Ohkay, this episode was good because the contestants made sure they made it that way. This elimination round was based on Iftaar challenge, which was pretty simple yet it was complexed because the contestants were given a choice of creating a variety of dishes they themselves go for; in Ramadan. I must say I thought we’d get to see pretty much the same & typical dishes but the variety that all the contestants presented was not only interesting but showed their creativity.

The judges were accompanied by 3 special judges & they were Zain, Ammarah & Madiha. I feel it was fair for the other contenders that the co-contestant judges had a blind tasting session. I think this helped all three of them in staying true to their seats & because of that they gave honest opinions as they had no feelings to cloud their judgments to begin with. The comments however were random from all the judges on the platters they tried so once again even though I was not rooting for the eliminated contestant, I felt that the judges once again failed in giving us enough reasons regarding those dishes that made the remaining two contestants safe.

Maryam presented a platter of ‘Dahi Phulki, Pakora, Patties & Chicken Sandwich’. Zain liked the dahi phulki & also the filling of the patties; however he wasn’t impressed by the sandwich at all. Ammarah felt that the pakora batter was thick therefore it made the pakora dry after they were fried. Chef Mehboob found the sandwiches quite tasteless & felt that the chicken had no reasonable flavour in it. Chef Khurram felt that the patty filling was good but the dough was almost raw. Chef Zakir felt that the dahi phulki was undercooked as well.

Rayyan’s platter consisted of ‘Qeema Dahi Barey, Samosa, Mango Muffins & Batata’. Chef Mehboob liked the muffins a lot & also he liked the filling of samosas. Over all he was impressed by Rayyan’s efforts & his platter as he liked batata, muffins & especially the mango flavour that was instilled in the sauce. Zain found this platter very appetising & liked the muffins but he felt that the samosas were salty. Madiha enjoyed the whole platter & especially the sauces & muffins but felt that the drink wasn’t good. Chef Zakir gave him zero points for calling his dish dahi barey because he felt it had no component that is used in dahi barey.

Gulnaz presented a platter of ‘Mantuqh, Cream Chaat, Onion & Potato Pakora’. Ammarah liked the pakora & the drink but she felt that the dumpling wasn’t great. Zain liked the drink a lot. Chef Mehboob thought she should’ve used the immunity pin considering the weak performance this time. Chef Khurram liked the filling in the muntuqh but felt that the dough was chewy & undercooked. He also felt that the channa chat wasn’t up to the mark as it lacked seasoning & the cream was a bad twist to the simple dish. Chef Zakir felt that the pakora batter was dry & lacked seasoning as well.

Khurram’s platter had ‘Fried Fish, Prawns, Chicken Fingers, BBQ Wings & Potato Skins’. Chef Zakir didn’t like the chicken at all. He labelled his platter as a mystery box because he felt everything needed a little more preparation. Chef Zakir also felt that the portion size was too small to be eaten by 6 judges. Chef Mehboob felt that the platter was monotone & had no colours to make it look visually appealing. He liked the fish & also the prawns but felt they got a little overcooked. Potato skin which was served with a mash had no seasoning at all. Ammarah liked the fish & prawns but felt that the chicken was too dry. Zain thought that the platter looked quite boring because of the similar colors.

Amna came up with a platter of ‘Honey Wings, Buffalo Wings, Chicken Cheese Patties & Shawarma’. Chef Mehboob felt that the buffalo wings weren’t exactly like how they should be as the sauce is tangy & it has a strong flavour which wasn’t the case in Amna’s dish however he did like the honey wings & the flavours. Chef Khurram liked the overall idea of this platter but felt that the excess of parsley overpowered the rest of the flavours of shawarma. He liked the presentation & the patties too. Chef Zakir felt that the drink was too heavy & wasn’t Iftaar appropriate at all. Ammarah liked the honey wings but she also felt that the shawarma had a dominant flavour of parsley. Madiha also felt the same as Ammarah. Zain liked the drink.

Saad’s platter had ‘Chaat, Pakora, Dahi Barey, Berry Tart & Date Biscuits’. Chef Mehboob liked the chat but found dahi barey too grainy & undercooked. He also felt that the date biscuits had a burnt flavour to it & he shouldn’t have put them on a plate. Madiha liked the puff pastry of tart & the flavour as well as the idea of the platter. She also liked the date biscuit. Zain felt that the biscuits were burnt however he liked the chaat & puff pastry. Chef Zakir felt that the batter of dahi barey wasn’t smooth as it should’ve been.

It was now time for the results. Rayyan got some amazing comments as he managed to impress the judges so he was safe followed by Amna & Saad. They both managed to save themselves from getting eliminated because their platter had a few misses but some hits too. Khurram, Gulnaz & Maryam fell into the danger zone & Maryam was eliminated. She definitely had some limitations & couldn’t stand out like a few other contestants but once again I felt that the judges didn’t give us some actual facts & details as to why Gulnaz & Khurram got safe & why Maryam was eliminated. The judges pointed out the negatives in the main components of all the dishes so once again not sure why they couldn’t actually tell what were those winning points that made Khurram & Gulnaz while sending Maryam home.

Pretty decent episode but the promo had me excited. I just can’t wait to see how the contestants run an actual restaurant & perform under such a high pressure zone. Team & off-site challenges are always interesting so can’t wait for the next episode. Share your thoughts on the elimination & the episode.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Well, what can I say except that I am totally shocked at the recent turn of events in this drama. This drama already made it to everyone’s favourite list because of the story, execution & the characters but to see those characters, for whom we felt for, stooping so low is upsetting. I don’t know why but there’s still a glimmer of hope left within me that still makes me want to believe the otherwise. I am still hoping & to some extent sure that Daood & Momenah will not end up together & Nayab will find a happy ending.

To be honest, to listen to all such words like Islam, Gunnah, Mera Mazhab, Sharaee Haq, Islam Ki Ijazat; made me cringe so bad. I mean Daood & Momenah should be the last people to use such words because they themselves have no idea about the intricacy & fragility of the concepts that are related to the institution of marriage. While listening to Momenah & Sherbano’s conversation & all those excuses that Momenah used to add some weight to her argument made me actually feel that they were treating Shadi as a game-play. The way Momenah revisited the history of broken marriages in her family was actually enough reason to let us know that for them, Shadi was more like a Gudda Guddi Ka Khel. Abdullah’s first Shadi, then Abdullah’s second Shadi, Nayab/Daood’s Shadi, Momenah/Fahad Shadi & now the potential Daood/Momenah Shadi. Ekh!

To be honest, I felt nothing but animosity towards Sherbano because if, in the beginning; she had kept her ego aside, then Daood & Momenah would’ve been happily married but anyways, bygones are bygones, so this time around I just felt that if Sherbano had focused more on the better upbringing of her kids rather than planning & plotting against Gaitiara, then I am sure the Karma wouldn’t have bitten her so bad.

Daood; I swear, Daood was the person who was becoming everyone’s favourite but to see him turning things upside down was quite frustrating. I think people could’ve given a thought of his & Momenah’s reconciliation a second chance if he had dealt with the whole situation using some appropriate words. I really didn’t think that wrecking people’s homes & playing with their feelings was such a casual conversation which could be supported with the usage of ‘yaar’. I just felt that he was joking all this while because Daood himself didn’t seem serious & focused. It’s like he was bored to death so he sighted the mood for some adventure. Just because Momenah was on a vacation trip from Australia, he decided to tag her along in this. For the sake of Momenah & Daood’s stupidity, I felt it was good that they were at least giving their long-dead relation a try because they should at least go through it once again to fill their tummies with everyone’s hatred, so that they can get back to their senses because it seems like Daood would try to woo Momenah every single time she’d come to Pakistan, so it’s better to deal with it once & for all.

Momenah’s excuse of parting ways with Fahad was once again unjustified because seems like she has problems with Fahad being a workaholic. Momenah stated that she wasn’t one of those wives who like to wait for their husbands, which made me say ‘Yeah Right! Why would you wait for your hard-working husband when you yourself had no sincerity to offer’. Does Momenah actually think that Daood won’t work after he’ll get married to her? Like what’s the guarantee that Momenah will still be loyal & sincere to Daood if he won’t be able to give her the time she’d demand? To actually see Momenah & Daood looking for a house while still being married was once again a huge disappointment. It’s like it couldn’t get worse that while still being married to Fahad, Momenah was already dreaming about her new spouse, new home & how Daood ignored Nayab & Unaid’s presence in his life while planning the interiors of his new house? Do they actually think that they’ll be able to live a guilt-free life? Do they really believe that they’ll find their happy ending by hurting every single person in their lives?

For the sake of how awesome this drama was, I still hope that they snap out of it & give us a decent ending where Daood & Momenah are definitely not together in the picture. I hope for once that Gaitiara thinks like a rational person where she doesn’t take it as an obligatory duty to belittle Nayab by actually reminding her of a liability that she has been to Daood & everyone else. Share your say on this episode.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Tauba Tauba! Usually I always have a note to begin my review with but this time around I am speechless & have nothing else to say except TAUBA!!!!!!

This episode was such a mood spoiler in all different ways. The typical Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s high-pitch being echoed in the background repeatedly, Sofia’s shrilly shrieks & then Haya’s debut as a housemaid of the sleep deprived Zawaar, this is what the whole episode was all about. Once again they succeeded in failing miserably by not being able to make us feel anything about any of the characters. All I can deduce till now is that Sofia’s a vamp & an irritating one at that too, Zawaar’s a wuss, Haya is the satti savitri dream-wife of every Pakistani residing outside Pakistan because of the cooking & cleaning skill she has & Bee Jaan has got nothing to do, that’s it.

Yes, they did show that Zawaar felt good seeing Haya’s religious side so I am sorry to say if he was so deeply rooted & in touch with his eastern side, why did he get married to Sofia; a non-Muslim in the very first place? They have no grounds whatsoever to establish a fact that Zawaar can get swayed by a teenager so now they’re trying to show that just because Haya’s a Muslim home-maker, she’s definitely going to win Zawaar over.

Javed Sheikh’s entry was something unexpected but I hope he has a good role to play, to at least make us feel good about Pakistani men because the one we’re seeing getting pampered (literally & I can name the brand too) is just a loser. Throughout the episode, I was actually agitated to see Sarwat Gillani playing a role of an insecure negative person who has 1 high-neck shirt & 1 pair of pajamas (considering the huge mansion she lives in) because it’s like she is wasting her time & talent. It is upsetting to see such a brilliant actor playing such a weak role because she clearly looks uncomfortable. Apparently Sofia did try to voice her fears of not losing her demented trophy, oh I mean Zawaar because she’s had a tough life but sorry that message didn’t come across as clearly as it should’ve been because my ears were deafened due to her yells & screams.

I am happy that they showed the wholeeee next episode in the preview because seems like I can still review the episode without actually watching it. I think I’ll have to mute the TV because Sofia’s throat’s seems to be working fine. I hope that she had suffered from a loss of voice too because that would’ve been awesome, at least for us. Share your thoughts on this (sowwie) absurd episode.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Pretty average episode with a very typical format. Some instructions, some shopping, some chopping, some plating & some judgments & yeah not to be forgotten some bickering too. I wish to see more on-site challenges where the contestants get to compete against each other because it makes the episode a lot more interesting as compared to the in-kitchen challenges, which are always pretty much the same in the execution.

Today’s challenge was interesting but the dishes that surfaced were quite mediocre, in a sense that they didn’t spell MasterChef quality to me. 2 contestants opted for totally different ideas & turned them into the dishes but others made it a Paaye/Karahi Challenge. This time the contestants had to work with the offal or as they say organ meats. I thought we’ll get to see some exciting dishes but the food that was served was more on the home-cooking side & not unique.

Khurram won the last challenge so he got an advantage of extra 10 minutes but he also had to pick one contestant who’d have 10 minutes deducted from his cooking duration. Khurram picked Saad for it because he wanted to see what Saad will create. Judges also announced that those contestants who’ll make it to the top 3 will not only be safe from the elimination round but will taste & judge the dishes served by their co-contestants.

Maryam came up with ‘Beef Paaye & Naan’. Chef Mehboob liked the fact that the main ingredient was tender which was a plus point but over all her dish didn’t have the typical Paaya flavour which didn’t make it impressive. Chef Khurram liked the texture of the meat & the tenderness but just like Chef Mehboob, he commented on the lack of actual flavour too. Chef Zakir thought she had a lot of options but she didn’t plan well.

Rayyan created ‘Maghaz Karahi’. Chef Khurram like the taste of the gravy but couldn’t find the taste of the main ingredient at all. Chef Zakir spoke about the right ratios that should be used in Pakistani dishes because Rayyan clearly missed the detail.

Khurram came up with something different like ‘Liver Sandwich & Pâté’. Chef Mehboob felt that the sandwich had a very less filling which wasn’t that good either. Chef Khurram felt that the Pâté wasn’t smooth like it should’ve been. Chef Zakir also questioned the filling of the sandwich.

Gulnaz created ‘Oojhri Karahi & Oojhri Salad. Chef Mehboob liked the bread she served with her dish but other than that her dish didn’t have balance too. Chef Khurram liked the taste of the gravy but other than that he felt that the main ingredient had no flavour of its own. Chef Zakir didn’t find Salad impressive either.

Amna presented ‘Mutton Paaye & Garlic Naan’. Chef Mehboob felt that there was a dominant flavour of mixed spices in her dish & it wasn’t spicy at all. Chef Zakir liked the flavour but also commented that the mixed spices weren’t used in the right proportion.

Zain came up with ‘Brain Masala Cheese Balls’. Chef Mehboob liked the filling & the color of the coating. Chef Khurram commented on the presentation but other than that he liked the flavours & the crispness of the cheese balls. Chef Zakir felt that the rice needed a bit more of a seasoning.

Madiha came up with ‘Mutton Paaye’. Chef Mehboob liked the dish a lot of the balanced flavours but he also liked the spice blend that she presented with the dish. Chef Khurram liked the dish a lot as well because of the flavours, the texture & the perfect spice level. Chef Zakir liked the gravy & the tenderness of the dish.

Ammarah presented ‘Muttom Paaye & Naan’. Chef Mehboob felt that the dish had a unique flavour to it which was really good. Chef Khurram appreciated the taste, the level of spices & the texture of the meat. Chef Zakir felt that he could eat this dish as a breakfast because it was that good.

Saad made ‘Kaleji & Gurda Masala’. Chef Mehboob didn’t like the dish as he had to spit it out because of the reek of the meat. He felt that the smell destroyed the dish & the liver was overcooked. Chef Khurram found it salty & overcooked to an extent where it got hard to chew. Chef Zakir felt that it was a pretty easy meat to work with but the main task was to make it reek-free which he failed to do.

It was pretty clear that Madiha, Zain & Ammarah will be in the top 3 because they got some amazing feedback. All of them created perfect dishes & grabbed some great comments from the judges so yes; they made it to the top 3. Madiha in particular got appreciated because of the spice mix that she created because Chef Mehboob was all praises for it to a point where he himself asked for the recipe & was ready to pay for it. After Khurram, Zain created a totally unique dish & luckily it worked for him because he put in a lot of effort into it. Ammarah as usual cooked her dish with a twist but got amazing remarks. I am glad Madiha, Zain & Ammarah got the advantage of being safe from the elimination round & will judge & taste the dishes alongside the judges. I felt bad for Khurram because I think he was planning too much without having a clear direction in his mind, even though he decided to opt for an unusual dish, he couldn’t make it shine. Madiha should now understand that just because she sticked to a simple dish & worked on making it flavoursome, she excelled this time.

The spat of Amna & Gulnaz was obviously bizarre & what’s more bizarre was the coverage that it got. I was excited to see the technique of Khurram’s dish because I have seen it in some other cooking show but sadly they didn’t show how he made it. I think instead of covering other dishes like Karahis & Paayes & those verbal spats, they should’ve covered Khurram & Zain’s dishes properly as they were doing something different. It was good to see the contestants being happy for the top 3 because seems like all of them have a great relation to the rest of them. The remaining contestants might be expecting a bit of favouritism from their friends but I hope none of it happens & those who made it to the top 3 stay true to their seats. It was kind of funny that the judges had to remind the top 3 that they were more experienced than them, which was once again an unnecessary reminder as none of the contestants at first asked to be selected as the judges & now when they were selected, there was no need for the judges to be so insecure.

One thing that I find kind of annoying is the Pakistani version of background music they’ve opted for. Some of the sound clips are obviously the signature tracks of MasterChef franchise which completes the experience of the show but just because they’ve added some other sound effects, it’s making the show seem a bit too dramatic. Anyways, share your thoughts on the episode.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Aqlan shaklan wale keetay ishq ne kamlay jhalay…..Love comes when you least expect it; Daniyal did not go out looking for love and winning Naina’s “love” was nothing more than winning a foolish bet. Just when Daniyal’s life has taken an about turn and he wants to focus all his energies on something entirely different his heart aches for Naina. No amount of reasoning can change the way he feels. Seeing Naina right there in front of him gives him a chance to plead his case but Naina is probably too scared of being hurt again so she is not willing to give him another chance. Sadia Khan may not be a brilliant actress but the on screen chemistry she shares with Mikaal compensates for her weak acting.

Naina may pretend to be content with her engagement but the fact is that she has a special connection with Daniyal; a connection that pulls her to him, a special feeling of attraction that cannot be explained but can only be felt. It is this strange and perhaps spiritual connection between these two individuals that makes this love story different and appealing. I would give full marks to the director for portraying it brilliantly in this episode in particular.

On the one hand Dilawar seems like a very genuine person when he is with Daniyal and on the other hand his views about marriage and the way he tries to convince Dai Maa to sign those papers went to show that there is more to his personality. Khalid Malik has done very well in this role so far. Dai Maa’s conversation with Dilawar reflected in a very clear manner the difference between the two generations. Dai Maa’s comment “tuu maa ke purze purze krke plazay banana chahta hai” made me laugh but it showed how she felt about moving to the city and changing her lifestyle.

Laila’s views about love were very interesting; will Daniyal be the person who changes the way she feels about falling in love? I can’t wait to find out! Just when Daniyal starts questioning Naimat Khan’s intentions, he “distracts” him by telling Daniyal that Dai Maa asked him to kill Daniyal but when he didn’t comply his daughter was killed as a punishment. It is not going to be easy for Daniyal to find out the truth but I have a feeling that his journey is going to make an engaging story. Dilawar’s engagement with Naina did not come as a surprise at all but the surprising part was Daniyal’s reaction. I was not expecting him to react like this. The first scene between Naina and Daniyal was very intense. In my opinion, tonight’s episode belonged to Mikaal Zulfiqar all the way. This episode was fast paced, touching, well written and very well directed. It was the best episode of Laa so far. I am in love with the OST of the play and the way it was played in the background in tonight’s episode was spot on.

The preview of the next episode showed that Dai Maa wants the marriage to take place soon but Naina is still not sure if she should go along with this marriage. Will Naina go ahead with this marriage? Does she have the option to call the marriage off now?

Did you enjoy tonight’s episode just as much as I did? Do share your thoughts about this latest installment.

Fatima Awan

Four episodes have elapsed and we have another time change? ARYs lack of faith is disturbing. But then again, this drama has been going downhill for quite some time. I think the biggest dilemma is a lack of focus, a mediocre storyline and poor vision. Trying to throw in suspense elements hasn’t really helped much since we all pretty much know where things are headed.

Dania has succeeded in luring Nabeel into a marriage- there were a few hiccups along the way but the inevitable wedding took place. Nabeel gifted her a house for a wedding and ironically the house cost him his life’s worth of savings! Dania is over-the-moon initially being a homeowner and marrying the man of her new-found dreams but soon her bubble bursts when she is faced with the reality that Nabeel will only be a part-time husband and that too in secrecy. Maria is back and pulling the strings as she does best. She’s torn over the news that she can’t conceive and is suffocating Nabeel in the process.

The long dialogues between Dania’s parents serve no real purpose. There was a failed attempt at trying to get our pulse racing when Nabeel was trying to uncover the mystery behind who was keeping tabs on him and Dania. But just like that, he managed to quickly turn the tables in his favour and now the Private Investigator has sworn allegiance to Nabeel. Or so it seems for the mo. Maria’s bossy attitude continues and is no longer restricted to the home. She is now pushing herself into the workplace trying to keep track of every breath he takes. If only chocking your better half could guarantee faithfulness…

Dania is trying to throw tantrums of her own- Kyun Nabeel? Aaj ki raat rukh jao… Umm, okay, so didn’t she know what she was getting herself into? It surprises me that the characters suffer from short-term memory loss and forget their association with one another. Babar and Naeem have completely disappeared from the scene- Naeem tried to blackmail Dania but that backfired and he was tossed out of his job; Babar feigned an apology which fell flat. This is now simply the story of a man caught between two wives doing the juggling act as best as he can.

My issue really is with the number of episodes. All of this could’ve easily been wrapped up in 15 episodes. Had that happened, we may even have had moments of paying attention. But 22 episodes later, any efforts at redemption seem highly unlikely. Are my faithful four still on-board or have you stumbled off?

Yours in watching,

Kanwal Murtaza

Laila has come to that stage in life where she has nothing to lose; this shows in her attitude towards life and towards her marriage as well. She gave Mansoor her best and does not wish to invest in her relationship with him any more. Gone are the days when Mansoor had both the women in his life doing exactly what he wanted them to. Although, it seems like Laila may just forgive Mansoor and give him a second chance, Kukoo has clearly move on. She has realized that Mansoor’s presence in her life was nothing more than “crap”. I must say though that I was actually disappointed to see Kukoo flirting with her client and she obviously has another “friend” to keep her occupied. Mansoor has been replaced by another man, I wish she had learned some other important lessons from her relationship with Mansoor like you don’t always need a man to make you happy! Having said that, I must admit that Kukoo’s characterization is not far from reality; women like Kukoo keep on looking for that one man who will fill the void in their lives which is there due to loneliness. Mrs. Khan is finding it very hard to relate to this new side of Kukoo. She obviously enjoyed sharing all her woes with her, Kukoo is too preoccupied now and too happy to be bothered with all that.

Who is Saadi? An old friend I suppose. Laila was pleasantly surprised to see him, she enjoys his company and he obviously has feelings for her. Laila confesses to him in a weak moment that she is tired of everything but she does not allow him to console her. Laila never had feelings for Mansoor but she always felt obligated to make her marriage work mostly because of her mother. Although, she keeps on saying that she is done with making people happy and wants to do something for herself now but the fact is that she still feels that she needs to make her mother happy. It is only human to want more from life and from relationships than financial stability therefore I find Laila’s state of mind very relatable. Her mother keeps on reminding her that she needs to give her house and her husband more time and Laila keeps on wishing that one day she can make her mother understand her situation.

While talking to Kukoo, Laila says that her daughter looks exactly like Mansoor but when Saadi sees her daughter for the first time they are both quite sure that she looks exactly like Laila! I found it really odd when Laila got up and left without carrying her daughter’s cot with her after that conversation.

Mansoor knows only too well that he cannot pressurize Laila into having his way this time around so he decides to apologize at the end of the episode. The preview of the next episode suggested that Laila decides to give her marriage another chance even though Kukoo tells her that Mansoor isn’t worth it at all. I found Mansoor’s conversation with Shah Zamir very interesting, it was one of the best scenes of tonight’s episode. It was like a reminder to Mansoor about how lightly he had taken his marriage and how he had refused to change anything about his life after Laila entered it. The mystery regarding Mansoor and Laila’s daughter’s name was finally solved in tonight’s episode; the child does not have a name after all!

I must say that after watching the last episode I had huge expectations from this one but I am not sure how I feel about the latest developments. I am waiting to find out of course how the story progresses in the next episode. Do share your thoughts about this latest installment.

Fatima Awan