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!
The sixth Vogue Beauty Awards were held in India this week and it does not come as a surprise at all that the dashing Fawad Khan wont the “Most Beautiful Man” award even though he had a lot of competition!
The Indian viewers and filmmakers love this talented and good looking man from across the border. Fawad Khan has signed some very promising projects with the best producers and directors in the country. His exit from the film “Battle of Bittora” was the talk of the town because many people wanted to see the “Khoobsurat” jodi on the big screen again. While there was news that Fawad Khan refused the project because of some scenes he wasn’t comfortable with shooting some intimate scenes but the Indian Express reported that while talking to the media at the Vogue Awards Fawad Khan told that the real issue was different. He said, “The biggest hurdle was the timelines which couldn’t coincide. Sonam was busy in her own projects. Rhea (Kapoor) is working on another pet project called ‘Saat Hindustani’. Amidst all this, even I got involved with some work. Rest everything is all conjecture.”
The actor also said, “I have all the love and respect for Anil sahab and the whole Kapoor family. And I’d love to work with them whenever the opportunity comes next.”
Here are some pictures of Fawad Khan from the Vogue Awards 2015:
We wish him all the best in his career at home and abroad.
Syra and Shehroz are undoubtedly one of the most loved young couples of our drama industry. They look very cute together and have a very adorable little girl Nooreh who looks a lot like her beautiful mother. Syra and Shehroz celebrated Nooreh’s first birthday in style. Everyone from the family and friends were present at the birthday bash. Alishba Yousuf was also seen at the party with her daughter.
This episode had so many good scenes, that it’s hard to choose one of them. Diyar-e-Dil has us all gripped and this grip only hardens after each passing episode. Now we understand these characters very well and all that’s left for us to see is our lead pair in love!
We saw Tajammul’s true face in the previous episode and this episode only made us hate this family of opportunity seekers only more! There are many ways in which Ruhi and Zohra are alike. Both are manipulative but Ruhi obviously has a low I.Q level which is why Zohra succeeds in manipulating her every time. Whether it’s Tajammul ke doston ki daawat or Tajammul’s daughter’s shopping trips, Ruhi is ready to waste Agha Jaan’s money for these people. She doesn’t have a brain to understand the people around her and find out what their true intentions are. It is so clear that Tajammul and Zohra just want her money but she fails to get that. On the other hand just one moment with Agha Jaan, two decades ago, makes her believe that he is a hypocrite. Agha Jaan has apologized for his behaviour several times but she still thinks ill of him.
“Ek taraf daulatmand dada hai aur ek taraf mohabbat karne wali maa” Ruhi has filled Farah’s mind with hate for Behroz’s family. Now that Farah is questioning Tajammul and Zohra’s intentions, and slowly (really slowly) realizing what a great person Agha Jaan is, Ruhi has increased her dosage of manipulation. This dialogue of hers made me cringe! As if that wasn’t enough, when Agha Jaan came to visit, Ruhi tried to make him believe that Farah didn’t want to meet him and blamed him for her father’s death. Fortunately, Agha Jaan is intelligent enough not to believe her.
Farah sahiba is too busy with her studies and too manipulated by her mother to see how wrong she is. Today, for the first time, I was angry at her because she is not thinking clearly at all! She can see how much Wali and Agha Jaan care for her. She is always rude to Wali and he deals with her politely. Ruhi is the brainless one, not Farah, so she better use that brain. Maya Ali acted really well today. While watching the previous episodes, I felt like her dialogue delivery was not good enough but today it was as good as her expressions.
Wali and Agha Jaan edure everything with so much patience that not loving these characters is impossible. Osman Khalid Butt and Abid Ali are doing such a good job! Agha Jaan promised himself that he would deal with Ruhi and Farah with kindness and that is exactly what he is doing. He called Farah even after everything Ruhi said to him. That scene was really cute because Farah was talking to Behroz’s picture and saying that she was helpless but Agha Jaan comforted her. After the second call, when Farah told him she wasn’t feeling well, the way he immediately arrived at her house to see if she was okay or not was really cute as well. However, the cutest scene from tonight’s episode was Agha Jaan and Wali’s discussion. Agha Jaan also realizes now, how much Wali is in love with Farah.
Arjumand and Ruhi’s discussion was the highlight of the episode. Ruhi has no shame whatsoever. Calling Agha Jaan a munafiq and Wali badtameez in front of Arjumand was something expected from her but the way she reminded Arjumand of her and Behroz’s engagement was cringe worthy. However, Arjumand’s comeback was fantastic! “behroz jesa selfish insan mujhe deserve hi nahi karta, woh jisko deserve karta thha usse wohi aurat mili” Ruhi thinks so highly of herself, but Armujand reminded her of her true place! Farah will definitely hate Behroz’s family more after that conversation though.
So, did you guys enjoy watching this episode? What do you think will happen now?
Areeba Mohsen
P.S: I am covering for my dear friend Zahra Mirza who is on vacation :)
Tum Mere Paas Raho (تم میرے پاس رہو) is a new drama starting from Wednesday 22 June 2015 at 8:00 pm on Hum Tv. Bushra Ansari is playing the role of a kharrant saasu maa in this play like Mera Naseeb and Kabhi Kabhi.
Starring: Bushra Ansari, Zahid Ahmed, Arij Fatima, Amna Ilyas, Hassan Niazi and more.
Weriter: Inam Hassan Khan
Director: Saife Hassan
Ishq Ibadat (عشق عبادت) is a new half hour soap play of Hum Tv started from Tuesday 21st July 2015 at 7 pm. Though the month of Ibadat of our entertainment channels is over its effects are reflecting in the name of this drama.
Starring: Annum Fayyaz and Inayat Khan
Writer: Seema Ghazal
Producer: Faheem Burney, Concepts
Director: Faheem Burney
Duaa (دعا) is an upcoming drama on Geo Tv. In recent times Duaa on Geo Tv instantly reminds of Aamir Liaqut Hussain who has performed very well in a series of Duaa arranged during past week and months earning huge ratings as well. This time though the name is the similar but performers are different.
The lead performers in this drama are Ushnah Shah, Dainal Raheel, Zainab Ahmed and Junaid Khan. As per its FB page, it is the story of four friends.
No further description is available on its FB page so here are few posts from its FB page which might describe this drama.
“4 dost, 4 Khubsoorat rishtay, 4 Khush Zindagiyaan …. Per kaisi hai yeh Bad duaa?”
“Ghuntoon Baatien karna…. Chup Chupkay ik dosray ko dekhna… Dostoon Ki mehfil mai milna … Kiya piyaar mai esa hi hota hai?”
i1950’s filmstar Sheila Ramani passed away on 15th July 2015 in India. Sheila was a Parsi born in Sindh in British India. After the partition in 1947, Sheila migrated to India and worked in many Indian films including Taxi Driver (1954) and Surang (1953).
As an Indian citizen, in 1956 Sheila visited Pakistan to work in few Urdu and Sindhi films produced in Karachi on the request of her Uncle residing in Karachi. Among them Anokhi (1956) is still remembered for its melodious song of Garri Ko Chalana Baabu (گاڑی کو چلانا بابو).
Here is the song of Garri Ko Chalana Baabu (گاڑی کو چلانا بابو) in the voice of famous singer Late Kauser Parveen featuring Sheila Ramani.
Ayyan Ali is out of the jail and feeling very thankful for all those people who supported her when she was in her most difficult time. Now that Ayyan has the opportunity to tell her side of the story she told her fans and anyone who would listen that she was innocent via twitter. Ayyan said that everything that happened was a conspiracy against her.
Ayyan has also been busy meeting her friends. She also posted her first selfie in four months which was with non other than Waqar Zaka who himself has been part of many controversies.
Bajrangi bhaijaan was released a few days ago. As was expected from our emotional and Bollywood obsessed nation we rushed to our cinemas to watch it without even giving a thought towards supporting our own movies. Bajrangi Bhaijaan lies in the category of the ‘feel good’, self-glorifying movies made in India. These movies are basically about how Indians are really nice and are misunderstood by Pakistanis who have the emotional and mental capacity of an 8 year old. Veer Zara is a prime example of it.
Bajrangi bhaijaan is basically a movie about a speech-impaired Pakistani child left behind in India and how a kind and devout Hindu who is nicknamed Bajrangi bhaijaan takes her under his wing and takes her back to her family in Pakistan. On the surface this might seem like an innocent even noble gesture however as we watch the movie closely we’ll find a great deal of ridicule for Pakistanis not to mention the usual stereotypes perpetuated against Pakistanis.
Here are some parts and scenes I found highly offensive.
1) The flabby policemen showed at the border.
2) The usual stereotype of Pakistan as some backward rural area. They couldn’t have depicted Karachi, Lahore or even Peshawar and Quetta, no it just had to be a village!
3) The Indian shown as the good guy trying to help and the Pakistanis as morons who get fooled by our glorious hero.
4) The usual parade of Burqa wearing women, Mullahs etc.
5) The idea that an Indian can basically sneak into Pakistan anytime.
6) The outdated formal Urdu. For God’s sake no one says Adaab or uses Janaab in the end of sentences in Pakistan. Urdu is evolving, ever-changing and fluid. I’m pretty sure that even In Lucknow people don’t speak the way they show Pakistanis to be speaking.
7) The idea that basically Pakistanis don’t know what is good for them and must be guided by an Indian.
Reminds me a lot of the white savior complex.
One more thing I read a review of this movie by a Kashmiri and he was brilliant in analyzing this emotional claptrap. The girl was a Pakistani Kashmiri and Kashmiris would be more likely to help one another in these situations. Infact in my opinion the girl who is a Kashmiri probably has relatives living on the other side of LOC who would be more likely to help her. He also criticized director Kabir khan for exploiting Kashmiris for this movie what with hiring seven thousand extras for a shoot in snow. According to him the poor extras hired for this movie had no choice but to silently nod and smile on whatever story the writer forces over them.
What is sad is that Pakistanis are forgetting that just recently Bin roye was banned in Maharashtra and even more importantly that this movie basically stole an iconic and classic Pakistani qawwali sung by Great and late Aziz mian qawaal. To add insult to injury they had this sung by notorious turncoat Adnan Sami. I have forgotten the number of times Indians have used his example i.e. his desperate attempts to acquire Indian nationality to humiliate Pakistanis on Facebook. By the way why was he singing an Urdu Qawwali in a Kashmiri dargah?
To all the pseudo-intellectual Pakistanis bashing Bin roye online I just have one question. You would gladly watch any cheap masala Indian film but have suddenly acquired high-brow tastes when it comes to a Pakistani movie? Pathetic. As for people saying that at least it’s a start and this film is NOT AS BAD AS THE PREVIOUS MOVIES! I would just like to say have you heard the fable of the coffin thief and his son? May God give our people the strength to find some self-respect and national pride.
I rate Bajrangi bhaijaan 1 out of 5 stars and hereby formally nominate this movie for ‘Black Award for Emotional Blackmail’ category in Indian golden kela awards which ironically are themselves are a copy of the golden raspberry awards. LOL.
Junaid Jamshed has been under a lot of criticism once again because of his statement regarding women in his Ramazan show which has went viral on social media. Everyone including some celebrities were shocked how carelessly Junaid Jamshed gave a statement regarding a religion which gives women so much respect. People also made fun of him by making memes that proved that Junaid Jamshed discriminated against women.
There are of course also many people who think that some people are after Junaid Jamshed for no reason and they take everything he says in a wrong way.
Here is what Junaid Jamshed had to say about the whole issue:
Hamza Ali Abbasi keeps on sharing his opinion about everything that is hyped up by the media or is of importance for any reason despite of the criticism which he very often faces for having this habit of something to say about everything. Hamza Ali Abbasi thinks that social media is “not a place to show off what outfit i am wearing today or what kind of food did i have for lunch, infact, social media is a place to share opinions and ideas.”
He also says that in our society sharing your opinion or having an opinion different from others is considered a taboo so he is working to break free from this taboo by giving people an open forum to disagree with him.
Ayyan Ali was recently bailed from court. Hamza Ali Abbasi thinks that it is very sad that the court let her go like that and he also does not like the way in which Ayyan Ali was given so much attention by the media.
Mehreen Rahael’s weight gain became a subject of attention when she was seen on the catwalk few months back. What everyone did not know was Mehreen just had one baby and was expecting another. Everyone expected her to come back to her pre-pregnancy size after the baby because people do not want to see showbiz personalities gaining weight as they have certain standards set for them. Mehreen Raheal is clearly fed up of people judging her both for putting her career on hold for the sake of her children and also for gaining weight that is why she felt the need to tell people who are saying negative things about her what she is and has been going through.
Mehreen Raheal through her status told people that she was expecting that is why she gained weight and she also said that her body was her own personal business so no one had the right to talk about it like that. Mehreen also shared how difficult it was to take being a mother as a full time job but she took on the challenge because she does not want to leave her children with maids.
Sheharyar Zaidi, a well known artist in the current age of drama. Sheharyar is a popular choice for Father roles in dramas. Apart from Sheharyar many of his family members have also been active part of media industry in various disciplines.
Sheharyar Zaidi
Sheharyar Zaidis family basically belongs to Uttar Pradesh, India and migrated to Pakistan after the partition in 1947. Sheharyar has studied from National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore and started his media career as an active singer and actor. His spouse is Nayyara Noor a famous singer, who also studied from National College of Arts Lahore.
In 1970’s he regularly appeared as a singer on PTV, like he provided vocals for a famous television program Such Gupp with his spouse Nayyara Noor (a famous singer). Throughout 1980s he actively partnered with Nayyara Noor to release various music albums as well. However he was not active on small screen (television) in the same duration.
It was only after the arrival of private satellite channels in 2000’s that he pursued acting and performed few memorable roles like the role of Chaudhary Saab opposite Bushra Ansari in famous “Kis Ki Aayegi Baraat” series.
Apart from Sheharyar, two of his sisters were also active on television as news readers in 1970s and 80s. Sheharyar and Nayyara have two sons who are also active in music industry. The family resides in Karachi.
Yasmeen Waasti
Yasmeen Waasti is the sister of Sheharyar Zaidi and was a famous news reader of PTV in 1980s. Mostly Yasmeen Waasti used to read Business News (Tijaarti Khabrain) which were aired on PTV after Khabrnama at 9 pm.
Yasmeen Waasti
Arjumand Shaheen
Arjumand Shaheen is the sister of Sheharyar Zaidi and was a famous news reader of PTV in 1980s. Back then Arjumand Shaheen was a well known news reader almost daily reading News in Khabrnama at 9 pm.
Arjumand Shaheen
Syed Shahnawaz Zaidi Syed Shahnawaz Zaidi is the brother of Shehryar Zaidi. By profession Syed Shahnawaz Zaidi has served at various positions in the Fine Arts department of Punjab University including the Principle of College of Fine Arts of Punjab University. Syed Shahawaz Zaidi also occasionally acted in few dramas of PTV Lahore center in 1980’s.
Nayyara Noor
Nayyara Noor is the spouse of Sheharyar Zaidi and a leading singer of our country. Nayyara’s family belongs to Assam, India and migrated to Pakistan after partition in 1947. Nayyara is also a graduate of National College of Arts, Lahore. Nayyara started her singing career in 1970’s and continued singing till late 1990’s. Nayyara provided vocals for many Urdu films mostly working with musicians Robin Ghosh and M. Ashraf. Nayyara was a popular choice for background scores (OST) of dramas in 1980s and 1990s. She is no more active in music and seldom appears on mainstream media.
One of the first famous OST of a PTV drama was in the voice of Nayyara, Kabhi Hum Bhi khubsurat Thay for drama Teesra Kinara.
The few couplets of Faiz Ahmed Faiz by Nayyara Noor for the drama Dhoop Kinare are considered classic.
In films Nayyara Noor also provided many hits
Sheharyar Zaidi and Nayyara Noor have two sons Nad-e-Ali Zaidi and Jaffar Zaidi who are also active in the field of music.
Nayyara Noor
Syed Naad-e-Ali Zaidi
Syed Naad-e-Ali Zaidi is the elder son of Sheharyar Zaidi and Nayyara Noor. He is a solo singer and to-date also released few singles. Syed Naad-e-Ali Zaidi’s spouse Sana Tariq is also a famous news reader and anchor. They got married in 2010.
Dr. Sana Tariq, Syed Naad-e-Ali Zaidi
Here is a single track Barkha of Naad-e-Ali Zaidi
Dr. Sana Tariq
Dr. Sana Tariq, is the spouse of Naad-e-Ali Zaidi and also a famous anchor and news reader. She hosted various morning shows as well read news on Geo TV. After marriage with Naad-e-Ali, Sana quit hosting. By profession Sana is a doctor.
Sana Tariq
Jaffar Zaidi
Jaffar Zaidi is the younger son of Sheharyar Zaidi and Nayyara Noor. Jaffar is part of Kaavish band as a singer. He also participated in various seasons of Coke Studio as a singer and composer. A famous song of Kaavish is Nindiya Re.
Jaffar Zaidi
Lastly few duet and solo in the voices of Nayyara Noor and Sheryar Zaidi recorded for PTV program Such Gupp in 1970’s. Composer is Arshad Mehmood.
Pakistani celebrities have been very busy during Ramazan too but Eid brings out the most joyous side of these celebrities and we are lucky to see them spending time with their families and some with their colleagues and friends on Eid shows. Some celebrities were not in Pakistan on Eid but they remembered to celebrate Eid nonetheless and they wished their fans too. Mahira Khan was in New York promoting her film Bin Roye which will be released internationally. Mawra Hocane is also in India missing her homeland and family.
Here are wishes from different Pakistani celebrities and their pictures on Eid day:
Karachi Se Lahore (کراچی سے لاہور) is an upcoming film to be released on 31st July 2015. It is the story of four friends (Ayesha Omar, Shahzad Sheikh, Ahmed Ali, Yasir Hussain) who travel by road to Lahore from Karachi to stop the marriage of one of their friend (Eshita Syed). On the way they face various challenges and became part of some interesting experiences. Its trailer is already released. On the festive occasion of Eid, a song teaser is also released.
Song : Aaja Re Aja
Singer : Sur Dervesh
Film : Karachi Se Lahore
Directed by : Wajahat Rauf
Release Date : 31st July 2015
Distributed by : IMGC
https://vimeo.com/133782026
Here is the trailer of the film released earlier in April 2015
Starring: Javed Sheikh, Shehzad sheikh, Aysha Omer, Yasir Hussain, Aashir Wajahat, Eshita Syed, Ahmed Ali, Rashid Naz, Mantaha
Directed Produced and Story by: Wajahat Rauf
Wirtten by : Yasir Hussain
Music by : Sur Darwaish
Distributor: IMC (Geo Films)
https://vimeo.com/126003048
The film features a dance number song Rang Ralli (رنگ رلی) filmed on Mantaha Tareen Maqsood. Another dance number Tooti-frooti is filmed on Ayesha Omar.
Moor (مور) means mother in Pashto is the name of an upcoming film directed by Jami releasing on 14th August 2015. Famous music band Strings provided music for Moor.
On the festive occasion of Eid teaser of its new song Talabgaar (طلب گار) is released
Song : Talabgaar
Singer : Javed Bashir
Film : Moor (Mother)
Music by: Strings
Lyrics by : Anwar Maqsood
Genre: Family/Drama
Starring: Hameed Sheikh, Samiya Mumtaz, Shaz Khan, Abdul Qadir, Sonya Hussyn, Ayaz Samoo, Ali Sheikh, Shabbir Rana, Habib Panazayi, Azlan Shah, Noor Bukhari
Directed By: Jami
Written By: Jami & Nazira Ali
Screenplay By: Jami
Produced By: Jami , Nadeem H. Mandviwalla
Distributor: Geo Films
“MOOR” (Mother), follows the tragic story a family pulled apart through corruption and circumstances out of their control.It is based on decline of the railways system in Pakistan. Moor is Pushto word which means mother in Pashto Language.
The film is shot in Qila Abdullah district, Balochistan and is about the decline of Railway system due to corruption and its impact on the families living there. The area of Qilla Abdullah is home to Khojak tunnel, the longest rail tunnel in Pakistan. The 3.91 kilometer long Khojak tunnel was constructed by British in 1891. It is also known as Sheelabagh tunnel. The tunnel was built with the motive to provide railway access to the city of Qandhaar in Afghanistan.
It will be the second film directed by Jami, the first film O21 released last year received mixed response from critics and viewers.
Ohkay so, Scripted by Farhat Ishtiyaq, Directed by Shehzad Kashmiri & Produced by Momina Duraid, the amazing Pakistani Movie named Bin Roye was released on Eid-ul-Fitr & I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality & the magnitude with which this film was shot, executed & brought in front of us. To be honest, I really can’t promise if I’d be able to keep the story to myself because I really know I will have a hard time in keeping things while reviewing Bin Roye because I want to discuss each & everything in detail, therefore, all the readers are being warned about the unintentional spoiler alerts in advance. :)
The story starts off on a note where Saba (Mahira Khan), our happy-go-lucky, full-of-life & hopeless romantic heroine is madly in love with her first cousin Irtiza (Humayun Saeed). Irtiza has lost his parents & lives with his paternal uncle & aunt; Shafiq (Javed Sheikh) & Maliha (Zeba Bakhtiyar), who are also Saba’s parents, therefore both Saba & Irtiza share a very strong & candid relationship because they have always been best of friends with each other right from their childhood days. For Saba, her life revolves around Irtiza because he is the only man she has ever been in love with, he is the only man she relies on emotionally, he is the only person she thinks she understands the most, but sadly she has never gotten a hint of that sort from him ever. For Saba, it has always been a done deal that Irtiza belongs to her; therefore she never can foresee that things can also go against her imagination & plans ever.
Irtiza decides to go to the US for 2 years & there comes the character of Saman (Armeena Khan) in the picture. Saman happens to be daughter of Shafiq & Maliha but Maliha herself gives away her daughter to her brother & sister in law right after she is born. Many a times, she often thinks of asking her brother to send Saman back to her, but Shafiq always reminds her of the promise she made & the decision she took herself. Shafiq does understand that his wife misses their daughter, but he doesn’t want to put any pressure on Saman’s adoptive parents because he knows this will discomfort their whole family especially Saman.
Saba only allows Irtiza to leave for 2 years & that is the time when her love for him grows even stronger because the idea of her marriage with Irtiza keeps her motivated. They stay in contact throughout & that is the time when Saba feels the need to mould herself into someone Irtiza will appreciate even more. Irtiza comes across Saman & that is when he feels attracted to her. Even though Saba & Saman happen to be sisters, they are poles apart in everything, starting from their natures, to their characters, to their personalities, to their styling & even their auras & I must commend the stylist for paying an attention to detail as far as their styling was concerned because the way both the girls dressed up depicted their backgrounds perfectly. Saman is someone who is always very calm & collected; she is intelligent, has high standards & always maintains her dignity in whatever she does. Irtiza eventually falls in love with Saman because he deems her as an ideal partner.
Irtiza returns to Pakistan just to find out that Saman’s parents have died in a plane crash. He brings her back to Pakistan & that is when Saman tells her mother that she found out a long time back that she was Maliha’s daughter. Saba welcomes Saman wholeheartedly because she feels she has found a new friend in her, but her affection soon turns into hatred when she finds out that Irtiza is in love with Saman & they both are planning to get married. Saba’s Daadi (Azra Masoor) requests her to forgive Irtiza because he couldn’t fall in love with her & that is when Saba’s life changes completely.
Irtiza & Saman get to spend a perfect life, but their happiness ends up being short lived because Saman dies in a tragic road accident leaving her son Maaz behind. Saba’s grandmother & parents suggest that Irtiza should get married to Saba but that is when Saba starts misunderstanding him questioning whether Saman’s death has even affected him or not. Saba ends up making an irrational decision of getting married to an already married man, but that is when her fiancé (Junaid Khan) tells Irtiza about how Saba is aware of each & everything, which then forces Irtiza to do some thinking as to why Saba wants to fall into a deep pit herself.
All this happens when Saba’s hatred for Saman turns into guilt & starts haunting her because this is when it occurs to her that in a moment of oblivion, she prayed & wished for her sister; Saman’s death. This is the time when it dawns on Saba that she was so negatively driven that she ended up being the reason why her sister isn’t alive anymore. Irtiza gets married to Saba because he wants to save her, but Saba, being guilt stricken misunderstands his intentions too. I am sure all you guys will enjoy the rollercoaster ride of emotions because this movie surely takes you on a journey. How Saba & Irtiza find their happy ending is what you guys have to see this movie for. :)
There were just so many positives in this movie that I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. I must say it was a time well spent with a perfect direction, perfect script, perfect acting, perfect locations, perfect sets, perfect songs, perfect costumes, perfect makeup & perfect dresses. You for sure will fall in love with the songs & background scores because they added charm to the whole movie starting from the beginning right till the end. I loved the choreography of Ballay Ballay song; Adeel Hussain paired & danced really well with Mahira Khan & made that song a lot more enjoyable for sure. Mahira Khan looked absolutely stunning & I loved her dress in that song especially. I must say the song titled Mahi has to be my favorite & oh, any project of HUM TV can never be complete if Abida Parveen doesn’t grace it with her voice, & that is why the song sung by her was a masterstroke because it complimented all the situations flawlessly.
I am so so so glad that both the actresses Mahira & Armeena chose a no-makeup/natural look because it really enhanced the aspect of reality. Just like how we see in our dramas, they proved it once again that you don’t have to be all dolled up even if you’re in a movie & that is why I really am proud of both Mahira & Armeena for relying solely on their acting because by the end of the day, that is what matters the most. Humayun Saeed was phenomenal as Irtiza & he really lifted the film with his presence. He really gave a perfect face to Irtiza’s character & his acting was actually flawless & when I say flawless, I actually mean, flawless as in on fleek! I must say, all the actors did a brilliant job because the chemistry between the lead pairs was amazing. Humayun Saeed looked graceful with Armeena Khan & his chemistry with Mahira Khan was a treat in its own. Mahira Khan was brilliant as Saba, it really felt like she embraced her character as if it was tailored for her. I really must say that Mahira Khan has evolved so much as an actor that she really doesn’t let you take your eyes off her, her playful & expressive eyes really make you fall in love with her acting. Armeena Khan was sweet & I can’t emphasize enough on how soothing her voice is. She fitted the role of Saman perfectly too because even if she had a smaller role in comparison to Mahira Khan, she made such an impact within what she had to work with that I actually got overwhelmed at her accident scene; which by the way was an example of a perfect & realistic direction for sure. I must say Shehzad Kashmiri really brought out the best in all the actors but there were quite a few scenes that required top-notch acting & oh boy, Mahira Khan nailed it without overdoing anything. Zeba Bakhtiyar just lights up the whole screen & I am so glad she was chosen to play the role of Saba’s mother. Azra Masoor as usual was in her comfort zone for which she nailed the character of Daadi once again & it goes without saying that Javed Sheikh is the favorite father of our industry. ;)
I must say that Shehzad Kashmiri must take a bow for all the hard work he has put into this film because it really paid off. The moment the movie starts, all that you notice is the attention to detail & the perfection with which each & every frame has been put together. The love that the team of Momina Duraid Productions put in this project was so evident because to see all the drama actors who have one way or the other stayed in association with HUM TV Network were somehow made a part of this film. It was so good to see Adeel Hussain, Faiza Hassan, Junaid Khan, Zaheen Tahira along with other actors in guest appearances too. Somehow, this movie really highlighted the love HUM TV Family has for each other & I really appreciate that the producers brought all these actors & also the directors like Haissan Hussain & Surmed Sultan Khoosat under their banner together because it was more like a tribute to them as well for working with HUM TV for so long. I really think this gesture sheds a light on how hard the whole team of Bin Roye has worked because they packed it with a lot of love & gifted it to their viewers on Eid which actually was a perfect treat for HUM TV’s loyal fans. :)
I really feel that Momina Duraid Productions have set the bar really high with Bin Roye & I wish them good luck for all of their future endeavors. Once again, I thank the whole team of Bin Roye for making this movie such a visual treat & a complete entertainment package & I thank Humayun Saeed, Mahira Khan & Armeena Khan for giving their 100% to Bin Roye because I am sure, no one else could’ve pulled it off like this terrific trio did. :)
I highly highly recommend Bin Roye to all the readers & oh, just in case I wasn’t clear, this for sure is a big screen movie. :) Those who’ve watched it, pour in your comments please as I can’t wait to hear from you guys too. :)
Keep Supporting,
Cheers, Zahra Mirza.
PS: Just a random thought, I really think HUM TV should have delayed Alvida’s broadcast or should’ve kept it on hold till Bin Roye’s release because I remember when Alvida started airing, quite a few comments suggested that the story is similar to Bin Roye & yes, that is true. As I watched Bin Roye, it actually did remind me of Alvida to an extent where I already knew what was going to happen. Obviously, both the projects are completely different but the similar story line does distract you a bit & oh just on a side note, first 3 – 5 minutes of the movie might make you feel that everything’s a bit too forced but just after that, the real magic begins, so just hang in there. ;) Happy Viewing! :)
Junaid Jamshed (JJ) and Hamza Ali Abbassi (HAA) are famous media persons known for running into controversies over their remarks on various occasions.
Quite recently (December 2014 to be precise) JJ has to left Pakistan in a hurry to escape the reaction over his remarks (considered derogatory by many) about a sacred female religious figure. On the contrary HAA was on the receiving end just few weeks ago upon his remarks on a decision taken by the supreme court of a country thousands of miles away from us.
Now these controversy prone personalities are again the point of discussion when HAA has expressed his disappointment over the remarks of JJ in the Ramazan transmission of ARY Digital on 16th July 2015. It is not the first time that JJ is being discussed for being bias towards a particular gender.
Ohkay so, these two episodes of Jugnoo were more like a rollercoaster ride. As much as I am happy for how the events have unraveled into Jugnoo’s favor, I really am not happy with Zulfi’s take on this whole situation & to be honest, seeing how hard Jugnoo is working on this relation, I really don’t think Zulfi’s worth it. To be honest, even though these two episodes were great & promised us something new, the preview at the end of tonight’s episode didn’t seem promising at all because looks like they will be dragging the story now only for the sake of filling the number of episodes the channel has asked them to air.
I really liked Ghazala’s character & her thought process during this fiasco because of all the people she knew how to take a stand for herself. Yes, she likes Dr. Saadi but too bad, she has been so preoccupied with all the planning plotting done by her mother & sister that she really didn’t get much time to sort her feelings out, however I am really happy that at least she had the guts to say the truth out loud to Zulfi, for how he has been so spineless & for how he has failed Jugnoo; the girl who loves him so much.
Jugnoo showed up just in the nick of time to save her marriage because this is exactly what Dr. Saadi & Ghazala wished for as well. Dr. Saadi really likes Ghazala & he is looking for a chance to be with her because he really intends to marry her. Ghazala on the other hand has also fallen for Dr. Saadi but she is absolutely scattered brained due to all the shocking revelations which is why she hasn’t been able to say that out loud as to how much she likes Dr. Saadi. I really didn’t understand why Ayesha & her mother are bent on getting Ghazala married to Zulfi. Even though, they now are well aware of the fact that the things Tanveer & Baba Sahab have been telling them about Jugnoo & Zulfi were just white lies, but Ghazala’s mother also thinks Zulfi’s worth it & he is the only guy who can make her daughter happy, whereas he has never given anyone a chance to have such a high opinion of him, so her mother’s stand on this whole situation seems to be coming from someone who is quite immature. Also, to hear her say that Zulfi’s social status is the reason why people are trying to create havoc in his life was another thought that made me laugh, she really lives in a bubble, doesn’t she, where she thinks being so unreasonably unrealistic is absolutely fine?
I felt that Dr. Saadi redeemed himself because he was feeling guilty for fooling Jugnoo. I am sure he wouldn’t have changed his mind if he had not met Ghazala & that is the moment when he felt he was not only wronging Jugnoo but he was being a part of the plot where another girl’s life was being ruined & especially when he met Ghazala he really wanted to save her as well. I think he made a right decision by backing out of the whole plan. Tanveer is just so despicable because just when Dr. Saadi sided with him, Tanveer never questioned his intentions but the moment he decided to walk out of the plan, Tanveer started having doubts about his ‘best friend’ too.
Khala Kissho’s plight & track isn’t interesting anymore, by saying that I mean that she isn’t offering us something new & her story is pretty one dimensional. I really thought that Rafique was wrong & yes, he is wrong 80% but Khala Kissho is responsible for the remaining 20% too. She really isn’t interested in maintaining a healthy relation with her husband & the reason behind her discomfort is her own probing nature where she can’t live without inquiring about Jugnoo, even if it mean s she has to ignore her marital duties & responsibilities. Rafique obviously feels neglected & Khala Kissho’s take on this situation is quite immature as well. I really hope that what they have suggested happens to be true & the baby changes her life & makes it better & happier.
Jugnoo’s return was fantastic like always but then it was nothing short of a déjà vu to be honest. We’ve been there, seen that where she came to rescue her prince in distress & eloped with him temporarily. Zulfi really disappoints me because to see him not even making an effort to find out the truth behind the news of Jugnoo’s death really made him seem illogical & unreasonable. I think Zulfi himself is Jugnoo’s enemy in disguise because without realizing, Jugnoo has put so much at stake for him & without realizing Zulfi really has exposed Jugnoo to so many dangers that even if I want to see them together, I don’t see them working well as a couple.
The preview of the next episode again suggested that the story is going to go on a loop where Zulfi will go back to his Baba Sahab once again, putting Jugnoo through another round of difficulty. I really don’t understand what does Zulfi want & what his plans are. He really is immature, directionless & a purposeless soul. He has lost his path & he has also made Jugnoo’s life miserable too. I respect Jugnoo for not giving up on such a spineless person like Zulfi but to be honest, he isn’t worth it.
I really believe that they should now start wrapping the story up & Jugnoo should have 3 more episodes, 4 at tops because they aren’t left with anything else to show. The acting, the dialogues, those fluent conversations, the locations & last but not the least, Jugnoo’s character; all these aspects have been the highlight of this drama but realistically speaking, they should now end it at a sweet note. :) Please share your thoughts about these two episodes.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers, Zahra Mirza.
ps: Chand Raat & Eid Mubarik to all my dear, awesome, best readers & friends out there. :) <3
Saya E Khuda E Zuljalal (سایہ خداۓ ذوالجلال) is an upcoming film produced in Lahore. It was under production for more than two years. Its first look is released today.
This film is about the story of Pakistan narrated by the Heroes of Pakistan, what Pakistan was suppose to be and what it is today.
Starring:Javaid Sh, Moammar Rana, Arbaaz Kh, Afzal Kh, Asad Malik, Kamran Mujahid, Sohail Sameer,Naved Rana, Shafqat Chema, Firdous Jamal , Amir Qureshi, Ahsan Najam ,Easa, Salman, Saleem Albela & Nayyer Ijaz. Noor, Jia Ali, Rachel Gill, Nimra, Ash
Genre: Action, History, Drama, Love story
Directed By: Umair Fazli
Music: Anthony Soshil & Irfan Saleem
Screenplay & Written By: Dr. Tauseef Razzaque & Inam Qadri
Producer: A.R. Productions & Jehan Films
Studio: A.R. Productions, Jehan Films & Blue Orca Studios
“Mohabat khudghurzu ka khel hai, qurbaniyan dene wale koi aur kaam karein!”The ending of Mera Naam Yousuf Hai was exactly what many of the viewers predicted it would be like but does that make it any less gratifying? Most certainly not! It was filmi to the core just like the drama as a whole, very emotional and for once viewers can be happy that Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar who personally does not believe in happy endings gave this drama a very happy ending probably because he knew that people would have wanted to see Yousuf and Zulekha together. Madiha’s character was one of the many lovable characters in this play and the way she played a pivotal role in bringing Yousuf and Zulekha together in the end did not come as a surprise at all. The viewers did not expect someone like Madiha to settle for anything less than all or nothing and that is exactly what she did. Madiha and Zulekha both proved that their love was truly selfless; the sort of love which everyone wants but very few find it. Although I am not for sacrificing your love for someone’s happiness but in this case I am all for what Madiha did because there was no point getting married to someone who was not going to love her ever especially when the love of his life was sitting there right in front of him and in a position to be with him for a lifetime.
Waji Ahmed’s conversation with Zulekha was the highlight of this episode. The way he summed up Yousuf’s personality and how sacrificing your love effects people in the long run was absolutely superb. Everything he said to Zulekha was like a reality check and i it also helped convince Zulekha to attend Yousuf’s wedding. Watching Yousuf in a shirt and tie working in a proper office, spending quality time with his sister and calling his step mother ‘ami’ was very touching. It went to show that a great deal had changed in Yousuf’s life.
“Us admi ko mei 25 saal de chuki hu judge sahiba ab dene ke liye mere pass aik pal bhi nahi hai!”….music to my ears! Afia Begum is finally free and it was delightful to see Noor Muhammad being kicked out of the house by Bushra. This was the perfect end to this particular track. I am glad that Afia Begum did not take Noor Muhammad back.
Right till the last minute Zulekha kept on denying her real feelings for Yousuf but when the moment came to make the final choice she knew exactly what she wanted. “Qaurbani dene se pehle hi tumhara dum nikal gaya!”Hajra’s witty dialogues have given comic relief all through the play and in this episode too Hajra managed to knock some sense into Zulekha in her unusual yet very entertaining way! The last two scenes were a class above the rest! Right till the end I wasn’t sure if Zulekha and Yousuf will end up together and when they did I could not help but smile and cry at the same time. Beautiful ending to a superb play!
Mera Naam Yousuf Hai was much more than just another love story, it was a beautiful play that showed many aspects of our society from male domination to how religion is used by many for their own selfish ends in a very apt manner. Like all of Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar’s plays we saw some very strong willed women paving their own path with all the courage in the world in circumstances that were anything but favorable. The powerful script, soul-stirring dialogues and Mehreen Jabbar’s excellent direction brought out the best in all the actors. The director of photography deserves a special mention for paying special attention to detail and giving us some beautiful scenes which made this drama a visual treat. The character development throughout the drama remained convincing.
Imran Abbas brought out the best in his character yet again; his boyish charm coupled with his polished acting skills added the spark which Yousuf’s character needed to portray it aptly on screen. Maya Ali did not stand out as Zulekha at first but once Zulekha fell in love with Yousuf she was totally into the character. Maya Ali’s expressions in the last two scenes of tonight’s episode were priceless. I cannot praise Mansha Pasha enough for breathing life into a beautifully written character in a flawless manner. She outshone in her character and stood out more than Zulekha in the first few episodes especially and carried forward the transformation in her character perfectly. Ali Sheikh played Daa Ji’s character brilliantly throughout the play; he is a natural and I am definitely looking forward to watching him showcase his acting talent in other quality projects. Behroze Sabzwari made us fall in love with his character by highlighting the soft and sensitive nature of Waji Ahmed. No one could have played Yousuf’s step mother’s character better than Seema Seher. The character itself was exceptionally well written and it couldn’t have been translated on screen in a better way. Hina Bayat’s exceptional performance throughout this play went to show that she relished every minute of playing a character with a lot of substance and I would like to thank her for taking time out to read the reviews and for commenting. Waseem Abbas made us hate his character but the viewers could not help appreciating the precision with which Waseem Abbas portrayed different shades of Noor Muhammad’s personality. Mizna Waqas and Taqi Ahmed are definitely two very promising actors with a natural gift of acting who I am sure will go a long way as long they work in the right projects and with good directors. Faizan Sheikh, Parveen Akbar and Farah Nadeem portrayed their characters effortlessly on screen as well. The OST of the play along with all the other old classics that were used in the background were pure genius. This is the first time that we heard so many different songs old and new in a drama which basically showed the creativity of the director.
Mera Naam Yousuf Hai was one of those very few dramas that restore your faith in Pakistani writers, actors, directors and producers and prove that there is hope for Pakistani drama industry. As long as Pakistani drama industry has all these talented individuals associated with it, it will continue giving us dramas that are a complete package. I would like to thank the entire team of MNYH for giving us 20 amazing weeks of wholesome entertainment. I would also like to thank Mehreen Jabbar for reading the reviews and answering our questions. A big thanks to all the wonderful readers who are always very kind and without whom this whole review writing experience would be worthless. Thank you so much for accompanying me on this beautiful journey.
Don’t forget to share your thoughts about this last episode in the comment section.
Jaanisaar (جانثار) is the second Bollywood movie of Imran Abbas releasing on 21st August 2015. At the same time last year, Imran’s first Bollywood flick Creature 3D was released proving super flop on box office. In Jaanisaar (جانثار) Imran is appearing in the role of what the film describes as a DASHING PRINCE from UP (Uttar Pradesh state of India) in love with a courtesan.
In October 2013, Waar was released on Eidul Azha which made new records of success and revenue collection. It earned nearly 240 million on the box office making it the most successful Urdu film in Pakistan. After Waar conflicts between its director Bilal Lashaari and Producer/Writer Hassan Rana were reported in press. Both are now working on separate projects where Bilal is working on Remake of Maula Jutt, Hassan Rana announced a mega budget movie Yalghaar (یلغار).
Yalghaar (یلغار) is based on the mission of Peochaar Valley during Operation Rah-e-Rast,carried out in Swat in 2009 against Tehreek Taliban Pakistan. Shaan Shahid , Adnan Siddiqi, Bilal Ashraf are playing security officers roles in this film. Humayun Saeed is appearing in the darkest role of his career, as a Taliban commander. It is shot in various locations across Pakistan. Famous anchor Nimra Bucha is making her acting debut in this film.
Now its First Look is released today, it is expected to release on upcoming Eidul Azha .
Starring: Shaan Shahid, Humayun Saeed, Adnan Siddiqui, Asher Azeem Gill, Umair Jaswal, Naeem Haque, Gohar Rasheed, Bilal Ashraf, Owais Shiekh, Ahmad Taha Ghani, Wali Yousuf, Atiya Khan, Sana Bucha, Ayesha Omar, Aleeze Nasser, Armeena Rana Khan, Uzma Khan
Genre: War/Action/Thriller
Writer, Screenplay: Hassan Rana
Music by: Xulfi
Background Score : Xulfi
Directed by: Hassan Rana
Produced by: Asim Saleem Bajwa, Javeria Hassan Rana, Hassan Rana
Presented by: Mindworks Media Productions
Distributor: ARY Films
Its FB page describes the film and its team as follows:
A high octane action film. A very first serious attempt in the subcontinent to make a proper War movie.
Plot :
The film is inspired by real life true stories of the amazing death defying operations conducted by the Pakistan Army. Yalghaar goes up close to follow the lives of the young, passionate officers and soldiers whose patriotism is throbbing with every heartbeat for their country
The Name Mind Works Media and Hassan Rana have become synonymous with block buster feature films. His very first production WAAR became the most successful film in the history of Pakistan. Keeping up with the tradition Yalghaar is slated to be another mega production which is going to blow the audience away with its hi octane action sequences and wonderful story line. The movie went into production after about 3 years of extensive research. Apart from using a vast number of choppers and heavy ammunition, an artificial tunnel and complete cave system was created in Karachi to replicate one found in North Waziristan.
In preparation of their roles, all actors spent time with their real-life alter egos.
Eidul Fitr is a festive occasion in our country. Apart from religious significance it is an event of family gathering and other festivities as well. Traditionally our film makers reserve their premier productions for Eid for which cinema bookings are done months ago. From past two decades local cinema has declined considerably and since 2006 this space is filled by Bollywood movies.
This Eid, a mix of Bollywood (Hindi), Urdu (Karawood, Lollywood), Punjabi and Pashto films are releasing. These films will be released on multiplexes and single screen cinemas across the country.
Bollywood – Bajrangi Bhaijaan
Bollywood films are extremely popular among film viewers and has always been a preferred choice of Pakistani cine goers. Last year on Eidul Fitr, Bollywood movie Kick starring Salman Khan kicked off all the rival films on box office, earning huge revenues as well. Bollywood films do great business on multiplexes as well as traditional single screen cinemas, definitely the first choice of all the classes and sections of our society. The major market of Bollywood films is Punjab, Sindh and Federal Capital Islamabad.
This year another Salman Khan starer film Bajrangi Bhaijaan is releasing. Advertised as the “Biggest Film of The Eidul Fitr” it is expected to make new records of revenue collection during the Eid holidays like Bollywood films had made in previous years.
Pakistan’s leading English papers like Dawn, Express Tribune, The News as well as Urdu papers Jang, Express, Dunya have already published enough insights of Bajrangi Bhaijan, like the music, the cast, story, trailer, on-set events, controversies etc. which reflects the excitement that persists in our media and public regarding this film.
Karawood– Urdu
Karachi is emerging as a new hub of Urdu film making. Last year on Eidul Azha, Namaloom Afraad produced in Karachi became a mega hit. This Eid two Karawood films are being released.
Bin Roye (بن روۓ)
A romantic film, Bin Roye stars Mahira Khan, Humayun Saeed, Armeena Rana Khan in the lead roles. Produced by Hum Tv it is being released simultaneously in Pakistani, UAE, UK, USA and India (Except the state of Maharashtra)
Wrong Number (رانگ نمبر)
A comedy formula film Wrong Number stars Danish Taimoor, Sohai Ali Aabroo and Janita Asima in leading roles. It is the first film directed by the Yasir Nawaz. Danish Taimoor appearing in double role in this role.
Lollywood– Urdu/Punjabi
Lahore has been the traditional centre of film making in Pakistan. However in recent years film making is almost halted in Lahore. This year few low budget Urdu and Punjabi films produced in Lahore are releasing. All these films are only releasing in Punjab.
Bazaar (بازار)
A low budget Urdu film, Bazaar comprises relatively unknown names in the lead cast. Ahmed Butt is playing the male lead.
Razia Ghundon Mein Phans Gayee (رضیہ غنڈوں میں پھنس گئی)
A Punjabi film releasing in few cinemas of Lahore, and other cities in Punjab. The film features stage artists from different cities of Punjab.
Pollywood – Pashto Films
Pashto films are popular in areas having large concentration of Pashto speakers. Pashto films are released in the cities of Peshawar, Mardan, Bannu, Swat, Quetta and Karachi only in single screen cinemas. As compared to Urdu/Punjabi films Pashto films are regularly released outside Pakistan in Dubai (UAE) and Kabul (Afghanistan).
This Eid seven Pashto films are releasing in Pakistan, Afghanistan and UAE. The name of these Pashto films are Ma Cherra Ghareeb Sara, Daagh, I love you too, Pakhtun Pah Dubai Ke, Khanadaani Badmaah, Maien Kho Lewanai Vee and Sar Tair Badmaash. Pashto films have low budgets and even if flop, a Pashto film easily recovers its cost.
After Lahore the Wrong No team went to Karachi to promote their film. The premier was a star studded affair. The special public premiere of the film will be shown in cinemas on 16 and 17 July. The team of the film has done their best to attract the viewers by making appearances everywhere, talking to the public and promoting their film in every way possible. It is anticipated that the film will be given a warm welcome by the cinema goers.
Here are pictures of the the premier of Wrong No in Karachi:
This episode wasn’t as thrilling as the previous one but I still enjoyed watching it :) The direction and everyone’s performances were commendable as usual.
Nida and Kabir are two completely different people with zero chemistry. Kabir is polite. Nida on the other hand is very loud. She blurts out whatever is on her mind, whenever she wants to, not thinking about how rude she could be. We haven’t been told how they met, and I wonder why Kabir married a woman with whom he has absolutely no understanding. From what I have gathered about Kabir till now, I can say that he has no intention of cheating on Nida. He knows that Muqaddas is Aatir’s wife, and that she already rejected him years ago. He is helping Muqaddas because he doubts Aatir’s sincerity. Nida has major trust issues, and that’s why she runs to Ruhi every other day to tell her how evil Kabir is. I laughed out loud when she said, “Kabir ne meri zindagi haraam karke rakhi hui hai!” I really wish these two talk it out instead of fighting all the time (if that is possible)!
Aatir loves Muqaddas, and does not want to harm her in the process of revenge (as if he can anymore!). Mujhe nahi pata thha ke Jahanzaib ki takleef tumhari takleef hogi.He now feels bad for all that he did to Muqaddas, but his selfish nature prevails. The way he said to her that there are many more girls who are kidnapped, yet they live a “normal” life must have been demeaning for Muqaddas. It was easy for him to say that because he is the culprit himself. He wants to ease out of the guilt.
Jahanzaib always gives me positive vibes, never evil ones. Seeing him walking alone on the streets, taking the food from the langar and then crying as he ate it made me feel really sorry for him. But the conversation between him and Aatir from the previous episode tells otherwise. It tells us that behind the naive, loving person lies a man who ruined the life of a woman, took a six-year-old’s mother away from him and lived a guilt-free life until his victim came for revenge.
Aatir’s reaction after finding out that Jahanzaib was back at his house was expected. It got me thinking of how Aatir keeps his dual personality under control. There were moments when he snapped but there were so many times when he contained his anger and just clenched his fists or gave a stern look. He has spent a lot of time building his cover and I will love to see that cover blown.
At Jahanzaib’s house, Kabir’s eyes did all the questioning from Aatir, who did his best to avoid them. Muqaddas was too emotionally occupied with her (once again) unconscious father to notice the tension. This was Jahanzaib’s second time unconscious and it really annoyed me because when he was out on the streets he was fine and now that he was on his warm bed he could not wake up! But then I saw his half open eyes and I understood that he was just trying to “hide”. He can’t face Muqaddas while not being able to tell her about who wronged her.
Ruhi still thinks that Muqaddas’s kidnapping was a drama and she still wants to throw Muqaddas out of Aatir’s life and get him married to Jia. Akbar was right about her sister. Even if she somehow manages to get Jia and Aatir hitched, she is never getting the family business for herself.
So, what do you guys think will happen next? Did you enjoy this episode? Feel free to share your thoughts :) I would have added some snap shots of the episode but Hum TV has not uploaded the episode yet.
Since this is my last review for the week, Eid Mubarak to my readers in advance :)
As shared earlier Bin Roye is not releasing in the Indian state of Maharashtra which includes its capital Mumbai. Film distributor Nadeem H. Mandviwala shared this story saying it is banned as it was a ‘Pakistani’ film. Today India Today has confirmed the news that the film will not be released in the state of Maharashtra, however the reason is different. It is due to threats from some organization which compelled the distributors B4U to stop its screening.
Here is the full content of India Today’s story
Pakistani film Bin Roye will not be screened in Maharashtra. This decision was taken by B4U Films following threats by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). The film wing of the MNS had threatened to vandalize the theatres if B4U decided to screen the movie in the state. It was MNS leader Amay Khopar who on behalf of the MNS film wing – Maharashtra Navnirman Chitrapat Karmachari Sena had written to B4U Films objecting to the Bin Roye being released and screened in Maharashtra. MNS objected to the proposed release on the grounds that Pakistan has been sponsoring terror attacks on the country particularly in Maharashtra. MNS also pointed out that the Jawans were being killed on the border. “Moreover, Pakistan does not allow Indian artiste to work in Pakistan,” said Khopkar in the letter.
The letter had claimed that if B4U ignored their objections and went ahead to release the film in the state, then they would protest in MNS style, indicating that theatres screening the film would be vandalized. B4U Films has replied to MNS that the film Bin Roye would not be released in Maharashtra. The film is scheduled to be released on July 18, world wide.
Bereft of any hardcore agenda, MNS and its chief Raj Thackeray have been trying to be relevant by raking up controversies. In March this year, due to MNS protest closing show of the Lakme Fashion Week at Bhau Daji Lad museum at Byculla was shifted to Palladium Hotel.
Bin Roye starring Mahira Khan is due to release on Eidul Fitr in Pakistan and on 17th July in India, UAE, UK and USA. It is the first Pakistani film simultaneously releasing in so many countries.
However before its release as per film distributor Nadeem Mandviwala, it is banned in the Indian state of Maharashtra including the cities of Mumbai and Pune. The film is banned not because of its content but solely for being a “Pakistani” film. Nadeem is the head of Mandviwalla Entertainment (ME), which distributes Indian (Bollywood) films in Pakistan apart from local films.
“Pakistani film ‘Bin Roye’ has just been banned by Maharashtra State in India. Rest of India it opens on Friday. The minutes objected cause it’s a Pakistani film,”he announced on his FB account.
“I feel that the process which we have fought for allowing Indian Films in Pakistan legitimately is now being jeopardized by Indian States themselves. The repercussions of such acts can become detrimental for both film Industries. It’s a sad day today as Maharashtra State has given reason to start the debate once again which lasted for more than 40 years. (1965 to 2006) “, he further added.
In 1965, Indian films screening in cinemas was banned in Pakistan following a war with India. The ban was lifted in 2006 and since then Indian films are doing roaring business at Pakistani cinema houses. On the contrary, Pakistani films are never banned in India, but not much Pakistani films are released in India either. As compared to the craze and demand of Indian movies and stars in Pakistan, Pakistani stars and productions are relatively unknown in India apart from few exceptions.
Oh wowww!!! This episode was so interesting & I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. I must say the brilliant performances definitely add more charm to the beauty of the drama but the way the situations are unfolding & the way they have kept so much in store for us to explore & get aware of makes this drama an absolute treat to watch.
All of Faarah’s reactions reminded me of Suhaib’s prediction where he told Behroz that the moment Faarah will get a chance to be around her paternal relatives, that would be the day when she will feel attracted towards them because it’s their blood running through her veins & this is exactly what happened in this episode. No matter how hard Ruhina has tried & no matter for how long she has brain fed Faarah against each & everyone, Faarah can’t resist feeling the opposite because she is getting to see the reality & it can never remain concealed for a long long time. Yes, Faarah still hasn’t accepted Wali but then that’s something natural because she was ambushed into this relation & that is why; she isn’t even ready to give this relationship a chance because for her, Wali is the last person on her mind.
I found the entire scenes involving Agha Jaan, Faarah & Wali to be very sweet. I love the way Agha Jaan is doing everything to make Faarah feel a part of his family. Agha Jaan knows that Faarah is the only person who affects Ruhina the most & when she will see her daughter happy & being taken care of, her heart will eventually melt. Faarah definitely couldn’t resist thinking the otherwise because she is someone who doesn’t believe in blindly following what her mother tells her & that is why, we often get to see both of them having a difference of opinion. Yes, Faarah does give in most of the times but that is only because she understands that her mother is emotionally weak after Behroz’s death, but soon enough I am sure Faarah will understand that Ruhina isn’t herself anymore & she is following the commands of her brother, which will force Faarah to take a stand against Ruhina.
I must say, even though I understood where Zohra was heading with all her bechargi & buray halaat claims but I never once expected that I’d get to see such a dirty side of Tajjamul ever. That single conversation between Tajjamul & Zohra was the highlight of the episode for me. Like I have said before, Tajjamul & Zohra, both have read Ruhina in & out, therefore they know how she can be toyed around. Tajjamul knew that Behroz had a sound background but just when he was alive, he knew he could never depend on Ruhina even if he wanted to, but luckily for him, Behroz is no more & it was all his planning to force Ruhina to get hold of Behroz’s family fortune because it would help him heaps. I was saddened to see that Tajjamul & Zohra actually lied to Ruhina. Yes, if they had actually needed the money for the property, it still wouldn’t have looked so odd but they lied right from the beginning & it was really hard to accept. Even though I know Ruhina trusts Tajjamul & Zohra more than she must’ve even trusted Behroz, but I am glad that she will get to learn a good lesson because this is something she really needs to face in order to understand & see the reality of everyone around her.
Moeez continues to be unreasonable. He is still enforcing his proposal & expects Faarah to reciprocate the similar feelings but it was good to see that being in a relationship or getting married is the last thing on Faarah’s mind. She is focusing on her MBBS & that’s her only priority (which rarely happens in our dramas these days). I must say, the more I get to see Wali, the more liking I develop for his character. He is quite present minded because the withdrawal of 7 lacs was enough for him to understand that Agha Jaan’s money was being misused. Even though Agha Jaan didn’t allow him to make a big deal out of it, it was good to see that even Agha Jaan got heed of what was happening in Lahore. I am sure Wali wouldn’t let it slide after he will see Tajjamul & Moeez’s involvement in Faarah & Ruhina’s lives.
Oh My God! The preview of the next episode was so intense & interesting. I am so glad that each & every episode offers us something new & exciting every single time. I loved the interactions between Agha Jaan & Faarah because this way Faarah feels the absence of Behroz is being compensated. To be honest, the way Ruhina is so comfortably involved in Tajjamul’s life goes to show that she isn’t even bothered about how Behroz’s death is being exploited. All the money she is getting through Agha Jaan is because of Behroz but how petty can she be where at one hand she doesn’t even want to greet him but on the other, she is using all his money to live a comfortable life. If she was a woman of her word, she would have never ever touched the money in Faarah’s account let alone spend it on lavish dinners & an army of servants.
Anyways, I thoroughly enjoyed this episode & can’t wait to see more. I am really looking forward to the showdown between Ruhina & Arjumand, haha! Please share your thoughts about tonight’s episode.
