I must say that this episode had “been there seen that” written all over it. The direction in which the story moved forward was quite predictable and I was reminded of Dil-e-Muzter while watching the play. The circumstances are completely different but the way Alvira’s father reacted reminded me of Silla’s father in Dil-e-Muzter. There were also times when the story seemed like a mixed version of some of the Tarang telefilms put together. The good thing was that Sajjid Hassan’s character is much more subtle than many of the rigid and unreasonable fathers we see on screen nowadays. Sarwat Gillani was superb in the scene when she calls Hamza to tell him that her father wanted to meet him. I really like Alvira’s relationship with her parents; she is very open about her feelings with them just like a “princess” should be! Alvira had faith that her father will understand her feelings for Hamza but Hamza had his reservations right from the start. The happenings in tonight’s episode were very filmy but they were presented in a non dramatic manner.

Alvira’s father like many other rich fathers thinks that Hamza is after Alvira’s money and offers a deal – yes absolutely nothing new there. We all know already that Hamza is not after Alvira’s money so his reaction did not come as a surprise either. Alvira’s mother watched the entire drama unfold without uttering a word. One would think that someone as modern as her would have a little more say in the house. It would have been nicer if Alvira’s mother could have discussed matters with her too because they did seem like they were very close. Alvira’s father is out to make a point and he doesn’t care about his daughter’s feelings.

Our hero did not turn into a lost soul after Alvira’s father’s proposal, that was definitely good to watch. He has faith in his relationship with Alvira and also in himself. Hamza’s mother of course is more interested in what her daughter in law will be bringing with her in jahez. She is going to be very disappointed when she finds out that Alvira’s parents are not going to support her in any way. Mujhe tu larki baghair dekhe hi pasand aa gaye dialogue was funny.

I don’t like the way the cigar is being used as a prop for no good reason. I am sure that Alvira’s father’s character could have looked “elitist” even without it. I appreciate the fact that there is a warning that smoking is injurious to health every time dad makes his appearance with the cigar but was it really needed? Somehow I am finding it hard to take Sajjid Hassan’s character seriously. The direction of the play, its picture quality and the chemistry between the main leads is standing out more than the script at this point. This is only the beginning of course, we will only know in the next four episodes or so if the story has something new to offer or not. The characters of the main protagonists are very likeable too. They are normal people with no complexes, issues or a baggage. I think Fahad Mustafa owns his role as Hamza, he is doing really well.

As it turns out the coming episode of Shukk is the second last one even though it was advertised on the channel and the FB page that the next episode will be the last one. Talk about using cheap tactics to get viewership!

Fatima Awan

The play Durr-e-Shahwar is very close to my heart for two reasons. Firstly because it has to be one of the most inspiring, engaging, intense and relatable plays I have seen in a very long time and secondly because this was the first play I reviewed when I started writing so there are many memories related to it. Durr-e-Shahwar has been written by Umera Ahmed, it has been directed by one of the best directors in the industry; Haissam Hussein. It has been produced Six Sigma Productions and Momina Duraid. The leading cast consists of Samina Peerzada, Sanam Baloch, Qavi Khan, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Nadia Jamil, Nauman Ijaz, Maya Ali, Umer Naru, Saba Faisal, Muhammad Ahmed, Kiran Haq, Sophia Saeed and Tasleem Kausar.

The opening scene of a drama says a great deal about how the future episodes are going to be like. Kudos to Haissam Hussain for introducing the characters in a very creative and beautiful manner. Durr-e-Shahwar is one of those rare plays that completely win you over right from the first episode. Durr-e-Shahwar is aesthetically and visually pleasing every step of the way. Every single scene is well-thought-out, all the conversations have depth and the casting is flawless. The contrast between Shandana and Shahwar is shown right from the first scene; the morning in Shahwar’s house is totally different from that in Shandana’s house. Shahwar’s mornings are peaceful and happy, Shandana’s mornings are rushed and chaotic. I could relate to everything in the play right from the get-go. I must confess the tranquility in Shahwar’s house in reality is not found in too many houses nowadays which are run by the younger generation. We are not as patient as our parents were and we also complain a lot more than they used to. Shanadana has a lot on her plate therefore she finds it very hard to cope for obvious reasons.

In my opinion Durr-e-Shahwar is not just the story of two generations but it is actually the story of three generations; Sophie was also a very important part of the play. When Durr-e-Shahwar and Mansoor had compatibility issues and communication problems during the early years of their marriage, they made sure that Shandana knew nothing about the problems between them. Even later on Shahwar only revealed those secrets to Shandana when she thought that it was the only way in which she could save her daughter’s marriage. The best aspect of this play is that women and men from the older generation can connect to Shahwar and Mansoor and those of the new generation can see a reflection of their own selves in Shandana and Haider. Haider is insecure, he thinks his wife wants to dominate him and because of this insecurity he feels that he does not need to do anything to make their relationship better. Shandana tries to make him realize that he needs to spend more time with his family but Haider shuts her out every time. It is almost as if he is punishing her for being a strong independent woman. Shandana does not have the patience to put up with Haider’s attitude. Both of them are impatient, uncompromising and immature. Haider is too busy watching television and playing Solitaire, going on a vacation with his wife and kid is not on top of his list of priorities. He has completely given up on his married life. Shandana and Haider both know that they are incomplete without each other but their egos won’t allow them to make the first move. The way the viewers are transported from present to the past was beyond impressive. The relationship between all the characters has been presented very skillfully; every little detail has been taken care of.

The drama focuses on the importance of being patient through the first few years of marriage and it also shows how important it is to have someone to guide you through difficult times. Shahwar had her father to guide her in the right direction and Shahwar does the same for her daughter. The play shows how daughters look up to their fathers. Shahwar’s father was her hero, Shandana thinks her father is perfect and Sophia loves her father more than anyone else in the world.

When Durr-e-Shahwar gets married she expects her husband to give her his undivided attention but her new life is entirely different and quite contrary to her expectations. She feels “ajeeb” in her new house;Mansoor and his family members are constantly judging her. Durr-e-Shahwar is right in thinking that there is no place for her in Mansoor’s life because his life is already over crowded with people who are his first priority. Mansoor’s family gets all his attention. Durr-e-Shahwar’s in laws are poles apart from her own family. Her father keeps on assuring her that there will be a time when Mansoor will put her above everyone else in his life even though he himself isn’t sure if his daughter’s marriage will work out. The conversations between Shahwar and her father are very poignant throughout the play. I fell in love with Shahwar’s father’s character like many other viewers out there. Muhammad Ahmed made this character memorable by breathing life in to it. Sami sahib is wise, gentle and very loving.

Some of the viewers thought that DeS was regressive because it was asking women to compromise alone while the men had no such responsibility. There were others who thought that DeS was targeting working women. I am a huge supporter of having strong female leads and for punishing men for their mistakes but DeS always worked for me. Mansoor and Haider both were not able to tackle with the ups and downs of early years of marriage tactfully other than that both of them loved their wives and were good human beings. They were not abusers (like Sikandar in Kankar), they did not marry the first woman they got close to after their wife walked out of the door (Adeel in DeM and Shaam in Shukk) and they most certainly did not cheat on their wives (Salman in SeZ and Hammad in Mirat-ul-Uroos). In my opinion both these men deserved another chance and if their women decided to give them that chance then they did nothing wrong. The fact that a woman is a home maker is actually very true, I agree both parties have equal responsibility to make a marriage work but the manner in which the responsibility was shifted to women’s shoulders was actually very well done. The script was written in such a way that it makes compromising seem like a virtue which does pay off after a while. There is nothing wrong with it if people let their egos take a backseat in order to save a relationship if the person they are doing it for deserves it. The play also shows that relationships need work; no matter how happy someone looks at present there may have been times when they had to fight to keep the relationship going.

The most touching scenes of the entire play had to be the one between Durr-e-Shahwar and her father. The conversation between the two on Shehwar’s rukhsati was powerful, tear-jerking and heart-rending. The first few years of Shahwar’s life were covered perfectly; the writer did a commendable job of showing how small things make a big difference. It is of utmost importance that the In laws should be willing to acknowledge their daughter in laws as individuals if nothing else.

Durr-e-Shahwar’s story is very old but the treatment given to it is brand new. Sanam Baloch and Mikaal Zulfiqar shine in one of their best performances in the play. Durr-e-Shahwar has some very powerful performances to its credit. The play is fast paced, beautifully written and directed.

The background score is played generously especially when the viewers are shown past events. The background music is haunting and mesmerizing; it fully gels in with every situation. Durr-e-Shahwar stayed with me for a very long time and is one of those very few plays which I watched again without forwarding a single scene. It was as effective the second time as it was the first time I watched it.

Sadly, Durr-e-Shahwar never got the attention it deserved from Hum TV in particular. Even at the time it was on air, it was never promoted as much as Hamsafar was. The fact that DeS aired in the same year as Hamsafar made a huge difference of course but even then the actors, the writer and the director deserved more recognition for their work than they got. Samina Peerzada was absolutely brilliant as the old Shahwar, Sanam Baloch owned her role as the young Shahwar, I have never liked Mikaal Zulfiqar better in any other role, Qavi Khan played the old Mansoor with precision. Nadia Jamil was flawless as the confused, bitter and depressed Shandana. Noman Ijaz nailed his role as Haider. Hassan Naru and Maya Ali couldn’t have been better as newcomers. Muhammad Ahmed won me over completely, he made Abba’s character unforgettable. Saba Faisal was equally wonderful as the controlling mother and mother in law. The actress playing Shahwar’s mother also did complete justice to her character and lets not forget Sophia. Haissam Hussain proved once again that he can create magic on screen. A big thanks to Umera Ahmed for some of the most heart-warming, soul-stirring and effective dialogues. Durr-e-Shahwar is a classic which every drama fan must watch. If you haven’t watched it do give it a go, it will transport you in a world of its own right from the get-go. You cannot watch it without crying buckets of tears. One review cannot do justice to this masterpiece.

I would love to hear from those viewers who have watched the show:)

Fatima Awan

So, 20 episodes down and Farah is still unaware of the fact that she loves Afzal;Or maybe she knows but hesitating in confessing it infront of everyone. Whatever the reason maybe, I started watching this show with a note that tonight, this love thingee should be confessed by Farah. And I am glad that they put a step ahead of what Farah thinks and feels for Afzal now. Because despite of that fun element and strong dialogues, from last couple of episodes, I was thinking that they are dragging this show and they should let Farah disclose that she is in love with Afzal.

Today, we saw more of concern from Maulvi Saheb for his son. Now, at this point, we all know that not only Maulvi Saheb but Afzal’s whole family is extremely worried for Afzal and loves him to the fullest. So, I think that concern scenes should now be ended and they should find something else to show whenever they think to show Afzal’s family.

Another thing that I pondered upon today was that “Bhaie” part where everyone called him “Afzal Bhaie, Afzal Bhaie” and Afzal took it so seriously. I mean, I know that it feels awkward when no one talks to you and soon after an incident everyone start paying regards to you. But why they have to highlight that word “bhaie” in that ? Are we living in such society where “bhaie” is taken in terms of an underworld don rather than an “actual bhaie” ? Bhaie ko bhaie he rehnay dou bhaie..

Moving on to Farah and Lubna, Farah se zyada pagal khatoon mai ne aaj tak nahi dekhi; She is so much confused about what she thinks and what she speaks. On her visit to psychiatrist, she was not even sure what she spoke about earlier and what she should tell to him.By the way, as soon as I saw Vasay Chaudry in psychiatrist role, I smelled something funny in forthcoming scenes but he proved himself that he is not better with comedy roles only but is good when it comes to act serious too.

Farah’s father was so right that sole reason of Farah not telling her mother about her feelings is the communication gap between her and Farah. Its duty of mothers that they should create such atmosphere at home where daughters feel close to them. I have seen many cases where daughters are so close to their mothers that even it’s so hard to guess whether they are mother-daughter or friends and I am glad that I am among those types.. :)

Immediately after seeing Sohai Ali Abro in the serial, I guessed that she will definitely be liking Afzal in next episodes and that is what exactly happened.Its the time when Afzal should give her a signal that he is not at all interested in her “pink lipstick” but in her “chicken ginger”..

Only scene that gave a new turn to the story was the discussion between Farah and Lubna. Farah was not ready to confess her love for Afzal and Lubna was not ready to accept that Farah is telling her the truth. And as soon as Farah went to Lubna to clarify herself again, Lubna asked for permission that if Farah is not in love with Afzal than permit her to marry Afzal.. Uss k baad kya tha..aik zor daar thappar jis ke goonj sab ne suni.. 

As far as I can predict, that was a stunt performed brilliantly by Lubna just to let Farah accept that she wants Afzal in her life. Another thing that can be guessed is that she was seriously asking Farah for her marriage to Afzal.What do you think ? I would love to read your feedback.

Rabia Basharat.

So the story has taken another turn. I like the production value of the drama & even the direction is fine too though I do feel that the on-screen chemistry in the families is missing. Apart from the couples, I feel everyone has been very hesitant in making an effort to contribute in forming the on-screen family that’s why we can clearly see the disconnection they all are sharing with each other. May be it will take another few episodes when the actors may have get comfortable & this thing will subside but for now there seems to be some sort of a barrier in between them all.

Daood has not surrendered in front of his mother but Gaitiara & Deeba both are acting ridiculous. I do feel for Gaitiara because at first she was insulted & now her daughter had to face all that, that too from the same family but when I saw Sherbaro being ashamed, I found Gaitiara to be lesser evil. Sherbano was right that she never had thought there might be a time when Gaitiara will have an upper hand but now she knows that when it comes to affairs related to daughters, how hard does it get. Gaitiara was someone’s daughter too but Sherbano never thought of that in her ignorance & arrogance but now when Momenah is going through a tough time Sherbano is trying to play the mazloom card which just doesn’t suit her at all.

Even though they have tried to show Gaitiara as stern & selfish but this fact can’t be ignored that she endured everything quietly because she wanted her marriage to work & she definitely didn’t deserve what she had to go through. Deeba’s involvement in this whole Daood/Momenah break up was very bizarre & absurd. She could’ve done better because being a young girl & Daood’s sister as well as Momenah’s cousin she should’ve understood how much Daood & Momenah were attached to each other, so for that at least selflessly she should’ve tried to make Gaitara understand that her breakup with Abdullah doesn’t mean Daood has to pay the price.

Even though Daood has retaliated but now Momenah has backed out because for her, her mother’s pride & dignity means everything & after seeing her mother being insulted, she has agreed to what Sherbano has requested her of & that is leaving Daood & starting afresh. I feel she should’ve at least given a chance to Daood so that he could explain what his take was on this whole scenario but Momenah doesn’t want to fall weak again therefore she has starting to ignore him completely. Deeba has once again come up with another suggestion to hit the final nail in the coffin & that is to get Daood married to someone else & by doing so at least it will satisfy the egos of Deeba & Gaitiara both.

I think the drama is moving forward at a very reasonable pace. There aren’t much loopholes as such & for the sake of watching a drama, Marasim is a suitable option to tune into, during the weekends. Personally I do feel that Sonia Hussain has dressed up a lot more modern than it was required because given the history of her family background, she belongs to a family with mediocre values & for that, such modernism ain’t suiting her role much, rest everything’s pretty well in this drama so far. Let’s see what happens next!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Awwww, what a sad elimination. :/ Even though it was what we all somehow expected to happen but now seeing the contestant eliminated really set the mood down.

I liked the pattern of how the contestants were called on stage to hear their results. Indeed what the contestants had to say about their journey in Pakistan Idol was again very interesting. It’s like you do get emotionally attached to such things in life & their feelings came across as pure & straight from their hearts.

It was Ali Asad Zaidi & Zamad Baig who were called for their results. It was pretty evident who’d be in the danger zone & it was Ali Asad Zaidi.

Along with Zamad Baig, Kashif Ali was called to get his results. This time around Zamad Baig was safe & was sent back to the safe zone.

Now it was the time for the last two contestants Kashif Ali & Mohammad Shoaib who had to face their results & yes as expected Kashif Ali was in the danger zone.

Finally, it was time for the moment of truth when Ali Asad Zaidi & Kashif Ali had to hear the final results & sadly but rationally Kashif Ali was eliminated.

To see a young lot of boys cry their wits out for each other was actually something positive to see & spoke volumes about how nice of a people they actually are. It shows their feelings that they had for each other despite being in the competition & even though they all are fighting for the same title, they didn’t  let it affect their relation & they were equally sad for their fellow contestant.

The judges had to say really good things about Kashif Ali because obviously he is a great singer & there’s no doubt about that but what he lacked was the versatility & yes, it does matter in a show like Pakistan Idol. Hadiqa spoke about how much love he has gathered during his journey & how Mohammad Shoaib promised to leave his seat if he wouldn’t make it to the Galas as a Wild Card Entry. Hadiqa Kiyani as expected also promised to be doing a duet with him so yes, we can anticipate Kashif’s brighter future because he has been Hadiqa’s favorite & he deserves this limelight for sure.

Ali Azmat & Bushra Ansari both were overwhelmed at his elimination but they were right, at this stage who ever’d go would’ve made everyone sad because everyone has built a relation of emotional attachment to these contestants of Pakistan Idol by now. Can’t wait for the next Gala round because the contestants will perform twice & it would be last the elimination before the Finale!

I wish Kashif Ali all the best for his brighter future.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Saniya took an about turn yet again in tonight’s episode by deciding to leave Shaam for Sehrish because some of the words of wisdom from Shaam’s mom made her realize that she did destroy Shaam and Sehrish’s life after-all. Sehrish thought it would only be fair to find a house for Saniya since she was doing her such a big favor! I think tonight’s episode was meant to convince the viewers that Saniya is not such a bad person after all so that we should forget everything that has transpired in the past and happily accept Shaam’s decision to leave Sehrish. Not that too many people really care now who Shaam decides to stay with because most of the viewers feel nothing for any of the characters now. The conversations between Shaam and Sehrish yet again were nothing new. For some odd reason Sehrish could not care less about Shaam’s feelings and Saniya is no different either. Shaam is still confused and he feels like he can’t deal with the situation, so nothing new there too. Shaam’s mother’s presence in the house made little or no difference so all those episodes in which she was trying to patch things up between Shaam and Saniya were just filler episodes; in my opinion Saniya could have had this change of heart without Shaam’s mother saying anything to her too. The “who will sleep in which room” scene has been done to death by now , thank God the drama is ending next week.

The only scene that brought a smile to my face was the one in which everyone is having dinner in the bedroom and Roomi asks if Baba was going to be the next one who will give them all a reason to have dinner in the bedroom, other than that nothing interested me much. The new found understanding between Sehrish and Saniya is obviously going to be short-lived. Sehrish has nothing left to fight for but she continues to act like what Shaam wants does not matter.

We should all distribute mithai and celebrate when all these loonies finally make up their mind. This second last episode was full of useless conversations that did not add anything new to the story. I would have loved to feel for Saniya if all this happened a long time back. At this point, I just want this play to end! The acting by all the actors has been top notch throughout the play but what good is brilliant acting when the story and the characters lose their charm completely.

Fatima Awan

Finally, the much awaited genre of music was covered in Pakistan Idol tonight. It was an amazing episode & the guest judges were perfect as well. I thoroughly enjoyed the episode & a couple of performances too.

The first guest judge was the maestro of Qawwali – Amjad Sabri. His performance was the perfect opening of tonight’s episode. On the high demand Sajjad Ali was called again to judge the contestants & I am glad he once again made an appearance on the show. I am thinking they decided to have a Qawwali week at this point, it would’ve been so good if they had done it before when there were more contestants. It would’ve been a treat to watch as well but as they say better late than never.

The performances & the commentary on them is as follows:

Kashif Ali (KA) of Lahore performed ‘Akhiyaan Udeek Diyan’ of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. I must say this has to be Kashif’s weakest performance so far. I wasn’t too impressed & felt that he performed it more like a song & defeated the purpose of it being a Qawwali. He went off-beat so many times, once again sounded too soft & let the music over lap his voice. It looked like the judges were skeptical in giving away the actual comments therefore they sugarcoated a lot when it came to the feedback. Amjad Sabri pointed out a few places where he went weak & said that it was a good performance. Sajjad Ali spoke about the issue in his ending notes too but said he sang it powerfully. Bushra Ansari said it was a powerful effort that he did. Ali Azmat said he managed the camera, the choir really well & was good. Hadiqa Kiyani gifted him a bracelet she owned & said his performance had everything the feel, the heart, the soul & even the perfection of notes (!?!?!?!).

Ali Asad Zaidi (AZ) of Karachi performed ‘Dam Mast Kalandar’ of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Once again it was too evident in his performance that he was pushed out of his comfort zone. He did attempt it nicely but failed to make a mark obviously. Ali Azmat said that he sounded strained & tensed, in the end he tried to show his personality by changing the feel of the song but overall was a good attempt. Sajjad Ali said that he added the rock feel to the Qawwali by the end of the performance. Hadiqa Kiyani said that this wasn’t his comfort zone & it looked like he already had preconceived discomfort level therefore it was evident in his performance through out. She also went to say that he has a lot of potential & a good tonal quality so he could’ve learnt it a bit more & a bit better. Amjad Sabri said that if he had lowered the scale a couple of notches, his performance wouldn’t have gotten the rock feel to it. He advised him to understand the meaning & the purpose of Qawwali before performing it. Bushra Ansari spoke about accent being also another issue but she said it was a good attempt.

Zamad Baig (ZB) of Mandi Bahauddin performed ‘Ye Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai’ of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He came, he performed, he owned & he nailed it completely. I think this has to be one of the best performances of the episode & also of Zamad’s himself too. Not only his voice was perfect for the genre but he understood the meaning of Qawwali & performed it just the way it should have been performed. No doubt he deserved all the appreciation that he got & also the standing ovation he received from Hadiqa Kiyani & Ali Azmat. Hadiqa Kiyani said no one else could’ve performed this specific Qawwali the way he did, he made a connection & created an ambiance which was necessary. Bushra Ansari said he was on a journey & he took everyone along. Ali Azmat said that Zamad has an advantage of this genre suiting his voice but this doesn’t mean that he sang it well because of it. He performed it brilliantly because he himself is a great singer. Sajjad Ali generally commented that he sang it nicely but said he wouldn’t comment on technical issue. Amjad Sabri at first made a vote appeal for him & said that he would’ve given him a standing ovation too but he picked on a minor note that was missing but otherwise said he sang it beautifully & needed a little more command on Qawwali too.

Mohammad Shoaib (MS) of Peshawar performed ‘Mast Nazron Se Bachaye’ of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. OMG! What a stellar performance. I thought he’d get criticised but he shook everyone by surprise when he performed it brilliantly. He enjoyed & he performed & he convinced everyone to say that he deserved to be in this spot. Amjad Sabri’s appreciative hug proved everything, he said Shoaib can become a perfect playback singer & even went to say that Shoaib could be the voice Pakistan is looking for. Sajjad Ali said that he selected a hit number but owned it because to listen to it in his voice was perfect & even Sajjad Ali gave him a standing ovation too. Bushra Ansari whistled herself thrice for him & said that she was worried for the sargam part of the song but the way he sang it, he nailed it completely. Ali Azmat went on the stage & hugged him as well saying he performed better to what we had expected & we thought that Zamad would have an upper-hand in this round but Shoaib proved us wrong. Hadiqa said he is a fighter who has improved tremendously. She said she was proud of him & the way he created the whole environment proved that he was perfect. She went on the stage & hugged him as well.

So, this was it from tonight’s episode & I must say the best performances for me were of Zamad Baig & Mohammad Shoaib. Kashif Ali did get some good feedback but after Ali Asad Zaidi performed & got criticised I felt that his performance was at par of Kashif too. They both didn’t have the feel of Qawwali in their performances & Kashif sang it like a slow song too. If they hadn’t announced in the beginning that this was going to be a Qawwali round, no one would’ve guessed that Kashif attempted a Qawwali. By looking at these performances, I feel Ali Asad Zaidi & Kashif Ali will be in the bottom 2 this week.

All of a sudden I feel that either Zamad Baig or Mohammad Shoaib could win the title. So far Ali Asad Zaidi & Kashif Ali looked like potential winners of the show but after this particular episode, this notion has changed completely. It was once again proven that Kashif Ali is not at all versatile that’s why when he had to perform Qawwali, his mistakes surfaced clearly. Ali Asad Zaidi has been good consistently but after this episode Mohammad Shoaib has overtook the limelight completely because if we look at it Mohammad Shoaib has performed all sorts of songs & might be the only one who has experimented throughout, I didn’t say it before because I didn’t want to give an impression of being biased but after this performance I proudly say that I supported Mohammad Shoaib & he deserves to win the title. :)

I am glad Sajjad Ali reminded the contestants about the versatility because our permanent judges didn’t emphasize much on it & in fact when they got a chance they gave them the songs that they could sing pretty well. I hope we do have a folk round too because this was a treat to watch after so long. Share your thoughts on tonight’s episode & also do let us know which were your favorite & least favorite performances.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

This episode laid the foundations for what is coming ahead. The best thing about it was that we didn’t get to see Hassan at all – Bushra was there to make up for his kami! Tonight’s episode was scripted and directed really well. I must say that even though Rabbiya isn’t your present-day Juliet but I found it hard to dislike her character. I was thinking that she would turn out to be just as bad as Nabeel’s family – someone who you can’t help but dislike instantly but that was not the case. Everyone cannot live on love and that is fair enough. It is good that she was honest about how she felt. The only reason her (over) confidence backfired was because she underestimated Zeeshan’s parents. Zeeshan’s parents were not willing to back off from their stance and Zeeshan did not want to let Rabbiya go, therefore he decided to go ahead with the nikkah. I really appreciate the way Rabbiya’s character has been etched-out and the manner in which Mira Sethi has brought this character to life on screen. I truly felt for Zeeshan, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

We have already seen Adeel Hussein dealing with the two wives scenario in detail so yes there will be times when the viewers may see a bit of Shaam in Zeeshan – even the names rhyme! The first wife like all other dramas is full of confidence and vocal while the second one is docile and pretty (of course) who is only going to get married to this man because she has no other choice. She will at some point win him over and then we will be left wondering which one he will leave! I am not sure if I am too eager to see another such situation again in a drama where both the wives are living under the same roof.

The opening scene of the play was very touching; the message was conveyed loud and clear and I am sure everyone out there felt what Romaissa was going through. The conversation between the servants later on should have been short and to the point. The only part of their conversation that really added something new was the one about the way Nabeel distributed gifts and goodies when Hamnah had her daughter. Romaissa’s flashback scenes and thoughts are gradually losing their impact because the way in which they are shown is always the same. The most touching scene of the episode was the one in which Zeeshan goes to Romaissa’s room to congratulate her. Nabeel’s family does not cease to surprise me with their spitefulness; they did not even bother visiting the hospital to see the newborn.

Everyone’s acting was up-to-the-mark in tonight’s episode and the developments in the story were quite convincing too. There could have been less of the servants though! I won’t be surprised if Bushra informs Rabbiya about the nikkah too in the upcoming episodes. I think the preview of the next episode once again gave away more than it should have. It would have been good if we saw Romaissa protesting against her In laws’ decision (in her own passive way) and we were not shown what happened later on. Now everyone knows that there will be a Nikkah and then we will see Zeeshan laying down the “rules and regulations” for Romaissa. I am not looking forward to the two wives living in the same house situation once again. Marriage is not a joke and neither is divorce!

Fatima Awan

Ohkay, I must say I have started to enjoy this drama a lot more now. I mean I find it something decent to tune into every week. They have taken the story forward reasonably & the direction has improved a lot as well.

I still have an issue with Kiran getting the limelight. I think the writer loved the character of Kiran more than Shabbi’s. Just when I thought that she didn’t deserve such a decent husband she proved me right because she shooed him away too. I thought Usman would reject Kiran’s demand of divorce but seems like he decided to part ways with such a negative woman the moment he found the opportunity because yes, a peaceful & calm guy like him deserved someone better. But having said all that I really hate the way they have mocked the concept of divorce & marriage in this drama just like all the other dramas. I am shocked to see the prevailing trend because girls who go through divorce unfortunately know how hard it is & what do they have to face afterwards but the way they are showing that the girls remain DHEET after 1+1 divorce is just puke-worthy.

Surmed continues to destroy the business of Jameel Ahmed & Shabbi has started to probe a bit & just in a very little time she has learnt a lot about who Surmed was as a kid, what he went through & why he is that stern of a husband. I feel they have nothing left to show in their story that’s why they have parted them in a way that Shabbi is busy in her own life expressionlessly & Surmed is busy with the new found business to handle & destroy.

Just when I saw Kiran all lifeless lying on the bed I was like chalo shuker that’s the end of her journey & our suffering but to see all that as a failed attempt of suicide, left me sad. Why didn’t she die? Ohkay we get it that she had to live & get married to Usman so that Shabbi could find out the real face of Surmed but now when all that has been taken care of, why not just kill Kiran’s character?

Teeeeepu is having a great time with Neha & they both have beaming attraction for each other. I know it’s a small detail but I couldn’t help noticing the 90’s TV in Teepu’s room which he manually shut down himself. I think the director got confused because when he was supposed to show the 90’s era he showed us the mod-scot Neelam but now when we’re already in 2014, Teepu has a cathode ray tube TV, funny isn’t it!

As much as I hated seeing Kiran’s mother blaming Shabbi for Kiran’s divorce, I loved the slap she got & the insult she had to endure. She was the one who told Kiran to keep a hawk-eye on Teepu & to be stern with him. Now when she is sowing what she reaped so why is her mother feeling sorry? Instead of blaming Shabbi for what has happened to Kiran, she must blame herself first for not turning Kiran into a compassionate & humble lady & then she should blame Kiran for having a crappy tongue. I mean sorry the way Kiran is pleading Teeeepu to come back because she is ready to do everything he’d want, I mean does she really think that’s going to happen? I hope that Teepu gets married to Neha ASAP & bring her along to shut everyone’s mouth & demands. That’s going to be a good twist that I’d want to see.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

It has been a while since I actually looked forward to a play. The only reason I was interested in finding out more about the play was that it stars Sarwat Gillani; she is one of my most favorite actresses among the younger lot. She is an outstanding actress and most importantly she is one of those exceptional actresses who refused to be typecast. I am already in love with the chemistry that Fahad Mustafa and Sarwat Gillani share on screen only by watching the promos but I must admit that the Big Bang Entertainment doesn’t have much to its credit – I hope that things will be different this time around. The play has been written by Sana Fahad, directed by Badar Mehmood and produced by Big Bang Entertainment (Fahad Mustafa and Dr. Ali Kazmi).

This first episode was well-paced and the picture quality was superb. It looked more like a film than a drama. Our female protagonist Alvira (Sarwat Gillani) comes from a very rich background, she is romantically involved and pretty much committed to Hamza (Fahad Mustafa) who is her class-fellow. The story starts with both of them finishing off their BBA. Alvira’s parents (Sajjid Hassan and Sabahat Bukhari) want her to marry a family friend’s son who is as well off as they are. Alvira tells her mother straight away that she is not interested because she loves someone else. Alvira is very confident about her feelings and her future with Hamza but Hamza has his reservations because of his status. Alvira was brought up in a very affluent household but she is not the least bit materialistic. Hamza loves her for who she is and does not measure her worth based on how much wealth her father has.

I must say that the first few scenes confused me. One minute Alvira walked in the house declaring that her papers had ended and the other minute she was applying for MBA. It seemed like Hamza found a job a little too soon, I just couldn’t make out how much time had elapsed since they graduated. Hamza’s mother (Ismat Zaidi) was quite happy with his choice once she found out that the girl was rich, it remains to be seen how Alvira’s father will react. I get the feeling that there will be a completely filmy scene when Hamza goes to meet him in the next episode.

Sabahat Bukhari should have gone easy on the western outfits; you can look stylish, chic and modern wearing age appropriate dresses too. Hina Bayat does it all the time, it would be nice if others could follow her example too. The diamond gift that Zaka gave Alvira was definitely OTT! The story isn’t new; rich girl falls in love with a middle class boy and the problems they face later on but Fahad Mustafa and Sarwat Gillani might save the day. I am also waiting to find out what Sana Fahad has ins tore for the viewers. Their characters are very likeable and they definitely look great together. The play isn’t overcrowded with side characters and the director didn’t take ages to introduce us to the characters. The party scene was very nicely done, talk about paying attention to detail! It had to be the most visually pleasing scene in the entire episode. The facebook page of the drama is promoting it in a very good manner and the admins are doing a great job of keeping the page active.

How many of you watched this first episode? Do share your thoughts about it.

Good News: We will be watching the 2nd last episode of Shukk this week, hurray:)

Fatima Awan

Aha! I’ve got news for my regular readers, I’ve got a naim-o-badal for Mujhe Khuda Pe Yakeen Hai in the form of Izteraab. Can’t wait to share some therapeutic laughing fits with you all.

Jazib is a cocky prude who finds it really hard if a roti has thick corners & is rolled a bit thinly in the middle. He can’t do without Imli ki chutney even if it costs him his molar (tooth). Sorry, but I find Jazib more annoying. I agree that he has told Zara a lot of times that she doesn’t need to go out of the house to earn a living but I think it’s his duty to make her realize it that too gently & politely. He needs to make it all worth giving a shot & needs to make it appealing that if she stays at home, it would benefit them both. But the way he shoots her with tauntful arrows, any girl would run away & would find peace in the hours away from home. He is one of those annoying husbands who are not only glutton & foody but are also annoying eaters who find it really hard to appreciate what they are served with at the dining table. He must be sleeping when his parents & teachers were teaching him ethics all his life.

What’s with Dua’s fixation to J for Jazib & J for Jee. If they want to throw reality on us then Dua should’ve addressed him as Jazib Bhai because I have seen so many girls who in their wildest dreams had never thought they’d get married to their cousins who they had all their life referred to as XYZ BHAI but the moment the wedding was fixed, Bhai word was thrown out of the window. I feel it would’ve looked more realistic to show that Dua had no intention of that sorts but it was Jazib who started getting swayed by her cooking command but right now it looks that Khala has very tactfully trained her bholi Dua to impress the bhukkar Jazib.

I think we are going to see a lot of conversations in this drama happening around the dining table where the point of discussion would start off with parathas, then go on to gulabi chai, then allu k pakore then imli ki chutney. Ohkay fine, we get it! Zara ain’t a good cook & Dua can cook everything she can even evaporate a married man’s relationship with his wife, she is that good of a cook but what’s the point of making a point again & again where Jazib mentions a single thing & Dua scurries to the kitchen as a short order cook. If she is so passionate about it, why not just stay in the kitchen then!

They may want to establish the fact that Zara is falling short on her responsibilities but I feel she is trying really hard to keep everything intact. They have shown a fact brilliantly that people take career-oriented women as heartless & emotionless whereas despite the fact that they are strong headed, they need moral & emotional support too. They long for some appreciative words but here seems like Jazib prefers Paratha over Partner. They may want to show that working women are weak & are a bad mother & wife but sorry I side with Zara completely. Jazib’s being a pain & why does he always think that by openly taunting & comparing Zara to Dua, he can getaway from the mess by giving it a name of a joke. Whatever he said about Dua wasn’t just a mere joke but it was coming straight from his heart. He didn’t even have a courtesy to keep his feelings to himself but blurted everything out in front of Naani & even his Khala. Khala waisay to bari samajhdaar banti hain but in baton pe gugu kyu ban jati hain? Can’t she see Dua’s being over attentive towards Jazib & even if she scolded her, Dua’s frowning face was enough of an evidence to show Khala what her real feelings for Jazib are. Sorry, I am not buying this bhola-pan of Dua that she herself doesn’t know what her feelings are, no one in this date is such a gaye (except Romaisa of Mohabbat Subha Ka Sitara Hai, of course)!!!

Let’s wait for the next episode to find out what else does Jazib like to eat & what else can Dua cook for her Jazib JEEEEE!!!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

The story moved forward at a fast pace in these two episodes. The developments in the story were completely unexpected. Too bad that most of the important twists were already given away in the promos of the upcoming episodes, not only this there was a special news in Jung newspaper as well telling the viewers exactly what was coming their way. I wish that Geo would give people a reason to sit through a drama by not providing them the opportunity of following the drama through the promos and the summaries they give in the papers. I am all for intelligent marketing but the drama should be promoted in such a way that the viewers keep on wondering what is going to happen next. Telling the viewers that Hiba will have an accident would have been intriguing enough, telling them exactly what was going to happen in my opinion was just plain foolish! Similarly informing the viewers that Rohail was going to fall in love with Tooba would have been sufficient!

Kamal and Bilquees are finally back – the moment that we had all been waiting for. Even after all these years the things between them remain the same. Kamal Hassan never got over what happened in the past and rightly so too. It remains to be seen how Tooba will react once she finds out that Rohail is Kamal’s son. The woman who was responsible for breaking her engagement and the one who played havoc with her mother’s life is the mother of the man she loves so much that she is not even going to let Hiba stand in her way now.

Hiba’s accident was executed brilliantly. I am glad that she didn’t have that accident because of Rohail. I expected Rohail to be a little more empathetic towards her because they were really good friends but sometimes it seems like he feels absolutely nothing for Hiba. Tooba’s initial reaction to Rohail’s request and her conversation with him later on was totally in line with her personality. The great thing about all the characters in the play is that they are very well etched out. Unlike some of the characters in other plays which completely shock you with the things they do and nothing makes sense.

Emaad Irfani is doing very well for a newcomer. He just needs to improve his expressions when he is listening to people. He looks overly attentive and too surprised most of the times even when it is not needed.

I must say I absolutely loved the transformation in Tooba’s character. She obviously has no idea that Hiba is in love with Rohail. Rohail must have been attracted to Tooba all along that is why even though they spent so much time with each other, he never told her the reason why Hiba stopped working with him. I think Rohail is being very unfair to Tooba by not telling her the truth because he knows only too well that Tooba will do anything to make Hiba happy and would never commit herself to a man her sister loved. Rohail is being very selfish; I actually felt like he was taking advantage of Hiba’s condition. If Hiba could tell Tooba the truth, things would have been very different. Rohail has always been shown as the kind of person who places his own feelings above others quite unlike Tooba. Now that I think about it Rohail’s first meeting was very well done because I remember wondering at that time if Rohail was really interested in Hiba or was he attracted to Tooba. The confusion was created intentionally. Thumbs up to the director and the writer for keeping it subtle and for keeping the viewers guessing right till the last moment.

Every episode of this play is a visual treat that deserves to be savored. There is plenty to look forward to. Do share your thoughts about these two episodes.

Fatima Awan

By far, we have seen that Afzal leaves Hyderabad just for the sake of becoming an established entity; He knew that this was the reason for which he got rejected by Farah. It was so interesting to see that how Afzal’s family reacted after knowing the fact that Afzal is gone. Maulvi Saheb’s concern didnot come to end but he got anxious to know whether Afzal had some cash to spend or not. Afzal’s mother got shocked but didnot put a glance of sadness at her face just for the sake of not letting her husband know that she is worried. Inshort, both of them looked apparently happy, but deep inside they were completely broken.

No one can be as dumb as Farah. I am seriously not getting what on earth she wants ? And why she is not clear about her aims. Firstly, she played with emotions of Mehtaab. To clean bowled Mehtaab, she took help from poor Afzal.Then played with his emotions because she wanted to go abroad for Mphil. And now that all obstacles are completely vanished, she decided to not go abroad but will do Mphil from Karachi.And now today,she seemed confused again that she should not go to Karachi. Her father is so right.. wakaie, dimaagh ka aalu bana deya hai..

Farah’s discussions with her sister clearly depict that she has developed feelings for Afzal. Unlike Lubna and Arifa, I guessed it not merely because she keeps on talking and asking about Afzal but my guess also relates to Farah’s feeling for Mehtaab. Now that she is in love with Afzal, she came to know that how badly Mehtaab got hurt when she rejected him.

Babu Hameed, Afzal’s first friend in Karachi, helped him to go through his hard time.. Ya ye kehna chahye that Afzal helped him. This way or that way, within very short span of time, they became good friends as if they were together since their childhood.

I am really liking Sohail Ali Abro’s character in this show. Her first encounter with Afzal at her own house was fun to watch. It was pretty much predictable that sooner or later Yasmeen will fall for Afzal and tonight’s episode gave her strong reason for that.

Be it his love for Farah, respect for his parents or loyalty towards her sister, Afzal proved himself to be an extremist. And tonight, we came across his hidden trait and that is to fight for right. It was his father’s teaching that gave him courage to never fear a man because at the end of the day a man is the creature of Allah who wants a man to fear him only.Afzal’s fight with Wali was interesting to watch and I enjoyed every dialogue during their fight; The way Afzal handled wali after having that lethal fight was another treat to watch. So for me, the highlight of today’s episode was Afzal and Wali’s encounter and the scenes after that; Inshort, last half of the show compelled me to watch the show till end.

First half of the show was a bit dragged and I lost my interest somewhere in the middle of episode.But Wali’s part brought my interest back into the show. Ab dekhna ye hai whether Farah will go to Karachi or not ?

I would love to read your feedback about today’s episode.

Rabia Basharat

I had completely given up on this show by the time I saw the 3rd episode. The whole episode was filled with the good and evil sister-in-law drama. Saira could not stand Adil giving so much attention to Rudaba, and she created a huge drama to get attention. She thought that Rudaba had complained to Adil about her attitude when the poor girl had done no such thing.

After that, Saira openly showed her dislike for Rudaba and made her feel like a stranger in the house. But not in front ofAdil of course, in his presence she was at the best of her behavior. The way she taunted Rudaba about Buland in front of her sister and brother was simply pathetic. This track was dragged to the limit and by the end of it; I had completely lost interest in the show.

Tayabba and her desperation for marriage is getting on my nerves by each passing episode. How desperate can a person get? It is not the end of the world if your engagement breaks. She kept on whining about how unfair life is and kept on blaming her brother’s illegal work and bad reputation for her broken engagement. This track is seriously getting very repetitive. The crying and whining continued in the 4th episode too, and it was simply frustrating to watch Tayabba’s scenes.

However, the fourth episode managed to capture my interest, and now I have some hope for the show. Why was the episode worth watching? The answer is simple: Faysal Qureshi. I was disappointed with his loud and rash character; all the pointless screaming simply made my ears rings. But I had forgotten how well Faysal can emote through his eyes, and that romance and Faysal Qureshi are a perfect combination.

We saw the start of the attraction phase between Bashar and Rudaba. Rudaba is scared out of her wits when she is near Bashar, but she still manages to challenge him even though she never means to. He was amused by the ‘monster’comment, and simply shocked by the detailed and honest comment about his behavior and character. The best part about his eyes is that they can emote both anger and softness. We saw the soft look when he was admiring her and the angry look when he was furious with her.

Rudaba was staying at Bashar’s house because Adil and Saira had to go abroad for some urgent business work. Bashar never gave a second glance or thought to Rudaba, and treated her rudely (that’s normal behavior for Bashar). For him, she was no more than Parizey’s care taker, but with each encounter, his opinion about her changed. She disobeyed him and took Parizey in the rain. That was the first time anybody disobeyed him so openly and calling him furious would be an understatement. He unleashed his wrath on Rudaba and the poor girl simply fainted. Yes, FAINTED! I was surprised and a bit amused by her fainting spell.

The look on Bashar’s face when Rudaba fainted was priceless! It was obvious that he felt guilty for his behavior (a first for someone like Bashar), and he had never expected her to faint all of a sudden. For the first time, we saw Bashar  acting in a normal way as he gently tried to wake Rudaba. It was funny to see Bashar speak so softly and act in such a gentle way! Their next encounter in Tayabba’s bedroom was also pretty amusing. Faysal’s eyes did all the work in this scene.

Bashar has not realized that he is attracted to Rudaba, but he will soon. Judging from the preview for the next episode, he would be speechless after he sees Rudaba all dressed up and this would make him think about her.

Another highlight of the latest episode is that Buland is officially back. Buland and Rudaba’s  first encounter was pretty filmy, there was no electricity plus there was rain. Rudaba was standing outside the house with candles in her hand and Buland was under the umbrella. The expressions of both the actors were perfect. But then if someone asks me who is a better romantic hero; Faysal Qureshi or Sami Khan, then my answer would be Faysal. Ushnah Shah has good chemistry with Faysal, now let’s see how her chemistry with Sami turns to be!

I would recommend you to watch this episode, its better than the previous ones!

Till Next Week!

Mariam Shafiq

Ohkay so another week ended with a sad elimination. I know it was really sad but we all had somehow anticipated this would be happening.

I really didn’t understand Bashar Momin’s promotion in the middle of Pakistan Idol. I think GEO has already created enough hype about it & also usually a promotion happens before the show starts. Now when already 4 episodes have gone on-air, I don’t think the promotion was required once again.

It was Ali Asad Zaidi & Rosemary who came in first to get their results. As expected Ali Asad Zaidi was safe because of his awesome performance & Rosemary made it to to the danger zone solely because of the unusual song that was allotted to her.

Next & the last three who came in for their results were Zamad Baig, Mohammad Shoaib & Kashif Ali. I knew Mohammad Shoaib would be safe because of his perfect performance & thought Kashif would be safe too but it came in as a shocker to see Kashif Ali finally making his debut in a danger zone leaving Zamad Baig safe.

Then it came down to Kashif Ali & Rosemary so that the final announcement can be made. I felt the moment Rosemary was told that she didn’t make it through to the top 4 she seemed like she was expecting this result & so did her family.

Definitely sad at her elimination because she was capable of making it to the Top 3 but I am glad she came & proved her talent that too at such a young age of 15. Judges really had some great things to say about her & Bushra Ansari rightly said that Rosemary doesn’t lack talent, she only lacked some votes. She did survive till the Top 5 & that is something definitely huge at this age & I loved what she said to her co-contestants. It was rather sweet.

So, with this we’re left with the Top 4 & they are Ali Asad Zaidi, Kashif Ali, Mohammad Shoaib & Zamad Baig. I am not sure if we’d see any variety at this stage of the competition but I do hope they choose different genres to perform in the next round. No one is expecting them to step out of their comfort zones but a little experiment in the genres is definitely required.

I hope they had allotted a better song to Rosemary because even though they had to sing the songs of Ali Zafar, Rosemary could’ve performed another duet because the contestants who have performed these sort of songs have always been eliminated previously. This is why Ali Azmat always emphasized on choosing the right song which does make some sense.

I wish my favorite Rosemary all the luck, success & a bright future.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.