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Sadqay Tumhare, new play by Hum TV

Sadqay Tumhare is an upcoming play by Hum TV starring Mahira, Adnan Malik, Samiya Mumtaz, Sanya Shamshad, Qavi Khan, Aamir Qureshi, Farhan Ali Agha, Irfan Khosat, Rehan Sheikh, Shamil Khan. It is written by Khalilur Rehman Qamar, directed by Ehteshaamuddin and  Produced by Momina Duraid, Samina Humayun Saeed and  Tariq Ahmed Shah/

It is a story in the backdrop of rural Punjab narrated by Khalilur Rehman Qamar. The play is expected to replace either Mausam on Friday or Aahista Aahista on Sunday. It is the first major drama for model/director Adnan Malik. Adnan started his career from modelling and later assisted his elder brother Saqib Malik as director in various commercials and music videos. Adnan has also appeared and directed many numerous music videos. Adnan was nominated as best male model and best music video director for Lux Style Award in recent years. He won Lux Style Awrd 2012 in the category of best music video.

Here are the teasers

 

https://vimeo.com/107188248

https://vimeo.com/107188250

 

https://vimeo.com/107188251

 

 

https://vimeo.com/107188321

 

https://vimeo.com/107189831

 

 

 

 

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Rashid Nazir Ali

Film is not my first preference, Mahira Khan

Mahira Khan has clarified that she is not offered indian movies as been reported in press. Mahira feels for recognition in acting in dramas as well as in modelling. Mahira is not ammused by the rat race of number one in any field. She was talking to media at the launch of film O21 in Karachi.

Mahira said, film is not her preference but she spare her time for dramas and modelling. Mahira told she is working in a film Bin Royee Aansoo directed by Sultana Siddiqi while more offers are also in the bag. Many producers want to cast her. To avoid monotony, Mahira also seek to appear in different roles and quality work. Mahira enjoys working in Pakistani film rather then in any indian film. So far Mahira has worked in only film Bol, which was released in 2011.

Reference from urdu daily Dunya

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Rashid Nazir Ali

 

Rashid Nazir Ali

Teaser of 8969

8969 an upcoming film (or tele film) starring Saba Qamar, Hussain Tiwana, Sadaf Hamid, Azeem Sajjad, Anam Malik, Haseeb Khan, Sama Shah, Noor-ul-Hassan, Princess Zoni, Oun Sarwar, &  A J Khan. It is directed by Azeem Sajjad. Azeem Sajjad is an actor/director from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who started his career from PTV Peshawar Center. Azeem Sajjad has recently directed the Pashto drama Za Pakhtoon Yum for Khyber TV.

The film also has a song starring Saba Qamar as Mastani which they are promoting as item song. However Saba Qamar has termed it as a routine song. Saba has also informed that it is a tele film, however the facebook page of 8969 is promoting it as a film.

Teaser of 8969 is released today

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Rashid Nazir Ali

Zhalay Sarhadi to appear in item song of film Jalaibee

Jalaibee is an upcoming film directed by Yasir Jaswal starring Zhalay Sarhadi, Danish Taimoor, Adnan Jaffer, Ali Safina,  Waqar Ali Khan, Sajid Hasan and Uzair Jaswal. The film is expected to  release sometime next year.

Zhalay Sarhadi the main female lead of the film will also be seen performing in an item number which is composed by Shujja Haider. The song might not be part of actual film to be used only in the promotion of the film.

Jalaibee will be the first commercial film of Zhalay. Earlier she has appeared in a supporting role in film Ramchand Pakistani, a non-commercial film without much masala which failed to impress the cine goers.

Trailer/Teaser  of film Jalaibee was released earlier this year

http://vimeo.com/82779378

 

Excerpt from Urdu daily Dunya

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Rashid Nazir Ali

Shikwa-Episode 19 & 20

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Okay guys, so 20 episodes down and seems like the play is heading off to a different direction. I don’t want it to turn into another shukk-causes-destruction sort of story. Firdaus Aapa-uff! This woman doesn’t have an ounce of khauf-e-khuda in her. Look at her age and her actions. Have you seen any ‘buzarg’ in their right mind, going on and breaking homes by sowing the seeds of suspicion and that too without a motive?
Quite frankly, if you ask me, I enjoyed Episode 19 a whole lot more than the latest one. I am so sorry for the delay in the review guys! Lekin khair, to begin with, Episode 19 mei taraqqi hogayi-Mehar’s mother realized that ‘meri beti ab bari hogayi hai’ (phew). Congrats on growing up Mehar! And yes, the biggest taraqqi-Sidra and Shariq got nikkah-fied! In one of the initial scenes of the episode where Mehar told Firdaus Aapa about Sidra’s proposal, she looked so sullen and depressed. And while seeing Sidra and Shariq together, she couldn’t help indulging into self-pity. She is clearly noting and feeling the obvious differences between Shariq and her own hubby, Saqib -the former being handsome, well-qualified and most of all-kam-umar (by the way I LOVED how Mehar winced at the word ‘kam-umar’).

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I think fate has been a bit too hard on Mehar: she got married to a man twice her age and what’s more-she has to live a thousand miles AWAY from him AND has no option but to bear that ranting machine in the form of Firdaus Aapa! But one thing is for sure-Mehar’s nature has taken a 360° turn. She not only does ‘unite’ Shariq and Sidra, but also helps Sidra with her shopping and stuff. The duo owes Mehar a big one! All in all, it was quite a pleasant episode, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I loved the Dholki-Yasir was the man on the dhol LOL :P Mehar looked stunning in Sidra’s Dholki and Nikkah. Needless to say, if there’s one thing that did put me off was Firdaus Aapa. I seriously loathe her!

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The latest installment was a bit too dull for my liking. Like I mentioned before, Mehar’s frustration is completely justified. Who would want to live the life she is living? But what’s sickening is the fact that no one-not even her own mother can relate to her daughter’s feelings. Apart from keeping a check on her daughter, there is nothing else Munazzah’s good at. I don’t like the way they are using Yasir for the further progress of the story. It seems that whenever the writer feels she is running out of ideas, she uses this all-time farigh character she created (aka Yasir) to carry the story forward. Okay-so Mehar and Yasir danced at the Dholki, Mehar went to the parlour with him and they both went out to eat ice-cream. Big deal! Now can we please get over it? Is it that necessary to show tyrant nunds and shukk-driven husbands in every SINGLE play? Shariq and his family are getting undue attention and coverage. His sister’s engagement broke off and what happened following that had ‘been there seen that’ written all over it. Sidra was labeled, ‘Manhoos’ by her MIL, which didn’t come as a shock either because we all know that Humaira Zaheer is competing for the award of, ‘The Most Despicable Roles Ever Played’ and The question that arises is: will these problems solely affect Shariq and Sidra, or will they somehow, indirectly have an effect on Mehar too? I am soo loving Shariq’s character-aisay gentlemen bhi hain Karachi mei? ;)

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The direction, acting, camera work-everything has been up to the mark till now. Let’s see how things shape up ahead.
So, this was it folks! Did you guys catch up on these installments? What do you think of them? Please feel free to share your views.

P.S: My apologies for the delay guys! School work :/

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Maryam Mehdi

Hamza Ali Abbasi Talks About The Item Number Controversy

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We reported few days back that the friendship between Hamza Ali Abbasi and Saba Qamar was going through a difficult time because Saba had done an item number and Hamza was giving some very definite statements against item numbers in films. Hamza Ali Abbasi said generally that a good film does not require an item number. He also said that although there is a lot of pressure on him to add an item number in his film but he is not going to do it.

Saba Qamar took this statement in a wrong way and thought that Hamza was targeting her. Hamza Ali Abbasi, whois very active on his facebook page, made it clear that his statement was not meant for anyone in particular so anyone thinking on those lines was very wrong. From his status update it looks like Saba is not the only one who was offended by his statement.

Here is Hamza Ali Abbasi’s status update talking about the issue:

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Why So Jealous?

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Jealousy; an emotion which people often feel towards others seeing them having a thing which they desire of. Jealousy to me is more like a depiction of a weaker soul & is such an emotion which is practiced by those who lack confidence in themselves & often tend to see themselves through other’s perspectives. I say, it’s not a normal thing to feel jealous but the way people overrate it on a social media especially when they see others endorsing a different opinion is something they need to snap out of. Lately people straight away label others as jealous, which to me is more like a portrayal of a limited exposure in life.

As much as I’ve come across, people think if you’re not impressed by a female actresses’ gori rangat, you’re jalouse. If you’re not a fan of the most famous actor, you’re jalouse. If you don’t think a fair actress can pull of a red pout, you’re definitely jalouse. If you’re not impressed by how flexibly the girl grooves on a song, you’re jalouse. If you don’t seem to be an awe of how good looking or beautiful a celebrity is, you’re jalouse for sure. I state these examples to make my point because this is what I’ve seen more like a prevailing trend these days where people just come & declare their verdict without even knowing a thing or two about others & what’s more cringe-worthy is that those who seem to be obsessed with this word for starters don’t even pay much attention to the spellings of the word *jealousy* too.

Sadly, it seems like a modern day worship to me, where people just can’t fathom the fact that people might not share similar feelings regarding the celebrities as they do, therefore they resort to the J word with finality & they don’t seem to budge after that & what saddens me the most is that people tend to start a fight with those they interact with, that too for those who don’t even have an idea of their existence.

My point here is that the way people idealize & in fact idolize these celebrities is alarming because when they don’t see others doing the same, they find them either insane or abnormal because they just can’t see the other side of the picture where such people do exist who just tune to the media for the sake of entertainment & not to use it as a guideline in their lives. There are people who aren’t really bothered about how gori an actress or how sohna the munda is. There are such people who don’t really follow these celebrities to get inspired from & are actually blessed with a lot of self-confidence which doesn’t let them get swayed by seeing a few touched-up faces on a TV. There are a million people out there who have different mindsets or let’s say different standards to reckon a beauty which definitely could be heaps different to someone else’s but the way people bring in the element of jealousy in between the debate & declare others are jealous of their IDOL is absolutely a showcasing of misapprehended mentality. I think it’s about time that all such fans wake up & smell the coffee that those who don’t drool over these celebrities aren’t actually jealous but are past that stage in their lives where now they wouldn’t worship these famous personalities & to them, these actors & actresses are just normal people who’re doing their job of appearing on the TV.

Lately, I have seen people have grown intolerant towards other’s point of views no matter how politely they’re being discussed & when they don’t have a thing to contribute to the discussion, they label them as a bunch of jealous people, which really seems inappropriate. I think, it’s about time that people learn to respect the different opinions of people & stop labelling them as jealous because trust me, there’s more to life than being jealous of the celebrities. :)

Share your thoughts on this please & let me know how many times have you been labeled as jalouse because oh boy! I am defo jalouse, lol. ;)
*I’m winking*

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Bollywood Movies Badly Exposed by UN

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India tops the chart in showing attractive women in its movies and as much as 35% of these female characters are shown with some nudity, finds a first-ever UN sponsored global study of female characters in popular films across the world.

The study, commissioned by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, with support from UN Women and The Rockefeller Foundation, reveals deep-seated discrimination, pervasive stereotyping, sexualisation of women and their underrepresentation in powerful roles by the international film industry.
Indian films, the study finds, have a significantly higher prevalence of sexualisation of female characters and the movies score low in depicting women in significant speaking roles and as engineers and scientists.

While women represent nearly half of the world’s population, less than one third of all speaking characters in films are female and UK-US collaborations and Indian films are at the bottom of the pack.
Both, the American/British hybrid films (23.6 per cent) and Indian films (24.9 per cent) show female characters in less than one-quarter of all speaking roles. Even the frontrunners (UK, Brazil and South Korea) feature female characters in 35.9-38 per cent of all speaking roles on screen.

Sexualisation of female characters in movies is a standard practice across the global film industry and women are twice as likely as men to be shown in sexually revealing clothing, partially or fully naked, thin, and five times as likely to be referenced as attractive.

Indian films are third behind German and Australian movies in showing females in “sexy attire” and at 25.2% India tops the chart in showing attractive females in its movies.

About 35% of female characters in Indian movies are shown with some nudity, the study finds. The prevalence of female directors, writers and producers in the Indian films was also not at a very high number.

India had 9.1% female directors, slightly above the global average of 7%, while its percentage of female writers was 12.1%, significantly lower than the 19.7% global average.

Female producers in India were only 15.2%, way below the 22.7% global average.

This data of gender prevalence behind the camera translated into a gender ratio of 6.2 males to every one female in the film industry in India.

Dear Viewers, We are allergic to tabdeeli. Sincerely, Producers

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Tabdeeli nahi aye gi! Kabhi nahi ayegi! (Relax I’m talking about TV shows) :P

While a tabdeeli is on the verge of happening in the politics of Pakistan, the drama makers are doing their level best that no tabdeeli reaches us through dramas. Same old ghisse pite topics are being repeated again and again.

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The only watchable dramas recently are Shanakht, Firaaq and Jackson Heights. 

After the success of Pakistani dramas in India, I feel proud and nervous at the same time. Proud because I love to see my country shine and nervous because ,I know, being a regular viewer of Pakistani dramas, that India has only seen our best.

I know we have written articles calling for diversity, but the call was unheard and being a drama lover, I don’t want the quality of Pakistani dramas to drop further. So, scroll down, read these ideas and tell me what you think about them

 

1.  There are issues other than women issues and ghareloo-ism :

Trust me, there are! It’s not like women are the only oppressed makhlooq in this country. Men also face problems and we have all seen how amazing dramas  like Pyaray Afzal and Laa were. Their male characters were men and we were spared a lot of rona dhona and other crap because of this. An important thing, in these dramas, women were shown strong. (Laila, Farah, Lubna, Yasmeen, Arfa, Ruqayya)

Ghareloo maslon se aage bhi soch lia karo!

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2. Difference won’t hurt!

It won’t! trust me! Crime shows would be unparalleled hits if executed properly. Mystery dramas would rock and horror shows (if executed properly) would introduce new dimensions in drama making. Even university based dramas, if they deal with issues like bullying and aren’t just love stories, will be loved by many people.

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3. After a blockbuster drama, get working on another one quick!

After Pyaray Afzal, no other drama made by ARY even qualifies to be called “good”. This shows Pyaray Afzal ghalti se ban gaya! Ab kabhi koi acha drama nahi bane ga!

 

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4. Don’t make people beg for good dramas!

Don’t torture your viewers! Give them something to look forward to. Avoid those “filler dramas” which give us the creeps.

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So readers, what did you think of this article?  Before leaving, fill out my questionnaire please:

 

1. Which type of shows would you like to see?

2. Are you also a wisher of these different dramas?

 

Areeba Mohsen

Shanakht – Episode 08!

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Ohkay so, another one of a good episode with some great developments in the story. The pace is just perfect & I hope that it remains that way because apart from all the other great things, the pace is what’s keeping the interest of the viewers’ intact. As usual, where there were some sweet moments of Annie & Rohaan, there were a few thought-provoking bits too & for this, I absolutely love watching this drama.

I don’t want to demean women here but I definitely feel the fathers take the crown for being rational & logical. I give full marks to the fathers for giving Annie & Rohaan’s wishes a consideration & going with the flow for how the bride & groom wanted their wedding to be like. I know this idea may have been done in other dramas as well but I think very subtly they touched it this time around & without making it preachy, they told how weddings can or should be like. The mothers & even the sisters of the bride & groom wanted an elaborate wedding to express their happiness, which they thought could only be measured by how much money’s spent rather wasted on the wedding functions, how loud the music is or till what hour the gathering lasts. I know what they showed were some basic feelings that all the family members tend to have if any member of the family is getting married but on the other hand it also showed that no matter how liberal you become, you’re always enslaved to boundaries that you impose on yourself, that’s why Rohaan’s mother felt she didn’t enjoy the wedding one bit because she had quite a lot ‘armaan’ regarding Rohaan’s wedding & when things went against her imagination, she flipped out & didn’t seem to budge at all as she was so engrossed in what she thought was a right way of celebrating a wedding. Similarly, the long list of complaints was also ready by Huma which she kept on discussing with Amjad but I liked that this time around Amjad not only supported Annie but also showed how much he respects Rohaan as his son-in-law by putting a stop to Huma’s rants, making her understand just as much as Haris was dear to her, Rohaan was special for Amjad as well.

As much as I feel the beginning of Annie’s wedding life was sort of dramatic & a tad bit unrealistic because no matter how much you dislike a person, you do extend some courtesy towards them but then if we keep the drama out of mind, what they showed was a depiction of some sort of complex that a mother-in-law often harbors when she sees that her son likes his wife & has gotten married to her against the wishes of the ladies of his family. Rohaan’s mother seemed irrational obviously but how she reacted portrayed the right picture of such mothers in law who have a hard time accepting their daughters-in-law only because they know that their sons have a soft corner for them in their hearts. Annie got a very insensitive welcome by Rohaan’s family & even the sisters gave her a cold shoulder which I am sure won’t last for too long but to see it all happening definitely made me feel for both Rohaan & Annie a lot more. I also found Huma & Kashaf’s attitude a bit odd as well because it doesn’t matter if her in-laws weren’t around that just didn’t mean that Huma found a chance to start voicing her disappointments the very next day she went to see Annie for the very first time after her wedding.

Another thing that took me by surprise was to see the coverage Kashaf & Haris were getting. I definitely thought they’d get married & their story wouldn’t have much to offer but I think it was a very well-thought plan to give them the screen-time as well to juxtapose the difference between Haris & Rohaan as well. I know this doesn’t look too new but the way Haris came across, it was clear that he’s ceasing every opportunity to exploit Kashaf’s parents through her just because he knows that his fiancée loves him & she’d do anything to make him happy. Amjad’s restlessness also showed that just because of Kashaf’s unreasonable demands he was forced to think how much ease he felt while getting Annie married to Rohaan. Once again, very rightly they showed that just when Kashaf thought after 99 fulfilled wishes, another unreasonable one at that wasn’t being considered; she used Huma as a pawn to convince Amjad which usually happens in most of the families.

Time & again both Amjad & Rizwan seemed to have run out of words in front of their wives but luckily for Annie & Rohaan, both of them stood by their decision & didn’t let the ladies interfere, which was perfect. I definitely liked a few scenes of Annie & Rohaan but I do wish we get to see more of them, like how they both are understanding each other, what commonality do they both share. Actually, I want to see how their relation develops because to see the families getting more coverage, I dread seeing it turning into a saas-bahu saga anytime soon. The latest developments especially keeping the weddings of both the sisters in mind, I was reminded of Mirat-ul-Uroos a lot but the difference was the addition of Islamic view point, which definitely was a bonus.

Even though Rohaan didn’t have many scenes but he didn’t fail to leave a mark in those few scenes as always. The very first pleasant thing to see was when he speaks to Annie about what plans she had in her mind regarding her wedding & after he gets his reply, he doesn’t sit there to speak to her more, showing the respect he had for her & didn’t want to make her awkward as he himself was conscious of her hesitation while he was around. Another good thing to see was how calmly Rohaan reacted to Huma’s complaints & gave her a fairly decent reply of how he’ll learn to maintain a balance between his mother & his wife, showing that he was ready to accommodate every single person that now is a part of his family through Annie. As always, the episode ended at just a right note where they left something for us to look forward to once again. I actually want to see how Rohaan’s mother will react at Rohaan’s support of Annie’s Hijab & how will he talk her out of the new-found fixation of taking Annie to a dinner party without her headscarf.

As always, the acting is top-notch & the direction is perfect. The scenes are just spot-on where not even for a second you feel bored or want to jump to the next scene. I must say both Fahad Mirza & Maya Ali have done a commendable job in this drama & I am sure if it wasn’t for them, this drama wouldn’t have been such a treat to watch. Share your thoughts please. :)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Veena Malik Blessed With A Baby Boy

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We already reported few months back that people were inquiring Veena Malik about her weight gain but she was quiet on the issue. We know now that Veena Malik was expecting but she did not share the news with any one.

She has been blessed with a baby boy. Here is the picture:

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Nimra Khan’s First Interview After Her Accident

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Nimra Khan appeared on ARY’s Morning Show Good Morning Pakistan for the first time after she encountered a terrible accident a month back. Nimra Khan even posted a video message for her fans when she was in the hospital which went to show how desperately she wanted to stay in touch with them.

Nimra is known in showbiz circles as a girl who is full of life. Even going through such a tragic incident Nimra is still in high spirits. Nimra Khan said in her interview that was overtired because of the burden of work that is why she fell asleep on the wheel while she was driving. Her foot was on the accelerator therefore the car hit an army van in full speed. Nimra fractured her right leg from three different points. Even though there were three fractures but the doctors could not operate on her leg immediately because there were a few clots in her brain which needed to be done away with first. It was after nine days when miraculously the blood clots vanished and the operation was done.

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The blood loss that Nimra had due to the accident was excessive, her parents and Nimra is thankful that she has been given a new life. Due to the internal bleeding the doctors said that the parents should be prepared for anything at all because Nimra was critical.  Nimra said that she decided not work in media again because she had this accident because of the overload of her work but when she saw the love and concern of people from the media she decided to continue.

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Here are the videos of the show:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saba Qamar Calls Hamza Ali Abbasi “Mardon Ki Meera”!!

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Item numbers are a hot topic in showbiz circles for many reasons nowadays, some say that there is nothing wrong with adding these item numbers to Pakistani films but there are others who consider these item numbers unnecessary. The rumors of an affair between Hamza Ali Abbasi and Saba Qamar have also been hot topic of many social pages for the past few months but both the actors denied any such relationship but said that they respect each other and are good friends. Some web pages even reported that they were getting married soon but there is nothing like that.

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After the release of the video item song of Saba Qamar for the film Mastani, it looks like these two actors are not such good friends any more.

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We have seen Hamza Ali Abbasi talking against item numbers in Pakistani films on facebook and also in different interviews while on the other hand Saba Qamar has been defending her item number by saying that it isn’t an item number.

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Soon after Saba Qamar’s video of item number came out Hamza Ali posted this status on his facebook page.

Hamza Ali is dead against blindly following Bollywood and he also thinks that a good movie does not need an item number to make it popular.

Saba Qamar did not take this opposition by Hamza very well. Saba Qamar called Hamza “Mardon Ki Meera” and she also said that he was the one who insisted that she should do this item number!

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Aahista Aahista # 17 – Slow Poison!

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Tauba! Viewers ki jaan lainge kya? Ugh! I feel so irritated & furious because this is how Hum TV treats its viewers on a Sunday night; this is how they put an end to the week with an absolute boorish drama. I mean I feel so angry that it’s not even funny anymore. Not sure how did they manage but imagine an episode which practically had nearly no dialogues whatsoever was still a reason of noise pollution in the house. Tauba!!!

As usual, Ruby acted as Maham once again & even after getting snubbed by Sofia, she continued with her stupidest of advises. She wanted Sofia to come to her home so that she could eat the remaining brain Sofia’s left with & also so that she could brain-feed her against Awazaar as well. I’m sorry but seems like the lady who has played the roles of Maham & Ruby is someone who can’t see any couple because she is allergic to married people, that’s why she makes sure she pushes all the wrong buttons to fulfill her wish of wrecking someone’s home. The first scene & the scenario was just so similar to that of Shukk where after Sehrish loses her baby, Maham swoops in like her false Messiah & just now when Sofia lost her baby, Ruby was ready to hit the nail in the coffin. I am sure as she met her purpose in this drama; she’d be on a project hunt these days where her expertise in breaking homes would be required. The suggestion she gave to Sofia about getting separated from Awazaar was just so ridiculous. Instead of making her calm & forcing her to think rationally, she didn’t waste an opportunity of doing what she’s good at & yes that is wrecking someone’s home.

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Sofia has pretty much understood that Awazaar has gotten bored of her because he got used to Haya so after she gathered herself from her fragile mental & physical state, she decided she wanted a divorce because there was nothing left in this relation anyways & I think she took the best decision ever because there was no reason in staying with a manless man. I think a slap would’ve been a perfect way of coming to a closure.

Finally, we found a woman who was against Awazaar & felt he was inhumane; she was Mrs. Nousherwan. I am glad that she proved to be that one single lady who spoke against him because all the others were just so blindly in love with a man who ruined their lives. & yeah after 2 months Awazaar met Haya & whatever she said did come as a surprise but I knew she didn’t mean what she was saying as wo to bohat hi naik parveen shareek-e-hayaat hain jo apne zang-lagay sartaaj ko kabhi nahi utaraingee. She’s someone who doesn’t know how to take a stand for herself because if she had known better, she would’ve sent him a divorce notice like Sofia as well. Even though she seemed agitated, I am sure she’d scurry back to Awazaar exactly how a hungry mouse scurries at a sight of Swiss cheese.

The preview was just so annoying as usual because seems like after Haya’d demand divorce from Awazaar, he’ll pull off an act of fake suicide which will resurface the buried mohabbat Haya has for Awazaar & she will return to him. At this point I feel inhain jo karna hai karain, larain, marain but bas hamari jaan chorain aur Aahista Aahista bilkul nahi balkay JALDI JALDI. Share your thoughts please!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Are You Giving Express Entertainment A Chance?

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Express Entertainment was an Indian-Turkish channel only a few months back. There were hardly any Pakistani dramas on-air from it which was highly disappointing. After Eid, they started Pakistani dramas as well.

The following are a few of their dramas. Do tell me what you think about them:

 

1. Apni Kahani Kese Kahein:

The story of two besties, who lived in the same neighborhood.  The characters were played by Sanam Chauhdry and Sumbhul Iqbal.

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Sanam’s character was of an idiot girl who was easily manipulated by boys. She ended up being used by a boy who had claimed to love her. This is why her khaala got her married, immediately, to a much older man to save her from disgrace. He was a torturous and shukki man who abused her. In the end, she decided to take a stand for herself and told her story to the media.

Sumbhul’s character was of a girl whose was brought up in a very strict environment by her shukki father. He asked a private tutor to teach her. That tutor was Aly Khan and both of them fell in love with each other. Her father decided to marry her off and that’s when she made a plan to run away with him. She reached the place where they both were supposed to catch up, but he was nowhere to be seen. Instead, her father arrived there and is a fit of anger, he locked her in the house until the wedding day. Her husband was Saleem Sheikh whose first wife had cheated on him. He thought all educated women were cheats.  Sumbhul could never tell him that she was educated. She however, resumed meeting her teacher without asking him why he abandoned her. She even invited him to her house and the maid saw them together.

Her sister-in-law, nand, hated her for no reason. She discovered Sumbhul’s diary which had a dried rose in it, along with her love story and her teacher’s number. She started her “research” and eventually found out about the affair. In the end, she told her brother about this. He was enraged and dragged his wife into his room, locked it and took out a gun. He then asked her the reality and tried to shoot her which let to a fight between the two and in confusion he shot himself.

The case of his killing was taken to the court. She was blamed for the killing but then her father showed up. Then came the biggest twist of the story.

He said that his daughter couldn’t possibly have met her teacher because he had killed him with his own hands the day she ran away. His daughter had been imagining her love interest all this time. She was mentally ill and this led to her creating a fantasy in which he came to visit her. A doctor told that her mental condition was due to the unnecessarily strict environment in which she grew up.

The drama ended with Sumbhul asking her father, “Why did you kill him?”

Her mother-in-law (Samina Ejaz) realized that Sumbhul needed care and affection and thus, took Sumbhul under her care.

kahani

 

 

 

2. Garr Maan Reh Jaye:

GMRJ airs on Mondays at 8 pm on Express. Nadeem Baig is playing the role of Ameen. He has three daughters. Nisa (Kiran Abdul-Haq) is the eldest. She is about to be married to a molvi (Bilal Qureshi) , who happens to be the son of Khursheeda (Hina Khwaja Byat). Hina Byat is playing a totally different role then her usual ones.

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Khursheeda demands a lot of jahez from Ameen. Nisa is not pleased and decides to end the engagement. This displeases her father who wants his daughters to get married quickly. He meets a corrupt police officer (Noor Hassan) who agrees to give him money if he spends one night in jail in place if another prisoner. The prisoner will return by morning and a share of the money he robs will be given to Ameen. He hides this from his daughters.

Even though the police officer is corrupt, he actually cares for the family. He develops feelings for Nisa as well. He also sees the greed of Khurshida and the conservative nature of her son. He realizes that Nisa doesn’t deserve them. Meanwhile the second sister develops feelings for him.

The other prisoners in the jail give Ameen a hard time. His health deteriorates and he ends up in the hospital. The officer informs this to Nisa who freaks out and decides to go to the hospital with him. Molvi sees them together this leads to him doubting Nisa’s character even more. He pleads his mother to ask for the second sisters hand in marriage.

When Ameen comes back home, Khurshida puts her son’s request in front of him. He is enraged and refuses completely. Nevertheless, Khurshida can’t tell this to her son as he has refused to marry Nisa. Let’s see what happens now.

 

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3. Koi Deepak Ho:

Sana Javed plays the role of a girl who is poor and loves to study. The son of her principal, Jibran Khan, falls in love with her at first sight. This puts his engagement with his mother’s niece in jeopardy. His mother(Saba Faisal) agrees to take the rishta to Sana’s house but before that, requests Sana to reject it taake bete ki nazar mein achi rahein! Sana tells this to her mother but her mother thinks that  this rishta is too good to be rejected.

 

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4. Ishq Mein Aisa Bhi Haal Hona Hai:

Samra and Fajar are two sisters. Fajar is interested in her friend. Samra is interested in Adnan (Humayun Ashraf). Adnan has brought his mother to her house as well and the rishta is pakka. 

Adnan has an orphan cousin named Neha (Hiba Ali) who lives with him and his mother and  is romantically involved with Shamir (Yasir Mazher). He is a rich playboy. His cousin is Fajar’s friend.

Adnan always scolds Neha for spending her nights out. She makes up  excuses for it.  Only two episodes have gone on-air till now.

Let’s see what will be Neha’s future and also the future of the two couples in this drama.

ishq mein' nuj

 

 

Don’t forget to give your views here.

Areeba Mohsen

 

Dukhtar selected as Pakistan’s selection for Oscars 2014

The Pakistan Academy Film Selection Committee headed by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy has selected recently released film Dukhtar to be sent to Oscars 2014 for a possible nomination in the foreign film category. Last year film Zinda Bhaag was selected by the same committee. This year the committee has Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Ali Zafar Aakifa Mian,  Iram Parveen Bilal, Samina Peerzada, Mehreen Jabbar, Mohsin Hameed, Nadiya Jameel and Rohail Hayyat as jury members.

Dukhtar is released on 18th September 2014. It is Pakistan’s first road trip thriller filmed in mesmerizing locations of  Gilgat-Baltistan region of Pakistan.

The film is directed and written by Aafia Nathaniel. Its main cast consists of Samiya Mumtaz, Mohib Mirza, Saleha Aref, Asif Khan, Ajab Gul, Samina Ahmed, Adnan Shah Tipu, Abdullah Jaan, Omair Rana. The film is also screened recently at Toronto Film Festival.The film is produced by Aafia Nathaniel and Muhammad Khalid Ali while it is distributed by Geo Films (a sub company of Geo Television). It is first film for Samiya Mumtaz.

 

Reference excerpt from Urdu Daily Jehan Pakistan

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Rashid Nazir Ali

Resham participating in flood relief efforts

The recent floods have devastated a large part of Punjab and Sindh province leaving many affected persons. While many are contributing to flood relief efforts, Resham has also handed over a truck carrying goods to army worth rupees 8,00,000 (8 laakh).

As per Resham she arranged all this with the help of fellow artists, Rahat Fatah Ali contributed 100,000 (1 lakh), Nauman Ejaz, Ahsan Khan and Juggan Kazim provided Rs. 25,000 each while the rest is arranged by Resham. Resham further told she always strives to help the victims of any catastrophic event and also urged the fellow artists and nation to show the same spirit. Resham also praised and acknowledged the relief work of Pak Army,  saying Army has always been the leading institution helping the victims so she also decided to handover the truck to Pak Army.

Full content from urdu daily Dunya.

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Rashid Nazir Ali

Zara Sheikh to work in Pushto film

Anybody remembers Zara Sheikh, the model turned heroine who had a dream start to her filmi career with block buster film Tere Pyar Mein in 1998. Zara Sheikh worked in many Urdu films afterwards like Salakhain, Laaj. With declining number of Urdu films produced in Lahore Zara refused to work in Punjabi films thus she is off screen for many years.

Now surprisingly Zara who rejected all Punjabi films offers has accepted an offer of Pushto films.  Zara is working in a Pushto film produced by Joni Malik also starring  Shahid Khan, Jahangir Jaani and Sobia Khan.

Full content from Urdu Daily Naibaat

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Rashid Nazir Ali

Nawaz Sharif hasn’t kept his promise says Haidar Sultan

Sultan Raahi the legendary name of Punjabi cinema was murdered some eighteen years ago and his murder case is still unsolved. Sultan Raahi’s actor son Haidar Sultan has recently returned form United States and in a press conference reminded current Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of his promise to trial the culprits of this unsolved murder.

Haider revealed when Sultan Raahi was murdered in 1996, Nawaz Sharif (then opposition leader) assured him of justice while visiting him to condole the death of his father. Now he is again in power, so the promise and assurance needs to be fulfilled.
Haidar is also working in a low budget Punjabi film being made in Lahore. He also appealed to Shaan, Babar Ali and Momi Rana to support the film industry.

We are with Haider Sultan over unsolved murder case of his legendary father. Regarding promise of Nawaz Sharif, one can only advise Haider Sultan never take the promise of a politician seriously.

 

Full content from Urdu Daily Naibaat

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Rashid Nazir Ali

Shabnum is hopeful for revival of Pakistani cinema

Once we had a thriving and booming film industry producing more than fifty urdu films every year which produced many prominent artists. Shabnum was one such artist who ruled Urdu cinema for almost two decades. Shabnum was from East Pakistan which separated in 1971 to become Bangladesh. After fall of film industry in early 90’s Shabnum went back to Bangladesh, though she returned in mid 1990’s for a brief stay of two/three years till departing permenantly in 1998-99.

The most successful heroine of Urdu cinema Shabnum was invited by Goverment of Pakistan and awarded life time achievement award in 2012 along with her husband musician Robin Ghosh.

Recently Shabnum had a telephonic conversation with Pakistani media in which is expressed her excitement on the news of revival of Pakistani cinema. Shabnum expressed best wishes for new breed of film makers. She is thankful to Pakistanis for the way she was cherished and welcomed upon her visit three years ago. She said, she can never forget the love of Pakistanis.
Shabum also said condolence to Ms. Parveen Saeed Haroon wife of Saeed A. Haroon who recently passed away in Karachi.

Full content from urdu daily naibaat.

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Rashid Nazir Ali

Bashar Momin – Episode 17!

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Surprise surprise, this episode was a lot better than the previous 3 episodes we’ve seen. The story actually kicked & to my surprise, I actually enjoyed watching the scenes of Bashar & Rudaba. Even though there were a few flaws in the episode which obviously I won’t ignore but overall it was a pretty decent episode.

When the previous episode ended, Adil scared us with his bludging eyes, giving us an impression that he’d tear the world apart in vengeance for the sake of how he & his baby sister were deceived, but in a supposed next scene, he was seen being a part of the conversation concerning Tayabba & Buland’s wedding.

Apparently, Rudaba thinks she ain’t allowed to cry? Excusez-moi? If now she’s crying in a limit, not sure what would’ve happened if there was no barrier to her flood of tears? Finally Rudaba has come to terms with what has happened & has now started speaking to Bashar about how she feels. I actually liked the scenes of Rudaba this time. Her conversations with Ramzan Chacha, then Adil & in the end Bashar were done well because they were short & to-the-point. I actually smirked at how Bashar eased up while speaking to her & sort of let go off the facade he carries, in front of her. Seems like Bashar also made an effort of being easy on Rudaba because she is going through a hard time plus also he had a few things to demand, so he thought it’d be a good idea if he did it without making it too difficult for her & may be because of that, for the first time what Bashar said really made sense.

I cringed once again looking at how Buland reacted to the whole situation. He definitely seemed unhappy at his decision but then it made me think why did he dive into the relation? When he got aware of the false-truth that Rudaba confessed to him, why didn’t he just go back when he was so hurt? He wasn’t obviously ecstatic after finding a perfect roti surat partner for himself, so then what was the point of getting engaged to Tayyaba? He even said to her that he won’t be happy at their wedding, so what forced him into this relation? The best solution was to invest one time on a ticket to America & going into a deep slumber for good, but then after he already decided to get married to her, why was he whining? Was he sad because he found a girl who looked taller than him on the wedding stage? Oh, now I get it, this must be the only thing that might be upsetting him.

Is it just me or Tayyaba actually looked unreal while smiling? Actually I ask this because I have seen her cry so much that her smile just didn’t really appeal to me. I really wish they had gotten rid of the stark white light in the post-wedding scene of Tayyaba & Buland. I think the lighting should’ve been soft & not so in-your-face-bright. & isn’t it weird that your very first conversation after marriage turns into an opportunity for you to flaunt how many ex-fiancée/fiancés you have? While looking at both the heart-broken raccoons, I was like Voila! It’s a match made in heaven.

The biggest flaw that I noticed was while doing breakfast in the wee hours of morning; Saira dressed in a Valima-appropriate ensemble just says to her maid that Pareezay’d be returning from school so she should keep her things ready? Which school is it whose session ends while people in the house are still having their breakfast & the father hasn’t even left for the office yet? Anyways, now when the crier Tayyaba is taken care of, I think Bashar has gotten a chance to give an undivided attention to his wife & win her heart, but one thing’s for sure, I am going to fetch my sunglasses before watching the next episode because the lighting is just so bright that it blinds me. :/ After recovering from squinting & after rubbing your eyes, please do share your thoughts on this episode. :)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

PS: In my opinion, the guy who has caterwauled the high-pitched song of this drama should quit singing because it’s just so flat that it puts all the flat surfaces of the mother Earth to shame.

Firaaq Episode 3 – Yeh Mein Hoon, Bejaan Berang!!

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“Copy pencil se fazool sketches banane wali jub itni bari rungo ki duniya mei aye gi tu nervous hi ho gi”...this one line pretty much summed up Paymaan’s state of mind after leaving her mother’s house. Paymaan is certainly not used to this rangeen duniya which she has been introduced to all of a sudden. She was a completely different person when she was living with Tabbasum, she was confident and outspoken in the four walls of that house but now when she is meeting new people every day and is coming across opportunities which she never thought she will get, she is taking it one step at a time. Paymaan definitely is more than willing to break free from her past. She stays in touch with Tabbasum’s husband but she feels nothing for Tabbasum now that she is away from her. The change in Tabbasum’s attitude towards her husband shows that she desperately wants to hold on to the one person who is ready to accept her for who she is. But Tabbasum does not want to talk about her children because her ego won’t allow her to admit that she was wrong. Although our therapist predicted that Tabbasum will come running after her daughter in no time but that is highly unlikely.

The way Paymaan took special interest in Imroze’s portrait was actually very interesting. It was the kind of scene that keeps you wondering about the true feelings of the character. Was Paymaan impressed by Roomi’s artistic abilities or was she in awe of the personality of the person in the portrait? Imroze longs to come home to a wife who will welcome him with open arms, he is clearly lonely and is attracted towards Paymaan. I must say that Imroze’s feelings for Paymaan left me clueless because his first meeting with Paymaan wasn’t exactly the sort which makes you fall for a girl. Is Imroze the kind of person who likes to play the savior? He plays the savior all the time while addressing the issues of his clients but is he the kind of person who would much rather have a wife who needs him more than he needs her? I am waiting to find out why Imroze is attracted towards Paymaan.

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Unlike the past two episodes, I found Cybil Chaudhry’s acting in this episode unbearable. The conversation at Roomi’s apartment about him wanting to marry someone like Sara was too long and appeared to be slightly forced. Roomi’s character overall is definitely more appealing than that of Imroze at the moment. He is an easy going, sensitive and caring person. Imroze on the other hand seems like a more complicated person who is not very happy with his life.

My favorite scene from tonight’s episode had to be the flashback scene in which Paymaan is drawing a portrait and Tabbasum tries to make her feel guilty about it and Paymaan replies, ” yeh mein hoon – bejaan, berung!” Uzma Gillani was most certainly at her very best in the opening scene of tonight’s episode; the shock, the helplessness and the will to continue to be strong was portrayed brilliantly by her in a very short scene. Sanam Saeed looked like a little girl who was discovering the world around her for the first time, she impressed me with her flawless performance once again in tonight’s episode. Noor Hassan has come a long way; he makes Roomi’s character likeable, I am certain that many people must be rooting for him already! Mohib’s character is a mystery and I get a feeling that his character is not going to be as simple or likeable as that of Roomi. I am very impressed by Mustafa Afridi’s script till now; the characters have depth and some of the dialogues are very meaningful and touching.

The preview of the next episode was actually very surprising for me. I wasn’t expecting all these characters having these feelings for each other this soon and not just that but someone will be proposing Paymaan in the next episode – will it be Imroze or Roomi?

Do share your thoughts about this latest installment.

Fatima Awan

Romancing Students Are All We Got!

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For our drama writers and directors , students are “romancing idiots” who can’t do anything else. They like to show that studies are just too easy to be taken seriously. They are giving a totally wrong message to the people watching these dramas.

Dramas that involved college/university romance included:

 

1. Chemistry:

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Whatever Chemistry is, it isn’t the subject of “LOVE”! Parh kar dekhiye!  Chemistry (drama) was about a guy and a girl who went to the same university, fell in love, got married against the wishes of the girl’s parents, had fights due to shukk , got divorced, the girl got married to her teacher, had a kid, that husband was shukki as well, got throat cancer, first husband realized his mistake, she got cured and married him again!

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 What started with a simple uni-love-story, ended up as a halala story!!

 

 

2. Chandni:

The guy is rich, yet he is in love with a poor girl who studies in the same university as his. She is a really student and that is the reason he likes her. Please someone tell me, when did that girl have time to study? All she ever did was talk to her boyfriend;  on the phone, in the class and outside the class.

The guy ended up abandoning her. She ended up cutting her wrist, being saved and getting married to another guy.

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3. Daagh:

A guy fell in love with a girl , when he saw her for the first time in his university, because of her simplicity. They eventually got married and this love story turned into an evil-saas story. The saas forced her son to marry again because she wanted a grandson.

 

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4. Janam Jali:

The main leads, fell in love with eachother when they were studying together. They got married against Bee ji’s wishes. Bee ji never let them live peacefully. She tortured her daughter-in-law and got her son to marry again.

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5. Janay Kyun:

As soon as you see Junaid Khan’s character (whatever the drama may be) purposing to a girl, you SHOULD know that he will end up divorcing her. This is exactly what he did with the heroines of Janay Kyun and Rasam (both were Sumbhul Iqbal) .

In JK, He studied in the same university as her. There he proposed her, married her and then eventually divorced her.

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6. Uff yeh Muhabbat:

A girl fell in love with her teacher. This sentence makes sense right? But what followed was a series of idiotic events that made ABSOLUTELY no sense. She lied to him about everything, and he felt so much pity on her that he married her. Then followed some more idiotic events which caused problems in their marriage.  I didn’t even understand what was going on in this drama most of the time.

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7. Ishq Mein Aisa Bhi Haal Hona Hai:

This drama also has a young couple studying in the same university. The boy is rich and the girl is poor. They love each other a lot. Only two episodes have gone on-air up till now so let’s see what happens.

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The conclusion is that whichever dramas have college/university romance are the worst ones and that they will have the worst cliches after the couple gets married.

Directors need to know exactly what goes on in a university before making such dramas. Parhai bhi hoti hai wahan!!

Areeba Mohsen

Jackson Heights – Episode 01!

Ohkay so, Jackson Heights, production of Six Sigma, writing of Vasay Chauhdry & the direction of Mehreen Jabbar was one of the most anticipated play of this season & finally, it hit our TV screens tonight which had the quality work & name of Mehreen Jabbar written all over it. Even though this was an introductory episode, it was scattered all over the characters but aptly so.

Set in New York & a desi hub named Jackson Heights, this episode showed a few people struggling in their own orbits to make a living, a few for themselves & a few for their people back home. The narration said it all & I think it was a perfect way to open the drama just to let us know what Jackson Heights is. Salma, an apathetic yet cautious & the most sought-after beautician emerged as a hard-working young girl, who doesn’t leave an opportunity to earn some bucks because she’s bound to support herself. Michelle a Pakistani by origin but someone who has cut ties with Pakistan, owns & runs a restaurant but just exactly knows how to differentiate & maintain a balance between her professional & personal life. Imran Bhatti, a cab driver who is contend with what life has given to him reciprocates it by being a strong support system to those who may or may not need him & to those who definitely depend on him. Jamshed, a young enthusiast who thinks an opportunity will present itself to him on a golden platter the moment he will step in the USA because he has an example of his Uncle Imran Bhatti who he thinks is enjoying his life while earning a considerable amount of money to support his family in Pakistan.

Even though this episode focused more on telling us a bit about all the main characters on the surface, there were a few intricate yet well-done moments that appealed the most & made us understand the underlying story behind all the characters. For me, Nouman Ejaz stole the show as Imran Bhatti. Even though he might come across as an easy-going person, somewhere down the line you can see-through the loneliness he feels deep within. It’s been 15 years since he first arrived to America & hasn’t gone back yet as clearly he’s bearing the expenses of his family, still their demands do not end but the most genuine & selfless demand came from his mother where she wants to see her son again.

Another character that seemed interesting to me was of Michelle played effortlessly by Marina Khan. It’s like she had two modes where at work she’s like a strict businesswoman who doesn’t care about anything else but her work & then on the other hand, she has an endeared friend played by Adnan Jaffar with whom she’s at such a comfort level that she unwinds & is like an entirely different person who even makes her laugh & is ears to all her personal thoughts.

I feel for now Adeel Hussain’s character didn’t give away much except for the fact that he just can’t wait to get away from Pakistan but then I am sure once he will realize what he has gotten himself into for the sake of making money, his real ordeal will begin.

I actually enjoyed the scenes of Imran Bhatti a lot because I think Nouman Ejaz nailed his bit. His & Salma’s conversations & coincidental meetings told they both are two different people who’re poles apart & they had nothing to offer except misunderstandings to each other but then luckily for Salma, he rescued her at the right time which will definitely change her perspective about Imran. The ending scene definitely took me by surprise because I didn’t see it coming, so yes, I just can’t wait to see more. The camera-work & direction was brilliant & the acting was top-notch but then what-else can you expect from such a brilliant director & the cast! As always it was pretty evident that Mehreen Jabbar made sure all the actors enacted their characters effortlessly. I really liked the soundtrack & the instrumental score gave away a very familiar feeling to the rest of Mehreen Jabbar’s projects. I’m sure we’re in for some real drama & the expectations have skyrocketed already. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for us & can’t wait to discuss every aspect of it. Please share your thoughts on the very first episode of Jackson Heights & tell us how did you find it? :)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

PS: I’d request all the readers to avoid any spoiler alerts at least under the review discussions because I avoided even watching the promos as I didn’t want to get hints of anything about the story. I’d much appreciate if the synopsis & details about the drama & it’s plot aren’t discussed because I am sure a lot of people like to take what’s given & don’t really fish for what’s going to happen in advance. I hope you understand & yes, thanks a lot. ;)

Mausam – Episode 18

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If anyone out there stopped watching Mausam recently this is the time to tune into it again because things seem to be headed in the right direction for a change. This play may just have a decent ending after all. Shazia’s engagement with Hashir and Hashir’s mother’s death is going to change a lot of things. Hashir’s mother’s death was not shown in an over-dramatic manner, something which I truly appreciate because it was a very touching moment when Hashir read his mother’s letter and it was good to see that the director did not prolong this scene unnecessarily. We all knew that Nigar had serious health issues which were further triggered by Hashir’s new found love for his father so this death was in no way unexpected. The letter which Nigar left for Hashir was short but heartfelt. Nigar was so right in comparing Shazia with her ex-husband, she had dealt with such a person for the longest time so who could be a better judge of Shazia’s character than her. Nigar turned the tables completely by writing what she did in the letter and by having that last conversation with Saman, otherwise our seedhi sadhi Saman would never have figured out that she was the love of Hashir’s life.

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Faisal’s change of heart was a direct consequence of Shazia’s engagement with Hashir, we really don’t know whether Faisal will divorce Saman because he thinks she does not deserve him or out of anger but I really hope that he does so because he thinks Saman deserves better. The preview of the next episode suggested that he wanted her to be “free”, was he being sarcastic or honest? We will know soon enough. Saman was only disturbed by the recent developments and she kept on trying to get back to her husband like a devoted wife. I am anxiously waiting for Saman to realize how wrong she was in being the bholi bhali sort. I just hope that Saman’s mother survives the heart attack because otherwise it will just look like the writer is using the death of characters to take the story forward.

Nigar’s concern for her son and Saman’s mother’s decision to let Saman go with Hashir had to be the highlights of tonight’s episode. I felt for Hashir but I would have felt for him even more if he did not look so trim and proper on the funeral. The red eye shade alone did not do the trick. All the tracks of the story seem to be headed towards their conclusion. Hashir’s mother left the world but she did all that she could to ensure that Hashir did not ruin his life by marrying Shazia. She also made sure that Hashir knew the truth about his father; he may not have believed her when she was alive but he is bound to listen to her now. All this time I was wondering if Hashir’s father’s track had a relevance to the entire story or not but we know now that he was the reason why Nigar understood Shazia’s intentions so well. Shazia’s happy ending is certainly in jeopardy, which gives me a lot to look forward to. Can we please have a happy ending for Saman too?

Do share your thoughts about this recent episode.

Fatima Awan

Bashar Momin – Episode 16!

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Well, trust me when I say this, I actually really like this drama a lot as in considering it just being a drama which offered an entirely different plot & broke the monotony of dramas that focused more on the domestic issues but to see the level at which the story has come to really disappoints me. I still stand by what I say that I actually really like this drama but I wish the writer had given us some relatable characters for whom we had felt something.

I know, the story was interesting when Bashar, Rudaba & Buland’s love triangle was in the picture but to see Tayyaba taking a front seat is what makes me unhappy. When I look at her character, I really don’t think Tayyaba’s worthy of all the hassle & attention that she’s getting which actually makes her look like a main character of the play. When I gave this drama a go, I was pretty sure the drama was named as Bashar Momin & not as Tayyaba Momin, but to see everyone revolving around her & mending their ways to pick up the smiles that she dropped on the road doesn’t seem just right.

I mean did I miss out on something because I really didn’t get why Rudaba showed such submissiveness for which she agreed to brain wash the stooge called Buland against her so that he could marry Tayyaba? Couldn’t she just have said no to what Bashar had asked for? I actually would’ve liked it better if they had showed something about Tayyaba, if they had added some realism to her character, if they had made sure that she wasn’t just a damsel (not sure though) in distress who lost her eyesight’s because of her constant crying prowess & caterwauling? I am sure if they had shown Tayyaba as someone who was capable of other things except crying as well, people would’ve felt her pain or would’ve rejoiced seeing she got someone who was ready to spoil his life with/for her? I mean I just don’t get why all of a sudden the story shifted from the main characters to the side character of Tayyaba who ain’t worth it.

I expected some other level of acting from Sami Khan seeing his experience in the industry but why did he look like he was intimidated by Bashar that he was trying to keep his nerves calm & was on the way to an asthma attack? In the monologue scene of Rudaba & Buland, it looked like he ran out of breath after hiking so was trying to catch on some oxygen so that he could complete the remaining act. I don’t understand what got into Ushna Shah for which she started switching in between the expressions of sheer joy & pain while delivering dialogues? Trust me; it doesn’t prove anything about your acting Ushna. I don’t think she was capable of pulling off such a lengthy scene where she had so much to say because none of it made sense & after that, none of it struck a chord.

As discussed on the previous thread, when the drama began I myself actually thought we’d get to see a story of a don & was more interested in seeing what sort of circumstances compelled Bashar to become such a rigid & ruthless person but I think the writer didn’t really bother much as she was too busy turning him into a refined BHAI JAAN who was more worried about what breakfast his niece ate. He seemed too involved in playing the domestic politics & just because of focusing on such unnecessary details I feel the writer forgot to show us some background about his character.  I feel just because we were missing a piece of an important information about the main character; in the beginning episodes, he looked half-mad for yelling out so loud because we had no detailing about his character to begin with. I think the writer should’ve invested a little more time in actually bringing out the insights of all the characters on the surface more so that we; as viewers could’ve understood what made Bashar such a diabolic? What made Buland such an insecure puppet? What made Tayyaba such a weak person who was indulged in self-pity? What made Saira pull off a fake English/Urdu accent? & who trimmed Adil’s non-existing hair?

I actually wish when the drama ends, Buland; as in the character of Buland himself buys a DVD of Bashar/Tayyaba Momin & watches this drama to understand what game was played upon him & how he made a fool out of himself. Even though I have no grounds to feel a thing for any of the characters but I am glad Rudaba is married to a man who is at least blessed with a thing called brain, because he can manage things using it & isn’t married to a person who wasn’t allotted one by default. Yes, I’d once again say that I like to watch this drama for the only purpose of seeing how it ends because we’re more than a half way through it but I am displeased at the shift of focus on some useless character. Share your thoughts on this please.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Zindagi Channel – How is it impacting Indian viewers?

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When The channel Zindagi was launched there were many apprehensions whether it would succeed or not? However these fears were put to rest. Zee had done their homework. Zindagi is Lucky that it started with blockbusters like ‘Zindagi Gulzar hai’ and ‘Aun Zara’. Infact Fawad has become a household name in India. This was followed by kahi un kahi. Meray Qatil meray Dildar, Thakan, Noorpur ki Raani etc. According to Zindagi’s Facebook page two more dramas are about to debut on the 23rd of this month. They are ‘ Ye shadi nahi hosakti’ and ‘Mera Naseeb’.

What has made these dramas so popular? Well the answer according to Indians themselves is simplicity, no over-acting, no loud makeup and strong female protagonists. Our shows don’t prolong themselves through ridiculous plot twists like Reincarnations, changelings and dead spouses. Also unlike Indian dramas there isn’t an overemphasis on religion which to one Indian critic mocked as ‘ A puja every 3 episodes’!

Untitled As a Pakistani my heart swells with joy to see our dramas being praised. Indian actors, celebrities and common folks alike are in thrall of our dramas. Many have expressed a desire to work in Pakistani dramas. Many are urging that that Ekta kapoor learn from these dramas. In fact just like ‘ Dhoop kinaray’ was remade as ‘ kuch tou log kahengen’. (A poor attempt I must add). A drama which seems heavily inspired (Read copied) by Pakistani dramas in general and ZGH in particular is about to come. It is due to be released on Sony and its name is Brace yourselves ‘HUMSAFARS’ (Very original)!

Untitled3Word is going around for things like joint production. Pakistani actors being given a chance in Bollywood. But due to uncertain political conditions it is hard to tell. Another thing as a Pakistani entertainment journalist pointed out so far the Indians are being treated to the best of our dramas. What if they see some of are recent ‘Masterpieces’. To paraphrase her argument ‘What if Indians see Asmanon pe likha? A tale of two star-crossed idiots!? LOL. So let us hope Zindagi selects wisely and our Pakistani producers regain their high-standards.

So far Zee has not made any such mistake except for playing the monotonous and long ‘kash main teri beti na hoti’. It initially gained popularity but now the Indians are starting to lose interest in it seeing it is just like their dramas.

Untitled1According to Wikipedia (Not a reliable source) Zee Zindagi will play many more shows including Turkish shows like Isq-e-memnu (Ishq-e-Mamnoon) and Muhtesim Yuzitl (Mera sultan) which leads me to wonder why not buy the dubbed versions from Pakistan instead of doing the dubbing from scratch?

Untitled2Indians reaction is mostly positive. Many have openly admitted there views towards Pakistan have changed dramatically. Except for a totally ridiculous paid article I read which called Pakistani dramas regressive, misogynistic and boring! LOL. (This coming from the land of Saas Bahu serials)! Most are openly supportive. Twitter and Facebook Are abuzz with discussions regarding our serials. Pakistani actors’ facebook pages are receiving comments by Indians. Even dear OLD (see the emphasis) Adnan Siddiqui was mobbed by his Indian fans in Dubai (Waiting for Zahra Mirza’s comment on this incident LOL). In short Zee Zindagi is here to stay.

This is my first article and it is devoted to the first website I’ve come across where civilized discussions regarding Pakistani entertainment can be held. Interesting fact I discovered it by accident! I dedicate this to Rashid Sahib, Maaz Siddiqui, Zahra Mirza, Fatima Awan, Kanwal Murtaza, Areeba Mohsin and many more who have given me such an inspiration. Thank You all.

Talha Rizvi

“Fawad Khan’s Acting Is As Sharp As His Tailored Suits” – Khoobsurat Reviews Are Full Of Praises For Fawad

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All the reviews of Fawad Khan’s first Bollywood flick Khoosurat are full of praises for him. Critics rave about Fawad Khan’s acting generously after watching the film. Here is what they have to say:

“The best parts of the film feature Khan. He’s bang on as the emotionally-unavailable, brooding prince. He’s a man of few words (thank God) and his acting is as sharp as his tailored suits. There’s no over-the-top melodrama and we buy into his royal, ruthless act. In his presence,” writes Manjusha Radhakrishan, Senior Reporter, Gulf News.

“Fawad’s Bollywood debut attains incredible charm and dignity. He’s spot-on as the tight-lipped prince, who refuses to let his emotions overcome his stately duties,” writes Sneha May Francis of Emirates247.

“Fawad-SUAVE-Khan is simply FABULOUS! Under his sharp suits and I-am-ready-for-a-GQ-shoot look, he packs a controlled, underplayed performance as he portrays Vikramaditya Rathore. The man has big, dreamy eyes and makes good use of them on various occasions in the film,” writes Lokesh Dharmani of masala.com.

“Fawad, looks ever so charming and impress the audience with his subtle mannerisms, good looks and acting. In fact people will loathe Sonam even more ignoring her so called trial and error acting techniques. One thing that will irritate about Sonam apart from her poor acting skills is her obsession with clicking selfies!,” reported Priya Prakashan

“One reason people will be flocking the theatre will be because of Fawad Khan. He fits perfectly in the role of a Prince. Fawad’s performance as Vikramaditya Rathore is likeable. The brooding man has dreamy eyes and looks that makes girls go weak in their knees”, Priya Prakeshan from Indian.com

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Sonam Kapoor on the other hand has not been able to win the hearts of the critics, “Sonam Kapoor is perpetually high-pitched, shrieking and giggling without much purpose. For someone with limited acting talent, Mili appears to be a fun part to play, especially since it doesn’t require much skill. But, even that Sonam doesn’t pull off,” writes Sneha May Francis of Emirates247.

“Sonam Kapoor plays the clumsy Mili and manages to impress occasionally but the problem is that she never surrenders to the character completely. The invisible Chanels and Guccis come in the way. She might call her mother with her name and scream “MANNNNJUUUU yaar” but falters at many occasions to play the loud Delhi lass, “ writes Lokesh Dharmani of masala.com.

Until now the reviews clearly reveal that Fawad Khan has won the critics over and like one of the critics said people will be watching this film for him.

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Ayeza Khan and Danish Taimoor Honeymoon Pictures

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Ayeza and Danish have been particularly generous with sharing the pictures and videos of their wedding and now that they are on their honeymoon, they are keeping their fans involved by posting pictures of their honeymoon. Ayeza and Danish also are the most loved and talked about couple of this year. Sarwat Gillani and Fahad Mirza also got married in the same week as Ayeza and Danish but fans did not go that crazy after their marriage and photos.

Here are the pictures of their honeymoon in Thailand:

 

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Jab We Wed – OST Video

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Jab We Wed is a romantic comedy drama serial starring heart throbs Ayeza Khan and Danish Taimoor. The play has been written by Mohsin Ali, directed by Wajahat Rauf and Mohsin Ali. It has been airing on Urdu1 for nine weeks now. The viewers are enjoying this drama because it gives them an escape from all the serious dramas that are on air on many channels. One more reason why people are watching this show is because of the lead cast. Bushra Ansari is also playing a very important role in the drama which viewers are enjoying watching. The characters of the play have the viewers hooked to their screens.

The video of the OST of the play is out, watch it here: