Finally, finally, finally we got an episode which was perfect in every aspect. The challenges, the coverage of the cooking, the technical judgments & some positive comments from the judges. I thoroughly enjoyed this episode & felt that they lived upto the benchmark of the ‘black apron’ round & made it really interesting for us to watch.

This episode had 2 challenges where in the first one all the contestants had to made desserts, perk was an open pantry & the time limit was 30 minutes. All the contestants came up with brilliant dishes that too in such a short time span, which was great to see.

Adnan tried his hands on a fusion again & came up with ‘Fried Fruit Pakora’. Chef Khurram felt that the taste of desiccated coconut was pretty dominant. Chef Zakir taught him the actual way of working with semolina as he said just because Adnan didn’t opt for the right way of using it, the base that he provided for the dessert wasn’t cooked through completely.

Rayyan came up with the most technique prone dish which was ‘Caramalized Banana & Ricotta Crepe’. Chef Mehboob commended him for the idea but felt that just because the consistency of the crepe batter wasn’t thin, it made the crepes a lot more chewy, but he also felt that the filling was delicious. Chef Khurram liked the presentation but advised him on using a bigger plate to make the dish look better.

Saad made the desi dessert of ‘Qiwammi Sewiyan w/ Khoya Sauce’. Chef Mehboob said that even though these desi desserts may look easy but they’re actually difficult to make. He liked Saad’s dish a lot & felt that it reflected the taste of his mother’s cooking.

Azam made a ‘Bread Pudding w/ Raspberry Sauce & Lemon Curd’. Chef Mehboob felt that he should’ve opted for a different plate but other than that the taste was great.

Amna presented ‘Red Velvet Cheese Cake w/ Raspberry Cream’. She was appreciated by all the judges for her energy & even for coming up with such a complex dish in such a limited time that too under pressure. Chef Khurram felt that the colors she put up were brilliant & the flavors were balanced. Chef Mehboob also stated that people often end up making the cheese cake a lot more sweet but Amna didn’t do it, that’s why the taste was balanced. Chef Zakir praised her for using the oven & liked the way the cake made by her maintained it’s shape & just because the flavors were good, she won the challenge & as an advantage she was safe for the day.

In the next & the final challenge of the day, the contestants had to come up with their versions of Vegetarian Thaali, where they had to pay attention to different texture, color & the taste of the 3 main dishes complimented with the side dishes. The contestants had only 1 hour to prepare the food with an access to the pantry through out the challenge.

Azam was appreciated by Chef Mehboob for the effort, he felt that the curry was good & flavorsome plus the idea was great too. Chef Khurram felt that the texture was great but in some of the dishes, the taste was flat. Chef Zakir said for his effort he deserved an appreciation & he personally liked the curry & the beans better.

Rayyan got a good feedback by the judges as well. Chef Mehboob liked the platter but felt that Rayyan missed out the colors but the taste of okra was great, the lentil hat he cooked has that perfect balance of tamarind. Chef Khurram also said that despite missing out on the colors, he outdid himself in the taste. Chef Zakir appreciated a lot saying that he came up with the perfect Indian thaali that they were looking for.

Saad got an average feedback because the judges felt that his dishes were a bit salty but despite that Chef Khurram liked the spinach & liked it’s color & texture too.

Adnan once again tried to do fusion in one of the dishes & because of that Chef Mehboob didn’t like his dish much. He felt that the tastes didn’t go well together. Chef Zakir also felt that the fusion wasn’t working but commented on the lentil he cooked saying it was perfect. Chef Khurram said that he could feel a burnt taste in one of the dishes & so for coming up with the weakest dish in comparison to the others, Adnan was eliminated.

He was a good contender & took his elimination really well. He talked through his journey & confessed that he has learned so much & now will strive to do better. The judges parted with some good remarks & we wish him good luck too.

So, this was it from tonight’s episode. It was no doubt better in comparison to all the previous episodes & now we can say that the black apron rounds would be worth a wait. I felt that the judges didn’t appreciate the contestants if they took some extra seconds in the pantry planning their dishes & said that open pantry doesn’t mean that the contestants keep on going to the pantry again & again. I think the judges need to understand the literal meaning of an ‘open’ pantry because it does mean that the contestants have an access to it through out the challenge & it depends on them how much time they want to spend in there.

Also I felt that even though Chef Khurram told Amna that her dessert could’ve been better, she still won the challenge whereas Rayyan’s dish stood out the most in terms of presentation, taste & most importantly technique but still he wasn’t selected because of a minor crepe detail, which I feel wasn’t a fair decision but never mind, he along with other good contestants is safe, so that sums it up perfectly.

Next week of MasterChef Pakistan is going to be a lot more interesting because the contestants will be put through a big challenge where they’d have to run a stall on their own in a public place. I can’t wait to see what the contestants come up with. Share what you felt about the black apron episode.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

I must admit, when I started watching this drama I thought it was just a typical story with a bunch of insecure mother in laws torturing the wives of their sons. It came across as a drama which had nothing but family politics to offer & because of this I had no expectations whatsoever but as the episodes are coming my way, I am getting engrossed in it completely. I never thought that any recent drama had a power of making the viewer’s actually feel a bit for the characters but Marasim has done it & done it really well. I couldn’t help feeling sympathy for most of the characters & rage for the others. I must say, the director has done his job really really well in bringing out the best in the script & in the actors too.

Momenah has succeeded in making her mother feel that she is perfectly alright with Daood’s marriage & she feels nothing for him, which to a certain extent is a truth but on the other hand is a lie which comes naturally with the circumstances, but I feel Sherbano herself doesn’t want Momenah to forget what has happened. Momenah has done really well into making everyone believe that nothing matters to her anymore which has made Deeba upset because she wants to see Momenah suffering because of what her ex-fiancé Abdullah did to her. I think Deeba is playing the heartbroken card way over the top. At times, it’s pretty evident that Gaitiara feels remorse & guilty towards Daood & Momenah but Deeba over-shadows everything by reminding Gaitiara over & over again that she’s hurt & lonely.

Even though Nayab was vulnerable & was treated as a weak person who could’ve been forced into anything, she made sure that she lets her sister know every single emotion she has felt all this while because of her sister’s indifference to her. Nayab could’ve easily accepted the defeat but she made sure that she lets Almas know how cruel she has been to her only sister. Almas may have tried to flip away from the reality but there was this voice in her head that didn’t spare her, convincing her to do something to compensate the pain she has caused to her Khala, Zaid, Zaid’s sister & Nayab.

This episode had a lot of emotional scenes but the most overwhelming ones were the conversations between Nayab & Almas & also Daood & Momenah. I found Sonia Hussain’s acting top-notch in that particular scene, not that she ain’t doing well in the rest of the serial but this scene was outstanding in terms of her acting. She made sure that she conveys the feelings of Momenah to perfection & she actually stole the show. Similarly, Urwa has done her part really really well. The emotionless reality checks that she kept throwing Almas’s way were done beautifully. Even though Ahsan Khan has played yet another role of a heart-broken fellow but I feel he comes across acceptable because the ladies have over-shadowed him & just because this story is based more on what these girls are going through, it makes Daood’s pain secondary.

I must commend the hair stylists, the dress designers & also the makeup artists who are responsible for the look of all the actors. They have done their job absolutely perfect & just because they didn’t stick to any particular signature look of an actor, this has helped in creating more realism in regards to the characters. I am really happy that I tuned into Marasim & I am definitely hooked to this show. Can’t wait to find out what happens next. Share what you felt about tonight’s episode.

Keep Supporting.
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

So, this episode began with the elimination. Ali Shah, Aneela & Adnan were in the bottom 3 & one of them had to go. Going by the judges’ remarks, I am not too sure who deserved to go because all three of them were criticized for how bad their dishes were. I think it was important on the judges part to actually elaborate a bit more about the positives of Adnan & Aneela’s dishes which gave them an upper-hand & made them safe because the way the judges gave them the feedback, it went to show that all three of them were eligible of elimination. Like I said, I feel the judges focus more on criticizing rather than appreciating & that’s a downer.

This episode was once again based on a signature dish where the contestants had to come up with their own version of ‘Biryani’. Madiha who won the last challenge got an advantage where she could exclusively pick the meat she wanted to cook with & she also had to make a choice for the one contestant she found was a tough competitor. So, going by the rule she picked Chicken as a protein for herself & gave Rayyan a fish to work with, because according to her she knew he’s a strong contender & she felt he’d have a hard time working with it.

The challenge began & I am glad a little more cooking was shown this time which made the episode a lot more interesting. The judges went to everyone & asked about their techniques & the flavours they were infusing in their Biryani. A few dishes stood out both for good & the bad reasons & those who got their verdict were:

Adnan who presented ‘Beef Biryani’. Chef Mehboob felt that the spices dominated his biryani & the rice was over-cooked. Chef Khurram also felt that the spices over-powered the rest of the dish & also commented on the lack of presentation skills.

Aneela who made ‘Mutton Biryani. Chef Khurram felt that her presentation was weak again & said she needed to pay more attention on it but other than that he liked the food. Chef Mehboob also said that she did well & he was happy for her.

Rayyan made ‘Hyderabadi Fish Biryani’. Chef Zakir said that the taste of fish wasn’t infused much in the rice, which is why the rice was bland. Chef Mehboob commended him for not letting the fish break & felt that he presented his plate well but felt that the taste of sesame was dominant. Chef Khurram said that this dish was ordinary.

Gulnaz made ‘Mutton Nuts Biryani’. Chef Khurram liked her presentation but didn’t say much about the dish.

Zain presented ‘Mince & Prawn Biryani’. Chef Zakir liked it but said that the combination of fruit wasn’t balanced. Chef Mehboob gave him an insight as to how a fusion cooking should be handled. He liked his dish but said that he needs to pay more attention to the flavors which he is trying to work with especially when it comes to the fusion cooking.

Iqra made ‘Prawn Biryani’. Chef Mehboob felt that she pushed herself a little too hard that’s why she committed some mistakes. He felt that the smoky flavour was a bit too overpowering. Chef Zakir felt that the rice was cooked well but when they were combined with the other components, the rice became soggy.

Madiha made ‘Authentic Mughlai Biryani’. Chef Mehboob said her choice was right & she did justice to it a 100%. Chef Khurram loved her dish & said he enjoyed it a lot. Chef Zakir said this is a battle & the one who knows how to play will succeed.

Ammarah made ‘Pakistani Biryani Platter’. Chef Khurram liked the rich flavours. Chef Zakir commented on the uniqueness of the flavours that she induced in her dish.

Amna made ‘Laham Majboos’ an Arabic version of Biryani. Chef Khurram didn’t like her presentation nor the dish. Chef Mehboob said that she needs to come out of the Arab taste & work with Pakistani flavors.

Saad made ‘Sea Food Biryani’. Chef Mehboob liked the sauce that he presented but said that the biryani itself was a disaster. Chef Khurram said it wasn’t his lucky day.

Azam also made ‘Sea Food Biryani’ & Chef Khurram said that his sauce & biryani were poles apart.

I must say I am totally impressed by the ideas these contestants are coming up with every single time. Being the home-cooks mostly, their ideas are just brilliant & the execution is top-notch, which makes this show a must watch. Coming back to the competition, it was now a time for the verdict of the day so for that Amna, Ammarah, Madiha, Rayyan, Adnan, Aneela, Saad & Azam were told to come forward for the final judgement. Aneela, Ammarah & Madiha were safe where Madiha once again won the challenge. This left Rayyan, Amna, Adnan, Saad & Azam in the danger zone where they’ll appear in the black-apron round to compete against each other, which I can’t wait to see because it’s going to be the first ever black-apron round & this will give a chance to the contestants to prove themselves & compete justifiably.

I must say the challenge & the episode itself was great but I am disappointed by the judges & their remarks. It looks like Chef Zakir himself is competing with the contestants & he doesn’t leave a single opportunity that he gets to let others know that he is a successful chef himself. I feel no matter how bad a dish must be, it should never be called a disaster that too on the national TV in such a big platform. I think there are a million ways to give a feedback both positive & negative but being a judge, it doesn’t mean that they have to be so cold-hearted & blunt. Once again I felt that the judges nit-picked & discussed every single ‘negative’ detail while criticizing but didn’t speak about the positive factors of those dishes they felt were great. The only thing they could say was good, excellent & ‘maza a gaya’ but didn’t tell ke kiss wajah se maza aya.

I think Rayyan himself admitted that it was his mistake for which he couldn’t perform & he generally made a comment that rest depends on the judges but the judges got a bit defensive unnecessarily & reminded him of what his position was by saying ‘ke app wahan pe aur hum yahan pe kharay hain’. I think the unnecessary stern attitude of the judges is ticking me off. ‘Hamari nazar app sab logon pe hai’, ‘2 advantages zaya ho chuke hain’, ‘hamain sab nazar a raha hai’. I think the judges don’t know the art of ‘moving on’ that’s why they are stuck in the past about the 2 ‘once in a lifetime’ advantages that weren’t utilized properly, lol!

Relax judges, it’s just a cooking competition matey. :) Share what you felt about this episode.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Just like all the other plays written by Aliya Bukhari, this one also started with a bang. This first episode was fast paced and engrossing. The story has absolutely nothing new to offer (just like Dil-e-Muzter, also written by the same writer) but it still managed to hold my attention mainly due to the short and to the point scenes. The play has been directed by Romi Insha and produced by Momina Duraid.

Mausam is the story of two cousins (who have been raised like sisters) who have nothing in common but they get along quite well at least for now, until of course our hero will become the “bone of contention” between them! Yes, like I said the story has been done to death! Shazia (Yumna Zaidi) is outgoing, a little rebellious and has a colorful personality. Her cousin Saman (Hareem Farooq) is your regular simple, obedient and of course very attractive young girl. We have seen both these characters in many dramas before too. The promos reminded me of all the dramas based on the story of two sisters starting from Maat to Rishtey Kuch Adhoorey Se. The girls come from a middle class background and our hero Hashir Hassan (Ahsan Khan) is very rich. Hashir Hassan has all the luxuries that a person can afford but he doesn’t even have a good relationship with his mother, who I think is the only family he has. Hashir Hassan’s mother’s character is yet another stereotype which we have seen on our screens often enough.

Fazilat Mami’s (Naila Jafferi) character is a nice addition to the drama. We don’t get to see sensible ladies like her on our TV screens very often. Shazia’s mother (Humaira Zaheer) is raising her daughter all by herself so she is very strict with her. Saman’s mother does not have much of a say in the house and Shazia’s mother is considered the head of the family. Her character was another one which reminded me of many mothers and fathers which we have seen in our dramas; the sort who are very conscious about their children’s upbringing and end up getting very disappointed when they find out what their children have been up to.

Shazia’s Khala (Anita Campher) desperately wants Shazia’s hand in marriage for her son but Faisal does not come up to Shazia’s standards. Shazia’s chance meeting with Hashir was done well. Hashir is the prince charming Shazia had been waiting for all these years but he gets attracted to Saman the second he lays his eyes on her. So, there we have it the perfect love triangle we are already very familiar with.

The picture quality, direction and acting gave me absolutely nothing to complain about. It was actually nice to see normal girls on screen after watching Romaissa crying for weeks now! The screen play was engaging enough but the characters reminded me of many others which we have already seen in dramas. Yumna Zaidi’s character reminded me of the character she played in Rishtey Kuch Adhoorey Se; her desperation was nothing new! The fact that these two girls are cousins is actually very alarming because it could mean that the drama may go the Yahan Pyar Nahi Hai way.

It was very disappointing and definitely surprising (not in a good way!) that Hum TV did not feel the need to promote this drama at all. The promo went on air at the very last minute. No one even knew two weeks back that Mausam would be replacing MSKSH. Could it be that the channel does not want MHMD to have a competition at the moment? Since MHMD has been produced by Momina Duraid too. I have no idea but I definitely expected better from Hum TV. This first episode was full of stereotypes but still much more engaging than most dramas which I have seen lately so I think a little more effort on part of the channel would have given the viewers a reason to tune in to Hum TV tonight.

Fatima Awan

Poor Laila; she is sensitive, sweet and genuine but fate has tied her with a man who is heartless, cruel and extremely selfish. Laila is trying hard to make sense of the relationship she has with Mansoor. She wants to believe that he loves her but as time goes by Mansoor is giving her very little reason to continue wishing and hoping that he does love her. Mansoor has rejected Laila over and over again in more ways than one. He has never made a conscious effort to come up to her expectations but he knows absolutely nothing about handling rejection himself. This man wants complete compliance by his wife even though he does not have feelings for her. Mansoor’s attraction towards Laila and Kukoo both appears to be strictly physical. There was a time when I used to think that Mansoor and Kukoo were soul mates who met at a bad time but after watching tonight’s episode I got the feeling that Mansoor is incapable of feeling that way about any woman at all.

Kukoo isn’t even trying to move on; her life has taken a very unexpected turn after Mansoor’s wedding and she isn’t even sure how to deal with the situation. Khurram’s promises are nothing more than false hopes which are not worth banking on. The meeting between Mansoor and Kukoo tonight seemed to be a direct reaction of the way their spouses treated them. Kukoo was getting back at Khurram forgetting his promise of taking her out for dinner and Mansoor was punishing Laila for not being an “obedient” wife. Iffat Omer is absolutely brilliant as Kukoo; she does not want to be the other woman but she cannot let go of Mansoor either. I think the only reason Kukoo keeps on going back to Mansoor is that she is lonely. Khurram’s dialogue about not being unfaithful was spot on and timed perfectly. Does being faithful make up for all his other weaknesses? I am not sure! Are there more ways than one to be unfaithful to someone? These were some of the questions that popped in my head when I heard Khurram declaring his faithfulness.

My favorite scene from tonight’s episode had to be the opening scene in which Laila asks Mansoor to “forgive” her for her behaviour. The other scene which said a thousand words was the one in which Kukoo starts cleaning the mirror while giving her client a haircut; she obviously could not take her mind off the message Mansoor left for her. Wiping memories out of the mind is never this easy and simple! Kukoo would like to erase all those memories of the past and present but those memories are probably all that she has and she actually does want to hold on to them.

Laila’s conversation with her mother in law said a lot about who Mansoor takes after. The most outstanding aspect of this play till now has been that every scene and all the conversations add something to the play. There are hardly any dramas on air right now which do not give away unnecessary details to kill time. The scene in which Laila goes to meet her parents was also beautifully done. It isn’t easy for a girl like Laila, who has shared every tiny detail of her life with her father, to hide something so big from him but she does not have a choice. She knows that she has to make this marriage work; letting her mother down is not an option.

The OST of the play is beautiful. It is definitely one of those songs which you want to hear over and over again. I am extremely impressed by the quality of direction, acting and script of this play. Sohail Sameer has nailed his character and Alishba Yusef has breathed life into Laila’s character. Iffat Omer’s character has to be the most complicated one in the play but she portrays Kukoo’s insecurities, loneliness, helplessness and vulnerability effortlessly. Sumbul Shahid has played the proud mother of a “perfect” son superbly.

Thank you Team Pehchan for giving me something worthwhile to watch; Pehchan has to be the only play on air right now which I look forward to and enjoy reviewing.

Fatima Awan

When I watched the promo for this episode, I was quite sure that this will probably be the episode which will make me feel for and connect to Alvira’s character more than ever. There were some parts which did make me feel for her but I must confess that even after watching what Hamza did to Alvira, I still feel that Hamza has a lot to deal with. Ever since he got married to Alvira, he has been busy pleasing either his wife or his mother. Hamza most certainly should not have hit Alvira and it is plain to see that Hamza and Alvira’s marital problems are taking a toll on little Shiza.

Zainab was obviously talking only out of her own personal experience when she said that it was perfectly normal for a man to hit his wife, that is most certainly not the case! Most marital couples have arguments all the time and it is not normal for a man to hit his wife. Alvira is finding it impossible to forgive Hamza this time around and Hamza does not have the time to “make up” for what he did. After watching tonight’s episode, I really felt like Alvira and Hamza’s relationship has come to that point now when little gestures cannot rescue it. This episode was much more real than the last few episodes because like I said in my last review that when there are so many issues in a house, they tend to escalate rather quickly. The issues in Hamza and Alvira’s marriage took time to escalate but what we saw today was a much more believable turn of events, with the exception of the slap of course!

Maheen Rizvi’s character was introduced in the play tonight. She is Hamza’s co-worker who notices that Hamza has been worried lately. While Alvira vents out her frustrations by talking to Zainab, Hamza has no one talk to. I would not be surprised at all if Hamza starts putting his trust in Maheen’s character.

Alvira’s father is so busy proving that he was right all along that he does not really care about what his daughter is going through. He is sitting pretty waiting for the time when Alvira will come back home after being utterly disappointed with Hamza.

The story is finally moving forward but is it taking off just yet? I think not! The child star playing Shiza is beyond adorable and I love her confidence. I feel for poor Hamza still, I wonder if everyone else who is watching the play feels the same way too.

Fatima Awan

Ohkay, kind of a slow episode but still better in terms of a progress in the story. Actors have played their parts really well but I am kind of concerned for the young girl playing the character of Sofia. I know she is just acting but I am concerned as to what she is learning during this whole experience of acting in a drama. As one of the dear readers raised a question & a valid one that we’ve started to see a lot of child artists being involved in the dramas, where they are a part of the family issues too no matter how big or complex. Even though the kids are just doing their bits in acting but other than that, they are real people with innocent minds who are open to all sort of things that come their way. The way the director has made Sofia act like an angry girl who’s upset all the time, I hope she ain’t taking anything related to this role with her. I think it’s a high time that the kids are left out of these so-called ‘family dramas’ & are not involved into all this because even then the young viewers get attracted to seeing their age fellows in the dramas & that starts another cycle of bad influence.

Coming onto the drama, Jazid has finally understood that his kids are not Dua’s responsibility. Finally we can see Dua ke parathay burps k saath saath rang bhi la rahay hain. He was clear about this fact that he & Zara need to sort out their issues to think better for the kids. Jazib showed a lot of concern for Dua & her career as a teacher. Wasn’t Jazib always upset with Zara because of her being so career-oriented? So, why all of a sudden he reminded Dua worriedly that this is just a beginning of her career & she needs to focus more on it. Just because he heard Dua say that this job is not her priority, he is happy that the moment he will wave a flag, she’ll leave the job & run towards him & just because he didn’t get this edge from Zara that he was her priority & her career wasn’t, he was seen upset & complained about thick edges of the roti all the time.

I don’t really know why but I feel Zara’s character in the beginning was better. It is definitely appreciable that she tries to talk Sofia out of hatred that she feels for Dua but on the other hand Zara needs to understand that Sofia is under the clear impression of how Zara herself treats Dua, how she misbehaves & looks down at her, that’s why this is exactly what Sofia does with Dua too. Zara needs to understand that the change in her attitude will allow the kids to look past the hatred & they will then accept Dua as well. I felt the way Dua stood up for herself was something good. She now has to make sure that she isn’t run over or bossed around by anyone because she has a self-respect too.

Zara has finally found out that the tumour which she was ignoring has now taken a form of a lethal disease. Zara told her friend that she found out about the tumour when Tabrez was 6 months old & I am assuming back then Zara & Jazib must’ve had a pretty healthy relationship because they had just welcomed their baby boy, so was it really possible that Zara hid her condition from Jazib, & if she actually did, what was she thinking? Weren’t they so much in love that Jazib was oblivious of what his wife was going through, despite it being a minor thing? I think the way they have ignored the part of showing us how & WHY they actually grew out of each other, raises a lot of question & makes certain things a lot more blurry. We get to see Jazib & Zara holding hands, strolling like a happy couple whenever Zara goes into her past, so when she has good memories, what actually was the reason that they both ended up separated? I think it must be Jazib’s fixation to patli roti then which made Zara detest & loathe him because other than that I don’t see any valid reason for them being so unhappy with each other?

Let’s find out what happens next.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Tonight’s episode was the  most boring and slow paced episode of Pyarai Afzal; I didnot enjoy watching this episode except for few scenes that I will be discussing in detail today. I know many of you will disagree with my point but thats how I feel and I guess, its the time to wrap up the show.I have no issue even if they will take 5-6 episodes to wrap up par koi asaar tou dikhain Afzal k kisi aik ke taraf janay k..

Sad part of today’s episode was when we came to know that Babu Hameed is no more. Ofcourse, out of all, Afzal and Yasmeen were completely broken because for Afzal,he was like his brother who was there with him when he needed help. Right from the day when Afzal came to Karachi, he took every step with Babu Hameed; They discussed ups and downs of their lives and always stood by each other and now that Afzal’s hard time companion is dead , he is completely shattered and broken from inside. And yes, I would like to give a special mention to Babu Hameed’s funeral; After a long time , I have seen a death in any television drama  where people didnot wear white clothes and for that Babu Hameed’s funeral looked like real life one.

I literally hated Farah today; I mean how selfish a woman can be ? Instead of feeling sad for Babu Hameed, she was cursing Afzal and Yasmeen. And for me, this is called nothing but peak of an emotion termed as Love ,blended with jealousy . Farah was jealous that Afzal put his life in danger for Yasmeen and now after seeing them together, she was unable to control her rage and started cursing both of them or woh bhi Lubna k kandhay ka sahara lai kar.. I must say, I should add sympathy with my hatred for Farah too because she can’t help herself and she is not in her own control now.

The best part of tonight’s episode was when Afzal’s family came to know that Afzal is in safe hands now. I would like to mention Firdous Jamal’s name,for acting superbly and brilliantly today ; Not for a second, it felt that he is acting in a drama-  it looked as if its a real life scene. Rukayya was unable to handle her emotions and Arfa’s eyes were full of tears – tears of happiness.  And like always, Maulvi Saheb’s dialogues took the limelight of today’s episode.

As Afzal is now in mood of taking revenge from Wali, he planned something fishy with Yasmeen and for that after a long time, he called his friends too. I guess, Wali will visit Yasmeen alone and this time Afzal will be a “bad man”  ,with his friends as his back up. God knows what is cooking in Afzal’s head.

Share your thoughts on recent installment of Pyarai Afzal.

Rabia Basharat.

P.S.  I would be extremely happy , if everyone in this show will stop uttering one “signature” word.  #Youknowitwell  :)

I must say the way this script has been tackled by the director is commendable. I feel all the actors have done a brilliant job portraying the characters assigned to them. I think it’s been a long time that I saw a drama where I felt a thing for the characters but Marasim has it happening.

Gaitiara still tricked Daood into believing that there was a chance of his & Momenah’s reconciliation because she was ready to surrender to Sherbano but it was Daood himself who backed out. Till date she has not let go of her inner most guilt in front of her only son that she herself never accepted Momenah as her daughter-in-law, that’s why the moment she found the most-awaited opportunity of parting both of them, she didn’t let go of it. Even though the focus has shifted away from Gaitiara’s miseries & now she has taken a step against her own son’s will, I still don’t find her character objectionable or negative. She is someone who now wants things her way because she has spent a good period of time pleasing others & then getting belittled, so now when she has found the glory, she is making the most of it.

Just like before, I didn’t feel a thing for Sherbano this time around too. She admitted that she wasn’t ready to forgive Gaitiara but when she had a chance, did she apologize to Gaitiara herself? She never once apologized to Gaitiara how she mistreated her & suggested very easily that Gaitiara must move on & forget what had happened but Sherbano still hasn’t realized that a single apology of hers could’ve changed the fate of her daughter Momenah, for whom she is feeling so bad now.

Poor Momenah had to put up an act to keep her mother from breaking down because she knows how deeply hurt she is, but still being a daughter she has over looked her mother’s mistakes. Momenah may or may not know but whatever has happened with her makes her mother responsible for it too. She may not accept it but that is definitely the truth. While looking at the cold-shoulder Almas was lending to Nayab, it was upsetting to see that she couldn’t even understand her younger sister’s emotions. She is someone who couldn’t even offer courtesy to her let alone console her for what she has gone through. Almas has proved that courtesy is a big thing which shouldn’t be expected of shallow people.

Zaid has obviously taken his breakup way too seriously & is now suffering physically. It was sad to see him & his family suffering so badly because of Almas, as she is responsible of backing out of the promise her late mother made in regards to Nayab & Zaid’s marriage. Daood has agreed to get married to Nayab because of Gaitiara but he still has to come to terms with it & coming across Momenah every now & then doesn’t help him much either. The wedding festivity has begun but everyone is heart-broken; Daood, Momenah, Nayab, Zaid & Sherbano. The only two people who are happy over their win are Deeba & Gaitiara.

I must say Sonia Hussain stole the show in this episode as Momenah. Not only she looks beautiful & absolutely innocent, she has played the character of Momenah to perfection as well. I must say even though Ahsan Khan has earned himself a label of ‘nakaam ashiq’, he certainly has acted really well as Daood & makes his suffering a lot more real & relate-able in this drama. I think the credit goes to the director for all such brilliant performances by the actors because he certainly has brought out the best in them. I am glad that I decided to give Marasim a go because it certainly hasn’t disappointed & I am now finding it hard to wait to find out what happens ahead in this drama.

Share what you felt about the latest episode of Marasim.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so this week ended with a mystery box challenge which also was an elimination round. I feel they have merged two separate rounds because normally in mystery box challenge, top 3 & the bottom 3 are selected. Later in the final cook-off challenge the bottom 3 tend to fight for the last time to keep their spot secured in the competition. In MasterChef Pakistan, they have rolled two things into one & mystery box challenge has been also used for the direct elimination. I feel a little change in the format is definitely required because I think those who don’t perform well in the mystery box challenge deserve another round to show their skills. Usually a celebrity chef is invited with their signature dish & the bottom 3 contestants are told to recreate the dish as close to the original one made by the guest judge. I feel this way whoever falls in the bottom 3 gets to prove oneself & the one who gets eliminated goes justifiably, but the way they have excluded this part from MasterChef Pakistan goes to show that randomly any contestant might end up leaving the competition no matter how promising they might be.

Coming onto the show, I must say the time to time short challenges that the contestants are being put up with are amazing. Initially the contestants had to make meringue by separating egg yolks & egg whites. Constant whisking was the key & Chef Mehboob demonstrated it to the contestants. The old-fashioned way to check whether the meringue is ready or not is to turn the bowl upside down, if it’s ready it won’t come off the bowl & if not, it would fall down. The contestant who won the challenge was Zain & he earned himself an advantage in the actual mystery box round.

The mystery box challenge began with some rules where the contestants had to at least use 6 of the ingredients given in the box & they had to make a savory & a sweet dish that too within the time span of 1 hour. The main component of the mystery box that had all the contestants shocked was the crab that too alive & kicking. A few contestants were scared & a few were excited but to make things easier, they also had chicken as another protein which the contestants could work with. I must say the cooking that surfaced was obviously amazing but a few dishes stood out the most.

Adnan came up with ‘Pineapple Steaks’ as a savory dish & he made ‘Pineapple Kheer’ as a sweet dish. Chef Zakir felt that he didn’t get the right combination in the savory dish plus the sweet dish had a burnt taste to it. Chef Khurram also commented on the burnt dessert, he said that the chicken was flat & the colors of the dish weren’t balanced right. Chef Mehboob said that it wasn’t a good effort. He said that the contestants must focus on making what is asked of them so that they can get the things right rather than trying to make more than what’s been demanded.

Anila made ‘Salty Creamy Chicken’ as a savory item & ‘Sweet Potato Kheer’ as a sweet dish. Chef Mehboob said that he expected something better from her. Chef Khurram commented that her dishes didn’t look appetizing & attractive enough. Chef Zakir asked her if she was satisfied with what she created & she honestly replied that she wasn’t.

Maryam created ‘Stuffed Chicken w/ Rice & Crab’ & a ‘Chocolate Tart’ as both the dishes. Chef Mehboob felt that the carrot puree didn’t compliment the dish. Chef Khurram said that he is upset at himself for selecting her & at her for creating such a dish. Chef Zakir felt that he had nothing to say about the dish.

Rayyan came up with ‘Capt. Saleem’s Crab’ & ‘Pineapple Upside Down Cake’ as both of his dishes. Chef Mehboob liked the food said he did a great effort. Chef Khurram appreciated the presentation but felt that the cake was a bit too sweet. Chef Zakir liked the cake but felt that the crab should’ve been presented differently because it was hard to eat despite having a good taste.

Zain created ‘Chicken w/ Egg Fried Rice’ & ‘Chocolate Brownies w/ Fruits’. Chef Khurram liked the savory dish but felt that the sponge of the dessert wasn’t cooked well. According to him Zain didn’t utilize his advantage properly. Chef Zakir felt that he isn’t taking the challenge seriously.

Madiha made ‘Chicken Rainbow Kabab’ & ‘Crab Dessert’. Chef Khurram liked the taste but commented on the lack of presentation skills. Chef Mehboob said that she took a calculative risk but she succeeded & got commended for it. Chef Zakir said he’d thank her for such a food.

Ali Shah came up with ‘Garlic Chicken Pasta’ & ‘Sweet Eggs w/ Nutty Chocolate Sauce’. Chef Mehboob said it wasn’t even a well-made dessert. Chef Khurram straight away said it was a disaster. Chef Zakir said it was an accident that happened.

Ammarah created ‘Crab Soup w/ Grillied Chicken’ & ‘Pineapple Pumpkin Cakes’. Chef Mehboob didn’t like her dessert. Chef Khurram liked her savory dish & Chef Zakir said he enjoyed the food.

Saad made ‘Crab Cakes’ & ‘Chocolate Tart’. Chef Mehboob appreciated him a lot. Chef Khurram said he liked his ideas & the presentation was good too.

A few contestants who got bad remarks were Iqra for only making Pasta. While explaining herself she got told off by Chef Zakir & he said after putting up a dish like this, she didn’t deserve to be in the competition. Khurram also got criticized for serving a raw crab. Gulnaz was told that if she had opted for some other technique, her dish would’ve been better.

So, those who stood out the most & made it to the top 3 were Rayyan, Madiha & Ammarah but the winner of Mystery Box Challenge was Madiha. She impressed the judges the most with her technique & the risk she took. The bottom 3 were Anila, Ali Shah & Adnan but seems like the announcement will be made in the next episode.

Once again, I felt that the judges were pressurizing the contestants a bit unpleasantly. They held back a lot when they had to appreciate the contestants but when it came to dissecting the dishes & giving a negative feedback, they were a lot more vocal & comfortable about it. Another thing that I noticed was that if the judges felt someone was behind the others during the task, they would call out their name in front of the whole crowd which I feel gets a little demeaning. I think there are other ways of bucking up a contestant & encouraging them but this hasn’t been happening in MasterChef Pakistan. I’d restate that the judges need to act a bit more relaxed & friendly with the contestants especially Chef Zakir. Being such a successful & renowned celebrity chef, I feel he should be a lot more candid & act like a secure senior who is helping the newbies that are stepping in this industry, rather than snubbing them. Take it easy judges. :) Rest’s all good.

Share your thoughts about the episode.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.