Some people never learn and Dania happens to be one such person. She continues throwing herself a pity party as if she was the victim and Sobia was the one who brought this upon her. The episodes are getting really slow and it’s frustrating to sit through them and not really have the story move forward. I’ve noticed that there are many dramas that would do well if they were wrapped up in under 20 episodes but I’m beginning to think that no one’s interested in what the audience wants!
After last week’s encounter with Babar, I had hoped Dania would have the courage to move on but it seems she’s into a spiraling downward decline. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned in love but I get the feeling this isn’t even about Babar anymore- she’s just unable to accept the reality that Sobia is married to him. Her contempt for Sobia is overshadowing everything else. And during this time of self exploration, she develops a close connection with Nabeel. Nabeel is your classic exploiter- he senses an opportunity and ceases it. Initially tough on Dania, he has taken a 360 degree turn and has not only starting appreciating her, he has also managed to get her to trust him. By playing her saviour when she suffers a nervous breakdown, he manages to get close to her. So much so, that despite the obvious discomfort she felt when he brought her home, she ended up pouring her heart out to him over the phone. Does this woman not realize that she’s an easy target for any man willing to take advantage? Dania was clearly impressed by his lavish home but made a run for it when she sensed danger. I would hate to see Nabeel take advantage of her while she’s trying to sort her life but sadly, she is responsible for her misery.
Dania’s mom tries to get her daughter to confide in her but the disconnect is pretty obvious. I have to wonder, didn’t her mother realize what a spoilt brat she is early on? Sometimes her concern seems genuine, at other times, it’s almost as if she herself has given up on her only child. I never had an extraordinary expectations from this drama- I started watching it since I liked the cast, namely Noman Ejaz but 15 episodes have elapsed and I do wish they’d get on with it and have a point too. What did you think ladies- you know who you are!!!
So, with this episode, the 2nd week of MasterChef comes to an end & also the boot camp has ended where the final selection has been done & we got the first lot of top 16 in our very first season of MasterChef.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching the episode & also the challenges that were set for the contestants to make it through to the next level. The first challenge also seemed comparatively simple yet again but it wasn’t because the judges knew what they were looking for. Another 10 contestants were selected in the potato peeling round accumulating the number of selected contestants to 30.
The main & the last challenge of Boot Camp was held in Moin Khan Academy where 30 contestants had to fight for securing the spot in top 16 that too by showing their BBQ techniques & skills. The contestants got sea food, red meat & white meat randomly & they had to decide what they were presenting the chefs spontaneously.
I am glad that we got to see some brilliant performances because one really can’t experiment with the looks of the barbecued meat but the way the contestants presented the food was brilliant. The judges set the criteria of ingredients, taste, presentation & creativity on which they’d be making the judgments & they themselves were glad to see the contenders coming up with absolutely brilliant dishes that too in the time frame of 60 minutes.
A lot of great contestants made it to the top 16 & a few were left behind. It may be wasn’t their day but I am glad that they showed a sportsman spirit & accepted the decision of the judges pretty well. I was glad to see Adnan Qureshi, Iqra Yasin, Madiha Khalid, Maryam Nida, Amna, Gulnaz, Ali Shah, Saad Ali, Azam Hafiz, Rayyan Durrani, Khurram Haroon, Ammarah Numan, Anila Qamar along with few others making it to the next round.
I was hoping that they’d unveil the MasterChef Kitchen this week but it didn’t happen. The preview did show a few glimpses & I must say I am totally impressed. Everything looks top-notch & the finesse is praise worthy. The project managers have done an amazing job in providing the quality that was required of this kitchen. I thought by the end of the selection process they’d show a ticker of the top 16 with their names & their respective cities but it didn’t happen. By this time around they should make a move & help us in memorizing the names of the contestants because it gets harder to remember & keep a track of them. But never-mind, 2 weeks down & still totally impressed. The team has done their job really well.
Before I start off I need to make it clear that I am in no way impressed by super pretentious Koffee with Karan. I personally loathe the over pretentious scandals and personal drama depicted in the show. However when I saw the previews of our take on such show in the form of TUC: The Lighter Side of Life, I thought; it is finally happening. We are finally going to celebrate our own celebrities and give them a chance to share their lives with audience. I was wrong, what turned out was; a complete mess and a host who was seriously short on her homework. There was improvisation and laughter but all of it seemed imposed and pointless.
So if they are thinking of making another such show or coming up with another season of the same; they need to learn a few things.
I am here to discuss a few and I would be very happy if you would like to add some more.
The Host:
Mahira Khan has evolved enormously as an actor. Humsafar was the bedrock which established her as a serious actress and then she shined again in Shehr e Zaat. Although she been a VJ in past and that seemed to help her allot in her hosting duties, unfortunately it did not. Mahira was seriously underprepared for the celebrities she had in front of here.
The most embarrassing and taxing show was; when she had Ayesha Omar and Sanam Saeed on her show. I have tried so much but I have failed enormously to forget the bit where Mahira asks Sanam and Ayesha to VJ and attend an annoying caller, which was played by Mahira. For a moment there I was stunned beyond belief that Mahira thinks this as an intelligent show. The bit and caller was the most embarrassing, annoying and not at all funny part of the series.
There were instances where Mahira in front of many others tried to play it serious. She wanted to show that she is not all laughter but even when she was playing this serious host her questions very misplaced. And in those moments of sobriety she was so shallow and distant that she did not involve herself with the guests and the audience. All of it seemed to be a huge rush to ‘turki bey turki’; which again was like ‘what????:O”.
The Guests
Well I liked the other guests, but mostly I was annoyed when Ayesha Omar went on and on about the troubles of making it alone in the big city. There were points where as an audience I really wanted Sanam to speak but no…!!!!!! Ayesha Omar can have her own show for the entire year and yet she will never be up. When she was not telling her tale of woe, Ayesha Omar was having flashes of intellect where she was hell bent on imparting her words of wisdom. However I think that Sanam in that show held her poise and did not give way to the antics of her co-guest. Mahira was of no help in that show either, when you are hosting the show you expect the host to have some control over the show but Ayesha was totally out of control.
One more word of advice; when you are preparing for the show please make sure that you a bit different from each other. Other than the colors of your dresses all three ladies were dressed way too much alike from my liking and I really needed someone to show that she is buying some other stuff.
Content
The content of the show needs some serious bashing. There was actually no homework, I mean a little bit of here and there was all for the show to be put on air. There was no consistency in the show, at one moment in time Mahira was being all to serious and the very next moment she was being pointless who tried so hard to make people laugh, and then she was back again.
Dear TV people if you really want to make such shows, vest a little bit more a hard work. Flashy sets and dresses along with super imposed humor will not make the show work….
Today is mother day, a day to acknowledge the priceless relation and blessing of mother. Nothing can replace the blessing of parents both Mother and Father. (Alprazolam)
Faakhir Mehmood has also released a short song ‘Tu Hai Kahan’ to pay tribute to mothers on this occasion.
Credits:
Song, Composition, Concept: Faakhir Mehmood
Lyrics: S.K. Khalish
Music Arrangements: Blue Notes Production
Once again, this week of MasterChef began at a high note where a lot of people got selected in the top 50’s as well. Most of them were great but I actually looked forward to the Boot Camp & as expected that was a treat to watch too.
I am liking the fact that real & genuine people who really have passion for cooking are coming to the show. People know what the title of MasterChef means & no one is mocking the opportunity. For me the best thing about the show is that we’re getting to see people from all walks of life, all sorts of backgrounds who have a dream related to this industry & have confidence in themselves. I like this as well that the judges are staying true to their seats & have remained honest & upfront about everything they come across in anyone’s cooking. They are not holding back when it comes to the appreciation nor they are sugarcoating if they come across something questionable.
A lot that was selected in this episode was:
Iqra Yasir from Karachi who made ‘Papparadelle in Arrabiata Sauce & Tiramisu’. Amna a passionate cook who traveled from Kuwait & she presented ‘Lemon & Parsley Chicken w/ 3 Dipping Sauces’. Maryam who made ‘Fusilli Pasta w/ White Cheesy Sauce’. Siddique Wali a video editor who made ‘Chicken Ala King’. Azam from Karachi who presented ‘Grilled Stuffed Chicken’. Mohammad Muzzail from Islamabad who runs a roadside cafe, he made ‘Chicken Karachi & Tikka’. Rayyan Durrani, he came up with ‘Fillet Mingon & Churros for dessert’.
A few others who got selected were Asma Khan, Zainab Ahsan & Madiha Asad.
Now when the top 50 were selected, the judges had to select top 20 in a challenge that they had set in a Boot Camp. A challenge that may look comparatively simple wasn’t that easy. In this round all the 50 contestants had to slice & dice the onions which is the most beginning stage of a Pakistani cooking. The judges clearly said that it doesn’t matter if all the contestants we have are home cooks but now they are competing for the MasterChef title & for that they need to show their knife skills.
Chef Zakir showcased how it was supposed to be done & what was the precision that they wanted to see from the contestants. After the top 20 were selected the judges felt that they should probably give a second chance to those who remaining 30 who were out of the race. So, in the next episode the judges will pick 10 more contestants & then the remaining 20 would have to leave.
I am finding this show a lot more interesting. In this episode the stand out contestants were Iqra Yasir, Mohammad Muzzamil & Rayyan Durrani. I am glad all three of them got selected in the top 20 & can’t wait to see them cooking. I’d conclude by saying that the judges are definitely paying attention to the tiniest details & I can’t wait to see the challenges the judges will keep coming up with to test the contestants & train them as well. Share your thoughts about the show. :)
Ohkay, so it was a pretty interesting episode of Bashar Momin. I enjoyed it through out but once again had an issue with the way the episode was shot. Previous episode seemed too dull & shadowy while this one was just so bright that it could impair someone’s vision. I think the people behind the camera have tried to use in some different techniques by experimenting or have actually tried to give a certain feel to the whole drama by using unusual lighting but they are failing miserably because most of the scenes seem spooky. I thought everyone in this drama was really rich so why don’t they switch the lights of their homes on? No doubt the execution of the drama is brilliant but I am actually quite annoyed with the way the lighting has been used!
Anyways, the episode was more interesting than it seemed in the preview. I kind of enjoyed the fact that in stead of becoming a girl who’d be baffled & confused at the recent turn of events, Rudaba took it pretty well & gave everyone a tough time. Previously she may have sugar coated whatever she said to Tayyaba but now she was blunt & straight forward because she knew how to hit Tayyaba’s Achilles Heel & she did it pretty well because that’s the only way Rudaba can make Tayyaba realize how wrong she’s being. Rudaba didn’t take much time in figuring out that Tayyaba has starting taking interest in Buland & her brother is trying to buy that toy for his baby sister & felt it was just the right time to let them know that she has decoded their game plan.
Of all the people in Bashar’s family, I thought Tayyaba was different, compassionate & was just the right kind of a person who was supporting Rudaba through out but seems like Tayyaba is so much indulged in self-pity that she can’t even understand how much mean she is becoming. Tayyaba used to cry before because the guys never loved her so does she really think that Buland will be able to love her ever?
As much as I like the character of Buland & as much as I find him suitable for Rudaba, I think he must leave & shouldn’t be with her because Rudaba deserves someone better & certainly not someone who has trust issues. Rudaba may have fallen in love with her fiance Buland but I think if he can’t trust her & she has to keep on explaining everything to him every single time, I feel she must let go off him too.
I think Faisal Qureshi nailed his performance in this particular episode because he played the bechara perfectly & then the beast perfectly as well. Whatever he said to Buland was true that Rudaba has never ever confessed anything to him but the way he twisted the obvious & used it against Rudaba & in his favour was cleverly perfect. Rudaba was clearly not thinking anything other than Buland when she hurried her way downstairs to meet him but I am sure she mistook Bashar as Buland & got a bit too cozy with him. I think Buland might see that & this would prove to be the last nail in the coffin.
I enjoyed this episode a lot & just when I was questioning Adil’s return, the preview suggested he’d be back soon just to find out the mayhem that has overtook Rudaba’s life. Buland might probably be gone by this time & I hope he doesn’t come back. Can’t wait to see more.
Bushra Rehman is a famous novelist and short story writer. Bushra is basically from state of Bahawalpur, and moved to Lahore after her marriage. Bushra hails from a family having presence in literature and politics. Her elder sister Farhat was married to Shuja-ur-Rehman who served as mayor of Lahore in 1980’s, while his son Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman is also education minister of Punjab.
Bushra herself is elected as member of Punjab Assembly as well as National Assembly at several occasions. Bushra is mother of four sons who are all settled abroad. As compared to a routine female writer, novels and short stories of Bushra are not limited to family politics, few of her novels are also based on the mystic themes.
Few of Bushra’s novel are also adapted for television dramas, which earned mixed response from viewers and critics.
Lazawal
Lazawal was the first drama based on novel of same name by Bushra Rehman in 1982 from PTV Lahore center. It was dramatized by Asghar Nadeem Syed. Khalida Riyasat, Azmul Haq, Samina Ahmed and Munnawar Saeed were in lead roles. The actual novel was changed to quite an extent in this drama. Despite huge star cast the drama was not much successful.
Khalida Riyasat and Munnawar Saeed in Lazawal
Piyasi
Piyasi was based on novel Piyasi by Bushra Rehman. It was aired in 1995 from PTV Lahore Center. Bushra Rehman also dramatized it for television while it was directed by Abdul Aziz. Firdose Jamal, Irsa Ghazal and Zaib Chaudary were in lead roles. Like Lazawal, Piyasi was also not much successful. The story deviated from the novel to quite an extent and failed to leave any impression.
Bandhan
After two lean dramas, Bandhan was a block buster drama from PTV Islamabad center in 1998. It was dramatized by Mansha Yaad and directed by Tariq Mairaj. The drama was lucky for many associated persons from director, writer to cast members. Leading cast members Nauman Masood, Nadia Khan, Farah Saadia, Iqbal Hussain were all in the early stages of their acting careers. The success of Bandhan provided fame to all of its cast. Bandhan was based on two novels of Bushra Rehman, i.e. ‘Laggan’ and ‘But Shikan’. To this date Bandhan is the last drama of Bushra Rehman for PTV .
Till mid 2000’s many Pakistani satellite channels have strengthened their viewership among viewers and PTV was no more the only available channel. HUM TV a channel administered by a former PTV producer Sultana Siddiqi, proved a leading channel to revive tradition of Pakistani drama. HUM TV also adapted few novels of Bushra Rehman which proved successful
Piyasi
Piyasi was a 100 episode soap by HUM TV in 2008. Monaliza, Mahjabeen, Aijaz Aslam, Juggan Kazim, Nauman Masood, Jahanzeb Gorchani and Seemi Pasha were in leading roles. It was the second adaptation of this novel and again it was written by Bushra Rehman. This time the story was same as novel and the drama was also successful.
Paarsa
Paarsa was based on novel of same name aired on HUM TV in 2010-2011. It was written by Bushra Rehman and directed by Siraj-ul-Haq. Paarsa was a bold novel written in 1980’s by Bushra Rehman. It was a story of Muslim girl who falls in love with a christian. Ayesha Khan, Ahsan Khan, Nida Khan, Farah Shah, Adnan Siddiqi and Zhalay Sarhadi were in leading roles. OST of the drama ‘Zindagi Tere Naam Ki’ sung by Rajab Ali was also popular.
So these are all the dramas based on the writings of Bushra Rehman. Do post your views regarding Bushra’s writing and dramas.
Pantene Bridal Couture Week is the biggest bridal show of its kind with the top designers of Pakistan showcasing their designs in this entire week. The PBCW started on 9th May at the Expo Center Karachi. The management behind the show is that of HUM Network Ltd.
On this first day designers like Amir Adnan, Amina Yaseen, Sana Abbas, Zainab Chottani and Zahid Khan showcased their talent on the ramp. The first day of the week ended with Mehwish Hayat giving an impressive dance performance which was really liked by the audience.
A Plus is quickly becoming a force to reckon with. They have a very interesting line-up of shows and the latest to grab my attention is Adhura Milan. Airing every Fridays at 8pm, Adhura Milan is written by Noor ul Huda Shah and Sheeraz Kazi, directed by Zulfiqar Ali and produced by Miraqsm Media. The cast boasts of stalwarts such as Samina Peerzada and Usman Peerzada, the ever-impressive Faisal Rehman, the ravishing Iffat Omar and a very strong supporting cast- Aly Khan, Soha Malik, Kinza Hashmi, Khalid Butt, Nayyar Ijaz and others.
Before anything else, I have to give a huge shout out to the impeccable production values, the addictive soundtrack and the overall aesthetics. Adhura Milan is a visual delight, with special attention to costumes and accessories, lavish décor and a very new feel. Our story begins with Tabrez Alam (Faisal Rehman) who is married to Soha Malik and has a daughter Alishba. Although at first glance, there is some air of discomfort between him and his wife, Tabrez is a doting father who clearly pampers his daughter. A refined gentleman, he is fond of music and plays the piano in his spare time. In a faded flashback, we see his muse- Iffar Omer but we have yet to know anything about her. What we do know about him is that he is an industrialist and tries to stay clear of land conflicts. But he doesn’t have a perfect life- far from it. At the age of 16, he was married to a much older woman, Noor ul Ain/ Bibi Jaan (Samina Peerzada) who has raised him into the man he is today. Not only that, but she had arranged his second marriage too. But Bibi Jaan is a far cry from Mahjabeen from Numm, she is an aristocrat, a zamindarni if you will, a woman of extreme power and resources and Tabrez acts as the caretaker of her massive property and wealth. Not just that, but as his wife mocks him, Bibi Jaan is his majazi khuda.
We are also introduced to his nemesis, Dilawar (Aly Khan) who has sworn to avenge the wrongdoing his mother suffered at the hands of Bibi Jaan. In a quick flashback we get to see his mother and a young Dilawar kicked out in the middle of the night for reasons we have yet to discover. Dilawar has managed to amass quite a sizable chunk of land himself and is now at a competitive level with Tabrez. Usman Peerzada reprises his role as a feudal lord and acts as an arbitrator between Tabrez and Dilawar. On Dilawar’s side of the land, lives Nayyab (Kinza Hashim) an orphan girl raised by her Chacha Bakhtawar (Khalid Butt) and Chachi. Nayyab is a carefree lass who lives life to the full and makes the most of her little world by celebrating the gudday- guriya ki shaadi with enthusiasm and fervor. Unfortunately for her, Ustaad Sultanay (Nayyar Ijaz) , the village kingpin has his eyes set on her. As luck would have it, her Chacha owes him an enormous gambling debt and he gets coerced into agreeing to the horrid union.
I’m really looking forward to the next episode. So far, I have fallen in love with the soundtrack sung by Shiraz Upal and Neeti Mohan (of Ishq Wala Love fame) and I’m impressed by the cast. The story seems unique but one of the biggest draws for me is the flawless picture quality. I need to like what I see and poor quality makes even the most interesting serial unwatchable. Did you watch the first episode? What did you think?
Ohkay so, even though this drama has a few hits & a misses, I enjoy watching it. I know the major downer is Bashar Momin being a domesticated don but other than that this drama has a different plot which makes it worth a watch.
Bashar has called dibs on Rudaba & now he is leaving no stone unturned to call off her engagement with Buland. According to Bashar, Buland is a suitable prospect for Tayyaba but definitely not for Rudaba because he himself wants to win her over. I must say when the drama began I thought Rudaba’s character would be nothing new & she’d be this simple, emotionally handicapped girl who’d never know how to put forth her opinion or fight for her right but this episode certainly gave me more reasons to like her character. She may act like that in front of Bashar because she is petrified of him but the way she told Buland everything & how she literally snapped him out of the misunderstanding was brilliant because it showed what this relationship meant to her. Buland picked up the pieces & understood that she was all for him & wasn’t even interested in Bashar because she respects him like her own brother Adil & he was thinking too much about the situation whereas there was nothing to worry about.
Finally, when they both got back together Tayyaba & Bashar felt their plan slipped away from their hands & they had nothing left to misuse & turn them against each other. Buland is a perfect gentleman who not only loves but respects Rudaba a lot & she is enjoying the royalty but now very clearly she has understood that people are transpiring traps against her & Buland because she has sensed Tayyaba’s interest in Buland as well.
Rudaba clearly knows that Buland is possessive of her & for that she has tried to do everything possible to avoid any interaction with Bashar but she didn’t know this thing would be used against her but just because Saira clearly has an issue with Rudaba & she got just exactly the right point to thrash Rudaba’s reputation in front of Adil especially.
The episode ended at a perfect note because I enjoyed the showdown between Rudaba & Bashar & then Rudaba & Tayyaba as well. Rubada has understood that being polite won’t do any good to her therefore she is being straight forward about everything. She told Bashar off sternly & reminded him of his right place & that is him being more like a brother figure to her plus she also felt it was pretty much necessary to tell Tayyaba how strong her & Buland’s relation is so therefore she mustn’t try to get in between them.
Ushna Hussain has acted really well in some particular scenes except in the beginning where she is hurt & crying, she certainly doesn’t know how to cry & that’s a done deal. I must commend the dress designers for sticking to the Eastern dresses through out because this is something which we are rarely getting to see in our dramas too. The dresses may be at times a bit elaborate for daily wear but at least they have sticked to Pakistani dresses & that is something worth appreciating.
I thought this was ‘the most’ expensive drama ever made in the history of Pakistani Television but every time I see the cut-paste backdrops in the scenes of Saira & Adil, I doubt the claim. They should’ve bought the ticket to either Thailand or Malaysia & shot a few scenes there in the CBD areas because those pasted foreign backdrops are nothing but hideous. Another thing that I found really irritating through out the episode was the bad bad lighting projected on the faces of the actors. Most of the times the scenes are too dull & dark & the faces look shadowy which makes it really disturbing to see because you really can’t understand the expressions on the faces. I feel in stead of investing so much on the gaudy furniture & the expensive wallpapers, they should’ve invested in technicality because that is definitely missing in this drama.
Over all I enjoy watching Bashar Momin because it has no saas bahu k jhagray or dukhyari aurtain filling buckets with their tears to later use them for laundry purposes. All the actors have done really well but I wish someone else had played the role of Tayyaba because she looks a little…hmmm…meh! Plus yes, Faisal Qureshi came across as a lot more tolerable in this episode so yay for us!
Share your thoughts on this episode plus yes, Bashar Momin would be reviewed regularly. ;)
The summer edition of Pantene Bridal Couture Week 2014 is in full swing in Karachi. The highlights of first day are a steamy performance by Mehwish Hayat. While the celebrities who appeared on ramp are Noor Bukhari, Shamoon Abbasi, Zhalay Sarhadi, Atiqa Odho, Urwa Hocane, Ayeza Khan and Ahsan Khan.
A glance at the plays and films based on novels makes it clear that the list is overwhelmingly dominated by females. But few male novelists are also prominent and provided viewers with everlasting dramas. The most famous among them is Shaukat Siddiqi who was a prominent fiction writer. He was born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India in 1923 and migrated to Pakistan after partition and settled in Karachi. His famous novels and short stories collections are `Teesra Admi’ (1952). `Andhere Dur Andhere’, (1955), `Raton Ka Shahar’ (1956),Kamingah’ (1956), ‘Khuda Ki Basti’, (1960) `, `Keemyagar’ (1984), `Jangloos’ (1988) and `Char Deewari’ (1990). Shaukat Siddiqi passed away in 2006. His novel Khuda Ki Basti is considered one of the most popular novel of 1960’s.
Novels of Shaukat Siddiqi are also adapted for television dramas and were quite appreciated.
Shaukat Siddiqi
Khuda Ki Basti Pakistan television started its transmission in 164 from Lahore and Karachi in 1967. In 1969, famous novel of Shaukat Siddiqi ‘Khuda Ki Basti’ was adapted for a drama with same name. The drama was quite successful and repeated many times on PTV at various occasions. In 1969, permanent recording facility was not available on television so in 1974 the drama is re-recorded and the same version is repeated many times. The play was produced by Bakhtiyar Ahmed.
Jangloos Jangloos was the second drama based on a novel with the same name. It was a story of two prisoners who escaped from jail. Jangloos was aired in 1989, it was directed by Kazim Pasha. Leading cast members were M. Warsi, Shabir Jaan, Salim Nasir, Shagufta Ejaz and Subhani Ba Younas. Like Khuda Ki Basti, Jangloos was also well received by viewers and critics.
Despite only two novels of Shaukat Siddiqi are adapted for television dramas, but both the dramas offered something different to viewers. Especially Jangloos was a totally new experience at that time, a subject never explored earlier. Shaukat Siddiqi’s novels were quite different from the writings of female novelists which provided them longevity and success.
Do share your views, regarding writings and dramas of Shaukat Siddiqi
The time that Zeeshan spent in his house while he was recovering from his injury has been a learning experience for him. Nabeel fell in love with Romaissa primarily because of her genuine nature; her relationships meant more to her than anything that money could buy. It is almost as if Zeeshan never knew just how insensitive and selfish his family members were before, maybe because he spent a lot of time away from home. Nabeel knew his family members only too well because he had to deal with them a lot. He made sure that Romaissa was financially secure because he had no expectations from his parents even.
Maham is adorable, I am surprised that Zeeshan took so much time to warm up to her. I was hoping that this episode would be much more fast paced than the last few because the drama is going to end in another 2 episodes or so but some of the scenes were stretched without end. The scene in which Romaissa is cleaning the room was painful to watch! On one hand there is Romaissa who is dutiful and always there for Zeeshan and on the other hand his family members don’t have any time for him. While his parents have forgotten all about him while he is still alive, Romaissa has kept Nabeel’s memories alive even so many years after his death.
Hamnah was expecting a few months back (in the last episode) but there was no mention of the baby in this episode. There are no signs of Nabeel’s family paying for their wrongdoings, I am not sure that we will get the satisfaction of watching them suffer the way they made their son’s widow and daughter suffer. Zeeshan’s mother’s obsession with getting her son married is beyond me.
Zeeshan’s feelings towards Maham and Romaissa completely changed in this episode. For me Zeeshan and Maham’s scenes together were the highlight of the episode. The episode could have been much more fast paced but I guess we all know by now that the director believes in showing every little detail. It is time to wrap things up now.
I was hoping that the last few episodes will give us something to remember but that seems unlikely now. I am tired of watching Romaissa crying and working, we all know how the play is going to end so why not just end it without making the viewers suffer even more!
Do opposites really attract? Both the couples in this play have nothing in common; Kukoo and Khurram are worlds apart and Laila and Mansoor are like two completely opposite people who have been caged together for life. Laila tries her best to hold on to every single remotely loving/caring gesture by her new husband; she spends every minute trying to convince herself that this stranger who isn’t really letting her in to his life as openly as she would have wanted him to, actually loves her the way a husband should love his wife.
Mansoor’s mother was right, he is “farmabardar” no doubt. He knows how to keep his mother happy. He could have taken a stand to marry Kukoo but he didn’t do so because he knows she will be a part of his life even if she is not his wife. This man has no respect for women at all; he couldn’t care less about their feelings either. The only woman he truly cares about is his mother.
There was a time when Laila lived a life very different from the one that she will be living from now on. Laila was outgoing, adventurous, progressive and ambitious but her mother was in such a rush to push her towards the next phase of life that she totally forgot that this should have been more of Laila’s decision than hers. I think the scene in which Laila finds out that her room had been completely changed said a great deal. Is change really good? Why are some parents so eager to introduce these changes into their children’s lives without even giving their children’s likes and dislikes a second thought. Laila looks up to her father like a role model and for good reasons too. She would have liked to be married to someone like him but Mansoor is nothing like the lively, fun, understanding and positive person that Laila’s father is. It is sad that parents like him do not get to have more of a say in their children’s lives. Laila is her father’s daughter, she is positive and does not fret over things that may upset her. Mansoor’s mother isn’t exactly the perfect mother in law and Mansoor is definitely not the ideal husband but we still see Laila making the most of the situation. She loves her husband and wants to be loved by him although she barely knows him! Because that is how every girl is expected to feel after marriage.
Laila’s mother wants her to enjoy her new life; she has given away everything “old” which belonged to Laila. These old things probably meant more to Laila than anything new that she has now. Laila doesn’t want to feel like a guest in her own house but she happily accepts the fact that this is not her house any more and she should move on. The dialogue “Ab mei chot ke dur se koi khel na khelon” says a lot about her personality. She places other people’s happiness above her own that was something which was very apparent from the telephonic conversation Laila had with her father before leaving for Murree.
I feel for Laila and Kukoo both. Both of them have more than their fair share of unhappiness but they are equally brave and positive. Kukoo may have tried to end her life once but overall she is indeed a strong woman married to a man who will keep on exploiting her for as long as he can. Khurram “steals” from Kukoo but when she offers him money for leaving her, he declines. Khurram is just as controlling and selfish as Mansoor.
Mrs. Khan’s subtle messages to Kukoo are ignored by her every time. The relationship between these two women is special and relatable. The scenes between Laila and her father were really well done too. The conversations between the two were meaningful, engaging and touching. Mansoor’s character has been etched out and acted out brilliantly. I feel that Sohail Sameer shouldn’t have been forced to say a few lines in English in every episode if he was not comfortable with the language. It just seems out of character when he has a difficult time pronouncing every single word. He is doing a brilliant job and would have been just as convincing without the use of English language. Overall, the play has been directed really well; the creativity and hard work shows in every scene. I love all the old songs that have been played in the drama so far. Pehchan has a very different feel to it. There was a time when I thought that the play maybe too slow but now I feel that it is more subtle than slow. Definitely looking forward to the next episode.
The day of martyrs has passed on 30th April, and this year it was celebrated quite enthusiastically. Few songs are released on this occasion including this one which by Shahzad Roy and Ayesha Omar named ‘Dhol Sipayha’. The video has focused on both aspects of a solider i.e. life on duty and life off duty. The starting line of the song is taken from famous song ‘Merya Dhol Sipayaha tenu rab diyan rakhan’ sung by Madam Noor Jehan
The 2nd HUM TV event which was held in March 2014 is all set to be aired on HUM TV in few days. The show was hosted by Meekal Zulfiqar and Sanam Saeed. The highlight of the show is performances by Ahsan Khan, Mehwish Hayat, Noor Bukhari, Bushra Ansari, Sohai Ali Aabro, Shehroz Sabazwari and Javed Sheikh.
A.R. Khatoon was a fiction writer from Uttar Pradesh India. After partition she migrated to Pakistan and passed away in mid 60’s. Not much material is available regarding personal life of A.R. Khatoon. As far I knew her full name was Amtul Rehman Khatoon, she was married and one of her daughter Zubaida Khatoon was also a fiction writer. A.R. Khatoon wrote many novels, one of her novel ‘Fakeha’ was completed by Zubaid Khatoon after her death.
A.R. Khatoon’s novels are famous for their depiction of cultural and family values in Muslim families of Uttar Pradesh. Novels of both A.R. Khatoon and Zubaida Khatoon were adapted for PTV dramas and were quite famous too. The stories of A.R. Khatoon are based on joint family and family politics, consequently the dramas also have many characters.
Shama
Shama is a black and white television play, based on novel of same name of A.R. Khatoon aired in mid 1970’s from PTV Karachi centre. It was dramatized by Fatima Surraya Bajiya, and directed by Qasim Jalali. Ghazala Kaifi, Javed Sheikh, Anwar Ali were in lead roles supported by many others including Begum Khursheed Mirza, Ishrat Hashmi, Zaheen Tahira, Salomi. The drama was quite popular then and has been re-telecast many times. Though hit, the leading pair Javed Sheikh and Ghazala Kaifi not appeared in any other drama for many years to come.
Afshan
Afshan is also based on novel of same name by A.R. Khatoon aired in late 1970’s from PTV Karachi centre. It was dramatized by Fatima Surraya Bajiya and directed by M. Zaheer. Zainee Umar was in lead role of Afshan. Again it was story of joint family consisting of many characters. Shakeel, Qazi Wajid, Shafi Muhammad, Tahira Wasti, Ibrahim Nafees, Rizwan Wasti, Qurban Jeelani, Begum Khursheed Mirza, Arsh e Muneer, Agha Waheedur Rehman, Beenish Hassan, Azra Sherwani, Mehmood Ali, Ishrat Hashmi, ,Rashid Omar Thanvi, Subhani Ba Younus, Aisha Khan, Mazhar Farooq, Qatreena Hussain and others played supporting roles. The drama was quite popular, but the heroine Zainee Umar never appeared in any other drama.
Zainee Umar as Afshan
Uroosa
After a gap of more than 10 years Fatima Surraya Bajiya again dramatized a novel in 1992. This time it was Uroosa, written by Zubaida Khatoon (daughter of AR Khatoon). It was directed by Qasim Jalali from PTV Karachi center. Mishi Khan and Adnan Siddiqi were in leading roles supported by Shakeel, Ishrat Hashmi, Sultana Zafar, Mazhar Farooq, Nilofer Abbasi, Sami Saani, Shama Jonejo, Aisha Khan, and others. Uroosa is one of the successful dramas of 1992. The drama started career of Adnan Sidiqi and Mishi Khan and both proved themselves as leading artists in later years.
Mishi Khan as Uroosa
Kiran
Kiran was a drama based on novel Kiran by Zubaida Khatoon from PTV Lahore Centre in 1993 It was dramatized by Khalid Ahmed and direced by Qambar Ali Shah. Firdaus Jamal, Sawaira Ndeem, Kunwal, Samina Ahmed, Anwar Ali, Salma Mumtaz, Jamil Fakhari, Tamanna Begum were in leading roles. It was first drama of Savera Nadeem who later proved a leading and versatile artist.
Tasveer
Tasveer to-date is the last drama based on novel of Khatoon family. It was based on novel tasveer by A.R. Khatoon, and dramatized by Fatima Surraya Bajiya. It was aired in 1997-98. Qaisar Nazamani, Abida Zaki, Adnan Jilani, Javeria Abbasi, Rabia Noreen,Dr. Imrana Maqsood and Tanvir Jamal were main cast members. It is perhaps the least popular of all the dramas based on novel by AR Khatoon or Zubaida Khatoon.
Have you ever read or followed a publication or drama of AR Khatoon or Zubeda Khatoon , do express your views.
Shehzad Roy, Jawad Ahmad and Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan have sung the Safeguard anthem for the latest Safeguard TVC. Safeguard has always tried to target young children because they are the future of Pakistan. Cleanliness is very important for many reasons. Safeguard keeps on asserting that message through its TVCs and also through different animated short series for kids.
Here is the video of the latest safeguard commercial which stresses the need for a more cleaner Pakistan. It also stars some very popular singers.
Phew! It was such a slow & boring episode plus a lot louder & negative than required. I know they have tried to tell how the break up between parents can affect the whole family but I guess the loudness could’ve been lowered a couple of notches down to make it tolerable.
I am having serious issues in understanding Jazib’s character & what exactly he wants. He tells Dua to be like a mother to Sofia & Tabrez but the very next moment he sets his record on a loop telling Dua that Zara is the actual mother of those kids, so when he knows it & clearly he seems least bothered about them, why can’t he once & for all tell Zara to take & keep them with her?
Very conveniently Jazib took an off from the whole fiasco & went to Dubai to make Dua suffer & without a doubt Jazib himself knows that kids are giving her a tough time so why not take her along? I feel for Zara a lot especially how she has been left alone but I found her a bit unnecessarily loud & unreasonable in this particular episode. It’s like at first she doesn’t trust Jazib & Dua both with her kids but now when Jazib’s gone & Dua is on her own, Zara still agreed that the kids must stay at Jazib’s place that too when she knew Tabrez thought an intruder broke into his room? I feel it’s a huge flaw in the execution of the story. Zara scurries back to the kids & longs to keep them with her but now when she had a good opportunity of doing so, she actually wasted it. She clearly dislikes Dua & thinks she can’t do anything right related to kids, so was it that necessary that kids actually spend the night at Jazib’s home because for the rest of the day they were with their mother? They could’ve easily stayed with her, at her place like they usually do on the weekends!
This episode focused more on how Sofia is getting affected by her parent’s separation & how bitter she is becoming but I feel both Jazib & Zara are being too lenient & ignoring the root cause. It’s like they never sat together again & told the kids how they need to cope up to the change. Jazib is clearly disinterested in what his kids are feeling but Zara takes care of the tiniest details, so I guess she needs to be vocal about the issue & encourage them that she’s there for them, rather than just performing her duties of a driver all day long. The teacher was spot on when he said that both the parents need to come out of their own misery to deal with the kids properly.
When the episode began & Sofia spoke ill of Dua, I thought Zara tackled it brilliantly by stopping her straight away but she isn’t understanding that no matter how much she tells the kids to be nice, she herself has to be nice to Dua so that the kids can pick that thing up & treat them as something. Zara herself treats her miserably & then expects that the kids would come to terms with the fact that Dua has filled the spot next to Jazib which was empty.
I really like Sofia’s acting but I feel the poor kid was yelling irritatingly. I just couldn’t handle the shrieks & the shrills at the lower volume too. I hope they can do better because for now it looks like they lack the substance in the story so they’re trying to drag the drama on the basis of the kids, their attitude & their sufferings which is now becoming repetitive.
Hameeda Jabeen was a fiction writer from Lahore, who was famous in the decade of 60’s and 70’s. Hameeda Jabeen was married to Jameel Malik, who himself is a story writer and radio presenter. His program Saat Rang was quite famous from Radio Pakistan Lahore, and aired for more than 20 years. Hameeda Jabeen passed away in 1997, while her husband Jameel Malik passed away in 2007.
Hameeda Jabeen wrote many novels and short stories, which were also adapted for films and dramas, though none of these were a major hit.
Parayee Aag
This film was produced by Hameed Sheikh, a renowned leftist and journalist (Father of Saba Hameed), but on credits his spouse Saadia Hameed was named as producer. Released in 1971, Parayee Aag was based on a novel of Hameeda Jabeen. Directed by Raza Mir, Khursheed Anwar was composer while Shamim Ara, Nadeem and Aasia were in leading roles. Despite a solid story, Parayee Aag was not much successful. The music composed by Khawaja Khursheed Anwar was also quite popular. Famous poet Habib Jaalib wrote lyrics of few songs in this film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdY2mofTgew
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtBTfzHXxoY
Suhaag Shamim Ara has produced few films adapted from novels. Her first film Saiqa was on the novel of Razia Butt, another film Suhaag was on a novel by Hameeda Jabeen. The film was released in 1972. Nadeem and Shamim Ara were in lead roles. Directed by Farid Ahmed, Nashad was the music composer. Suhaag has a different story, but the film was not much successful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1kiz8dPA5E
Coming to television dramas, one drama of PTV was based on novel of Hameeda Jabeen.
Musaftain
Rashid Daar, a senior director of PTV adapted a novel of Hameeda Jabeen for his play Musaftain in 1997. It was the first play of Jia Ali for PTV. Asad Malik and Nisar Qadri were the other leading artists. It was dramatized by Jameel Malik, husband of Hameeda Jabeen. During shooting Rashid Daar, has complains regarding acting abilities of Jiya Ali who was a new comer then, and drama was also not much successful.
A mobile brand which has signed indian artist Kareena Kapoor for its campaign, is facing charges of tax evasion from FBR. As per FBR, the company has paid nearly 1 billion rupees in advertisement campaign, for which amount of sales tax is not paid to FBR. The total amount of sales tax is 580 million rupees, which is 17% of one billion rupees paid for the advertisement campaign.
Guess what? Alvira’s father may be stubborn, egoistic and a little unreasonable but he still loves his little girl. I must say that I was expecting much more love from him for an akloti aulad but we will have to do with this much for now. I was also expecting Alvira to take two steps forward and maybe call her father but she sent a message saying thank you to him through her mother. Yes, I agree everything in the drama is very real, it is almost as if my own life is playing there but something is just not right. Every episode is like a few more days, weeks, months and now years in Alvira’s life but nothing changes. I agree Alvira, your life really is monotonous, it is putting me to sleep as well!
Every woman wants to spend quality time with her spouse but most of the husbands who are struggling to make a career are exactly like Hamza. The wives have to be patient and steal that quality time out of a very hectic routine and make the most of it. “My husband doesn’t give me time” is every second woman’s complain but does it destroy their marriage? Most often not. Couples who truly love each other find a common ground and live happily ever after. Life is not a fairytale and married life is much more than a never ending honey moon. Once you have children, money is important, if not in abundance then definitely in a decent amount. Good education costs a lot right from day one and if the husband doesn’t sweat himself then in this time and age he will probably end up getting fired!
Hamza and Alvira’s life went from being picture perfect in this episode to being stuck in a rut all over again. There are times when every couple feels like they maybe living in the same house but they are not spending enough time together but like I said it is not that big an issue! Spending a few hours every week can sometimes make up for it. I am still finding it hard to relate to Alvira’s problem – yes life after marriage is like that only!! She should count her blessings; she has a husband who loves her and does whatever he can to keep her happy. He isn’t earning so that he can go on a holiday but he is doing it so that he can give his wife and daughter a better life.
Zainab’s (Salma Hassan) character was introduced in the play today. She has just moved in next to Alvira’s house and the two of them have become really good friends. Whenever they sit down together Alvira complains about how dull her life is with the exception of one scene (thank fully) in which she gives Hamza some credit for all his hard work. Zainab and Alvira’s friendship reminded me of Silla and Zoya’s friendship in Dil-e-Muzter.
The viewers are taken 6 years ahead at the end of the episode and the one scene which is shown goes to show that nothing has changed in Alvira’s life. I am wondering where the story is going to go from here because for now it is going around in circles. All the actors are doing a decent job but the drama isn’t quite taking off.
Did you watch this latest episode? Do share your thoughts.
Sofia Ahmed is an actor and a model. She has been working for a long time but there have been no controversies about her in her long career. Lately, some pictures and a video has been doing rounds on the web in which Sofia is wearing obscene clothes and is doing obscene actions.
Sofia talked to the news reporters to clarify her position. She said that she is not like Veena and Meera who have made such videos to get the attention of people. She does not want cheap popularity because she comes from a decent family. This was an attempt to give her a bad name. She said that her facebook account was hacked too and obscene messages were sent to people from her account.
She wants the Cheif Minister of Punjab to take action against those responsible for defaming her. She is a divorcee who has worked very hard to raise her child alone and this scandal has deeply saddened her.
La Hasil, writing of Umera Ahmed which was dramatized by the production of Momina Duraid & direction of Angeline Malick. I remember it was one of those few dramas I watched when HUM TV had just started & this one remained with me for years. I loved watching it from beginning till the end because of the message this drama carried, backed by some brilliant performances.
The cast includes:
Noman Ijaaz as Mazhar Adaab
Angeline Malick as Katherine/Khadeeja Noor
Fahad Mustafa as Zain Adaab
Faiza Hassan as Maryam
Seemi Pasha as Nuzhat
Khalid Ahmed as Shuja
Yasir Akhtar as Firoz
La Hasil:
It’s a story of redemption of someone & regrets of someone else. It’s a story of bringing out yourself from filth & then walking on the path of self-rectification & self-righteousness. It’s a story that tells when someone finds the light by the Grace of Almighty then nothing else matters anymore. It’s a story of Katherine who becomes Khadeeja Noor. Story of an escort who in the later years of life elevates herself to the level of piety & puts the rest of those self-proclaimed pious people to shame.
Katherine who grows up to see her British mother being deceived & ditched by a Pakistani father always had detested Pakistani men until she meets Mazhar who instantly falls in love with her. Because Kathrine never had seen a father figure in her life who would be protective of her, who’d set the limits of right & wrong for her, she chooses the easiest way of earning money but always feels she needs to come out of it. In the form of Mazhar she gets that leading figure, someone worth leaving all that for & she decides to set herself free from everything she was involved in. Mazhar promises to spend the rest of his life supporting Kathrine but even though she wants to tell him about the past, Mazhar always insists her past doesn’t matter because he knows that to which social background she belongs, having meaningless affairs is a norm. Mazhar accepts her wholeheartedly but even though he lets her know in the very initial stages of their married life that he is conservative & would appreciate if Khadeeja would accept everything he tells him, Khadeeja surprises Mazhar when she molds herself according to Mazhar’s liking & proves herself to be a sincere & devoted wife.
While Khadeeja learns & explores more about Islam, she finds it necessary that nothing must remain a secret between her & her husband but because the Mufti tells her not to disclose her past as Allah forgave everything she used to do the moment she embraced Islam, then there’s no point in letting the past haunt her present, she chooses to remain silent because she doesn’t want to hurt Mazhar. Khadeeja’s life shatters when an acquaintance from her past & Mazhar’s best friend pays a visit to their home. That night Mazhar finds out everything about who Khadeeja was as Kathrine & because he chooses to overlook her present over her past, he divorces her straight away & leaves her alone taking their 3 year old baby boy Zain along with him.
Khadeeja even stumbles upon her best friend Samantha who tells her she needs to let go of the values Mazhar taught her because he’s gone but just because the Khadeeja finds herself attracted to the path of righteousness, she decides that nothing will make her go back to what she was. Khadeeja gets married to a man twice her age in Pakistan in the only hope that she’d ever be able to meet Zain.
Shuja her current husband finds out everything about Khadeeja because she chooses to tell him everything & waits for his decision of leaving her but Shuja surprises her when he tells he can see her present & it doesn’t matter what she was before. Khadeeja & Shuja then adopt a baby girl Maryam & raise her as their own child. Maryam never finds out that she Khadeeja & Shuja rescued her from a garbage bin near their home & always degrades Khadeeja for spending a life way too simply despite belonging to the UK. She dreams high & big & the moment Zain approaches her for marriage, she agrees. Khadeeja because of Zain’s surname finds out who he actually is & agrees to their marriage.
Zain happens to find out that Khadeeja is his mother but after finding out everything about her, he not only forgives but accepts her & tells her that he loves her because of who she is now & not who she was before. Khadeeja’s lifelong misery ends when she spends the last days of her life with Zain.
Brilliance of La Hasil:
La Hasil has been one of my favourite stories written by Umera Ahmed because of the obvious reasons. She touched a very complex topic in this writing of hers but opened a window of new thinking. The experience of La Hasil gives us an insight about how weak people can get when it comes down to judging others. Mazhar who had promised Khadeeja a lifelong togetherness & support leaves her just like that because he can’t see himself coming to terms with the fact that Khadeeja was an escort. Even though Khadeeja never gave him a reason to doubt her after their marriage but Mazhar, a weak chauvinist felt he was being wronged & was deceived.
One thing that is marvelous about La Hasil & makes it a unique story is the fact they have shown brilliantly; that a human being can never forgive but it is only Allah, Who not only Overlooks but Forgives, not only Accepts but grants Respect too. Khadeeja who chose to come to the path of Islam was abandoned but the way her life was shaped up because she remained on the right path went to show the power of faith.
I feel Angeline Malick directed & enacted the character of Khadeeja brilliantly. Drama does have a slow start but the moment it picks up the pace, everything falls perfectly into its place. Through the character of Maryam they told what actually the value of a human being is. A girl who thought she has conquered the whole world actually didn’t know that her life started off in a garbage bin & the woman she doubted & detested was the one who may not have given birth to her but gave her a shelter, an identity & a meaning to her life.
Fahad Mustafa was beyond amazing in his character of Zain because he questioned Mazhar for his values rightly so. I feel this has to be one of the best performances of Fahad Mustafa till date because he breathed life into this character. Faiza Hassan left no stone unturned in making us hate the character of Maryam by the end of the drama. I must give a special mention to the soundtrack of La Hasil which was written by Khawar Kiyani, sung by Hadiqa Kiyani & composed by Imran Ali. It has a feel to it & the whole experience of this drama would’ve been incomplete without this soundtrack.
I think this has to be the very first drama that I cried while watching because of the suffering of Khadeeja Noor, someone who could’ve easily gone back to where she came from, could’ve left the rope of Allah but just because she tasted Imaan, she knew that she wanted nothing more from her life but just the acceptance of her repentance from her Creator; Allah. La Hasil emphasized on the fact that one can never judge a person & one should never try to judge a person either because it is Only Allah who can fill the hearts with His Love & The Faith. I could’t resist feeling overwhelmed because there were some really heart-touching moments like when Khadeeja goes back to her home to get her belongings after she gets divorced, the first time Khadeeja meets Zain in Pakistan, the time Zain finds out Khadeeja was his mother & the ending when Khadeeja’s on a death bed & Mazhar seeks her forgiveness. Those were some brilliant but emotion-stirring moments which make you understand that Khadeeja’s life met a perfect ending & just because she elevated herself & retrieved her soul from the filth, she wasn’t left alone. I have a very high regard of this story & feel that the dramatization did justice to it.
The team of upcoming film The System has appeared in morning show of A-Plus, hosted by Javeriya Abbasi to promote the film. Producer Ghafoor Butt, Director Shahzad Ghafoor Butt, Hero Sheraz Ghafoor Butt, second lead Maryam Ali Hussain, Supporting artist Irfan Khoosat were among the participants.
The producer also announced the date of release of this film which is 30 May provided it is cleared by censor board.
Maryam Ali Hussain, playing second lead heroine role in filmSheraz Ghafoor Butt, Irfan Khoosat, Maryam Ali HussainGhafoor Butt, Javeriya Abbasi, Maryam Ali Hussain, Sheraz Butt, Shehzad Butt, Irfan Khoosat and cameraman of film
Abdul Sattar Edhi needs no introdution. He has done a great deal of service for the people of Pakistan through his Edhi Foundation. A very down to earth man who has dedicated his whole life to serving the needy people of his country. A few years back Abdul Sattar’s kidneys failed and the doctors said that he will need regular dialysis.
Actor Faysal Qureshi who is a very kind soul posted on his facebook page that Abdul Sattar Edhi is in critical condition, he is the ICU and he needs the prayers of those who love him.
There was a time when it was obligatory on the two channels that existed in Pakistan to telecast daily Azan’s even if it meant interrupting their programs in between. Now, there are many channels in Pakistan which are working in private basis but non if them telecasts Azan.
A resolution is going to be passed in the next session of the National Assembly which declares that all private channels should telecast the daily Azan. It remains to be seen if this resolution gets approved by the members of the assembly or not.
Salma Knawal is a popular fiction writer mainly in female readers. Salma Kanwal lived in Samanabad, Lahore and passed away in 2005. My spouse and I had a chance to personally visit her in 1980’s and it was a memorable evening. She was a courageous woman, despite being disable (cannot walk perhaps due to muscle dystrophy ), she concentrated her energies on writing. Salma Kanwal was married, but her only daughter passed away in teenage in 1970’s.
Salma Kanwal wrote more than 40 novels. Her novel Lala is based on her own life story. The popularity of her writings also drew the attention of film producers. Two of her novels were adapted for films, which were both super hits. Also one television drama based on her novel is also super hit and won the Lux Style for Best Drama (Satellite).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpQr10bLJjY
Andleeb: Andaleeb is super hit film released in 1969 starring Waheed Murad, Shabnam, Aaliya, Mustafa Qureshi. It was directed by Farid Ahmed and Nisar Bazmi was the music composer. Andleeb was based on novel Andleeb of Salma Kanwal. It is one of the best movies by director Farid Ahmed. Nisar Bazmi composed evergreen songs like ‘Kuch Log Rooth Kar Bhi Lagte Hain Kitne Pyaray’ and ‘Meray Dil Ki Mehfil Saja Denay Walay ‘.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgUuHFW-UhM
Mehman:
Mehmaan was released in 1977 starring Babra Sharif, Rahat Kazmi, Najma and Nayyar Sultana. It was based on Salma Kanwal’s novel ‘Chupkay Se Bahar Aa Jaye’. Directed by Parvez Mailk, M. Ashraf was music composer. The film was a hit, and its songs are quite popular too till this day. ‘Zinda Rahain To Kya Hai jo Mar Jayen Hum To Kya’, ‘Hamain Gham Mila Hamesha’ are some famous songs of this film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8itXWoL9c7M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggG4FasrysQ
Coming to dramas, there has been no adaptation for any tv drama by PTV. But private satellite channel HUM TV adapted one novel of Salma Kanwal
Paani Jesa Pyar:
Paani Jesa Pyar was a drama of HUM TV in 2011, based on novel Suhagan of Salma Kanwal with some modifications. Sadly Hum TV did not put the name of Salma Kanwal on the credits of this drama. Instead Momal Shunaid claimed to be the writer of this drama, which off course is not true. It was a sad and condemn-able act of perjury and intellectual theft, by Momal Shunaid and HUM TV. The drama was directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, while main star cast consisted of Saba Qamar, Mikaal Zulfiaqr, Juggun Kazim, Samina Ahmed, Samina Peerzada, Firdose Jamal, Nosheen Shah, Babrik Shah and Rizwan Jaffri. OST was in voice of Sanam Maarvi and the drama won the lux style award for best drama.
Do share your thoughts on the contributions of Salma Kanwal.
Indian film artists are quite popular in Pakistan and eagerly followed too. Observing the craze of indian celebrities among Pakistani masses, many Pakistani brands are casting Indian artist for publicity of their products from past few years. Due to popularity of Indian artists, Pakistani companies are even ready to pay them huge endorsement amount.
The recent addition in this list is cosmetics brand Olivia, which is casting Indian artists Bipasha Basu and Nargis Fakhri for its perfume and beauty cream commercials. Earlier Indian artists have also worked for the other products of same brand. The commercial shooting is due to start in Bangkok.
Now a days, things are like if you open any Pakistani drama channel, it is highly likely that you will bump into any drama that constitutes taalaq, halaha, extra-marital affair, beti nai beta, ameer larka, ghareeb larki, annoying saas and nand, adhuri muhabbat ,etc as the major themes. And frankly enough, we all know how much we are tired of watching these type of shows. Its high time that they should focus on producing show which appeals to a larger audience and also refresh our minds by these old-themed tiring dramas. So, in short the entertainment channels should me a mix of different things that have some substance in it. This is only way how they can attract not only ladies sitting at home, but also kids, teenagers(both boys and girls),gents, etc because naturally the dramas are not according to their taste so they find solace in the programmes offered by the channels of different countries. Now the list that I have presented below takes into handle not just the entertainment of the masses but it is also sure to bring a lot of TRPs to the channels and we are witness of it. Here it goes..
1) Travel Shows:- Like travelling to different countries. These type of shows are broadcasted all over the world and even in Pakistan, PTV tried to venture on such shows which was a good effort. These programmes are very and informative plus we get know about different cultures, religions, way of living, languages, food, architecture, history, landmarks famous personalities, etc. Most of our people cannot afford to visit foreign countries. Hence these shows provide a good chance of knowing the world around you sitting on your arm chair.
Examples: Musafir Hun Yaaron, Street Food around the World, Walking The World, etc.
2) Detective Shows:- We have many examples of such shows form India and America. The good thing about them is that they are of single-episode and provide thrill and suspense to the viewers. Story is not the regular one others so it refreshes our mind. We really need to have these kind of shows. They may also help to protect out good image of the institutions of Pakistan.
Examples: Bones, Castle, CID, Dexter, etc.
3) Quiz / Game Shows:- Now this genre is not entirely new for our channels. Many of them tried to produce such shows but unfortunately none of them could actually run for enough period of time. The reason may be their standard. As our viewers have already watched many quality shows of such other countries. They are really fun to watch and give us a great deal of knowledge as well.
Examples: The price is Right, KBC , Takeshi’s castle, The Challenge, Jeopardy Deal ya No Deal, etc.
4) Arts ‘n’ Crafts Shows:- Again many channels broadcasted these type of shows but they do not gain prominence because they were shown on less-known channels. Art is a skill that attracts many people especially the young-ones and make their time constructive which tells the importance of these shows.
Examples: M.A.D, The Joy of Painting, etc.
5) Teaching Programmes:- Now might not have come across such shows as they are quite rare. Basically in these, there are professional and highly-qualified teachers and professors who actually give lectures on televisions encompassing the wide range of subjects like physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, and etc. We can’t deny the fact that quality education is getting expensive with each passing day which further raises the importance of these programmes. Also being in the national language, they will benefit a lot of people, and best thing is that this education will be free of cost. This will no doubt be very effective.
I would like to give special mention here to “Health TV” which was launched in October, 2010. It is one of its kind channel in Pakistan and going great. It has covered just soo many aspects related to health and education. In my view, it is the most informative channels among all Pakistani channels.
Apart from this, I have also come across some literature shows on different channels like Urdu Adab, Shayri, etc. So that is also a very good initiative by those channels. Our Urdu language has such a rich heritage, it definitely deserves its own shows rather than just being preserved in libraries.
That’s about it. Do you agree with me??? These are only a few examples which I gave. Rest I leave it to you. Add any other genre which you want to see on-screen from Pakistan…
Jab We Wed is the upcoming drama serial of Ayeza Khan and Danish Taimoor. Many details about the drama have not been revealed right now. The director of the play is Wajahat Rauf. Here are some pictures from the sets of Jab We Wed…..
Ohkay I must admit, as the episodes are being revealed I am getting hooked to this show. They have certainly given us a lot more than we expected in terms of acting, story & dialogues. To be honest at first it came across as a story with a spectrum of family politics but now when the story has moved forward, they have taken it to another level & that isn’t disappointing at all.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the conversations in this episode & because of it I feel we’re being able to connect to & feel for the characters a lot more. When the episode began & Daood screamed on top of his lungs, I was like that’s being repetitive but the way Gaitiara molded him & talked him into getting married was brilliant & then it showed Daood’s outbursts had to be continued so that Gaitiara could take a final step. She has been playing with Daood at lot more than he himself knows & the way she backed her argument with a little bit of emotional blackmailing but some meaningful hidden secrets, it showed how much she wants to control things. Daood for now may not be able to see what his mother herself has planned for him & he may be angry at her but by the end of the day he’s the only son who knows he has a certain responsibility & liability towards his mother therefore he couldn’t continue to be angry.
Momenah hasn’t moved on but has just gotten engaged to divert her attention from the break-up but Gaitiara used it against her to tell Daood how heart-less she actually is. Daood himself saw Momenah act all comfy with her fiance therefore he easily believed in what his mother told him.
Gaitiara & Deeba’s conversation gave us an insight as to how guilty Gaitiara herself feels for what she had put Daood up with but still she doesn’t want to sacrifice her ego for the sake of her son’s happiness. She is not at all ready to surrender to Sherbano & hand her son over to her daughter. Giaitara tried to pull off an act in front of Daood that she’s ready to face the defeat but Daood gave in his consent of getting married to the girl Gaitiara has chosen for him.
Things really can’t go wrong more than that for Nayab where she now has a proposal at hand & her relation with Zaid is at stake because he is still a student with no such definite future. Almas does feel for her sister but she is thinking way too practically. Almas might have supported Nayab if she was staying in Pakistan but now all of sudden when she has to move to UAE with her husband, she can’t seem to find any other better solution to Nayab’s problem & now she’d force her into marrying Daood. Giaitiara has kept Daood’s indifference a secret because she wants to see Nayab as her daughter in law in any case.
Nayab does come up with an idea of at least getting legally married to Zaid so that she can live with him in his house & even though Zaid has agreed to it, I doubt Zaid’s mother will support him in this because she seemed disinterested in his & Nayab’s relation anyway.
I must say all the actors especially Saba Hameed, Ahsan Khan, Urwa Hocane & Sonia Hussain have performed brilliantly. The director has done a brilliant job in bringing out the best in these actors & seems like they are really living the chracters of Giaitara, Daood, Nayab & Momenah. They have been excellent so far & because of that I seem to feel a lot for them all. Can’t wait to see what happens ahead.
We already reported the war of words between Shaan Shahid and Ali Zafar. Shaan Shahid has proved that he wants to work to bring the Pakistani film industry to a point where everyone prefers to watch a Pakistani film. His recent comment on ARY Film Awards about the actors who act in India in which he called them cheap sell outs got various reactions from the public. Most of the people on the social media supported Shaan Shahid because they think that he has done enough to earn the position to judge other actors like that. Ali Zafar on the other hand has given priority to India ever since he started his career there.
Shaan Shahid gave a response to Ali Zafar statement about stars like him who go to work abroad. Here is what he had to say
Babar continued ignoring Dania thinking she would get the message but the tigress she is, she went to his home to confront him. His father walked in on them and asked Dania very politely to leave the scene. It was a very neighbourly act instead of accusing her and defaming him, he blamed his own son knowing how incompetent he is. After threatening to kick him out, with the help of his mother’s intervention, Babar was allowed to stay on the condition that he will be married off within a week. Pasand na pasand unki hoti hai jo khud kuch kamaatey hein– in a nutshell, this happens to be a reality of life. Someone who is entirely dependent on others for their day to day needs, cannot choose how they want to live their lives; on the contrary, they are bound by those who provide for them.
I liked how Sobia, despite knowing that her best friend had betrayed her, didn’t want anyone finding out what transpired and invited Dania to her wedding. It was very big of her and Dania should be grateful for a friend like Sobia. Though a part of her felt remorse, Dania was mostly battling with the realization- Woh Sobia jo mujhse har cheez mein peechay theh aaj woh mujhse baazi legayi! Dania’s agony was a repercussion of her own selfish actions and instead of accepting her mistake, she continues questioning how Babar can settle for someone like Sobia. Babar had the nerve to come over to drop off his wedding invitation and on top of that- he actually gave Dania the “I’ll always be there if you need me” line. I was almost sure Dania would break a pot on his head but she just walked away holding her head high- Mujh mein ghalti karney ka hausla toh hai aur uska saamna karna ka bhi.
Dania’s lack of competency at work frustrates Nabeel who points it out to her on more than one occasion. Her personal grievances are affecting her work-life but Nabeel seems to be warming up to her. Maria is traveling which will give Nabeel some much needed space- will this be the golden opportunity to seduce Dania? Will Dania ever get over Babar or will she try and win him back from Sobia. Dania’s competitive streak could end up causing her more harm than she could have ever imagined.
The story is engaging but I think all this could have been summarized in a mere 8 episodes instead of 14. At this rate, I can foresee the drama stretching to over 25 episodes which inevitably makes it boring. Let’s see how they wrap it up. My fellow four watchers, what do you have to say about today’s episode?
So, with this episode the introductory week of Masterchef Pakistan comes to an end. Once again no other complaints but I felt that the episode started way too suddenly as if the editor was in a rush but other than that the auditions couldn’t get any better because we got to see some amazing cooking skills by some very genuine people. I enjoyed this episode a lot because of a certain contestants & I can’t wait to see more.
This episode showed a lot more contestants who came & won the apron to get through to the next round. Next time there will be a boot camp where top 50 will strive to earn a place in the top 16 & then the real competition will begin. I must say once again that I am totally impressed by the level of cookery we’re seeing on this show, that too people from normal backgrounds & all walks of life are coming up with something unique is striking a chord hard.
The contestants who won the apron in tonight’s episode were:
Almira a young lady from Bhawalpur who presented ‘Meaty Muffins w/ Garlic Mashed Potatoes’. Anila Kamar a mother from Faisalabad who came up with her own technique of ‘BBQ Biryani’. Maryam a housewife & a mum from Lahore & she made ‘Chicken Permesan’. Khurram Haroon a businessman & a Rugby player from Lahore who presented Japanese dishes ‘Sushi & Calamari’. Zaid Rasheed a fashion designer from Peshawar who presented ‘Jin Min Rolls w/ Self-cooked Sauce’. Zainab Majeeb a fashion designer who learnt the cooking from her bro-in-law & she made ‘Pecan Crushed Chicken w/ Tomatoe & Spinach Pasta’. Dr. Maryam Soomro of Karachi & she made ‘Japanese Cuisine’. Gulnaz from Chitral who came with a support of her husband & she made the traditional ‘Ghulmandi & Randeru’. Denis Fernandis of Karachi who left a job to participate in Masterchef, he made ‘Stove-cooked Chocolate Cupcakes & Chicken Breast w/ Cheese’. Misbah Imran from Lahore & she came up with ‘Sajji’. Faiza Siddique from Egypt & she made the Arabic dish ‘Chicken Dunni’. Ali Shah a student & the most interesting contestant who came up with ‘Accidental Dish’ but later the judges named it as ‘Mun Mun Chicken’.
So, these were the contestants & I must say a few were really interesting. I liked Mrs. Gulnaz because of the determination she had & the funniest comment she came up with was that her area had no cable & because of that her family won’t be able to see that she came up for the auditions. The best thing to see was that her husband was supportive of her & was encouraging her to participate in this show. Ali Shah, he himself had no idea & no hope of getting selected came up with interesting conversation & engaged the judges as well. I had a good laugh seeing his excitement & he was like even the Australian Masterchefs won’t reckon that he got selected that too in Pakistan, lol. Other than Gulnaz & Ali Shah, I am also rooting for Khurram Haroon, Zaid Rasheed, Zainab Majeed, Dr. Maryam Soomro & Faiza Siddique. I hope all these people make it to the top 16 & shine in there.
I am totally loving this show because of the fact that they have kept it very simple & haven’t turned it into a melodrama where every single contestant is coming & shedding tears sharing their miseries to earn the apron. Yes, the narration can get a little filmy as pointed out by a reader earlier & the editing issues must subside so other than that, I am enjoying it a lot. Can’t wait for the next week because of the Boot Camp. The contestant there will be facing a lot of challenges set by the judges, so let’s see what do they come up with!
Jawad Ahmed is a famous singer of our industry who has given us some unforgettable songs like Mehndi, Allah Mere Dil Ke Ander, Bin Tere Kya Hai Jeena and Dosti. After making his mark with his different style on the music industry, he has now decided to take part in politics.
According to the news, Jawad Ahmed is not going to join one of the already working Politcal Parties but he is going to make his own party with the name “Barabari”. Jawad Ahmed was attending a function relation to rights of labourers in which he said that labourers played a vital role in the country therefore he was going to fight from their rights.
The aim of his party will be to help students, labourers and engineers to rule Pakistan. Jawad Ahmed has been inactive in the music industry for some years now so it could be that he was busy in starting his political career.
