Last year the first seasons of two reality shows namely Pakistan Idol (Geo TV) and Masterchef Pakistan (Urdu 1) Pakistan were warmly greeted by television viewers. Sadly no second season of both these shows is announced till this day.
The winner of Pakistan Idol Zamad Baig has vanished some where, however winner of Masterchef Pakistan i.e. Ammara Nauman did appeared in the commercial of Knorr Chicken cubes. This Ramazan, Ammara is coming with her own cooking show as a cooking expert on Urdu1 named as Master Kitchen with Ammara. The show will be hosted by Javeria Abbassi.
Ohkay so, even though this episode of Jugnoo was funny & interesting; I felt it was more like a filler because now the pace of the drama has slowed down & they aren’t really taking things further, but nonetheless, I enjoy watching this drama but I do wish they speed up the process & show us something more.
I really don’t understand why Kissho is so much against Jugnoo & Shahjahan? Shahjahan is just as much her sister as Jahangir is, so why is she always speaking against Shahjahan & giving her a hard time? Is it because she knows that Shahjahan has got nothing & at this point of time, Jahangir is quite influential & has a strong back in her comparison? Even though I enjoy their conversations that are full of assumptions, I really wish they do show some signs of courtesy, if not towards Jugnoo, at least towards Shahjahan because she is quite a harmless person who minds her own business & has had a tough life, so the least they can do is not to add more to her woes.
For a change, it was good to see a new addition Rafique getting some screen time because no matter how short his scenes are, he does leave an impact. ‘Mardana namon wali behnain’ was the comment that cracked me up. I love the way the dialogues have been written & in fact I must commend the dialogue writer for using accurate Urdu because it is a delight to listen to proper Urdu after such a long time. I feel the correct usage of actual language lifts up the essence of whole drama.
So, this was another day in Jugnoo’s life which was filled with some adventure & a lot of trouble. Just when she thought she could relax & enjoy her moment of glory just because Zulfi got rid of Bakshi Jee, she got to face Baba Sahab. I thoroughly enjoyed their showdown & I must say the way Rehan Sheikh & Yumna Zaidi acted during that whole scene with such a perfect timing made it a lot more enjoyable. Baba Sahab once again underestimated Jugnoo but just when he really understood that she is a hard cookie to crack, he resorted to a bigger trap to capture her.
I must say, even though I know that this show is based on Jugnoo’s character, I don’t really understand Zulfi’s character one bit. He was head over heels for Jugnoo & even got married to her but now he has got no spine to stand by his wife? As much as I do like his presence in the show, I really feel his character hasn’t been etched out properly or hasn’t been given a due time to make us understand him better. For now, he comes across as a puppet that either follows Jugnoo’s lead whenever he feels like & then follows his father’s lead because he has no guts to voice out his opinion in front of Baba Sahab? I really hope in the upcoming episodes, we do get to see him handling such situations on his own & not leaving everything for Jugnoo to figure out singlehandedly.
The preview of the next episode wasn’t enticing enough to be honest, but never mind, I am sure there would be some bits & bobs that will provide us with some laughter & for that I am ready to tune to this drama once again. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Jugnoo.
“Beti se itni nafrat na karo ke vo mohabbat ke liye bhagti phere!”
The women in this show who we look upto proved tonight yet again that they have more of a ‘zarf’ than all the men in this play combined together. Yousuf’s mother’s constant and unconditional support for her step son who does not even acknowledge her presence, Afia’s concern for her unfaithful and unreasonable husband and Zulekha’s protective instinct towards a brother who does not even deserve an ounce of sympathy said a lot about all these women. All these women are strong, they most certainly know right from wrong but they are not ruthless like the men in their lives. Even when they are in a position to harm these men who don’t think twice before hurting them they choose to take the high road. On the one hand there are women like these and on the other hand there are women like Phupo and Bushra who are just as bad as men like Noor Mohammad and Wali. These women only feel the pain of their sons and brothers and fail to feel anything for anyone else.
Noor Muhammad’s larger than life ego was hurt badly when he found out that Yousuf was the son of the man who he had ‘defeated’ a long time back! It was actually good to see that there was something in this world that could shake a person like Noor Mohammad too. Although the sense of failure did not last very long but the few seconds of watching him in that defeated position was definitely a treat! “Doosri aurat se mail milap rakho, baat karo, mauj manao magr us k bharosey hath mut uthana warna chunti ke hatho marwa day gi tumhei!” The confrontation between Noor Mohammad and Afia Begum was the highlight of tonight’s episode. Waseem Abbas and Hina Bayat own their roles and they never fail to impress. Afia Begum’s past shows that she was always a very courageous woman just like her daughter but she was not brave enough to break free from this marriage once it took place that is why she thinks that it is very important that Zulekha should not make the same mistake she made. Noor Muhammad’s hatred towards his daughter is repulsive and scary at the same time. It is men like him who kill their wives and daughters in the name of the honor. It is men like him who think that their wives and daughters are the ones who can keep or ruin their reputation but they do not think that these wives and daughters deserve to be treated honorably!
Afia and Waji’s story is gradually being unraveled and every detail is connected to Zulekha and Yousuf’s story in some way or the other. Twenty five years back Afia Begum left her father’s house in the hope that Waji will take her in his nikkah but that did not happen. Like Yousuf’s step-mother said this was the time to undo the mistake that was made so many years back. The conversations between Waji Ahmed’s and his wife was beautifully written, acted out and directed.
Yousuf shared his feelings with Daa Ji in tonight’s episode and for the first time Zulekha and Yousuf spent a great deal of time together. Zulekha’s honesty regarding her feelings for Yousuf is one of the reasons I find it very easy to connect to her character. It is very difficult for a girl in her situation to be sure that she really loves the man who changed her life altogether but one she knows very little about. She has so much to deal with that falling in love might not even seem like an option at the moment. Zulekha’s question from Yousuf’s sister about who she liked more however went to show that perhaps she did not think of herself worthy of taking Madiha’s place in Yousuf’s life. Although Yousuf does not love Madiha at all but Madiha has been loving Yousuf since childhood and she is very close to his family therefore Zulekha isn’t sure if she deserves to be in Yousuf’s life more than Madiha. Maya Ali performed really well in tonight’s episode and no one could have played Yousuf’s character better than Imran Abbas. He makes me feel for his character and he makes Yousuf’s character very likeable.
Overall, this was another intense episode of MNYH with some very powerful performances and mind blowing dialogues. I love the variety of background score unlike most of the dramas in which most often few parts of the OST are played over and over again. This episode mainly laid the foundations for what is coming ahead. Will Yousuf and Zulekha have a happy ending? I really hope so!
Mubashar Lucman is certainly one of those celebrities who know how to keep themselves in the public eye. Sometimes we see him taking up bold topics in his talk shows and talking about them bluntly and at other times we see him walking the ramp, something which not too many people related to his field do.
Now Mubashar Lucman has taken the task of causing awareness about Cancer and collecting funds for Shaukat Khanum Hospital. Unlike the traditional way of hosting a show for the said purpose Mubashar Lucman instead became a part of a campaign started by Shaukat Khanum which is called “Sing a song, save a life”.
And this episode was all about HAMZA-NAAMA- yep, Hamza ghar ka damaad nahe, beta hai, Hamza hum sab ka sahara hai, Hamza kay liye tou har saans kay saath duayen nikalti hain and to tell you the truth, the person who infuriated me the most this time was Khaala because this woman just can’t get over how ‘angelic’ her damaad is! Along with Hamza-naama, the dominant feature of this episode was, needless to say, Dua’s rona dhona– the girl has clearly sunk into depression!
So our over efficient antagonist is all over the place- home, hospital, office and what’s strange is the fact that Hamza has started to show obvious signs of his creepiness but no one seems to take notice of that, in fact, everyone deems him an angel in disguise! The way he was ‘interrogating’ Zohaib in the first scene, asking him about ‘koi purani dushmani ya nayi dushmani’, it doesn’t take a psychic to guess that this guy is not as innocent as he seems. Also, the way Zohaib just handed over his phone to Hamza, like a four-year old afraid of his mommy’s scolding, was utterly unconvincing! ‘Aap donon mein say kaun sab say zyada roya hoga, mujhay lagraha hai Dua sab say zyada royi hogi’– who pens this rubbish?
For the first time ever, Arsala’s eccentricity died down for a while and we got to see a toned down Arsala, which goes to show how much this accident has moved her and needless to say, she has taken it very seriously. Alright, I get it, it’s the first time she has been this close to losing her guardian, protector, confidant and whatnot but I think they exaggerated the whole matter, I mean, I know I may sound harsh but Zohaib is not dead, OK?
We can only imagine the mental and emotional turmoil Dua is going through and Armeena’s acting was flawless today but this play has taken such a revolting turn that even her convincing performance did little to save the day. As much as my heart cries for Dua, I am reminded of the fact that she actually got herself into this. She wasn’t thinking straight when she chose to zip her lips about Hamza’s true intentions. She failed to sense the gravity of Hamza’s threats and look where’s she standing now. One look at Dua and you don’t have to be a genius to figure out that something far worse than Zohaib’s condition is bothering her, she is clearly not acting herself and this sudden change in her outlook suggests that she is coping with a trauma but like I said a couple of weeks back, people don’t read faces anymore!
I don’t think Pasha Sahab is helping in any way at all because all this time he has been lashing out at the wrong people- his daughter, his wife, but now when Hamza appeared in front of him, he couldn’t even give him a piece of his mind, I mean, ghar mein Turram Khan bannay ka faida? I don’t think his hum-sirf-tumhara-bhala-chahtay-thay speech can help Dua in any way!
This is it for this week. What do you think of this episode? Please voice your views!
OMG! I really thought they will take the story forward by giving out a solution but looks like the writer here is on the loop because the story is going to go back to where it all started & they are in no mood to wrap this cheapness up.
I don’t understand one thing, when a girl gets divorced; she is already in enough pressure & depression, so how can they show that she has to fetch a witness with her for every divorce she gets? Like it is so insane that it’s a girl who is getting divorced & then amidst the havoc, it is she who has to arrange a witness so as to announce it to everyone that yes she has been divorced otherwise no one in her so-called ‘family’ will believe her? What sort of a twisted logic is that?
The way Akhtar jumped into the situation for Zoya made me believe that he was ready to stand by his daughter till the end but it was absolutely ridiculous seeing him having second thoughts about his daughter too? I have never seen anyone like that who instead of believing on their daughter would choose to believe on the strangers or outsiders? Akhtar himself saw on the TV that Adnan was hitting Zoya & then he witnessed the same thing at Adnan’s home too but still it took only one session with that mindless Moeez for Akhtar to change his mind? I expected better from a rational person like him & this makes me dislike Akhtar even more than Khalida because he was the voice of reason all this while but now when he couldn’t find enough ‘evidence’ he chose to ignore what Zoya was saying as well.
I hate the way Sanam is made a star of every situation where everything goes to her favour & she gets to reap the most benefit out of it? I really want to ask the so-called ‘writer’ here about the MOTIVE behind this script? Like what was he ‘trying’ to portray? If he’s ready to accept that he wanted to show a lot of cheapness just for the sake of ratings, then it’s ohkay, we can forgive him for this but if he was trying to give out a ‘message’ of some sort, then I think we have a right to know that too because we can teach him a thing or two about morality.
It is absolutely disgusting to see how instead of siding with the victim, everyone is siding with the culprit just because they happen to have a little bit of bigger brains than the mindless & unintelligent family of Khalida? I just wanted to whack Khalida when she said she doesn’t believe a word Zoya has been saying? Like isn’t she proud of the way she has brought her daughter up? If no, then she should blame herself & even her husband for not doing their jobs as parents properly as they now believe that Zoya can lie about such a big thing so easily. They keep on saying how they know their daughter in & out but just when Zoya needs their support, they end up blaming her for being wrong & for fabricating such a serious lie?
Ohkay, Junaid was one of the people from that day that saw what happened, so if they choose not to believe him, why don’t they contact others to find out the truth? Very easily, they dissed the testimony of Junaid just because they doubted him for having ulterior motives but he wasn’t the only person in that gathering who witnessed all of that so why did their brains stop working? It was absolutely abhorrent to hear Akhtar blame Junaid for the pain he has caused to Zoya & how he wanted to defame her whereas completely forgetting about the way Adnan abused & physically harmed her in front of the whole crowd & even in front of Akhtar himself? How stupid can a father be?
The preview of the next episode was just as disgusting because seems like now Akhtar has fallen in the category of brainless zombies like Khalida too where he thinks Zoya is just making an issue & she never got divorced in the first place. It was just plain annoying to hear Khalida praying for her daughter’s protection whereas on the other hand she chooses to show Zoya her back when she needs her mother’s support the most. Why are they making it so hard for Khalida’s family to accept that Zoya has gotten divorced & by doing that what are they trying to show? It is absolutely disgusting to see the similar pattern in this drama from last so many episodes where Adnan hits Zoya & divorces her, she cries & comes to her mother’s place, Sanam’s mother calls her to handle the situation & she swoops in with her negativity filled mind & changes everyone’s perspective & then Zoya is once again sent back to Adnan’s place to get further abused. I am so so so disappointed to see how the channel & the drama makers have literally extracted such cheapness from such a sensitive topic to attain ratings & profits. Please share your thoughts & voice out your frustration against this idiocy.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers, Zahra Mirza.
ps: Does anyone know when does this drama end as I can’t deal with this negativity anymore.
Ohkay so, it was an interesting episode of Alvida & I enjoyed watching it because the story is transitioning into another phase where Farissa & Rameez are going to form ties in order to get back at Haadi & Haya, which I am sure would not be anything short of a roller-coaster ride.
The whole plan of spending time with Haadi & Farissa was made by Rameez just so that he could rub it on Haadi’s face as to how happy he is with Haya. Rameez might not be a very intelligent person but when it comes to his wife, he has read her enough to know that she will not go against him because he has left quite an impression on her. Rameez has seen that no matter how easily he intimidates her, Haya always takes it with a smile on her face & doesn’t say much because he thinks she is embarrassed enough, that is why he seemed so confident about making Haya do things so that he could send a message loud & clear to Haadi as to how he was ruling his wife. For now, Rameez surely is underestimating the extent Haya can go to because he thinks she has nowhere to go & has no place to return to.
For a change, it was good to see Haadi’s mother not acting like a typical mother-in-law & blaming Farissa for the rift that she & Haadi have had. Even though she herself has seen the transition of Farissa from a polite girl to someone who doesn’t pay heed to anything & anyone, I liked the fact that Haadi’s mother was blaming her own son because she wants him to tackle the situation with maturity. Yes, she is unaware of what Farissa has done to infuriate Haadi but it was good to see her reminding her son about his responsibilities & teaching him to be patient to make things work.
When the episode began, I kind of had a hard time into believing that they were showing us the events of a single day because not only they changed their dresses but the flow between the scenes was missing too. Haadi saw & met Haya in person just when Haya came but his mother called him to mention that Haya & Rameez had come to meet him, more like she was informing him for the first time & not only that, he was in a pretty bad mood & he even let Haya know that too but the very next moment he was acting like nothing has happened & it was a new day for him. It was interesting to see Haya finding the truth on her own but as an outsider; she couldn’t do much as she didn’t have enough reasons to form an opinion about what was actually going on. Yes, she did understand that Haadi was in a bad shape but just because they both have vowed to not rely on each other, Haya couldn’t force him to tell her everything.
No matter what Rameez thinks, Haadi knows Haya a little too well that is the reason he immediately found out that something was odd about the way Haya was behaving. Haadi knows her & that is why he could not only feel but see that Rameez was trying to turn her into someone she’s not & she can never be. Even though Haadi wants Haya to settle down in her life but just because of Rameez, he isn’t ready to just easily let everything slide off his mind. He has sensed that something is definitely wrong which is why even though he wants to maintain a distance, he won’t sit quietly & watch Haya suffer. I actually found the whole scenario very convincing & it was done perfectly where all of them were trying to send out a message of some sort to one another. Rameez wanted to showcase how perfect of a husband he is & wanted to rub it on Haadi’s face that Rameez has Haadi’s Haya wrapped around his finger, whereas Haya was trying to show that everything was normal & she loves the way Rameez treats her. Haadi was trying hard to contain himself but he couldn’t & Farissa was just analysing the whole situation as she wanted something to use against Haadi.
The moment Rameez spoke to Farissa, he didn’t know that he will get a lot more information than he was looking for. Farissa loves to victimize herself & now after the way she has been insulted, she wants to make sure she gets back at Haadi & luckily, she has found a perfect pawn to use at a right time. She knows her way & that is why, the moment she sensed that Rameez had an idea about Haya’s feelings for Haadi, she took the opportunity to plant a seed in his mind that too very subtly. I think Zahid Ahmed was phenomenal in that scene especially where he went from being someone who was carrying a facade of a happy-go-lucky person to someone who thinks that he has found a true friend who can understand & relate to him. Rameez really thought he found a shoulder that he was looking for to rely on but he is too naive to know that Farissa wasn’t being sympathetic towards him & is just using him. Too bad that he can’t see that because he is so engrossed in his one-sided love & rage.
One thing that I found interesting was the way Farissa once again flipped. Until now we haven’t been able to understand whether Saim is sincere or not but in this episode, he really & genuinely seemed concerned for Farrisa & it looked like he really wants her to be with him but too bad, Farissa has found a new adventure that she was looking for because of which she is ready to leave Saim in the lurch once again. Now that Farissa knows that she has a backup plan & she now has Saim as an option to scurry to, she is ready to bring Haadi down because he has bruised her ego & she isn’t someone who’d quietly walk away. She wants to make sure she insults Haadi way more than he has insulted her & now when she has gotten a green signal from Rameez, she wants to kill two birds with one stone. Even though the whole situation is quite interesting, I really don’t want to see Farissa running things once again. I’d be happier to see how Haadi & Haya will tackle the situation. I was relieved to see Haadi once again giving Haya the edge she actually needs at this point of time, not in a sense that she has an option to go back to Haadi but just a peace in her mind that she can rescue herself from Rameez because he is not a normal person to be with.
Overall, it was a very interesting episode with some top-notch acting by all the actors but Zahid Ahmed deserves a special mention for portraying Rameez’s character to perfection. Sanam Jung also did a good job too as someone who has so much to say but is holding herself back as she is too scared of the consequences. Imran Abbas has been flawless as Haadi & Sara Khan has given a perfect face to the character of Farissa. I must say I had a giggle when in the opening scene; Rameez & Haya’s drive was a smooth sail & lasted only for 3 – 4 seconds because the way Hum TV dramatized it in preview for this episode was really a bad attempt into keeping all the viewers hooked. I find it very annoying that they tried to show that incident as something that will take the story forward whereas it wasn’t even a proper scene. Similar thing happened within this episode too where they showed that Rameez & Haya almost had an accident but nothing of that sort happened. I really don’t think they need to do all this to keep the viewers engaged, even in the middle of episode or even by the end of it, because those who’ve made it through the these 18 episodes are definitely going to continue to watch it right till the end. Please share your thoughts about tonight’s episode & let us know what do you think about Farissa & Rameez’s partnership?
Keep Supporting,
Cheers, Zahra Mirza.
ps: Covering for my dear friend Fatima Awan this time, but please like always keep an eye on the comment section for her say. :)
We see our hosts and bloggers comparing Pakistani actors and models to Indian counterparts all the time and we see our Pakistani celebrities enjoying such compliments. When Shaista Lodhi was compared to Karina Kapoor she was very happy about it and Sahir Lodhi tries his best to establish himself as the local Shahrukh Khan. There are many other Pakistani actors too who take such comparisons as a compliment.
We have one hero who does not want to be compared with any foreign actor because he is proud of being who he is. Recently Dawn News published an interview of Imran Abbas in which it gave the tag line ‘Imran Abbas interested to become the next Behlul’. Behlul was a character played by one of the leading Turkish actors in Turkish serial Ishq-e-Memnu which was very hit in Pakistan too.
Imran Abbas wasn’t happy with this comparison and he made it very clear that he did not want to be Behlul or anyone else, he was very happy being who he was.
Ohkay so, this episode of Mumkin was quite interesting. Yes, it was slow in a sense that it focused on one aspect but nevertheless, I enjoyed watching it because this will mark the progress in the plot & story as the secrets are about to get unravelled & the strings attached to those secrets are about to get unfolded.
I really find Natasha unreasonable. Yes, she is a spoiled brat & she loves being the centre of attention, but that doesn’t mean that she has to act like a teenager who hates sharing her father’s attention with someone else. The whole ‘stay-away-from-my-father’ scenario showcased how unreasonably immature she was. She needs to understand that attention & care is earned, it’s not just showered upon you when you barely work for it. She never has treated people around her nicely & then she expects people to ignore everyone else & praise her for the things she has not even done?
Aziz is obviously persistent on getting Mehreen back. What made him upset the most was the news of how Rafia & Maira were considering getting Mehreen married to someone else. Even though Mehreen has stayed strong all this while & she has never given away the hint of how much she wants to be by her husband’s side but the accident finally broke the ice & she experienced the emotions she never thought she’d have for her husband even after so many years have passed. Yes, she has all the reasons to be mad at him & she has all the reasons to ignore him, but just the thought of him of going away once again melted her as she couldn’t take it anymore.
The way the driver gave away the details to Nageen was something that was done very realistically. Nageen is obviously feeling the change in Aziz’s behaviour but she also remains concerned about how he shouldn’t be on his own behind the wheel, therefore her conversation with the driver seemed very genuine. She just reminded him of his duties but then ended up finding something that she never imagined. I think it was quite smart of Nageen & an intelligent way of storytelling that she immediately put two & two together right after she heard about the whereabouts of this specific friend of Aziz that Nageen had no idea of & also when she found out that some lady accompanied Aziz to the hospital. Nageen obviously will work things through but this accident has taken a toll on her emotionally, that is why it may take a while for her to process & reconsider the things to figure out the truth.
I liked how Natasha softened up after Aziz’s accident. At least, it’s good to know that there’s someone who matters the most to Natasha & that is why, this incident moved her a lot, because of which she was able to see how everyone was concerned & how everyone was trying to stay by her side when she hit the rock bottom. At least, it would make her understand that this is what a family is all about, sticking together through ups & downs & how she shouldn’t always misunderstand them.
This drama is very interesting. The story may be simple, but it has been executed intelligently. All the actors have done an amazing job & everyone fits their respective characters to the T. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Mumkin & let me know how much are you looking forward to Aziz & Mehreen’s reconciliation? :)
HUM Network’s first commercial film Bin Roye which has been in the pipeline for a long time now it out making waves but now with promos that blew the audience away to a music launch that was in itself a statement it is certainly out to impress. The stars made an appearance on the launch and the launch is getting rave reviews by the people who attended it.
Hmmmm, it was a beautiful episode; where it left me heavy-hearted I still feel this is the beauty of this script & story because they always take you on a complete emotional ride where you end up relating to each & everyone, except the negative character(s) of course.
I must say Ruhina doesn’t shock me with her negativity anymore but she actually left me speechless because she didn’t even bat an eyelid before misbehaving with Agha Jaan. Behroz was egoistic, Ruhina is egoistic & this makes me completely believe that it was a match made in heaven. I am not too sure if Ruhina means well for Faarah or it is just her ego that is driving her crazy. It was too evident that she just didn’t want to lose this battle & when she did, she couldn’t believe that she had actually lost. I fail to give her a benefit of doubt that she wanted to protect Faarah & was fighting for her daughter’s best interest because deep down, she only wanted to use Faarah to achieve what she wanted; which was, shaming Agha Jaan & even her husband Behroz who has also made it to the list of people she hates. I think more than her motherly concerns & duties she let the hatred get the best of her because whatever Ruhina said didn’t really revolve around what Faarah must be going through or what she must be feeling, it was all about what Ruhina had in her mind against Behroz & his family.
Even though I don’t have a high opinion of Behroz, even though I also blame him for the consequences he is facing & also I do feel he needed to go through this betrayal, I still felt for him for the first time. Like he said, he wanted Ruhina’s comfort & companionship the most right now & all she had to offer were some bitter words & a bag full of accusations? I don’t think after 20 years of sincerity, he deserves this. It is good that he is realizing his mistakes but is learning his lesson the hard way. Somehow, the karma is getting back at him for the way he wronged Agha Jaan. It is good that he now understands that Ruhina wasn’t worth it. She wasn’t worth ignoring Agha Jaan for. She wasn’t worthy of his undivided love, attention & care that he extended towards her for good 20 years because the facade she had been carrying all this while has finally come off.
While hearing Ruhina saying things about how Agha Jaan wanted revenge & stuff, it really showed that Ruhina knows how to make it all about herself. She doesn’t believe in giving other’s a benefit of doubt & is so negativity ridden that she didn’t even bother paying attention to what her husband was saying. Even after Faarah told her the things Behroz shared with her, Ruhina chose to ignore all of that because now she feels she has nothing to do with Behroz anymore.
I must say Maya Ali was outstanding in tonight’s episode. The emotions while those voices were haunting Faarah & the whole state of confusion were perfectly portrayed by Maya Ali. Even though she was confused, the way she went ahead with the Nikkah showed that deep down, the things Behroz shared with Faarah resonated with her a lot & she chose to believe the single confession of her father over the incessant brain feeding of her mother. Faarah might be confused for now but she will eventually find a way & explore the truth while she’ll be on the course of her journey.
I really thought Faarah & Wali’s track will have a kick-start by now but going by the preview (which I hope ain’t misleading) I think it will be some time before we get to see them together because right now the focus would shift on how shattered & devastated Behroz must be. I really believe that Tajjamul has given some edge to Ruhina too because the moment she feels something, she straight out blurts it in front of her brother’s family & he ends up supporting his unreasonable, irrational sister? What happened to the lifelong promises of sticking together through thick & thin? What happened to the love & respect & most importantly the factor of trust that this relation was built upon? By seeing Tajjamul being rude to Behroz really made me believe that negativity runs in this family so it’s imperative that Ruhina’d be any different. She obviously thinks the world revolves around her that is why she wants Behroz to leave Agha Jaan for her once again, but I am glad this time she will be proven wrong because Behroz would go through anything but will never leave his father for her that too after she has unveiled her true face in front of him.
Overall, this episode was sweet, emotional & overwhelming; all at the same time. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. I loved Maya Ali in this episode & Osman Khalid Butt did well too in showcasing Wali’s contentment & happiness. I thought the scene between Behroz, Faarah & Wali after their Nikkah was beautifully done & was really very sweet. At least, I am glad that later when Faarah will get to know Wali, she will not only be happy but will thank her father. At least, she would later understand his motive behind this marriage & that would also mean that Ruhina will be proven wrong. I also liked how Laila once again participated but this time it was for a joyous festivity. I am glad that Behroz took a special time out to thank Laila for helping him understand the situation better as he now realizes that Laila actually did a favour for him. Please share your thoughts about tonight’s episode of Diyar-e-Dil & let me know how special it was? :)
“Agar woh (Khutba-e-Hajja-tul-Vida) Nabi-e-Kareem (ﷺ) ki apni ummat kay liye akhri wasiyyat thi to hum buhot bad-qismat hain kay un (ﷺ) ki sunnat to aik taraf, un (ﷺ) ki wasiyyat tak hamen yad nahi, amal karna to buhot door ki baat hai.”
Finally, that which was expected from Umera Ahmed’s pen has come. The story which was going pretty straight for the past seven episodes has taken off in another dimension. Personally, I found this sudden turn in the story expected and pretty much connected to the previous tracks as we were already given a blue-print in the first episode. Let’s find out what this episode had in store for us…
Progress
The episode was woven in a matrix of excerpts from the last sermon of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ). The first thing that was condemned in this sermon is sood (interest). Imama tricks Salar into confessing that what he does at the bank is not halaal because of the unavoidable involvement of interest. Salar feels extremely uneasy about this subject and tries to avoid listening to the last sermon but Imama continues and each excerpt unfolds bits of new tracks.
We were introduced to Ghulam Fareed, a poor watchman at a school, who is heavily burdened with debt and interest. Despite having financial help from his working wife and two elder sons, he is unable to provide for his eight children and clearing off his debts seems a daydream. Chunni, his ninth daughter, was highly unwanted even before birth and lives a life of pure misery and neglect. To cut a long story short, Ghulam Fareed finds a way to ‘earn’ money by taking his share in the alms for the local Masjid by the owners of the school he works in. He manages this by double-crossing the Imam of the Masjid who is a fraud himself and puts all the sadqaats coming in interest-ridden investments. Moulvi sahib feels cheated by this act (according to him, it was only his right to peculate in the alms) and takes revenge from Ghulam Fareed by ousting both him and his wife from their jobs and defaming him to the extent that the family is socially boycotted. Ghulam Fareed losing his sanity, kills his wife and children , except one. Chunni (real name Kaneez) is miraculously spared by her father and is taken by the neighbours temporarily. She soon becomes centre of attention because of the aids received by authorities and finally lands with his maternal uncle, just for the sake of the aid she was entitled for by the government.
Another track introduced was of Ahsan Saad, a young boy who watches his mother being beaten every now and again by his father. He is brain-washed by his father that women who do works of ‘be-hayaii’ (shamlesness) deserved to be beaten and insulted. These shameful acts, according to his father’s definition, ranged from disobedience to not cooking food properly. Ahsan Saad develops fuzzy questions in his mind like should such women be even revered as mothers?
We also get to know that Hashim Mubeen has lost his son Waseem and now his remaining progeny is demanding to distribute all the worldly possessions he acquired by trading his faith. There is guilt in his heart regarding Imama and he wants to ‘confess’ some things too.
So a Little Guess Work…
The question of relationship of these newly unfolded tracks to the main Salar-Imama track is confusing and frustrating. Let me share with you what I have guessed.
Ahsan Saad is the Son of Saad from Peer-e-Kamil (ﷺ)
Remember the hypocrite university fellow of Salar who used to pose himself as a staunch Muslim but was involved in almost every sin that Salar used to do? There is a very good chance that Ahsan is the son of the very same Saad. The clue (along with the name) was in the following excerpt:
“Aur us ka baap aik ideal baap tha..baraish darhi kay sath Islami Sha’air par sakhti se kar-band…jo apni zindagi ka aik bara hissa maghrib mein guzarne kay bawajood aik misaali aur amali Musalman tha.”
Imama Hashim is Chunni/ Kaneez
A crude guess is that the miserable little Chunni we were introduced to could be our very own Imama. For Chunni it is mentioned that she neither needed this name nor this charactersistic (Kaneez), she was chosen by Allah for something else. This might be hinted at the extra-ordinary events in Imama’s life.
If we take this hypothesis to be true, then the question is who was Hashim Mubeen in this whole story? Following are some theories…
She was adopted by her eldest maternal uncle who bought some land for farming by cashing the cheques she received. In Peer-e-Kamil (ﷺ), Imama’s friend Tehreem says to her:
“Tumharay dada Musalman magar ghareeb admi the. Woh kaasht-kari kiya karte the, aur aik chhotay se kaasht-kar the. Rabvah se kuch faslay par unki thori buhot zameen thi.”
There is still some doubt as to who this uncle was, as farming is associated with her grandfather, not uncle. May be she was later adopted by someone other than the uncle. But one thing is certain, Hashim Mubeen’s family was poor before they converted and thus may be related to Ghulam Fareed.
Alternatively, the owner of the school might be Hashim Mubeen (already converted and rich). He could have given alms to the Masjid so that he could inject his own beliefs in the minds of the children learning Quran there.
The obvious loop-holes in this theory have led me to another hypothesis…
Imama Hashim is NOT Chunni/ Kaneez
I have more faith in this one. Following points go in the favour of this theory
* Umera Ahmed is a clever writer and she would not put such obvious clues. She made two different points in time to appear as same in Aks. She might be using this trick in this one too
* In Peer-e-Kamil (ﷺ), it was said about Imama that surely she was among the children who are born with a silver spoon (Page 81). We can see clearly that Chunni was born in extremely unfavourable conditions
* The owner of the school can be Salar as we all know he runs a school in a village.
* In the first episode, there is a scene narrating CIA finding something in a man’s past and his relation with a girl. This girl was born at the time the man was in Pakistan. The girl can be Chunni and the man Salar
* In the next scene a girl is shown holding her dad responsible for her family’s It can be possible that Salar may have adopted Chunni.
Ghulam Fareed is Alive
I have a hunch that Ghulam Fareed was not tried for his crimes may be because he was not in his senses anymore. He might still be alive and might play an important role in upcoming events.
Much to Look Forward to
This episode bore the signature style of Umera Ahmed and was definitely a starting point for graver episodes coming ahead. It, however, proved very challenging for me to review, so please forgive me if I have thrown some wild theories J Still there is a lot of ambiguity because only a few tracks have been unfolded. The pace was definitely good (4 out of 5) and there was satire in-between the lines that made up for humour. Let us see what Umera Ahmed has in store for us in upcoming episodes.
Two weeks ago I had a chance to watch ‘Teen Bahadur’ Pakistan’s first animated movie. I was apprehensive at first. I didn’t know whether the film will live up to it’s hype. I’m glad to see it did. Teen Bahadur is set in a remote settlement called ‘Roshan basti’. The town is an oasis of happiness and is meant to represent the old Pakistan. The town’s idyllic life is shattered when a petty thief Mangu makes a Faustian deal with the demonic Baba Balaam who entrusts him with a key that is supposed to be the source of all evil in the world. Mangu forcibly takes over the town, does away with a man who stopped him earlier( The father of one of our three heroes Saadi). The town then plunges into despair and darkness and is now known as Andher nagri.
What makes this movie worth watching is the way it mirrors real life. Andher nagri/Roshan basti is obviously Karachi. The movie makes hidden references to the decay and corruption in urban life from local thugs who harass people for money to the illegal water tanker business. The production and direction team deserve a round of applause for tackling such sensitive issues with such maturity. Another added delight was the use of chaste Urdu.
The movie basically follows the story of three kids Saadi, Amna and kamil who join together after a series of injustices they have suffered at the hands of Mangu and his goons and are helped in this endeavor by a man called Deenu who helps and guides them in this fight. I will not give away the movie’s plot but I can assure all my readers that the movie is thoroughly enjoyable and brilliantly shot.
Adults and kids alike will like it. I give Teen Bahadur a ranking of 4 out of 5. A sequel is planned for the movie which will be released in 2016. So everyone please watch this movie. Take your kids and younger siblings it will be a delight and a perfect gift for their summer vacations.
Mahira Khan has been very busy lately with shootings in Indian and also in Pakistan. Mahira has hardly been getting enough sleep but the young diva is full of energy and enjoying her work.
We see Mahira’s son accompanying her while she leaves for Chitral to shoot for her upcoming Pakistani film ‘Ho Mann Jahan’. Even with a very busy schedule Mahira Khan takes time to keep her twitter account updated so that she can stay in touch with her fans.
Mawra Hocane is the talk of the town nowadays because people are finding it difficult to attaching a whole new image to the name of an actress who has mostly played very docile characters on television and promised her fans that she was not going to let her fans down when she signed the Bollywood film. According to reports Mawra has signed 3 Bollywood films.
Mawra Hocane gave an interview to Dawn in which she talked about her new look and working in Bollywood. Here is the interview:
Your new look shocked and surprised many… do you really want to get rid of your bubbly image in Pakistani dramas?
Mawra Hocane (MH): First of all, let me clarify a couple of things. Now that I have entered Bollywood, I have to explore new horizons as an actor. Our people always take time to adjust whenever something new is done and that’s exactly what happened with my shoot. I’m absolutely fine with the general public reaction, however, I’m very thankful to my fans for such a huge positive response.
I don’t feel I’ve done anything different to what’s happening in all the Pakistani films too. It’s just that the platform is comparatively huge so the response is massive too. As for the bubbly image, I don’t intend to get rid of it for a few years. The real-life bubbliness is never going away; at least not till I’m in my early 20s.
How different is Bollywood from our local drama industry where you have worked hard to make a name for yourself?
MH: Our drama industry is quite small compared to Bollywood and that’s a fact, not just my observation. For me, I’m living my dream and that’s one of the reasons I don’t dwell into the technicalities of how different they both are. I’m glad I’m getting to learn the basics of film acting from the very best people. I am also ecstatic that I’m being loved and pampered here in India and am super motivated to deliver my best.
Ranbir Kapoor’s video message was a huge thing for a newbie like you… have you got to meet him yet?
MH: I’ve got more things to be joyous about than just that video alone.
Even getting to work on such a huge platform in such a tender age is a big thing for a newbie like me. I’m the youngest to hit Indian cinema from Pakistan because in the past people first got to establish themselves in Karachi or Lahore and then got a break in Bollywood. Nonetheless I’m extremely happy; I don’t want the updates on this matter to overshadow my work. I’ll be updating you all slowly and steadily.
Who else did you meet during your stay in Mumbai?
MH: I’m meeting quite a few people but that’s not important right now; my priority is my work at the moment. Once I am through with the shooting of my debut flick, I shall bombard my Instagram with all the selfies I am saving at this point of time (laughs).
Any message to your increasing number of fans in Pakistan and also in India?
MH: I am overwhelmed by the fact that the number of my fans is increasing in both India and Pakistan. I love my fans in Pakistan for being so kind and letting me be myself. Along this journey of exploring myself and a new world out here, I’m always going to make them proud too. They’re my constant support system. I would always want that support and love to keep flowing to me, no matter where in the world I go.
As was clearly evident in it’s trailer ‘Welcome to Karachi’ is a sad, dumb excuse of a movie which fails epically to deliver even a little bit of entertainment to it’s viewers. I had the misfortune of watching this movie last week. After watching a few minutes of this movie I was dumbfounded. Indian movies have competed with each other to deliver a caricaturized version of Pakistanis with either them playing terrorists, or a strange mixture of Indian muslim stereotypes crossed with a hyper religious outlook. But this movie has reached a new low.
‘Welcome to Karachi’ is the story of two star-crossed idiots Shammi and kedar patel who wash up on the coast of Karachi. As the duo lay washed up on the shore a suicide attack occurs ( Yes right there on the beach!) and this marks their entry in Karachi. The two are then taken to a hospital where they finally realize they are in Karachi. What follows is a series of misfortunes as the two Indians explore Karachi very much like the astronauts explored the terrain in ‘The planet of the apes’. The civilized Indians are trapped in sea of Barbaric Pakistanis. ( Boohoo)
The film shows Karachi as a poor, old, rundown city where people break into Gunfights at the blink of the eye, where the women are either covered in overflowing abayas, burkas or even when they are lethal ISI agents have their heads covered with a dupatta!! The movie is a pathetic attempt at demonizing Pakistanis and tries(And fails miserably) to demonize Pakistanis the way Sasha baron Cohen did to Muslims and Arabs in ‘The dictator’ and ‘Borat’ and Adam Sandler did to Palestinians in ‘You don’t mess with the Zohan’. Just like these two supposedly enlightened comedians couldn’t help displaying their visceral hatred for Muslims similarly the producer of this film couldn’t help display his hate for Pakistanis. The movie is an epic fail and I rate it R for dumbness(How I wish there was a way to rate like this). The movie is generally unfunny, the plot makes no sense at all. This movie is apparently made for the delight of Indians of 16-30 age group who troll at Pakistani websites.
P.S: I didn’t know what was worse? Adnan Tipu and Ayub khosa working in a movie like this and in such pathetic characters that reek of stereotypes or that the producer of this film came to Karachi, received a warm welcome by the city’s journalists and had the gall to promote his movie here. If a Pakistani producer had made a movie called ‘Welcome to Mumba’i with such stereotypes I’m sure he would never have made it outside Mumbai airport. Have we really lost our sense of honor and even basic common sense? Are we that much in awe of Bollywood? Beghairat is the word which best describes this whole scenario.
This drama is certainly getting more interesting now. Hania has managed to get married to Hamza and the difference between them has already started surfacing. Not to sound a feminist but I really think its atleast 60% Hamza’s fault. He is not willing to change any of his habits and ways and expects Hania to conform to all of this. This drama, in a way is actually depicting true Pakistani mentality where the in laws are certainly nice but they expect too much in return of their niceness. They are totally accepting of the fact that Hamza is dry and strict but expect Hania to change all her silly ways overnight, though they knew her well earlier and she certainly did not beg Hamza to marry her nor did she make any promises to convert into a domesticated and submissive wife. While I find her romantic dialogues for Hamza a bit too over the top, I find Hamza’s dry and smug responses equally annoying.
On the other hand, I didn’t feel that Hania’s mom is justified either. She is ruining her daughter’s perfectly innocent and good natured mentality and especially saying things against the humble and caring Mahnoor seemed cruel, since she is already saddened by her childlessness.
Now that Hania has married Hmaza, both Hania and Aina get to know abut Alia’s love for Hamza. I really liked the way Aina handled the situation. She is shown such a nice girl that even I was happy when she gave news of expecting a baby and her husband being very happy about it. She surely does deserve that. Hania on the other hand reacted just as was expected of her. To her, Hamza is a prized possession and she is far too shallow the put herself in someone else’s shoes. Infact all of her family is like that. Her bhabi, being a married responsible woman herself acts very stupid by the way she tempts and teases Hania about Faisal.
Now that we are seeing that Hania’s self obsession and Hamza’s pride are clashing, there will certainly be much more drama in the coming episodes…
Now that the second season of this show has come to an end, I have to admit that I am definitely going to miss it. Since I didn’t follow the first season, I can’t comment on that but as far as this one is concerned, HSY proved to be quite a well-informed host and I can’t help praising the fact that this guy does his homework! With each guest, he knew exactly who was he dealing with and the quality of the questions was commendable too. Also, he is friends with almost every other person in the showbiz industry so I guess that did work to his advantage.
I really like the enthusiasm with which HSY introduces his guests- he shares his personal experience relating to the guests, chooses his words very well and keeps the intro brief and catchy.
And yes, I love the music they play behind the entry of the guests.
In terms of hosting, as far as his shortcomings are concerned, like some viewers pointed out, HSY himself has little to contribute to the success or failure of each episode. And I guess in most episodes you’ll see that HSY chooses to agree with almost everything his guests have to say.
I’d like to know who was behind the selection of guests because as much as I liked the choice of guests, the pairing didn’t quite work for me. I strongly felt that in a few episodes, the guests called together didn’t seem to connect to each other at all and since they have this how-well-do-you-know-each-other segment, they should especially make sure that the celebrities they are calling in pairs are familiar with each other.
But on the whole, I would like to applaud the efforts of HSY and the whole team for giving us entertaining yet decent episodes week after week which not only made our Saturdays enjoyable but also gave us a chance to get to know our celebrities even better.
Here’s what the recent episodes were all about:
Aamina Sheikh and Mohib Mirza
And another celebrity couple from the industry! The chemistry these two share was evident all through the episode so I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. And the fact that Mohib Mirza has a great sense of humour was definitely a plus :).
Aamina Sheikh spoke about her career- she studied Fine Arts but had always been interested in theatre since her school days. For her family, showbiz was a foreign territory and she was the first person to join this industry. She had been more of a backstage person but when the right opportunities came her way, she decided to make an appearance.
Mohib Mirza was a Commerce student but monetary issues compelled him to do a theatre play called, ‘One Way Ticket’. At that time, Aamina Sheikh was also doing a theatre play in English but Mohib’s show attracted a greater audience. Even though Aamina and Mohib knew each other through a mutual friend, they were barely even acquaintances. What brought these two together in the true sense, was a show- Mohib was hosting the show under Aamina’s direction. That’s when the sparks flew, they tied the knot and well, it has been ten years!
Aamina Sheikh flinched at the mention of Operation 021 and was obviously trying to avoid the topic because as surprising as it is, being a part of Operation 021 has not exactly been the best of her experiences. Carefully choosing her words, not taking any names and keeping her tone strictly professional, she explained that there are two directors behind Operation 021 so when the movie finally came to surface, it was not how she pictured it because the director responsible for pulling the whole movie together was not the one she worked with.
I really liked the discussion on tukka baazi– people these days are becoming a part of the industry with little or no professional knowledge of the field and only a handful of newbies take this field seriously enough to specialize in it. Tukkay pay aya tou jasakta hai magar survive nahe kiya jasakta, I agree with Mohib’s views. He explained that earlier on, PTV was the only channel and therefore, there was a great deal of emphasis on quality and content. As a result, only fine and polished, hand-picked artists could make it to the screen. But now, with the overdose of channels, tables have turned and with the pressure to churn out multitudes of plays, it’s relatively easier for people to gain access to the small screen so tukka baazi is apparently working!
Aamina likes things organized, neat and tidy whereas Mohib likes things messy and cluttered but the way Aamina puts it, ”In mein aur itni khoobiyan hain kay hum nay socha kay paanch saal ki diqqat, mehnat kay baad yeh darguzar kardain.”
HSY gave these two one situation: You are sitting on a plane. The plane is about to crash. Out of a choice of three people from the industry, you can save one person, you have to bid farewell to one person and the last one can try saving the plane. For Aamina Sheikh, the names were: Mehwish Hayat, Humaima Malik and Ayesha Khan. Aamina saved Mehwish and bid farewell to Humaima. I have to say that Aamina’s comment,”Humaima can work her way around anything’’ was witty! Mohib Mirza was given the names of Imran Abbas, Fawad Khan and Ali Zafar. Mohib chose to save Imran Abbas and bid farewell to Fawad Khan. Again, Mohib’s comment, ”Fawad ko bachanay tou puri dunya khari hojaegi’’ had me in bits!
When questioned about their favorite stars, Mohib Mirza named Benedict Cumberbatch and Aamina Sheikh has a high opinion of both Benedict Cumberbatch and Cate Blanchett.
When the favourite co-star question came up, like Mohib Mirza, I was sure that Adeel Hussain is Aamina Sheikh’s favourite co-star because they’ve worked together in so many projects but it turned out that it’s Nauman Ijaz. They worked together in Mera Saeein, I guess.
In the Djuice Connect segment, someone asked Aamina Sheikh if she ever wishes to escape the limelight and lead a normal life,to which she responded that she has always wanted everything to be extraordinary- I have never liked the word, ‘normal’. Another fan asked them about the secret to a successful marital life and Mohib gave a quick response, ”Maximum communication!’’
This was one of my favourite episodes of the show and all the rounds were thoroughly entertaining.
Zainab Qayyum (ZQ) and Noor Hassan
I wasn’t too thrilled about this episode because I haven’t followed ZQ’s work and her acting has never been out of the ordinary, and I don’t find Noor Hassan impressive at all. Well, like I expected, this episode was bland and boring. I forced myself to recall a project where these two worked together but I was blank. During the show it was revealed that they are working together in a project so let’s see!
The first guest to grace the screen was ZQ. ZQ talked about her career- she began working with Vinny i.e. Vaneeza Ahmed, back then she was more like a backstage helping hand but through Vinny, she was introduced to modeling and with the passage of time, opportunities came her way and she established her career as a successful model. ZQ admits that earlier on, her personality required grooming and she used to look up to her prim and poised elder sister- the ZQ today has come a long way. ZQ is a shopaholic and yet, she insists that she is not a fashionista.
ZQ talked about her bad temper and admitted that it’s pretty ironic how she doesn’t react to matters of grave concern but the pettiest of issues can make her lose her temper.
Speaking about her past relationships, ZQ confessed that she has a lot of regrets and she talked about her marriage which didn’t work for her and that’s the probably the biggest regret she has ever had.
Then entered Noor Hassan and I don’t know if it’s just me but he looked kind of sleepy. Well, Noor Hassan confessed that for him, his freedom is everything and the fact that this line of work allows the freedom a 9 to 5 job doesn’t is one of the reasons why he is very comfortable with what he is doing. When questioned about their favourite actors, ZQ instantly named Meryl Streep whereas Noor Hassan spoke highly of Robert Downey Jr.
Noor Hassan is brutally honest and doesn’t think twice before voicing his thoughts. Noor Hassan’s views on his relationship were actually very off putting- he admits that he is in a relationship but it’s complicated and I actually feel for the girl he is in a relationship with because the way he puts it, ”I can be single if I get a better option.’’
The way Noor Hassan talked in the show is not exactly the way he speaks in his plays. It seemed like he was trying too hard to pull off an accent so please, I don’t bear a personal grudge against him but he comes across as a wannabe!
Noor Hassan admits that he has anger management issues and he tends to lose him temper over petty matters. Also, he says that he’s a great cook- ”I love eating my own food.’’
The how-well-do-you-know-each-other questions totally fell flat because quite clearly, the two were clueless about the likes, dislikes and interests of one another.
Like always, HSY brought up the topic of social media and both ZQ and Noor Hassan are active on facebook, though the former’s account has been hacked seven times!
All in all, it was quite a dull episode and I was actually very glad when it came to an end.
Cybil Chowdhry and Syed Asrar Shah
After a lackluster episode, HSY returned with a decent yet engaging episode and even though I couldn’t understand the logic behind calling Cybil and Asrar together, I’d say that I didn’t mind watching these two sharing the screen. I don’t follow Cybil’s work but I am a huge fan of Asrar- his rustic style of singing is definitely a class apart.
The first thing HSY chose to discuss with Cybil was her accent. Born and bred in America, Cybil developed a natural American accent and it’s not like she deliberately tries to pull off a fake accent. HSY admits that he too has to put up with a lot criticism because some people consider his own accent a little too artificial but the fact that he studied in the US should be able to explain things.
Hands down, I was taken aback by the fact that Cybil is a mother of two! She tied the knot when she was eighteen but her marriage wasn’t the exactly the best of her decisions because it just couldn’t work out- her husband remarried after the divorce but Cybil chose to remain single. Cybil’s children reside in America and she is the sole breadwinner for them. Cybil has a high opinion of her mother and it’s evident that she views her mother as her role model because had it not been for her, it would’ve been impossible for Cybil to pave her way through the highs and lows of life. I don’t know why but I actually found Cybil and her struggle very real and I for one think that she is a living inspiration for all the struggling women out there.
HSY mentioned that many people associated with Cybil view her as a dull and boring person, to which Cybil responded, ”Yes I am boring. I’ve no crazy stories to tell!”
Then of course HSY turned to Asrar and talked to him about his musical journey. Coming from a staunch, conservative Syed family, Asrar had to put up with a lot of opposition to pursue his passion for music. He first tried out for army, abba ji ki khwahish thi, but was disheartened by the rejection. He was already leaning towards music and this rejection gave him more of a reason to pursue his career in music. Peer faqeer, Sufism, spirituality always fascinated Asrar and in Hyderabad, he actually found true inspiration in his Ustad Sultan Ahmed Khan. ”Yeh meri nature say qareeb tha, baal kaato na kaato, malang bannay ka shauq pehlay say tha.” Needless to say, Asrar is passionate about music and Sufi music in particular. According to him, expression of Sufi thought is not restricted to any one kind of music- Sufi thought ka naam hai, uss mein music koi si bhi add hosakti hai. He sang ‘Ishq Hawa Mein’ in the show, which is based on Wasi Shah’s lyrics. I have to say that Asrar’s performances actually radiate energy!
Asrar spoke about the derogatory comments directed towards artists and it really is sad how people don’t waste a second before judging and labeling an artist as, ‘meerasi’. With no pretenses or fake smiles, Asrar is simple and down to earth. He thinks more, speaks less and I find him very genuine.
Cybil talked about a certain kind of models that rose to fame over a short span of time; she referred to them as, ‘fast girls’. I laughed out loud when Asrar asked, yeh fast girls hoti kaun hain, kia walk taiz karti hain? It turns out that these fast girls are shrewd newbies that rise to fame using sharp tactics, contacts etc. Talking about her own work, Cybil is of the opinion that hum clean work kartay hain.
There was nothing exceptionally note-worthy about the segments but yes, Cybil mimicked HSY scolding his models in a fashion show and Asrar sang a couple of lines from one of his unreleased songs.
So, all in all, it was a decent episode and I was actually expecting I’d doze off during this episode but I was pleasantly surprised :).
Ahmed Ali Butt and Fatima Khan Butt
My my, one thing you have to admit about Ahmed Ali Butt- this guy can crack you up! This episode was thoroughly entertaining and I loved watching it! I haven’t been an avid follower of Ahmed Ali Butt’s work but I do remember Inspector Khoji, a comedy sitcom that graced PTV some years back, where Ahmed Ali Butt played the titular character to perfection. As far as Fatima Khan Butt is concerned, her name didn’t ring a bell but HSY mentioned that she is a fashion blogger.
Fatima khan recounted her journey with Ahmed Ali Butt, starting from the point when they were just friends to the instant they tied the knot. From the way he proposed her, ”pura Yash Chopra scene set kia”, it goes without saying that he a hopeless romantic and like he called himself, ‘Overweight Prince Charming’, haha!
Grandson of Noor Jehan and son of Zille Huma, Ahmed Ali Butt has quite a family background but he takes pride in the fact that the never really used his family name to earn recognition. He talked about his career and it’s evident that theatre had a big part to play in establishing his career as an actor. I have always found myself confused when it comes to Maula Jutt and Jutt and Bond. It is theatre, or Jutt and Bond in particular, that brought Ahmed Ali Butt, Vasay Chaudhry and Fawad Khan together- no wonder they’re so close! He spoke highly of Vasay Chaudhry and expressed admiration for his work- mein ussay kehta hun kay tu projector room mein bara hua hai.
HSY spoke about Ahmed Ali Butt’s active updates on Facebook and Instagram and Ahmed Ali Butt’s response was pretty interesting- he wants to document his life and believes that these social networking websites provide him a platform to showcase his work. He is of the opinion that the works of our legendary artists have more or less faded into oblivion but now, thanks to the exponential growth of technology, he aims to preserve his work. The ‘mein yeh upload nahe karta kay aaj mein saabun say nahaya’ comment was on point!
HSY brought up the topic of this secret WhatsApp group- Boys Club, which consists of ten exclusive members including actors, directors and legends. As much as HSY tried to pry into this matter, Ahmed Ali Butt didn’t reveal much because as he puts it- the first rule of Boys Club is that you don’t talk about Boys Club! I bet the list includes Vasay Chaudhry, Fawad Khan and Humayun Saeed :P.
The show took a serious turn when Fatima Khan shared the harsh experience of her first marriage – she was very much taken aback by the fact that her own relatives turned out to be quite materialistic.
Needless to say, Ahmed Ali Butt and Fatima Khan have a high opinion of each other. They both agreed that the secret to a successful marital life is giving your spouse the space they need. Like all couples, they have fights too and the way Fatima puts it, for him its a discussion, for me its an argument!
Ahmed Ali Butt’s presence certainly added the comical punch needed to make this episode work and for me, the funniest bit was Ahmed Ali Butt switching seats with HSY and making fun of the Komodo Dragon statue! On a side note, this reptile is very creepy!
Ahmed Ali Butt was the hip hop rapper of Entity Paradigm (EP) so I guess that’s why he was asked to sing a rap song for his wife. I think HSY should have asked a few questions regarding the band because that too was a significant part of Ahmed Ali Butt’s career and I wanted to know what became of EP.
All in all, this was one entertaining episode and I must thank Ahmed Ali Butt for his amazing sense of humour :).
Azfar Rehman and Mawra Hocane
This time, Azfar Rehman and Mawra Hocane, two self made, budding young actors graced the screen. I have seen these two together in telefilms and in this episode, it was evident that they’re pretty good friends.
Azfar Rehman was very open about his relationship status and the way he puts it, ”I like to be in love.’’ He admits that he has quite a short attention span.
From Chartered Accountancy and advertising, to hosting and acting- Azfar Rehman spoke about his career and stated that what actually worked to his advantage was his confidence. Azfar Rehman is a happy-go-lucky person and believes in living life to its fullest- you should be partying all the time!
Azfar Rehman is very particular about his pairing and refuses to work until he is aware of his costar.
When asked about his best friend in the industry, Azfar Rehman instantly named Ayesha Omer. Mehwish nay kaha tha Azfu mera best friend hai– HSY was expecting to hear Mehwish Hayat’s name so Azfar Rehman cleared it up, saying that he holds Mehwish Hayat in high regard but with Ayesha Omer, the way he puts it, Ayesha aur mera love hate relationship hai- who mujh par ghussa bhi karsakti hai, mujhe daant bhi sakti hai. Going by Mawra’s comment, ‘Sab ko lagta hai Azfu un ka best friend hai’, I guess Azfar Rehman has a way with people.
Normally, HSY is all praises for his guests but this time around he did recall his not-so-good memory with Azfar Rehman, which dates back to Azfar’s first talk show, where Azfar ‘grilled’ HSY on spot and even compared him with the other guests!
When questioned about their international celebrity crushes, Azfar Rehman was all praises for Aishwariya Rai while Mawra spoke fondly of Ranbir Kapoor.
I do feel that Azfar Rehman got carried away in the process and he should have been reminded of the fact that it’s a family show- those who watched the episode might know what I am hinting at.
Since it is Azfar Rehman who did most of the talking, there’s not much I could learn about Mawra. You may find Mawra crying her eyes out in every single play but believe it or not, this girl likes to stay happy! As HSY puts it, Mawra emits positive vibes and I couldn’t help thinking how nice it would be to actually see her in roles that suit her happy go lucky nature, lol!
Mawra spoke about her love for pets. HSY took this opportunity to ask Mawra to clarify the rumour about her engagement and Mawra declared that she is single.
Needless to say, Mawra loves to stay connected with her fans and tries her best to live up to their expectations. Mawra is very conscious about her followers on instagram and right when she was bragging about having the greatest number of followers on insta, I laughed out loud when HSY burst her bubble, saying, ”No, Mehreen Syed has the highest number of followers!’’
Mawra and Azfar share great chemistry and it would be lovely to see them as an onscreen couple. And yes, Mawra looked gorgeous in her cream coloured outfit!
And with this, Tonite with HSY S2 comes to an end!
I will apologize to the readers for the late review, actually I wrote and rewrote this review a lot of times before I was completely satisfied with it, hence the delay. I am looking forward to your feed backs! Did you follow this show? What do you think of this season? Are you going to miss it? Share your views with us :).
Bridal Couture Week this year just like always showcased designs from all the leading designers from Pakistan. The ramp was set on fire by celebrities from all fields of showbiz. The singers, model and actors on the ramp were full of energy and made it an even to remember.
Believe it or not, after watching this episode, I actually googled the folklore of ‘Lila Chanesar’ because it had so much to do with the latest episode! For me, Sheheryaar’s conversations with Imtiaz Sahab and Emaan were definitely the highlights of the installment. I’d have to say that the timeless Sindhi folklore, coupled with the touch of folk music made this episode quite an interesting watch.
”Mein nahe chahta kay aanay walay kay intezaar mein meri betiyan apni shakhsiyat ko tor maror kar rakh dain.” I loved this dialogue! I really like Imtiaz Sahab’s character and I wish we could see more on screen fathers like him. It’s so refreshing to see a father who actually wants his daughters to be themselves because most of our on-screen parents refuse to believe in the idea of raising headstrong daughters and our dramas carry more or less the same message: only overly submissive and meek girls are rishta material. Imtiaz Sahab’s dialogues are penned very well and I really like the way Munawwar Saeed delivers his dialogues.
”Masla tou tab bhi shuru hota hai jab sahe loag ghalat logon ki taraf say aankhain band karletay hain.” I really enjoyed the conversation between Sheheryaar and Emaan at the beginning of the episode and the best thing about Sheheryaar has to be the fact that its not Emaan’s looks that caught his attention- its her honesty and integrity which did the trick. And the interesting part is that Sheheryaar and Emaan don’t always agree with each other, in fact, their views are most often contradicting and yet, Sheheryaar feels drawn towards her.
”Lila kay paas naulakha haar na tha aur Kaunru kay paas Raja Chanesar. Jis kay paas jis cheez ki kami hoti hai, ussay ussi cheez ki khuawish hoti hai.” Maybe it’s just me but Emaan looked kind of out of place in that particular scene. I’ll be honest here- at first I couldn’t quite understand the conversation they were having because I didn’t have the faintest idea about the infamous story of Lila Chanesar but thanks to google, I could finally comprehend their views regarding the folktale- I’d have to say that woh Rani thi bari twisted :P. I really liked the background music because it was apt in regards to the overall aura of the place.
”Mera khayal hai kay sahe faisla foran karliya jata hai magar ghalat faisla karne kay liye khud ko convince karna parta hai.” Some might think that they are rushing Sheheryaar and Emaan’s track and last week when I saw the promo showing Sheheryaar asking Imtiaz Sahab for Emaan’s hand, I was afraid that they are going very fast but after watching this episode, I think I can understand Sheheryaar’s decision which is obviously hasty but sensible- if that even makes sense, haha! Sheheryaar is shown to be a level-headed person and he is a good judge of people- he is well aware of the fact that Sajal is too immature for him whereas the few conversations he had with Emaan are enough to convince him that Emaan is the sort of person he can spend his whole life with. Yes, they might not see eye to eye on every matter but despite that, they do seem to connect with each other and this was particularly evident in their conversation in the very first scene of this episode.
”Na hi main ek nau-umar larka hun aur na hi ek ayaash tabyat afsar.” I liked how Sheheryaar tried to convince Imtiaz Sahab. By now, Imtiaz Sahab should be well-aware of the fact that Sheheryaar is a decent man and the comment, ”Bohat kam aatay hain aisay zehen kay afsar, warna zyadatar afsar tou kapron kay saath gardon par bhi kalaf laga kar aatay hain” showed that he does have a high opinion of Sheheryaar but like any protective father, he is concerned about the honour and pride of his family.
Sheheryaar’s feelings for Emaan are one sided for now; Emaan describes Sheheryaar as a ‘dilchasp aadmi’ and there’s nothing more to it. I really want the writer to take some time to establish the relationship between Sheheryaar and Emaan, yep, we want a sound pace but we are definitely not in a hurry :).
The issue with the script has to be the inclusion of unnecessary dialogues and I strongly felt this in the conversation between the elders of Sheheryaar’s family where the mangni kay joray wali conversation put me off because I am sure it could have been cut short, if the khandaani jora is missing, get over it and go buy a new one! We don’t need to know kay pehlay woh jora Daadi nay pehna, phir bari bahu nay pehna, phir choti bahu nay pehna,phir bari bahu nay apnay betay ki Bismillah mein pehna! Everything about Sheheryaar’s father puts me off big time! He is a dictatorial father who is obsessed with the idea of marrying off his son to his bhateji. I actually found it hilarious the way he was taking a great deal of interest in the jewellery his to-be-bahu is supposed to wear at the mangni. The whole Sheheryaar-Sajal engagement track is way too off putting and mainstream! This trend, I mean, it’s like the bandwagon effect- one play shows desperate female cousins running after their male cousins that have ‘not interested’ written all over their faces, and the others also jump on the bandwagon. The sad part is that the guys here make it very obvious that they actually couldn’t care less but the girls here just don’t seem to get it! Self-respect, anybody? I was expecting Hajra to side with her son and support his decision of not marrying Sajal but that didn’t happen.
The promo looks very interesting and I am really looking forward to the upcoming developments. What do you think of the episode? Voice your views :).
For Kardaars, two words: موتو بغيىظكم (Die with your Anger!)
I personally think these words were better meant for Naushervan than any other Kardaar (Let’s call him Sheru from now onwards:-P). Oh, and one correction, the name is Naml not Namal, we pronounce it wrong :)
Boy, this novel is full of murdering lunatics! Eleven episodes have gone and we have seen 3 murders, one suicide and one murder attempt. Let’s see what we got to read in this episode.
****SPOILER ALERT****
Progress
This episode had (again) a lot to offer. Zumar and Faris have started their new life exactly as we expected. I had a funny image in my mind that Faris was trying to be as good a husband as Salaar Sikandar, and failed miserably, haha. Saadi finally got the concrete proof he needed against Hashim. By the way the recording pen thing was kind of obvious, how could Khawar and Hashim be such fools to not think that Saadi can be recording all this? True his phone was taken but there are numerous other gadgets that can be used for recording. Anyways, good work Saadi, we are proud of you!
Just as expected, Saadi was really hurt when he came to know about Haneen’s cheating scenario. Thank God it was handled wisely by Zumar. Sheru, being the idiot he is, tried to take things into his hands and shot Saadi. As a result of this, Hashim abducted Saadi from the hospital, and the Yousufs are now completely at a loss as to who shot him and where in the world is he now. It is a big relief that he is alive, but still his family doesn’t know that.
Pace (4.5 out of 5)
The story is running on a highway. We all knew something was going to happen to Saadi in this episode that is why I skimmed the parts of Zumar and Faris’s happily everafter to get to the main part. Sorry Nimra…
Anticipation (6 out of 5)
This whole episode was highly anticipated because of the teaser Nimra left for us regarding Saadi and the next episode is even more anticipated. Readers have questions buzzing in their heads as to who on earth was the person who saw Sheru shooting Saadi and whether Saadi had alerted someone before he came to that under-construction building? There must be someone who called the police or ambulance. One thing is certain though, Saadi put the video recording in his laptop and someone (Haneen most probably) will discover it.
Best Scenes
Although, the highlight of this episode was Saadi’s murder (attempted) and disappearance, personally, the best scene for me was the confrontation scene in Hashim’s office as it had a lot to offer. Hashim and Javahirat were apparently helpless in front of ‘becahara, masoom Saadi’ and don’t even get me started at Sheru’s woes, haha. By the way, I wasn’t expecting such insults from Saadi’s mouth about Sheru. But alas! Anger makes one do strange things.
As for the shooting scene, I don’t know why, but I feel sorrier for Sheru than Saadi. He has committed a hideous crime just out of jealousy. Just like Qabeel did to Habeel. Just like Iblees refused to prostrate before Adam. Both had done more harm to themselves than to others. By the way did anyone notice, the words Saadi spoke to Sheru were also the words of Habeel before death?
“Tum agar mujh par hath uthao ge, main tab bhi tum par hath nahi uthaoon ga”
What to Expect
The person bearing witness to Sheru shooting Saadi might be the pathan boy whom he met at the masjid in the previous episode. Zumar would have been a strong candidate too but she had no clue what was happening. What about ‘main tumhari keeper hoon’ dialogue? Anyways, Now that Saadi is out of sight, I have my faith on Haneen to uncover the truth and Zumar to take action on it. Things are going to be much more intense and I have a hunch Sheru’s guilt will get the better of him and he will blurt his confession just as he did in front of Hashim. Faris is proving to be pretty dormant; he has yet to play his role too. Next episode may also have progress in Javahirat’s guilt and the Kardaars will eventually collapse from within before anyone confronts them.
That was a crude review from my side. Do have your say in the comments, as no review is complete without your comments :)
TV One is coming up with Ishq Ramazan (عشق رمضان) Aftaar transmission hosted by Maya Khan. The transmission will be aired everyday from 2 pm to 9 pm every day of Ramazan.
The channel is also launching its Sahri transmission hosted by Shabbeer Abu Taalib. Shabbeer Abu Taalib has also hosted similar transmission on TV One last year too.
The Holy month of Ramazan is starting in almost mid of this month. Gradually channels are unveiling their respective Ramazan transmission. This year ATVs transmission titled “Ramadan Kareem” will be hosted by Farah Saadia. Farah already hosts the morning show of ATV “Morning with Farah”.
Ohkay so, this episode of Jugnoo was happening, enjoyable & filled with a lot of drama as usual. Jugnoo has figured a way to deal with the situation but that is a temporary fix & she yet has to find a long-term solution that will promise her & Zulfi the peace they both are looking for.
According to Jugnoo, the best thing for both her & Zulfi is to lie to Baba Sahab for now. Jugnoo thinks she’d be able to fool Baba Sahab because Zulfi has once again paid Bakshi Jee to be on their side, but little does she know that Bakshi Jee is a lot more far sighted & clever than her. Jugnoo tells Zulfi that he has to stay by her side & do whatever she tells him because she has pretty much seen how spineless Zulfi becomes when he has Baba Sahab in his sights. I like Jugnoo’s character for a fact that she always is ready to face any kind of situation no matter how complex or intricate it might be. She always knows exactly what she should do, which is why she often find her little moments of victories even if they’re meant to be short-lived. What matters the most for Jugnoo is coming out of any whirlpool she may find herself getting drowned in.
The thing I enjoy the most in this whole drama is the way Jugnoo keeps on switching places between her mother’s & her husband’s home. It’s like she always keeps both these households happening & lit up with the drama she creates. It is so obvious that Khala Jahangir & Khala Kissho can’t see her happy & they fit the bill of typical relatives to the T. They are a sad but a true picture of how relatives often get restless when they assume someone’s life is sailing smoothly & how they find satisfaction in someone else’s tribulations. Khala Jahangir is a very unique character that has been written intelligently. She knows exactly how to boss around people & how to benefit from them, that’s why she is often seen ignoring Jugnoo’s harsh taunts because she knows that the mother-daughter duo is of great help to her in this present day & time. Shahjahan takes care of Jahangir’s home & Jugnoo is now a cash cow for her, therefore, Jahangir is ready to tolerate both of them.
It was amusing to see Zulfi following Jugnoo’s lead, it obviously shows that Jugnoo is the man in this relationship because Zulfi is too fragile & pampered to deal with such situations, that is why for now he is ready to do whatever his wife is telling him because for him, this is nothing short of an adventure. He knows he has gotten married to Jugnoo because he found her unique & she actually is very special that is why he doesn’t want to lose her at any cost, even if it means he has to fool his own father because of Jugnoo.
For a change, it was interesting to see a new character; Rafique, husband of Khala Kissho & I found his character & their bickering amusing too but it actually didn’t let me forget the fact that they have normalized domestic violence through Khala Kissho’s predicament. They have given it a comical shape but actually, it is something that isn’t very amusing. Every single time, someone does normally mention about how she gets beaten by her husband & to be honest, I don’t see any point of it nor do I find it amusing or necessary. They could’ve just showed that she doesn’t have much interest in her home & family & loves to spend time with her sisters – at least this way the whole issue of domestic violence wouldn’t have been highlighted in this drama. Yes, I do understand that they have tried to show different ordeals people go through in a light-hearted manner & the reactions that follow, but there is always a better substitute for even the darkest issue. I do like the fact that through Jugnoo, they have always tried to give out a positive message of self-sufficiency & present mindedness by showing a lot of problems in her life, but when it comes to Khala Kissho’s track, I don’t see any lesson that they’re trying to put forth by bringing domestic violence in the picture.
Overall, it was an interesting episode & for a change it is good to see a girl running things on her own. I love how Jugnoo gracefully edits the content she wants to expose to Khala Jahangir & always tweaks with the reality because this gives her an edge to rule over her & prove her wrong. I find this quality of her very admirable. For a girl who has never seen happiness in her life, if this is something that gives her sheer satisfaction & happiness, then she is entitled to go for it. Oh, I must add, I think HUM’s previews are now only meant to show the upcoming scenes of ‘all’ the remaining episodes. What they show in the preview of next episode doesn’t mean that this is what that episode will actually comprise of, so for that & from now on, I won’t be discussing the previews because they have been very misleading lately. Please share your thoughts about tonight’s episode. :)
It is usually said and many of us believe it too that a woman makes or breaks a house but while watching tonight’s episode of Mera Naam Yousuf Hai I couldn’t help but think that in a household like that of Noor Mohammad there is very little that a woman can do to ‘make a house’! Noor Mohammad could not stop blaming the women of his house for everything that went wrong in his life and not to mention for being ‘kamzad’ because they could not live their lives according to ‘shariah’! And he did all that judging while he made plans to run away with Bushra if that is what was needed for him to be with her. It is ironic that someone like Noor Mohammad who believes in going all out to get the woman he loves from making plans to elope to taking help from police would think that a man much younger and more ‘qualified’ to be in love deserves to be punished in the worst way possible. Everything that Noor Mohammad does in some way has God’s writ – something that he uses to justify all his actions. People like Noor Mohammad must think that they can fool God too!
We saw Noor Mohammad literally pleading Bushra and Tehmina’s case because he understood so well why they would have to resort to extreme measures but he fails to understand the women in his house because understanding them would require going against his wishes. The fact that Noor Mohammad gives Bushra and his phupo so much respect and has absolutely no problem kneeling down to their demands goes to show that he is perfectly capable of letting women take the lead but that is a rule that does not apply in his own house. It was gratifying to see Afia taking a stand for her daughter in a way that will actually help make a difference in her life. Zulekha taking refuge in Yousuf’s house wasn’t exactly the best course of action since the police was bound to look there before any other place but since she wanted to buy herself some time therefore the seemed like the only place she could go to. The scene when Hajra is leaving with the police and she asks her mother to give her her blessings was heart wrenching. Afia cried because Hajra needed her blessing not for a happy life but to face what was coming ahead.
Everyone in Yousuf’s house wants to see him spending the rest of his life with Madiha and for the first time we saw someone talking about it directly with him. On the other hand Daa Ji’s question from Madiha about how she was treated in Yousuf’s house also went to show that he might be thinking on those lines too. Madiha has let her brother down once and she does not want to do it again therefore she wants Yousuf to stay away from them. Madiha and Daa Ji’s conversation like always was short, sweet and touching. The honesty with which these two share their feelings with each other is what makes their conversations and their relationship so special. Madiha’s dialogue “tum is tarah pooch thaaj krte ho na tu lgta hai k mei achi lrki nahi hu, baar baar tumhara itemad tootta hai tu lgta hai mei achi behan bhi nahi hu” was exceptional. Only a very sensitive writer could write something like this because you wouldn’t expect a man to understand how a girl feels when she is questioned the way Daa Ji questioned Madiha and later on his reaction must have made her feel even more guilty.
Noor Mohammad’s conversation with the policeman was one of the many interesting conversations in tonight’s episode. The way the policeman interrogated him because he found it hard to believe that someone would want to do all that he was doing to his daughter and the manner in which Noor Mohammad answered him made for a conversation that said a lot about both these characters. Noor Mohammad obviously thinks that he and his “pakka Musalman” beta are out to wage jihaad against the “kamzad aurtei” who did not have any respect for the rules set by Shariah! That would be height od being misguided!
I would give full marks to Imran Abbas especially for those expressions which he gave when his step mother showed her support for Zulekha. Maya Ali’s expressions when she unveils her face in front of Yousuf’s house were priceless too. Hina Bayat’s acting has been flawless throughout the play but her expressions in the scene when Hajra is leaving with the police were spot on. The music in the background just added to the intensity of that scene. All the actors have done a commendable job which makes everything look so real.
The preview for the next episode made me sad except for the part of course when Zulekha hits Imran Mugheez and Yousuf’s father shows Noor Mohammad what a father should do for his children!
I don’t see Mera Naam Yousuf Hai’s story as a love story any more but it is more of a battle between good and evil. It is most certainly the good people – their honesty and their relationships with each other that keep me hooked to this show. A special thanks to Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar for a beautiful script, Mehreen Jabbar for the brilliant direction and all the actors for giving their best performances in this drama.
Mathira has been promoting her upcoming song “Neray Aa” a lot in the past few weeks. Mathira is going to give a new look to the old song which she says will make new memories in the mind of the listeners.
Mathira has always been known for her boldness although she knows that people don’t love her when she is so bold but she keeps on reminding such people that she does not care what they think about her.
Only the trailer of Mathira’s new song video is out but we can tell from it that it will turn controversial just like everything else Mathira does.
Ramadan is just around the corner, and it is time for the ‘seasonal treat’ we get from familiar face on our TV screens. Let’s have a brief look on what we have been doing, what we will be doing and what we should be doing this month.
Previously in Pakistan…
Last year the Ramadan transmissions were in full swing. Be it Amir Liaquat Hussain on Express, Waseem Badami & Junaid Jamshed on ARY digital, Ahsan Khan on Hum TV, and many others, no one left any stone unturned in celebrating this Holy month. All transmissions had their highs, lows and plateaus and had their own share of limelight.
Behold! Here comes Ramadan 2015
This year’s Ramadan transmissions are obscured in dark clouds. Junaid Jamshed had to leave the country because of life threats. Waseem Badami has been to Bol and back again, but I doubt he will be doing Shaan-e-Ramzan this year. We have news that Maya Khan will be hosting on TV one, while Ashsan Khan will be gracing Hum TV again.
Hmm…let’s see who remains…Oh yes, how can we forget? Our very own, ‘Jack of all channels’, the generous, the unmatched, the intellectual, Dr. (Axact) Amir Liaquat Hussain!!! (Drums rolling). For those who do not know about his current whereabouts, he is back to Geo these days and will apparently be rocking this year too. One teeny tiny, mini miney thing is his degrees are rumoured to be fake, but who cares really? One has a right to be called a doctor if they know how to feed mangoes after all! Gosh people, you need to stop criticising him, what has he ever done to anyone? :-P
Do’s and Don’ts
Alright, enough back-biting, let’s come to business. Personally, I do not think anyone can watch whole of these hours-long transmissions, but they influence people anyway. So why not use it for some more good?
Say NO to Catchy Jingles
I hate it when you are at iftardastarkhwan making last minute supplications and have the TV switched on just to see iftar countdown and suddenly you are shaken by ‘light light refreshing…Qarshi Jam-e-Shireen’ or other jingles. There you are cursing yourself for leaving the TV volume high and hastily finding the remote to hit the mute button. Come on producers, we know how much are ads important for you but at least don’t stuff us with this unnecessary music at these crucial times? Most of us end up switching off the TV the moment iftar is declared.
Say NO to Exaggeration
I know I am up for criticism on this, but hear me out. We all love Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) more than our parents; his love is part of our Eeman. But please be careful while choosing Naats, as some have extremely exaggerated wordings that are only fit for Allah Subhana Wa’Taala. These little things can even be categorized as shirk. Obviously, neither the reciters nor the listeners have any bad intentions and only do it for the love of the Prophet (PBUH), but he (PBUH) has himself has warned us against this kind of shirk in us, his Ummah. May Allah guide us to the right path, Ameen.
Say NO to Prize Race
Enough has already been said about this unhealthy trend of distribution of lawns, mobiles, motorcycles and what-nots. News flash (again) for the producers is, we hate to see our brothers and sisters cat-fighting over these freebies and stooping as low as they can to get them. It is disgusting to see elderly people imitating a snake or young adults gulping down fruits for such stupid reasons. Prize distribution on some genuine merit is understandable and no one feels this bad when lost.
Say YES to Modesty
We appreciate that the female hosts, guests and attendees tend to cover their heads in Ramadan transmissions, but sisters, unfortunately, doing so with a georgette/ see through dupattas doesn’t do. If you cover your head, it must be properly done as described by Shariah. Some may object that the same ladies appear on other shows without hijab/ head covering so why the hypocrisy of doing so in such transmissions/ shows? Well, I think we should appreciate and promote the culture of modesty as little as it can be and should not discourage someone based on their other acts. To quote an article by Zeba Khan, entitled “Red Wine and Hojabis: A Judgement on Being Judgemental” which I read a few days ago,
“That’s like seeing a recovering paraplegic take their first steps, and then shoving them to the ground saying ‘You’re doing it all wrong! Just stop, that’s an insult to walking!”
Say YES to Quran
Man, how can I emphasize on it enough? Ramadan is the month of Quran. Reciting, learning and understanding Quran must be the three most important tasks for us this month. For this, the guys running TV can show lectures of renowned scholars like Dr. Israr Ahmed to truly delve into Quran. Also, more popular-among-the-teens scholars like Ustad Nouman Ali Khan and Dr. Zakir Naik’s lectures can also be aired. After all, we can learn something or the other from everyone.
Parting Words
Here is my little wish-list for TV in Ramadan, do share your own in the comments. By the end of the day, television industry is our own too; we should be the ones to rectify ourselves but if my words have hurt anyone, I apologize in advance.
I have no idea what to say. I am absolutely speechless because I can’t even begin to describe how nauseating this episode was. What saddens me the most is the fact that this play was one of the very few plays I actually looked forward to. To be brutally honest, even watching Dusri Biwi didn’t repulse me to this extent because DB was a senseless play right from the get-go and I had no high expectations attached to it but to see Ishq Parast receiving this sort of treatment is downright shocking! It’s such a shame because this play started on a strong note and the story was progressing so well and after watching last week’s episode, I had a strong feeling that this Hamza-Dua-under-one-roof scenario will not be a complete disappointment but now that they’ve turned Hamza into a rapist, I am at a loss for words because I never could have imagined that they’d take his creepiness to that level. But thanks a lot, Big Bang Productions, it’s almost as if these people actually want their viewers to regret the day they tuned into their plays so yes, enjoy your moment of triumph because you’ve mastered the art of ruining a decent play- I hope you’re happy now!
So right now the play is all about a deranged madman who has his whole susraal wrapped around his little finger. The honeymoon period is over and Hamza has made it to Zohaib’s office and if you ask me, even Zohaib’s character is not as likeable as it used to be- so much for being the man of the house! Zohaib’s decisions lack foresight and are way too hasty for someone who assumed the responsibility of running the house at a young age. Hamza wants to destroy the whole family in every way possible and is getting every opportunity to do so. Dua tried to knock some sense into Zohaib but to no avail. I have been raving about Zohaib’s gentlemanly ways since the beginning but if he truly loves Dua, he should consider her views and give importance to what she has to say. Dua has been voicing her concerns ever since Hamza entered Arsala’s life but Zohaib has taken no notice of her apprehension.
Pasha Sahab is obviously very concerned about his daughter and I understand and feel for his helplessness- too bad there’s not much he can do to rescue his daughter!
I am finding it hard to buy the fact that Zohaib couldn’t even catch a glimpse of Hamza crashing the car into him. The whole scene just didn’t feel right to me and following that, whatever happened totally changed the course of the play and that too for the worse! It was just last week that I was appreciating the fact that they gave us a headstrong female character in the form of Dua but seems like tareef raas nahe ayi in ko! I can think of a million ways the story could’ve progressed in a decent yet engaging way but this latest obsession with molestation is totally beyond my comprehension. Armeena acted very well today and I felt a lot for Dua but needless to say, this is not how we wanted to see Dua- not so weak and vulnerable. I sincerely advise all drama makers to get over Chup Raho, or all the abuse-based plays for that matter.
The best twist would’ve been Hamza falling in love with Arsala and moving on in the true sense- my wishful thinking! I guess I should have known better than to expect a decent twist from a play produced by Big Bang.
Even though it was nearly impossible for me to spot something positive after the heinous development, I’d say that Arsala’s concern for her brother was very sweet.
I am greatly disturbed by the latest episode. What do you have to say about this episode? Please voice your views!
According to the sources the new kid on the block Feroze Khan has recently replaced Fawad Khan in the upcoming Lollywood venture Mann Mere (working title). Fawad Khan was excited to be part of the film after hearing what it had to offer but due to his commitments across the border he was unable to be a part of the film.
The shooting of the film starts this August. Feroze Khan mesmerized the audience with his acting in the drama Chup Raho which recently aired on ARY Digital. He also showcased his dance skills in the HUM Awards. He proved that he has everything it takes to play a lead in a film therefore the film producers approached him for the role when Fawad Khan was unable to commit himself for a shooting this year.
This will be Mr.Khan’s debut film and the leading lady is yet to be reveal but according to the sources the Actress has signed the contract and she is looking forward to work with Feroz Khan. Shooting of Mann Mere will be done in Pakistan completely. It will be entirely family entertainment movie with a strong social message plus there would be no vulgarity and item song. Other details will be revealed soon.
When Mawra Hocane entered in the world of Bollywood she assured her fans that she was not going to disappoint her fans. She also said that no one in Bollywood asks you to anything which you do not want to do. Her fans had high expectations from the actress because until now she has been very conscious about her image.
One of the pictures from Mawra Hocane’s photo shoot with Dubai based photographer Paul Aiken set the Pakistani public on fire because of Mawra’s dressing. Paul Aiken is usually busy shooting for celebrities who are associated with fitness training or are very fit. Paul Aiken put Mawra’s picture on his page but after many negative comments he decided to take it off.
Mawra Hocane shares all her pictures with her fans on Twitter and facebook too but she did not share this picture perhaps because she knew that it will not be taken in good taste by her fans here in Pakistan.
Farisa gives the phrase “aik tu chori upur se zeena zori” a whole new meaning! The way she confronted her mother and father in law when they tried to lay down the rules for her was height of “dheetai”! There is no word in English dictionary which explains Farisa’s behavior therefore using these one-of-a-kind words from our dear language would explain Farisa’s behavior way better than any other! I must say that Sara Khan has outdone herself in this play and I have to applaud the director for directing this play very intelligently. I am glad that we were not shown any unnecessary violence in tonight’s episode but the director and actors managed to get the message across loud and clear. Imran Abbas portrayed the other side of Haadi’s character which he probably didn’t even know existed perfectly. The fact that Haadi was willing to take some responsibility for what Farisa had done was definitely refreshing and also I did not expect him to confront Farisa in private! Haadi did not blame Farisa altogether, he did not tell his parents what had happened and he is willing to forget everything too even though his rage is getting the best of him at the moment. Things between Haadi and Farisa had changed a lot in the past few episodes and it was clear from Haadi’s conversation with his friend in tonight’s episode that he wanted to work to make his marriage better but Farisa had already moved on! Farisa thought she could get away with it but she clearly did not.
Haya’s life is as big a mess as that of Haadi and once again I must give the director due credit for keeping aggression to the minimum. Haya’s response to Rameez’s crazy behavior has been like that of a girl who knows how to handle difficult situations but that doesn’t mean that she is not breaking up inside. Rameez is bent on making sure that Haya does not get any space at all. He wants her to wear and eat what he want and his sarcastic comments make you understand what Haya must be going through. We were all making speculations about the accident but the accident was never shown in this episode. In fact some of the scenes that were shown in the preview of this episode were missing from it. Rameez and Haya might not have a perfect marriage but I must say that both the actors playing the respective roles are doing a commendable job. Sanam Jung has done complete justice to her character throughout the play and Zahid Ahmed is brilliant as Rameez. You also understand why Rameez has so many issues because of the way his character has been written.
Farisa is willing to elope with Saim (with all her jewelry of course!); she was more than ready to do that even before Haadi found out but Saim is giving the viewers and Farisa mixed signals. Saim appears to be genuine but the ending will be completely inappropriate if Saim is willing to marry Farisa therefore I am guessing that he might take her jewelry and leave the country.
I must say that I wasn’t expecting Alvida to be this logical. I find it very convincing and I have no problem understanding the characters at all. Samira Fazal’s scripts are always very enticing but the story and characters usually stop making sense at some point usually after episode 13 but there is no such problem with Alvida therefore I am expecting only the best from Samira Fazal in the future too. I must hand it to Shehzad Kashmiri for keeping things subtle and very decent. This drama would have been completely different in the hands of any other director.
Just like all the previous episodes of Alvida this one too was very engaging and it gave me something to look forward to.
The trailer of the upcoming film Wrong Number is launched today. Wrong Number is the first film directed by Yasir Nawaz and is scheduled to release on Eidul Fitar.
Sohai Ali Aabro is also making her debut from this film. Seasoned artist Javed Sheikh is playing the role of a Qassayee (Butcher) in this romantic comedy film. Danish Taimoor, who starred in recently released Jalaibee is playing the lead role in this film.
YNH Films & ARY Films Present
Wrong Number
Cast: Javed Sheikh, Danish Taimoor, Sohai Ali Abro, Janita Asma . Danish Nawaz, Shafqat Cheema & Nadeem Jafri
Directed By: Yasir Nawaz
Produced by: YNH FILMS (Yasir Nawaz, Nida Yasir, Hassan Zia)
Distributed by: ARY FILMS
A teaser was also released earlier this year in April 2015
Shehzad Roy is not just a musician but he is also a star like no other because he has done so much to improve the conditions of the people in the country. Shehzad Roy is a man on a mission who does not only want to make music for his country but he also wants to make a difference. Shehzad has looks and talent but he never ventured into acting until now.
When the singer and social activist was invited to Reham Khan’s talk show on Dawn he revealed that he was going to be acting in a commercial Pakistani film which will be released at the end of the year.
The film will be written by the distinguished writer Anwar Maqsood. It looks like the film has a very impressive script because it convinced someone like Shehzad Roy who never even considered acting to act in it. While talking about his acting career her said, “I never actually intended to do a film. But when the concept was presented to me, it was hard to say no.”
In the interview Shehzad Roy said that he has always tried to convey some kind of a social message through his songs and now through this film he will be have a much bigger opportunity to educate the masses in some way.
Shehzad Roy said the film has it all, romance and satire. He also said that people will see a very different side of him in the film. He said, “The film is very thought provoking, it will make you feel like you are sitting in a Pakistani cinema.” because he said that people will be able to relate to what they see on the big screen.
Shehzad said that Pakistani nation is very emotional and you will see all these emotions in the film.
We wish Shehzad Roy and Anwar Maqsood all the best.
Ohkay so, things are moving a bit slow for now in Mumkin but overall, it still makes a good drama to watch on a weekday. It was obviously expected that the pace of the drama will become a lot more stagnant after they’d cross a 10 episode mark & this is exactly what is happening because now every episode only deals with one situation at a time but IF they’ll wrap this drama up before 20 episodes, I think it would be great.
Natasha obviously is having a hard time seeing Maira getting along so well with everyone in the family. Natasha never wants to be a part of that family but she dislikes when someone tries to do that. She should know that everyone is different, so if there are things that might not be important to her, they can be important for someone else, so she should just let that person be & do her own thing. For Natasha, the only thing that set her apart from Maira was her social status but now when Maira is standing at the same platform as hers, she can’t seem to cope with it.
Rafia & her husband want Mehreen to settle down now when she has no one to look after her. Rafia, like a true friend wants the best for Mehreen & ever since the incident of someone trying to break into her home, Rafia is more of an opinion that Mehreen should have a companion in her life, who she can depend on. Even though Maira feels this is the right thing to do, the little hesitation that she had was subsided by the opinions Muneeb shared with her. It was actually very sweet to see Muneeb being considerate about Mehreen just as much as he always is about his own mother.
What Aziz is doing for Muneeb, Maira & indirectly for Mehreen is calling all sorts of suspicion on him but it seems that he really doesn’t care about what Nageen & Natasha would have to say when they’ll find out. Going by the way Waleed reacted, it actually showed that he doesn’t want Muneeb to be a partner in that business & he also doesn’t like anyone’s interference. Aziz obviously is a shareholder so he gets to have a check or say in the business matters but Waleed doesn’t like it. The way Aziz tried to cross check Waleed actually showed that he has picked on how Waleed has kept Muneeb away from the family business because he doesn’t want anyone as a partner. Aziz doesn’t understand that the way he is showering his love on Muneeb & Maira to be precise can put them in an awkward position because Natasha obviously is giving Maira a hard time so she will really make their lives miserable if she will pick on something of that sort seeing her father going through so much trouble for them.
I think it’s about time they let us know the reason why Aziz left & couldn’t come back to Mehreen because their phone conversations are becoming a bit monotonous. Yes, I think the whole scenario of Mehreen’s marriage might make Aziz come out clean about the relationship he shares with her as he obviously doesn’t want to lose her. I am guessing Mehreen will say yes to this marriage thinking she’d be able to keep Aziz away from herself so I am expecting a lot more drama to come. Over all it’s an interesting watch, so let’s see what more do they have in store for us. I am glad they added a few scenes of Muneeb & Maira together; it’s always a treat to watch them both. Share your say please. :)
Ohkay so, this episode was intense & interesting but it left me confused as to who do I dislike more; Ruhina or Behroz? The recent turn of events has unmasked their dirtiest faces & I find them both equally wrong. I like how the story is getting a lot more intense & even though we can figure out what might happen ahead, it still makes us look forward to it because the script & the story has been tackled intelligently.
Even though I find Ruhina completely wrong but this time around, I kind of understood where she was coming from & for me, the real culprit is Behroz. Those people, whom he showed his attitude & ego might’ve changed but this side of him is still pretty much dominant in his personality. Behroz is doing exactly what he did 20 years ago; first he chose not to understand Agha Jaan & made an irrational decision of leaving his whole family & now he is choosing to misunderstand Ruhina & enforcing his decision regarding their only child; on her. Yes, even though now Ruhina has no grounds to hold grudges against Agha Jaan, but the way Behroz has kept her in a dark for the last 20 years, makes her stance justified. I totally blame Behroz for not talking about his family or the repeated attempts of reconciliation done by Suhaib, with Ruhina. He is the one who chose to keep her away from all that he was feeling & for the last 20 years, made her believe that she was the only one that mattered to him the most, so yes, it is imperative that Ruhina will misunderstand his family because she hasn’t met this Behroz before who’d cry for the love of his father & brother.
Just now when Ruhina had a bag full of complaints & misunderstandings against Suhaib & Agha Jaan, why didn’t Behroz utter a single word to clear off their name? Behroz made an extra effort to silent his wife while completely ignoring the point that it was about time he should let her know how hard Suhaib tried to take him back to Agha Jaan & how much he also tried to help him financially while Behroz was busy fulfilling his husbandly duties. Even though, I dislike Ruhina, I still find her right in a way because she has seen her husband suffering & sulking for the last 20 years. All she knows is that Behroz’s family never made an effort to reconcile & abandoned him, she has only seen Behroz being restless & sleepless most of the nights because he used to miss his people, so it is totally natural for her to hate Behroz’s family because for her, her husband was innocent who only went by the right he had of choosing his life partner, making Agha Jaan & Suhaib the culprits who estranged their son & elder brother.
I found Behroz completely irrational because he threw a curveball at his wife & daughter & expected them to understand those unspoken feelings that he had kept a secret from them for them all this while? The way he dealt with Ruhina only made him look a bigger villain who chose irrationality while conversing with his wife whereas he should’ve taken that as an opportunity to let her know how wrong she was being by misunderstanding Agha Jaan over & over again. It almost felt like ever since he has realized his mistake, he is using his only daughter as a pawn to compensate for the pain he has caused to Agha Jaan & his whole family.
It was good to see Arjumand being a part of all the activities in her own way. Looks like she still holds a grudge against Behroz & even Ruhina but at least she is trying not to make Faarah face the brunt of what her parents did to her. I now feel after Agha Jaan’s personal apology, Ruhina has no reason to cling onto that bitter memory. Yes, things don’t change within a few seconds & no one is expecting her to get quite pally with everyone around, but at least she can be at peace now & let go of the past to make her present & future work. I feel the way Behroz is treating Ruhina makes things uglier. I really expected him to tackle the whole situation with a bit more maturity because he needs Ruhina on his side too & now when he has made a decision about Faarah on his own, it obviously will make his wife misunderstand & blame every single person of his family, including him. Now when the story has come to this point, I feel Behroz has been unfair to everyone around him all his life; he was unfair to Agha Jaan just because he thought he was too authoritative, he was unfair to Arjumand by leaving her in the lurch, he was unfair to Suhaib by misunderstanding him all his life, he is now being unfair to Ruhina by expecting her to accept his singlehanded decision & last but not the least, he is also being unfair to Faarah by making the most important decision of her life without even thinking about her for a second. Behroz was egoistic, irrational, and unfair & Behroz is still egoistic, irrational & unfair.
All said & done about Behroz, I really find Ruhina wrong as well. It only took her 2 weeks to forget everything Behroz has ever done for her, for the last 20 years. She actually ran out of words & anger when Behroz reminded her of how he left her. Ruhina, at least shouldn’t just think all this was actually a drama, starting from Suhaib’s death to Agha Jaan’s fragility. She actually comes across as an insecure person who really has no faith in her bonding with her husband, which is why ever since Behroz has been with Agha Jaan, all she has ever talked about is how Agha Jaan will turn Behroz against her. If she was an emotionally & mentally stable person, she would never ever doubt her husband because he took a stand for her & has been a dutiful husband ever since he got married to her, so these 2 weeks shouldn’t bother her at all. Ruhina would have never doubted her relationship if she actually believed in herself.
Over all it was a good episode. The confrontations between Behroz & Ruhina were done nicely without overdoing any of that. I really dislike how they show one thing in the preview to keep us all engaged & that scene is never made a part of the current episode. Yes, I did find the whole emphasis on ‘our’ & ‘hum’ by Wali a bit forced. He has just met Faarah & obviously he believes in giving people a benefit of doubt, so the whole emphasis on that idea seemed a bit out of question, but nevertheless, I enjoyed seeing all three youngsters in one frame, it was good to see some young faces for a change. Agha Jaan looked so sweet while he was making an extra effort to make Ruhina comfortable. I liked that they did add the bit where Agha Jaan picked how Ruhina was still angry at him. Agha Jaan really meant when he said that Suhaib’s death has taken away all that he used to be proud of & has changed him completely. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this episode, loving everyone’s acting & the locations are absolutely beautiful. Please share your say with us. :)
Keep Supporting,
Cheers, Zahra Mirza.
ps: Enforcing a ban on the spoiler-alert-police once again!
