zain, I think she also wants to marry him to hurt Irfan’s ego as Irfan dislikes Zain for no apparent reason I must say. She proposes Zain, he refuses, Irfan dismisses him from his job, his relative with whom Zain’s sister Mariam is married sends her back to maika for punishment and Manal visits him again resulting in him being locked up and tortured by police. In her meeting with Zain, he tells her to go get admitted to mental asylum and she goes there forcing the in charge to admit her saying, “ye mohabbat ki marzi hai.”
The acting of Baber Ali has failed to impress me as he is supposed to be a “ghuseela zamindar” but his accent and dialogue delivery fail to leave an impact. The overacting of Janan Malik is very annoying I must say. Junaid Khan and Rubab Hashim are acting well. Also, I fail to understand why does Irfan want them separated and the insistence of Manal on how he dominates her family and makes decisions for them seems unjustified as there are hardly any scenes suggesting that he is a dominative person. I wish writer/director had worked on that aspect properly showing us some scenes where Irfan can be seen making decisions for her family which she doesn’t want to be made.
Overall, the production of Geo TV is always good so no complaints about that, direction is also good but acting of some actors is not up to the mark. Junaid Khan effortlessly plays the role of a boy who has no idea what is going on in his life and what Manal wants to do with his life. It is a decent drama to watch.
I think it’s fair to say that “Sanam” is the most anticipated drama serial of this year. Boasting a star cast that includes Maya Ali, Osman Khalid Butt, Hareem Farooq, Emad Irfani and Hina Bayat, the drama is directed by Haseeb Hassan and penned by his other half, Mona Haseeb. It is a Momina Duraid production so it will air on HUM TV in September.
The lead actors shared a few pictures that show they are having a lot of fun on the sets of Sanam. Have a look:
Seeing his fans’ views about the disaster that is Mann Mayal, Osman Khalid Butt is worried for Sanam ;)
Rubya Chaudhry is a renowned Pakistani model, and we have also seen her in several drama serials including Manchalay and Perchaiyan. She also starred in horror films Zibahkhana and Siyaah. Rubya Chauhdry recently tied the knot with musician Mekaal Hasan, the front man of the sufi rock band, MHB (Mekaal Hasan Band).
CCongratulations to the couple! We wish them a lifetime of love and happiness.
Ohkay so, honestly speaking I am a little disappointed with the pace of this drama now & that too at such an extent that I couldn’t watch these episodes in one go & had to take multiple breaks as it couldn’t capture my interest at all. I really like the characters & also the story but the way the director has slowed the pace down, it is taking away all the interest that I used to have where I would wait for this drama every single week. I really hope they start wrapping this drama up because I am dreading seeing slow episodes every time now!
Haris has told Amtul & Tabrez about his plan of going to Shama & helping her out in filing a case against them as Haris knows Amtul & Tabrez can go to any extent to save themselves & that is why, he is making the most of it. Amtul & Tabrez never saw this coming that is why Haris’s announcement not only came as an unpleasant surprise to them but served as a shocker too. Haris wants money & he is making sure he makes Amtul & Tabrez pay for what they have done which is exactly what they should do for ruining his life & treating him as a puppet. However, I do feel that everything has taken a toll on Haris’s mental & emotional state so I am not sure if he is doing it after a well-thought plan or he is just going after them without any full-fledged plan in his mind, because at times it did look like he wasn’t in his best state of mind & was quite badly disturbed, so not sure if he will be able to stay on his grounds & yes, Haris’s disturbed emotional state did seem realistic as anyone living with Amtul & Tabrez would lose their minds!
I really dislike the characters of Shama & Subhan as parents because what they are doing to Mehru is worse than what Haris, Amtul & Tabrez did. They don’t trust her & they don’t love her enough to wipe her tears, Subhan was ready to kill her & now after finding out that Mehru is in love with Falak, Shama wants her to go back to Haris. Yes, I don’t expect Shama to support Mehru completely when it comes to her feelings for Falak any mother would never want her daughter to get divorced but what she shouldn’t do is call Haris back even after knowing what he has done to Mehru & expect Mehru to go back to Haris because if there’s someone who has seen Mehru suffer is Shama herself. Shama hated Tabrez’s family & blamed Subhan for everything so how can she expect that Haris must’ve changed & he will now accept Mehru & give her the rights of being his wife? Shama’s idea of drifting Falak & Mehru apart using Haris is actually ridiculous, because it’s like she is pushing her daughter her in a hell hole willingly.
Gaiti is after Shabnam that she should go & put forth the proposal of Falak & Gaiti’s wedding in front of Husn Ara. Gaiti has been rejected a lot of times, that is why she is not after Shanbam to do what she wants as she won’t listen to her mother again in the matters concerning her marriage. I feel Shabnam is still a better mother than Shama as at least she understands & hasn’t kept herself oblivious of daughter’s sufferings, because if we look at Shama, it’s like she herself wants her daughter to suffer as a revenge of her son’s death.
There was no progress in the Falak Mehru track this week. They both know they love each other but what’s next? Mehru definitely has asked for a divorce but she never knew that her mother will also become one of the obstacles for her. I hope Falak helps Mehru in getting rid of Haris. Yes, the preview of the next week’s episode did seem interesting so I am looking forward to it for sure. Please share your thoughts about these two episodes of Deewana.
Ruk jao Zainy, mat jao! Let me see now. 27 episodes of roughly 40 minutes each – it took our ‘shehzada’ (as Mehtaab had called him) Sherry all of those minutes minus the very last 30 seconds of the final minute to utter the words that most of us had hoped (and others wondered whether) he would utter! We were left guessing to the last minute how this drama would end and I will admit the way the events played out in this last episode was convincing to an extent.
Zainy’s CSS result – how long does it take for the result to be announced by the way? She went through an entire pregnancy, initial months of motherhood – before her result was announced. Zainy is seen struggling financially with Ahmer not being able to provide for her and her son Mustafa and she sells jewellery to make ends meet. The CSS result gave her the confidence she needed and finding Ahmer still involved with Bina served as the last straw and she finally walks out on him. Ahmer makes no move to stop her either. It was heartbreaking to see how Abba, such a positive, proactive and encouraging character had become a broken old man. I loved how Zainy seemed to outwardly grow a thick skin to ward off Novera’s constant jibes and gave her all to help Abba regain his strength and will to live again.
Novera is so deeply submerged in her insecurities and jealousies that let alone Zainy and Abba she will not even let her own marriage flourish. Ah, but there is one relationship that she works on and fat lot of good that has done her except well, land her the nikkah nama to Sherry – and that is with Nigaar Apa. I was very surprised at Mr. Novera, oops, Sherry’s attitude in this episode. It almost appears as if Sherry can not look past his personal feelings of hurt and lurrve and rejection to forgive Zainy or at least give her a chance to let her stand on her own feet. He was hostile when she came back but bore with her for he recognized she gave Yusuf what he and Novera were unable to give. But the way Novera sent Mustafa with Ahmer upon Abba’s death and said Sherry has packed up her stuff and she should go back to her ‘own house’ seriously made Sherry lose some major brownie points with me. For all of Zainy’s faults, for all of Sherry’s amazing personality – I was fast losing patience with his firm stance of not letting Zainy return. Tough love it may have been but I felt how Zainy’s departure was forced from their house upon Abba’s death was a bit extreme.
Mehtaab left two things as her legacy in this episode – her words of wisdom when Zainy was beside herself with despair upon Abba’s death ‘aap jo bhi faisla karein us ski zimadaari bhi khud he utthaana’ and secondly – her beehive, LOL! When Zainy went back home and left Mustafa with Taayi I wondered if she left him with her for good. Fast forward nine years and Sherry has aged and comes to a festival (a very empty festival I may say) to hear Zainy speak and their conversation answers our questions. Sherry’s ‘I have 3 sons and 3 daughters’ left me gobsmacked and I thought okay 6 kids and in Canada with no naukar chaakar would have finally made Novera too busy to cause trouble but turns out he only made that up and he has a daughter but Novera has left him and remarried. Zainy also left Ahmer (duh!) but thankfully her son lives with her. I found Sherry’s responses to Zainy’s pertinent questions very lame, I am sorry to say. I find he was too hard on Zainy and this whole ‘her house, my house’ really did do my head in. Yes your husband’s house is supposed to be your house but your parent’s house is not a stranger’s house either!! Novera with her constant obsession of repeatedly sending Zainy back to her own house stemmed from her insecurities but Sherry harping the same tune was very annoying. Yes, his attitude finally made her get up and make something of her life but was that his intention really? He kept telling her to go back to Ahmer – not to stand on her feet and leave him if that was what she felt she needed to do.
Anyways, Sherry finally musters up the courage to ask Zainy to not leave (standing ovation please!) and so all’s well that ends well. Maybe. I had wondered how Novera would fare in all this? Does Sherry leave her for Zainy? How does she end up leaving Ahmer – if at all? So yes the events in this episode seemed to flow in a fairly believable sequence. I have to say I have enjoyed watching this drama and am amazed it stretched across 27 episodes and yes it could have been wrapped up in less episodes but it was all good. Agha Ali has truly impressed me with his acting in this play as has Seher Afzal. How she effortlessly played Zainy, making us frustrated with her and feeling her pain later on. I loved loved loved Abba’s character, although a bit stifling at first, the way he stepped up after Mehtaab’s death was just beautiful and Nadeem Baig did a tremendous job. The dialogues and direction were good too and one thing that truly surprised me was how a Big Bang Production was not very Big Bang-ish and I feel that statement is self explanatory.
I have enjoyed reviewing this play and thank you to all my dear readers who have regularly read my reviews and commented. What has stayed with me at the end of this episode is that biryani that Ahmer and Bina were enthusiastically digging into and thankfully I have made the same for dinner so I am off to satisfy the sudden hunger that brought on, LOL. Team Sherry and all others – what did you think of this last episode? Would love to hear your thoughts!
It is not only that our desi women get into the trouble of giving never ending lessons but now we have another example of our foreigner bhabi “shaniera Akram.”What got Shaneira in giving public safety messages on twitter was, that she saw a lady driving while feeding her baby in her lap.
The first tweet Shaniera did was …
It was right after that one of the Pakistani critique started.
Shaniera insisted on not accepting anyone else’s opinion regarding Pakistan.
Things did not stop right there but moved on to detailed public safety messages.
In the mean while to break the chain of these emotional safety messaged appeared a tweet from public calling her efforts useless.
But shaneira Bhabi glued to the idea of teaching lesson to Pakistani Awaam with the never dying determination, therefore she continued.
Finally the public admitted…
All we can say is Thank you so much Shaniera for both your feelings and tweets.
The two- time Academy-Award winner Sharmeen Obaid has released her second of the two documentaries with the title “Dream Big Pakistan”, revolving around those women of Pakistan who dare to dream and also strive to accomplish them. This time Sharmeen has focused on the inspirational women in Pakistan which are representing Pakistan in the Rio Olympics 2016.
The first documentary film featured the talented Minahil Sohail, who only at the age of twenty-one qualified for Olympics in the category of 10 Metre Air Rifle.
The second documentary which has been released lately is about Liaana Swan who is only 19 years old and has qualified for Olympics. This young girl is not only amongst those three women who are proudly representing Pakistan at Olympics but also holds 11 national records.
Ms Chinoy is not only motivating the women of Pakistan by her own work but is also highlighting the effort of other talented women in Pakistan through her documentaries at international level.
We wish Sharmeen Obaid and these talented women Best of luck!
Independence day is just around the corner and everyone starts celebrating it from 1st day of month with full passion
Like us celebrities also exhibits their patriotism towards the country through different renditions.
On this year independence occasion Zoe decided to bring something different this time for viewers. Hence feeling the need that it is time to showcase a positive image of Pakistan she released her independence day song “Ho Jao Azaad” but what’s important in this song is the music video.
Zoe wandered through northern Pakistan mainly Gilgit Baltistan and took some breathtaking visuals of Landscapes and mountains.
Here is the link to the song. From the video it is quite evident how much hard work the whole crew had done and yes cinematographer really deserves the standing ovation.
So the ‘psychiatrists-in-a-pakistani-drama’ practice continues. I am not a fan of Maami’s personality but I am sure my expression mirrored the perplexed one on hers when the psychiatrist was dishing out her words of wisdom. Shadi karo na karo, bhai type se karo ya total stranger say, time spend before shaadi with total stranger is helpful how – wait, hand over the psychiatrist’s job to Shariq. Ah, yes. Let’s do that. Armed with that new insight, Saba’s parents, rather her mother feels that Shariq should spend time with Saba before she gets married so she is able to be comfortable in his presence which is being transitioned from ‘bhai’ to ‘miyan’. And Shariq? I had noooo idea being a DC was such a ‘vaila’ job-seriously! He is babysitting Zoya (making daily calls to the servant to make sure she had her juice on time), nurturing and easing Saba’s mental state of mind – when does this guy actually work?
Although he seems to be trying to be friendly and act as naturally as possible around Saba, we see Shariq feels trapped in this new relationship – as expected. Not only is Saba mentally not all there but she is someone he has viewed as a younger sister and he feels it is not easy to switch the tag of ‘behn bhai’ to ‘miyan biwi’ as he explains to his mother. I find Saba’s father’s reaction and approach although not fair to Shariq but much more believable and understandable as a father rather than her mother who seems to be living in ‘la-la land’. Maami is seriously grating on my nerves. Being hopeful over your child’s recovery is one thing but after the horrendous first ‘outing’ Shariq and Saba had you would think she would rethink the ‘outing’ suggestion so soon again!
I am still a bit confused about Saba. From what I seem to understand she has a general fear of all men except her father and Shariq but when she is overcome by erratic fits, she can not and will not listen to reason to the extent that nothing makes sense to her. Like the whole policeman scenario was really quite extreme and I could not believe after the ‘hand’ situation in the car she dragged it all the way to begging the policemen to not leave her alone with Shariq. But I will not dwell much on that and suppose maybe that is just what her mental state is like.
Shariq seems to have agreed to do his ‘duty’ but also wants Zoya by his side. Although it has not made much sense having her living in his house so far, it makes even less sense that he should expect her to stay on after his marriage to Saba. His baby names’ suggestions show his emotional state of mind where he has been thinking of names for the baby – with his name as a surname. Zoya seems to be stuck mentally on Azmeer – but her reaction to the news of Shariq’s marriage seems to suggest the beginning of some other emotions.
Seems like we are in for quite a few scenes of Saba ‘ping-pong-ing’ between Sherry Bhai is good guy – Sherry Bhai is bad guy. In spite of that, the hopeful look on Anam Fayyaz’s face when Shariq promises to stand by her no matter what was very heartfelt and spot on.
Shariq seems to want to have his cake -and eat it too. He has agreed, albeit reluctantly to marry Saba but he wants Zoya by his side too. Zoya seemed to be trying to think ahead by saying she wants to go back to work when the baby arrives. The way she had that conversation with Shariq though made me wonder where it was leading – Shariq’s nanny services for baby maybe?!
I can not help but resist pointing out how Sherry Bhais in our dramas are fast becoming Angels in Disguise Potential Miyans. There’s Sherry Bhai in Tum Yaad Aye and now in Intezaar. Anyways, the drama is watchable for now. There is something about Sana Javed’s acting that I can not place my finger on – but it seems to fall flat at times. Mikaal Zulfiqar, Anam Fayaaz and the actor playing Mamu have acted out their characters well. I do like how the drama does not have any extra characters being used as fillers – khair, how many more fillers would be needed with Shariq managing two women in his life already, but still! Anyways, I am interested to see how Shariq plans to manage both these relationships simultaneously – and keep his job in the process!
How many of you watched this episode? Would love to hear your thoughts.
Jharna and Farhad’s track came to an end with this episode and Illyas Khawaja’s entry in Sitara’s life changed everything for Sitara in more ways than one. Jharna’s last scene was shot beautifully, the OST playing in the background pretty much summed up her whole story. Sitara has come a long way and not necessarily in a good way. When she started her career she was not willing to compromise on her principles, even when she fell for Farhad it did not take her very long to realize that she needed to set her priorities straight. Sitara has always been someone who has thought of the consequences of her actions before taking a step forward in any direction but things have changed altogether now. After trying really hard to find work through proper channel Sitara has come to the conclusion that her parents will not give her the time and support she would have needed to make a name for herself once again and also she knows that she will have to resort to means she has always disapproved of in order to earn money which her parents will always be asking for. Sitara has chosen an evil which suits her not only so that she can support her family but also because the fact is that Sitara wants to be a star again. Sitara was not willing to meet Illyas Khawaja again until she found out that he was a producer therefore the main motivating factor behind taking this big step was that it will eventually get her a role in a film and as a result some recognition.
Sitara might have changed a lot but the fact is that she is no match for people like Illyas Khawaja. She still takes people at face value; she did not doubt this person’s intentions and thought that he really valued her. He gave her hope at a time when she was completely hopeless therefore Sitara wanted to believe everything he said and went along with whatever he wanted. The dialogue “Mera dil aj bhi us aurat ka dil hai jis pe sapno ka pehra hai lekin ab yeh haath ab aik aisi aurat ka haath hai jis ne apne khawabon ki khatir khud ko girvi rukh diya hai.” described Sitara’s state of mind perfectly. It went to show that Sitara was not only doing all this to support her family but also because this was the only way for her to make her dreams come true. Sitara thinks she will get something in return for the time she is investing in Illyas Khawaja but Illays’ conversation with his employee suggested that he was only using Sitara and as soon as he loses interest in her, she will once again be desperately looking for work. Sitara might think this is a step forward but this will prove to be a huge step backward. She is going to waste her time and will get a reputation which will not get her work but more opportunists like Illyas Khawaja.
Sitara’s story has been translated on screen so intelligently that there is hardly a time when you feel the need to judge her character. When she talked to her sister about how she knew what she was doing was wrong, she answered all the questions that might have been in the viewers’ mind. I have always loved the fact that this script spells everything out clearly; there is always a logical reason for every new development. I was looking forward to Nauman Ijaz’s entry in the play but I must say that he had nothing new to offer since he has played this character many times before too. He is obviously a brilliant actor who always delivers but he has played many such characters of people who used their position and money to exploit women. Saba Qamar was the star of the show yet again not only because of her performance but also because of the way this character has been written. It was a superb idea to break this story in 3 different seasons otherwise we would have been anticipating an ending right now. Now we know that this is only the second phase of Sitara’s life and we have tons of reasons to look forward to more. There is a hardly a drama which manages to hold your interest till episode 20 but Mein Sitara has managed to do just that.
The preview of the next episode showed Illyas Khawaja showing his real self – something which will dash Sitara’s hopes for good.
How many of you watched this latest installment? Do share your thoughts about it.
Jhoot is a story revolving around one character that is Saleha (Bushra Ansari) who belongs to highly qualified background. She is shown as very stubborn lady. She got married to Farooq (Anwar Iqbal) who worked all his life abroad and came back home after retirement. At the time of her marriage, her in laws lied regarding the engineering degree of her husband about which she gets to know after marriage. All her life, she keep nagging and accusing her husband on this lie that he made that he had engineering degree rather, he was only diploma holder in engineering. Long story short, she do not bother existence of her husband and leads the decision of her house and her children.
She has two children. Waqar (Kamran Jilani) and Zara (Mansha Pasha) who are all under her control. They obey their mother and do not care about their father because they think their mother is always right and always choose right for them.
Waqar likes one girl Sadaf (Mira Sethi) and both plan to getting married. However, one day Saleha see them together in restaurant and get extremely annoyed that next day she goes to her brother’s home and asks for her daughter’s hand for Waqar and informs Waqar when she comes back home. Waqar silently accepts her mother decision and break up with Sadaf. Later on, Waqar’s fiancée starts calling her because she thinks there is no harm in talking on phone as now they are engaged. However, one day Saleha witness Waqar talking to her fiancee at which she gets upset again and goes to her brother’s home and break the engagement telling them that their daughter is not fit for Waqar as she does calls her which is very cheap. Then she tells Waqar that she broke his engagement. Waqar tells her mother about Sadaf then and she agrees to take her to Sadaf’s home to see her. Waqar tells Sadaf that her mother has agreed for their marriage.
On the other hand, she is keep searching proposals for her beautiful daughter Zara but finds no good fit for her. She is annoyed with Zara’s only friend and keep telling Zara not to hang out or meet with her much as she is jealous of Zara’s beauty and family. Zara’s friend always tell Zara that her mother do not want Zara to get married since she don’t like any proposal. During son in law hunting, at one place Saleha likes the potential in laws of her daughter, she asks to see the NED degree of the potential husband at which they get annoyed and rejects Zara’s proposal. Long story short, Saleha doesn’t realize that she is ever at fault, her daughter is getting old and she keep telescoping every other proposal and rejects them over minor things.
When she goes to Sadaf ‘s place, she likes her brother Zaheer (Awais Waseer) for Zara and tells Sadaf’s mother that she has no objection over Sadaf and Waqar’s marriage unless Zaheer and Zara also gets married, at which Zaheer rejects the cross marriage proposal.
Sadaf gets married to her going to be Bhabi’s cousin who is mentally sick and beats her and after she get miscarriage, she takes divorce from him and comes back to her mother Shaista. Her brother and his wife are trying to sell their house and Sadaf tries to find one apartment for herself and her mother. Her mother insists her to get remarried but she always refuses given the worst marriage experience she has already experienced. Her brother is angry at her not getting married. He blames her that she got divorce because of Waqar.
On the other hand there is another family. Jamal (Imran Ashraf) and his family are originally poor and upon insistence of his mother Ghazala (Nargis Rasheed), he rents one banglow for 1 year in posh area for the purpose of getting good proposals of her sister Iqra and himself. They rent car to go everywhere and show as if they have 2 cars and tells everyone that they are rich now. Jamal is honest and do not like hypocrisy of her mother however, he obeys her like obedient son.
Many years pass, Zara gets 30 years old in all these years, Saleha is still on son in law hunting when she finds Jamal’s family. Jamal is shown as very young handsome Chartered Accountant about whom Saleha thinks perfect match for her daughter Zara. She tries all she could to get her daughter engage to Jamal and eventually they get engaged. She is worried of Zara’s age since she is older than Jamal. She lies to Zara’s in laws regarding her age and tells them 8 years less of her actual age. Jamal’s mother Ghazala is suspicious of Zara’s age but she is heavily impressed with Saleha’s rich background and finally agrees to this proposal. However, she tells Saleha that they will be doing wedding ceremony after 2 years since Jamal has to wed her sister Iqra. However, Saleha is at trouble because of her lie regarding Zara age as she don’t want to loose this proposal. She asks Waqar to talk with Jamal to agree his mother to get married along with her sister Iqra and do not worry about finances. Jamal convinces her family to do so to reduce expenses.
Saleha wants Zara’s wedding as soon as possible. She always think her husband’s relatives are jealous of her and they might tell Zara’s age to their inlaws. Her husband asks her not to lie to Zara’s inlaws as it can make problems for their daughter in future but she does not listen to him. During all this time, Ghazala keep asking Zara’s CNIC about which Saleha says that thief came and steal all important documents including Zara’s degree and CNIC. However, Ghazala and Iqra are still at doubt and suspicious about her real age. Iqra tries to convince Jamal what will he do if he gets to know that Zara lied regarding her real age at which Jamal denies and says he can not imagine Zara, the beautiful innocent girl, can lie big to her going to be husband.
On the other hand, Sadaf is searching for apartment. One agent takes her to see one apartment which she likes, however, when she finds out that the landlord of the apartment she is looking is Waqar as he comes in front of her, she immediately leaves the apartment. Waqar tries to contact Sadaf but she rejects her calls. And one day, out of frustration she attend his call and lashes out at him that he is the reason of her divorce. He is shocked to learn that she is divorced. Later, he accidentally meets Sadaf in a mall and request her to listen to him one but she tells him he is coward and criticize him if he asked her mother’s permission to talk with her and then leaves. Her ex-husband sees her standing with Waqar and clicks pictures of her and send it to her Bhabi who tells Zaheer that she still meets Waqar. Zaheer lashes out at her mother that why Sadaf meets Waqar and her mother scolds Sadaf at which she is shocked and tells her mother that it was just a mere coincidence.
Waqar tells Saleha that Sadaf is divorced and he wants to marry her at which Saleha scolds him and tells him that Sadaf can never make her home as she is independent and doing job. Sadaf’s ex-husband calls Waqar and blackmails him at which Jamal is surprised and asks him to come face to face.
Saleha ask for simple nikkah ceremony at which Ghazala perplexes as she was hoping for grand function to make her old relatives jealous but agrees to it. Saleha tells Ghazala that haq meher should be at minimum 20 tola gold at which Ghazala baffles, and later on demands for car to Jamal as a Salami hoping that Saleha will re-think about haq meher, however, Saleha thinks and agrees for the car but instead of buying it, she asks Waqar to put car’s money in Zara’s bank account.
At the time of Nikkah, Ghazala tells Molvi sb how nikkah can be done since Zara’s CNIC is lost, at which Molvi sb says Nikkah does not need CNIC copy, and the Nikkah is done.
Saleha is angry at the barr’i which was of very low quality and un-branded. She is embarrassed in front of her relatives. On the other hand, Ghazala is perplexed at the car money being put in to Zara’s bank account. She asks her son Jamal to control Zara on very first day at which Jamal says that she is now his wife and he does not think this way.
Ghazala’s relatives stares at Zara at wedding and keep gossiping regarding her age, and that she seems older than Jamal.
It seems that one lie that Saleha made regarding Zara’s age will ruin her life. Saleha keeps fighting with her husband that he lied to him regarding his degree but she does not realize that one lie can make her daughter’s life hell. Zara may also be subject to this torture which she gave all her life to her husband. He thinks she is above all but never realizes the deceiving things she did to her children. Bushra Ansari’s acting was flawless. She portrayed motherhood flawlessly, like how some mother’s are concerned about their children. She portrayed those mothers who like to control every single step of their children not realizing that it may ruin their life. The children obeys their mother because it is an order for them to obey their parents without running after their own wishes.
Sadaf’s acting was flawless, she is confident lady and hates hypocrite and coward men. All she wanted Waqar to show some courage and take stand for her regarding their marriage, which he did not.
Syed Ahmed Kamran, the director, who also directed Digest Writer and Muhabbad Aag Si, once again nailed it along with writer Reema Ali Syed and via Hum TV they are highlighting many shots in this drama. Firstly, mothers who love to control their children do not realize they are actually destroying their children’s life. In our society, there exists such mothers who only want their say is to be heard. Such mothers usually have low confident coward children, improperly groomed, unable to handle their life and make decisions alone. Secondly, this also shows lie is not the answer to our problems. Every relation has to based on truth either its sweet or bitter to make up life easier. Lastly, one has to be down to earth rather than stubborn to make up relationships and live happily. No one is perfect except Allah. One has to realize nothing in this world will last forever. Every rise has its fall.
Eventually , both parties have lied to each other … Lets see how things turn up in upcoming episodes..
Directed by Anjum Shehzad and starring Feroz Khan and Sajal Aly, Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hai is all set to release on Eid ul Azha. The soundtrack, composed by Soch (band), Sohail Haider and Farhan Shah was unveiled in the music launch.
Some celebrities like to draw a clear line between their work and personal life but Aiza Khan and Danish Taimoor love to share every special moment with their fans, and it seems like their go-to photographer, Kashif Qadri is always on stand-by. They have a huge fan following and they know it! The gorgeous couple just celebrated their second wedding anniversary.
Teri Meri Love Story (TMLS) is an upcoming rom-com flick starring Ushna Shah, Mohib Mirza, Mohsin Haider Abbas, Omer Shehzad among others. The music launch took place yesterday.
Directed by Ali Hassan, produced by Big Bang Entertainment, written by Qaisra Hayat, Be Aib aired on Urdu 1. Be Aib is the story of three siblings – Shahana (Ismat Zaidi), Sadaf (Samina Peerzada) and Safi (Tariq Jameel). Shahana has lived in the US for the past few years but has returned to Pakistan. Even though Shahana is affluent, she doesn’t discriminate between her siblings. Sadaf shares a similar social status as Shahana but unfortunately it seems to have gotten to her head. Sadaf doesn’t think much of her brother Safi as he hasn’t enjoyed the same fortunes his sisters have. While Shahana welcomes him with open arms, Sadaf mocks him for his low class mindset.
Sadaf is a self- proclaimed perfectionist and control freak. She has shrewdly arranged for her daughter ( Alishba Yusuf) to be engaged to Shahana’s son Taimoor (Noor Hassan) seeing that he is the sole heir to their wealth. Sadaf judges people on the basis of their social status and avoids those less fortunate like the plague. Safi has two children, Ahmed ( Imran Aslam) and Inaya ( Mariam Ansari). Ahmed seems to have feelings for Tooba but knows better than to act on them and Inaya is fascinated by Taimoor and Tooba’s fairytale life- Inaya has a visible black mark (Aib) that covers the left side of her face. She seems very conscious of her mark and her mother fears for her marriage and hopes that somehow she ends up marrying Taimoor even though she knows he’s engaged to Tooba.
Ahmed has applied for a student visa to UK and hopes he can be financially sound and change his family’s living conditions once he’s settled. Safi feels confident that Shahana APA is the only one who will support him by lending him money for Ahmed’s travel expenses and she doesn’t disappoint.
For a first episode, all the characters were well introduced. Samina Peerzada could’ve toned down quite a bit while still capturing the essence of her character. Alishba Yusuf is always selective in her roles and after Pehchaan, she’s back as Tooba. She’s effectively portrayed the role of a daughter completely under her mother’s control so much so she comes across as being under her spell. Noor Hassan’s puffy hair was distracting. Cousin marriages seem to be a topic our writers find very hard to let go off but there’s more to this story- however, Urdu 1’s promo department seems to have revealed the entire story through their teasers and OST so it takes away the excitement of finding out what happens next.
Still, it’s always nice to see actors who don’t appear in dramas as often and I’m hoping this turns out to be a good watch. How many of you tuned in to Be Aib?
The first episode of Saya-e-Dewar Bhi Nahin (SDBN) had Shehzad Kashmiri written all over it! It was visually pleasing and this is not the first time that Shehzad Kashmiri has directed a drama which revolves around two people who have been brought up under the same roof by the same people end up getting involved with each other. This drama is based on a novel written by Qaisra Hayat. One thing that stood out more than any other in this first episode was watching Ahsan Khan not play Imtiaz’s character;) We all love to hate him as Imtiaz but it was definitely refreshing watching him play Haider’s character. Although Ahsan Khan has a long history of playing such roles but even then watching him play the role of Imtiaz definitely has made more of an impact than any other character he has played so far. It was also refreshing to watch some new faces in this first episode. Shamayal Tareen plays the character of Tabbasum and Sonia Khan also made a reappearance after a very long time as Bibi Jan. Both the actresses look alike therefore they were the perfect choice for these roles. Although the acting by both these actresses was somewhat unconventional but their accents and the way they acted gave a different feel to the drama. When I saw Ahsan Khan and Naveen Waqar’s photo shoot for the drama, I wasn’t sure if they will look good together but I am glad I was proven wrong because they looked great in this first episode.
The first episode of SDBN was a “happy one” like all first episodes of serials which get very serious with every passing week. SDBN is the story of Shah Sahab’s (Jamal Shah) household. Shah Sahab is a disciplined and fair man who has tons of respect for his daughters and loves Haider who is the son of his dead brother. Shah Sahab raised Haider after his parents died and all the scenes tonight clearly suggested that he raised him like his own son. Shehla and Haider love each other and till the end of the episode were very sure that they could spend the rest of their lives with each other. When Tabbasum figures out what is going on between Shehla and Haider she asks Bibi Jaan to talk to Shehla and that is when she finds out that Haider’s father wanted him to marry some other girl. Till now this engagement was kept a secret because Shah Sahab wanted Haider to concentrate on his studies. Irfan Khoosat plays the role of Shah Sahab’s best friend who will (most probably) eventually be the one who will ask for Shehla’s hand in marriage for his son (Emaad Irfani).
All the characters were introduced in a decent manner in this episode without making any situation too dramatic. I liked how everyone in the house believes in talking to one another politely without being too concerned about whether they will get their point across or not. This was a very fast paced episode with some beautiful scenes. Shah Sahab asking his daughter to take his seat was one such scene which said a great deal about his personality. When Shehla was looking for the moon, the conversation between her and Haider went to show how sure she was that they will get married. This scene was also shot really well. I also liked the scene in which Bibi Jan did not overreact when Haider, Shehla and the kids came back from the outing but sat down and talked to Shehla.
The preview of the second episode suggested that things will start getting serious from the next episode. Emaad Irfani’s character will make its entry in the next episode and Shah Sahab will ask his daughter to do something for him – which would most certainly involve ending her relationship with Haider. Ahsan Khan and Naveen Waqar’s chemistry, a few new faces, the fast pace and Shehzad Kashmiri’s direction made this episode entertaining. I hate to say this but it does look like things will get too serious too soon and this is going to be another love story which is destined to be halted due to a promise and samaj ki dewar. The drama has a strong cast and a skillful director therefore I will be tuning in next week without getting my hopes too high because it seems like the story might not have a lot to offer – too early to say for sure but that is what I guessed from this first episode.
How many of you watched the first episode of SDBN? Do share your thoughts about it.
Those of you who have read the novel please refrain from narrating the entire story in the comments section. Thank you!
Marium Mukhtar was a female fighter pilot of Pakistan Air Force. She is the first woman fighter pilot in Pakistan to die in the line of duty, when a PAF jet crashed in Mianwali.
To honor Marium Mukhtar a short film Ek Thi Marium (اک تھی مریم) is being produced to be aired on Urdu 1 perhaps on upcoming defense day on 6th September 2016 or Air force Day on 7th September 2016. Actor-host Sanam Baloch is all set to make her comeback with this powerful role in this upcoming short film .
The first teaser of this short film is released today showing Sanam as Marium, getting dressed in her Pakistan Air Force uniform.
Starring Sanam Baloch as Marium Mukhtiar, Sanam Baloch, Hina Bayat & Behroze Sabzwari
Written by Umera Ahmed
Directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat
Produced by Nina Kashif
A Paragon Production
Trailer and pics courtesy of the facebook page of Ek Thi Marium
Maalik is an Urdu film released on 8th April 2016. The film screened for three weeks before formally banned by first the Sindh Censor Board and later the Federal Censor Board. The producer and director of the film Aashir Azeem went to High Court to challenge the ban where the hearing is still in progress.
Aashir Azeem the producer/director of the film announced to release the film outside of Pakistan on 26th August 2016, in Gulf Countries (UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain), Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom.
However as per Urdu Daily Jang, the Federal Ministry of Information, Mass-media Broadcasting, and National Heritage has ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to stop any effort to export the print of the film abroad. In order to screen this film outside Pakistan its print must be exported following the due process. But this new order of the Federal Ministry of Information will impact the planned screening of the film outside Pakistan.
Here is the full news excerpt borrowed from Urdu Daily Jang 9th August 2016
Maalik (مالک) is an Urdu film released on the 8th April 2016. The highlight of the film is the comeback of Aashir Azeem to almost after two decades. Aashir Azeem earned fame from the PTV Quetta center drama Dhuwaan (دھوّاں) in 1994.
The film received a mixed response on Box office and earned nearly 4 – 4.25 crore in three weeks of screening. After three weeks of screening it was banned by the Sindh Government and later Federal Government.
Film: Maalik (مالک)
Release Date: 4th April 2016
Starring: Ashir Azeem, Farhan Ally Agha, Sajid Hassan, Hassan Niazi, Adnan Shah Tipu, Bushra Ashir Azeem, Ehteshamuddin, Rashid Farooqi, Mariam Ansari, Tatmain ul Qalb, Lubna Aslam, Erum Azam, Pakiza Khan
Directed by: Ashir Azeem
Written By: Ashir Azeem
Produced by: Media Hub
Genre: Politics | Action | Thriller | War
Gohar Rasheed plays the character of Mikael in drama serial, Mann Mayal. In an interview with BBC Urdu, Gohar Rasheed shared an incident where he was harassed by angy Mann Mayal fans.
“I went to the cinema with a couple of friends and there were a few older women standing nearby. One of them came up to me, and asked, ‘Aap Mikael hain na?‘ and I said ‘yes.’ Just then in all seriousness, she said, ‘Ap bohat buray hain’ and the other woman standing behind her said, ‘Ap please yahan sey chaley jaein warna hum ap ko chapair maar deyngay’ and had I stayed there a few moments longer, I would’ve probably gotten a slap.”
Gohar Rasheed believes that the audience can relate to the character of Mikael. “When the drama aired, I received messages from women on my Facebook page and profile saying, ‘Thank you so much for playing your character so well, our ex-husbands used to behave exactly like that; mistreating us while we used to sit naively and thinking no, he is my husband, there was also the societal pressure. Now after watching Mann Mayal we realise we were only ill-treating ourselves. Thank you so much for playing this role and you’re a terrible person’.”
Yasir in Shikwa, Shaukat in Digest Writer, Omer in Khilona, Mikael in Mann Mayal, some would say that Gohar Rasheed always ends up playing the bad guy. “In our industry we have a lot of heroes, and whoever [enters the field] comes to become a hero. All the pappu boys in our industry, who don’t know how to act and are still acting, who are not here on merit, I dislike them immensely.”
Fans love Udaari for many reasons and one of them is the Meeran-Arsh track and it is because of Farhan Saeed and Urwa’s comfortable on-screen chemistry that viewers are rooting for them to end up together.
Farhan Saeed and Urwa paired up for LaysPakistan#passAsmile campaign. The exclusive music video of song, “Saathiya” was unveiled on the official Facebook page. Shot in Berlin, it’s your typical boy-meets-girl video. Like all of Farhan Saeed’s songs, ”Saathiya” too is easy on the ears.
Many celebrities have taken part in the #passAsmile campaign.
Uzair Jaswal will be making his TV debut with an ARY Digital drama serial, and in a recent interview with Dawn Images, he shared that he will be making his silver screen debut with Aabis Raza’s film starring Ushna Shah, Ayaz Samoo, Mariam Ansari, Asma Abbas, Sana Fakhr among others.
“My role in the film is of a young guy who’s always there for his friends; it’s a love story but he’s the kind of guy who’ll sacrifice everything for his friends and go out of his way for them, you know how life is when you’re young. He’s fun and spontaneous and he’s up for anything.”
“I’ve been getting acting offers for a while now and I just didn’t know when to start. I was very nervous and confused and not sure but the producers flew me out to Karachi and I sat down with Asma (Nabeel, Head of Crew Motion Pictures) and Aabis Raza, the director. It was a lot of fun, we ate pizza, chilled out.”
“After reading the script and spending some time with them, I felt it was the right thing to do, to say yes. I’m still nervous, still unsure but I hope it turns out to be a good decision and the project strikes a chord with the audience.”
“I will be doing a couple of songs but I’m sure there’s going to be more amazing people doing music for the film. Of course music is what I do so I’d love it if I could do both sing and act at the same time.”
