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.”
Ohkay so, this episode of App Ke Liye was good, but I am definitely more interested in the Washma’s side of the story & drama than Nishat’s side of the story. I know these tracks will get interlinked in the episodes that are yet to come but I still feel I will be rooting to see more of Washma than anyone else in this drama.
Nishat has made up her mind that she is going to get Areesha married to Intezaar Hussain (what a name I must say), but I find her so lifeless & so so so faarigh that she keeps on weaving one plan after another in her mind, without even thinking what others might have to say about it, especially those whose life she is gambling with. Looks like Shaheer is not enough for her that now she is after Areesha but I am glad that Areesha has her brain in mint condition, that is why she can read between the lines & has deciphered Nishat’s mind-games too, that is why she is going to give her a run for her money & won’t allow her to ruin her life. I actually found Nishat & Imdaad’s scenes a bit too over-stretched unnecessarily & also when Nishat told Imdaad about her plan regarding Areesha & Intezaar’s marriage, then the way she told him to stop Intezaar from coming to Karachi didn’t really make much sense & it looked like that scene was just added to fill in some empty time of the episode. Even though the drama is still in its early stages but Nishat & Imdaad are already looking like fillers & that makes it hard to sit through their scenes.
It was quite good to see that Washma finally found out all the details about Omar & going by what she told, Omar looks like an eligible bachelor that Areesha will lead a happy life with. I must say, I love the mind-set of the brothers in this drama because they are wise enough to give benefit of the doubt to their sisters & they also believe in giving them the freedom to choose their life partners. Shaheer is far more open minded & easy going than Nishat Apa because he not only is considering Areesha’s request of meeting Omar but like a concerned brother he is doing his side of the job by getting a background check done on him to be content with his sister’s decision.
I loved Waheed’s reaction after spotting Washma with Shaheer. He definitely was over the moon & he was too impressed with Shaheer’s personality & not only that, he was actually quite impressed that Washma left Arsalan for a guy like Shaheer. The way Waheed showed excitement about Washma’s relationship with Shaheer went to show that even he knew that Arsalan wasn’t good enough for Washma & his sister deserved better. I think Maryam is annoying like anything & I really hope she snaps out of her fixation with her brother’s broken engagement with Washma because she is another filler & quite an annoying one at that.
Shaheer & Washma have definitely become friends in a very short amount of time & Shaheer finds her as someone who he can trust because he has not only told her about his personal life issues but he has also confided in her about his family matters too. Washma is definitely someone who puts up a facade of being a carefree happy-go-lucky sort of a girl but yes, she is just as much in touch with her emotional side as any other person might be, that is why, in seclusion she is seen pondering over the problems that have arose after her decision of calling her engagement off with Arsalan. Washma actually feels bad to see the relationship of her brother & his wife hitting the rock bottom & not only that, she feels guilty because their relation is suffering because of her & that is the reason why she showed up at Arsalan’s door step like a mayhem & caught him off-guard. Washma knows she has to do some damage control & that is why she ended up asking Shaheer for such a huge favor where he should leave such an impression that Waheed rejects him. I am sure as ridiculous as this plan might sound to Shaheer, Washma will talk him into it because she is the sort of a person who will do anything to amend relationships & bring peace in others lives & I can’t wait to see what more she has to offer!
Overall, this episode was pretty decent & I enjoyed watching Washma & Shaheer’s side of the story. Nishat, Imdaad & Maryam are quite typical fillers & I think we need more characters because their character weigh down the drama with their typicality & ‘been there, seen that’ sort of a feel attached to them. Also, I must say, the way the characters shift from right to left & vice versa on my TV screen makes me feel like I am watching a tennis match & the characters look like tennis ball & jokes apart it makes it way too tiring for the eyes to follow them. I really wish the director & the cameraman hadn’t done that because it really is bothersome. Anyways, I must say, I really really liked Saife Hassan’s acting in this episode, especially when he shares his appeasement with his sister & gives her his blessings. I am glad that the writer has added some very non-typical brothers in this story, it is refreshing to see for sure. Anyways, please share your thoughts about this episode of App Ke Liye.
Ohkay so, this episode of Besharam was really good. Things are moving forward & they are definitely going to become a lot more interesting as the story will progress. For the first time I felt that the relationship of Haider & Mishi suffered because they both failed to bend & compromise to understand each other but a lot of times it is Haider who makes sure to let Mishi know what he genuinely feels for her & Mishi just brushes it off.
I really felt that Mishi was at fault for not telling Haider the truth about Saba & her desperate attempt of getting into modelling. When Mishi found out that Saba lied to Haider, I think it was unwise of Mishi to keep things from her husband & expect Saba to acknowledge what she has done for her already was a huge favor. Yes, Mishi did tell Saba to deal with her own problems herself but she failed to understand that what Saba said made Haider doubt her a tad bit, which definitely is not something that they both can afford right now especially when Haider was being a little touchy. Mishi ignored explaining herself & that resulted in Haider making some judgmental remarks about her which she most certainly wasn’t expecting. I think the best part about their relationship so far was the fact that they both didn’t let the communication gap grow between them but I hated seeing that emerging a bit because of a stupid & selfish girl like Saba who is conniving enough to lie to save her sorry being but doesn’t have the guts to be strong enough to own her mistake & take the right step to amend it.
Mishi returned & she got the welcome she never expected, even though she didn’t let the meeting of Saba & Haider cause a doubt in her mind but she most certainly was shocked at the way Haider treated her. I really liked the developing relationship between Humna & Mishi where Humna has started acknowledging the fact that Mishi is her brother’s wife & she has to respect her due to her status in the family. Khadija is still being unreasonable & I don’t think she will change any time soon.
Saba ended up stealing the money that Wahab handed over to Sikandar after he gave him the signed papers. Saba really is crossing the lines & I am sure she will land herself in a bigger & deeper trouble because Kabeer won’t stop after this either. Once Kabeer will know that Saba has started to fall under the trap of his blackmailing then he will continue to do that. I am glad that at least Sikandar is going to suffer a bit because he wasn’t honest with Haider & has always made his family suffer too!
Haider leaving the politics came as a shock to me. I thought he was still trying but just after getting dismissed from one party, Haider has pretty much given up on his career that he always dreamed of, which I think is not in line with his character because if there was one thing that Haider was passionate about, it was politics & in the initial episodes, I didn’t think just a dismissal from a single party will bring him down so hard that he will step away from this career path completely. However, the way he helped the teacher was really sweet, despite suffering from a financial crisis at this point, Haider didn’t think twice before lending a helping hand to someone who he thought was doing a good job giving children a free education. I am sure Mishi will try to help him because she attended Muneer’s phone call & got to know about the root cause that was bothering Haider these days, but I really wish that Haider manifests the opportunity for him himself & steps into politics once again because I really am interested to see him pursuing a career that he certainly is made for.
Khadija wants Humna to get married to someone but the way Humna relied on Mishi was really good. I am sure Mishi will start sharing her feelings with Humna too & they boht will end up helping each other. Humna knows that Mishi is reasonable & she is wise, so she knew that she might talk to Haider & convince him to help Humna out. The way Haider took a stand for Mishi in front of his mother was good too, Haider knows when & how to maintain a balance because this time around he knew that his mother was being irrational. Mishi is Haider’s wife & there’s no denying to that, so her demand of Mishi not being present at the time the guests will arrive didn’t really make sense. Haider’s confession that he loved Mishi was really good too but seems like Mishi hasn’t fallen for him just yet. Yes, Mishi does appreciate Haider’s strong-willed personality & she has a lot of admiration for him because he gives words to his feelings about her & takes a stand for her every single time, but right now, Mishi thinks she is putting up with everything due to a commitment that she made to herself but I am sure she will soon realize that she is doing it out of her love for Haider.
Overall, this episode was really good. I really enjoy the way Wahab never misses an opportunity to give Sara a reality check by saying things about her that are nothing but true. I really hope the entire Saba-Kabeer scenario is done & dealt with as soon as possible & she stops pestering Haider & Mishi because she is becoming a bone of contention between the two of them which seems a bit unnecessary, since Haider & Mishi are two mature & wise individuals. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Besharam.
Ohkay so, this episode made me roll my eyes so bad that they’re hurting now. Seriously, what has gone into the writer’s head to be doing this to us & to his characters too? It was just as ridiculous as being a Halala story that now the writer turned it into a patch-up-over-gol-gappa story, like seriously, break us free from this misery as we’re done with it!!!
It is actually quite bizarre seeing Aneesa rooting for Mahnoor & Haadi’s patch up. May I ask, where did that Aneesa go who was all about dignity & pride, who was all about preaching self-respect to Mahnoor? When did she become so ‘cool’ & ‘chilled’ about this entire Halala scenario that she has subtly started pressurizing Haadi & is trying to sweet-talk him into getting married to Mahnoor again using her boring falsafa?
I still don’t understand what changed in Mahnoor to feel that Haadi is the one & she can not live without him, because the way she is now, doesn’t show that she went through a phase of feeling remorse or regret over what she has done. She is still as beghairat & as dheet as she was before when she was flirting with a na-mehram while being married to Haadi, so what actually changed in her after her divorce? I still don’t get it. Chalo, if the writer was too busy in weaving the falsafa, the least he could’ve done is show some change in Mahnoor’s attitude where she was regretful & embarrassed for her mistakes, but she became far more dheet & ziddi after her divorce, so what’s the point of this entire situation? After dragging this drama for months, are they going to show us a split-second regret that Mahnoor will feel in the last minute of the last episode? Will that be enough of a redemption or will that be enough of a punishment for her? I feel Mahnoor has been pampered by her mother & her ex-husband so much that she has forgotten what she has done & what she put them through, that is why, in stead of feeling sorry for others or feeling ashamed for her actions, she is seen blaming Haadi for putting her through misery because he has been unable to find a beghairat for her to get married to her temporarily!!!
‘Meinne larki ho ke itni koshish kar li’, err correction, Mahnoor should’ve said ‘Meinne beghairat ho ke itni koshish kar li’ because the way she speaks about Halala so casually only sheds a light on her level of beghairti. Seriously, this drama is making me sick to a point where I feel like throwing up. Did the writer actually believe that we’ll have a smile on our face when we’ll be seeing Mahnoor & Haadi sharing a sweet Halala talk over a gol gappa session with a pleasant music playing in the background? Seriously, there’s a limit to every joke but this one has gone beyond that point. Also, I am not sure why the writer made every girl dump & every pathetic male character superior in this drama to a point where every other girl is drooling over a man or two. Anoushay herself caught Waqar red-handed but there she is, with no standard & no self-respect that despite finding out about Waqar’s reality, she is ready to get married to him & then we already have a self-explanatory character of Mahnoor who has taken beghairti to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL!!!
Seems like Haadi is pretty comfortable with this entire scenario that is why he was seen sharing a laugh with Mahnoor & looked at her with an affection in his eyes as if he scored a big win by having a girl like her fall in love with him. Mahnoor didn’t admit that she was in love with Haadi but he is so blind that he couldn’t see it. Also quite casually Haadi lied to Mahnoor that he has never met Uzma after he left her home, so what’s the point of getting married to Mahnoor & putting up with her nasty tantrums when he just can not be honest with her & when he knows that she will never understand him as she is so full of herself & her brain is a size of a peanut or may be smaller? After enjoying gol-gappas with Mahnoor, Haadi was seen thinking about Uzma & not only that he called her too. I don’t really understand why every single character in this drama is pretentious, like they are pretentious to a point where they come across as liars. Haadi pretends in front of Mahnoor that he is happy that she is back. Mahnoor is pretending in front of Haadi that she loves him & wants to get back with him because she can not live without him. Uzma is pretending that she is happy with the proposal of Fahad. Waqar is pretending to be a shareef tareen admi on the Earth, like seriously, they are a bunch of liars who are too afraid to admit their reality, even to themselves & that’s about it!!!
Uzma’s getting engaged & Gaiti has become a politician, taaliyan. Oh, I must say, that gol-gappa joint is quite famous because looks like every other couple in this drama comes across each other at the same spot, as previously it was Mahnoor & Waqar’s duo that met Haadi & Uzma, now it was Waqar & Anoushay’s duo that saw Mahnoor & Haadi. I still am not finding the involvement of Anoushay & her developing interest in this entire situation justified & rational. She is just an outsider so I don’t really understand why she is getting so affected by whatever Haadi’s doing. The only good few seconds of this episode belonged to Mr. Fayyaz, who in a very few words told Haadi that he was a beghairat to be arranging a Halala for his friend’s wife, I so wish Haadi had the spine to tell Fayyaz that he was the one who wanted a guy for his wife & not his friend, because I am sure he would’ve showed Haadi his right place!!!
Anyways, this episode was just a filler & I am actually furious that at this stage of the drama, in stead of wrapping it up, the director is dragging it & stretching it like a tasteless chewing gum which is played with in the last minutes before it is dumped into the dustbin. The preview of the next episode showed that Anoushay will be poking her unwanted nose in Haadi’s business too. I am not sure if her good acting would’ve made a difference but yes, the girl playing the character of Anoushay is simply annoying & her dialogue delivery is so bad that the attempt of the director to make her the integral part of the drama infuriates me even more!!! Please share your thoughts about this beghairti-filled episode of Zara Yaad Kar.
In the first few minutes of the episode, when Moiz and Tooba are in the car, we get to know that Moiz wants a quick ruksati but Tooba wants to do her Masters or maybe she says it only because she doesn’t want to give into Moiz so easily.
Adil is playing the creepiest villain ever. He follows Moiz and Tooba to the same shop and cleverly tells the sales person to give him the receipts because he’ll be picking up the bridal dress. I wonder how the people at the boutique let him do that so easily and even surprising was how they said that they’ll be giving Tooba someone else’s dress due to time shortage. Does that happen in real life?
Aamna Apa gets angry at Khadija and again says how Tooba shouldn’t be allowed to go around with ‘na-mehrams’ such as Adil when she learnt that Tooba went home to get Maira’s jewelleries for the wedding. During the drive, Adil compares himself to Moiz and Tooba becomes irritated. Adil smoothly covers it up saying, of course they are only ‘best friends’. A large part of the credit definitely goes to the director for extracting a fine performance from Goher Mumtaz, who is portraying all the emotions and switching between crazy and normal very well.
A family tradition is revealed by Apa where we get to know that in their family, elders believe that one wedding should take place at a time and one bride should get ready at one time and it becomes clear that it was Moiz’s idea all along for an early nikaah and ruksati, not his mother.
Fayez and Maira’s Walima have started, guests are pouring in and the family waits for Tooba’s ceremony to start. What I really liked about the wedding and reception scenes or even the shopping scenes in the previous episodes was the fact that they didn’t actually have sound for the dialogues but it could be understood that all of the characters had a strong rapport and bonding. All this makes it look like a real family.
Every family member including Waqar and his wife, start getting anxious since Tooba and Geeti haven’t reached the banquet hall from their parlour trip and have their mobile phones switched off. Adil comes just then and informs everyone that none of the girls are at the beauty parlour. He blames Moiz, saying he must have been the one to pick them up.
When Adil and Moiz go back to the parlour, the lady owner says she was setting the bride’s dupatta when the bride told her to hurry up since someone had come to get them. The family thinks of the worst situations such as a possible boyfriend, a planned kidnapping and expect a call for ransom. Adil acts as the saviour and tells Obaid that he’d try and pursue all his contacts to save the girls, all the while giving sly looks.
Khadija falls ill and Aamna keeps going on and on about how bad luck has fallen on them and now they are stuck until Tooba comes home. She comes across as a conceited person who keeps making Tooba’s parents apprehensive. In his distress, Obaid ur Rehman still plays the responsible patriarch and tells Tania to inform Geeti’s parents about the incident.
The episode ends high on suspense, with someone throwing water to wake up Tooba and Geeti, who have their mouth taped up, are tied to chairs and appear to be in some abandoned place.
One detail that I feel was missing and perhaps it wasn’t as significant to be mentioned, was the ‘Case of the absent jora’. Adil’s plan works and Tooba says to her mother that she doesn’t have a jora for her wedding. Then in the last scene, Tooba is shown wearing a red bridal dress which looks similar to the one Adil bought and I’m assuming he somehow made her wear it. It might be clearer in the next episode.
The promo for the next episode shows the kidnapper to be Adil and I wonder how Obaid and Waqar’s friendship will be tested and most importantly, how Tooba will get through this ordeal.
How many of you watched this episode and what are your thoughts about it? Please share.
After the big revelation of Moiz and Tooba’s engagement, Adil’s parents are scared that he’d hurt himself but he controls his emotions and puts on a brave face for his parents, especially his mum who is very worried. Geeti tries to talk to Adil but he doesn’t take her calls. Adil has a long internal monologue with himself, trying to understand why Tooba doesn’t love him.
Adil’s father has some wise words to make his wife realize that they really can’t help their son until he heals from within. ‘Mohabbat ka zakhm bohut gehra hota hai, kisi ke humdardi se nahi bharta/ Aur mehboob ki mohabbat mein rota hua dil sirf apne apko behelne se behelta hai, kisi ke behelne se nahi behelta’-this is absolutely true, for any kind of grief.
Adil shows a strong face to his mother and says he knows that ‘life goes on’ and says he’ll marry someone who loves him whole heartedly. He says he doesn’t need a ‘one sided love’ and tells his mother he’ll go for an arranged marriage which makes her happy.
He acts normal and goes to Tooba’s house to help out with the wedding preparations as usual. But since Aamna Phuppo doesn’t like taking Adil along to their shopping trips, Adil finds that everyone had gone without him. He then offers to take Geeti home. Geeti readily agrees and her happiness knows no bounds.
One scene that struck me as kind of strange was how Adil, for a split second, tells Geeti to ‘fall in love’ with him and then immediately snaps out of the moment and says things like how love is never real and that everyone will eventually betray.
Adil follows the wedding troupe around different shops at the mall and even to the food court! He buys things for Tooba as if he were marrying her. This led to the second most creepy scene in this episode-Adil looking through the jewellery, ‘jora’, sandals that he bought for Tooba and dancing around with the bridal dress in front of the mirror and also trying out her favorite perfume. All these scenes just go on to further establish his possessive, obsessive and psychotic nature.
One thing that struck me as odd was how Tooba and her family were always the last to know about Moiz and his mother’s plans. Aamna decides for Moiz and Tooba’s ‘nikaah’ on Fayez and Maira’s walima. She says that way Tooba’s visa proceedings will begin quickly and when they come again they’ll take her back with them. Obaid agrees to everything his sister says and his wife has no choice but to agree and look annoyed. I found the way Amna says ‘Haye mera bhai’ every time Obaid gives in to his Apa quite funny. Phuppo’s character is one that at times acts as a comic relief and at times instigates other characters, like how she clearly expressed her dislike in Tooba and Adil’s friendship and told Khadija to put a stop to it.
Tooba’s mother doesn’t think it looks good that her daughters will have their ‘ruksati’ from their house and then come back there. So, they decide to ask Aamna and her sons to stay over at Waqar’s house till the wedding. Obaid doesn’t really like the idea but tells his wife to be polite to his sister. But luckily, Apa understands the situation and agrees. Salma and Adil are surprised to hear about Tooba’s ‘nikaah’ being held so soon but they hide it well enough. We also get to notice Fayez’s change in attitude from his first interaction with Adil and he comes across as more polite and friendly.
I liked how the characters’ dialogues often speaks our mind like Tooba’s younger sister Tania asking why their Phuppo didn’t tell them earlier about Moiz and Tooba’s ‘nikaah’ and do all the shopping at once with Fayez and Maira.
Even though I felt the scene changes in some cases were a bit abrupt and had too many scenes showing the shopping trips, this episode further went on to establish the characters and their personalities really well. In my opinion, all the actors are playing their roles perfectly and I really hope the senior actors are given ample scope to showcase their talent and experience. I also felt that this episode centered too much on Adil and his eccentricities. Let’s see how he copes up in the next episodes.
Have you watched the episode? Please share your thoughts.
There’s been a lot of hype surrounding Lahore Se Aagey, the much anticipated sequel to Karachi Say Lahore.
The film starring Saba Qamar, Yasir Hussain, Rubina Ashraf, Behroze Sabzwari, is written by Yasir Hussain and produced and directed by Wajahat Rauf. The music composer is Shiraz Uppal.
Lahore Se Aagey comes out on November 11 2016. The first official teaser is now unveiled. Have a look and see if this movie looks like something you’d enjoy:
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?
