7th Sky entertainment had disappointed a lot in the past few months, and that is why I was reluctant to give Aik Pal a chance. I was sure that it would be too preachy and full of stereotypes but after watching it, I was proven wrong. Good job Sarwat Nazir, for keeping the balance. Last week, I criticized Bareera’s character for being too OTT and Omair’s for being cliched and the readers mistook my statement for the fact that I did not like Aik Pal as a whole or that I don’t find a balance in it. The fact is that I do enjoy watching Aik Pal but I am a reviewer and my job is to point out the good and bad in the show after watching it. You can agree or disagree with me and I won’t mind, because I love reading your comments, unless they are not harsh.
The episode was good and a lot happened in it, especially the university scenes. Bareera didn’t forgive Mus’haf for the proposal and indirectly told Omair that Mus’haf is causing problems for their marriage. Poor Mus’haf was beaten by Omair but being the good person he is, he did not tell anyone about who beat him. Bareera smiled when her friends talked to her about the beating and refused to visit Mus’haf in the hospital. The way she immediately decided to abandon her father for Omair was unbelievable too, but I am glad that Mus’haf was there to save the day.
Areej Fatyma’s dressing was marvelous today. The black jacket over the pink printed T-Shirt and jeans looked totally cool on her. Later in the rishte wala scene she looked amazing in the red top and jeans. Her makeup was better than before, thus I enjoyed Bareera’s scenes today. Danish Taimoor was good as always. Him and Areej totally rock as a couple and that is why I loved the way Omair announced his engagement with Bareera and in the after-class scene, put his cap over her head.
I did not feel for Mehreen at all because Maryam Ansari failed to deliver. Her dialogues were too mainstream.
Omair’s parents were, contrary to my previous impression of them, laalchi! They have a lot of money but they shamelessly asked Bareera’s Dad to give them loads of jahez. Bareera did notice their behaviour but she was sure that Omair would be nothing like them. Still under the 50k impression Bareera?
Imran did make an appearance today and this time we saw him with another woman. drinking and enjoying himself. I totally felt for Noor Fatima when she picked up her hand , looked at the engagement ring and appreciated Bareera’s good fortune. However I did not like the way she called Omair “sahab“. Was it necessary?
Overall, the episode was good. I’ll give it 7/10 stars and will be awaiting your comments.
With Mera sultan ending soon it is time for me to review this drama which has no doubt left it’s mark on our collective psyche. The drama while a great favorite of mine unfortunately contains historical errors so I will be reviewing it fully so for die hard fans of the drama be warned ‘SPOLIERS AHEAD’.
When Mera Sultan was first aired certain people started the propaganda that it was anti-Islamic and meant to defile the image of a great Muslim ruler. Fed as we are by a myopic version of our history we simply could not comprehend that Muslims can do bad things too. Also Sultan Suleiman was a great ruler indeed but he was not perfect. So today I’m going to discuss historical incidents only.
1) Sultan Suleman succeeded his father Sultan selim the grim ( Known so because of his cruelty) and was generally regarded as a just ruler. He is called Suleman the law-giver and expanded The Ottoman empire to it’s greatest heights however he did NOT DO IT ALONE. He was aided in it by his great prime minister Pargali Ibrahim Pasha, Khizr raees and many more able men.
2) Sultan’s greatest vizier, his best friend, brother-in-law who was like a brother to him was Ibrahim Pasha who helped him achieve great heights. However in Royal reign no other person is allowed to have so much power. He was strangled in his sleep a decision Suleman always regretted. Another reason given was that he was not in favor of Hurem sultan who conspired with her son-in-law Rustem Pasha to have him killed.
3) Sultan’s mother Ayşe Hafsa Sultan was the first Queen Mother to awarded the title of ‘ Valida-e-Sultan’. She was almost Sultan’s co-ruler and unlike the drama was not insulted regularly by Sultan for the sake of his precious Hurem.
4) Sultan had many Concubines as the Turks did not believe that any royal family was equal to them in stature and hence they kept slave-girls in their Harems. Sultan’s First concubine was Fulane Hatun who gave him a son, then came Gulfem who also bore him a son, then came Mahidevran who was the mother of Mustafa. Fulane and Gulfem’s sons died in their youth and after that they both lost their previous power and position.
5) Mahidevran was perhaps the most unfortunate Queen in history. Originally thought to be a concubine it is now known that she was the daughter of a circassian prince. According to one of her descendants who was angry at her portrayal in this series both she and Gulfem were wives of Sultan not concubines. She gave birth to FOUR CHILDREN. Mustafa, Ahmed who died young, Raziya Sultan who married her brother’s supporter Tashjee ali Yahiya and Fatima who was married to the royal architect Mimar Sinan. Mahi’s real life was even sadder in real life then that shown in the drama. She was expelled from the palace when Mustafa was very young and spent the rest of her life in remote outposts of the empire. After Mustafa’s death her royal salary was ended. She lived in great poverty but the common people gave her tremendous respect ( While they abused Hurem non-stop). It must be noted that she outlived all her children and took care of her grandchildren all by herself. It was only during Selim’s reign that her pension was restored. Sultan’s treatment of her was unfair beyond belief. It must be noted that she was extremely beautiful and is considered by some as the most beautiful woman in Turkish history. How ever this beauty did not ensure her a fate she deserved.
6) Gulfem was the concubine or wife before Mahidevran. She is said to be a Sicilian or polish concubine, daughter of a prince called Murad, Daughter of an Albanian Bey or daughter of a convert to Islam called Abdurrahman.( One of them)! How ever all Ottoman sources describe her as extremely intelligent, fluent in many languages and a favorite of Suleman. It is said that she was second only to Hurem sultan in the Harem and after Hurem’s death she reigned supreme the Sultan would spend his nights with her sharing his sorrows with her. In Turkish archives there is a letter by her to Shehzade Beyazid advising him not to rebel against his father. This clearly shows that she was genuinely concerned with the empire’s well-being and was an important member of it. How ever the other concubines sought to get rid of her. Gulfem was building a mosque and ran out of funds. One concubine agreed to give her gold in exchange for her giving one of her nights with the sultan to her. Poor Gulfem thought that it was not such a big deal however she was wrong. The ‘great and just’ Sultan had her dragged right away by her hair to his room and without even hearing her explanation had her strangled right there! Later when he found out about it he ordered her mausoleum built next to the mosque she had commissioned.
7) Hurem is portrayed as the heroine of this series although to be frank this is the first heroine I have seen who displays serious psychological problems and has all the patterns consistent with a serial killer. Hurem was a Ruthenian slave known to the west as Roxana because of her Russian origin. She bore The Sultan five sons and a daughter. One of these sons died as a baby and hence was not shown in the drama. The real Hurem was not breathtakingly beautiful but was said to be heavy with an attractive face, jolly nature and it is said that she possessed s*x appeal. She was However extremely sharp who used her wits to beat her rivals. In this she was helped by Rustem pasha who later became her son-in-law. By no standards of morality whether in the drama or in real life can Hurem be considered right. Infact as foreign ambassadors reported Turks used to abuse her openly and call her a witch especially after Mustafa’s death. Hurem’s three major achievements were
a) Marrying the Sultan.
b) Never leaving the Harem with her son as was the custom but staying on till the very end with Suleman.
c) Moving to the main palace with Sultan as a fire ‘mysteriously burned down the old harem’. ( Yaqeenan khud lagwai hogi)
8) Sultan’s sisters had nothing against Hurem. They added this part for spicing up the serial and also so people can feel sympathy for the ‘Innocent Hurem. khazeena( real name Hatice) died heart-broken two years after Ibrahim’s death. Fatima and Beyhaan lived their lives quietly after their husband were killed by the great Sultan. Sah obtained a divorce not because of Hurem’s conspiracies but because her husband beat her.
9) Mustafa was the eldest and undoubtedly the greatest of Sultan’s sons. Sultan had him killed as Rustem had him believed that the army was planning to replace Suleman with him. Our Great Sultan not only had him killed but had his young son Mehmet executed. Can any Huremist or people who admire Sultan give me a solid reply what danger could a child pose to a great Sultan like Suleman? Also he did not disobey his father by marrying Khizr raees’s daughter. Their is no Mehrunnissa Hatun. His son was by his concubine Rumaisa.
10) Hurem’s son Mehmet died a natural death due to small pox. What they showed in the drama WAS A LIE. MAHIDEVRAN DID NOT KILL HIM. THEY ADDED THIS PART SO PEOPLE CAN JUSTIFY HUREM’S CONSPIRACIES AGAINST MUSTAFA. He was married to his cousin Esmahan daughter of Sah sultan whom he fell in love with as soon as he saw her and had a daughter with her. After his untimely death the ‘great innocent sweet long-suffering poor’ Hurem snatched her grand daughter from Esmahan and had her sent to her mother where she died heart broken four years later.
11) Ayaz Pasha the vizier after Ibrahim was not killed by Sah but died a natural death in a plague. ( Lagta hai writer conspiracy theories pe yaqeen rakhti thi her death ko Hurem ke dushmanon key ser pe daal dia) LOL.
12) Kazi Ebu Saud, Yahiya effendi ( Sultan’s foster brother), Sikander chalebi, Tashjee ali Yahiya are all real historical characters.
13) Jahangir died heart-broken for his step brother Mustafa.
14) Beyazid rebelled and was executed with his sons on order of Sultan Suleman in Persia where he has taken refuge. Sultan offered shah Tahmpasamp 400000 gold coins for having his own son and grand sons killed. ( wah wah lekin phir bhi ham nahi manengen aur kahengen ye sab jhoot aur west ka propaganda hai)
15) Hurem’s son Selim was a useless drunk. Turks suffered the worst defeat of their history in his reign at the Battle of Lepanto.
16) Sadiqa/Victoria, Froze khatoon, Princess Isabella, nazenin were all fictional characters added to show how much Hurem had to fight to control/brainwash her Sultan. LOL
17) Shah Tahmpasamp of Iran was a weak rival Of Sultan. He did not obsess about harming the ottomans. Later his descendant Shah Abbas the great inflicted major defeats on the Ottomans when they were in decline in the Sultanate of women period.
18) The murders in Harem are based on reality. Hurem initiated a reign of terror. Her cruelty can be judged by the following real incident. One of Sultan’s concubines Gulshah khatoon bore him a daughter called Nuriye Gul Sultan. Hurem made numerous attempts to kill mother and/or daughter and finally when the daughter was 3 years old she succeeded. They were killed and their bodies thrown in the sea. This incident shows Hurem’s inhumanity and Sultan’s criminal negligence. ( They did show a Gulshah in the drama. She was however a gullible maid of Mahi and Later Hurem who only caused harm to her employers)
20) Meherma the daughter of Hurem was highly influential and acted as Valida-e-sultan in her brother’s reign. Her marriage to much elder Rustem was considered an unhappy one and she spent most of her time with her father. Her Husband Rustem was one of the most corrupt and hated Grand viziers in Turkish history.
21) After Mustafa’s death the Janissaries rebelled so to placate them Sultan had Rustem deposed and on his advice appointed his brother-in-law Kara Ahmet Pasha to this position. This measure basically saved their life but within two years Sultan repaid this favor by executing Kara Ahmet pasha!
When all is said and done there is no doubt that It was an excellent and entertaining drama and I look anxiously forward to Kosem Sultan the next installment of this series. The Turks really know how to make historical dramas.
2014 is just coming to an end so I thought to give a small tribute to super hit Drama of 2014 “Pyaray Afzal”. This was not just the drama but an emotional attachment, a roller coaster ride and an unforgettable Journey. Every scene every episode was a visual treat to watch. This drama had truly expressed the meaning of love and the deep reality of human relationship.
Poor Afzal he was shot dead when Farah finally embraced his love and actually wrote letter to him but missing Pyaray Afzal doesn’t mean that I am only missing Afzal, how can we forget bubbly Yasmeen, Responsible Aarfa, Stylish Lubna, Confused Farah, Tensed Ruqqaiya( Wife of Maulvi Subhanallah), Respected Maulvi Subhanallah and brave Babu Hameed.
Pyaray Afzal took us all by Storm and it was not only popular in Pakistan but all around the globe, I have to admit that it is the highest quality drama produced by Humayun Saeed’s production and indeed it will took many years now for ARY or any other channel to telecast such Gem again.
Round of Applause for Khalil ur Rehman for penning down this amazing story and dialogues
So let’s remember Pyaray Afzal through some great dialogues of this drama:
“Meri Auqaat nahi hai ke mein Farah se Muhabbat kar sakun lekin us se Muhabbat karne ka Haq hai mujhe”– Afzal
“Muhabbat ko ghussa ajaina Farah to tum jeson ko bhi hojaati hai”– Lubna
“Jab koi Naya Naya Musalman hota hai to kuch zayada hi Musalman hota hai”– Lubna
“Mere abba kaha karte thay ke mardon mein se asal mard ko phechaana aisa hai jese saare tarboozon mein se lal tarbooz phechaana”– Sheikh Ibrahim
“Dil ki Saari baatein dil walon ke pass amanat hoti hain aur who amanat mein khayanat nahi kya karte”– Afzal
“Mein Maulvi Subhanallah ka beta hun Wali aur who mujhe bataya karte that ke maut Zindagi ki hifazat karti hai is se mat darna zindagi se darna yeh wahan maarti hai jahan paani bhi nahi milta”– Afzal
“Pata hai yeh goli mujhe pheli baar nahi lagi aik goli mujhe Hyderabad mein bhi lagi thi dil ko cheerkar nikal gai thi mene khud operation kiya tha khud taanke lagai thay magar toota hua dil zayada solid nahi hota sirf zinda rakhne ke liye kaam ata hai”– Afzal
“Mera naam badal diya jai Abba mujhe nahi pata yahan Afzal kon hai jo begunhai mein maare jaate hain ya jinko mene maara hai”– Afzal
“Farah ke sirf moun per ghussa hota hai andar se to who bilkul mombatti hai zara si aanch dikhao pighal jai gi” – Lubna
“Muhabbat agar cricket hoti to mein jeet gaya hota”– “Afzal
“Is tarah milo jese bin bulaye gham se milte hain, pass bulaya dil mein rakha aur phir kaha tumhaari to aisi ki taisi”– Lubna
“Jaag jao Farah is keemat per ke tumne kayion ki neendein haram kardi hain”– Yasmeen
“Yeh akhri akhri badtameeziyan hain pyaray phir tum kahan aur mein kahan”– Yasmeen
“Marne se dar nahi lagta yaar magar jeene ka buhat dil karta hai”– Babu Hameed
“Tumhaari Kasam Afzal chahe uske gham mein jalte rehna magar in khaton ko nahi jalana”– Yasmeen
“Apko kasam hai meri shadi hojai to dua nahi dijiyega mera naam le kar khaiyega jao Farah humne tumhe maaf kya”– Farah
“Main Afzal ban jaata lekin mujhe koi batai to sahi ke Afzal aisa hota hai”– Afzal
Now some funny Dialogues:
“Mein tumhaara baap hun Farah koi channe bechne wala nahi”– Sheikh Ibrahim
“Khat kyn likhongi phone mene mirchein peesne ke liye thori rakha hai”– Lubna
This is my favourite one
“Mehboob ke sar ke aagey behen ka sar tarbooz hota hai”– Lubna
Hence these are the only dialogues that I remember, so do you guys remember anymore amazing dialogues? if yes then please do share :-)
It is finally over! I must admit that I was expecting this last episode to be much worse because I was expecting an 8 to 10 show tonight as well. When the drama ended at 9 I was relieved! Tonight’s episode showed that the writer of the show Mustafa Afridi is talented enough to wrap things up in less than 45 minutes even when they are so messy, I wish he would have put in the same amount thinking while penning down the Paymaan/Imroze track as a whole. Hareem’s happiness lied with her son, she did not want a man in her life and she got just that. Paymaan forgave Imroze for everything he did just like all the other good wives in our plays. Honestly speaking I felt completely detached from all the character thanks to all the crazy twists that we have been witnessing for the past few episodes therefore the fact that this last episode was short and slightly less complicated was good enough!
Imroze’s second marriage and everything that happened after it was definitely a bad move. Imroze’s explanation to Paymaan confirmed that the reason why he left Paymaan was that his insecurities got the best of him but at the same time he had enough confidence to go ahead and get married again to someone who cheated on him and left him for someone else. Why are the men in our dramas naive enough to think that a second marriage will solve all their problems?? And to top it all, Imroze has learned nothing from his experiences since he suggested: “hum teeno is ghur mei mil ke bhi reh sakte hein” !! Right till the end Imroze was willing to have both these women in his life until Hareem pushed him to the edge. Paymaan never had a problem with “sharing” her husband with Hareem, which was very strange!
“Aap ne mujhe chalna, phirna, bolna, urna sikhaya” …yeh sub kub huva?? Right from the start, the viewers were shown that Paymaan’s life with Imroze was dull, to say the least. Imroze said so himself that Paymaan had stopped being happy and that is exactly what we saw too but somehow we are expected to believe that Imroze was the best thing that ever happened to Paymaan. I still remember the first scene which was shown a few months after their marriage, Paymaan was complaining and she did not look happy.
Firaaq had many tracks but the main story revolved around Paymaan and Imroze’s relationship and the Firaaq between the two. Unfortunately, the writer and the director both failed to narrate Paymaan and Imroze’s story properly. For the longest time, the viewers kept on watching the play so that they could enjoy Tabbasum and Haider’s scenes. The viewers were unable to understand why Imroze fell in love with Paymaan, the marriage was rushed and we never got to see the dynamics of their relationships. The fact that there was absolutely no chemistry between Sanam Saeed and Mohib Mirza did not help as well. There was so much about the main track of this drama that was flawed right from the start to the end. The mystery surrounding Imroze’s character right from day one was unnecessary and the truths about him that were revealed later were not worth all the wait. After watching the first few episodes we were all convinced that Firaaq was going to deliver but once Imroze entered Paymaan’s life everything went haywire. It was an absolute pleasure watching Uzma Gillani and Syed Mazhar Ali mesmerize us with their superb performances every week, for me, they were the stars of the show right till the end! Their story was far more interesting than that of Paymaan and Imroze. Junaid Khan and Noor Hassan played their roles well. Sanam Saeed did the best she could with her character, unfortunately, Paymaan’s character took a U-turn after getting married to Imroze which was definitely not what most viewers wanted to see. Imroze’s character wasn’t even remotely likable but Mohib Mirza acting was everything one could wish for. For me, Firaaq will always be the story of Haider and Tabbasum and not Paymaan and Imroze. Isn’t it sad that we were shown all the characters at the end of this last episode except Haider’s? He was the only male character in the show who was liked by many of the viewers. Adnan Jaffar’s character and his acting also deserve a special mention here but I have to add that we could have done without these new additions.
Although Firaaq turned out to be very disappointing, I must confess that I enjoyed reviewing it nevertheless mainly because of all of you out there who contributed to the discussions. I want to thank everyone for reading the reviews especially those regular readers who are kind enough to read the reviews even after they stopped watching the play. Firaaq is being replaced by drama serial “Nikkah”, the tag line of the play is ” piya naam ki choriya…bani meri majboorian!” and I am guessing that this drama also revolves around the story of a woman whose husband gets married again – yes doosri shadi all over again!! How many of you are sick and tired of these stories??
Wasim Akram got married to his Australian girlfriend Shaniera last year. The couple has been blessed with a beautiful baby girl who they have named Aiyla Akram. Wasim Akram already has two grown up sons from his first wife Huma who passed away few years back. Wasim Akram shared the happy news of his baby’s arrival with his fans on Twitter. The happy mother also thanked everyone for their blessings.
We wish Wasim, Shaniera and Aiyla a happy life together.
Previews are becoming quite the topic of discussion. Last week’s preview hinted at Omar backing out at the eleventh hour so the episode was a complete shocker. Omar’s everything, his fairy godmother- Mrs. Imtiyaat succumbed to the grim reaper aka Sr. Hashmi. Omar knew love only through the kind-hearted Mrs. Imtiyaaz. Not only was she faithful to the Hashmi’s, she genuinely loved Omar like her own and was trusted by his late mother with her bahu ki amanat. Having lost the woman he loved so dearly, Omar was guilt-ridden and felt unsure about going through with the wedding. After the dhamakedaar dholki, the shaadi was free of any shenanigans.
The kawwey ki tarhan ganey wala Adnan was the life of the party and interestingly enough, the ease with with he switched gears between the singing/ dancing and the flirting was sublime. I’ve never seen Gohar Rasheed except in a brief cameo and I thought he was brilliant. Ali continues to guide Omar through his uncertainties but it appears that Adnan is the one who is really looking out for him; he is very keen to have Omar and gang continue living with him for ever and ever. I would love to know more about why he is the way he is and if the story of his father having multiple wives is actually true.
Omar seems content moving in with Asma and Mohini after marriage as if it were perfectly natural to have a ghar-damaad. Omar has a long way to go and Nomi said out loud what most of us may be thinking- I don’t trust him! Seeing Asma and Mohini’s sensibilities, I can’t help but wonder why the mother-daughter duo took a nosedive into consolidating the chatt mangni patt biyaah. Jald bazi ke faislay aksar pashtawey ka baiss bantey hein…
Mrs. Imtiyaaz’s sudden death and Rahat’s cold reaction disturbed Haniya more than I had expected. This incident made her question the man she married all those years ago. She even went as far as going against her husband’s demand and informing Omar of his loss. Rahat is so full of himself he considers himself a visionary. He finds nothing wrong with the way he conducts his affairs and has now taken it as a challenge to bring his son to his knees. He has spent considerable time and money on his biggest investment and expects huge returns. What remains to be seen is how far he will go to reclaim what he believes belongs to him!
What did you make of this episode? Any guesses about what happens next?
Amir Liaquat explained the concept of Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ in a very understandable manner in his morning show on 25th December. Watch the video and i am sure that you will like his way of explaining things. Although i find him quite irritating but still sometimes casino online his thoughts appear to be a little acceptable especially when it comes to religion. He knows a lot about our religion and that is the only purpose i find him a little impressive otherwise he has nothing extra ordinary in himself.
Nida Yasir did a special transmission on Quaid-e-azam, the founder of the nation. She showed his belongings to the audience by taking us to a museum which is filled with the things that once belonged to Quaid-e-azam. I believe that such shows must be shown regularly so that we know how the father of the nation lived and spent his life. Do watch the video and comment.
Nida Yasir showed Quaid-e-azam’s tomb at 25th December. She showed the secret part of this tomb where no common person is allowed to enter. Only government delegates and military personals can go there. It was definitely a sight to see. Quaid-e-azam was the founder of the nation and we should never forget his efforts for our country. Do watch the video and also comment.
In Sahir Lodhi’s morning show, a woman who works in a parlour told that men pay attention to other women because they do not find their wives attractive. If women do not pay attention to their looks and start looking old before time then their husbands start avoiding them and try finding entertainment outside their homes. Watch the video for details.
Sahir Lodhi got insulted in live show by a phillipino parlour worker. His over-acting is also famous and many people are fed up of him but still they bear him and his shows. He asked the phillipino girl about his looks and he got a very insulting response. Watch the video and see for yourself.
In Sanam Jung’s morning show, Dr. Khurram Mushir explained about a mask for fairness and removal of pimples from skin. This mask will clear away all the pimples and scars from the face. The dryness that appears in winters is also removed by this mask. The ingredients used in this mask are all easily available at home and are not costly. Do watch the video for details, try it and see the results in a month.
Yasra Rizvi is always seen in intense roles in dramas such as Malika-e-Aaliya and Mann ke moti. She recently made a guest appearance in Amir Liaquat’s morning show and talked about her experiences. She told that this world has become so materialistic that relationhips are not the priority anymore. She also became emotional while talking about it.
Ohkay so, honestly speaking I would’ve felt a lot for Fareeda if she had decided to get married to Shaukat after she had met Shehryaar. She is in a severe depression; why? Because she ‘assumed’ Shehryaar wouldn’t accept her after he’d get to know about her. Ohkay fine, Fareeda took that decision in her senses but then what’s with the regret? She should be happy that she did good by Shehryaar & also saved herself from getting embarrassed which is why to see her lingering with the guilt of what she has lost in the form of Shehryaar doesn’t make sense because no one forced her to opt for Shaukat in the first place.
I don’t understand why everyone always emphasizes on ‘tumhari story ke hero jaisa larka’. I think they shouldn’t have shown so many people confusing fiction with reality. Just because a person has a strong imagination & is capable of giving words to the imaginative world, doesn’t mean their reality would exactly be like how they perceive life in their dreamy world. Bint-e-Hawa also assumed that Fareeda would be getting married to a guy similar to the characters she has written in her novels which didn’t seem appropriate because Bint-e-Hawa knows which social background Fareeda belongs to & just because she asked her such a question, Fareeda resorted to lying because she was ashamed of letting everyone know that her real-life partner is opposite to her fictional-life heroes.
I think they changed the actor who was playing a role of Shaukat’s married sister because the former one was shown as a sensible person but somehow they decided to add some spice to her character & now she was looking like a typical nand waiting to hog benefits from her bhabhi. I knew Appa was incapable of being good but I never thought she would change colors so quickly. I felt bad for Fareeda’s parents because now Appa will exploit & taunt them every single time if they would do something beneath her expectations.
I honestly felt bad for Shehryaar in the previous episode but just one dialogue from him this time was enough to kill the sympathy that I had for him. I really don’t understand how can a person be so shallow that he’d judge someone else based on what their name is? Shehryaar found Anwar Ali’s name bizarre because it was common & simple which made me say that whatever was happening to Shehryaar is exactly what he deserved. I am glad he didn’t decide to make a scene at Fareeda’s wedding & left quietly. I must say I would’ve felt a lot for Fareeda if she had faced blunt rejection from Shehryaar but just because she didn’t give him a fair chance, I don’t feel for Fareeda either & I think we’ve been deprived of seeing what the true face of Shehryaar was; was he really this shallow as we all thought or was he any better? I feel we really won’t be able to form a definite opinion about him but may be there’s a reason why this track was left in the lurch. May be there’s a chance that they’ll get to rekindle their relation in future because the way Fareeda’s in-laws have started to treat her, it’s highly unlikely that her marriage to Shaukat would last that long.
Finally, Shaukat got what he wanted but I wasn’t amused to see him in this episode because I know what sort of plans he had in his mind for Fareeda but let me ask, which groom falls like that in front of his bride? LOL! Only Shaukat can do that. He isn’t as simple minded as he poses to be because the way he informed Fareeda of what he was expecting from her really showed how tactful he is. I am sure he will keep on sweet-talking her into doing things that only he’d approve of. Let’s see what happens next. The episode was good but a bit on the slower side. I hope they don’t give much coverage to Fareeda’s depression but rather show us what measures she’d take to shape up her life from now on & oh I loved the crisp quality & vibrant colors of this episode in particular & loved the camera angles also. Share your thoughts please.
Sanam Saeed did not even make the news of her Nikkah public but we learned from some circles that she entered into a Nikkah with her fiance who according to her is a Karachi based banker and also a childhood friend. When a picture of her Nikkah was leaked the news became public. Many people were still speculating whether this was indeed a Nikkah or Just an engagement but now we know that this indeed was the actress’ Nikkah and she is also getting married very soon.
Even nowadays when celebrities love to share the pictures of their families and spouses with their fans Sanam Saeed still likes to keep her private life very private. Sanam Saeed will be getting married next month. According to sources there will be six different functions for Sanam Saeed’s wedding. Two functions will be held in Karachi, two in Lahore and two other in Bangkok. According to the news one of Sanam Saeed’s Mehndis was held yesterday.
We wish the actress all the best for her future endeavors. We hope to see the picture of the groom and the newly married couple soon!
Today your eyes will close down when you see a model as she walks on the Ramp. We all know that currently Fashion Industry is heading towards absolute disaster and there is no sign that fashion designers will realise how they are actually destroying our cultural values.
So called Fashion designers seems to be a foreign paid agents to me, who are sent on a mission to abolish our cultural norms. However I don’t want to give the gesture of bigotry here by painting all designers with the same brush because if there are senseless people in fashion industry there are good, decent and intelligent people too and among those is an exciting and creative designer from Lahore “Sundus Khan Achakzai”.
About Sundus
Sundus Khan Achakzai previously known as Sundus Nawaz was born in Jeddah Saudi Arab where she completed her college in fine arts. She then came to Lahore and took admission in Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design to complete her bachelor’s degree. After achieving her degree she went to France for training from well renowned Ecole De La Chambre Syndicale in Paris in 2009. She then came back to Pakistan and started working with different major brands like Stoneage (as Women’s line designer), Mini Minors (as Design Coordinator), FAQ Magzine (as Fashion editor).
Sundus is not just a Fashion Designer but a successful model, fashion teacher, wall artist and Choreographer as well. She made her debut fashion show in 2012 with PFDC Sunsilk fashion week. Many of you might not know but in Lux Style Awards 2013 she was the one involved in choreographing SOS Children along with Atif Aslam in Grand Finale. Her collection was displayed along with Farieha Altaf, Wahab Shah and Nigha Hussain’s collection in the Grand Finale of Lux Style Award 2013.
Sundus and SOS Village Kids
Sundus is also a philanthropist looking after SOS Children’s Village Kids for past 8 years as a mother, sister and as a friend. She came to know about these kids through a TV add when she was a student. Sundus believed that these kids are mentally stronger than most of the children living in society, sadly a fatherly figure is missing in their life that could guide them properly. Sundus tries to spend most of her free time with these kids as now they are part of her life. It was indeed Sundus dedication that made these kids perform so well on stage along with Atif Aslam.
Mosaic by Sundus
Just a matter of time when Sundus launched her own brand Mosaic. Being a creative designer she is extremely passionate to bring new exciting designs in the market. Mosaic offers range of fashion clothing with unique designs including bridal wear for both Women and Men. Perhaps she is the only fashion designer who had promoted her brand by doing the modelling of her own collection.
The list do not ends here, Mosaic brand also offers other ranges as well like Makeup and Styling, Modelling, Fashion Drawing, Choreographing etc. Mosaic by Sundus assures that wearing Sundus desgined clothes will make you feel special and stand you out from rest of the crowd and yes indeed with in afforadable prices that goes out for Makeup and Styling as well.
Sundus Marriage
On 6th April 2013 Sundus got engaged to Naseem Khan Achakzai, the social activist and CEO of HILA non-profit Organisation. At the start of 2014 she was finally nikkahfied and changed her name from Sundus Nawaz to Sundus Khan Achakzai. Their proper Wedding Ceremony means “Rukhsati” took place on 7th December 2014 in Lahore, on this precious occasion Sundus was wearing her own bridal collection. 2014 was definitely the year of celebrities’ wedding and this year we have witnessed lots of beautiful brides like Ayeza Khan, Sonya Hussain, Dua Malick, Maheen Khalid etc. but after watching Sundus Khan Achakzai I have to admit that she is the most beautiful bride of 2014.
About her Husband Naseem Khan Achakzai
Naseem Khan Achakzai is a graduate from SKANS school of Accountancy. Currently he is the founder and CEO of HILA (Hope Inspiration Leadership Ambition) a non-profit Organisation that works specifically for Youth Empowerment and Education. Naseem Khan Achakzai is the first cousin of Muhammad Khan Achakzai “Governer of Balochistan”.
Sundus is a hardworking young Enterprenuer who believes in style and creativity. She has a passion to create new and unique styling designed clothes that can make Women to look elegant and graceful.
Sundus wants to give clear message to all professional “stop introducing exposing fashion as it is not our cultural values and stop making fool out of people by setting the wrong price range in the market which is often too high”.
Like me many people had also entitled her as “Beauty with Brain”. I wish her all the very best of luck for the success of her brand and loads of happiness in her married life.
References
http://www.profashionstyle.com/press/sundus-nawaz-and-sos-childrens-village-pakistan
http://www.fashioncentral.pk/pakistani/designers/267-sundus-nawaz/about/
http://www.shechoice.com/journey-from-sundus-nawaz-to-sundus-khan-achakzai/
http://mosaicbysundus.com/makeupstyling.php Most of the information given to me personally by Sundus
We have had some talented and some not so talented actors making their debut this year. A few of them grabbed the spotlight immediately. while others have a long way to go. Let’s have a look at the newcomers of our drama industry in the year 2014. Adnan Malik: Being a producer and director already, Adnan made his debut with Sadqay Tumharay on Hum TV. The phrase “aate hi chha gaye” would be suitable for him, since Khalil (his character in the play) became a household name and Adnan was praised not only for his chocolaty hero looks but for his acting skills too. We are expecting some quality projects from him in the future. Gohar Rasheed: Gohar had bagged a few nominations for his work in the feature film Lamha (Seedlings), when he stepped into the drama industry with Shikwa. He is a part of recent dramas, namely Digest Writer, Khuda Na Karay and Goya. Gohar has nailed all the roles and hopefully, will do the same in future. He knows how to give the right expressions and make the audience praise him and he has selected different roles to do that.
The different characters peformed by him
Maryam Ansari: Maryam hails from Karachi. She worked as RJ and a model. She was part of Chaadar on Urdu-1 (2013), but her role in Shanakht on Hum TV, was more recognizable as the start of her career in the drama industry. After Shanakht, two more of her dramas, Susral Mera and Agar Tum Na Hotay aired on Hum TV. As an actress, Maryam has yet to impress. She needs to work on her dialogue delivery. Aleezay Tahir: Aleezay Tahir is another Karachiite who made her debut with Shikwa. She has a cute and pretty face but she really needs to work on her dialogue delivery and expressions. Aleezay Rasool: Aleezay Rasool worked as a model and in a few commercials before the start of her career as an actor in Bikhra Mera Naseeb on Geo TV. Presently, both BMN and her second drama Sultanat-e-Dil are being telecast on Geo Entertainment. Aleezay Rasool gives the right expressions but needs to work on the dialogues. Some of her clicks as Ujala in BMN: Zarnish Khan: Zarnish started her career with Mohabbat Ab Nahi Hogi on Hum TV. Her second drama, Susral Mera, aired on the same channel while her third drama, Khuda Na Karay, is airing on ARY Digital. Zarnish has a cute face but needs to improve her dialogue delivery to suit different situations. Zahid Ahmed: Making his debut with Mehram on Hum TV, the good looking Zahid Ahmed has not impressed much with his acting. While he speaks confidently and knows what expressions to give, he needs to choose better roles which give him an opportunity to show his talent. Janita Zafar: She has performed side roles in the past, but her recognizable debut would be Ishq Mein on Express Entertainment. Janita is a pretty face but a good actress as well. She gives suitable expressions and speaks confidently. Some of her clicks as Samra in Ishq Mein:Iqra Aziz: You must have seen her in the really long Hilal Kake ad, alongside Na Maloom Afraad famed Mohsin Abbas Haider. Iqra is a talented young actress who also made her debut with Kisay Apna Kahein and then starred in Ishq Mein on Express Entertainment. She could improve her way of speaking a bit, since she gets a bit loud at times, but other than that, her acting is good. Sundas Khan: Sundas started her career with Mohabbat Ab Nahi Hogi. She did not make much of an impression with her acting skills and needs to work on them. Hina Altaf: Hina is a VJ, and a good one at that, but not a good actor, for her work in ARY Digital’s Maryam Kese Jiye was nothing out of the ordinary. She needs to improve her acting skills for her next project. Feroze Khan: Feroze Khan stepped into the showbiz industry with Bikhra Mera Naseeb. His second drama is Chup Raho on ARY Digital. Feroze Khan is a good actor and his strength lies in intense scenes. So which one of these actors impressed you? Whom do you want to see again? Do tell us in the comments below. Areeba Mohsen
Oh my! It was such a slow episode that I struggled to keep my eyes open till the end. There was some progress in the story in this episode but things have been so slow that it’s getting hard to keep my interest intact in this drama.
I did like the confrontation between Jamshed & Bhatti. That was one powerful scene of this episode. After they had a spat, Jamshed tried to imply that he has not gotten involved with Michelle because he wants to get a green card & even if that’s true, it makes me wonder why Jamshed fell for Michelle. They should’ve shown some grounds as to what Jamshed saw in Michelle to fall in love with her? I feel that the writer & director have invested a lot of time on unnecessary things but they skipped to show the detailing where it was required. The question still remains that why Michelle & Jamshed fell in love with each other, that too so abruptly?
Michelle is taking care of her boyfriend & she knows he wouldn’t appreciate it but still every single time she somehow manages to convince him to accept her help. I liked the fact that Jamshed is egoistic enough that he didn’t just accept everything that Michelle offered right away but tried resisting at least & this makes me wonder again, how come Michelle had such good friends that she was ready to ask them for a favor that too for the sake of Jamshed? All this while we’ve known that she has shied away from every single friend of hers & it was only Rizwan all these years whom she was comfortable with, so it looks very unlike Michelle that she would burden herself with someone’s favor to help Jamshed out but oh, she has been doing all such things lately that she wouldn’t have, so no surprises there.
The second & the last scene that I liked in this episode was Imaan & Sikandar’s confrontation. At least she has the guts to speak the truth on his face & show him the mirror, so hats off to Imaan for having more brains than a 30+ y/o Salma, but then again, Tai Jee took it as another opportunity to blame it all on her DIL. Looks like Sikandar has it all planned & he knew he could use Imaan as a trump card that would stop Salma from leaving him & luckily for him, it worked because after that Salma; being stupid that she is, started having second thoughts which makes me think that how come she doesn’t know that if she decides to get the police involved, they would obviously check Sikandar’s previous criminal record too & they would never let Imaan stay with him because anyone would know that a child that too a girl is not safe with a felon? Plus wouldn’t they ask Imaan as to who she wants to be with? Sikandar knows too well that Salma is not only gullible but she is weak, which is why he gets the confidence to do what he feels like because he knows that his family & home are being taken care of by Salma & she is never going to leave him. It’s so frustrating that even after he openly threatens her, she still tries to cover him up.
Becharay Bhatti Sahab, lagta hai unke din buray chal rahay hain. It’s ridiculous that instead of showing some concern for her husband, Cathy, who is incapable of being nice, started bombarding him with annoying questions again. Looks like she doesn’t know how to be considerate which then makes me wonder why is she so annoyed & disturbed if Bhatti has befriended Salma? Does she really think that she can treat him like a doormat & he wouldn’t retaliate? All this while Cathy was always indifferent to Bhatti, so she should continue to stay in her own anti-desi bubble happily & is it just me or Bhatti’s bhai bhabhi’s parasite-ness is getting repetitive & old? Share your thoughts or rather new assumptions & guesses please!
“Wo mari hui Shano bhi Khalil ko nahi day gi!!” …. From the first scene of this episode to the last one with Rasheeda in it we saw a very desperate Rasheeda trying everything in her power and more to ensure that Khalil stays away from Shano. For a split second I thought that Rasheeda might be looking out for her daughter, it could be that she does not want Shano to end up doing something she regrets later. The way she feels about Khalil and why she doesn’t want Shano and Khalil to get married is not a secret any more. Rasheeda’s meeting with the pir was very interesting. Even this man who knows nothing about her found it difficult to relate to her problems. He obviously thought that it was Rasheeda who needed help and not Shano or Khalil. On the one hand Khalil is getting closer to God in order to get what he wants because he is convinced that the love he feels for Shano is a gift of God and He is the one who gave him the power to fight Fayyaz and his friends. On the other hand Rasheeda’s faith in God is nil, she actually thinks that extreme measures like black magic will give her a way out. This is turning out to be a fight between good and evil, it is a battle between love and hatred. On one side there is Shano and Khalil’s love and on the other side there is nothing but hatred which Rasheeda feels in her heart for her sister and almost everyone who does not do things the way she wants them to.
The flashback scene was definitely something which many of us have been wanting to see. Hearing people talk about something can never be as relatable as watching it unravel on screen. I would have really liked it if we could have been shown how Abdur Rehman found out about Rasheeda’s relations with her brother in law. Inayat looked very resigned to her fate and dejected in the flashback scene, it was almost as if she knew that there was no point in blaming anyone. Even right now she does not come across as a person who would take revenge or ruin her sister’s life in any way. I am guessing that Rasheeda was lying about Inayat not being her sister!
Khalil finally decided to ask Shano how she would feel about a court marriage, he is quite sure that she will refuse and he does not want to do anything like that either. The most powerful scene of tonight’s episode had to be the one in which Rasheeda tells Khalil off; his reaction and Samiya Mumtaz’s expressions were spot on. Only Khalil would hand over the money for the crockery he broke in rage – yeh hamare hero ka style hai!! The meeting between Shano and Khalil once again was overloaded with romance which I am glad is a permanent part of every episode of Sadqay Tumhare. The song sequence could have been cut short. I am waiting to find out what turn the story will take from here, aur kitni jangay lrni pare gi Khalil ko?? We will get to see some new characters a new twist in the story in the next episode.
I cannot praise the acting by all the actors enough, all of them manage to impress you in every single episode. The actors in the flashback scene as well were chosen very wisely; all of them were faces we haven’t seen in dramas before, they looked like the younger version of the characters they were playing and the acting was commendable as well. Khalil-ur-Rehman’s powerful dialogues are definitely very impressive. After watching this serial I am sure that Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar is one of those very few writers who write when they actually feel like they have a story to share and not because a production house requested them to write on certain lines.
Which was your favorite scene from tonight’s episode? Any predictions about where the story will go from here? Do share your thoughts about tonight’s episode.
P.S Good news for all those viewers who are watching Firaaq:)
SeD is the latest offering by Geo TV,produced by A & B Productions and directed by Syed Ali Raza Osama.
We have Riyasat Shahpurand a family of nawabs, headed by Mehtab Bano/ Begum Nawab, who has two sons, the elder one Farhan Shah (Abdullah Ejaz) and the younger one Wajdan Shah (Sami Khan). Yeh mulk 68 saal purana hai magar yeh riyasat 300 saal purani….. Begum Nawab has two sides to herself, on one hand she is a dictatorial and pitiless person who believes in punishing her enemies the worst way possible. On the other hand she is a mother who wants her sons to discuss their problems with her and trust her.Unfortunately her sons have seen her first side only.
Farhan and Wajdan are totally different from their mother. Farhan is a forgiving person who wants the people of his riyasat, whether friends or foes, to be treated with kindness. Ham ne apne mukhalfeen ko hamesha aman ka pegham diya hai…..He is married to Rania (Aleezay Rasool) and they are about to have a child, the waaris of Riyasat Shahpur.
Wajdan Shah is in love. He has no interest in the affairs if the state. His love interest Anoushey (Sarah Khan) and him are faced with a problem. The problem being the girl’s dad, who wants to marry her off to the man of his choice. Wajdan knows that their families won’t agree to their wedding and that’s why he’s helpless. We are yet to know what enmity both the families have.
After the go-dd bharai of his wife, Farhan Shah receives news that one of his factories has been burnt down but the culprits have been caught. He immediately drives to the factory, where he gives a heartfelt speech on how the people who have been caught are merely stooges, the person who sent them is the real culprit and that he would love to shake hands with him. In the end he lets them go.One likes his character straightaway and especially since Abdullah Ejaz has acted well.
Farhan agrees to go to Anoushey’s house for a rishta and Wajdan is the happiest person on earth. However, he first has to go to London for 3 days . The night before his flight, his mother hands over a file to him. Tumharay abba ke khuwab hain iss mein…..(Really want to know what’s in the file ASAP!) And the next day On his way to the airport , the writer does to him what the writers do to all the likeable characters, kill him! That too with a huge truck!
After Farhan’s death, Begum Nawab, who has herself felt the pain and helplessness of being a widow in the past, decides that in order to protect Rania and her child, Wajdan must marry Rania. Ofcourse, Wajdan is taken aback. He tries to protest, but Begum Nawab refuses to hear anything from his side. Mere faisle se ikhtilaaf karne ki himmat aienda kabhi mat karna….tumhara bachpana chala gaya…..woh chala gaya jo tumharay nakhrey uthata thha….
Rania has the same reaction. She can not even think of marrying Wajdan, who is just like a brother to her.
Anoushey has come across as a person who cares just about herself, but is smart for her own good. Just after Farhan’s death, she started bugging Wajdan to send a rishta to her house. She knows that waiting right now might cause problems later.
Begum Nawab is even more pitiless now. She is sure that Farhan was murdered, and now she is not ready to trust anyone. Dushmanon se haath milana chahta thha…jan haar gaya…. If Wajdan refuses to obey her, she might throw him out of her life too. I found it weird that Asma Abbas’s makeup and colourful clothes came back just one scene after Farhan’s death.
Poor Wajdan tries not only to convince his mother but Anoushey’s father (Mazhar Hayat) too. I don’t think his opinion would have differed if Begum Nawab had not dhamki-fied him. But I really understand his point that this marriage will cause problems for both Anoushey and Wajdan. Where will they live after marriage? And how will he supply for her? Wajdan’s purple attire in that scene was really distracting.
So Wajdan is stuck pretty bad in this situation. Pleasing his mother would mean leaving the love of his life and marrying the love of his life would mean leaving the entire state forever. How many times do our heroes face this problem?
Jitni bhi dafa ho, I had fun watching these two episodes. The actors have done a good job, but Aleezay Rasool needs to improve her dialogue delivery. The main couple is fresh and easy on the eyes. Although I haven’t started rooting for them yet, let’s see if they can impress me in the future episodes. I really wish they had chosen another house for the setting. A new setting would have probably had that riyasat-wala-effect on me.
SeD is a good option on Thursdays. Are you watching it? If you are, let me know your thoughts.
In Sanam Jung’s morning show, the legendary actor Tallat Hussain said some really meaningful words. He explained that Islam doesn’t only mean having a beard, it is the name of changing your inner self. Islam never teaches to kill anybody then why do these Taliban killed innocent children in the name religion. This is how they are spoiling the image of our religion. Watch the video it will leave you in tears.
Watch the video and see what Amir Liaquat says about our government and the decisions taken by the government. He openly criticized the Indian Prime Minister. The statements and tone was very harsh. He clearly called Taliban as “Kaafir”. He said they should be hanged in front of everybody.
I won’t be exaggerating when I say that all of us, in one way or another, are manipulated by advertisements. This is because we are surrounded by them in every possible way. You switch on the television and you are welcomed by advertisements, you fetch a newspaper/magazine and there they are again, and now even while you are reading this article, there are a couple of advertisements on the right side of your screen. So no matter how hard you try evading them, you simply can’t and there is no denying that they play an instrumental role in shaping our opinions and perspectives. Therefore, I believe it’s necessary for advertisers to think through the content of what they intend to deliver because once it’s out; it goes to influence huge masses beyond measure.
There is a positive and negative side to our advertisements. I am going to highlight the negatives first, not because I am a pessimist, but just because I want to end my article on a positive note! So here you go: You can’t sell a product without dancing to your heart’s content, period.
Please, enlighten me, why do people change into OTT dresses and start dancing like mad the moment they get hold of the ultimate des ka biscuit? I have been eating them since years but what the enthusiasm is all about? I am still wondering!
There is this internet connection advert featuring actors who are on cloud nine (seriously!) because seems like their internet is working wayyyyy better than they had expected. Now this calls for a party so they arrange one where everyone is welcome to rejoice and dance with them because obviously, this is a huge deal. Okay, we get it, sound internet signals are a blessing, but how many of us hop and skip and go, ‘Ballay Ballay’ when the internet starts to work like lightning?
And oh, out of sheer curiosity, I even googled the benefits or you should say, after-effects of chaye. Yes, it contains antioxidants and increases your metabolism rate but nowhere does it say that it triggers the release of hormones which compel you to dance and gyrate like that! When the advert finally ends, it takes quite a few seconds for me to come into terms with the fact that a bunch of the country’s most popular film stars dressed in nauseously colourful clothes went through great pains to perform such complex dance moves just because they wanted to sell some chaye ki patti. Insane!
Exaggeration, weasel words and even false claims at least make sense when they are being used to ‘convince’ the target audience. But I for one can’t seem to figure out what these bizarre dance moves have to do with the success rate of a product.
Pakistani young generation: why so farigh?
I happen to be a part of the young generation but surprisingly, there is a lot I didn’t know about my own breed. I extend my utmost gratitude to all the mobile networks out there for letting me know: we don’t read, we don’t write, we don’t work and apparently, we don’t even sleep! According to mobile networks, love has hit us hard and thus we chat and converse with each other all night long! Are you kidding me? Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? ”Aap jayen jidhar, theher jaye nazar’’
A woman is ‘successful’ only when she gets noticed by people for being the ‘fairest of them all’. Devastatingly, the main girls’ colleges/universities of Karachi are surrounded by billboards, stabbing the self-esteem of all the young girls out there with the same, belittling message: Fair is Beautiful!
Talking about appearances, having flawless hair also has a lot to do with the success of a woman. More ridiculous is the fact that little girls are also expected to have straight, silky hair or else no one would want to talk to them. A piece of advice: if your friends don’t talk to you just because you don’t have perfect hair, no need to get yourself another shampoo, just do yourself a favour and get rid of these ‘friends’. Also, who comes to school with their hair flowing all the way down to their waist?
More like expecting them to be Snow White and Rapunzel at the same time!
Logic? 404 Error: File not found
I know it may sound absurd, but I don’t like the way Bablu gets mocked for washing his hands for one whole minute. Whatever soap you use, washing your hands for ten seconds is nowhere near hygienic but the little kid gets ridiculed just because he has healthy habits. All jokes aside, I actually feel for him, you know?
Okay, so now for the positives; Positive messages/role models ‘’Tou phir ho jao good kay liye crazy’’
^See, that’s the sort of taglines our advertisers should come up with more often! Remember that Coca Cola Ad in which a bunch of people set out to do random acts of kindness? It was innovative and inspirational at the same time. Also, Alamgir’s ‘Albela Rahi’ in the background added just the sweet little touch that was needed to complete the advert. I watched this perfect advert a zillion times with a constant smile on my face. :D
And yes, Tang’s advertisement was also cute and moving, where a child becomes his dad’s superhero by helping out the people around him, conveying one simple message: Anybody can make a difference. And he did it during the month of Ramadan, thus rekindling the spirit of the holy month.
My purpose to cite these examples is to remind you all that we are NOT running out of creative minds, it is just that creative minds aren’t getting a proper platform.
Humour
Humour has always been an integral part of the toolkit of our advertisers and my my, has it not done wonders! It’s safe to say that many of our adverts actually make us chuckle after a long, dreary day. Ufone ads are always humorous and therefore, they stay with us for long. Remember, ‘teri awaz ka jadu’? ;)
Catchy jingles
Hands down, we have always been ahead of the game in coming up with catchy jingles and touching background songs. Ding Dong’s cute jingle, Pepsi’s unbeatable ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’, Nestle Everyday’s heart-touching ‘Tum Mai Hai Kuch Khaas’ anddd the list goes on!!
And yes, one simply can’t forget Supreme’s amazing series which included phenomenal songs with beautiful videos like Ishq Nachaya (starring Shamil Khan) and Bas Ishq Muhabbat Apnapan (starring Iman Ali and Rasheed Naz). For a Sufi lover like me, it was heaven! Shoaib Mansoor was the man behind the camera, so what else do you expect?
We have got tons of potential. I wish our advertisers just step out of their mindless dance routines and try experimenting with innovative ideas that succeed in leaving a mark. Maryam Mehdi
Farah Hussain cried in her morning show on the Peshawar incident. She said that it is very difficult to control tears for a mother because they see their own children in the place of the innocent lives that were taken in APS Peshawar. She added that this day and the lives lost will always be remembered. We may get busy in our lives but we will always have this grief in our hearts.
This video shows the courage of a boy after the Peshawar attack. It was such a big tragedy that the whole country was shocked and tense but the boy was still courageous enough to face the media and then talk about the motivation he had in him. He is not scared of casino online the terrorists or their inhumane activities and he is also ready to face them with all the bravery he has.
The shooting for 4 new dramas is being done, while it has been completed for one. The upcoming projects star some familiar faces like Sumbhul Iqbal, Agha Ali, Furqan Qureshi, Sanam Chauhdry and others. The projects include:
1. Nikkah:
Nikkah is an upcoming Hum TV drama. It is produced by Wajahat Rauf and directed by Ahmed Bhatti. The cast includes Sonya Hussain, Junaid Khan and Sanam Chauhdry.
The promos are already out:
2. Ishq Parast:
This is a Big Bang Entertainment production, which will air on ARY. The cast includes Jibran Syed, Areej Fatyma, Armeena Rana Khan and Ahmed Ali. The direction has been done by Badar Mehmood. Here are some BTS and photoshoot pictures.
3. Paiwand:
Paiwand is another upcoming project produced by Big Bang Entertainment but this time the director is Mohsen Mirza. The cast includes Sajid Hassan, Sana Javed, Gohar Rasheed, Ahmed Ali and Sadia Faisal. Here are some BTS photos:
4. Maamta:
This is a production of Larachi Entertainment. The direction has been done by Syed Atif Hussain. The cast includes Agha Ali, Sonya Hassan and Natasha Ali. The shooting is being done in Lahore.
5. Hasratein:
It is directed by Roomi Insha and will air on Hum TV.
6. Dil-e-Nadan:
The names of the producer, director and channel haven’t been revealed yet. The cast includes Affan Waheed, Sumbul Iqbal, Feroze Khan and Rabab Hashmi.
7. A soap serial:
Starring Furqan Qureshi, Sanam Chauhdry and Zara Tareen, the soap will air on Hum TV soon.
8. No name yet:
The drama has no name yet nor do we know anything about the channel. The cast includes Yumna Zaidi, Sami Khan, Tahira Imam and Sudus Tariq.
Upcoming dramas include Dayar-e-Dil and Istikhara as well but we have already shared BTS photos of both of them. Some other shows include Virasat (Directed by Fahim Burney) and Miss You Kabhi Kabhi (Directed by Misbah Khalid) which stars Ayesha Omar and Azfar in main roles.
Let me start by confessing that I wasn’t really looking forward to ‘Main Bushra’ because the promos had ‘been there, seen that’ written all over them. A strong-headed girl proving her worth to her father, a selfish mother and a saat betiyon ka bezaar baap- hmm, Thakan and Zindage Gulzar Hai, anyone? Moreover, the actors playing these roles are known for their convincing portrayal of such characters. Rona dhona comes naturally to Mawra Hussain, Saba Hameed knows all too well how to pull off a troubled, selfish mother’s role and Waseem Abbas has perfected the role of an overburdened and disgruntled father. But contrary to my expectations, as the episodes progressed, the play proved to be a lot more promising. The sound direction and simple execution, coupled with powerful dialogues, give the viewers something to look forward to every Thursday. However, there’s something you should know: if you are the sort of person who doesn’t like things too close to reality, cringes at the mention of stereotypical characters and cannot handle some very serious (read ultra-depressing+mazloomiat overloaded) tracks without a glint of humour, or if you are through with stories revolving around misfortune-stricken daughters and insensitive parents, then I fear ‘Main Bushra’ might not exactly be your cup of tea. I am sorry for such a longgg review but I had to discuss fifteen episodes, so couldn’t cut it short, my apologies!
‘Main Bushra’ tells the story of a young, educated and confident woman, Bushra Warsi (Mawra Hussain), daughter of Nasir and Sofia. Brought up in a household where she was constantly looked down upon by her very own father, Bushra has this, ‘Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there’ approach towards life and wants to prove to her father that daughters are equally, if not more, capable than sons. Aisa rishta jis mei apni muhabbat ko sabit kia jaye, who rishta hi kaisa, Bushra? Amid all these harsh conditions, Bushra’s best friend, Aaliya proves to be a voice of reason.While watching this play, you will come across many heart-wrenching scenes but the one that affected me the most was Aaliya’s suicide. Aaliya’s husband was a gambler and she was suffering in every possible way. And that’s when she lost her will to go on with life and committed suicide. Her suicide note was touching and even though Aaliya’s role was short, it not only had a lot to deliver but also had a great impact on Bushra’s personality. It’s ironic how she herself gave up on life but never allowed Bushra to lose hope.
The name ‘Bushra’ here holds significance because the meaning of Bushra is ‘happy news/glad tidings/good omen’ and when Nasir and Sofia were blessed with their third daughter, people suggested if they name this daughter, ‘Bushra’, the child born after her will be a boy for sure! It sounds absurd and lame, I know, but the sad part is that there are people in our society who still associate names with matters that solely depend on Allah and His Will. Following Bushra’s birth, four more daughters were born and this is more of a reason why Bushra is seen as a lesser human being by her father. But Nasir’s contempt only serves to strengthen Bushra’s conviction. She supports her family in every way possible- financially and emotionally, without uttering a word of disdain. I think all the struggling women out there who feel their capabilities and talents are being under-estimated by the male-dominated society can find a direct reflection of themselves in Bushra’s eyes.
Episodes 1 to 7 focus more on the accusations Bushra has to deal with after stepping out of her house, her struggling years at work and the usual problems shown in our plays concerning the honour of the family name. For me the most unconvincing part was when Bushra’s younger sister, Zeenia decided to elope with a mohallay ka larka, Kamran (Ahmed Zaib) and the whole situation was twisted in a very unrealistic manner, mind you, just to make it look as if Bushra was the one running away with the guy. I mean, it was evident from their confrontation that Bushra was the one trying to stop Zeenia from taking this step, the bag was in Zeenia’s hand and you didn’t have to be a psychic to guess that it was Zeenia all set for leaving the house for good. But Nasir lacks commonsense and sensitivity at the same time so he didn’t pay heed to Bushra at all and forced her out of his house. Khair, I don’t want this to turn into a summary so I would just say that after a lot of rona dhona and dramayi scenes, Zeenia was proven guilty pheew! But I would mention here that this incident was nicely used to bring the sisters closer together.
Bushra’s life takes a turn when she joins Musa Sahab(Sheheryar Zaidi)’s office. For the first time, her confidence, intelligence and sharp skills do not go unacknowledged. Also, Bushra finds a fatherly figure in the form of her boss, who genuinely cares about her future. I liked their conversations and like Aaliya, Musa Sahab too tried to make her realize: Kabhi kabhar insaan ko selfish bhi hojana chahye. From episode 7 onwards, I think the story took a darker turn because that’s when Aaliya committed suicide and despite Bushra’s selflessness and immense contribution, we all saw Nasir and Sofia stooping unimaginably low. By the way, Nasir’s pet phrases are:
i) Yeh hai tumhari tarbiyat, Sofia?! ii) Behooda aur badtameez! iii) Beta bannay mei aur beta honay mein bohat farq hota hai!
Then, three more characters mark their entry: Moosa Sahab’s late cousin’s wife, Sabiha (Saba Faisal), her son, Faraz (Faisal Qureshi) and nephew, Shayan (Affan Waheed). After his parents’ death, Shayan has always been more like a son to Sabiha. Moosa Sahab also shares a strong bond with Sabeeha and her sons. The moment Shayan sets his eyes on Bushra he develops a liking for her. But when Sabiha sees Bushra, she deems her perfect for Faraz. Sabiha is responsible for kicking Faraz’s lover out of his life. Driven by her guilty conscience, Sabiha is desperateX1000 to see Faraz turning over a new leaf and therefore, she is ready to do absolutely anything within her grasp to see Faraz tie the knot with Bushra. Since Nasir and Sofia are too selfish to let go of their bread-winner, they agree to Faraz’s proposal in exchange for one thing that is without a doubt, the root of all evil- MONEY! This was one thing I did not expect from Nasir because since day one he was like, ‘meri izzat, meri khuddari’. Whatever happened to ‘hum izzatdaar loag hain’?! Mein umeed karta hun tum humaray faislay ko aur iss faislay kay peechay chupi maa baap ki majbooriyon aur khuda ki maslehat ko samjho gi. Hands down, there is no ‘majboori’ that can justify such a sickening decision.
Okay so Faraz turns out to be a complete psycho because when his dream girl left, she took a few of his brain screws with her. And the three-timer talaaq announcement is what Bushra gets on her wedding night-taking mazloomiat to a whole new level. He divorces Bushra because he believes that by doing so; he will be able to take revenge from his mother. We are living in a society where everybody keeps a track of everybody but despite that, no one seems to make a big deal out of Faraz’s sudden disappearance (except for Bushra’s sisters). Moreover, Bushra’s face has ‘I am depressed, suppressed, oppressed!’ written all over it but not many people have questioned her about it and it doesn’t take rocket science to figure out that things are NOT normal but Bushra’s parents are throwing dawatain for Sabiha as if things are pretty normal! The selfless protagonist is crying a rivulet of tears since the play began and I for one haven’t come across a flicker of positivity. Perhaps the only positive thing in this play right now is Sabiha’s understanding and co-operative nature. Obviously, she considers herself responsible for the mess in Bushra’s life. At this point, Sabiha has asked Shayan to marry Bushra. Shayan stands out for being the most misunderstood guy of the play and has been rewarded with two thappars in one episode and if he is wondering what crime did he commit, I must say he is not alone ‘cuz I am wondering the same thing.
One ‘good’ thing that resulted from this divorce thing was the much-needed change in Bushra’s personality. She is no longer the old, passive Bushra who couldn’t raise her voice in front of her father. Bewaqoof nahe, khudgharz hain aap. I loved Bushra’s outburst. She took her time to realize that her parents weren’t worth it.
So guys, this is what Main Bushra is all about. I must say, the supporting roles in the play have a lot to deliver. I like Musa Sahab’s genuine concern for Bushra. He has always been there for Bushra and the fact that he fought for the custody of Aaliya’s daughter, Anushey is also pretty inspirational. Bushra’s sisters also have a lot to add to. Her eldest sister i.e. Fizzah’s character has a lot of potential but I guess the actress playing her role has got some issues. I wish she had been a bit more natural.
About Mawra’s performance, yes, she has come a long way but I do feel there is a slight problem with her dialogue delivery and she doesn’t always seem very comfortable with her dialogues. She is doing a great job but something is missing.
How many of you are following Main Bushra? What do you think will happen next? Share your thoughts, please!
Mahira Khan was already very famous in Pakistan, her role as Khirad in the hit drama serial Hamsafar won the hearts of many in India too. The people in India are awe struck by Mahira Khan’s beauty and talent. The director of the upcoming film Raees Rahul Dholakia which stars Shah Rukh Khan in the lead shared that Mahira Khan’s popularity was not the main reason for him to choose her to play the heroine in his film.
“Mahira’s popularity is just an added bonus for us. We signed her because the film is set in a Muslim ghetto of Gujrat and the character needs to posses a particular look that we found in her. We were lucky to come across Mahira,” said the director of Raees. Let’s not forget that this is not the first Bollywood film that has been offered to Mahira. She rejected all the previous offers.
People in India already love the pair of Shahrukh and Mahira because it is fresh and they look good together. When asked if the Pakistani diva will have any visa issues the director said, “There are no problems with American actors coming here. Why should there be a problem with a neighboring country? Having said that, let me add that her presence is the producers’ issue. My job is to shoot the film. And this time I’ve terrific producers.”
Mahira Khan will be playing Shah Rukh Khan’s wife in the film. Shah Rukh Khan will be playing the role of a gangster in the film.
Opening the television after a hectic day, what I’d expect to find is something that will make me smile. It should cheer me up. But what I find is a couple of women fighting over a man, a damsel in distress (who’s “distress” is that the guy she loves, loves someone else) and a lot (read truck load) of spine-less men. Sometimes all of them are in the same drama. This article will sound like a rant, but this is the time for this rant. Abhi nahi tou kabhi nahi!
People love to cry for dramas. I don’t get the logic behind it but they just love to love the fictional characters so much that they cry for them. I admit, even I cried for Pyaray Afzal‘s death but the fact is that his character was a treat to watch, and before making us all cry, he made us smile a thousand times. That’s the way a character should be written.
This world is cruel. It is filled with people who have suffered. More or less. But what was the TV invented for? Was it invented to make the people of this world depressed and disgusted? Or to provide them entertainment? By the way, what is entertainment?
The oxford dictionary defines entertainment as, ” The action of providing or being provided with amusement or enjoyment.” Tou bhui directors aap kya de rahe hain hame? Drama makers aim at creating the most depressing dramas. Whether they become totally unrealistic. Whether they make the audience cringe. It’s sickening to think how the channels come up with those stories and how they have the audacity to ruin every living person’s mood with them. Even those people who have actually suffered problems in life. Would a victim of domestic violence watch the same thing on his/her TV screen? Is being ridiculed by the most important people in their life not enough that they’d want to go through with it all over again?
Ok fine, lessons should be there. But let’s not forget the main purpose of dramas, E-N-T-E-R-T-A-I-N-M-E-N-T. So the lesson based dramas should have a limit. Where is the suspense? The thrill and action? The horror? (Oh wait, the horror is there, just not in the right way).Are the drama makers saving their money and energy by giving us one cheap drama after the other?
The point is, that we want proper dramas, with proper stories, that belong to proper genres. We don’t want domestic violence, rape and shadi issues to be used as entertainment. We refuse to use a raped, abused girl’s story as our source of enjoyment. We would prefer if her story was dealt with sensitivity and professionalism and used to give us all a lesson. Not modified to entertain us with cheap thrills. Talking about cheap thrills, anyone remember the promo of Ek tamanna la-hasil si?
I am not asking the directors to stop creating awareness. I am asking them to limit the abusive scenes. Do we need detailed scenes of a husband hitting his wife? A mother-in-law torturing her daughter-in-law? A man molesting a girl? No! Those scenes are traumatizing. They should limit their amount and spend more time on how the abused person develops confidence to stand up for his/her (mostly her) rights.
Other than that, as I have previously mentioned, even the victims of such things would never want to watch them and be traumatized all over again. Depressed or not, people watch TV to be entertained.
Drama makers want to close us in a shell and tell us that there is no way we can lead a happy life. Something has to go wrong. I would like them not to spread hopelessness in this society and give happiness to the people.
Ohkay so, Zidd; writing of Bee Gul, direction of Adnan Wai Qureshi & production of Momina Duraid has hit our TV screens tonight. To be honest, by the end of the very first episode, I wouldn’t say that I am thrilled to see this drama but I would definitely say that I am keen to find out how things are going to work & how the story will unfold, so for this, I am definitely giving the team of Zidd a benefit of doubt because it’s just a start & right now, they may have not given us much to discuss but I am sure the story will get interesting because a lot of characters have yet to make their appearance in the drama. The very first episode doesn’t give you much apart from an insight into Maya Ali’s character but I am sure as the story will progress, we’ll get to see more shades of her.
So, the story began at the note where Akbar (Kanwar Arsalan) & Saman (Maya Ali) are engaged to be married in 15 days but have serious compatiblility issues. They both are brusque, headstrong, opinionated & most of all short-tempered in nature. Akbar obviously loves his fiancée but that can’t be said about Saman who is as a very practical person & makes decisions after thinking things through. Saman doesn’t believe in compromises because of which she dreads getting committed in a long term marital relation because she knows, this relation will demand compromises from her & she isn’t mentally ready to do that for Akbar at least. Saman, at first might come across as a hasty decision maker but she is much more farsighted than she might seem to be. Saman can clearly see that they both won’t have a smooth relation because they both don’t share a mental wavelength & are not compatible at all. Akbar on the other hand might be short tempered but he certainly is flexible & likes to make Saman happy because of which even after she throws a hissy fit of postponing the wedding followed by calling off the engagement, he still finds a way to convince her by agreeing to her demand.
Hell breaks loose in Saman & Akbar’s homes when they find out about the new decision that Saman has made & expects everyone to agree to it. Akbar clearly wasn’t the one who chose Saman for himself but he got engaged to her after his parents selected her for him & later he fell in love with her. The reactions of both their parents seemed realistic where one couple was furious & the other was worried due to the unexpected turn of events. Saman clearly feels that no one really understands her & knows what she wants. She feels that she doesn’t get the support she expects from her family but it’s only her father (Manzoor Qureshi) who knows how to tackle her but after a certain extent, he seems helpless in front of his daughter too because of her stubbornness.
In the whole fiasco the guy who seems relaxed or rather indifferent is Saman’s brother Raza (Humayun Ashraf) because he knows that it was one of those days where his sister is out of control but the very next day she would understand what she did was wrong & everything will get back to normal. Raza is happily engaged to Sonia (Hina Javed) whom he loves to bits & they both share a very cordial relation in comparison to Saman & Akbar, who are still having doubts about marrying each other 2 weeks before their wedding is scheduled.
Saman’s Aunt Appu (Sultana Zafar) shows up expecting to see a lot of happening in the shadi wala ghar but what she encounters is something she never expected. Somehow Saman does agree to get married to Akbar half-heartedly but still the way she participates in the preps shows she still doesn’t want this marriage to happen. It takes one more argument for Saman to decide inevitably that she can’t get married to Akbar as they will face nothing but problems if they both get married & this time around Akbar gives in too because he seems tired of having the same argument over & over again.
So, this is what the first episode of Zidd was all about. I feel the pace of the episode could’ve been a bit better but seems like they will take some time in revealing everything so for that, it’s acceptable. Direction was good & so was the screenplay & I also felt that the characters have been written in detail because you instantly get an insight into their nature. It goes without saying that HUM’s production value has always been great & visually the drama was appeasing to see. I also like the title song sung by Hadiqa Kiyani (if I ain’t mistaken). All the actors did their job well but I am interested to find out more about Saman’s character. I am sure there will come a time & such a person in her life for whom she will be ready to do everything including what she loathes the most & that is; compromise. Share your thoughts about the first episode of Zidd please.
The story finally moved to the next level in tonight’s episode, after screaming her heart and mind out all at the same time Rameen begged Manal to let her stay for one more night in her house before Numair finally kicked her out of the house! I found it very difficult to relate to Manal’s sympathy for Rameen, Rameen’s short-lived confidence and the group of ‘sympathizers’ Rameen met on the street. Rameen had no clue where she was going to go the next morning because while speaking to her “sympathizers” on the street she told them she had nowhere to go to and if she went to her Taya’s house he would definitely send her back to Manal’s house yet she was so sure she did not want to live in that house another day. I am still surprised that someone like Rameen who is educated enough to read newspapers and well off enough to afford a television does not have a clue that there are shelters for women like her and she has no clue what happens in most of the girls’ hostels. I am waiting to see why someone would be willing to let her stay in a private hostel any way!
People who watch this drama like a thriller must have enjoyed this episode but those who expected something completely different from it must not be looking forward to the way things are moving forward. Rameen’s troubles are anything but over, a whole new chapter of even more trials and tribulations is going to ensue from now on. This drama is a perfect opportunity to show people that a rape survivor can “survive” in this world with their heads held high. I hope that Rameen’s character is going to be a good example of a rape survivor who can eventually use her bitter experiences to help other people.
The story is moving in the direction which everyone predicted it will lead to in the very beginning. Naila’s character in the play and the way Numair is attached to her clearly showed that something dreadful is going to happen to her and that is the only way that Numair will learn his lesson. I agree that nothing can hurt Numair more and many people will disagree with me when I say that I really did not want to see things going this way. The female characters in this play have been abused to the maximum already, I do not want to see another female victim in the play especially when it is a young helpless child.
Tonight’s episode was filled with dialogues we have heard before but the fact that everything is going to change in Rameen’s life from now on definitely helps. The play has been stretched to the limit, we will hopefully be spared the trouble of watching Rameen suffer for another six episodes or so! We have already talked in detail about the unnecessary focus on the abuse and the perpetrator of the crime. The past few weeks of watching Rameen suffer have been a test of nerves, I hope from now on the drama picks up pace, stays focused and the story ends in a logical manner. I am sure that many more viewers will be watching the drama now since it is headed towards its conclusion, I just hope that does not give ARY the incentive to stretch it even further.
How many of you want the drama to reach a logical conclusion ASAP? What are your predictions about Rameen’s future?
We informed our readers about Maheen Rizvi’s engagement few weeks back. Now the good news is that Maheen Rizvi got married yesterday with Rehman Ray Saiyed. We wish Maheen and her husband all the best.
The doors of Bollywood have opened for many Pakistani actors till date. The next actor from Pakistan to star in a Bollywood movie is a youngster who started his career from modelling and is now an actor and a model. Shehroz Sabzwari will be seen in Bengali director Riingo Banerjee’s upcoming film titled Luv Story. Shehroz Sabzwari talked to Dawn News about his Bollywood debut, talking about it he said, “Producer Shamik Basu scouted me after coming across my Hum TV Awards performance as well as a few pictures. He said he wanted to launch me into Bollywood which was obviously great news to me……….There are so many superstars going to Bollywood and it is such a monumental opportunity.”
Shehroz Sabzwari admits that he doesn’t think of himself as a superstar but “Nonetheless, it was nice to know someone was willing to put that kind of faith in me.”
“Basu and I looked at a couple of scripts but nothing clicked, nothing was strong enough for a debut until the script for Luv Story came along.”
The actor is looking forward to work with the Bollywood directors and actors “I’m also really excited to work with Riingo as he will be making his debut in Bollywood as well. He is essentially a Bengali director and I have immense respect for that industry, as it is full of highly-educated individuals and has produced brilliant filmmakers.” Giving the details about he got selected for the film Sheroz said, “Riingo liked my look and thought I suited the character. However, I wasn’t instantly cast. They were looking at other options and about a month after I sent over audition tapes from Pakistan that [my wife] Syra (Yousef) helped me record did I learn that I had been selected for the role. It’s truly an honour because the project will be commercial entertainment without losing the essence of the art of filmmaking.”
The other actors who will be seen in the film are Riya Sen, Zarina Wahab, Aryann, Bidita Beg and Mukesh Tiwari among others. Shehroz Sabwari will be going to India in January, we wish him all the best.
Ummm…….someone please tell me, this was supposed to be a university based drama right? Or did I expect too much? Is Aik Pal another university based love story among many others?
Episode 3 was all about Noor Fatima (read Noor Fatima ka annoying cousin). Remember the cousin whom I said I wanted to see less of? Well, he got an entire episode all to himself. Despite the fact that Ali Safina is performing well, I can’t understand why directors make sure that the annoying characters get the most screen time. Noor Fatima was forced to accept him as her fiance, as this was the price she had to pay in order to get an admission at her favourite university. Unfair right?
I admit, Sumbhul has been chosen by the casting directors time and again to play this kind of role, but I like her this time. Her and Affan both are giving performances which they have already given, but their characters are new. Noor Fatima and Mushaf are people who are not only kind and caring, but have a deep desire to complete their education despite the hurdles and that is what I love about them.
On the other hand, Bareera and Omair are not so pleasant to watch. Bareera is extremely OTT. Does Areej Fatima really need that much make-up? No! So why does Bareera end up looking like this? She is educated and old enough ke makeup karna tou aata hi hoga. Omair is simply farigh. He can have any girl he wants but Bareera is “special”. And the reason, you ask? Because she ignored him!!! I have heard this dialogue in countless dramas and movies and it always gives me a good laugh. Saari dunya ki larkiyan chorr kar wohi larki pasand ayi hai jo ignore kare :PHis rishta bhej-ing and Bareera’s father’s inkaar wasted all of episode 5. The only scene worth watching was when Ali Safina told his friend “Shehr mein Noor Fatima ki wajah se thori aata hun, shehr aane ki wajah tou koi aur hi hai…..” I really hope that his father finds out about this wajah and beats him up.
Now now guys, did you think I wasn’t going to praise Danish Taimoor and Areej Fatima? These two have nailed it, especially Danish Taimoor. He has even changed his way of talking to suit the role of Omair. Only if Omair’s character had a little more depth. Areej is giving a good performance as well, but only if her character was a little less OTT.
So between the two un-interesting episodes, the fourth episode of this drama stood high. It was not only interesting, but it had what I wanted, the four youngsters, studying in the same room of the university. From the scene when Mushaf shut up Omair and fataa fat se told the definition which his teacher asked for, to the scene when Noor Fatima walked into the room, introduced herself, walked slowly towards the empty seat behind Bareera and sat down on it, I loved every moment.
There was just one little problem though. The results of a test in a university are never announced this way. They are put up on a soft board for everyone to read.
I love how Mushaf shoots down Numair whenever he tries to pick up a fight. I like the way he never minds when someone teases him about his beard or his shalwar kameez, but what I don’t understand is how he fell for Bareera. She is incredibly badtameez and rude. Was it the kabhi kabhar ka pyar se baat karna which made our Mushaf beqaraar? I do think that Mushaf is the one who can keep Bareera happy, but it depends on whether or not she wants to be with him. Maybe in the future when she changes herself, then she’ll realize that accepting Mushaf’s proposal would have brought her a lot of happiness, but for now Bareera has fallen for Omair.
I think that they could’ve shown us in a much better way why Bareera fell for Omair. The RS.50,000 check should’ve had no importance for a girl like Bareera. Magar woh tou aise impress huin ke bas……..Despite all the warnings, she has agreed to marry Omair, who will most probably ruin her life.
Aik Pal has characters which I love and characters which I don’t. But it would all have been covered up if there were some student like interactions between them. They are getting involved in a love triangle and I really didn’t want one in this drama. I wanted some students who behave like students and are shown participating in class activities, projects, extra-curricular activities etc. Some sort of friendship between them would have been appreciated. The story would still be interesting, infact more gripping without a love triangle.
