PTV is our national institution which is backed by public funds. Every year more than six billion rupees collected from PTV license fee are allocated to PTV but still it lags far behind in the current competitive world.
Despite huge resources, buildings, an army of producers PTV is struggling with financial crisis. Despite injecting billions every year, it is running in a loss of 60 million rupees each year.
Recently MD of PTV appeared before standing committe of senate where he explained the sorry plight of this national institution.
As per Muhammad Maalik who is the Managing Director of PTV, out of the six billion (recieved as TV license fee) 5.25 billions are spent on wages and 40 million are consumed by medical bills. To overcome the deficit PTV is now taking a loan of two billion rupees from commercial banks, while many of its buildings are already mortgaged
PTV has more than six thousand employees. As per Muhammad Maalik, he wants to fire 4990 employees out of these 6000 provided he has the authority to execute the plan. Many of PTV officials are incompetent and cannot check their emails and the national television is running solely by the backing of ALLAH. One centre of PTV has seventy producers whereas it only airs daily programs of two hours. Recently PTV has sacked nearly 80 employees with fake degrees.
The militant organization of Taliban is also causing damages to PTV’s installations in the region of FATA thus resulting in recurring expenses in that region.
Here is the reference excerpt from Urdu Daily Jang
This is the one side of the story, on the other side are the employees of PTV who have their own reasons. As per PTV Employees Union, the cause of PTV’s Financial crisis is the high salaries of Managing Director and other high officials. The monthly salary of PTV’s managing director is 3 million (30 laakh) rupees. The MD has hired incompetent producers either on some reference or his own friends. PTV Karachi center has about thirty five producers, who are paid in laaakhs, only for producing commercials for few minutes. on MD’s order PTV is also paying massively to few lawyers regarding the cases against PTV in courts. The employees have announced a series of protests against the Managing Director.
OH MY GOD! It was such a beautifulll episodeeeeeeeee eeeeee I am so excited LOL! Yes, I am so so so glad that they’ve taken us back to that signature Digest Writer experience that we all used to love this drama for. I just can’t not emphasize enough on how beautiful this episode was & how perfectly it was pictured.
So, finally, our Fareeda got to meet her hero Shehryaar. Their meeting & that whole scene was directed so brilliantly that it just didn’t matter how much Fareeda’s fan overacted or how loud the acoustic guitar in the background was, I forgot all of that just because we got to see Fareeda & Shehryaar in one frame, having a conversation face to face which was just so special. I really liked Shehryaar’s approach where he just didn’t beat around the bush & went straight to the point in order to ask what went wrong back then. Yes, even though Fareeda lied at first, she understood that this was her time & now there was no point in concealing the truth because she has finally found the one who’d understand her, who’d listen to her & the one who will heal all her wounds. ‘Tum hi rehne dain, app kehne walay to bohat mil gaye’, yes, Fareeda now knows that it was only Shehryaar who made her feel special & who connected to her on a different level; something she had long forgotten but just a sight of him was enough to resurface all the feelings she had ever felt for him.
Ohkay so let me just confess, I take back whatever I said about Shehryaar being Mr. Traveller or conceited & what not, haha because he deserves all the respect for being sincere to Fareeda – again which is something that she didn’t get but totally deserves. I like the fact that they showed Shehryaar married someone as well because it makes it a lot more realistic. He got married but just because he couldn’t form an understanding, he parted ways with his wife but all this while he was in love with someone he fell in love with for the very first time. So, yes, Mr. Shehryaar you’re entitled to our respect & we’re extending it towards you. :)
‘Mujhe aj samajh aya hai ke jannat aur jahannum ka intekhaab insaan khud karta hai’. I just loved this dialogue, it’s simple but it covers so many aspects in so many different ways. Yes, it was nothing short of a hell for Fareeda to live with such a husband & coexist in such a family but I am glad that both Shehryaar & Fareeda have met at such a point in their lives where they have matured enough & they have gone through a lot to understand that what they had wasn’t just an infatuation, undoubtedly it was nothing but love & because of that, I feel they will now cherish each other’s presence in their lives. Shehryaar has understood that he loved Rushk-e-Hina no matter who she is & is ready to accept her with all her strengths & weaknesses whereas Fareeda now knows as well that she has nothing to hide & lie about, so she stands there with her head held high because yes, she has earned Shehryaar’s love too.
Oh so Aqeela thinks Fareeda ain’t tolerant, that’s rich! She should be the last person saying all that because if she starts counting the favours Fareeda has done for her keeping her dear brother’s attitude in her mind, she won’t be able to because that’s how much Fareeda has helped her all these years. It’s pretty clear that no matter what Fareeda’d do for them, it will never be enough. The freedom that they’ve allowed Fareeda to enjoy is actually a measly compensation for what they are getting in return from her so yes, these people can never change & the only & best way to deal with them is to pack them in a suitcase & throw them all in a sea, but I do agree with what Shaukat said to his mother, no matter how much support Sajida extends towards Fareeda & no matter how much she’d remind Shaukat to be nice to his wife, she is the one who planted a seed of hatred in his heart, so she is also responsible for ruining his relation with his wife & now there’s nothing that could undo that.
I was surprised to see Rida Anmol again. I love this drama because they never fail to surprise us, no matter how long or short a scene might be it shows how much the writer has paid an attention to detail, which makes the experience of Digest Writer completely amazing. Finally, what Shakeela said to Fareeda has come true, Rida Anmol is a nobody now & she must thank her ego for what she has gone through. I loved their meeting scene as well because without saying a thing, Fareeda said a lot & that’s the difference between Fareeda & Rida, she obviously didn’t forget what Rida did but she knows there’s no need of saying anything anymore.
Even though Fareeda & Shehryaar didn’t have a lot of scenes together, I loved the writer & director’s approach in taking it slow. They’ve reintroduced their track at a right time & they are dealing with it intelligently. I loved how Fareeda’s eyes brightened up when she saw Shehryaar & how her smile widened. I must say Saba Qamar has acted brilliantly in this drama because she portrayed all the emotions of Fareeda to perfection. It was so evident that Fareeda wanted to jump with joy after meeting him but she was trying so hard to control herself. ‘Mama sirf apne bachon ke liye kamati hain’, yes, Fareeda should know that this is exactly what’s fair, enough & needed because she has responsibility towards her kids & nothing else in fact no one else matters anymore. The preview seemed so interesting but I am surprised that her mother will try to talk her out of her decision of going for a second marriage whereas she knows Fareeda was never happy with Shaukat.
Well, before I conclude I must commend the makeup artist for keeping Fareeda’s makeup simple but giving her face a freshness & vibrancy. I couldn’t help notice how different Fareeda (Saba Qamar) looked in the flashback shots which goes to show that a lot of effort was also put in to portray how all the characters looked & a special attention was paid on them in order to match the age, circumstances & phases of their lives that they were going through. Saba Qamar looked absolutely beautiful & Agha Ali looked nice & decent too. This episode for sure belonged to our ‘kahaniyon aur deeramon ke hero heroine ki jori’. :) Share your thoughts about this episode of Digest Writer please & let me know how special it was? :)
Seeing the overwhelming and record breaking success of Indian films in Pakistani cinemas, now Indian film distributors are also planning to release three old Indian films.
The first film in this list is Sholay which was released in India in 1975. The second film is Dilwale Dulhania Lay Jayenge released in 1995 and then Devdaas released in 2002. The first film Sholay is expected to be released on 20th March 2015.
Talking to Voice of America Urdu,head of Mandwiwala Entertainment and film distributor Nadeem Mandwiwala told that ‘Public in Pakistan always wanted to watch these films in cinema’. As per Nadeem Mandwiwala, the screening of old films is limited to these three films for the time being.
Beyond any doubt Indian films have massive following in Pakistan, a fact fully supported by back to back success of Indian films in cinemas. It will be interesting to see how the Bollywood crazy cine goers react to screening of old Bollywood flicks. Indeed screening of Indian films is emerging as a lucrative business, so based upon the outcome of these films, other distributors might also export other old Indian films.
Full content from VOA Urdu
کراچی—
پاکستان کی بڑی اور کامیاب ترین فلم ڈسٹری بیوشن کمپنیز میں شمار ہونے والی کمپنی ’مانڈی والا انٹرٹینمنٹ‘ کے روح رواں، ندیم مانڈوی والا کا کہنا ہے کہ ’بالی ووڈ کی بلاک بسٹر فلم ’شعلے‘ کی پاکستان میں ریلیز کے بعداگلہ نمبر ’دل والے دلہنیا لے جائیں گے‘ اور ’دیوداس‘ کا ہے۔‘
وائس آف امریکہ سے خصوصی بات چیت میں ان کا یہ بھی کہنا تھا کہ ’یہ تینوں ایسی فلمیں ہیں جنہیں عرصے سے لوگ بڑی اسکرین پر دیکھنے کے خواہشمند تھے۔ مارچ کی 20تاریخ کو ’شعلے‘کی ریلیز سے یہ سلسلہ شروع ہورہا ہے۔‘
’شعلے‘ کی خاصیت
فلم ’شعلے‘ کو ہی سب سے پہلے ریلیز کرنے کی کیا وجہ ہے؟ ۔۔اس سوال پر ندیم مانڈوی والا کا کہنا تھا ’شعلے‘۔۔ کی کامیابی کے چرچے 15اگست 1975ء کو اس کی پہلی مرتبہ ریلیز کے وقت شروع ہوئے تھے اور آج 40 سال گزرجانے کے بعد تک جاری ہیں۔اس کی لازوال کامیابی کا ہی نتیجہ ہے کہ اسے گزشتہ سال ’ری ماسٹر‘ کیا گیا ۔۔خاص طور سے نئی جنریشن کیلئے اسے ’ٹوڈی‘ اور ’تھری ڈی‘ ٹیکنالوجی میں منتقل کیا گیا۔ یہ پاکستان میں ’شعلے‘ کی ریلیز کا پہلا بڑا سبب ہے۔‘
دوسرے سبب کے حوالے سے ان کا کہنا تھا ’شعلے بلاشبہ ایک منفرد اور کلاسک فلم ہے جو پہلے کبھی پاکستان میں ریلیز نہیں ہوئی۔ بہت سے لوگ اس فلم کا لطف سینما کی بڑی اسکرین پر اٹھانا چاہتے تھے اسی لئے فلم کی ریلیز کا فیصلہ کیا۔‘
ندیم مانڈوی والا سے سوال کیا گیا کہ ’کیا شعلے کے بعد دیگر بلاک بسٹر بالی ووڈ فلمیں بھی پاکستان میں ریلیز کی جائیں گی؟‘ ۔۔ تو ان کا کہنا تھا، ’جہاں تک میرے علم میں ہے شاہ رخ خان کی دیواس اور دل والے دلہنیا لے جائیں گے بھی پاکستان میں ریلیز کئے جانے کا پورا ارادہ ہے۔اس کی کامیابی کا میں کیا تذکرہ کروں سبھی جانتے ہیں کہ ممبئی کے ایک سنیما پر ’ دل والے دلہنیا۔۔۔ مسلسل 20سال سے دکھائی جارہی ہے۔ تاہم، میرا نہیں خیال کہ باقی فلموں کو پاکستان میں ریلیز کی ضرورت ہے۔‘
Aashiq Hussain (عاشق حسین) is an upcoming drama on ARY Digital. Starring Faysal Qureshi and filmstar Saima the queen of Punjabi cinema.
Cast: Faysal Qureshi, Saima Noor, Saboor Ali, Moomal Khalid, Afshan Qureshi, Zhalay Sarhadi and others
Writer: Sana Fahad
Director: Anjum Shahzad
Produced By: Dr. Ali Kazmi and Fahad Mustafa
Production House: Big Bang Prodcutions
https://vimeo.com/120887588
The play is expected to replace either Chupp Raho (on Tuesday) or Khatta (on Wednesday), both of which are concluding in coming weeks.
Oh, they promised us something else but went out of the way to ignore it because they thought they were giving us some out of the world sort of a drama that they didn’t want to end too soon, LOL! Aur kitna khoon choosna hai bhai hamara?
So, supposedly Jackson Heights had 24 episodes but they decided to drag it because they wanted to show us a tundi selfie of a tundi family after 23 weeks as if our life wasn’t complete without it & we were missing out on something huge!?!?! Like seriously, after 23 episodes where they should’ve been ending this drama they thought we’d rejoice by seeing that Michelle mommy is taking good care of her son-like husband-to-be Jamshed by cooking his favourite dishes like Pulao jiss ka swaad us ne kharab kar diya ye bol ke ke mummy mummy mujhe aur bhi cheezain khani hain. Yes, I will admit that I have no complaints whatsoever when it comes to their performances but the execution of the play & story has been so bland, boring & mediocre because of which we haven’t been able to enjoy this drama as we thought we would.
Once again the whole tu illegal Pakistani mai Amreekan citizen Indian debate was forced into this episode whereas when the drama began we saw all the Indian & Pakistani cabbies co-existing so well with each other & they all shared a great bond which I thought was a good way of telling that Pakistanis residing outside Pakistan get to share a good wavelength with people of different ethnicity, so to give that touch of Indian/Pakistani animosity to this drama is such a childish approach. So, our supposed Indian Rizwan says ‘sir pe talwaar latak rahi hai’ & last thing I know no Indian from Bombay is so profound in Urdu & I say that after a personal experience because I know their linguistics, their tone & their accent exactly.
The episode had so many repetitive scenes where Imran was crying because of his mother’s condition, Jamshed was trying to trick Michelle, Rizwan was trying to put Jamshed down & what not. Just when I thought Salma will finally take a plunge out of this hell-hole, she was seen there, embodying a pain on her face (which I can’t stand) with a side braid (which I can’t stand either) telling Aliya how hard Sikandar was making it for her to leave? Like seriously? This lady ain’t going to come out of her deep slumber so we shouldn’t expect anything better or good to happen to her because she doesn’t want it herself.
Michelle (read Marina Khan) seemed so opri (Punjabi word for odd) when she was yelling & telling Rizwan as to how much he has hurt her because he was supposedly her friend & that’s when I wanted to say to Michelle that Mummy jaan, jaag jayein, sehri ka time ho gaya hai, pulao to bana liya abb parathay bhi bana lain. She has also gone on a dream trip & she ain’t waking up. Jamshed was lucky like always because things got favourable for him & he finally managed to part Rizwan from Michelle. Ohkay so, your kal ka aya hua boyfriend files a case against your bachpan ka yaar & you stand there like a statue thinking things aren’t under your control anymore. Michelle has put all the newborns to shame when it comes to IQ & that’s a shame.
Chalo jee, Imaan ke khulle baal aur 2 3 ansoo were enough for Salma to unpack her bags & tear her ticket to Pakistan. She just couldn’t see Imaan all teary & sad so hmmm how about Salma should’ve grabbed Imaan’s hand & had tagged her along because anyways, her Daadi is despicable & her father is useless, so instead of staying there to bear their expenses, she should’ve convinced Imaan to come with her because seems like Imaan can’t stay without her mother so yeah, why not? Anyways, share your thoughts about this blunder oh I mean blockbuster please.
OMG! Such a beautiful episode filled with amazing performances & dialogues. This is what Fatima & I discussed last week that we’re done with 20(+1) episodes of this play & every episode has been as interesting & as complete like the preceding episodes. Sadqay Tumhare has been such an amazing journey that has given us so much to cherish, starting from the story to characters to their chemistry to direction to screenplay to the feel of the era that they’ve drawn & to the illusion of a fantasy world they’ve created for us; everything related to this drama is beautiful. They’ve justified the notion of less being more because no matter how simple the execution of this drama has been, the attention to detail & quality speak for itself.
Finally, Shano came back home but she knew Rasheeda would do everything in her might to make her regret the decision of coming back to her parent’s home. Rasheeda actually sighed with relief because she thought her plan has once again been executed according to her commands but what caught her off guard was Amin’s take on this whole situation. Rasheeda in her wildest dreams would’ve never thought that a loyal & sincere husband like Amin, who she has been puppeteering for years will go against her wishes. ‘Meri jaisiyaan to bohat hain ammi jee, par app jaisi aik nahi puray ga’on mai to kya puray jagg mai nahi’. Shano has always reasoned with Rasheeda for being unfair but this time, the focus of Rasheeda’s wrath shifted from Shano to Amin & luckily Shano was spared for a little while.
Amin has always been very likeable for who he is but what he did this time made him earn extra points. He stood by his decision because it’s pretty evident that he has had enough of Rasheeda’s scheming & plotting. He has done everything he could to please her, he has always tried to assure her that he loves her a lot thinking this would be enough for her to stay content & happy. He has always ignored Rasheeda’s irrationality thinking she will understand on her own but Amin has pretty much understood that she is someone who cannot change & who will not change therefore Amin allowed his fatherly instincts to rule his verdict & that is why he decided he wants to put an end to Shano’s suffering because deep within, he has also suffered seeing Shano in pain. I loved the way Amin tackled Rasheeda because this is exactly what it takes to deal with such a rigid person. Rasheeda had never thought in her life that she’d live for a day to hear Amin say he doesn’t care about what she wants anymore. ‘Beghairiti se behtar hai ke mar jao, mere liye itna hi kaafi hai ke tumhari qabr pe zoja Mohammad Amin ka qatba lag jaye’. Sadly, Amin was pushed to the limit where he had to take such a firm step because he is well aware of the fact that Rasheeda is unstoppable & there’s no point in beating around the bush because she has been very vocal about her deepest darkest secrets, so there was no need of sugar coating things while conversing with Rasheeda too.
‘Tujhe nahi poochna chahiye ke imtehaan kab hain, tu de to rahi hai imtehaan, aik parcha khatam to dusra shuru’. I loved the conversation between Humaira & Shano but the tangent at which a few words of Shano took Humaira to, was something that I never expected. ‘Tum kar lo na us se shadi, muh choom loongi mai tumhara’, with so much ease & in a moment of oblivion Shano said such a thing that she wouldn’t have thought would actually provoke a thought in Humaira’s mind. Khalil & Humaira are two people that Shano trust blindly & that’s why she didn’t think much before uttering anything because Shano knows that Humaira is well aware of what Khalil means to her & Shano believes in Humaira too. It was a bit uncomfortable to see Humaira not being herself after she heard those words. I can understand Humaira’s feelings in a way that she has been a strong support system for Shano & God knows for how many years, Khalil has been the only man Humaira has heard things about, has spoken about, has thought of so I guess it’s imperative that she unconsciously developed some feelings of love & possessiveness for Khalil too. Humaira has seen Khalil through Shano’s mind & eyes, & Shano; through her words, has painted him with perfection & I believe this is what kind of makes it understandable where Humaira’s coming from. She couldn’t resist falling for such a man who is just so perfect. It looked like she just wanted to hear Shano say all that because instead of reading between the lines, she took it as an approval & let those words sway her from being a lifelong trusted friend to someone who is ready to betray her best friend.
‘Appki beti se purana pyaar hai mera, bees saal purana, do Amin Janjuay ke bachay paida kar lene se khatam nahi hota’; Rasheeda took despicability to another level. Yes, even though she just wanted to make Amin understand what he has done is wrong, she was kind of pleading in front of him to let go off her so that she can be with Abdur Rehman. With so much ease & without much effort she confessed her only desire that has been garnering in her heart & mind for years. She left no margin in stooping absolutely low to demand what she wants. Even though she might say that the only reason for her rejecting Khalil is because of what his father Sadiq & mother Inayat did to her, that’s definitely a lie because she has been so engrossed in her one-sided love with Abdur Rehman that she doesn’t care about anything or anyone; from society to family to relatives to her children to her husband; absolutely no one & nothing at all so Khalil is just another pawn that she is using to get what she wants. I actually want to see what will put an end to Rasheeda’s fixation of Abdur Rehman because she has crossed all the limits & it won’t be an overstatement but seems like it will take a miracle for her to let go of her past.
‘Paar laganay walon se dubonay walay ziyada takatwar hain’. I felt for Shano so much. Her happiness has finally made an appearance after so many obstacles that her hesitance in accepting it wholeheartedly seemed justified. She still has some inhibitions that are holding her back because she knows despite being so close; Khalil has always been so far. I loved the scene & conversation between Abdur Rehman, Naani & Tangay Wala, it seemed heartfelt & it was quite overwhelming too. People around Shano & Khalil have prayed for them every chance they got so after getting to know that they both are finally going to be together, they all have a right to rejoice over it because they have played an important role in their lives too.
As much as I want to believe what happened between Humaira & Khalil was a dream sequence, the preview suggested something totally opposite but I am still reserving my judgement & won’t resort to assumptions until I get to see what they have in store for us. This episode was complete in so many ways. I loved how beautiful Shano (read Mahira) looked in a simple white dress. She has given a perfect face to the character of Shano but without a doubt, this episode belonged to our dear Amin, who has finally taken a stand for his daughter & I give him an extra credit for saying ‘ma ban Rasheeda, baandri na ban’, haha!!! Share your thoughts about this episode of Sadqay Tumhare please. :)
Keep Supporting,
Cheers, Zahra Mirza.
ps: Covering for my dear friend Fatima Awan this week but like always, keep an eye on the comments section for her say. :)
Aashiq Hussain (عاشق حسین) is an upcoming drama on ARY Digital. Starring Faysal Qureshi and filmstar Saima the queen of Punjabi cinema. From the pictures shared on its facebook page, it appears to be a story of a middle class Punjabi family.
Cast: Faysal Qureshi, Saima Noor, Saboor Ali, Moomal Khalid, Afshan Qureshi, Zhalay Sarhadi and others
Writer: Sana Fahad
Director: Anjum Shahzad
Produced By: Dr. Ali Kazmi and Fahad Mustafa
Production House: Big Bang Prodcutions
Interview of Armeena Rana Khan, from English Daily The News by Aamna Haider Isaani
Pakistan’s entertainment industry is in reverse tide. While actors and singers are still moving out and crossing borders in search of quality and consistent work,
an equally common phenomenon is the influx of young, enterprising young actresses who have been making trips to Pakistan for projects. We’ve seen Kubra Khan (Na Maloom Afraad), Sabeeka Imam (Welcome to London and the upcoming Jalaibee) and we will be seeing a lot more of Armeena Khan, who is already on air with television series Ishq Parast. Armeena will be making her big screen debut with Bin Roye, alongside Mahira Khan and Humayun Saeed and she plays Bilal Ashraf’s love interest in Yalghaar.
The Canadian born, UK based actress is making a foray into Pakistani films with Bin Roye, Yalghar and now Reham Khan’s first movie project.
“I think I have the only glamorous role in Yalghaar,” she smiles when speaking to Instep in a brief conversation. “Both of my films are slated for Eid releases this year and I would like both of them to do well.”
Already covered in Pakistan’s glossies, Armeena is a relatively new face to Pakistan’s entertainment industry but a very pretty one at that. It’s no surprise that she has been dabbling in modeling as a hobby but it would take many of her admirers by surprise that she is a business graduate with a mainstay in property development in the UK. Acting is something she fell into and discovered an immense love for, after which she trained in London to perfect the skill.
“I started working in Pakistan with a music video (some time back) and I did some shoots with Khawar Riaz,” Armeena shares, “but back then it wasn’t viable to travel from London to Pakistan for modeling work. And I was more interested in acting anyway, which is why I chose to pursue acting. Having done television and now working on film, one of the things I really want to do is theatre if the right play comes along.”
Armeena signed up for Bin Roye two years ago and as she jokes, it was meant to be her debut in which she plays the role of Humayun’s first love interest. “It’s the parallel lead,” she says, adding that she can’t give away too much. Unfortunately, an extensive delay in filming resulted in a prolonged (and endless) shooting spell and the film has still not released. Keeping herself busy, the young actress took on TV serials Mohabbat Ab Nahin Hogi, Karb and Ishq Parast that is on-air these days.
Why does she think there is a sudden surge in casting actresses from abroad for Pakistani films and plays?
“I feel there’s a huge demand for new faces because there is foreign investment coming into films,” she responds. “There are more plays and literally no new actors so there is a demand and supply cycle, which is why producers are looking abroad.
The industry is operating on a bigger level, which is why it needs to be represented on a bigger, more international scale too. Plus producers are more broad minded now. You’ll see a bigger influx now that Pakistan is opening up.”
Do you think you have an edge over local actresses?
With Bilal Ashraf, on the sets of Yalghaar
“If anything, I’m at a slight disadvantage,” Armeena replies honestly. “There have been apprehensions about my accent but I hope I can dispel them with Karb, in which I am playing a Lucknowi girl. But I do have an international advantage. I can operate in UK and America; I don’t need work visas. It’s easy. I have to admit that I do plan to work all over the world. I’ve been told that my looks can transcend beyond one nationality and I intend to explore that. But Pakistan has been very welcoming.”
So far Armeena Khan has been very selective with her work. She has undertaken a couple of projects in the last two years that she counts as “full time work” and she’s content that she has been slow and steady in inching her way into the public eye. The projects that she’s been working on – mainly Bin Roye and Yalghaar – are supposed to release this year so 2015 holds a lot of promise for her.
The one thing she is most excited about, however, is the recent and undoubtedly most exciting project she has just signed the dotted line for. Armeena Khan has just been signed on to play lead role in Reham Khan’s film; it’ll be the first film that Mrs Imran Khan will be working on as producer.
“This untitled film is being produced by Imran Kazmi and Reham Khan,” Armeena shared the information exclusively with Instep. “Through this film, which is a romantic comedy, they want to portray the Pakhtun community in a fresh and positive light. They feel that all news around the Pakhtuns is Taliban related and hardly anything positive evolves from the region. I’m very, very excited to be working on this project.”
Unable to share too much, Armeena does offer some facts regarding the film: The story and script is ready and the director will most probably be foreign. Two male leads are being searched for right now; they have to be Pakhtun looking and the producers want new faces. This film is in pre-production phase and shooting is scheduled to start after Ramzan. Given the nature of the project, things certainly are looking up for Armeena Khan as well as films in Pakistan this year!
– See more at: http://magazine.thenews.com.pk/mag/detail_article.asp?id=10261&magId=11#sthash.LERCl8ll.dpuf
Acknowledgement: Whole content is borrowed from English Daily The News
Aye Zindagi (اے زندگی) is an upcoming drama on Hum Tv which will soon replace currently aired Mehram (محرم)on Thursday’s evening at 8 pm.
The new drama serial has been written by Saira Arif and is a production of M Entertainment. The serial has been directed by renowned director Adnan Wain Qureshi. The cast of the serial includes notable stars like Sakina Samo, Manzoor Qureshi, Sidra Batool, Affan Waheed Qureshi, Zarnish Khan, Hassan Ahmed, Hassan Niazi, Mosin,Gillani, Syed Mazhar Ali, Shamim Hilaly, Khalid Ahmed, Nida Mumtaz, Ali Abbas, Manal, Humaira Zahid, Sundas Tariq, Naushaba Javed,Sabahat Bukhari, and others.
Ho Mann Jahan (ہو من جہاں) is an upcoming film currently being filmed in Karachi. Starring Mahira Khan, Sheharyar Munnawwar Siddiqi and Adeel Hussain in lead roles the film is also produced by Sheharyar Munnawar Siddiqi. Ho Mann Jahan is the working title of the film and is expected to be changed upon release of the film.
As per its facebook page the team is “chilling after packup”. Its unclear whether the pack-up is after the complete shooting or after the shooting of current spell.
Here are some further pictures shared on the facebook page. A glance at the pictures gives the impression that the story revolves around a three member musical band who are also friends, where Adeel Hussain is a drummer, Sheharyar Munnawwar Siddiqi is a guitarist and Mahira Khan is the main vocal.
Here is one video shared earlier by Team Ho Mann JahaN
Mera Naam Hai Yousaf ( میرا نام یوسف ہے) previously Yousaf Bina ZulekhaaN (یوسف بنا زلیخاں) is a new drama starting from 6 March 2015 on APlus
Starring Imran Abbas, Maya Ali, Mansha Pasha, Hina Bayat, Wasim Abbas, Taqi Ahmed, Ali Sheikh
Written by Khalil ur Rehman Qamar
Directed by Mehreen Jabbar
Produced by Aplus.
Here is the OST in the voice of Rizwan Anwar composed by Saad Sultan
Ohkay so, when I asked my awesome readers to suggest me a good drama to review, I got a lot of recommendations for Khuda Dekh Raha Hai & surprisingly, I found it pretty interesting. Writing of Shahzad Javed & Atifa Mohammad, Production of Sadia Jabbar & Direction of Sabiha Sumar; Khuda Dekh Raha Hai airs on Aplus & it deals with a very different subject. For now, you really can’t figure out what message are they trying to convey but after watching the first two episodes, I have a feeling that they’ll definitely live up to our expectations because till now they’ve very intelligently dealt with such a complex subject that often rules people’s lives.
The story is about Khalida (Bushra Ansari) & her family that consists of her husband Akhtar (Qazi Wajid), son Moeez (Asad Siddique) & her daughter Zoya (Sajjal Ali). Khalida runs an Istakhara Centre where she thinks she is helping people by listening to their sufferings & advising them about how they should deal with such issues. Khalida is very passionate about what she does because according to her, she is conducting a good cause by helping people & she believes she shows them the right path through her Istakhara according to the hints she gets from The Creator. The setup of her family is completely different to how it should be, given how religious Khalida supposedly is. Akhtar doesn’t support what his wife does because according to him, she is just running a business & is earning through people’s problems. Moeez is an obedient son who looks after his father’s business but at the same time, he’s stubborn enough to get what he wants. Zoya is also obedient & does what her mother tells her to but she’s a lot more logical & is more like a voice of reason in that house which is ruled by an orthodox & staunch Khalida.
I found it pretty interesting that where Khalida has engrossed herself into other’s problems & gives a considerable amount of time to her welfare activity, she is oblivious to what her kids are up to. Both Moeez & Zoya are two decent people but they’ve found a way to break the rules Khalida has set for them. Moeez happens to be in a relationship with a very liberal & independent girl Sanam (Sana Askari) who doesn’t believe in compromising when it comes to what she wants. She has Moeez wrapped around her finger because she knows that he loves her & would do anything for her. Zoya is also involved with her batch-mate Junaid (Agha Ali) who happens to be a musician. Zoya is still a bit more considerate to her mother’s wishes in comparison to Moeez because he has made it very clear that no matter what happens, he will only get married to Sanam but Zoya on the other hand keeps on telling Junaid that her mother will never approve of their marriage until he stops being a musician.
I think they gave a very realistic picture to a personality of such a woman who has made a name in her circle because of her religious inclination. There are people who depend on her verdict more than they would depend on their own instincts. Khalida is more like a decision maker in the lives of those people who follow her & believe her verdict without a doubt. The way Khalida painted her activity actually made me believe that she was doing it all without expecting anything in return but the decisions she made deciding the fate of two of her followers actually showed another side of the picture. It’s still a mystery as to why Khalida does it but going by what was shown, it’s hard to believe that she could be responsible for ruining so many lives just by exploiting those who put their faith in her. She’s more like those typical peer fakirs who believe to have some super-powers but are misapprehended that they can shape up people’s lives because what she orders others to do & what happens under her own roof right under her nose are two different stories. Khalida’s character is very complex because there are a lot of shades that she embodies. She is religious but on the other hand she doesn’t treat her husband with the respect he is entitled to. She thinks carrying on with a wazeefa is more important than to tend to someone who might be suffering with serious health issues.
I liked Zoya’s character a lot because she questioned her mother & tried to mend her perspective rightfully. She seems rational & logical because she just doesn’t believe in following her mother blindly. Yes, Zoya is conscious of her mother’s likes & dislikes & gives her that much respect that she is entitled to but on the other hand she lets her feelings get the best of her & she often deceives her mother because she knows that no matter how hard she will try, she won’t get an approval of her mother for the things she likes & enjoys. I don’t say that I liked Moeez’s character but I found him interesting in a way too, in fact I like how both these siblings are different yet similar to each other. Zoya at least tries to make Junaid understand what her mother expects & what her family background’s like but Moeez conveniently resorts to hiding the truth from both; Sanam & Khalida. As much as he might say that he supports her mother, but when it comes to Sanam, he makes it very clear that even though Khalida might not like Sanam for a lot of things, he will stick to his decision of marrying her because she makes him happy. As much as I want to believe that Sanam is as sincere to Moeez as he is to her, I feel she isn’t because she doesn’t love him unconditionally as she has decided to get married to him after giving consideration to a lot of other things that she might be able to benefit from, through Moeez.
So, my verdict about Khuda Dekh Raha Hai would be; so far so good & I just so hope that it stays that way. The drama has had a good start & I am glad that even though the cast might not be a biggie, the story seems to be different & the characters are nicely etched out too. I found the chemistry between all the characters really good & they all seemed very comfortable with each other which actually gave a good feel to the drama. The acting has been good & so has been the direction; however I do feel that the production value could’ve been better but never mind, as far as we’re going to get a good drama & a good story, rest of the things don’t really matter. Share your say about first 2 episodes of Khuda Dekh Raha Hai & yes, I thank all those readers who suggested this drama to me. :)
Written by Mohsin Ali, directed by Badar Mehmood and produced by Big Bang Entertainment, Ishq Parast is a play you should tune into if you’re sick of watching plays revolving around dusri shadi, saas bahu rivalry and gender discrimination. After Muhabbat Ab Nahe Hogi, I was looking forward to seeing more of Armeena Rana Khan because I remember how she had managed to own quite a challenging character. Two episodes down and Ishq Parast has kept me hooked! Even though our farigh Amir (Ahmed Ali) from Dusri Biwi is back in action with flaring nostrils, I must say his character in this play makes a whole lot more sense :).
Hamza (Ahmed Ali) is an immature and short-tempered guy who comes from a broken family. His world shattered after his parents’ divorce- both his mother & father turned over a fresh leaf with their ‘new’ spouses but Hamza, on the other hand, was torn between the two people he loved the most. He moved out and he now lives on his own. Since he witnessed his parents’ marriage crumbling while he was very young and couldn’t get the right time and attention from either of his parents, he adapted a pessimistic perception of relationships in general but there’s just one person who means the world to him- Dua!
Hamza is truly, MADLY, deeply in love with his class mate, Dua (Armeena Rana Khan). Dua is your usual pretty, loving and caring young lady who wants her impulsive lover to take control of his life. Hamza believes in living for today while Dua is foresighted enough to realize that for the sake of a stable future, Hamza needs to have a more responsible attitude towards his life. Hamza is extremely possessive about Dua because his relationship with her has been the only ‘solid’ relationship he has ever had and he’s too afraid to let it slip through his fingers. This guy has some serious anger management issues but what I am liking about this play is the fact that there’s a solid background and reason as to why the characters are behaving the way they are. Jin jin rishton par mera haq tha sab cheenay gaye mujh se! I had no trouble at all in relating to Hamza’s short temper, frustration and impulsiveness. I think I mentioned somewhere in Dusri Biwi’s review that every time I see Ahmed Ali onscreen, I hear ‘Chahay mujhay koi junglee kahayyyy’ in the background. If there’s an award for ‘Junooni of the Year’, he most certainly deserves it!
Hey, did Hamza mention exactly ‘how’ does he manage on his own considering his job-nahe-karni-attitude?
The other side of the story deals with Zohaib (Syed Jibran) and Arsala (Arij Fatyma). Zohaib and Arsala are a rare pair of siblings and they love each other to bits. They lost their parents when Arsala was only six and since then, Zohaib has been her protector, confidant & best friend. Arsala has always been the apple of his eye and she is portrayed as an outspoken and daredevil teenager with a happy-go-lucky attitude towards life. I am finding it a little too hard to like Arsala because she is spoiled rotten and I think she gets plain rude without even realizing it- at least that’s what I can gather. I may be wrong but Arij Fatyma’s dialogue delivery sounds a bit artificial, like, she is trying too hard or something.
There are a few developments I found a bit OTT. I mean, the part till Zohaib developing a liking for Dua the moment he sets his eyes on her in the mall was alright but Arsala’s lame & desperate attempts to get her brother married are a little too far-fetched to digest. I mean, I was amazed how casually Arsala could get all the ‘important’ info about Dua’s best friend, Rida and I guess any sane person would’ve (and should’ve) given a shut-up call to a chirpy girl acting so over-frank+over-smart. By the way, doesn’t Arsala go to university, I mean, all I’ve seen her doing is shopping, bhai ko tang karring and repeat!
Hamza finally gets a decent job offer only to find that his employers want him to work in Islamabad which is something he can’t think of because he can’t afford to live miles away from Dua. Dua’s dialogues when she tried to explain the gravity of the situation to Hamza were really nice, ”Main samajhti thi meri muhabbat nay tumhe mazboot bana dia hai magar nahe, meri muhabbat nay tou tumhe kamzor kardia hai”. I guess Hamza’s decision to leave for Islamabad will lead to many changes in Dua’s life so I am really looking forward to it.
You know, Waseem Abbass and his naak-par-ghussa-rehna walay roles are ticking me off big time!! I wanted to cover my ears to escape from the torture of his repetitive taunts and after Main Bushra, I don’t think I can take his temper any longer!! Khair, Dua’s father, Saif Mushtaq ”PASHA” (Waseem Abbass) is a strict father whose taunts can drive any sane person nuts! How does his wife (Saba Faisal) tolerate him? Aap kay sabr ko salaam!
Armeena Rana Khan looks pretty as a doll.<3 Her wardrobe has always been very impressive and those headbands look adorable on her! Arij Fatyma looks stunning too and I wish Ishq Parast’s makeup artists could teach a thing or two about ‘keeping things natural’ to Aik Pal’s makeup team too!
What are your thoughts on Ishq Parast? Share your views, people!
Many of our celebrities have been blessed with beautiful babies last year and this year promises a lot more celebrity babies with Ali Zafar and Shehzad sheikh‘s babies already making their arrival in the world and Moomal Sheikh expecting her first child now there is news that Sarwat Gillani who also got married last year is expecting her first baby.
Sarwat Gillani has not been seen on TV much for the past few months but a picture of her posted on Twitter by Mathira’s sister Rose shows Sarwat Gillani with a baby bump. The picture was taken at an event which was arranged by ChenOne Pakistan.
Sarwat Gillani looks beautiful, we are waiting for her to share her good news with her fans soon. We wish her all the best.
Veena Malik and her husband Asad Khattak met Imran Khan and his wife Reham Khan at a dinner in Dubai this Tuesday. Asad Khattak and Veena Malik also donated money for Shaukat Khanum Peshawar. Veena Malik was very happy with the visit. She and her husband posted pictures of the visit on their twitter page.
Shehzad sheikh and Moomal Sheikh got married in the same year and these siblings are going to be become parents in the same year too. Shehzad sheikh was blessed with a beautiful baby boy on Wednesday 25th February and Moomal Sheikh is also expecting her first baby. Shehzad has named his son Shahmir Sheikh.
Friends and family threw a grand baby shower for mommy-to-be Moomal Sheikh. Moomal wore blue on her baby shower which could suggest that she too is expecting a baby boy. Moomal Sheikh got her make-up and hair-do for the baby shower done from Palwasha Yusuf.
We wish the Sheikh siblings and their families the very best.
This was the best episode of Alvida so far; every scene was beautifully directed and I could totally relate to everything that went on in Haya’s life except for the last part of course which was too sudden and shocking! The wedding ceremony was beautifully covered with short and to-the-point scenes and attention to detail. I never thought that brown color could look so good on a Mehndi function but it did. Haya’s attempts to miss the Mehndi and then making sure that she sits with her back towards the stage were details that made the viewers relate to how difficult this was for Haya and how hard she was trying to be “brave”! Farisa’s insecurities got the best of her and she decided to share her “true feelings” with Haya who was shocked to hear all that coming from her best friend. Saim reminded Farisa that this was a very difficult time in Haya’s life therefore she should be there with her but Farisa was too scared of “losing” Saim therefore she decided to leave Haya alone at the most difficult juncture of her life. Haya’s character is shaping up to be interesting. Haya might be a teenager who likes to get what she wants but she also knows when it is time to make an exit from someone’s life. Farisa is an insecure girl who might accuse Haya of being self-obsessed but she is quite self-centered herself.
When Haya decided to flee the house and she actually had a plan to go ahead with her decision I was really surprised. Was she planning to leave the house any way after Haadi got married? Because no one could have made these arrangements in such a short span of time. Naveen Waqar looked beautiful as a bride and the scene in which Haya walks in Haadi’s room to talk to Aroosa was a visual treat. The decor of the room was very different from what we usually see in our dramas and the candles in the background looked very pretty. Haadi’s reaction and his conversation with Haya showed how different he is from Haya. He is mature enough to handle the most difficult situations without losing his grip, Haya on the other hand lets her emotions guide her.
Aroosa is very sure that Haya will get over Haadi soon enough and things will be back to normal. Haadi knows Haya more than anyone else and he thinks that Haya might never come back. Aroosa kept her cool after finding out about Haya’s feelings for Haadi, she knew that she had to handle the situation wisely. Imran Abbas and Sanam Jung were flawless all through tonight’s episode just like the previous one. The chemistry between these two actors coupled with their brilliant performances made their scenes an absolute treat to watch. There were times however when I felt like Naveen Waqar could have delivered her dialogues more convincingly especially when she told Haadi that everything was going to be okay on the night of their wedding. Sara Khan’s performance has not given me anything to complain about so far, she fits perfectly in her role. Sanam Jung looked adorable in every single scene. She has beautiful eyes and she knows how to put them to good use!
I watched the episode online therefore I missed the preview of the next episode. Will Haadi go and talk to Haya so that he can bring her back? I am definitely waiting to find out. Alvida is definitely a good play to watch on a week day but I am not attaching any high hopes to the drama yet – once bitten twice shy!!
Shiraz aik “kamina”mard hai aur “Azar character ka bura nahi hai”! No! I am not saying that but these words of wisdom were uttered by our heroine when she told Shiraz off for letting Numair use his apartment for molesting girls. So basically Rameen would much rather trust and stay with the person who raped her then put her trust in Shiraz who might have given Numair the keys to his apartment many months back but did nothing to harm Rameen when she stayed at his house. Rameen thinks she is better off with Azar because he might be a coward but he is not characterless!! Rameen needs a wake-up call! I am beyond disappointed in her character. The main protagonist who could have played a very important role in telling the story of rape victims and could also have been the ray of hope for girls who have been molested by providing them some kind of an inspiration has been reduced to this pathetic character who does not even think before acting. The fact that Rameen was looking for another sahara was bad enough, things are even worse now because she is once again putting her trust in Manal and Numair.
I was speechless when I saw Manal’s reaction on finding out that the apartment Numair took the girls to belonged to Shiraz. That scene proved two things; one that Manal knows that Numair is a rapist and second that Manal is even more dumb than we imagined she was!! The sad part is that both these women are educated and very well aware of how they are being exploited yet they find it impossible to make one phone call to the police and get this man behind bars. On the other hand both these women are like puppets who dance to whatever tunes Numair plays. Manal’s dialogue “Numair ka dost hai Numair jesa hi go ga na”was another “masterpiece”!!
Rameen ne Saeein Ji ka dil tor diya…..I find it very hard to relate to the way Rameen is constantly compared to Shiraz’s dead wife. The woman probably spent more than 10 years of her life with this man and Rameen hardly spent some months with them yet somehow she is supposed to be equally important! Someone please tell Shiraz to find his kids a good nanny – I am sure he can afford one or even two!!
This drama has innumerable flaws but the biggest flaw in this drama is that most of the problems which almost all the characters have are self-created. Rameen can easily move to a shelter but she would much rather not! Shiraz can hire two maids for his kids, pay them well and I am sure they will as happy as a hippo! Manal should leave Numair and half of her troubles will be over! But the sad fact is that somehow these women are convinced that even if your man is a rapist or someone who has abused you without end in the past he deserved to be forgiven like nothing ever happened. I always had a problem with the men in this drama being obsessed with holding Rameen every time they talk to her but it is simply illogical the way Rameen lets Numair touch her even now and Manal stands by and watches while he is at it! This episode had a lot of unnecessarily long conversations – a good example of a lot of talking and very little story development.
The preview of the next episode showed that the drama is not ending any time soon. Rameen will get flowers from “Azar” but somehow she will not talk to him therefore she will not find out that he is dead! ARY claims that Chup Raho is the most watched drama of 2015 – kya khayal hai aap ka is bare mein;)
My goodness! I can’t believe that this drama has become such a mind-teaser. I am completely speechless & mind-numbed after watching this episode. What are they trying to show is what I am not understanding? The purpose of this drama, anyone? What’s there to get entertained with, in this drama? If you guys can find an answer to that, I’d appreciate if you share it with me as well.
As much as I was looking forward to Qasim’s character & his scenes, he has been so disappointing. His typicality is ticking me off big time because that’s fine, he’s a father & he’s over-possessive about his daughter but if he had paid an ounce of attention in upbringing Rukhi rightly, he wouldn’t be facing all this. Very conveniently he blamed Saman for what Rukhi’s doing but as much as this notion didn’t make sense, it made me understand that Qasim is not only misapprehended but he is deluded too. Saman just came to America & Rukhi has been dating David since months. He said Rukhi followed Saman’s footsteps but how is the situation of these two girls similar? Saman married an already married man & she decided to leave him, Rukhi is dating a gora, so? Any similarities that I couldn’t pick? Chalo if Saman & Rukhi would’ve been life-long friends, it would’ve made sense that Rukhi got influenced by Saman but she has been head-strong & stubborn on her own & if Qasim loves to play the blame game, he should hold himself responsible first, for supposedly ruining Rukhi’s mindset because he wasn’t clearly paying enough attention to his daughter & he didn’t do his job well.
Can someone also tell me what’s the ‘purpose’ of Omar’s character in this serial? If they hadn’t hired him I am sure the makeup guy would’ve saved heaps of foundation, eyeshades, lip-glosses & the hair guy would’ve saved 10 cans of hairspray. His character is so useless that it’s not even funny. He just wears fancy coats, roams around the streets & the funniest is, he goes around giving people advices on relationships, that too after he has failed at two of his own. How rich is that? LOL! Poor guy. I am glad he is there to provide some entertainment in this otherwise boring drama.
Oh looks like I hit the bullseye last week when I already deduced that the way Shazia spoke about her husband went to show that he didn’t exist & I was so right. He passed away a year ago & she was just faking his presence. Chalo, she wanted to lie to stop her MIL from getting onto her nerves, that’s fine, but how can she go around inviting people over for lunches & dinners when she knows that her husband’s not going to be a part of it? I really like Shazia’s character & even sympathize with her but dudette, you made me terrified because of your mental state. Sorry but looks like all the ladies of this drama are either half-mad or clueless!
I did enjoy Rukhi & David’s scenes. Not sure if they’ll be able to get married but for now, something in this drama that’s appeasing to see is their relationship. Is it just me or most of the conversations that happened between Saman & Zainab didn’t make sense? Yes, Zainab’s annoying but why is Saman always so ticked off at her? The whole ‘tars’ scenario was way too pushed in this episode. Saman’s speaking about ‘tars’, Zainab’s seeking for some ‘tars’ but she ain’t getting any. I find Zainab & Saman’s friendship completely forced. Yes, Saman is staying at Zainab’s place but she is the one who is known for changing places the moment anyone utters a single word in her shaan ki ghustakhi, so it just doesn’t seem right that she has been tolerating Zainab for so long. She has easily been able to find jobs for herself so why can’t she live on her own? I completely find Omar & Zainab’s characters meaningless in this drama.
Oh! That whole crying-on-Omar’s-shoulder scene was so disappointing. I really thought Saman would break down but it was only Rukhi’s condition that reduced her to tears & made her go all inclined towards Omar but then she just left as if something bit her & she wanted to hide it. I really can’t understand Saman either. She is so unhappy that she makes my blood boil. Anyways, share your thoughts about this episode of Zidd please.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers, Zahra Mirza.
ps: I’m in a market for any other drama to review as I can’t continue with Zidd due to obvious reasons, so if you guys have any suggestions for good dramas that are about to commence or have just started airing, do let me know. I will review Zidd till I find another suitable drama to replace it. Thanks. :)
Ali Zafar and his wife Ayesha Fazli were blessed with a beautiful baby girl on Monday. The baby was born in Lahore. Ali Zafar informed his fans of the good news viz Twitter. Ali Zafar and Ayesha Fazli are already parents to a boy Azaan.
Ali Zafar has been in the news a lot lately because of his song “Urainge” which was dedicated to the victims of the Peshawar attack. Ali Zafar has not shared the picture of his daughter yet and he has also informed his fans that the name has not been decided.
There is no doubt about that our writers had played a big role in making our dramas globally hit. Whether we talk about Umera Ahmed or Khalil ur Rehman Qamar, their thought provoking stories had given drama industry a recognition. Of course we do admire our actors/actresses, directors and production houses but what attracts audience is a brilliant storyline and a strong plot that send some positive messages as well to the audience. Cast, direction and Production is secondary and that’s the reason why we had witnessed many star studded downers recently.
Dragging is there and I accept it and we had indeed talked about it zillion of times. In my opinion dragging is acceptable unless a story of a particular play is entertaining us for example Pyaray Afzal, we all know that ARY had dragged this play up till 37 episodes but we all have enjoyed this drama and our emotions were quite high about it.However if our writers continue to provide us with stories that are full of clichés and controversies then soon there will be a decline of this growing industry.
Now let’s take a week review of those high budgeted dramas airing these days and analyse how our writers have failed us in terms of quality entertainment.
Aik Pal: This is supposed to be a mega project of HUM TV but I guess in production. Mega project nowadays means a large villa and some luxury cars. Ok for many of you out there the story might seems to be interesting but for me it’s actually very boring. The plot is good but storyline to be honest isn’t attractive at all. We all know that how flat is the story, there is one good guy and one bad guy that’s it. This drama got no curiosity as what will happen next neither it contains any suspense.
Dosri Biwi:“Naam hi kafi hai”, I mean do I need to say anything. Dosri biwi is the latest obsession from our drama writers and ARY Digital thought that promoting this kind of pathetic play would actually increase the TRP. Come on For God sake we don’t need picture quality we need thought provoking stories. I am not watching this brilliant stuff so can’t comment more about it.
Zid: WOOH! Yet another high budgeted drama shot in America, probably producers’ favourite country. So drama took off with a good pace and first five episodes were interesting but now it has gone totally baseless. Seriously what this drama is all about? What writers wants us to understand? All I could understand in this drama that everyone got their own thinking and they demand for their rights, however the way they demand for the rights is not correct. So now what else is remaining in this drama when all cards were already revealed by the writer? Saman left the house and Omar is not making any effort to bring her back. What Saman wants now? What Rukhi wants? What Omar wants? Scenes are incomplete and didn’t make any sense.
Chup Raho: wow! Wow! Wow! Yet another masterpiece brought to you by Samira Fazal and ARY Digital. “bahi pair pakar ke maafi maangte hain agar koi ghalti hogai hum audience se lekin is torture se bahar nikaalo”. This drama is surely on an endless path and making no sense at all. “Rameen ke adventure hain ke khatam hi nahi ho rhe”. Rameen’s infinite stupidity is making me sick and the story is just going round and round in circles. I would like to request samira fazal please stop writing for a while and make your return when you get some good logical stories in your mind. Let’s see what Alvida will offer us in future.
Jackson Heights: This 24 instalment drama could have been easily wrapped up in 16 to 18 episodes but our producers and directors love to drag it. “In ka khaana hazam jo nahi hota drag kiye bagher”. Forget dragging but seriously I witnessed many loopholes in the story. Salma is such a darling! I would like to ask Vasay Chaudhry where I can find this type of wife who can be treated as a doormat despite being an independent bread winner. On the other hand Michelle is such a cute baby who had rejected her trusted friend and is going to marry a boy who is half of her age and just arrived from Pakistan. Vasay sahab your story was different and I appreciate it but you still need to work on your script and learn to design some sensible characters.
Seriously by looking at the list above you will ask yourself what happened to our writers. Soap like “Susraal Mera” was good than these high budgeted dramas. Only Digest Writer and Goyaa are there to rescue us.
I am not watching “Sadqey Tumhaare” but let’s see what Khalil ur Rehman will offer us in “Zulekha bin Yusuf”. Furthermore we definitely need new writers with resplendent stories.What do you guys have to say on this topic?
”I have a dream that one day Pakistani drama serials will show a strong-headed wife staying true to her vow of never returning to her loser husband.” Hayee, until that day comes, I guess we are stuck with wives who are so thickheaded that when their husbands deceive them, they blame neither the husband in question nor the other woman but they go on with their lives, thinking as if it’s their lack of attention due to which their husbands simply ‘lost’ their interest, after all un kay shauhar tou doodh peetay bachay hain, like, they don’t have a sense of right and wrong! Coming back to the story, well, Biwi No.1 couldn’t leave her piya dearest on the rehm-o-karam of Biwi N.2 and she just HAD to remind her sautan of the fact that, ‘Sirf mein apnay loser piya ki shirt press karti thi, karti hun aur karti rahoon gi’ because according to Biwi No.1, it doesn’t matter if he shattered her trust or married another woman and is having a baby too, what matters is the fact that her name is attached to that of this pathetic guy and as long as that’s the case, she will stay by him through thick and thin. As far as I can recall, Aisha had made it clear that she only went back to Hassan for the sake of her daughter but if that’s the case, why is she so concerned as to who takes care of Hassan’s things? From whatever we’ve seen up till now, all I can deduce is that our dusri biwi plays follow a certain pattern so here are a few, fixed phases:
A- Mills & Boon Phase: At this stage, the marital life is shown to be just perfecttttttttt. Overloaded with super-cheesy dialogues, exchange of promises andd in this play, Hassan used to sing Aisha to sleep so you can guess how difficult it gets for viewers to figure out why did the piya resort to dusri shadi.
B- Love can strike anywhere anytime Phase: Well, here the husband just wakes up one day and magically falls in love with a girl who happens to be unmarried and yet, she chooses to live the rest of her life with an already married guy- epitome of true love, huh?
C- Disclosure and Immediate After-Effects Phase: That’s when the news of piya’s dusri shadi is out in the open and the Biwi No.1’s whole world collapses AND her dhokaybaaz piya is the last person she wants to see.
D- Patch-up Phase: Normally this phase comes after a lot of apologies & justifications from the piya’s end but surprise, surprise, in this case, it didn’t take piya’s sweet talking but actually Bhabi’s golden advice to make Biwi No.1 realize that life without sartaaj is a life not worth living! So cool!
E- Biwi No.1 Vs. Biwi No.2 ‘Clash of the Titans’ Phase: Needless to say, this stage involves incessant attempts of both the begmaat to win the only thing they have in common*drumrolls* their sartaaj! The ironic part is that the piya’s not even worth fighting for and while these two ladies are struggling to win their piya jee, the fasaad ki jurr enjoys the situation with a triumphant smile because the world hasn’t been a better place for him! Even though we haven’t exactly reached this stage in this play yet, I can smell it from here!
I wish I could talk to the writer and ask her what in the world was she thinking while penning Bhabi Jee’s dialogues because they were perhaps the worsttttt dialogues I’ve come across in a long, long, time! Let me just say that I don’t doubt her intentions one bit- words can’t explain how concerned Bhai and Bhabi Jee are about Aisha- too bad they’re not blessed with a cerebrum and this time around, Bhai Jee’s logic was at least making some sense but about Bhabi Jee, I’ve given up! According to her, Hassan tou bohat narmdil aur masoom tha aur hai. I mean, since when? Woh tou uss larki nay ussay apnay jaal mein phasa liya. And I couldn’t believe my ears when she advised Aisha to take this whole situation as a ‘challenge’ to win Hassan and prove to him that Farah is not worth his time or attention. Aisha, tum khud ko jor kar uss ko (Farah ko) tor do! Girl, you’re so wise that Socrates is weeping in his grave!
To tell you the truth, I am finding Farah and Saman’s bonding veryyyyy unnatural and forced! As far as I know Farah’s 24/7 frown isn’t exactly the sort that’d attract kids and how can Saman grow so close to a woman over a few days? I mean, Saman was actually ‘missing’ her dream ‘aunty’ (Farah)!
And it SEEMS like Amir is gone for good and I lay emphasis on this ‘seem’ because Amir is writer’s darling- she adds him whenever she craves some tension and discards him whenever she feels like. I know the name of this Amir guy- Ahmed Ali! UFF! Now that I am watching IshqParast (will review it too), there’s only one sing that clicks my mind everytime I see him on the screen: Chahay mujhay koi Jungleeee kahayyyy! Seriously, this guy loves to play the junooni of the year and I don’t know if it’s just me but Farah and Amir’s scene today reminded me of Rameen and Numair/Aazar’s scenes and this is something I found way too cringe-worthy! Hey guys, Taj Begum ko halka na lo! I really feel like holding that glass jar in my hand to see how much it weighs because I couldn’t believe my eyes when Amir just fell flat on the floor- just like that! All I can say is, next time someone tries to strike you with some glass thing, Amir ka anjaam yaad rakhna! Shukar hai the guy didn’t die on spot! For those who didn’t watch the episode, Amir tried to physically harass Farah (remember, Karachi is so safe that we keep our doors unlocked so anyone can barge his/her way in) but Taj Biwi struck him with a glass jar thingy AND Amir lost his consciousness! He was taken to the police and now he has left the city- so that’s supposed to be the end of his character, no?
So this is what Episode 13 was all about. I am extremely disappointed and let’s see how the story’s going to shape up now. Share your thoughts, people!
Tonight’s episode focused on Bareera and Omair’s strained relationship and Noor Fatima’s social work. There was a new development in the story, which could have been much quicker.
Bareera has closed all doors of happiness on herself. Her life and her are a mess. She not only smokes, in order to relieve stress, but spends her time lying around the house, while her maid takes care of her like a baby. Shukar hai, maid cheater nahi. In most dramas maids are the biggest cheaters in a begum sahiba‘s life! (after their husbands of course) Being an educated person, who used to be full life, Bareera’s character is disappointing me. She didn’t ever submit to anybody, but as soon as Omair handed over the reports in her hands, she believed him, and made her life more pathetic than it was already. Kuch tou karti. Beena was ready to help her, but she refused. I think, the writer has delivered her message here. Bareera has always been away from religion, and never consulted Allah in any matter. When she faced such big problems in her life, she resorted to temporary stress relieving activities like smoking, which will obviously cause more problems for her.
Omair is a big cheater, and if the feeling of doubt we have is right, and he gave Bareera wrong reports so she wouldn’t bother him for starting a family, then he deserves to be divorced by Bareera and never forgiven. His and Bareera’s scenes which showed their strained relationship got a bit repetitive, but I was glad that the pol was kholo-fied. Bareera spotting him with his girlfriend at the club gave me a sigh of relief. But I was surprised when instead of screaming at him, Bareera decided to leave with her friend Farhan, and then got worried that Omair would doubt her character. That’s not like Bareera!
Noor Fatima, on the other hand, is the nicest soul in town, the social worker, religious gatheringorganizer and to top it all off a great mom and wife. All in one package. All I saw her doing today was talking about; opening a school for poor girls, organizing milad and dars and talking to her kid and husband in super sweet tone. I get it, she is SUPER nice, but then why didn’t any of her scenes strike a chord? Was it the kid’s bad acting (which I don’t mind because he is very young and cute <3 ) or her monotonous tone? Or the fact that most of her scenes were shot in the living room which I have grown tired of watching? The representation of Noor Fatima_ the nicest person in town could have been much better. When for the fourth or fifth time, I heard the tales of her social work I looked at the television and begged, bas kardo taareefein! I also don’t get why she wears a scarf at home? Bahir jayein tou samajh aata hai but she never goes out either.
Bareera’s friend from university days called her (the same one who met Noor Fatima in the milad) and Bareera invited her home. Omair’s friend (remember his crime partner in the university?) was shown helpless after the loss in his father’s business but when he came to Omair for a job, Omair refused to recognize him. That’s just the type of person Omair is. Mu’shaf was kind enough to grant him a temporary job with a promise of making it permanent if he worked hard.
The episode lacked the punch that the last two episodes had, but was overall interesting. A few details could be toned down a bit, for example Noor Fatima’s tone. Bareera should try to pick herself up now, otherwise the story will become boring. Did anyone notice, that when Bareera goes to meet the doctor, her makeup was light and she looked much better than she looks with loads of makeup!
Famous singer and composer Adnan Sami Khan is resuming acting after a gap of nearly two decades by appearing in an upcoming Bollywood film.
As per English Daily The News,
Ten years after he made his debut as an actor with Syed Noor’s Sargam, Adnan Sami Khan is set to return to the screen. The musician took to social media to make the announcement on Friday, posting on his official Facebook page, “People are asking me about the role in my debut film… so here it goes… I am about to play a conman, who is inefficient and not a bright person, a clumsy character. It’s an intelligent script. In the next few months, the film will go on floors.”
Adnan, who is no stranger to Bollywood where his music remains vastly popular, says he is very excited to make his second foray into acting. His first stint was quite a successful one, with the real life couple of Adnan and Zeba Bakhtiar creating magic on screen.
While no further details about the Bollywood project have been divulged, we’re at least glad to know that he won’t be playing the role of love-struck college Romeo – a crime that middle-aged actors in the film industry continue to commit!
– See more at: http://magazine.thenews.com.pk/mag/detail_article.asp?id=10234&magId=11#sthash.nbt4ck5l.dpuf
Ghurbat jo hai wohh insaan se uski confidence cheen leti hai… With each passing episode, we are inching a little closer to Rahat’s past- Zeb let on some gruesome details about how Sr. Hashmi’s family ko zinda jala diya tha and something awful happening to his sisters that was far too cruel to narrate in words. I think Zeb must’ve mentioned her mother countless times since she arrived but no one seems to bother to ask the obvious- how does Zeb’s mother know such intimate details of Rahat Hashmi’s past? This episode seemed very random in contrast to the previous ones. There is still an air of mystery lingering on but I’m afraid if this keeps up for much longer, it won’t have the same impact on the viewers as it did in the initial episodes. I can’t imagine how frustrating it may be for the drama writers to comply with the requirements of stretching a story for a number of episodes because the channel demands it- ARY is doing that again with Goya. Will they never learn???
This episode just didn’t resonate like any of its predecessors. After last week, I was happy with how real the characters seemed. But this week, the characters seemed to be just as clueless as the audience. I was disappointed that Omar didn’t seem to react hearing about his father’s past- maut se bilkul nahin dartey aur zindagi se unko koi gharz nahin hai… Is this the same Omar who reacts to any and everyone around him; who genuinely cares for people? How did he suddenly develop such a cold exterior? Granted, he is feeling suffocated by his father and losing patience with the games Sr. Hashmi seems to enjoy playing, still, I would’ve liked to see some streak of empathy for a fellow human being.
Oh, another thing I don’t get- Why are we still discussing Adnan? I really liked his character and I really liked the way his exit was unexpected but taking us back to flashbacks about him and focusing on Zara’s addiction is steering the story completely away from the main protagonists. Mohini’s role is reduced to one of a supporting actor. Whatever happened to the strong, independent go-getter? Why are we seeing a woman who’s given up on life and willing to spend her days reminiscing the good times instead of taking control of her life? Omar has all the answers- he knows his father is responsible for this situation. Until last week, Zara was certain Mohini couldn’t possibly run away and this week Zara is expressing her doubts over Mohini’s intentions.
Once again, Rahat’s interactions with Zeb are beyond me. Here’s a man who’s obsessed with controlling people and he somehow can’t even seem to get a straight answer out of Zeb- his house-help! Miss-Know-It-All parades all over his study and drops hint after hint of his past and such and he just freezes and remains in a stupor until their next interaction. Seems like Haniya is finally feeling empowered- does her baby have something to do with it or is the influence of the bold and outspoken house-help? Rahat seems to be struggling with the women in his life! And here I thought Karachi mein hawa bhi inki marzi se chalti hai…
Nomi’s mysterious disappearance reaffirms that he’s probably given in to his dark side and was somehow a part of Sr. Hashmi’s plan- #BringBackMyOmar. I hope he’s not going to start another killing spree #MohiniMustDie. I don’t know if there are any more twists remaining but for now, I really wish we could get back to seeing Omar and Mohini and how they take charge of their lives under such circumstances.
P.S. I don’t know about Omar and Mohini but Asma may just find her happy ending…
Pakistanis are crazy about cricket and Pakistani celebrities are no different. Many celebrities got together and watched the matches that have been played so far together. Different reactions came from different celebrities. Some think that Pakistani team has no chance now and there are others like Mathira who was very enthusiastic about watching the matched but did not react very strongly when the team lost. Mathira appreciated the performance of the players who did well even when Pakistan lost at the hands of India. Mathira, Amanat Ali and Ali Azmat along with many others watched the match together.
Here is how the Pakistani celebrities supported their team and how they reacted to the team’s performance:
While there are dramas whose title gets you guessing, their are some whose title will make you run away from them till your legs hurt. You’ll want to plug your fingers into your ears and close your eyes shut, so that you don’t get a glimpse of them as the promos run. Two new dramas of this season, have names that have made viewers cringe.
1. Sartaj Mera Tou Raj Mera_ Hum TV:
As if the name wasn’t enough, the promos have weird dialogues that can spoil my mood no matter how happy I am. Shagufta Ejaz’s character says,
Bahu ko sada suhagan rehne ki dua dena saas ke liye zaruri hota hai, kyun ke woh janti hai ke bahu ka suhag qayem rehne mein hi uss ke bete ki bhalai hai
There is a conversation between the two daughter-in-laws of this character. Take a look at their conversation.
Bahu A: Woh (saas) samajhti hain mein yahan raaj karne ayi hun.
Bahu B: Aur raaj tum karogi. Yeh dunya ka asool hai, jiska sartaj uska raaj.
It gets worse. There is an OST, which goes, “Sartaj mera tou raaj mera.” If any limit hasn’t been crossed yet, let me know!
I get it, we live in a country where these things are important in a woman’s life, but seriously drama makers need to break the norms. We have gone through this topic a zillion times and it’s about time the producers have some mercy on us.
And oh, there is a Bahu C as well!
The show starts on Monday, at 7:30 pm, replacing Susral Mera.
2. Susral Meri Behen Ka_ Geo TV:
I have never been an Indian show watcher but a lot them air on Pakistani channels so I am bound to catch a few glimpses of Saath Nibhana Sathiya (hideous really!) or Aahat (horror show or a comedy?). Plus there’s this big Sasural Simar Ka fan among my acquaintances and so I am kept informed about the latest developments in the show which, if I remember correctly, include a sau saala naag (100 year old snake) that transformed into a human(not kidding!). The point is, that a person who has grown up watching mature PTV dramas will never want to experience the pain of watching these overacted, stretched and poorly executed shows.
But our drama makers don’t seem to realize this. Bhui, jin ko Indian dramas dekhne hain, unko wohi dekhne do! What’s the use of transforming your own dramas into bolly-themed ones? Indians are appreciating our dramas and these people are hell bent on copying them.
Coming to Susral Meri Behn Ka, the promo has been done exactly the same way as Indian dramas. Don’t believe me? Have a look.
Cricket is the most popular sports in our country and perhaps the most discussed topic these days is the performance of our cricket team. While the on the field news are not much favorable, lets remember few light off the fields stories of sports persons.
Sports and showbiz are two separate fields. Though sports is not directly linked to showbiz, still from time to time many sports personalities are linked to showbiz personalities. Such sports persons are the subject of this article. There are many such instances though not all were true, and here only those instances are mentioned which have some basis. Few of such associations resulted in the permanent association means marriage.
Since the private and personal life of any person must be respected, so all such instances mentioned here are indeed a personal matter of relative sports persons/ showbiz persons and should not be meant to infer anything towards their personality. Being a human nobody is perfect, and all persons mentioned here are human too.
Though sports is our country is not limited to cricket, but mostly it was the cricketers who were noticed with showbiz personalities and that too mostly with showbiz names of our neighbouring country India.
Nazar Muhammad
Nazar Muhammad was the first Pakistani cricketer to face a ball in Test cricket when he opened the first ever test match of Pakistan in 1951-52 versus India. He is also the first Pakistani to carry the bat in a test match during the same series against India in 1951-52. Pakistan’s cricket team’s first cricket tour was against India in India in 1952, the series comprises of five test matches. Nazar Muhammad participated in all five matches, and in the second match in Lucknow he carried the bat , Pakistan also won that match thus recording its first victory in test cricket in only its second test match. Pakistan lost the series 2-1 against India, and the same series also proved the first and last test series of Nazar Muhammad. Soon after the series a domestic accident damaged his arm and thus ended his career.
Nazar Muhammad was also a relative of musician Feroze Nizami. Though then local film industry was in infancy, still Feroze Nizami was a big name in film music of 1950’s as he composed the ever green music of super hit Urdu and Punjabi films like Chann Vey(1951) and later Dupatta (1953). Both films featured legendary artist Madam Noor Jehan in lead roles and Dupatta was also a hit in neighboring India. Through Feroze Nizami, Nazar Muhammad also get acquainted with Madam Noor Jehan which led to some steamy rumors in the press which they neither confirmed nor denied. Then Madam Noor Jehan was married to film producer/director Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi, but by mid 1950’s their marriage ended in divorce.Decades later in late 1970’s Mr. Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi in his one book wrote about Nazar Muhammad and Madam Noor Jehan.
None of these is now alive, but it was first such instance in our county where a showbiz and sports personality were in the news.
Nazar Mohammad
Waqqar Hassan
Waqqar Hassan is a famous cricketer of 1950’s. He played 21 tests from 1952 – 1953, his brother Parvez Sajjad was also a cricketer. Waqqar Hassan married Jameela Razzaq who was a famous name of films in 1950’s and 1960’s. After marriage, Jameela took retirement from films. Both live happily in Karachi with their children and grand children. Jameela Razzaq worked in few famous films like Ishq Per Zaur Nahin in 1960’s. Jameela is the daughter of Nawabzadi Sultana, who was the princess of Soorat (now in Gujarat, India).
Waqar HassanJameela Razzaq
Imran Khan
Imran Khan is perhaps the most sought after cricketer in the history of Pakistan. Since his debut in 1971 against England, Imran Khan was quite popular and earned the reputation of a ‘lady killer’. In 1970’s and 1980’s Pakistani and foreign (mostly British) press frequently reported various off the fields incidents of Imran Khan, which he never bothered to reply. The most famous of such incidents was in 1979 when Pakistani cricket team under the captaincy of Asif Iqbal toured India after a gap of more than 10 years.
Pakistan and neighbouring India fought two back to back wars in 1965 and 1971 which resulted in bitter relations and thus halted all the cricket activities. In 1977, military dictator General Ziaul Haq imposed martial law and later declared himself the president of Pakistan. Under Zia regime, Pakistan enjoyed all time favourable relations with India. Under Zia’s presidency bilateral ties returned to normal and thus Pakistan and India cricket teams regularly toured the other country from 1978 – 1989. General Ziaul Haq passed away in a plane crash in 1988. In 1989 Indian cricket team toured Pakistan which proved the last tour for more than a decade until Pakistani team visited India in 1999.
Coming back to 1979, during the tour, Indian press reported about Imran Khan and than famous Indian film artist Zeenat Amaan. The tour of 1979 resulted in a defeat for Pakistan by a margin of 2-0, but the tour is still remembered for this off the field rumor.
Zeenat Amaan – Imran Khan
Tasleem Aarif
Tasleem Aarif is a cricketer, wicket keeper/batsman from Karachi. In 1980’s he played six tests and two one day internationals for Pakistan. His score of 210 for Pakistan against Australia stood for more than 20 years as the highest score made by a wicket-keeper in Test cricket. Aarif died in Karachi from a lung infection in 2008.
Tasleem Aarif married television artist Rubina. Their son Ainan Abbassi is also an artist and is also married to famous television artist Anoushay Abbassi.
Tasleem AarifRubina Aarif
Sarfraz Nawaz
Sarfraz Nawaz is a famous cricketer known for introducing the art of reverse swing in 1970’s. Sarfraz Nawaz has close friendship with Imran Khan though later he became a strong critic of Imran Khan. Sarfraz Nawaz is also famous for many off the field incidents, however he surprised many by marrying filmstar Raani in 1980’s. Raani is considered one of the most polished artist of Pakistani film history. In 1970’s when dancing skill was not considered a must for Urdu film heroines, Raani mesmerized the audience with her strong dance and acting performances in films like Anjuman, Umrao Jaan Adda, Surraya Bhopali.
It was the third marriage of both Raani and Sarfraz Nawaz after two failed marriages. The marriage got much publicity in press, however it lasted only for few years (6-7 years). Both Sarfraz and Raani met in London, where Raani was under treatment for cancer diagnosed earlier and later got married. Raani passed away due to cancer in early 1990’s before which both were already separated.
Raani
Sarfaraz Nawaz
Mohsin Khan
Mohsin Khan is a famous crickter of 1980’s known as ‘Lord of Lords’ when he scored a double century on the historical ground of Lord’s in 1980’s. Apart from splendid batting performance, Mohsin was also known for his charming personality. During a tour of India in mid 1980’s Mohsin surprised many by marrying Indian film star Reena Roy. After the marriage Mohsin settled in Bombay (now Mumbai) and retired from the cricket. In India, he started his bollywood career too. The couple had a daughter, but ultimately the marriage was not successful and ended in early 1990’s. Mohsin came back to Pakistan with his daughter Jannat and married a Pakistani lady.
In early 1990’s Mohsin started his filmi career in Pakistan and starred in few successful films (opposite Reema) like Haathi Meray Saathi, Beta. In late 1990’s Mohsin returned to cricket and opted to coach Pakistani Under 19. He also served as a coach for national cricket team few years ago.
Mohsin Khan, Reena Roy
Waseem Akram
Waseem Akram perhaps the best left arm bowler the game has seen started his career in 1987 from the tour of New Zealand. Waseem Akram married Huma Mufti in 1994 and the couple had two sons Taimur and Akbar. Huma Mufti passed away in 2005 due to some fatal ailment.
Though Waseem Akram is accused many times for match fixing in his career, seldom he is named with a showbiz personality. In mid 2000’s Waseem Akram accepted the offer to judge a television dance reality show in India together with former Miss Universe and Indian artist Sushmita Sen. There were rumors for their marriage which both denied and clarified that they are only friends. Few years ago Waseem Akram was also in the news which claimed he is marrying Humaima Malick. Again both Waseem and Humaima denied such claim, but admitted they are only good friends.
Humaima Malik, Waseem AkramWaseem Akram, Sushmita Sen
Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi known as Boom Boom is indeed a star performer of our cricketing history. As a cricketer Shahid Afridi enjoyed overwhelming stardom and popularity similar to or perhaps even more than what Imran Khan experienced in the past. Like Imran Khan, Shahid Afridi also featured in various off the field incidents. Like any regular Pakistani, Shahid Afridi also religiously follows Bollywood films and artists which eventually led to his name associated with a Bollywood star.
Shahid Afridi
In 1999, Pakistani team toured India which was the first bilateral series after a gap of ten years. Waseem Akram captained Pakistan cricket team while Javed Miandad was the coach. Pakistani players were clearly instructed to stay away from Indian media and bookies. However a cup of tea involving Shahid Afridi became a breaking news in press. The cup of tea also resulted in a fine for Shahid Afridi. As per press reports Shahid Afridi, being fan of an Indian artist Sonali Bandre invited her for a cup of tea in the hotel lobby. There is always a zaalim samaj which intervenes on such occasions. The team management (including coach Javed Miandad) played the role of zaalim samaaj and spotted the “tea party”. Whatever happened next resulted in a fine of few hundred dollars on Shahid Afridi. Such an expensive cup of tea it was.
Sonali Bendre
Shoaib Malik
Shoaib Malik, started his cricketing career in late 1990’s and is known for his all round abilities with both bat and ball. Shoaib was named many times with Indian ladies from various fields. Shoaib’s first marriage was with Ayesha Siddiqi from Hyderabad India. Shoaib himself told Pakistani media about his Nikah with Aayesha Siddiqi, but later he himself that refused any such Nikah ever happened. However before his second marriage with Indian Tennis player Saania Mirza (also from Hyderabad, India), he divorced Ayesha Siddiqi after repeatedly denying that he was ever married to Ayesha Siddiqi.
Both his wives are Indian and not from showbiz, then why his name is included here?? Well in between his first and second marriage, Indian press widely reported about Shoaib Malik and an Indian artist Sayali Bhagat. Both worked together in a film, which was based on cricket and featured Shoaib Malik in few scenes along with other Pakistani cricketers. It was during the shooting of this film, that Indian media reported that Sayali is dating Shoaib Malik, which she strongly denied.
Shoaib Malik, Sayali Bhagat
Shoaib Akhtar
The fastest bowler in the world known as Rawalpindi Express. Shoaib, started his career in mid 1990’s and was repeatedly reported for on and off the field controversies mostly related to breaching the team discipline. Shoaib Akhtar took retirement form all forms of cricket during the 2011 world cup. Shoaib Akhtar visited India many times during his career where he also appeared in few television reality shows as guest. In one such show he danced with Indian artist Dia Mirza, which led to widespread rumours that both are getting married. Both denied this and currently both are happily married and settled with their better half.
Shoaib Akhtar, Dia Mirza
Muhammad Aasif
Muhammad Aasif known for his swing bowling starting his career in early 2000. Muhammad Aasif was banned to participate in any from of cricket due to his involvement in spot fixing in 2010. Beyond spot fixing he was also in the news due to his association with artist Veena Malik. Initially both Veena and Aasif denied any such association but later admitted they are close friends and are planning to be married. However the friendship ended in bitterness and both Veena and Aasif accused each other on various accounts. Both Aasif and Veena are now happily married and settled in their lives.
Veena Malik – Muhammad Aasif
Abdul Razzaq
Abdul Razzaq started his career in late 1990’s and is a gifted all rounder. Abudl Razzaq is happily married to his cousin and the couple is blessed with kids. However he was named in press for being involved with artist Deedaar. Abdul Razzaq has always admitted that they are good friends where Deedaar is now also married now to a Pakistani living in Germany. But the tale not ends here, last year Abdul Razzaq was seen in a ceremony in Dubai with Indian artist Tammanna Bhatiya which led to speculations in media. Both denied any association.
DeedarTammana Bhatia, Abdul Razzaq
Asad Rauf
Asad Rauf is a first class cricketer turned umpire. Asad participated in Indian Premiere League as an umpire. He was in the news when an Indian model Leena Kapoor accused him of deceiving her after promises of marriage.Initially Asad denied these reports, but later he settled the issues with Leena Kapoor. Asad Rauf eventually retired from umpiring in the same year.
Asad Rauf – Leena Kapoor
Marrium Raheem
Well among all male cricketers there is also one female tennis player who married an actor. Marrium Raheem is a tennis player who also participated in international events for Pakistan. Marrium’s sister Maira Raheem is a also a tennis player. As tennis is not much popular, so its associated players seldom makes headlines in our country. Marrium is happily married to Adil Murad who is the son of famous film artist Waheed Murad. Adil Murad has acted in few dramas and films. Marrium’s sister Maira Raheem is married to cricketer Salman Butt.
Adil Murad, Marrium Raheem
So it completes my compilation of sports person associated with showbiz persons. There could be few other possible names which are not included due to unconfirmed news about their association.
Ohkay so, I am glad that they made all these developments worth our wait. It was so good to see Fareeda in control of her own life & I think the way she is behaving now & whatever she’ll do in the future is completely justified given what she has endured all these years while being married to Shaukat.
I really like writer’s approach to Fareeda’s journey & her life. Obviously, it would’ve been a miracle if Fareeda’s mother in law had changed but I liked the fact that they didn’t show anything of that sort. She is still as conniving as she was before but it’s just that it was money which could tame her & confine her in limits, therefore now when Fareeda has plenty of it, she is running things in her home & her MIL has allowed that to happen because as far as her needs are being taken care of, she doesn’t mind what Fareeda does.
Finally, Farhaan has become a doctor too & it was good to see Zarina & Anwar having a good time discussing how hard their children have worked & how it has started to pay off. Once again, I’d say that I loved Zarina’s make-over. She seems content & happy, plus for a change it was so good to see her not demanding things from Fareeda. The discussions of all these siblings have been a best part of any episode & I am glad that a couple of conversations were added this time around as well. I liked the fact that Farhaan is still compassionate towards Fareeda like he used to be as he knows how hard his sister has worked to bring him to this position & he acknowledges all her efforts which I believe was very really sweet of him.
I really believe the interview could’ve been better. Yes, those are the questions any gharelu sort of a morning show host would ask any of her guests but I feel that whole interview should’ve been written a bit more attentively. As much as I didn’t enjoy the interview, I liked the conversations after it, the way Shakeela & Farhaan made fun of Shaukat & what Shakeela said: ‘aurat ka barham uske jhoot mai hi hota hai’. Indeed, Fareeda has come a long way but no matter how popular she might get or how much money she might earn, she still has to deal with a lot of ordeals on daily basis which shows that her life is far from being perfect. I liked the reminiscence scene of Fareeda where she took a look back at her journey, from where she started, to what she faced, how she was told to leave what she loved & how she was ordered to do that again just so that she could take care of her family. I think that these timely reminders of Fareeda’s life & her conversations with herself actually made us connect to her on a completely different level, that’s why I believe all of us only want to see her happy now, even if that happiness comes to her in the form of Shehryaar.
So, Shaukat is still the same but then, didn’t he say he wanted Fareeda to become all well-groomed, well-dressed & glamorous, so now when she is all that he ever wanted, why is he still insincere to her? Shaukat only used all that as an alibi for his wrongdoings & what’s sad is, he still hasn’t changed, but then why would he? He knows he has his mother’s back & she is the one who allows him to do whatever he wants to but tells him to pretend because losing Fareeda means losing all the luxuries like sugar-free biscuits, pizzas, servants & all the perks that they’re enjoying because of her. It’s ridiculous how they have exploited her & have taken her for granted but for her sake, I wish she puts a kibosh on all of this & walks on a path that leads her towards happiness. I couldn’t stop cringing every single time Shaukat tried to put Fareeda down, he certainly is not in a position to say all of that but sadly, he’s a typical male blessed with a narrow-minded mentality where he still thinks he is something only because he’s a man ignoring the fact that he has achieved nothing in his life to be treated with respect. I loved the way Fareeda reminded him of her status because she has worked hard to earn it & she can slap a reality check on Shaukat’s face anytime she wants.
I loved the new look of Fareeda. She looked modern, classy & chic. I think the makeup, hair styling & dress designing team once again has done an amazing job when it comes to all the characters. They really looked different to how they used to be & yes, I felt relieved seeing Surraiya as a grown up kid because I dreaded seeing her as an infant even after the time lapse too. ;) Share your say about this episode of Digest Writer please. :)
Ohkay so, before saying anything about this episode, let me just say that the preview of next episode suggested it might be the end of this drama & for my sake, I really hope it is. Coming onto this episode, well I found it interesting & fast paced. I really think that if it ends this week, they will be able to put an end to this drama on a strong note because we’re done with their half-baked stories & tracks & want to see them all reaching the finale in some happening sort of a way!
Well, Jackson Heights dekh rahain hon aur buray surprises na milain, aisay to halaat nahi! This episode started at a good note where Salma slapped some reality on Sikandar’s face but it got ruined because all of a sudden, Imaan, who was completely indifferent to her father all this while has become a daddy’s little girl & for his sake she is ready to exchange jeenay marnay ki kasmain with Salma just to bind her!?! I really believe her reaction to the whole Mommy-Bhatti relation was overdone because Imaan now says she hates him whereas she was the one who had memorized his date of birth & gave a card to him too. Imaan has always been a calm & composed person who always stood by her mother no matter what her own father & grandmother said, but now suddenly she thinks her family is going to become picture perfect & Salma is ruining that photo? Was Imaan gone on a sleeping trip like Sleeping Beauty or she was living in a hostel that she didn’t know what has transpired in that house lately? Chalo, if she would’ve been a 7 y/o (I don’t know how many times I’ve said it) her reaction would’ve looked justified that she didn’t know the details about what her daddy’s been up to, but I really can’t imagine that Imaan being a 15 y/o (?) is actually oblivious to what Sikandar has done all this while like gambling, stealing, getting beaten up by the goons & oh his latest adventure of trying to kill someone! I really liked Imaan’s character because she always sounded reasonable & she seemed mentally mature but then how can Vasay Chaudhry allow us to enjoy a female character that’s brainy & intelligent? Obviously, he couldn’t keep his hands off & had to ruin Imaan’s character too by making her look utterly dumb & immature & I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive Vasay for this!!!
Oh boy that whole tu Indian, mai Pakistani, tu Hindu, mai Musalmaan conversation was so forced & seemed completely out of the line making it look like they ran out of dialogues so us time pe jo muh mai aya bol diya. It’s like the writer himself forgot that Rizwan was supposedly an Indian given how his perfect Urdu’s been putting all the Pakistani characters to shame, so he decided to refresh that fact for us. Jamshed is cunning so I really think he that could’ve come up with a better argument than just to taunt mindlessly like a 3 y/o about how Indians are jealous of Pakistanis (like seriously?) & oh Rizwan’s comment about not being a Hindu was equally petty as well. I mean like seriously, he couldn’t think of an appropriate comeback too? C’mon Rizwan I thought you could do better but I must say what’s funny is that this whole fiasco is being nurtured for the sake of a Christian; Michelle (not generalizing, just giving a comical angle to it). LOL! I am sure ye khichri kisi beemar ko bhi be-swadi lagaygi, haha!!!
Whoop! There was so much rona dhona in this episode that I just couldn’t help looking away. This is not exactly what you want to see first thing in a morning. This drama has been pretty serious but to actually induce more gloominess into it wasn’t an intelligent choice. Yes, Imran’s mother is not well but if he is so worried, he should just book his flight without putting a lot of effort into making Jamshed look like a villain because when it comes to Naani, both of them are equally at fault. Amidst his depression, Bhatti couldn’t stop putting blame on Jamshed but mamoon jaan, bhanjay ki duty ho gai 15 saal tak, abb appki baari hai!!! & oh, look at the way Nadir pops up out of nowhere after a million episodes so I think to reciprocate his generosity, we can go around ignoring him easily as well!
I think Michelle must’ve done something good in her life that she’s automatically getting rescued by this trap that Jamshed has set for her but then she doesn’t deserve it given how stupid she has been acting lately but I am glad that Rizwan’s slip of tongue was enough to get Maria all excited & now she has asked them to postpone the wedding which is exactly what Jamshed can’t afford. I just hope he gets exposed ASAP & this ridiculous track is wrapped up soon but I must ask, isn’t it amazing that Maria & Michelle complement each other so well as sisters because they both fall short on brains?
Does Sikandar really think that after what he has put Salma through, he can win her back by doing a few dishes? The way Salma responded to Sikandar was enough to show that she’s had enough of him but then I’ll ask again, what’s holding Salma back? I don’t think she should allow Imaan’s selfishness prevent the happiness & peace that’s coming her way because this family’s not worth it. Going by the preview, seems like Salma’s departure won’t be easy as she’ll be emo-blackmailed by her MIL too. I just don’t get how suddenly these guys switch their attitudes? Trust me they flip faster than a coin. First Cathy, then Imaan & now it’s going to be Tai Jee who will all of a sudden realize how precious her kamau-poot bahu is. Anyways, share your thoughts about this episode please!
an equally common phenomenon is the influx of young, enterprising young actresses who have been making trips to Pakistan for projects. We’ve seen 
The industry is operating on a bigger level, which is why it needs to be represented on a bigger, more international scale too. Plus producers are more broad minded now. You’ll see a bigger influx now that Pakistan is opening up.”
