Chalo ji, Mushq finally ran off with Fahd but the moment we were waiting to see was not really her running off with him but what happens to him/them that kicks Fahd out of the picture and brings Mushq to Dabbu Bhai. Arrgh!
It was evident from the way last week’s episode ended that Dabbu bhai believed Mehru ji over Fahd. I thought he would then beat Fahd to within an inch of his life but two punches and he sent Fahd on his way. When he keeps pondering over all the time he has spent with Fahd, I thought maybe he would realize Mehru had played him especially the scene where Fahd is asleep and Mehru is literally sitting almost on top of his head but no, Dabbu is only trying to figure out why Fahd would stab him in the back like that.

Mehru’s sudden change of heart is also very annoying. She was pledging her undying love to Fahd and now is dreamily thinking of marrying Dabbu. I would like to do a ‘Dabbu’ here – just go along and believe what Mehru is saying. She wants to marry Dabbu? Ok sure, marry him – I am done trying to figure this woman out.

For all Fahd’s cluelessness he ended up remaining true to his word when he had written to Mushq in that letter Mehru delivered that when she would need him he would be there. Mushq opens the door and voila, Fahd is standing outside, albeit his usual dazed self, but there nonetheless!

Master Sb ka dil nahin bhara with his match the pictures worksheet and now Zeba gets married to Nayaz. Honestly, he takes obedient student to a truly new level altogether! Nayaz’s baji does seem to be a bitter woman but I am hoping what Nayaz says is true about her being good at heart, not for Zeba’s sake but because I do not want to see much more of Nayaz-Zeba!

It would have made so much sense if Mushq had packed an extra pair of clothes, really! I suppose she did not know what she was going to do till the very last minute but seriously, is it safe to walk to the end of the street dressed as a bride, let alone all the way to Lahore?!

I wonder what will happen now that the policemen asked Mushq and Fahd to step down from the bus. I could not find next week’s preview online and my curiosity got the better of me and I watched the OST again. Dabbu and Mushq seem to be quite close and Dabbu quite smitten. I think most of us are watching this drama mainly for the Dabbu-Mushq track to begin and I was disappointed on the note this episode ended but oh well, till next week then!

Fahd seemed a bit dazed – well, more than his usual confused self and I wonder if it is because of how he left things with Dabbu being on his mind. He did not seem as relieved or happy to be taking Mushq finally with him as I would have expected him to be. I did not feel any sympathy for Master Sb either for when he wails that if Mushq had told him to give his life so she could be free, he would have given it I thought what the heck? You could very happily keep your life to yourself and just get her married where she pleased rather than trying to marry her off to anyone but Fahd! He had been made a laughing stock already in front of the entire mohalla, Mushq’s rebellious attitude surely spoke for itself so it would have made sense for him to have her call Fahd and his mother and marry her off. Sigh.

What did you all make of this episode? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Kunwal Javid

A Big Bang Entertainment (hang on – don’t run off just yet!) production, Tum Yaad Aye has been on air for quite a few weeks now. Written by Naila Ansari and directed by Aabis Raza, Tum Yaad Aye airs on ARY Digital every Thursday at 9pm.
I began watching Tum Yaad Aye when it first aired and the first few episodes did not blow me away but then I binge watched a few of them together and it has caught my interest. There are a few things which bothered me about the play and I will mention them as I write.

So Tum Yaad Aye is the story of Zainab, mostly known as Zainy (Seher Afzal) and her two ‘families’. We are first introduced to Yusuf Kamdan (Nadeem Baig) who is married to Mehtaab (Sania Saeed). Yusuf has two children from his first marriage, Nigaar (Erum Akhtar) and Sherry (Agha Ali). Through conversations we learn that he married Mehtaab when his first wife died and Mehtaab is not much older than Nigaar and Sherry which is why they refer to her as Baji. Mehtaab has a daughter Zainy from her first marriage.

Yusuf loves Zainy like his own daughter – rather more than his own daughter. Sherry is shown to be the obedient, well behaved son who cares for Zainy and Mehtaab as if they truly are family. Nigaar is married and comes to stay at her father’s house for a while enroute to Canada. Nigaar has never welcomed Mehtaab as her father’s wife and resents her and Zainy’s presence in their lives. Her son Sahir seems to be in love with Zainy and after a few ‘tantrums’ Zainy is engaged to be married to Sahir.

It was around this point that I seemed to lose interest in this drama. I was a bit wary of it from the first few episodes because of ‘weirdness’ of the relationships. If we are to speak from an Islamic point of view then yes, it is as clear as ‘mehram’ and ‘non mehram’ and that is that. But – and I only speak how I feel – the relations that were being moulded into something else seemed too close to comfort for me. Sherry has always thought of Zainy as his younger sister and Mehtaab plants the beginning of something new in his mind. Sahir is told Zainy is his khala and suddenly they are to be engaged. I know, in our culture we call cousins ‘bhai’ and next thing you know you are getting married to one of them and that is alright, but here I felt a bit uncomfortable. Also, Nigaar seemed as if she hated Zainy and suddenly she agrees to accept her as her daughter in law – huh?!

But that is just me and I am aware everyone has different opinions, which is fine. Anyways, what got me interested again was how thankfully Sherry’s new love is not given too much attention and the introduction of Zainy’s other family. Normally when a bunch of new characters are introduced after some five episodes of a drama, it throws me off as it did in Mun Mayal. I understand they are introduced as an essential part to the story but I feel so engrossed in the main story that the new characters dilute my interest. Tum Yaad Aye however made me feel differently.

Zainy comes across Mina at her college. Mina works as a librarian and recognizes Zainy and tells her she is her taaya’s daughter. Zainy, intrigued to know more about her biological father goes home with Mina and meets her taayi, phuppo (Aisha Gul) and Mina’s brother Ahmer (Muneeb Butt). With her engagement to Sahir broken, Zainy is ‘free’ again and romance begins to blossom between Ahmer and Zainy. Needless to say Mehtaab and Yusuf do not approve of Zainy meeting with her relatives but they feel they can not impose too many restrictions. The latest episode ended with Mehtaab and Yusuf learning of Zainy’s love for Ahmer and they express their objection to the relationship but Zainy seems to be adamant she will marry Ahmer. I was aghast at her outrageous comment to Mehtaab when she says that Mehtaab herself has gotten married not once but twice and keeps standing in the way of her marriage!

I understand Nigaar’s attitude to Zainy would upset her but I do feel Zainy is a bit unreasonable. She has been so sheltered and pampered all her life otherwise that the slightest things cause her to flare up and be over sensitive. Yusuf and Sherry, the ones Zainy has spent most of her life with have done nothing but shower her with love and pampered her no end. So, for us to feel sympathy for her or for her to lash out at them is a bit out of line. I could understand the curiosity and desire though, for her to know who her father was and to spend time with his relatives especially as they are so welcoming.

Zainy’s upset at the broken engagement seemed to do more with the loss of a house in Canada rather than the engagement itself. Also, she was at loggerheads with Ahmer one second and the next the way they suddenly seemed to be in love and openly expressing it seemed a bit unreal.

I do not seem to understand Sherry. When Mehtaab encourages him to think of Zainy from a marital point of view, he seems to be interested but his interest in her is at times just the way it was before and sometimes we see him ‘wince in pain’ such as when Zainy seems to fall in love with anyone but him! Yusuf Kamdan and Co are portrayed as well off, disciplined people who believe in rules and strictly adhering to them. I suppose that is also one reason Zainy is so attracted to her biological father’s family because they seem to be full of life and the opposite of the people she grew up amongst.

Mina’s conversations with Ahmer and the reference to the endless ‘titlees’ who keep ringing him make us feel that Ahmer is quite a flirt. Mina keeps telling him to stay away from Zainy so it appears she does have Zainy’s best interests at heart. Ahmer was apparently very close to his chacha, Zainy’s father so it would not appear that he would be stringing Zainy along but at this point I am not sure he is truly in love with her. Phuppo seems to be genuinely fond of Zainy too and with the exception of Ahmer and Mina’s mother, the family does not seem to have anything on their mind except to get to know Zainy for she is their ‘blood’.

We still do not know why Mehtaab is not fond of her first husband’s family and why she has not let Zainy mingle with them or why they have not tried to meet her before now. Her father was apparently a producer and Ahmer is an actor so they have an artistic background, something Mehtaab refers to in a disdainful way in one of her conversations.

Seher Afzal has performed really well for a newbie. I am not sure if she has appeared in any other dramas before but this is the first time I have seen her in one. I do find her dressing a bit odd though (those waistcoats!)and initially thought it was because I do not live in Pakistan anymore and also am not very into the latest trends but then realized I have not seen such outfits in any of the other current dramas on air.

See what I mean? Anyways, Agha Ali has only improved with time and I will admit it is a visual treat to watch him in those shalwar kamiz suits haha. Muneeb Butt and Seher look really good together and all the actors and actresses in this play seem to share good chemistry.

Tum Yaad Aye so far is a decent watch and has become interesting after the introduction of the characters from Zainy’s biological family. The story although not extraordinary is different and thankfully free from the typical doosri biwi, saas bahu tracks. It is essentially the story of how a young woman – who is not an angel and has personality flaws- explores different relationships in her life and longs to ‘fit’ in somewhere and I am enjoying it.

Well, it is obvious Yusuf and Mehtaab do not approve of Ahmer so will Zainy rebel and marry him instead? Or is this where Sherry steps in? How many of you have been watching Tum Yaad Aye and would be interested in a weekly review? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Kunwal Javid

Eek, eek, eek! So Saira gets married to the man who is still in love with her older sister, married and divorced that sister and that sister still pines for him. Eeek!
Ebad’s kidnappers finally let him go and I am not sure if the whole scenario of Ebad dashing to get to Saira was meant to make some sort of impact but it only made me laugh. Throw in the zalim samaaj in the form of the very annoying rickshaw driver and Ebad certainly did not stand a chance. He reaches Saira’s house only to find that she and Sufiyan are now wed. I do wonder why he bothers going to her house though – he only ends up being thrown out each and every time. But hey, full marks for persistence!

Ebad thankfully managed to go beyond the ‘meri baat tau sunnain’ that you would expect in such a scene and does yell that Ashraf was behind his kidnapping but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Later, Ashraf’s father does say to his wife that he believed Ebad because Ashraf was certainly capable of pulling off such a stunt but felt it would not be wise to admit that in front of all the people gathered there and feels Saira is better off in her phuppo’s house anyway.

These episodes also introduced a new character – the shirt. The strange pinkish purple shirt that apparently Khadija had so ‘lovingly’ gifted Sufiyan and he so ‘lovingly’ treasures and only wears it to remember her but does not wear it for long in case ‘daagh na lag jaye’. I did sit with my heart in my mouth (sarcasm dripping here) when he wore it to go out to dinner with Saira and I kept thinking what if he dropped some food on the shirt! Horror!

But seriously – Saira and Sufiyan. Not only does it feel weird that they are together given that Sufiiyan still loves Khadija but then this constant ‘dukh’ sharing was very odd. So what happens next? They share their heartbreak with each other which will bring them closer and one day become soulmates? I did however feel that Saira is beginning to be a bit put off by Sufiyan’s constant parrot like repetition of his love for Khadija and maybe that is a good thing for if they are married now and meant to make it work then maybe things would move forward. I know the circumstances and the relation seem odd but I am of the opinion that if two people are married then at least try to make it work and get on with it rather than make each other and themselves miserable.

Another development in these episodes was Ifrah’s pregnancy. It amazes me each time – these people who without any medical test reports, any sort of examination wholeheartedly declare their diagnosis and begin their celebrations! Incredible! Well, Ifrah and Hammad are indeed expecting a child and I do not know why but I sort of hoped Ashraf would show a bit of compassion, a bit of interest. But he was as petty as I have ever seen him with refusing to have the mithai, the ‘no milk left for my chai’ comment and then stepping over the stuffed toy. I keep thinking he will relent at some point, such as at Saira’s rukhsati or when he hears of Hammad’s khushkabhri but this man is rigid.

Ebad has left for the U.S and is out of the picture – for now. Six months lapse and Hammad has passed his exam and is leaving for his training after which he will be able to take Ifrah and move to another city. Instead of Hammad moving, I do wonder why Ashraf does not move out. His entry into the house, from room to room is so obviously such a killjoy for the entire family that it would make sense if he left!

I feel now that we have established Ashraf is a completely horrid person who has messed up enough lives, it is time for payback time. I do not want to see Ashraf stoop further for I feel he has done enough. The pace of this drama has been decent enough so far so I hope not a lot of time is wasted on the Saira-shirt-Sufiyan track anymore!

I can’t help mention how lovely I thought the house looked lit up at the wedding. I understand the houses are not meant to be shown as big modern houses but the layout, the furniture and even phuppo’s house with that odd desk Sufiyan sits on in the middle of nowhere seem a bit strange but I did really like how pretty the lights were! Noman Ejaz has been amazing from the first episode and I can not imagine any other actor who could have carried out his role with as perfection as he has! His expressions, dressing, body language, accent – spot on!

What makes me tune into Bhai each week is also the unpredictability. I suppose Ashraf will be made to pay eventually, he will realize how wrong he has been (or will he?) – but I just keep trying to guess what would happen that would change things because enough ‘big’ events have happened already! Khadija’s divorce, Ifrah marrying Hammad, Saira’s near death, Saira married to Sufiyan and now Ifrah expecting – and Ashraf only becomes even more bitter!

What did you all think of these episodes? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Kunwal Javid

Aaaaaaaaaaand she’s back!! Mareena with her super bright gleaming eyes, menacing smile makes her appearance at the very end of the episode. Seems like she was able to ‘dodge’ the American doctors after all huh?

Ameer returns home along with his mother only to find Hamza dropping Mehru home. I really wish this guy would grow a backbone now for this timid nature has gone on for far too long. That – was my initial thought. But then Mehru reminded me of the ‘understanding’ she and Ameer have when she tells Hamza that she is only with him temporarily. So I remember the conversation she had with him at the dinner table when she said she only needed to be with him until she was able to financially support herself.

But Mehru confuses me. She is ‘nice’ to Ameer, cooks for him, worries when he is late. She tells him he is a good person but she can never give him the love or the respect he deserves. So what is this all really now? Ameer and Mehru waiting for Mehru to become financially independent and then leave? And Ameer secretly hoping she may fall in love with him before that? Although it is nice not to have to sit through Mehru yelling and treating Ameer with disdain, but this whole scenario does not seem to work either. I wish now truly that something would happen for this state of affairs has been dragged on enough. I know Ameer seems resigned to the state of his marriage – but I am getting annoyed now!

Ameer’s mother instantly sensed all was not well between Mehru and Ameer. She did mean well when she mentions the doctor issue and I get that the mum in laws in our dramas and even in real life to an extent start getting impatient about ‘khush khabri’ but it is the way it is talked about which is disturbing as if it were some sort of accusation on the woman, even in the most normal of circumstances. And ‘yahaan tau issue he alag hai!’

Mehru is not very convincing with her ping pong game of running to Hamza for help at the drop of a hat and then being outraged at anyone suggesting she has questionable feelings for him. If she really does not feel anything for him and knowing the history between them would it not be the most sensible and rational thing to do to quit her job there and not contact him? True, tongues do wag but in this case, she is not justified in giving them a reason to wag in the first place! Either be with Ameer or be with Hamza!

I say that in each review now so I sound like a broken record. Which is why I hope things are shaken up a bit in the next episode. Mehru was totally out of line sharing her marital life details with Hamza no matter how agitated she was and the web Hamza oh so innocently seems to be spinning, telling Mehru that Ameer is too good for the likes of them and it would be the right and kind thing to leave him is shrewd on his part.

This drama was nice to watch with Ameer’s comical role and I liked the direction and acting of the lead characters. Even the supporting characters like Maryam, Mehru’s parents and Ameer’s mother performed really well. But the story seems to be dragging now.I want to see the story move on and although the next episode preview shows Mareena had Hamza watched while she was away it still does not seem that much will come out of that confrontation. Ameer, Mehru and Hamza all seem to be martyrs and Mareena the evil Joker (Batman wala Joker). Do us a favour Mehru and please decide keh ‘kisay chahoon’ and do something about it asap!

How do you feel about the way the story is progressing? Would love to hear your thoughts on these episodes!

Kunwal Javid

Whoa, whoa, whoa!! I had heard of ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ but Ashraf Bhai nay tau auraton ko peechay chor diya hai!! What madness ensued in these episodes!

 
Ashraf had vowed that if he did not get the ‘love of his life’ he would move heaven and earth to make sure none of his siblings were happy in love too. He manages to convince his father that it is in the best interest of the family that Saira is wedded off to Jawad. Jawad is reluctant but lacks the courage to be able to stand up to Ashraf. Saira however managed to say no at the time of nikkah, drawing strength from Ebad showing up at that moment but Ashraf sends him and his parents packing – again!

You know, I feel there should be another category in these drama awards nominations – top ‘thappar’ receiver and the top two neck- to -neck nominees for that would be these two sisters – Sajal and Saboor Ali. The way Saira has been beaten up, slapped repeatedly on the face, neck wrung like a duck – it has truly been excessive in my opinion. I do not understand why it had to be shown so many times and to such lengths! We get it, Ashraf will beat up Saira at the drop of a hat – must we see it happen repeatedly in every second episode.

Anyways, egged on by Ashraf, his father Muneer Ahmed begins to feel that maybe the only honourable thing to do is take Saira’s life. I sat there agape watching Saira gulp down the milk which he had poisoned and when he stood outside her door listening to her begging for help and dying I thought okay, this is the point that he wakes up and realizes it was a bad dream – but no! I only snapped out of my stupor when my daughter chimed in with ‘see mama, she does not want to finish her milk either’. Kids – I thought she was busy watching her cartoon on tv rather than peering into my laptop! Saira does however survive (surprise surprise!).

Quite a lot of screen time was focused on Muneer Ahmed ‘bhatkofying’ in the streets after his murderous act which at one point to me seemed to drag. I waited to see the moment when he sees Saira again after she comes home for he seemed to lack the courage to face her but I was so disappointed. I am not the sort who jumps up from her seat yelling ‘wah wah’ whattay dialogue – but I did expect something a bit more emotional, a bit tear jerking than Saboor sniffling and saying ‘aap meray maalik hain Aba’. Uff!

 
Muneer Ahmed begins to change now – taking a stand for his daughters especially Saira. I found this change in him convincing though because he was always trying to stop Ashraf from hitting his sisters and his wife does say to him that he has a soft spot for Saira. By no means was he justified in doing what he did, but I liked how after realizing what a grievous sin he almost committed, he goes about making an effort to change things for his daughters. I really felt the impact of that stare he gave Ashraf when Saira comes back home from the hospital and then says to him ‘ bas kar day’.

Meanwhile, Rabab and Jawad are playing out their own romance. I had spoken too soon when I said Rabab doesn’t say much or her role does not have much to offer. She proved me wrong! Her mouth opened and then the words just kept coming out. I had hoped Ashraf would not react the way he did when Jawad told him he wants to marry Rabab – but deep down I suppose I knew he would do just that.

 
Ashraf, Ashraf, Ashraf – this man’s hatred knows no bounds. I felt such an urge to be able to get into his head and rewire his brain. He is so angry, so indignant, so convinced that his way of thinking is so right that he does not seem to understand that there is not a single person in his family who agrees with him, not even his father now. I thought he was truly fond of Jawad but the way he keeps throwing the ‘hamaray tukron par palla hai’ makes me wince although I am so glad Muneer Ahmed gave him the shut up call when he said that he was not raised on anyone’s ‘tukras’ but was raised in his own phuppo’s house and that was that.

The two goons, Mr Colgate and Mr Leopard, that have kidnapped Ebad must have volunteered for their roles. Their scenes and acting were truly strange.

This ‘shaadi zaroor honi hai’ regardless of who or what in our dramas is getting a bit nauseating. Marriage has truly become a joke and everyone in this family is playing their own game, trying to achieve their own means but then phuppi makes the master of all moves to which Muneer Ahmed adds his own touch! How could she suggest – sorry, force Sufiyan to marry Saira when he and Khadija had been in love and yes divorced now but what bad taste that he be forced to marry the sister of the woman who is still in love with. And then Muneer Ahmed sends Ashraf off to call Jawad but it appears he is doing it to get him off his back and he is all for Saira marrying Sufiyan with Saira also weepingly agreeing, with Khadija’s blessing. What a loonybin really!

These episodes were engaging I have to admit. I watched them wanting to know what happens next because I think that is what is the best aspect of this drama that it is not predictable – right down to the tech savvy English speaking kidnappers! Ashraf’s phrases did throw in a few comical moments which were a welcome distraction from the otherwise dark scenes of Saira’s almost death. The term ‘love pond’ that he threw at Hammad and Ifra really made me laugh as did when he says to Jawad when he hears Ebad and his parents have come with the rishta again that ‘mein zara unn ki shampoo kar aoon’. His nicknames for Saira (choosni) and Hammad (duddu) could actually pass off as endearing from an older brother except he seems to really hate them.

I really hope Saira does not get married to Sufiyan nor to Jawad. Not because she does not love either of them but because her sisters love them and vice versa! Awkward!

Noman Ejaz is such a versatile actor. He has portrayed Ashraf perfectly – whereas I did not hate him as much earlier when he was trying to woo Ifra, I really can not but help be aghast at how he is going all out to make life miserable for his family. Salman Shahid is also a great actor although I wish he did not have to speak the way he does. I realize it is because he has had a stroke and that is also the reason Ashraf has more control but I still wish his speech was not so slurred. It is truly difficult to understand him at times.

On a lighter note to detract from the intense and sometimes dark moments these episodes offered, I thought I would mention how I noticed that the couples Ashraf is bent on breaking or has already broken really did seem to be ‘made for each other’. The ‘surmas’ (Rabab and Jawad), the ‘please come beat us up’ (Saira and Ebad), the ‘lanky ones’ (Khadija and Sufiyan) and the ‘lipsticks – or maybe to add some Ashraf-ness the ‘laal bulliyans’ (Ifra and Hammad).

No wonder Ashraf feels so complexed – for if he were to find someone for himself that would be similar to him it would be someone like those below!

It is chaotic, loud, messed up, at times depressing – but Bhai is entertaining I have to admit. Have you all been watching Bhai and these episodes? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Kunwal Javid