Anyone who knows a little bit about Mahira Khan would know that Feeha Jamshed the designer is not only the one whose outfits Mahira is seen wearing mostly but she is also her childhood friend. Mahira Khan makes it a point that everyone knows that she prefers wearing Feeha Jamshed’s designs so she is like the brand ambassador for the designer. Is this choice based on the childhood friendship or because Mahira Khan really prefers the outfits because of the fabric and designs?
Feeha Jamshed made it clear that Mahira was not wearing her designs because she asked Mahira Khan to endorse her brand but it was Mahira’s own choice. She said that Mahira was free to wear whatever she wanted. Feeha Jamshed said, “I am not the kind of designer who would ask somebody to wear me. Mahira comes to me when she wants something out of my label just like she would go to Elan when she wants to wear their outfit.”
Mahira Khan has also been the showstopper for Feeha Jamshed in many Fashion Shows. That is why Feeha said, “Mahira does represent the Feeha Jamshed woman – a woman who just walks in her own tune; there will be a rat-race on the road in front of her but she’ll take the curb. She is different from the rest. And Mahira is that. She is very chilled with her life and very self-assured.”
Usually people would think that someone like Mathira who is continuously giving people something to talk about would not care what people think about her but that is not the case. While talking on a talk show Mathira said that she was sick and tired of the way people judged each other in Pakistan and especially her. Mathira also said that when she shifted to Pakistan from Zimbabwe “It was very hard for me to change my mentality. I used to argue with my mother all night and my mother used to say that you can never meet the social norms in Pakistan.”
In the interview Mathira said that her mother used to tell her not to wear short dresses because the mentality of Pakistanis was different from that of the people of Zimbabwe. She further said, “There are all sorts of people in Zimbabwe. There are Hindus, there is poverty and Muslims live there too but they are not judgmental. People there do not judge your character based on what you wear.”
Mathira said that if a girl wears shorts people will continue staring at her legs like it is a “free deal”. Further on about the people in general Mathira said, “They can’t love or hate properly.” Mathira is very unhappy with people judging her all the time. She says that she feels sometimes that she is a politician and not a entertainer.
While talking to the Express Tribune Mathira said about working across the border, “Indian directors have been welcoming and really want me to their future projects. Projects tu aate jate rehte hein but family always comes first.”
Model and singer Ayyan Ali has been in the news for the past few months for all the wrong reasons. Now that the model is out of the prison on bail she wants to create a good image for herself. In an attempt to regain the respect she lost due to the money laundering incident Ayyan decided to spend her 22nd birthday with children in Edhi Foundation and SOS Village. Ayyan also distributed gifts among the children.
Tabassum Mughal is a known Pakistani designers who has been invited as a guest in many Morning Shows too. Recently one of her clients who wasn’t a very rich woman but wanted a designer dress for her daughter has brought to light the real face of the designer who appears to be very nice on television. The client has spread the incident via facebook and twitter. She says that when she went to the designer to get her daughter’s clothes, they were not ready. She protested a little and ask the designer to finish the work on time. The designer did not like this and she asked her general manager and few more people there to drag the woman out of the place.
The general manager and other men beat the woman up with chairs, kicked her, pulled her hair and dragged her out of the place. The exact ‘orders’ of the designer were “Maaro iss Rickshaw wali aurat ko” because the client had come on a rickshaw. She also said that people who travel in rickshaws don’t deserve to be her clients.
This is how the whole incident was narrated by someone who is related to the victim:
She also posted pictures of the injury:
Tabbasum Mughal posted her part of the story in these words:
This post was deleted after few hours for unknown reasons. Many other people are coming out and saying that they had been treated badly by the designer. They were not beaten but they were verbally abused. People are gathering up in Karachi Clifton area tomorrow to protest against the designer so that she can be brought to justice.
A page dedicated to the incident has been created on facebook but the admin says that he/she is getting threats from “friends” of Tabbasum Mughal.
After last week’s insightful episode, this one was engaging, but I guess I didn’t enjoy it as much as the last one because it had a lot to with Sheheryaar’s family but little to do with Emaan and Sheheryaar.
Emaan found herself in an awkward situation where she had to decide who she’s supposed to listen to – Sheheryaar or his family. Hajra is a little too keen on mending relations, and though her motives are selfish, Emaan doesn’t feel that there’s anything wrong if Sheheryaar’s mother wants to spend some time with her because Hajra poses to be her well-wisher. Sheheryaar doesn’t quite understand that Emaan doesn’t find herself in the position to refuse to Hajra’s requests because Hajra is her saas after all and she can’t be rude to her. Also, Emaan’s mother wants her to have cordial relations with Sheheryaar’s parents. But, the way Emaan politely turned down Hajra’s offer to go for shopping showed that it’s Sheheryaar and his decisions that matter the most to her, and she cares a lot about how her actions would please or displease him.
When it comes to these goad bharai ki rasmain, silly superstitions etc, I totally agree with Sheheryaar Hassan! There seems to be a lot of pressure on Emaan to give them a waaris. Emaan’s keen interest in kids and her interactions with Shahnaam, in particular, have made clear that Emaan harbours a strong desire to have a child. It’s plain to see that Sheheryaar, on the other hand, doesn’t exactly feel comfortable talking about this matter. I think this has much to do with Sheheryaar’s relationship with his parents. His father wasn’t exactly a role model and he always kept his son at an arm’s length which is why Sheheryaar has become stubborn and hardheaded. I feel that Sheheryaar fears the tremendous responsibility of fathering a child, and wants to take his time before coming to a decision. Interestingly enough, this episode signaled a slight change in Sheheryaar’s approach towards having children, and he’s beginning to wonder if his parents are right after all.
There are times when I feel that Sheheryaar shouldn’t be so harsh with his parents, but then I feel that his parents can be a little difficult to handle. I wonder how Sheheryaar got along with his father all this time because from what I saw in this episode, these two can’t even have a proper conversation without one of them leaving the room!
I really liked the scene where Sheheryaar explains to Emaan that ‘loag kabhi khush nahe hotay, khamakhua taang aratay rehtay hain’. I liked Sheheryaar’s dialogues here – they were witty and very true. This is an extremely private matter and only Sheheryaar and Emaan have the right to discuss it – no one else, be it his parents or Emaan’s, have the right to pry into this matter. Romance waghaira tou fazooliat hoti hain, asal cheez tou commitment hoti hai na? Commitment ho tou romance ki gunjaish nikal hi aati hai. We have had cute couples, cheesy couples, sweet couples, but this one is an intellectual couple! I like how Emaan and Sheheryaar have a balanced relationship. They have their disagreements, but they enjoy some light moments as well, and this makes them look real and relate-able. I have to say that Faisal Qureshi is perfect as Sheheryaar Hassan and he really owns his character.
Kia tum nay uss say poocha hai kay who kia chahti hai? As much as I dislike Hajra, I feel that she raises a really good question here. Sheheryaar wants to be the one making all the decisions and I agree that he has a right to make decisions for himself, but once you’re married, you need to make some decisions based on mutual agreement and trust, because these decisions do not concern an individual – they concern both the individuals involved and the relationship on the whole.
I was actually very relieved when Sajal announced that she’s going out to meet her friend and I was thinking to myself, ‘OK, the girl does have a life!’ but much to my disappointment, she wanted to pay Emaan a visit. Zareena and Hajra don’t even realize that by bringing Emaan and Sheheryaar in the picture, they are making things difficult for Sajal because with Emaan in sight, even if she thinks about moving on, it would be difficult for her to do so. Sajal is wallowing in misery and I definitely blame Zareena and Hajra for this. Coming to the scene where Sajal comes to meet Emaan, they are always going on about how well-mannered dear Sajal is, but she had a pretty good look around Sheryaar and Emaan’s house in their absence – I am not sure if that makes her well-mannered :P. Jokes aside, I sometimes feel that I can’t take Sajal seriously because there’s something about her character that just doesn’t seem right to me. Apart from the fact that she’s madly in love with Sheheryaar, what else do we know about her, anyway? Iqra Aziz is doing a good job with what she has been given, but I am unable to form any sort of connection with Sajal.
I can understand Emaan’s love and concern for Shahnaam, but I do feel that she should be careful now. It seems like her in laws only feel like visiting her when she’s at Rohail’s place, and that could create problems for her because the fact that Rohail lives all alone in one big house doesn’t look very good. We are perfectly aware of Emaan’s intentions, but she needs to consider that Sheheryaar’s family is very typical and now that Sajal knows about these visits, this could mean trouble.
The promo suggests that things will get a little unpleasant so let’s see how the story shapes up. What are your thoughts on the latest episode? Voice your views!
Oh God! To be honest, it was so hard for me to watch this episode of Jugnoo in one go & even when I watched it in installments, I found it really hard to keep my interest intact because this episode didn’t offer anything new & the comedy done by Jugnoo seemed a lot more forced too. It is so obvious that the script has ended may be 3 – 4 episodes ago & now the team of Jugnoo is just stretching it for the sake of completing the number of episodes they had in mind.
This episode was all about Jugnoo being all over Murree & by looking her doing that really stirred the question in my mind as to how was she managing it? She was even there in Zulfi’s room, she was out there to intimidate Tanveer, she even went to meet Ayesha when she just woke up & even though Ayesha & her mother are communicating on phone while being in the same town showing they might be at a safe distance, Jugnoo also went to have a conversation with Ghazala. Yes, I know that Murree is a very small town because I have lived there myself but I don’t think anyone can manage to hop around & cover the distance with a blink of an eye. The whole comedy factor in this episode was anything but comic. The actor playing the character of Tanveer seemed so out of his comfort zone when he had to act all goofy & frightened by Jugnoo & he made it pretty obvious too. To be honest, as much as they tried to make it seem funny, it was actually quite painful instead of being humorous. Similarly, looks like Saman Ansari was having a hard time while acting in this particular episode too & there was some sort of discontinuity in between the scenes & the conversations. I found the direction to be really poor throughout this episode.
I am sorry to say but Zulfi is such a pain. How many times will he put Jugnoo & her love through a test? She has proved her love for him plenty of times & it still hasn’t occurred to him that it is a high time he should do something for her instead of happily agreeing to be in a house arrest. It is just so annoying to see him least bothered & unaffected even after he knows that Jugnoo is trying so hard to be with him & she is facing the big elephants all alone, on her own. I think there was a chance for Zulfi to redeem himself but that chance has gone by ages ago & nothing that he would do will change my opinion about him ever.
Even though I have always liked Jahangir, Kissho & Shahjahan’s conversation, they were annoying too because they were absolutely monotonous. Kissho’s fixation with Jugnoo is beyond me & I mean are they really trying to show that Kissho is competing with Jugnoo in some way? She is in her 30’s & Jugnoo is in her early 20’s, so the competition & comparison is out of question. I find Kissho’s obsession with Jugnoo & her disinterest in her own martial life quite boring because it has been this way the moment the drama began. All this while I really thought that her track would have a meaning of some sort & all the coverage that she has been getting will be justified but now when I know that the drama’s ending, I can’t help but think that if her track wouldn’t have been added, we wouldn’t have missed something huge because her character & track has been a complete failure in a way that neither did it stir any sympathy nor did it contain any lesson. It looks like Kissho’s character was just added to bring in a companion for Jahangir, who would sit with her & backbite about Jugnoo never-endingly.
I must say, Ghazala & Ayesha’s mother is so immature & unreasonable. She pretty much knows by now that Zulfi’s married & any sane mother would want her daughter to get married to a guy who hasn’t been married before, a guy who is mentally & emotionally stable like Dr. Saadi, a guy who makes a decent living & is working himself but she is persistent on getting Ghazala married to a spineless Zulfi who is just a student, a daddy’s-boy who has no control over his life & what for? I believe she might be insane, unreasonable or downright stupid. She has always believed that her daughter Ghazala is quite innocent & simple, so shouldn’t she find a guy like Dr. Saadi for her who would take care of her daughter & not someone like Zulfi who himself doesn’t know what he wants from his life?
Yes, this drama was entertaining & different in the beginning but it has lost its charm because the comic factor they were depending on wasn’t so strong to last for the whole drama, it did work but stopped in the middle because may be they decided to rely on it too much. Most of the dialogues have been so repetitive that I just know what they are going to say. Ghazala’s mother telling her time & again ‘ke tum bohat masoom ho’, Tanveer calling Jugnoo ‘jahil aurat’, Baba Sahab telling Zulfi ‘tumhara Jugnoo se koi taluq nahi hai’, Jahangir & Kissho assuming ‘ke Jugnoo to pit pita rahi hai’ etc; all such dialogues have been used so much that all the conversations more or less revolve around these lines only.
Anyways, please keep in mind that while discussing the characters, I am only speaking about the characters & not the actors at all. When I actually direct my comments at the actors, I use their names, so just to be clear, I think both Zahid Ahmed & Yumna Zaidi have done their jobs well but it is the writer who failed to etch out the rest of the characters properly & even when all the actors have tried to give their best shot, they really couldn’t. I feel it was only Jugnoo’s character that got all the attention that is why we didn’t get much from other characters to form a connection with. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Jugnoo!
This was another fun episode of Farwa Ki ABC which had its high and low points. The opening conversation of Changez and his friend in which he tries to convince him that he had to get that certificate from the psychiatrist for him was very comical especially because of the way Changez explained to his friend why he had to do him this favor!! Changez’s English is amusing and the actor playing the role is very comfortable playing a character which isn’t easy to translate on screen. I can’t say the same about the actor play the role of Changez’s friend, I find his eye color extremely distracting. If it is his natural eye color he should have worn lenses to make it more camera friendly and if he is wearing lenses then it was a really bad idea because I find those eyes so distracting that I can’t focus on the acting or anything else!! The friendship between the two would’ve been far more appealing if there was a little more chemistry between the two actors playing the role. Changez is your typical rich boy who knew right from the beginning that he could get on with life without having to study. He has money but money cannot buy class therefore Changez has to work extra hard to get “bachis” to like him!!
Once again we saw Farwa’s parents mulling over the fact that how different things would have been if their daughter was more like all the other brilliant people in the family. I must say that I haven’t been able to warm up to Irsa Ghazal playing this role but Khalid Anum seems to be the perfect choice for playing the character of Farwa’s father who would do anything to make his daughter pass BA if nothing else. It was especially funny when Farwa’s parents discussed how embarrassing it was that she failed in English! The scenes with Farwa’s parents in them would have been much better if they weren’t so melodramatic.
Sonya Hussain has nailed her character especially the bits in which Farwa is dying of boredom while her teacher reads the novel to her. She cannot understand symbolism at all because Farwa probably has never looked at life with such depth! The conversations and interactions between Farwa and her teacher were the highlight of this episode. On the one hand we have a dedicated teacher who will leave no stone unturned to ensure that his student gets the best grades and on the other hand we have a student who will do anything to make sure that all his efforts go to waste!! Essentially this drama so far is all about who will win – those people who want Farwa to pass or Farwa who would much rather get married! The scene in which Farwa does her victory dance would have been even better if it was shorter – sometimes less is more!!
Overall, this was an entertaining episode but it would’ve been even more so had some of the scenes been chopped down. I must say that it does feel slightly odd watching a play like Farwa Ki ABC on Friday nights since I am so used to watching some very serious and intense plays on Friday nights! I am hoping that the play will gain momentum and get more interesting in the upcoming episode until then I am keeping an open mind and enjoying watching Sonya Hussain in a different character.
Do share your thoughts about this latest installment.
PEMRA’s latest steps to promote nationalism through TV channels and to stop content that is unethical or indecent comes after the Senate ordered it to take notice of different programmes that were not in line with Pakistan cultural identity and could easily be regarded as unethical.
PEMRA issued notice to all the private TV channels to “telecast national anthem before the start of everyday transmission as being practiced in neighboring countries to promote patriotism.” In an announcement the officials of PEMRA showed their discontent with the way religion was used for commercial purposes during the Ramadan transmission by the private TV channels.
According to the announcement “Such programmes were not only lamented by legislators but also by a large number of people who believed that the programmes were against the norms and violate the sanctity of Ramadan.”
The channels have been asked not to use religion to gain the attention and good will of the consumers.
Many people have criticized PEMRA for being slow in taking action because such an action should have been taken during Ramadan so that people did not have to watch all these programmes in the Holy month.
This episode just like the previous focused solely on Saba and Wajaht’s proposal a little too much for my liking!! Aapa Ji played her cards right. Who would know better than her how badly it hurts when someone else tells you something regarding the personal life of your loved one when you don’t have a clue. She knew that Saba’s mother would react the way she reacted and she could blame her for everything. It was good to see Saba communicating her feelings to Wajahat and Wajahat doubting his Aapa. Had he not doubted her he would never have asked Samia who she thought was responsible for everything that happened. For now it seems like Aapa is fighting a lost battle because Wajahat is not going to get over Saba that easily. Saba is a confident girl who will fight her case too.
I must say that some parts of tonight’s episode seemed repetitive but as long as the story moves forward in the next episode that can easily be forgiven. If this play is going to be about Aapa’s plotting and planning alone to keep Wajahat away from Saba then it will definitely not be what I expected it to be. Am I the only one who thinks that if there was a little more of “Rukhsana” in every episode it would add a nice change to the drama and also keep the viewers wondering what other secret does this character hold since many of us who are watching this play are watching it mainly for this character. There was nothing new about the way Aapa Ji felt about getting her brother who is like a son married to someone like Saba who she knows will never be as “obedient” as Samia. We have seen that many times before too.
I must say that Seema Sehar is a very good addition to our television industry. She played the perfect mother who had unconditional love for her step son brilliantly in Mera Naam Yousuf Hai and she is very convincing as the responsible, cautious and overprotective mother in this play too. After watching these 4 episodes I feel that the characters lack the depth which I was hoping they would have or maybe I was expecting too much. It is too early to say what turn the story will take but it seems like the director will take his time revealing the past of Aapa’s character to us.
Did you watch this episode? If you did, don’t forget to share your thoughts here.
The leading cast of the Pakistani film “Karachi Se Lahore” has been very busy promoting the film. Different celebrities who are not the part of the film have also endorsed it because most of them want to see the cinema flourishing. Those who saw the film in the private premier are praising the effort. The private premier of Karachi se Lahore was a star studded affair. Here are the pictures:
“No black has superiority over any white, and no white has superiority over any black, except on the basis of Taqwa.”
So, the ninth instalment of Aab-e-Hayat is out and we get to indulge in yet another dimension of the story. The good thing is finally the readers are able to connect the dots a bit. Although I was expecting more of the Chunni track, this episode was adventurous and touching in its own way.
Progress
We are transported to the rain forests of the second largest African country the Democratic Republic of Congo and its deforestation program which is extremely harmful for the native pygmies living there. The country has been suffering from poverty and and civil wars for the past 45 years. Salar is the country head of World Bank there, and meets Petris Ibaka (hope I am spelling the name right). Ibaka is a native but has studied in Harvard School of Business. Despite living in the U.S for 25 years he has now returned to help his people. Ibaka makes Salar realise that the program is not only harmful for the natives, but also involves heinous corruption. He and Salar bond immediately and Salar is put in a dilemma of whether he should quit silently or raise a voice against it. Before he can manage, the corruption of the deforestation program is published as a cover story in Guardian. The story goes viral and the headquarter tries to hush it all up. Meanwhile, Salar presents his own detailed report on non-feasibility of this project, which makes the headquarter put all the blame (of treason and passing confidential information) on him and he is summoned to Washington. Salar is extremely tense about leaving behind his family (Imama, Jibrael, Inaya and third one coming soon). He bids Imama farewell in a pensive mood (which Imama notices as well) and leaves for Washington after receiving a mysterious phone call.
In the second part of the story, we get to know that Waseem and Saad were killed in a mass killing at their place of worship. Imama is living in U.S with Salar, is expecting her first child and this sudden loss puts her in depression. She tries to meet his father who brutally tells her off and puts the blame of Waseem and Salar’s murder on Sikandar Usman and family. She then realises that she was unintentionally going to beg her father for forgiveness (as predicted by him before she left his home). She snaps out of it but cannot deal with depression. Salar is extremely worried about her but cannot do much as he is busy with his Ph.D. and job. Finally, one day Imama asks to go to Pakistan for which Salar agrees. She has the intentions to leave Salar so that he can flourish without her nahoosat. She returns to Dr. Sibt-e-Ali’s house but is unable to find inner peace. One day Imama gets to meet an old woman who tells her the meaning of shukar and makes her realise that what she is doing with Salar is ungratefulness. Imama realising her mistake phones Salar telling her decision to go back to him.
The last scene describes a neurosurgery being done on a brain with 150+ IQ level. The surgeon is one of the best in the world but ‘someone’ whose life and death depends on this surgery is extremely worried.
Connecting the Dots…
Using the first episode as a key, we can make a few guesses about the storyline.
The way Salar has left Imama in this episode, does not bid well.
The assassination attack shown in the first episode may have been planned for Salar. Now that we know that higher authorities are not happy with his honesty and he is getting life threats as well.
Salar might be the old man who had lost his memory and whose son was feeding him. This may be in contrast with his high IQ and photographic memory. But God knows what he did to deserve it if this is the case.
Salar may or may not be the person whose surgery is being done. I doubt this because it is too obvious that Salar has a super-genius brain. But then, this surgery might be a result of the attack on him.
We will see more of Petris Ibaka, probably as a powerful official.
Jibarel is about to play a pivotal role in the story after he grows up.
Quality Rating
I would give a score of 3 out of 5 for pace, as the story is moving not very quickly. For character development, 4 would be appropriate. We have seen Imama going through much and luckily she has evolved in the process. The Imama we saw with Salar in Congo was a responsible and loving wife as opposed to the judgemental one we have been seeing in the past episodes. Salar remains Salar wherever he goes and we cannot detect any developments in his character. Overall the quality rating is 4.5 out of 5.
What to Expect
Unless a completely new track is introduced, I am hoping that episode 10 gives us more insight into Chunni’s track. Salar’s fate in Washington is questionable and we hope that no harm befalls on him. Imama will have to be stronger if she is to cope with living in dangers. She can take decisions but does not have the courage to fulfil them. May be she can be more of a help to Salar than she can think of. The episode was surely engaging and the readers anticipate the 10th episode eagerly.
This episode just like the last one left me wanting to know more about both Rukhsana and Apa Ji! It has been well established after this latest installment that one thing that both these personalities have in common is that they do not like it when things don’t go exactly the way they want. We found out today that Apa Ji raised both her brothers because their parents passed away. Since she dedicated her whole life to raising them she feels she is entitled to complete compliance from both of them. While Sharaft and his wife have not given Apa Ji any trouble till now, it looks like Wajaht and Saba are not going to be as obedient as them. The only reason Apa Ji turns to Sharifa for advice is that she knows that she is the only one who thinks exactly on the same lines as her and she will never say anything which would be against Apa Ji’s wishes.
Apa Ji’s conversation with Sharifa about how she would feel if her son fell in love with someone and later on the flashback scene in which she was shown “disciplining” Wajahat when he was a child showed how she felt about her brothers and how important it was for her to make sure that they always put her before anything else. Everything that Sharifa says actually reflects Apa’s state of mind especially the part about brothers and sisters being more important than anyone else!
I must confess that I am not a big fan of Tipu Sharif but I like his outlook and the way he has translated his character on screen in this play. Sharafat will never question his Apa Ji’s decision because he feels that he owes her that and much and more because of everything that she has done for him but at the same time he has a decent relationship with his wife perhaps because until now Samia has done everything she can to keep Apa Ji happy.
In this episode as well Iffat Omer stole the show yet again but it would be unfair if I do not give due credit to all the other actors who have given equally brilliant performances but not every character has the screen presence which Apa Ji’s character has. I must say that I would have liked to see more of Rukhsana’s character in tonight’s episode but I guess the director wants to keep the mystery alive for a few more episodes.
The preview of the next episode showed that things are going to get even more complicated therefore I am wondering how this marriage will take place. Will Wajahat do something to change Apa Ji’s mind? Something much more serious than crying? For now Iffat Omer remains the highlight of this drama and has given me reason to tune in to see more of her in the next episode which is only a day away! I think it is a very good idea to show these serials twice a week because that way the story moves forward quickly and even if the play isn’t extraordinary you watch it for the good pace, acting and direction. I would give full marks to the director for short and to the point scenes. The story has been flowing very smoothly till now.
How many of you watched this latest installment? Do share your thoughts about it.
There’s no doubt about the fact that we take our drama industry very seriously. Unabashedly proud of our actors, we love to follow their work, discuss their ventures, and critique their acting. It’s just that when some actors blow you away with their flawless performances, and manage to retain their standards for quite some time, you begin to expect that these people can never go wrong. Much to our dismay, the quality of work our stars are settling for is anything but impressive. We keep giving their plays a go, in the hopes of being greeted by something refreshing and up to the mark, only to be met with disappointment.
Here’s a list of actors who made their presence felt, set the bar high, but what got into them is anybody’s guess!
• Fahad Mustafa
The party doesn’t start without him! When I think of Fahad Mustafa, the first thing that comes to mind is his play, ‘Main Abdul Qadir Hoon’. From the stuttering AQ, to the heartbroken, depressed but seemingly ‘cool’ dude, to the spiritually enlightened Abdul Qadir – Fahad Mustafa portrayed every facet of Abdul Qadir’s personality and journey to absolute perfection, and it’s his phenomenal performance because of which Abdul Qadir’s spiritual transition is very close to many hearts.
Zain from Lahasil, Saadi from Wujood-e-Laraib, you name it, he nails it! And the fact that he chose to portray challenging characters that too when he was the new kid on the block speaks a lot about his talent and versatility. He has been a part of many plays like Aashti, Mastana Mahi, Bin Tere etc. He also played the leading role in Mera Saaein S2, and owning the role of the ruthlessly cold and dark Malik Shazmaan Wajahad Hayyat was no walk in the park but here again, Fahad Mustafa was a clear winner.
And what was next? Mawra’s infamous siskiyan, rivulet of tears, a pair of saas and nund from HELL and a drunkard – yaad aya? Yaad rakhnay waala drama tou nahe, but I am sure the mazloomtareen viewers who sat through this play know very well what I am talking about. No points for guessing for we all know it’s Ek Tamanna Lahasil Si, where Fahad Mustafa played an abusive husband wrapped around mummy’s finger. I apologize for evoking some horrific memories of a play that makes you lose faith in blood ties, love and humanity.
We remember Fahad Mustafa’s performance in Kankar, a play that dealt with the topic of domestic abuse, and though he played the abusive husband again, Kankar was definitely up to the mark. Sikandar’s character was obviously not much likeable, but Fahad Mustafa was brilliant throughout the play, and as much as we despised Sikandar for what he did to Kiran, we could actually understand his mindset as to why he resorted to abuse to ‘control’ his wife.
Daagh was another ultra depressing play with a done to death tale of a woman, mocked and tortured for not giving birth to a son. Here again, Fahad Mustafa played an extremely selfish and insensitive husband. Daagh wasn’t exactly a play I looked forward to, but with Sarmad Khoosat’s direction, the play was not an utter disaster.
Being the forgiving audience that we most often are, we hadn’t given up on Fahad Mustafa, sab bohat khush thay but then, Big Bang Productions happened! His very own production house didn’t quite work for him. Koi Nahe Apna was a disaster in every sense of the word, and how can I ever forget the most inspirational character of 2k15 *drum roll* Hassan – this guy can twirl and love two women at the time, remember? I think the purpose of Dusri Biwi was to boost the confidence of all the men out there that you can cheat on your wife, lie through clenched teeth, enjoy the perks of having a dusri biwi, and rest assured you’re bound to find your happy ending! Who cares about karma, anyway? Some actors manage to give a convincing performance even if they are playing an appalling character, but in Dusri Biwi, Fahad Mustafa’s performance was lackluster right from the get go – do we blame him? From Main Abdul Qadir Hoon to Dusri Biwi – that’s a heck of a jump, right?
Fahad Mustafa is one of the most well-liked hosts here, and currently he is hosting Jeeto Pakistan. I don’t follow game shows and I don’t have much of a problem as long as they spread smiles while taking care of the dignity and self-respect of the audience (do they?) but during channel surfing, I caught a glimpse of Fahad Mustafa calling a bunch of ladies, noting the weight of each woman, and giving the ‘prize’ to the heaviest of all, and just so you know, I cringe while I type this! I know some people love him as a host and I am sure they have a good reason for that, but since I am talking about what I have seen, I have to conclude that I wasn’t impressed.
Dusri Biwi is supposed to be his last play (fingers crossed) because Fahad Mustafa wants to do films. I have come across mixed reviews for Namaloom Araad; some can’t stop praising the movie for its spontaneous, well-timed humour while others can’t help but point out the overall Bollywood feel of the film. If you have watched the film, let me know about Fahad Mustafa’s performance in it.
• Ayesha Khan
And if I were to pick one star whose deteriorating standards have disappointed, or to speak the truth, infuriated me the most, it has to be Ayesha Khan. My love for Ayesha Khan dates back to PTV’s megahit play, ‘Mehndi’ which dealt with the marital problems of four couples. I remember tuning in for Ayesha Khan – not only did she look absolutely gorgeous but her on-screen chemistry with Humayun Saeed was phenomenal! I still remember how our entire family used to wait for this play, and how we mourned the death of Humayun Saeed’s character.
With dramas like Maanay Na Yeh Dil, Man-o-Salwa, Khuda Zameen Say Gaya Nahe, Ijazat, Bol Meri Machli, Parsa to her credit, Ayesha Khan became a household name.
Be it the heart-rending journey of a mother yearning for a glimpse of her children and her undeterred determination to reconcile with them (Vasl), or that of a British born, liberal young woman fighting to break free from the shackles of the staunch principles and barbaric practices of the tribal system in Balochistan (Tum Ho Ke Chup), Ayesha Khan’s exceptional acting established her as an actress to watch out for.
Kaafir was a bold drama, but for a change, it was about a rape victim picking herself up. Izzat’s character was complex but all through the play, it was evident that Ayesha Khan actually understood and owned the role she was given.
I didn’t follow Kuch Pyar Ka Pagalpan so I can’t comment on that but I did watch Bari Aapa, where Ayesha Khan played a supporting character, and though she was pretty convincing as the meek and docile Biwi No.2, she was overshadowed by the phenomenal performances of Sawera Nadeem, Nouman Ijaz and even Arjumand Raheem. Little did we know that this was the last time we were watching this doe-eyed beauty in a ‘quality’ play!
I started watching Maseeha, thinking that Ayesha Khan, Rubina Ashrad, Nouman Masood, ZQ in one frame – I mean, how bad can it be? Well, let’s just say that I was fortunate enough to leave this play in the lurch! I do, however, remember watching the last episode just to see who turned out to be the titular ‘savior’ and the Maseeha in question was this blind old guy played by Javaid Sheikh, who, as far as I can recall, had nothing to do with the major part of the play.
And topping the list of lackluster plays is the infamous Mujhe Khuda Pay Yaqeen Hai. I won’t go on about this for the obvious reasons but as comical this play was, it was sad to see Ayesha Khan’s name associated with a drama that had nothing to offer.
Then of course, there was Shukk! Just so you know, I watched the first episode of Shukk thrice because everything about it was spot on- sound direction, perfect pace, fresh script, lovely background score and I wasn’t sure about watching Ayesha and Adeel as a couple but it’s their amazing chemistry that actually sealed the deal for me! What started off on such a strong note was reduced to yet another tale of two women fighting over a man, not for once realizing that they were better off without him.
We did see her in Waar, which was a brilliantly done, action-packed film, where Ayesha Khan was convincing as an intelligence officer who meant business – not sure about her accent though!
Ruthless abba? Check! Lamest case of love at first sight? Check! Embodiment of mazloomiat? Check! Excruciatingly slow pace? Check! Dusri biwi cliché? Double check! A combination of the worst things that can happen to a play, this work of art was HUM’s Mehram!
What came next was a step mom from hell. This time around the title of the play warned the viewers about the awfully typical story – ARY’s Soteli. Since we have had our fair share of Cinderellas and Snow Whites, our drama people decided to think outside the box, come up with something ‘different’ so this time around the stepmonster was out to torture her stepson. Praise where praise is due – no Cinderella here, they spared the girls!
You’d think that after a considerable list of disasters, this actress would now take a rest, rethink her choices and ask herself: why am I sabotaging my career? Right when we thought we’d seen enough, we got to witness something a zillion times worse than her previous disasters: Shart! Thankfully, I am not watching this play but from what I hear, it’s basically all wannabes and maniacs in one frame, so I guess I am not missing much after all.
• Fawad Khan
I just had to include him in the list because sure, people are going gaga over him in India but I am afraid that after Humsafar and Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Fawad Khan didn’t contribute much to his home industry.
I am not familiar with Fawad Khan’s theatre work so I first saw him in Khuda Kay Liye, where he worked with some of the biggest names of the industry; Shoaib Mansoor, Shaan and Iman Ali. Shoaib Mansoor elicited a fine performance from Fawad Khan, and it would be fair to say that the performances of Shaan and Iman Ali, despite being powerful, didn’t overshadow Fawad Khan’s acting.
Then of course, the legendary duo of Hassan and Bano in everyone’s favourite, Dastaan! Hassan’s unwavering faith in the idea of the creation of Pakistan, his fervent participation in the activities of Muslim League, his unfailing love for Bano and the way he proved to be her pillar of strength – Fawad Khan nailed it! Needless to say, his sizzling chemistry with Sanam Baloch was one of the many factors that took this heart-wrenching dastaan to a whole new level. This was Fawad Khan at his best.
And it’s impossible not to mention Humsafar here, which was, simply put, a game changer! I’m trying to fight back nostalgia here because I can’t describe how much I miss those beautiful Saturdays with Asher and Khirad on my TV screen and Naseer Turabi’s heart achingly beautiful ‘Woh Humsafar Tha’ playing in the background- ahh, magic! I mean, who nails chocolate hero sort roles better than Fawad Khan? People, or I should say, ladies had barely gotten over Humsafar’s Asher Hussain when Zindagi Gulzar Hai’s Zaroon Junaid made his entry to steal the show. HUM TV proved lucky for Fawad Khan because Dastaan, Humsafar, Zindagi Gulzar Hai – it is because of these dramas that Fawad Khan received recognition not only in Pakistan but on an international platform.
So what was next? A bucket of tears? Yup – Ashk and Numm! I happen to be one of the fortunate people who skipped both these plays, yayyy!
It’s true that we saw Fawad Khan in Disney’s Khoobsurat, but I am just discussing Pakistani content here. The chances of Fawad Khan appearing in a Pakistani serial are slim but if he does consider working here, I hope he opts for a quality project.
• Sanam Saeed
With a heavy heart, I announce that she too joins the list! Let’s get one thing straight – Sanam Saeed is a woman of substance. Shazia from Mera Naseeb, Kashaf Murtaza from Zindagi Gulzar Hai and Bibi from Talkhiyan – all these women were fighters, not a word we usually get to use for female leads of our TV dramas because headstrong female characters have become a rarity. Sanam Saeed not only opted for such roles but also made sure that the viewers connect and relate to the journey of each of the strong willed lady she played.
She was awesome as Shazia in Mera Naseeb. I loved how Shazia always proved to be Nazia’s pillar of support, how she supported her husband financially and emotionally, how she never shied away from voicing her thoughts on what she considered right or wrong, and what made her character memorable was Sanam Saeed’s amazing performance. In Daam, Sanam Saeed played a negative character, and she definitely played her part well because we all despised Fizza!
In Zindagi Gulzar Hai, we saw how all the years of longing for her father’s love and attention, and seeing her mother struggling to make ends meet made Kashaf cynical and thankless. The way Kashaf stood up to her father, the way she didn’t resort to pretenses to survive in a university attended by girls and boys from affluent backgrounds, the way she proved her father wrong – the whole journey made quite an impact. Sanam Saeed was phenomenal, and Zindagi Gulzar Hai’s thundering success was definitely a turning point in her career.
What was next? Kadoorat, what could have been a sensible and mature take on the psychological impact of coping with the loss of a parent and being introduced to a whole new step family out of the blue, was actually a carelessly penned story about a girl with a handful of rubber snakes from the nearest prop shop, trying everything within her power (just so you know, that includes snatching her step sister’s boyfriend, getting her father married to her best friend and I almost forgot, the oldest trick in the book: poisoning her step mum’s food!) to make the ‘intruders’ regret the day they stepped inside her house. I wonder why our plays fail to address psychological issues the way they should be addressed. Why do mental disorders and illnesses have to be viewed with such a superficial lens? Though this play was a disappointment, Sanam Saeed gave a power packed performance, and was brilliant as the cold and heartless Mina.
Sanam Saeed also appeared in drama serial Ek Kasak Reh Gaye (I wonder how people sat through it), and tele films like Tamanna Ki Tamanna and Kaheen Chand Sharma Na Jaye, which were a little underwhelming and didn’t exactly hit the mark. I think many people enjoyed watching Tamanna Ki Tamanna but for me, the plot was a little too farfetched, logic-defying and over the top. In Kaheen Chand Sharma Na Jaye, Sanam Saeed played a double role, and though her portrayal of a male character was supposed to be funny and unique, it fell flat for me.
After playing so many headstrong characters, Sanam Saeed now chose to play the role of Biwi No.2 going head to head with Biwi No.1, and all this effort for winning over a man who’s quite conveniently enjoying the show!
Someone as selective Sanam Saeed, opting for a play as senseless as Firaaq! Paymaan, the protagonist, was this extremely pheeki, baijaan, berung girl who… it shouldn’t come as a surprise anymore because she too got in a Biwi No.1 vs. Biwi No.2 battle – the only difference being that Paymaan was Biwi No.1 while Sania in Shukk was Biwi No.2.
Right now, you can see Sanam Saeed in Diyar-e-Dil. I am not following Diyar-e-Dil, so I can’t say much about her performance, but I am pleased that she opted for a decent play.
• Sarwat Gillani
Sanam Saeed’s best friend from the industry makes it to the list too! Sarwat Gillani has taken a much needed break and I hope that she opts for better roles when she comes back.
Pretty, confident and immensely talented, Sarwat Gillani knows her way around. Only a handful of actresses can effortlessly slide into any role they take on, and Sarwat Gillani is definitely one of them. In Malal, the transition of Mahi from a naïve, devil-may-care young woman to a mature and responsible wife was on point, and Sawrat Gillani pulled it off with perfection. Her performance in Meri Zaat Zarra-e-Benishan was powerful, and she totally owned Sara’s character. I remember watching her in ‘Saiqa’, where she was super cute as the innocent and gullible village girl.
Sarwat Gillani went on hiatus and when she came back, we saw her in a new look – she had gotten rid of her frizzy hair! She looked beautiful as ever, but bar a few exceptions, I wish we could say the same about her work. She was awesome as the cunning, dual faced Zoya in Dil-e-Muztar, and I loved her in Mata-e-Jaan, where she was lovely as Haniya – sweet, adorable, caring, wearing a constant amiable smile and very much in love! Apart from these characters, I’m afraid Sarwat Gillani didn’t make the best of choices.
In Meray Dard Ko Jo Zubaan Milay, I liked Sarwat Gillani’s chemistry with Alishba Yusuf, and they both looked perfect as two sisters who loved each other to bits. Sarwat Gillani played the elder sister, Amna, who was definitely a whole lot more likeable before she got married to Arooj (Sheheryaar Munawar), because right after that, the bubbly and cute Amna was nowhere to be seen and the story itself took a horrible turn – didn’t like it one bit!
Be it the portrayal of a demanding, excruciatingly annoying wife in Koi Nahe Apna, or her saccharine romance with Zawaar and over the top tantrums in Aahista Aahista, it was evident that Sarwat Gillani herself couldn’t care less about either of these characters and wanted the torture to end.
I am glad that she has taken a break and I really hope that she makes her comeback with a powerful play.
My list ends here, so in the end, I would like to make it clear that I understand the fact that some of you might be huge fans of the actors I mentioned and I didn’t write this article with the intent to hurt the sentiments of any fandom. There’s no doubt about the fact that the actors I mentioned above are extremely talented but it’s just that their recent choices have been disappointing. I hope I didn’t offend you guys, and I totally respect your opinion, so please feel free to disagree. Please voice your thoughts, and feel free to share more names to complete the list.
Maya Ali looked cute in a pink dress on her birthday party. She shared the pictures with her fan and like always her room was decorated with balloons. Some actors do not like to celebrate their birthdays but Maya Ali is definitely not one of them because every year she makes sure her fans know that it is her birthday and every year she shares her birthday pictures with her fans. Like last year Maya Ali wore pink this year too.
After watching episodes 23 and 24, (despite being in awe of the performances) I felt like the thrill was completely missing. It made me wonder if it would ever return because what kept us all glued to the screen in the initial episodes was guessing who the kidnapper was and what motive he could have. We learned about the identity of the kidnapper a few episodes ago and now we have to find out, what could possibly drive him to do all of this? The 24th episode made me think that the story was being dragged. Muqaddas was still freaking out about her pregnancy and we all were just guessing what motive Aatir could have for wanting to ruin Jahanzeb. After the 25th episode, a tiny part of the secret was revealed and the whole pregnancy scenario moved a step ahead as well so I breathed a sigh of relief. So let’s start discussing the developments from these three episodes.
Shaukat’s wife, Razia, and her mother miraculously escaped from Akbar’s men, only to be captured again_ this time by Aatir’s guy. Aatir was at peace after being informed about their capture. He could then send them out of the city and this chapter could close forever. As for Shaukat, he gave him the task of spying on Kabir and reporting his every move. Meanwhile, Kabir was busy trying to force Jahanzeb to tell where he went after he came out of the coma and he succeeded.
After Aatir’s reminders to Jahanzeb, of the sins he had committed in the past, Jahanzeb was in deep stress and during his sleep, he kept asking for forgiveness from a woman named Ayesha. Muhib heard this and later when he questioned Jahanzeb about his sleep talk (in the presence of Muqaddas) it was clear that the siblings were familiar with the name because it belonged to their mother. Muqaddas’s dream also showed a woman crying in a corner of a dark house, and she referred to that woman as her mother. So is the woman, whose life Jahanzeb ruined, his own wife? How is she related to Aatir? Aatir has mentioned again and again that Jahanzeb ruined his mother’s life. In today’s episode he said that, “Aap ne meri maan ki zindagi barbaad ki, Muqaddas ki maa ki zindagi barbaad ki.” I think Jahanzeb destroyed the lives of two different women (because Muqaddas and Aatir’s mothers can’t be same, duh!). Whatever the case is, I know I can’t wait for the background story to be revealed.
As for Muqaddas, she has a lot on her mind right now:
a) she has yet to tell Aatir about the pregnancy (which we know won’t be a problem for him. but she doesn’t know that!)
b) she saw her mother in her dream and then her father told her that he treated his wife unfairly
c) she can’t even trust the love of her life completely because she knows that Aatir has been visiting her father without telling her, that Aatir is the man her father visited after the coma ended and that Aatir showed her a “fake” kidnapper (remember Babar?)
d) her brother now knows about her supposedly illegitimate pregnancy
e) her bloodthirsty MIL is after her, has found out about the pregnancy, and is waiting for the opportune moment to strike
Out of these five situations in her life, I want her to deal with (a) first. In today’s episode, she was on the verge of telling the truth to Aatir, twice, but stopped. In episode 24, she was more concerned about what Aatir thought of Zain’s decision to marry Jia and even asked him about his relationship with her! Her question about Jia, however, was spot on! Had she married Aatir, would Jia have faced the same situation ?
These three episodes may not be so thrilling, but were still enjoyable. All the actors are superb and that is why I can connect to all of their characters. The writer, director, DOP, editors and everyone else on the team have done their jobs well. :) But the background music is extremely loud sometimes and I hope that this can be fixed. It’s not just Muqaddas, but most of the Pakistani dramas have very loud background scores.
Ohkay so, these two episodes of Mumkin have been great because finally the story moved on. I really enjoyed watching these two episodes & I hope they maintain the same pace till the drama ends. :)
I am glad that Aziz stood up for Mehreen & let everyone know that Mehreen wasn’t involved with him in an affair but was his lawfully wedded wife. Just when I thought he was being serious in his approach, the following scenes suggested something totally opposite. I really didn’t understand why was it so difficult for him to state the obvious that he got married to Mehreen even before Nageen came into his life & after when he decided to come clean about the whole situation, his attempts of convincing Nageen were quite odd too. It looked like Aziz was too tired to even make a decent attempt or have a serious discussion with both Nageen & Natasha.
To be honest, I found Nageen’s reactions quite realistic because the way Aziz threw a curve-ball at her, anyone else would’ve reacted the same way. All her life she has seen Aziz as a perfect husband who was a perfect father to her daughter & now all of a sudden to find out that her perfect husband wasn’t so perfect right from the beginning made her baffled & furious. It is obvious that she felt betrayed & cheated & instead of giving her a proper reason for keeping her in the dark for all these years, Aziz had nothing decent to say to her at all? No decent explanation, nothing at all.
Well, actually, I found Muneeb’s reaction quite odd. He didn’t have to take such a firm hand at Maira but then I think his reactions were pushed a little too much to make his presence felt in the drama because ever since he got married to Maira, he didn’t have much contribution in the drama anyways. So, Muneeb thought Maira was just as blameworthy as Mehreen because she deceived him all this while but how clueless could he be because if Maira had been aware of it all, she wouldn’t be meeting Kamran uncle. I don’t understand why it was so hard for Muneeb to put two & two together. Maira has always been honest & loyal to him, so to see him doubting his wife & not only that, considering parting ways with her makes him a little less likeable then he used to be. Muneeb not only doubted Maira but he chose to believe whatever Natasha & Waleed told him which makes him look like a different person altogether. Muneeb was always the sane one who didn’t care much about what people said because when Maira had doubts about Mehreen’s second marriage, it was Muneeb who convinced her saying that people’s opinions didn’t matter at all & now he was seen complaining about how he would respond to people’s objections & questions?
Of all the people, I really like Muneeb’s mother Hina, she really is a wise person who knows how to handle any sort of situation. I really loved how instead of siding with Muneeb, she blamed him for being unreasonable & unfair with Maira. Her character is such a breath of fresh air because she is not like those typical mother in laws that we get to see on our screen in every other drama. The way she hid the envelop & the way Aziz didn’t allow her to spill the beans, definitely sheds a light on the fact that there’s more to this story & there’s some sort of bigger reason & justification behind Aziz’s decision of getting married to Nageen.
Nageen now has understood that Natasha depends a lot more on Aziz than she should. She is like a spoiled adult-child who chooses not to grow up but I think it would be better for her if she does because then she would be able to handle the truth gracefully about Aziz not being hers but Maira’s real father. Nageen knows how hard it must be for her that is why she tried to tell Natasha to pay attention to her husband but now Natasha will give a hard time to Nageen too. Waleed really thinks he has hit the jackpot because he pretty much talked Muneeb into divorcing Maira & he did all that so that he could demand the business ownership from Aziz as he knows he would do anything to save Mehreen & Maira from facing any sort of brunt. Waleed has turned this fiasco into a golden chance for himself & I so want to see what he will eventually get, probably a kick from Natasha for being such a mean opportunist?
I am glad that Maira got the news that would save her marriage & Hina tried to knock some sense into Muneeb but then, I think he lost his credibility big time by doubting Maira & blaming her for the thing she wasn’t responsible for in the first place. Aziz & Mehreen are out to prove their marriage but looks like they don’t have enough evidence but this brings me to a question that if Mehreen had gotten rid of the pictures, I am sure she would’ve kept her Nikkah-nama somewhere because no matter what happens, no one ever gets rid of such an important legal document ever? Looks like Aziz & Mehreen will have to face a lot of difficulties to make people believe that they got married 20 years ago & Maira is their daughter. The drama has once again become interesting & I hope they take 2 – 3 more episodes to sort things out & wrap the drama up. Please share your thoughts about Mumkin. :)
Oh My God!!! It was such an intense episode & it kept me at the edge of my seat. I absolutely love the events that are unfolding in Diyar-e-Dil. Usually I always talk about the actors by the end of my review but I am going to change the format this week because I think Osman Khalid Butt deserves a massive shout out for such a brilllliiiiiiiantttttttttt performance & I couldn’t wait to mention it. Hats off OKB! This episode belonged to you!
I know it would sound monotonous as I have said it before a million times that Moeez is despicable but then, when I think about him, no other word seem to personify him that is why I will say that again, Moeez is despicable & quiet an opportunist because the way he wanted Faarah to go to the same doctor that Agha Jaan arranged for her went to show that he didn’t have enough pennies in his wallet to take his ‘beloved’ cousin (as Wali puts it) somewhere else, or to an even better doctor than the one appointed by Agha Jaan. It really shows that even though he may come across as someone who’s genuinely in love with Faarah, he has some ulterior motives too because he has started to push his agenda a bit too much now.
I am glad that they haven’t shown a time lapse in writing but have taken the story forward in such a way that a dialogue or two suggest that a few years have passed by. Faarah is at the brink of completion of her MBBS & that is why it seems that Tajjamul, Zohra & Moeez are playing the final cards because they now know that they wouldn’t have to support Faarah or her education as by the time her divorce will be finalized, she would be done with her studies, so that means they would only have to worry about the bank balance & property she will inherit.
There was a time when I used to give Ruhina a benefit of doubt & also supported her in a way that she was entitled to take the time she needed to forgive Agha Jaan (even though it wasn’t necessary) but this time around, I have nothing but detest & hatred for her character & I think she really has worked hard to earn that. Ruhina is a shallow being who’s all talk because if she had the nerve to back the words that she used to blurt, she wouldn’t be stooping so low, where at one hand she would be living a luxurious life & on the other, would be cussing the one who was bearing all the burden of her & her family’s expenses. Ruhina is one of those who can never be happy & that in itself is a curse on her.
I am so glad that Arjumand was around all this while, that is why now when she stepped up, it didn’t look forced. She was there in the background, worrying about Wali & Agha Jaan, that is why now when the time was right, she knew she had to do something as she couldn’t tolerate seeing Agha Jaan & Wali suffering at the hands of Ruhina & Faarah anymore. Arjumand’s statements made quiet an impact because they came from a person who wasn’t irrational or wrongfully emotional & spoke when it really was necessary.
I must say, OKB nailed the confrontational scene but before talking about that, I would say that I am still not sure what to feel about Faarah because I don’t see clarity in her character. At one point she will come across as a level-headed girl who knows what she wants out of life & at the other, she will fall prey to everyone’s brain feeding & let them run the course of her life? I don’t really understand why is she so confused? Yes, she has been pretty clear about not wanting to be in a relationship with Wali & also she seems pretty comfortable with Moeez, so even after hearing the conversation between Ruhina & Tajjamul, she chose to go out for a dinner date with Moeez, & just when he proposed to her, she went in a trance where she unwillingly was ready to accept his proposal but made it look like she couldn’t make up her mind. She knows what her family wants from her & she has pretty much agreed on the same lines too, so why all of a sudden it looked like there was some sort of a block on her thoughts that she didn’t know how to deal with?
Well, talking about the restaurant scene, I must say all the dialogues were so well-written & I didn’t mind seeing Faarah getting insulted because this is really something she signed up for. Each & every word that Wali said was spot on because he didn’t just love her but he respected her as well & to see his wife accepting someone else’s proposal made him lose his mind & rightly so, that is why Wali had the right to say whatever crossed his mind. Another best thing about that scene was the way Wali dealt with Moeez & the way Moeez reached for his chair after he got insulted, lol. He is such a chicken I must say. I am so glad that our hero finally made an entry with a bang & he is a force to reckon with, so glad that the Meesna Moeez now knows that Wali is not someone to be taken lightly because he knows how to bring his enemies down.
All this while, Ruhina said she only wanted what was best for her daughter & what more could she have done to prove her love that now she is ready to drag her young daughter in the court, just because her ego is not allowing her to accept the decision Behroz made for Faarah? I really thought Faarah would be able to analyze the situation well but I really find it hard to believe that she gives in every time her mother throws a hissy fit while emotionally blackmailing her. Faarah did understand her mother’s irrationality but looks like in these past couple of years she has become immune to all that jazz herself. Also, I really think it was quite immature of Faarah to doubt Agha Jaan just for the sake of it because she chooses to believe what she has heard from Ruhina & ignore her personal experience with him where he has been showering her with love, care & attention all these years!
Yes, what Wali did was quite intimidating but that doesn’t mean Faarah has to overlook her own mistake & hold him responsible for his rude behavior. All this while we did see Faarah reflecting upon the events that took place in her life, so why is it that she has completely blocked Wali off her mind & she is not ready to give him a chance. Wali has spent a few years with her, taking care of her, being nice to her, so why can’t Faarah see that? I think her decision of filing for a divorce was quite unreasonable as well, yes, she hasn’t accepted Wali as her life-partner but to use one incident against him makes Faarah an even bigger fool & then it reminds me that she is exactly like her mother; Ruhina, because she also took one bitter memory & made all the judgments about Agha Jaan based on that single bad experience.
I love love love the way Arjumand deals with Ruhina & this time around she chose not to stay silent about Tajjamul & Zohra too which was commendable. Being a mother, it is obvious that Arjumand feels for Wali as she knows he is working so hard to provide all the luxuries that Faarah & Ruhina are enjoying, that is why she felt it was her duty to remind Ruhina about it too. I really find it interesting that everyone in Haveli has become aware of Ruhina’s reality & that is why no one really remains silent on this matter anymore. Arjumand & Wali know that Ruhina is exploiting Agha Jaan’s favors & courtesy, that is why they don’t let him speak anymore because they know he will not say the things that are needed to be said.
I absolutely loved this episode & the preview seemed even better. I know Wali’s approach might look harsh but I think this is exactly the way to deal with Faarah to make her familiar with the reality & bring her out of Ruhina’s negative influence. I loved everyone’s acting but Hareem Farooq definitely stood out in this episode, I love how calm & composed she looks even when it is so obvious that she is furious on the inside & now coming back to Osman Khalid Butt again, he nailed every single scene in this episode & I am so glad he has opened up as Wali. OKB has perfectly portrayed all the different shades of Wali’s character to perfection where he can be really polite & sweet but when pushed the wrong way, he can very well intimidate his opponent as well. This episode definitely belonged to Osman Khalid Butt & oh I also loved how Wali didn’t give Agha Jaan the opportunity to speak, Abid Ali looked absolutely adorable when he really wanted to step in to bring everything under control but he couldn’t tame the angry young man; Wali, haha! I loved ittt!!! Please share your thoughts about tonight’s episode of Diyar-e-Dil. :D
Keep Supporting,
Cheers, Zahra Mirza.
ps: I’d like a cup of Hot Chocolate on Tuesdays too Wali, so that I can enjoy watching & reviewing Diyar-e-Dil even more, haha! ;)
Fahad Mustafa has rose to fame because of his talent but it is also a fact that he groomed himself a lot to make himself more wanted in the industry. Fahad Mustafa’s father Salahuddin Tunio was also attached to the drama industry when it was at its peak but he is seldom seen in plays lately. Salahuddin Tunio was also a very famous actor but he is not very good looking something which fans might think did not effect his career but Fahad’s recent tweet suggests something else.
Fahad Mustafa has been criticized by many people because he pays too much attention to looking good and now Fahad Mustafa has revealed in some way why looking good is so important in Pakistani industry. Fahad Mustafa’s tweet shows without any doubt that he thinks that Pakistani directors are biased in favor of actors who are good looking whereas Indian directors give more importance to talent.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is an Indian actor who has appeared in many Indian films. He is not good looking in the strict sense of the word. Fahad Mustafa mentions “shakal” and “complexion” in his tweet which means that having fair complexion is very important in Pakistani drama industry. Fahad Mustafa got surgery done to make his complexion fair and his statement shows that he had to do that because there was no other way to get recognized in the industry.
Ali Gul Pir is well known for his song which are more often a satirical take on the social and political situation in the country. Ali Gul Pir got married with his childhood sweetheart on the 25th of July. The couple looks very happy in the pictures.
Here are pictures of the bride and groom on their mehndi and baraat functions:
Hamayun Saeed and Yasir Nawaz celebrated their birthdays in a private birthday bash which was attended by close friends who enjoyed the party a lot. Ayesha Omer, Angeline Malik, Bilal Lashari, Mahira Khan and many other prominent actors, directors and producers were seen at the party.
Wrong No is an Urdu film released on last weekend on the festive occasion of Eidul Fitar. The film is a debut in films for many associated names like
Yasir Nawaz as Director
Nida Yasir as Producer
In Acting following artists are making debut, Sohai Ali Aabroo, Janita Asma, Mahpara, Nadeem Jaffri, Danish Nawaz, Akhtar Hasnain, Shaheen Khan, Sumbal Shahid, Tooba Siddiqi and many others.
The film is running house full and it was not easy to get its ticket right away. In fact I went to cinema for to watch Bin Roye, and ended up buying Wrong Number ticket instead of returning without viewing any film and thus here is my opinion about it .
Wrong Number is a Comedy film with a pinch of Romance and Action. The film is shot in Karachi and Lahore. It is the story of Sallu played by Danish Taimoor son of a butcher Haji Abba (Javed Sheikh) who wants to do something big in life away from the ancestral profession. Haji Abba is the head of an extended family jointly living in a house with his sons, daughter-in-laws and grandsons.
Sallu crafts a plan to avoid his ancestral profession which takes viewers on a roller coaster ride of things that went wrong. The execution of this plan has enough twists and turns to keep viewers hooked to their seats. Being a comedy film, the comic situation is created through situational comedy, dialogs, spontaneous responses, witty one liners, gender and to some really weird aspects of routine life like toilet and genitals.
Without revealing the story I am only highlighting the Good and Bad aspects of Wrong Number. Every project/film has its share of high and lows and Wrong number is also one such project.
The Highs
The film starts with the label Made in Pakistan, which is true as all the associated persons are Pakistani be it musician, singers, choreographer or dress designer.
Nearly all the characters in the films are well etched out having distinction of their own.
The plot of the film is interesting and maintains its pace throughout the film.
There are no long scenes, and editing is also fine without any issue with the continuity of events.
Javed Sheikh is phenomenal in the role of a butcher Haji Abba.
Shafqat Cheema has fully justified his inclusion in what otherwise is a routine villain role.
Asim Bukhari and Nayyer Ejaz were also good in the few scenes they appeared.
Mahpara in the side role was also impressive.
Coming to the main protagonist Danish Taimoor, well it is the second film of Danish I have seen this year, Jalaibee being the first one. While in Jalaibee he was too stiff and totally unimpressive, Danish has improved a lot and impressed with his screen presence.
Main female protagonist Janita Asma and Sohai Ali Aabroo proved a mixed package. Janita looked more glamorous and has more screen presence then Sohai Ali Aabroo.
Nadeem Jaffri and Dansih Taimoor in the roles of comic villains succeeded in bringing smile to audience.
Camera work of the film was also good, and Karachi and Lahore are captured beautifully. From inner city areas of Karachi to Port Grand to Sunday Bazaar, everything looked charming on screen.
Some witty one-liners were really funny like
Danish Taimoor: tum nay last konsi film dekhi thi
Janita Asma: mein nay to khuda kay liye dekhi thi
Danish Taimoor: film khuda kay liye nahin apnay liye dekhni chahiye
The Lows
Wrong Number is a comedy film which sounds very positive, but the same factor is the low point of Wrong Number. The film and its story has lot of potential but at many points it goes wrong. At many instances there were glimpses of Namaloom Afraad, especially the theme of earning easy money.
Being not a viewer of Bollywood movies, I am not sure whether any part of Wrong Number was inspired from a Bollywood movie. But at few points the audience in the hall were pointing like same as XYZ Bollywood movie.
Janita Asma surely have looked as glamorous in less revealing wardrobe from the one chosen in the film. Dialog delivery of Janita was quite ordinary while Sohai though performed on a dance number definitely need further improvement in the dancing skills. Though Janita Asma and Sohai are the main female protagonists their presence some how fizzles out in the middle and seem just another character in the film.
Though Wrong Number is a strongly male-oriented story, where presence of female character is created forcefully to fill in the portion of glamour, still both lead female artists can easily have a more stronger presence.
Ending, was quite convincing, but one can easily gets the impression of instantly wrapping up the whole story in one scene.
The film has nearly six seven songs, none of which is worth remembering.
So these were the high and lows of the film as per my analysis. Normally the tale ends here, however Wrong Number have some lowest points as well.
The Lowest
Being a comedy film, it is expected to contain some over the top acting or skits. Unfortunately Wrong Number has far too many jokes can easily be called sexist. There were jokes after joke on toilets and human genitals, that no one can remember the count, perhaps 20 -30 or even more than that. Too much crass language was used, surely a big disappointment. When you have so many senior artist in the cast who can easily share the burden of main protagonist then opting for sub-standard content was totally unnecessary.
Mostly audience of the Pakistani film object to the revealing dressings and vulgar dances, but here it was more about the sub-standard language rather then dances and dresses. The plot and screenplay of the film must have been equally entertaining without all this.
The Conclusion
If you are fond of films which are termed as “Paisa Wasool” then definitely Wrong Number is the one made for you. However if you are looking for a good family entertainer, then it is not a good choice. Filled with crass language and below average humor, it can easily please and entertain the general audience but can also easily raise the eyebrows for those who want to evaluate a film on various scales including entertainment factor.
Despite this anyone want to satisfy his/her patriotic duty towards Pakistani Cinema by watching Wrong Number, is surely welcomed to do so considering it a patriotic gesture.
Being a supporter of local cinema I surely want to thank anyone who invests their money, time and energies for this cause. In this regard, Yasir Nawaz must be praised for taking this initiative. As an audience I am not against any comedy films, such films provide light entertainment and a comic relief to the cine-goers from hectic daily life. However there is a difference between sub-standard comedy and the average/quality one. There are already enough options available for sub-standard comedy in the form of Punjabi stage shows, so please maintain the difference of a Punjabi Stage drams and an Urdu comedy film.
Lastly it is my first review of any film or drama. Just consider it the opinion of another viewer of the film, rather than the one coming out from some established CRITIC which impacts the opinion of its readers.
P.S. Being done with my graduation (BA) in the 1980’s and not much familiar with the latest development in English writing skills, please pardon any grammatical mistakes or wrong usage of vocabulary. But also be open to point out any such mistake (if there is any) as it will definitely improve my vocabulary as well as writing skills.
Naazo(نازو) is a new drama on Urdu 1 starting from Monday 27th July at 8 pm.
Directed by Aabis Raza
Written by Sameena Ejaz
Produced by Fahad Mustafa & Dr. Ali Kazmi
DOP: Faraz khan
Singer: Ahmed Jahanzeb
Big Bang Productions
Khatoon Manzil (خاتون منزل) is a new play on ARY Digital starting from Thrusday, 29th July at 8 PM.
Starring: Hina Dilpazeer, Fazeela Qazi, Irsa Ghazal, Manal Khan, Shabbir Jaan, Muneeb Butt, Qavi Khan, Rashid Farooqi and others
Writer: Faseeh Baari Khan
Director: S. Mazhar Moin
Producer: iDream Entertainment
From promos it looks another Faseeh Baari Khan and S. Mazhar Moeen drama. The duo is famous for covering the stories of lower middle class of Karachi (most of the times, otherwise they have a few plays shot in Lahore as well) with a touch of light comedy as well.
Wrong Number is the first film directed and produced by Yasir Nawaz screened in Pakistan on last weekend on the festive occasion of Eidul Fitr.It is a comedy film and surprised many by the response it is getting on the Pakistani box office.
It has also earned more revenue than Bin Roye the other leading Urdu film released on this Eid. Seeing the positive response of Pakistani box office now the film has also been released in UK.
As per the English Daily Dawn, Bin Roye released on Eidul Fitr on last weekend is receiving overwhelming reception in different countries where it is released including Canada, USA, UK, Denmark, South Africa, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and others. It is the first Pakistani film which is released simultaneously in so many countries. The film is also doing good business in Pakistan along with the other main Urdu film Wrong Number also released on this Eid.
The film is ranked 32 on US box office and 12 on UK box office. Nearly all the shows of this film are pre-booked and in coming days it will also be released in countries like New Zealand, Singapore and Fiji where there is considerable audience of Urdu/Hindi films. The overseas success is attributed to the aggressive marketing campaign by its producers as they held its premiers in Dubai (UAE), London (UK) and Dallas (USA) with all the leading cast members
As per different unconfirmed sources the film has earned nearly 4 crore in Pakistan in one week. As per PakistaniCinema website nearly 20% of the total business of Bin Roye in Pakistan is generated from Federal Capital Islamabad.
In Pakistan tickets of multiplexes range from 400 – 600, while at single screen cinemas it starts at 100 -150 rupees. Moreover in Pakistan Urdu films are only released in two provinces namely Sindh and Punjab, and one federal territory of capital Islamabad. In the other two provinces namely KPK and Balochistan, mostly Pashto films are only released and market of Urdu films is limited in these provinces. Two other federal territories namely FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan and the semi-autonomous region of Azad Jammu & Kashmir have no major cinema.
I was looking forward to the drama which would replace Alvida more than the one that was going to air at 9pm but sometimes some dramas catch your attention when you least expect it. While the first episode of Tum Mere Pass Raho turned out to be very typical, the first episode of Mohabbat Aag Si was enticing primarily because of the mysterious character of Aapa Ji played brilliantly by the very talented Iffar Omer. The play has been written by Imran Nazir, it has been directed by Syed Ahmed Kamran and produced by Moomal Entertainment.
Mohabbat Aag Si is the story of Aapa Ji who is revered by everyone around her because she is considered to be one of those pious personalities who can change people’s life only by saying a prayer for them. Aapa Ji spends her days clad in a white dress busy in prayer all day long but at night time Aapa Ji is a completely different person. There is a lot more which the viewers need to find out more about her character because the director does not reveal Aapa’s background therefore I am sure many people were left wondering why she had to put up this show and was she ever married or not. Sharifa (Faiza Gillani) the maid is Aapa Ji’s friend and confidant, she is the only one who knows all of Aapa’s secrets but still respects her and is very faithful. Aapa Ji lives with her brothers Sharafat (Tipu Sharif) and Wajahat (Azfar Rehman). Sharafat is the older brother who runs a pharmacy and he like everyone else feels indebted to Aapa Ji and has great respect for her perhaps because she brought him up, we will find out more in the upcoming episodes. Aapa considers Sharaft’s wife Samia (Uzma Hassan) as a “competition” therefore she makes sure that Samia and Sharaft do not have any children and Samia also accepts Aapa’s position in the house without revolting against her.
The other track which I think is going to be very important as the drama progresses is that of Wajahat and Saba (Sara Khan). Saba is Samia’s cousin and Wajahat and Samia like each other. Saba’s mother is the only one in the family who knows that Aapa Ji isn’t the sort of person she appears to be on surface. She knows that her outward pious personality is just an act. She also hold Aapa responsible for turning Samia from a happy go lucky person to someone completely different.
The second episode ended with Aapa Ji finding out about Wajaht’s interest in Saba. MAS might sound like just another drama in which one woman is trying to control everyone and everything around her but the characters are intriguing and all the actors are very well-suited for the characters that they are playing. There is nothing brand new about the main plot of the play but the treatment given to it is definitely different. You are left wanting to know more about Aapa Ji’s character and you can’t help but look forward to what would come next. These two episodes were fast paced, very well directed and most importantly highly unpredictable. Iffat Omer and Uzma Hassan are two very powerful performers and watching them in the same play is an absolute delight. Their acting and portrayals are effortless.
Did you watch the first two episodes of Mohabbat Aag Si? Do share your thoughts about them if you did.
In the midst of plays that vehemently reject the concept of headstrong and intellectual female characters, and continue to thrive on the bechari aurat scenarios, Mol dares to be different. I have to admit that I am watching this show because of the female protagonist – Emaan.
Muhabbat ka naulakha haar meray naseeb mein na tha. Emaan believed that Sheheryaar married her because he loved her and you can’t really blame her – a DC comes to Sukkur, crosses paths with his subordinate’s daughter, asks for her hand in marriage after two to three brief meetings, marries her despite his parents’ strong opposition – no wonder Emaan was certain that Sheheryaar loves her. Sheheryaar, on the other hand, doesn’t mince his words while stating that ‘love’ had nothing to do with his decision to marry Emaan. Emaan came across as someone with a strong sense of self, and he took her for someone who would allow him the ‘space’ and ‘freedom’ he needs to live his life on his terms. He wastes no opportunity to remind Emaan of the fact that no one has the right to challenge his ideas about right and wrong. Be it his belongings, his projects, or his wife – Sheheryaar’s ‘commitments’ matter a lot to him. This is where I feel for Emaan because Sheheryaar’s views against the very idea of love and the way he sees confessions of love as ‘jhootay labels, teenagers ki baatain’ shatter her. No matter how much Sheheryaar lays emphasis on ‘mujhay laga kay tum doosri aurton ki tarah nahe ho’, Emaan, like any woman, longs to be loved. The way Sheheryaar sees this relationship is very different from the way Emaan views it. Emaan is his wife now, but Sheheryaar insists that his marriage shouldn’t change the way he used to live his life, and this is where I find Sheheryaar wrong. I hope he does realize that he’s not single anymore, and now with a wife who makes a lot of effort to make sure that he gets the ‘space’ he is always going on about, he should come to realize that it’s not always about him. Sheheryaar can see that his views upset her but that doesn’t stop him from making it clear that he doesn’t love her, and her absence or presence would make little or no difference to his way of life. In the opening scene, the way Sheheryaar cancelled his official dinner just because Emaan had planned an outing kind of showed that he is considerate of her feelings, but the scenes that followed suggested otherwise. I like how Sheheryaar’s character is not one-dimensional. I haven’t exactly made up my mind about him because though there’s a lot about him that I don’t find likeable, Sheheryaar doesn’t make an awful husband. He is obstinate, brutally honest and a bit insensitive, but is he bad at heart? I withhold my judgment for now.
Emaan can’t help but question where she stands in Sheheryaar’s life. The women we see on our screens take on different roles; we see them as wives, daughters, sisters and mothers. But it’s strange that our dramas, as female-centric as they are, rarely talk about a woman’s own identity. Much to my delight, Emaan here questions: mein kaun hun? The thing about Mol’s characters (I’m talking about the leads here) is that they are very real, very human. They question the obvious, they voice their fears, and they talk about what’s bothering them. I liked how Emaan asked Sheheryaar why he didn’t tell her he doesn’t love her when they met in Sadhu Bela because things would have turned out differently if Emaan had known that Sheheryaar only ‘fell for her personality’, the way he puts it.
Saas bahu showdowns, dusri shadi, shukki husbands, extra marital affairs – these are the problems onscreen couples usually grapple with, but Sheheryaar and Emaan’s case couldn’t be more different. The clash of personalities and the issues they deal with are a far cry from the ones we see every now on then because their problems are not over the top – they are very real and 21st century-like.
The trip to Sukkur was short and underwhelming. Emaan ‘s mother doesn’t exactly understand what’s bothering her daughter, and her approach is a little superficial; as long as Sheheryaar is taking care of her and coming home on time, there’s nothing to fret about. (Alprazolam) And of course, the ultimate solution to every marital problem – bus Allah Emaan ko aulaad say nawaaz de, sab theek hojayega… Little does she know that Sheheryaar has problems with that too!
Speaking of Hajra and Zareena, this may be harsh, but I can’t stand them! The way the two desperate ladies forced Emaan to come with them despite her protests was actually funny. Emaan respects Sheheryaar’s decisions about his family. Sheheryaar understands his family’s motives better than anyone else, and it is actually very sensible of him to keep Emaan away from these people. The promo tells me that Sheheryaar is very right about his family, and I wonder how difficult it must have been for a man like him to live with a family lost in khandaani riwayaat, rasmain etc.
Rohail and his son’s track is pretty much where it was last week. Rohail has no one to look to when it comes to his child’s needs so Emaan is taking on the motherly duties. I can understand her growing affection for the boy because Sheheryaar just struck her with his anti-love speeches, she is pretty lonely, and spending some time with the kid is the only thing that makes her happy in the true sense. But going by Zareena’s ‘mein ussay chain say jeeni nahe dun gi’ vow, I doubt that her frequent visits to Rohail’s place would win her any points.
Going by the promo, I have a feeling that next week’s episode would have a lot to do with Sheheryaar’s family. Let’s see how the story shapes up. Are you watching Mol? What do you think of the latest episode? Voice your thoughts!
Censor Board has refused to issue clearance to Bollywood’s Bangistan which is due to release on 7th August 2015. The film is the story of the mission of two suicide bombers one each from the extremist elements of two major religions of India.
The producer of the film in a statement to Times of India has expressed disappointment over this decision of Pakistan censor board, saying the decision is immature and is made merely on the trailer of the film. The actual content of this film is quite different from what is depicted in the trailer. (Meta-Calculator)
This year censor board has refused to issue clearance to few Bollywood films like Baby in February 2015. Such decision of censor board halts the release of the banned Bollywood film in cinemas. However pirated copies of all such banned film are openly aired on local cable networks without any restrictions. All such films are also openly available on DVD as well.
Eid holidays are over now and reports of film business from various sources are publishing in papers. In Pakistan traditionally there is no concrete mechanism to know the exact earning of a film. In traditional single screen cinemas, tickets are issued manually so it is near impossible to estimate the total business generated form a film in such cinema. However with the arrival of multiplexes which maintain the records of tickets sold, now a near estimate of the film total business is easily established. Usually the owner of these multiplexes issue the business generated by a film in their chain of multiplexes, which sums up the total business of the film. This method is not fool proof. Surprisingly for some unknown reason film producers in Pakistan seldom release any statement about the total revenue their film.
This Eid many films were released including Hollywood, Bollywood, Urdu, Punjabi and Pashto.
Hollywood: Minion and Antman
Bollywood: Bajrangi Bhaijan
Urdu: Bin Roye, Wrong Number, Bazaar (Only released in Punjab)
Punjabi: Razia Ghundon Mein Phans Gayi, Gunahgaar (All punjabi films released only in Punjab)
Pashto: Ma Cherra Ghareeb Sara, Daagh, I love you too, Pakhtun Pah Dubai Ke, Khanadaani Badmaah, Maien Kho Lewanai Vee and Sar Tair Badmaash (Released in Karachi, Quetta and KPK)
Various papers (English and Urdu) have published the reports on films business. As per these reports three main films Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Wrong Number and Bin Roye are running full house in all major cities during the Eid Holidays as well on this weekend.
Like always leading the way is the Bollywood film Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Bollywood films have always been the preferred choice of majority of the Pakistani cine goers in any circumstances, a fact proven once again on this Eid. Bollywood films always receive overwhelming reception in Multiplexes (located in posh areas) as well as traditional single screen cinemas (located in old/inner city areas), making them the unanimous choice of all sections of the society. As per press/net reports Bajrangi Bhaijaan is released on a total of 171 (approx.) screens nationwide. In many areas (mostly single screen cinemas) the demand was so high that cinema owners have cancelled the shows of Urdu films Bin Roye and Wrong Number and allotted the same time slot to Bajrangi Bhaijaan. In some multiplexes, Bajrangi Bhaijaan is allocated more shows in the upcoming week replacing the shows of Hollywood’s Antman. The trend is expected to continue on coming weekends until a new Bollywood film is screened to fill the appetite of Bollywood films. Like any other Bollywood film released in Pakistan, Bajrangi Bhaijaan is ahead in the race by a wide margin.
Following Bajrangi Bhaijaan after a big gap, are the two Urdu films Wrong Number and Bin Roye which are on second and third place respectively. Wrong Number is slightly ahead of Bin Roye in terms of number of screens and business. Wrong Number was released on 87 (approx.) screens while Bin Roye is released on 81 (approx.) screens nationwide. In comparison Bajrangi Bhaijaan is released on more screens (171) alone than the combined total (87 + 81 = 168) of the two Urdu films Wrong No. and Bin Roye indicating the massive appeal of the Bollywood films among Pakistani audience.
As per the English Daily The News, Bin Roye is leading in Islamabad, while in Karachi Wrong No. is ahead. An interesting general analysis is that men are loving Wrong Number and hating Bin Roye, women are loving Bin Roye and hating Wrong Number.
The healthy trend on this Eid is that the audience have also endorsed Pakistani Urdu films while supporting Bollywood film. Both the Urdu films Bin Roye and Wrong No, are running full house during the Eid holidays in whatever space and time is allotted to them. As per Nadeem Mandwiwala, the head of Mandwiwala Entertainment the success of Pakistani films is attributed to the aggressive marketing campaign rather than the content of these films.
The Punjabi films have done average business. Four out of the seven Pashto films released are declared hit while rest are doing average business.
Here are the news reports/excerpts which are the basis of this post.
English Daily The News
Box office success for the trilogy of Eid films
Running House Full: Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Bin Roye and Wrong Number have all resonated well with Eid audiences.
Salman Khan has been forgiven his sins. He must have worried how his May conviction and sentencing to 5 years in prison for a 2002 hit-and-run homicide might have dampened the prospects for his movie. But like India’s courts, the country’s movie going audience gave the megastar a stay of appeal, supporting Bajrangi Bhaijaan with the biggest opening weekend ever for Khan and the 3rd biggest in Indian box office history. According to cinema owners in Pakistan, the film has resonated just as well with the Pakistani public, threatening Ant Man with an early exit. The good thing is, local releases Bin Roye and Wrong Number have been running just as successfully as Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
“An extraordinary audience turns up over Eid and all films are running full house,” Film producer, distributor and cinema owner (Atrium in Karachi and Centaurus in Islamabad) Nadim Mandviwalla shared with Instep. “Wrong Number is doing better in Karachi and Islamabad has shown a higher demand for Bin Roye. But this is a result of marketing hype not content. The Eid influence remains 9 days, which we see in advance booking, and we’ll see full effect of all films by Monday.”
An interesting general analysis is that men are loving Wrong Number and hating Bin Roye, women are loving Bin Roye and hating Wrong Number whereas Bajrangi Bhaijaan has shown universal appeal.
– See more at: http://magazine.thenews.com.pk/mag/detail_article.asp?id=11290&magId=11#sthash.EHQpfNei.dpuf
Ohkay so, to be honest, as much as I take Jugnoo as a light hearted entertaining drama, I really think they need to move on. I am sure they might be having some new things to offer but they are now making it look like they have run out of story & are now just dragging the drama for the sake of reaching the 20 episode mark. I have always enjoyed the spontaneity of this drama but to be honest, last few episodes have offered us nothing new. All the episodes seem to have a similar pattern, where Jugnoo tries hard to be with Zulfi, Zulfi is being brain-fed, Tanveer & Baba Sahab are planning & plotting, Kissho is whining & in the end, we get to see some supposed comical scenes where Jugnoo’s putting up a show at Zulfi’s house, that’s it but to be honest, even those scenes have started to look forced because they don’t stir a laughter anymore. I really think they need to move things on because the drama has started to lose its charm & it ain’t fun watching repeat telecast of every previous episode, every single week.
Looks like Kissho is about to have a baby because a lot of their conversations are revolving around that subject. They think they might not have one but eventually this is what will happen to bring both Rafique & Kissho together. I loved the way Rafique gave a piece of his mind to Kissho & her sisters. To be honest, I find him right this time because he actually tries to make things right but Kissho doesn’t want anything good to happen to her. I have started losing the sympathy that I once used to have with her because looks like she herself doesn’t want her life to be smooth & she invited all these problems in her life herself.
Zulfi really needs to get a life or sleep a deep sleep because he is so brain-dead that it’s not even funny. Looks like he can process things rightly but he doesn’t want to & I have no idea why everyone is fixated with him. What’s the point of undoing something that Zulfi has been done. Yes, Baba Sahab & Tanveer are blinded by the rage & their egos but then, I find their dialogues so monotonous that I know I don’t even have to listen to what they are saying because there’s nothing new in it.
Of all the people, Zulfi annoys me the most. He not only is spineless but he has no brains as well, that is why he chose to believe what Tanveer said & even followed his command & started doubting Jugnoo, how stupid is that? As much as I love Jugnoo’s character that she is tackling everything on her own, I really don’t think there was a need to make Zulfi’s character so spineless. I think our writers need to find a perfect balance because normally, if a guy is too head-strong, the girl is brain-dead & in this drama, it’s the opposite. I feel the writers overdo the extremity in the characters which they should avoid because only then people can enjoy the situations both the main leads are involved in.
The preview of the next episode suggested that Ayesha is talking about how Zulfi doesn’t support & stand for Jugnoo, then I need to ask, when she knows Zulfi in & out, why did she want her younger sister to get married to such a guy? In the initial episodes we found out that Tanveer wants Zulfi to stay at some distance because he didn’t want any partner in the business, so why is he so focused on parting Zulfi from Jugnoo? Isn’t it an ideal situation for Tanveer to just let both Zulfi & Jugnoo be, because that way, Zulfi will remain too distracted to even think of joining the family business? Anyways, I really hope the story moves on & if not, then the drama ends within next couple of episodes. Share your say with us please.
The promos of the play suggested that this was going to be a play different from what we are all used to watching in primetime since Farwa Ki ABC is a light comedy but something tells me that it will give us something to remember. I must say that at this point any drama that does not involve run of the mill family politics of any kind would have caught my attention but other than that this first episode of Farwa Ki ABC gave me a reason to watch and review it mainly because of Sonia Hussain and Adnan Jaffar because it looks like their characters and their relationship would be something to look forward to. The drama has been written by Amna Mufti, it has been directed by Sohail Javed and produced by Sadia Jabbar.
This first episode of the drama introduced us to the main characters. Farwa (Sonia Hussain) is a girl in her teens who failed in English and now she has to give the exam again so that she can at least be BA pass because as Farwa’s mother (Irsa Ghazal) told her that it is the only way she will get a decent rishta!! Farwa could not care less about her studies in fact for the past few years she has tried every trick in the book to convince her parents that she cannot study further but her parents obviously insist that she should get a decent degree. Farwa wants to get married and every time she sits down to study, she doses off (something which I am sure many students could relate to;). Farwa’s cousin Asma is completely opposite to her, she passed the exam with flying colors and is an exemplary student which is exactly why Farwa is not very fond of her because opposites don’t always attract!
On Asma’s recommendation Farwa’s father (Khalid Anum) asks a reputable English teacher (Adnan Jaffar) to help his daughter with her English. Farwa’s father’s positive state of mind went to show that he had a very solid relationship with his daughter. It is only after hearing that Farwa is Asma’s cousin that the teacher is willing to tutor her and the first day of tuition sails by smoothly but with Farwa even more determined to get herself out of the situation. That is where Changez comes in – he is someone Farwa talked to on a crank call but now she is turning to him for bailing her out of this situation.
My apologies if the summary of this first episode was too long but I think many people out there must still be thinking whether they should watch this play or not or what it is about therefore this summary will help them understand the plot and the characters better.
This first episode belonged to Sonia Hussain every step of the way which is actually good because if the lead character and especially one like Farwa is played well then it will definitely effect the entire feel of the drama. The OST of the drama suggests that Farwa will undergo a lot of personality changes and her teacher will have a big role to play in her life. And it looks like Yasir Mazhar’s character will be playing the main lead with Sonia Hussain although his character did not get a lot of screen time in tonight’s episode. This first episode was definitely one that gives you a very good reason to look forward to more. The preview of the next episode showed that Farwa will do whatever she can to get rid of her new teacher and I am waiting to see what she has in store for us. Farwa’s character is fun and interesting. I loved the picture quality of the play, the production values were spot on and I guess we shouldn’t expect anything less than the best in that department from Sadia Jabbar now after watching MNYH! I must say that there were few bits in the drama which were over done like the driver/cook dancing on the song and the scenes between Changez and his friend.
Anyone out there who is looking for a fun comedy and especially all those out there who like Sonia Hussain should definitely watch this first episode. You will not be sold but you won’t be disappointed either.
Did you watch this first episode? Do share your thoughts if you did.
Saba Qamar has worked with the best directors and producers of the country. She has been part of many hit dramas and she has shown her versatility by playing different kinds of characters. This time after working with Dr. Younis Butt in “Hum Sub Umeed Se Hein” and Geo TV”s sitcom “Miss Fire” which aired in 2013 Saba Qamar will be seen playing the role of a strong woman who is not influenced by anyone in the sitcom “She”.
Saba Qamar will play the character of Baji Rao Mastani who is a police オンライン カジノ officer. According to the Geo TV website Saba”s character will be “Baji” for people who are good and she will be “Rao” for evil people and as a whole her personality will be that of a “Mastani”.
Ayesha Khan has been a part of Pakistani television industry for the longest time now. She recently started working in Pakistani films and even now is seen playing the lead role in many dramas. While talking to Express Tribune about her intentions to work in Bollywood Ayesha Khan said, “Acting is my passion. I’m willing to prove my acting abilities anywhere, but there are some issues with Bollywood…..I hail from a very conservative family that doesn’t promote dancing, on-screen intimacy and even wearing sleeveless outfits. Bollywood must respect my choices. Otherwise, there are plenty of options to pick from in Pakistan.”
Ayesha Khan is also part of the upcoming Pakistani film Jawani Phir Nahi Aani which stars other famous stars like Hamayun Saeed and Hamza Ali Abbasi. Talking about the film Ayesha Khan said, “It’s a genuinely funny film. Very classy and shooting it was so much fun.”
Talking about the rumor that she and Hamayun Saeed are secretly married the actress said, “Apparently, Humayun and I are married, although we’re just friends. In fact, I’m probably closer to his wife Sameena than I am to him.” Ayesha says that if she ever falls in love she will be the first one to tell the world about it. “I might hail from a conservative family, but my parents are very accepting of love marriages. So, why’d I ever hide it?”
Pakistani female celebrities who are working in the field of showbiz are dynamic and talented. They have proven their mettle in Pakistan and in rest of the world because of their talent and hard work. What these celebrities wear and most importantly how they wear it is also an important part of their public image and personality. All of these females adorn Western outfits along with the Eastern ones but not all of them look good wearing these clothes. Some celebrities do not look as good as the celebrities on this list in Western clothes because sometimes the clothes that they wear are not the best choice. Wearing Western clothes doesn’t mean that clothes should be revealing. The celebrities on this list wear Western clothes that look very stylish and decent on them because they make the right choices and carry them like they should be carried.
Here are the top 5 female celebrities who look great in Western outfits:
Sohai Ali Abro
Sohai Ali Abro has a very cute face and she is very well groomed. She looks good in Eastern dresses too but she is very comfortable wearing Western outfits and she always wears outfits which suit her personality.
Mehreen Syed
Mehreen Syed is the queen of catwalk, she has been the showstopper on many fashion shows and she has worked with the best designers. Mehreen Syed looks amazing in every Western outfit from just plain jeans to dresses and hats. This stylish lady can pull everything off.
Meesha Shafi
Stylish, trendy and motivated, these three traits explain Meesha’s personality more than any other. Some people have to work to look stylish but Meesha Shafi is not one of those ladies because style comes naturally to her. She will look good in any outfit at all but she most certainly knows how to carry Western dresses.
Amina Sheikh
Amina Sheikh is another model and actress who looks very stylish in Western clothes. Her good taste in clothes along with her good sense of style makes her a winner.
Syra Shehroz
Syra Shehroz is one of those celebrities who even look chic and stylish when they are wearing a plain t-shirt and a jeans. We have never seen Syra’s sense of style going wrong. Her perfect choices joined with her very own style make her look good in everything.
Can you think of any other Pakistani female celebrities who look great in Western dresses? Don’t forget to share your opinion.
I am struggling to find the right words to describe what just happened here, but quite frankly, I am blank! This episode was so difficult to watch that I am not sure how to discuss it. And now that I come to think of it, the four (yes, FOUR! :D) thappars Hamza received were perhaps the only bits that actually made sense and gave me a kalejay-pay-thandak-parnay-wali feeling, but the whole episode was so horrible that I think I am running out of words to express my contempt. All I can think of is: yeh bhi koi ending hui, bhai?
First things first, allow me to rant about Zohaib! Ever since his parents died, he assumed the responsibility of running the household. He was the sole bread winner of the family. And if my memory doesn’t deceive me, he was Arsala’s ammi, abu and bhai – three in one package, right? A man of the house is supposed to make a lot of decisions, but the latest episode convinced me of the fact that Zohaib actually lacks the ability to make decisions, and quite conveniently, he does what other people tell him to do. Khaala asks him to give Arsala her share and lo and behold! Zohaib shows up with a check. When that doesn’t work, Dua, who was definitely the last person I expected to talk sense, actually comes up with the only sound solution: Arsala ko Hamza ki haqeeqat batadain! It is after Dua’s little speech that it dawns on Zohaib: I shouldn’t keep my sister in the dark, I should fetch some khula papers too, and while I am at it, I should think of some clever comebacks to wipe the smirk off my behnoi‘s face because he is outwitting me with his falsafa on ishq, junoon or whatever you call it! The only time Zohaib actually made me proud was when he slapped Hamza, not once, not twice, but THRICE! Zohaib’s thappars were the highlights of the episode and even if you didn’t follow the whole show, I have to say that you shouldn’t miss the three tareekhi thappar!
You might be wondering about the fourth thappar I mentioned earlier on. Well, this one came from Khaala, and though I am proud of Khaala for slapping Hamza, I still have many issues with Khaala and her presence in the play. I think Khaala enjoyed more than her fair share of airtime throughout this play so I would have liked the last episode to be a little less Khaala-centric. Well, let’s just say that the writer and I don’t exactly see eye to eye so this episode had a lot to do with Khaala, and this time around she even recounted her tale of misery – did I mention that I couldn’t care less?
And of course, allow me to rant about Dua! Dua, Dua, Dua – now where do we start? The story started to go downhill when Dua couldn’t bring herself to tell Zohaib that Hamza is her junooni ex. Had Zohaib been one of those typical judgmental husbands, I would have understood, but the fact is that Zohaib accepted her with her past, and always reassured her of his constant support. And in this episode, I was taken aback by Dua’s guts when she began to harangue Zohaib about not supporting her when she needed him. I agree that Zohaib should have been by her side and all, but Dua seems to forget that it’s because of her that Zohaib is in this mess and his sister is living with a rapist, so I think she should have been the one apologizing to him and consoling him. And hey, what’s with the time lapse? I had no idea that she spent a good six months at her mother’s?
If the talaaq kay badle talaaq dialogue, coupled with that check-tearing action was supposed to look ‘cool’ and ‘thrilling’, I hate to disappoint: it wasn’t! I didn’t exactly get the point of that fiasco because the ending didn’t have much to do with it. Zohaib and Arsala had finally made up their mind that they are going to tell Arsala the truth, but they couldn’t utter a single word when Arsala stormed into the house to tell Zohaib off for giving those khula papers? And had Zohaib been sensible, he would have talked to Arsala about Hamza before handing over the khula papers. You see, this is how confusing and clumsily written and handled this whole episode was.
The writer relied on two famous last episode features: a) eavesdropping b) death. I said this about Khaala and I have to say the same about her bhaanji that in logon kay kaan ‘normal’ nahe hain because it wasn’t humanly possible to overhear the conversation between Khaala and Hamza from Arsala’s room. Also, I was left dumbfounded when Arsala didn’t react! I understand that she was in a state of shock because after losing her one in a million brother, the comfort and luxuries of her home, she only had Hamza to fall back on so the revelation that Hamza was using her all along struck her pretty bad, but I was expecting some sort of reaction, what about you guys?
As all last episodes go, the bad guy is supposed to get his comeuppance so Hamza’s death was obviously something I was looking forward to, but Arsala’s death is beyond my comprehension. We are expected to believe that while Hamza claimed to be ‘ishq parast’ which he clearly wasn’t, Arsala belonged to the lot of ishq parasts as well because Hamza was her ishq? If this tragic ending was supposed to strike a chord with the audience and make us shed tears, I hate to break this to Team Ishq Parast that this ending didn’t move me at all – it simply left me with a really bad aftertaste!
Jab insaan kay saaray saharay khatam hojatay hain tou who samajhdaar hojata hai. Arsala’s transition has been convincing and real. When I started watching this play, I was not very fond of Arsala. Spoiled by her doting brother and Khaala, and with no one to admonish her for her eccentric, extraordinary ways, only a few could find that ‘we can relate’ factor when it came to Arsala’s character. It is after Zohaib and Dua’s marriage that I actually took a liking to Arsala. I was thinking that Arsala, like any insecure SIL, would give Dua some tough time, but she actually proved to be a cool and friendly nand. I loved Arsala and Zohaib’s bonding, but needless to say, Hamza’s entry changed everything. On the face of it, Hamza was a loving and sincere husband so obviously, Arsala fell in love with him and couldn’t stand anyone doubting his character. Her decision to move out, managing on her own, and her brother’s apparent aloofness changed her, and the once bubbly, tantrum-throwing Arsala was replaced with someone very mature and level headed. Arsala meant no harm and her character was one of the good things about this play so I wish I could ask the writer what on earth was he thinking when he decided to kill Arsala?
And on this sickening note, Ishq Parast comes to an end. I can’t believe that the characters we’d grown to love were reduced to senseless beings we could barely even recognize. I would like to talk about Hamza’s character here. When I started watching this play, I was looking forward to seeing how Hamza’s character shapes up because our plays don’t usually discuss the plight of people coming from broken homes, so I was thinking that they would show something real and relate-able, something that breaks the stereotypes, but I hate to say that nothing of that sort happened. The least they could do was keep his character grey-shaded; they could show that though he is insecure and aggressive, he is caring and sensitive too. I feel sad that Hamza’s character turned plain evil and had nothing to offer except for dhamkiyan, saazishain, and of course: a splitting headache!
What obliterated this play was definitely the rape. I hadn’t given up on this drama before that because I was hoping that they would show Hamza falling in love with Arsala and letting go of his thirst for revenge, but that one ‘twist’ totally ruined it for me. It’s no news that the subject of rape is becoming increasingly common in our plays. Speaking of the topic of abuse, there’s no doubt about the fact that sweeping it under the rug won’t make it disappear, and it’d be insensitive of the literate lot to turn a blind eye to this glaring reality, but our drama makers must pause and ask themselves: are they raising awareness the way they proudly claim to, or is this subject being embellished to no end? Let’s get one thing straight – you can’t just dish out an abuse-based play in the name of ‘entertainment’. The viewers are not shallow at all, and yes, we do crave entertainment, but that doesn’t stop us from watching dramas that speak about real life, taboo topics because had that not been the case, plays like Pani Jaisa Pyar, Mora Piya, Roag would have failed to garner favorable reviews. Abuse-based plays should ONLY deal with abuse – the physical and psychological impacts of abuse on the victims, how they deal with this trauma, how they pick themselves up and how the perpetrators of this heinous crime are punished in the end. I strongly believe that an issue as sensitive as rape should NEVER be used as a plot point to move the story forward or excite the audience. Coming to the play in question, Ishq Parast was supposed to be a ‘family entertainer’, it was supposed to focus on a bunch of grey shaded characters with their share of flaws and strengths, and it was supposed to make us smile and feel good by the end of the day, but I’m afraid that team Ishq Parast failed their audience.
Talking about performances, Ahmed Ali and Syed Jibran were the stars of the show. I first saw Ahmed Ali in Dusri Biwi, where he played a supporting character, a junooni, psycho fiancé (how can I forget his trips to the jail). Here again, he played a similar role, and I have to say that he is a talented newbie, especially when it comes to such roles. Syed Jibran was impressive as always. Armeena is beautiful, and she acted well in a few scenes, but her performance, on the whole, left much to be desired. I think she should work on her dialogue delivery and expressions. Arij Fatyma was totally convincing as Arsala, and I loved her performance in the last episode!
How many of you followed Ishq Parast? What do you think of the ending? Voice your views .
P.S: I would like to thank all my readers for their regular comments and appreciation. I don’t know where I’d be without you guys! Sabahet, AW, Hira, Silver Eyes, Kiran Akhtar, Nida, Kunwal Javid, Asma D, Candle, Amirza, Naveed, Sara, Najla Rafique, Roxy, Smmn, thank you so much for being a part of the discussions – the best part of watching Ishq Parast! I thank all my silent readers for following the reviews. Do share your thoughts with us!
Ali Zafar has always been known for his liberal stance in public and lately he has done some very admirable things like making that memorable song for the Peshawar victims and participating in some other such projects in his country.
Junaid Jamshed on the contrary is someone who has lately been in public eye for giving controversial statements against women and confusing women’s role in Islam. Ali Zafar asked Junaid Jamshed directly on Twitter what his take on status of women in society and Islam is. Junaid Jamshed said that women were equal to men and they could anything men can do.
Ali Zafar also suggested that both of them join hands to sing a song that would show the elevated status of women and also to give them respect.
Here is the exchange of tweets between the two celebrities:
Ali Zafar is being applauded by all for taking the bull by the horns!
