Hmmmm, so it was more of a drama in this drama now. Interesting as always & I guess they are off to wrapping up the story. I’d pretty much appreciate if they don’t drag the ending & wind it up just when needed.

Is it just me or others feel the same that Laiba is nothing but a crazy egoist? Didn’t she ever come across the saying of never believing in what you see? I mean how easily she just saw Aiza going into Saad’s room & assumed the gruesome details. Does she really think she is going to win Saad over by being like this, where at first she was clingy & now she has turned his mother against him too? Is he actually worth all the hassle? I don’t think so. What she thought & then blurted about Aiza & Saad goes to show Laiba’s own mentality more than anyone else’s in this situation. She is not insecure because that’s the small word, rather she is obsessed to a blinding point.

Aiza was just being herself & kept on reminding Saad about his upcoming marriage. His coughing fits were unbearable to watch where he would cough like he ain’t going to last but the very next moment he would walk like nothing happened, lol. I actually detest Saad & fail to sympathize with him because he has only created difficulties for people around him. I actually once again got a chance to feel bad for Saim because if Saad can’t tolerate his advices, why does he call Saim to listen to his issues quietly? Saim is being so tolerant towards his selfish friend but sadly Saad can’t see it. :(

Finally, Aiza’s brother Bakhtiyaar has taken hold of his life & without going into much detail they showed him having a good time with his family & providing them with the basics. I think it was a perfect timing for Aiza to come to her brother for support because now he is being reasonably responsible towards his family.

I expected better from Shehryar but sadly he gave preference to his daughter’s verdict over anything else & without even seeking for Aiza’s justification he decided to send her away. Aiza on her own is right that he didn’t even give her a chance to explain about what happened & I feel in this matter it would be justified if Shehryar apologizes to her because Aiza never gave him a chance to doubt her. She deserves all the respect & Sheheryar definitely owes her an apology.

Next episode shows Saad’s suffering reaching to a lethal level & hopefully it would make Laiba regret what she has done. Can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Akbari Asghari; adapted by Deputy Nazir Ahmed’s Urdu novel Mirat Ul Uroos, produced by Samina Humayun for her production house Six Sigma, written by Faiza Iftikhar & directed by Haissam Hussain. What a combination. :)

It’s a story depicting the very basic concept of ‘never judging a book by it’s cover’. ‘Appearances are meant to be deceptive’, this is another example which defines Akbari Asghari for me. I can’t begin to tell how much I have enjoyed watching this drama twice & I think I can give it a go again & again because the main factor is, you can never get bored. All the actors have enacted their characters brilliantly & I am sure they themselves wouldn’t have known what they were doing for our entertainment & how grateful we would be to them. :)

The list of the actors & the characters is:

Ali Aijaz as Kareem Fazal Chaudhru (KFC)
Nasreen Qureshi as Bay Jee
Ashraf Khan as Luqmaan
Nayyar Ejaz as Peer o Murshid
Nargis Rasheed as Shaheen (Sheen)
Rehan Sheikh as Hatim
Amna Ansari as Kulsoom (Kim)
Imran Abbas as Akbar
Humaima Malik as Asghari (Sara)
Fawad Khan as Asghar
Sanam Baloch as Akbari (Becky)
Humaira Ali as Batool Pupho
Kiran Haq as Shabbo

The Family:

Yes, it was a family of Chaudhry KFC, with Bay Jee as his sister, Luqmaan, Hatim & Batool as his childern. Luqmaan was married to Shaheen & had two sons Akbar & Asghar, who lived with Chaudhry KFC in a small village in Punjab – Pakistan. Hatim was married to Kulsoom, had two daughter Akbari & Asghari, he was settled in UK, ran a cab & Kulsoom had a catering stall she looked after. Batool was married to the industrialist in Sialkot & had the only daughter Shabbo.

The Story:

Story was about everyone having an ulterior motive except a few elders of the family. Some had them for the betterment of their family members while the others spun them for their own selfishness. Akbari Asghari is a story of two sisters, Becky & Sara. Becky was manipulative, loved to be in everyone’s good books, pretended to be innocent & very sweet but deep down she was very sharp & knew how to mold situations for her benefit; whatever the cost may be. Sara on the surface might come across as a girl with very liberal values & no morality but in actual she was more upfront, straight forward & always had the accurate argument backing with logic to prove herself right. It was just about the time when Becky almost elopes to be with her non-Muslim boyfriend Roger but just in the nick of time her mother Kulsoom finds out about it. Becky heart-broken after finding out about Roger’s marriage then promises her mother that she will go to her father’s hometown & get married to her cousin Akbar.

Akbar who had left everything worldly thinking he was doing everything right for the sake of his Deen spent his life following the footsteps of his peer o murshid. Asghar, the youngest, everyone’s favorite & Gaon’s Casanova was always in a search for someone suitable who’d benefit him materialistically. So, finally the moment arrives when the promise has to be materialized. Promise that was made years ago at the birth of Akbari & Asghari when they were verbally engaged to their first cousins Akbar & Asghar.

Kim & Hatim who have high hopes for Becky dread marrying her away to Akbar – the fundamentalist of the family. Akbar on his own tries to walk out of the marriage because he thinks modern khatoon was way out of his league. Asghar being the opportunist senses Akbar’s distress & gets ready to be sacrificed for the sake of his brother. This is how Akbari & Asghar get married. I loved the fact that even though they were shown as two different people, they were totally the same; manipulative, & dishonest but the only difference that set them apart was Becky being more mature & clever whereas Asghar was gullible & naive. Things spice up a lot when Batool & Shabbo come in the picture because Asghar has made some promises to Shabbo as well but very easily he ditches her & gets married. Akbari keeps on manipulating Asghar because she wants out of this marriage & spend her life free from any obligations. She loves being loved & appreciated because she can’t tolerate being in anyone’s bad books. Asghar right after his marriage earns the title of Zan Mureed by being totally smitten with his wife, he obviously does it thinking this way he’ll be able to go abroad with her & settle there on the expense of his FIL’s business.

After Asghar Akbari’s wedding, Akbar accompanies Hatim because everyone tells him to take care of Hatim & his business after his heart attack so that his Chacha could rest. After finding out the reality of his Chacha & Chachi that they owned nothing which they flaunted about – Akbar tries to bring them out of their complexes & earns their respect because of his modesty. This paves the path of Asghari’s likeness towards Akbar because she finds herself getting attracted to such a humble person like him. Becky now ups her plan & starts fabricating the lies against her in-laws so that her family helps her walk out of her marriage but things go totally unexpected when Sara agrees to get married to Akbar thinking she will be with Becky & would undo the zulm going on with her sister. Akbar agrees to this marriage because according to his peer o murshid, he’d be doing this girl a favor by bringing her back to her long lost path of the Deen.

At first Akbar finds it hard to cope with the be-baak Asghari but as he gets to know her, he finds her submissive, practical, logical & falls in love with her. Asghari who has prejudices against him also after understanding him better knows that he is honest, down to earth & is a gem of a person but has been trapped by a fake peer o murshid because of Akbar’s blinding trust in him. Asghari jumps into a situation just for Akbar to rescue her from his peer o murshid & that’s when they confess their love for the first time. Akbari who later finds out that Asghar was in an awe of getting such a perfect wife feels guilty & rest Shabbo’s clinginess to Asghar does the trick of surfacing her deep etched love for her husband where she rectifies her mistakes & promises to be a good wife & daughter in law. Finally & last but not the least, Asghari takes the situation in her hand & sends Bay Jee away to her actual home – the home of her husband which she rejects going to at the day of her marriage for the sake of her brother’s dignity & in the end they all live happily ever after.

The Brilliance of Akbari Asghari:

I loved Akbari Asghari for the fact that it highlighted thick issues very lightheartedly such as complexes, insecurities, ulterior motives, misunderstandings, family politics & what not. Each & every episode was like a roller-coaster ride of laughter along with emotional moments. I can convincingly say that this drama was entertainment personified because even though they tackled things with humorous, the underlying issues still remained the focal point & were handled brilliantly. Undoubtedly, for people like me who like to tune into lighthearted realistic dramas, this was actually real because people in their daily lives do have such fun moments too which were portrayed with perfection in Akbari Asghari.

I loved all the characters of Akbari Asghari but I must say the star of the drama was Nargis Rasheed as Shaheen or Sheen as Bay Jee called her. Not only Sheen but all the female characters in this drama were perfect examples of how ladies of the family should be – strong, confident, like a binding force & forgiving on tops. I must especially mention the bit where Shaheen & Akbari come to a closure with seeking forgiveness & apologizing to each other was the best moment for me, it went to show how easy is it to let go of the past mistakes & work towards the better future. This is exactly what we need to see in our dramas, some strong headed but bighearted females who know exactly how to run a family. Apart from Shaheen, another interesting character was of Batoolan Pupho played by Humaira Ali brilliantly. I loved her fixation to English & her translations were just perfect. Kiran Haq was adorable as Shabbo & I think she did justice to her part as well. Well, what can I say about Nasreen Qureshi. I love love loveeee her Punjabi fluency & she made me love Punjabi more, she was adorable through out the drama & it was a treat to watch her as Bay Jee.

I loved this drama mainly for the reason because Akbar & Asghari’s characters went to show that how exactly religious matters can be handled. Akbar thought he was just doing things right – which he undoubtedly was, but just the little input from Asghari made him tackle his religious side logically as well. There were some amazing dialogues that targeted the mindset & notions of people which they might have towards someone who is trying hard to adapt the religious way of life. No one could’ve ever thought that a broad minded girl like Asghari could actually have a religious side to her as well but what stood out the most for me about her character was the logic that she always presented in each of her discussions.

I loved Akbari Asghari for the fact that each & every character had an important role to play, starting from Chaudhry KFC to Peer o Murshid, there was not even a single character which seemed boring, forced or someone who had nothing to contribute to the story. Every character was just as important as the other because together they made this drama a master piece.

I loved the Gaon touch, the use of Punjabi, the direction, the screenplay, the dialogues, the story & every thing about this drama & I must say that Humaima Malik & Imran Abbas outdid themselves & they stood out the most for me. Sanam Baloch & Fawad Khan were great as Akbari & Asghar as well & all the other actors were brilliant as usual because the director brought out the best in them.

I loved this drama, hence I label it as a complete package of entertainment. Do share your views about Akbari Asghari if you enjoyed it as much as I did & those of you who have missed this drama, go watch it NOW! ;)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ranjish Hi Sahi would be much more engaging and enjoyable if it picks up pace; whatever happened in these two episodes could easily have been covered in one. I have noticed that lately Geo has started showing dance performances on complete songs in their plays. I find it filmy, somewhat inspired by plays on star plus and also a total waste of time. I would really have liked it if the latest developments in Hiba and Tooba’s life; from Hiba’s rising career to Tooba’s loneliness could have been covered in that one song sequence. We could have been shown how the girls were moving ahead with life while the song played in the background. I must admit though that I am really curious to find out what turn the story will take once Hiba finds out that Rohail is Kamal’s son. She may have a very bright career now but she has not changed a bit. She is still careless, selfish, immature and stubborn. She does not pause for a second to ask her sister what is going on in her life. When Tooba was working, she was always concerned about Hiba and was always trying her best to please her. There was never a time like this when these sisters didn’t share things with each other but now that Hiba has a friend and a career, she is too busy to have time for her sister. Hiba’s likeness for Rohail seems pretty much one sided at the moment.

I really liked the way Arsal took a stand in front of his mother but Tooba knows only too well that even if this marriage takes place his mother will never give her the respect she wants from her. She also does not want to get married in a family in which the head of the family does not have an ounce of respect for her mother. Tooba has been very wise right from the start so her actions made perfect sense. Like many other viewers, I really want to see both of them together but I can only wonder how that is going to happen. The story of the play has been very unpredictable right from the start which is one of the factors why this play keeps you looking forward to more.

Maya Ali’s acting has been very natural and impressive since the past few episodes. I think the character that she is playing is actually close to her real life personality and she can probably relate to it as well that is why it is bringing out the best in her. Sana Javed has been brilliant throughout the play; the fact that her character has been etched-out superbly also adds to the charm.
I must say that I do not like the way the official Facebook page of the play has been promoting it. Asking questions like whether Rohail’s presence in Hiba’s life will draw the two sisters apart or not is so wrong because the story is about much more than just that! If someone is not watching the play, they will definitely get the wrong impression about the story from these questions. The viewers who have been watching the play know only too well that the story isn’t really about Hiba and Tooba growing apart; these two sisters have proven time and again that they may have their differences but they always manage to sort things out. I think they should be focusing more on whether or not Kamal will make a re entry and how Hiba will react when she finds out. There are many viewers who lost interest in the show after Kamal and Yumna were not a part of it so questions like these may bring such viewers back. They can also ask questions as to why Tooba is not getting married to Arsal etc.

I really hope that the drama picks up pace because the story is engaging enough and there is a lot to look forward to.

Do share your thoughts about these two episodes.

Fatima Awan

Wallah! After Sajjad Ali’s & this Friday’s episode, this one has become a memorable one for me. I am sure this was a lucky day for all the Pakistan Idol viewers because now only the deserving contestants are left but I must say, they had us worried, it was like a rollercoaster ride but yes in the end it felt refreshing, exactly how you feel after the ride. ;) lol!

I must say Hadiqa Kiyani looked gorgeous tonight & even Bushra Ansari looked pretty decent too. I am not sure how many times Hadiqa has her hair-color changed but this one suits her the best. I hope that she continues to make wise choices in terms of styling & spare us from the laughing fits. ;)

The first two contestants who came for their results were Ali Asad Zaidi & Kashif Ali. At first I thought they both would be safe because they deserved to be but the worry began when Mohib announced that one of them is going to the danger zone. Sadly & shockingly it was Ali Asad Zaidi. :/

After them only Mohammad Shoaib was called for his result. It was pretty evident that he would be safe & yes, he was. :)

The duo that now came to face the result was of Zamad Baig & Shahmir Aziz Quidwai. I was pretty sure that Zamad would be unsafe because the certain someone gets lucky all the time but fortunately Zamad was safe & Shahmir made it to the red zone.

The last trio that had to face the result was of Rosemary, Abdul Rafay Khan & Waqas Ali Vicky. Judging by the previous voting trend, I guessed it right it was Waqas Ali Vicky who was unsafe but he didn’t deserve to be there anyway.

Finally, it was a time for the moment of truth but before proceeding with the final announcement Mohib asked the judges about who they wanted to see going through to the next round. Very honestly & without being politically correct Hadiqa & Bushra picked Waqas Ali Vicky & Ali Asad Zaidi even though they were asked to choose a single contestant but I am glad they were honest. Similarly, Ali Azmat wanted to see Waqas Ali Vicky safe too.

So yes, it came down to Waqas Ali Vicky, Shahmir Aziz Quidwai & Ali Asad Zaidi. It was the very first high moment of the episode when surprisingly Waqas Ali Vicky was told that he was safe. This had me shouting like anything because his position looked the weakest as compared to the other two in the danger zone but he’s definitely worth it. After a little dance of trance it was the time to face the reality & trust me, in a disbelief I was worried that Ali Asad Zaidi is going because the other one has knocked out some great contestants but I was just surprised when a certain name was announced, leaving me happy, excited, thankful & what-not because yes, finally, it was Shahmir Aziz Quidwaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!! :D

Last week before watching the episode unexpectedly from the Facebook newsfeed I got to know that Asad Raza Sonu was eliminated, this killed the suspense for me & I watched the episode half-heartedly because I already knew the result but this time around I was cautious & didn’t open my FB account before watching the episode. Trust me, words can’t explain how happy I am because this episode was worth the suspense, lol!

From now on, it wouldn’t matter much as to who will win the title because as far as anyone of these top 7 does, it’s going to be a perfect & well-deserving win. Finally, the moment of rejoice has arrived, share your excitement with us!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

ps: YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

A month or two back I posted an article on this show. It had intrigued me, but I was not excited to watch it because of its cast. Most of them are new unrecognized faces and the only person who I liked in the cast was Faysal Qureshi. There was a lot of curiosity created when Faysal Qureshi started sporting the army haircut and full beard look, but the details of the show were kept tightly under wraps till the final product was made.

I must admit the extravagance of this show has impressed me. Faysal Qureshi is seen adoring suits ranging from 1.5 to 5 lakhs and the leading ladies had sported jewelry of worth 7 crores, and trust me, these are just a few minor details. It is called the most expensive drama yet because of its extremely high budget.

Now coming to the first episode, it was not extraordinary because the story is just building up, but it was definitely a good start. We need a few more episodes to give a verdict about this show. At the end of the day, it is not the hype or the budget that matters; it is the content that attracts the viewers. The promos attracted me, but then from experience I can say that promos can be very deceiving.

The episode started with Rudaba’s (Ushnah Shah) engagement to Buland (Sami Khan). Rudaba was not too happy about the engagement because it was completely arranged, and she had never even met her fiancé. He lived in America and she thought that he might turn out to be like most typical Americans. In Rudaba’s words, he might turn out to be a ‘burger’ which was a trait she loathed in any man. She wanted a simple life partner and feared that he would feel that she was not good enough for him.

Rudaba’s character is an open book for all to read. She is simple, innocent, and naive and had lived in a protected environment all her life. She is unaware of the realities of the world and true faces of people around her. She is close to her father who is her friend and her mentor. I enjoyed all the scenes between the two, he tried his best to convince her that Buland was the right person for her and she needed to trust him. Her bonding with her father’s friend and her future father-in-law was also a treat to watch.

Rudaba’s brother, Adil (Yasir Mazher) is married to Saira (Maheen Rizvi), one of the two beloved sisters of Bashar Momin (Faysal Qureshi). Adil works under Bashar Momin who is involved in quite a few illegal activities and this has created a rift between Adil and his father who had loved the life of a sincere bureaucrat. Saira is a complete control freak, she definitely knows how to manipulate people and play with their minds. It was obvious from the way she manipulated Rudaba that she excels in her abilities. She has the ability to make people feel inferior and she always has a mask on her face; she never shows her true emotions. Her life can be in a complete turmoil, but she would always portray to the world that her life is perfect. Her sister Tayabba (Sundus Tariq) is just the opposite. She seems unsure of her herself, and is quite insecure and emotional.

Bashar Momin is the villain and the hero of this show. We did not get much insight into his character, but I could make out a few things about his character. He has an aura that makes people bow down in front of him. He is too powerful to be challenged and hell breaks loose when he loses his temper. He has simply no control over his temper, and there is no such thing as patience inside him either. He believes in getting what he wants by hook or by crook.

Sami Khan’s character is yet to be introduced, but I can make out from the promos that he is playing the role of a broken hearted lover. Nothing new in this, he plays similar roles in every show!

There was more of an introductory episode and a lot of insight was given into different characters. Rudaba might be unhappy about her engagement, but she would do anything for her father. She promised him before he died that she will marry Buland at all cost and she will be more open minded about her relation with him now. It was quite unexpected to see the end of two important people in Rudaba’s life. This is definitely a turning point in her life.

I am really looking forward to know what happens next!

So what are your views about the first episode? Share your views.

Mariam Shafiq

This drama was a complete disappointment for all its fans (including me). We have been waiting for a romantic scene between the leads since the past 23 episodes and got one right in the end and that too was only 3 minutes long. It took a lot of effort for me to go through the whole last episode and I had been delaying watching it since a week.

The last episode was an absolute drag! Aaliyan was still running after Natasha, trying to mend things with her and asking her to compromise and forgive him. There were more Natasha and Aaliyan scenes than of Qudisya and Aaliyan. This show seemed more of Natasha and Aaliyan’s story than of the main leads. I breathed a sigh of relief when Natasha and Aaliyan had a teary good bye (he still did not want to let her go), and I thought now Qudsiya and Aaliyan would be shown together. But once again, I was in for a disappointment. They had to show various conversations between Rana and Sultan which were not needed at all.

And FINALLY when Aaliyan went to Qudsiya to take her back, she refused to go. She gave a long list of reasons why they would never be able to be together. She wanted to be left alone because she did not want to suffer the same fate as his mother. The only thing that finally made her end her rant was Aaliyan’s one simple dialogue:

“Apko apke Shamsa apa ke bête per bharosa nahi hai kiya”

Aaliyan had made it absolutely clear that he would never behave like his father. His father had married her mother for a child and then left her when Aaliyan was born. In the last episode, they finally revealed the details of the past which they should have done a long time ago. I am still not sure what Shamsa’s relation was with Shahnawaz. I had assumed that she was his sister, but then Aaina always called her Tayi Ammi (father’s brother’s wife) which does not make sense at all. They were a lot of loopholes that the writer left open. There was also no coordination between certain scenes. One minute Aaliyan was asking Shahnawaz to convince Qudsiya to come back to him, and the next minute they were happily living together.

One part of the last episode that I liked was Sultan finally coming to his senses. His conversation with Qudsiya is what made him think. He had insulted Qudsiya all over again and this time Qudsiya did not remain quiet. She gave him a piece of mind and his conscience was finally awoken when Qudsiya asked him what he would have done if the something similar happened to his own daughter

‘Betiyon ke rishte daulat se nahi, kismet se bante hai’

This dialogue kept on repeating in his mind and he also remembered Aaliyan’s word. He felt guilty for whatever mistakes he had made in the past which he was now repeating.  Aaliyan was shocked when Sultan praised Shamsa and told him that she never stood up for her rights as her ego and self respect was above everything. Same was the case with Qudsiya, but Aaliyan was adamant to get her back in his life and he finally succeeded in the end.

Aaliyan’s confession to Shahnawaz about his feelings for Qudsiya was extremely adorable. Shahnawaz kept on asking Qudsiya to stay with them but finally gave up when he saw that she had made her decision. I would have liked to know what happened to Shahnawaz and Aaina too.

Sajjal Ali was definitely the star of this show; her acting and expressions was  absolutely perfect! Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui has improved a lot in this show but he still has a long way to go. Emad Irfani needs acting classes; his monotonous delivery and expressionless face ruined most of the scenes. Sanam Chaudhary has also done a commendable job (her screeching will echo in my ears for a long time). Dado’s character played by Azra Aftab was also one of my favorites!

The story needed to be a bit improvised and the direction needed to be smoother. The show had so much potential; I wish they had utilized it properly. Well, at least the OST was good!

Sorry for the late review, I was on a bit of a holiday!

Share your views!

Mariam Shafiq

So, another week goes by & no conclusions so far. No doubt the story is progressing but we are still kept in the dark about the ending of the drama & because of this nothing can be anticipated as to who will eventually win Ehtashaam over. I loved the performances today by all the actors but Roomi had me completely. What a brilliant little actor he is.

Sehrish; just how she promised is now leaving no stone unturned to part Ehtashaam & Saniya. Be it for a few hours, she thinks she can convert this little time-span into life-long togetherness. In the beginning of the episode, I wasn’t much into what Sehrish was up to because she has started to look like an unwanted person. Even though she has gotten to know about Ehtashaam’s decision clearly, she is still sticking with the hope of staying with him & making her broken marriage work. The whole ghar-mai-koi-ghus-gaya scene was to show how tactfully Sehrish earned some attention from her husband. When Ehtashaam decided to be in her room so that she can sleep peacefully, I thought not again! How long would it take to send an SMS to Saniya about the situation because she had just called him a couple of minutes ago? At that moment I thought Ehtashaam is one of those who thinks those who love him will trust him no matter what. We saw it happening before & even now he thought Saniya would understand why he was with Sehrish.

Saniya didn’t want to know why Ehtashaam chose to stay in Sehrish’s room but still she questioned him to make her point clear. I think this time around it was quite evident that Ehtashaam had made up his mind & decided to bring everyone out of misery by speaking adamantly to Sehrish about the divorce. Sehrish put the blame on him once again & wanted to know why he never stopped her from going, which I think was nothing but irrational of Sehrish to say so. Ehtashaam did the same by saying she initiated the divorce herself & he respected her decision, which again made me think now Ehtashaam was being irrational because if he knew Sehrish wanted a divorce, so why not send her the papers before signing the new ones while she was away?

Just when we thought the story was becoming stagnant, they had a special card to reveal & yes, it was Ehtashaam’s mother. I thought the poor guy was torn between the 2 ladies already so now one more will be doing the honours. It goes without saying that Ehtashaam’s mother loves Sehrish more than anything & she would side with her obviously. But I loved the conversation between Ehtashaam & his mom because he got the right person to share his inner-most feelings with but sadly for him, his mother thought the opposite & still supported Sehrish.

‘Kya izzat aur sharam aurton k liye hi hoti hai, mardon k liye nahi’, I must say before this conversation I wasn’t too sure of Ehtashaam’s moves but this dialogue went to show that he was also shattered because of what Sehrish put him up with. He wanted his mother to understand his perspective & also that everything affected him deeply as well. The second conversation that Ehtashaam had with his mother in the presence of Saniya went to show how much he wanted to ensure Saniya about his decision on this matter. Even though she had nothing to contribute in there but her presence was definitely necessary as Roomi was a part of the talk too.

I thought all the scenes of Roomi made the episode light-hearted again. Sehrish at that time felt like an outsider when she saw Saniya, Roomi, Ehtashaam & Roomi’s Daadi in one frame. I am not sure what’s happening but I feel Sehrish needs to accept the fact that she has lost Ehtashaam for good because her denial won’t benefit her at all.

The episode may not have given much in terms of story but the power-packed acting & brilliant direction was enough to enjoy the drama tonight. Shamim Hilali did a wonderful job & her re-entry as Ehtashaam’s mother (who sides with Sehrish) was definitely important as now it calls for a final decision from Ehtashaam. I am sure what we saw in the preview would be another antic pulled off by Sehrish to delay what Ehtashaam has promised her of, let’s see what happens next. Share your thoughts about tonight’s episode.

Keep supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

ps: I am once again covering for my friend Fatima Awan but please do keep a check in the comments section for her say. :)

Also to my dear readers, especially those who think that I side with Saniya & hence this is holding them back from sharing their opinions, I just want to tell that I have come to a point where I don’t feel anything for anyone. No detest towards Sehrish, no sympathy towards Saniya & also nothing for Ehtashaam, I am just enjoying the drama as it is & going with the flow. So, please you’re free to share whatever you feel like without the fear that the reviewer has an inclination towards a certain character. It’s all done & dusted! ;) 

& yes, once again they proved me right, this drama is left with nothing to offer & they are just stretching it to keep the prime slot of Fridays filled with some dirt, you know something-better-than-nothing sort of a thing.

I practically don’t have anything left to say about this drama because there is absolutely nothing that needs to be covered. I am amazed at the number of episodes Kabhi Kabhi is dragged to even though the story stopped just around 15th episode & that’s it. Rest are just the petty details which are being covered. This time around they covered Eeshal’s addiction next time I am sure they’ll be covering Ali’s poop.

Finally, Dad has made a comeback & he is once again in action to protect his half-mad child Eeshal. While listening to his conversation with Arez all I thought of was k ye uncle jab bhi muh kholenge kuch bura hi bolenge & I was just so right, he now thinks Eeshal is under a magic spell that’s why she is not in her senses anymore. Matlab koi tukk banti hai? He has reached the age of pata nahi kya but still he lacks basic sense, he needs some pills too. Oh boy! Things people do when they are bored & Kabhi Kabhi is a result of Samira Fazal’s boredom. I still can’t get over the fact that this drama once upon a time began at such a different note & look where it has gotten to.

Eeshal has become a sleeping-pill addict as if we weren’t aware of this secret by now & they took around 3 episodes to reveal the detail. I think the director & the editor were sleeping too while making this play, hence the delay.

Eeshal in her drug-pan allowed Arez to take Ali with him. Least bothered about Ali but I just couldn’t get over the fact that the scenes were just plain annoyingly long. Sunny literally repeated 10 times that he just gave Eeshal a single pill, he gave Eeshal a single pill, he took care of Ali, he took care of Ali, he took care of Ali, he took care of Ali. I swear I was waiting that if just one more time I hear him say this, I will hit a spare sauce pan hard on his head because I know the pan would get deshaped but it won’t have an effect on this empty headed loon. & I was holding a knife in my hand to chop Soni’s lambi zuban if she opened her trashy mouth once again. I am thinking if Eva had to attain the intelligence or some IQ just before the end of the drama so why was she shown as a dumb corpse with limbs in the beginning? Koi tukk hai?

What good did Sunny do to Eeshal after marrying her? What good did Eeshal do by giving birth to Ali? What good did she do by leaving her father’s place? What good did Arez do by divorcing Eeshal? What good did Arez do by marrying Eeshal? What good did Samira Fazal do by writing this piece of garbage & what good did the director do by directing such a hideous play? In short what good did they do by making Kabhi Kabhi? If they wanted us to waste our 26 weeks, they should’ve just told us like that, I’d definitely & happily had preferred watching a BLANK SCREEN for 1 hour than watching this torturous nightmare aur jo peechay wo a jati hai YE KIYYYAAAWWW HUAAAWWW JOOOWWW KURBATOOONNN MAI something something, I feel like telling her CHUP KARRR MANHOOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep Cursing (the drama-makers),
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

So, another week goes by of Pakistan Idol & glad we got to see some amazing performances this time around as well. The episode was based on the tribute by the contestants to their music idols. I thought the song selection this week was spot on & every one picked a song that suited their vocal tones. The guest judge was Rahim Shah but I don’t think he gave away much as a judge himself.

Before saying anything I actually want to know what our dear female judges were thinking by showing up on a show like this? Hadiqa definitely forgot that a bangle is supposed to be worn on the arms & not on the head by wrapping the strands of hair around it. I feel it’s good to be a punk but a reasonable one is not much to expect. I can’t imagine how people in the studio & even the contestants would’ve controlled their laughter fits because I certainly had an uncontrollable one & also I want to know what was Bushra Ansari thinking as well? I think Sarree’s pallus are used to cover what you may want to but she may have missed that detail too. I am not sure what’s wrong with her but I think to age gracefully isn’t too much to ask for from her either!

Having said that, the list of performances by the Top 8 contestants is as follows:

Zamad Baig (ZB) of Mandi Bahauddin chose Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan as his idol & sang ‘Sanu Ik Pal Chain Na Avey’. I found his performance just fine, wasn’t too overly impressed by him even though he sang really well but he was just good at it & nothing extra ordinary. Rahim Shah said he was excellent & all his notes were just perfect. Bushra gave him a standing ovation & said he was wonderful. Hadiqa liked his singing & Ali said it was a stellar performance & he forces people to become his fan.

Shahmir Aziz Quidwai (SQ) of Islamabad sang Ali Azmat’s ‘Sayonee’. I think he changed the feel of the song, made it too slow & screamed like anything which made him go flat at times as well. Ali Azmat being the actual singer of the song pointed out the technical mistakes in the notes. Hadiqa clearly said she wasn’t happy with the performance & said he himself knew that he committed a big mistake & after that he couldn’t perform well. Bushra started calling him a fighter, a brave contestant & someone who takes criticism strongly but didn’t say much on his performance. I absolutely loved what Rahim Shah said to him that this stage is not for learning anymore, either you perform good & stay in the competition or get eliminated after a poor performance.

Ali Asad Zaidi (AZ) of Karachi sang AR Rehman’s ‘Dil Se’. The band sort of remixed the song but when it came to Ali Asad he sang it brilliantly. It was a difficult song but the way he attempted it was great. Bushra said he had made a few mistakes but overall the performance was great. Rahim Shah said he gave more than it was required for this stage & he was brilliant. Ali said it was a difficult song which can be tackled properly in a studio while recording but to sing it live on stage that too in one take was commendable. Hadiqa agreed to Ali & said he is going to give a tough time to his co-contestants, she also felt that he made some mistakes but said they can be labeled as human errors which can be ignoned.

Mohammad Shoaib (MS) of Peshawar sang Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s ‘Mai Tennu Samjhawan Ki’. He was brilliant & has improved like anything, even though the ending was flat but he did a complete justice to the song. Bushra said he attempted it really well but felt he didn’t own the song (!?!?!). Hadiqa finally said ‘maza a gaya’. She liked his performance & felt that there were a few mistakes which can be ignored but she said she could connect to the feel of his singing. Ali said he selected a difficult song but sang it really well. Rahim Shah suggested he should sing Pushto songs & choose such songs that suit his vocal tone but he liked his performance & pointed out the flat ending.

Waqas Ali Vicky (WV) of Mian Channu sang Sajjad Ali’s ‘Katna Naee’. He was brilliant & sounded very melodious. Bushra said he picked a difficult song but very sweetly sang it & she named him Waqas Ali Barfi. Rahim Shah made him sing without the music to make a point that this was his actual voice & said he sang perfectly but he passed a judgment in fact gave him an advice that he shouldn’t hide his own voice & project it like it is. Hadiqa appreciated that he owned the song & she couldn’t hear him copy Sajjad Ali’s voice. She said he did copy the singing style but the voice was very much his own & she liked it. Ali Azmat was all praises for Waqas Ali Vicky & said that just because he was sitting while performing, it affected his projection but otherwise he was good.

Rosemary (RM) of Karachi sang Lata Mangeshkar’s ‘Saulah Baras Ki Baali Umer’. I think this was by far the best performance of Rosemary with no excuses left for pointing out any errors. Ali said she sounds mature to her age & it was a great performance. Rahim Shah felt she had a control over her voice & molded it with ease. Bushra said there were no flaws this time & she had taken care of everything. Hadiqa loved her performance as well.

Kashif Ali (KA) of Lahore sang Kailash Kher’s ‘Ya Rabba’. He was perfect once again & as usual but just because the song had more low notes I felt that the music overlapped his voice. I think the band needs to take care of it. Bushra pointed out a little technical issue that Sajjad Ali himself reminded Kashif of as well. According to her he needs to give a breathing space while singing & he himself needs to decide where to take a pause so that he won’t miss the words. Rahim Shah & Ali Azmat gave him a hug & were all praises for him. Hadiqa loved the ending & said the performance was larger than life.

Abdul Rafay Khan (RK) of Karachi sang Ghulam Ali’s ghazal ‘Hungama Hai Kyun Barpah’. He was good but there were some clear mistakes. Ali said he made a difficult choice but apart from a few issues he was good at it. Hadiqa felt that there was an issue with the notes through out the performance. Bushra said it wasn’t a suitable song for him even though he tried & even though at times he was more than good but still he lacked because of the caliber of the ghazal itself. Rahim Shah said he needs to work on the delivery of his words.

So, these were all the performances. I feel everyone sang really well except a certain someone but my favorites from this episode would be Waqas Ali Vicky, Mohammad Shoaib, Kashif Ali & Rosemary. I think the way judges try to sugar-coat Shahmir’s mistakes is just unfair. Bushra Ansari kept on praising him for being brave & what not but I think Pakistan Idol is all about singing & not about measuring the caliber of who is emotionally strong or who takes criticism perfectly. If that’s what Shahmir is good for then Living On The Edge is the right place for him to be because in Pakistan Idol people are concerned only & solely with the singing so instead of pep talking to the audience about any contestant they should just come up & rationally give the judgement so that the people actually know what’s happening & who deserves to stay!

It’s going to get so tough from now onwards to see any deserving contestant get eliminated because they all have been performing perfectly. I feel after this episode Abdul Rafay Khan, Shahmir Aziz Quidwai might go to the danger zone, not sure about Zamad Baig though, he may be safe or may not be so let’s see!

Please do share with us your favorite & least favorite performances of the night.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Tonight’s episode was extremely saddening. I truly felt for Romaissa and understood even more clearly today why Nabeel used to get so upset when something used to go wrong in his family. Nabeel’s family’s greediness had been well established in the previous few episodes but even then when Hassan resorted to those loathsome tactics to get his hands on Romaissa’s wealth today, I found myself hating his character even more. Now, I actually understand the reason for all the focus on Nabeel’s family. If we were not shown what kind of people they were, it would have been very difficult to relate to all that they are doing to Romaissa now.

The flashback scene in which Nabeel asks Romaissa to look into her crystal ball and tell the future was important in more ways than one. Sometimes things our loved ones say haunt us long after they have been said. These things seem meaningless at that given moment but at some point in life you realize how true they really were. Romaissa did not have the power to predict what the future held for her but Nabeel knew only too well that he had to do everything in his power to ensure that Romaissa did not have any financial problems even if something happened to him. Nabeel was very wise for his age; he knew exactly the kind of people his family members were and what they were capable of doing. He was also wise enough to trust Romaissa blindly even though someone like him who was surrounded by selfish people had plenty of reasons to not trust anyone ever.

Zeeshan and Romaissa are the only two people who have been truly effected by Nabeel’s death. Both of them are finding it impossible to move on with life. When I saw Rabbiya fighting Romaissa’s case in front of Nabeel’s mother and sister I realized why someone like Zeeshan had been so close to this girl all these years. She may have her flaws but she is definitely not ruthless like Nabeel’s mother and rest of the family. We also found out today that Zeeshan wasn’t interested in Rabbiya at first and the relationship was forced on him by his mother.

The scene in which Romaissa is crying at night and her heartless cousin tells her not to disturb her was heart-wrenching. All of Romaissa’s scenes were very emotional and touching; they were well put together. I was not able to connect to Romaissa and Nabeel’s relationship before but now I can totally relate to what these two meant to each other and why their relationship was so special.

The preview of the next episode was intelligently planned this time around so thank you Hum TV for that. Overall, this episode was engaging enough but there were still some scenes that seemed forced and repetitive. The story is getting interesting and I can finally relate to what Romaissa is feeling and going through.

Do share your thoughts about tonight’s episode.

Fatima Awan

As much as I enjoyed more than half of an episode, I wasn’t sure of the ending. I think it was rather abrupt & the scenes or rather the emotions in the scenes didn’t flow appropriately. I found Neelam & Surmed’s scenes nail-biting & I actually feel something worst should have happened to Neelam for being a home-wrecker followed by becoming a psychopath.

Finally Surmed has started to feel some affection for his wife Shabbi. It was good to see her putting in an effort & Surmed actually acknowledging it. He may not be expressive but yes, his outbursts have reduced leaving enough space for Shabbi to breathe. I must say I felt a lot more for poor Surmed after seeing what Neelam put him up with. I know he was wrong in pushing Neelam from the stairs but I think Taimoor should’ve taken control over all the things. He was too busy & too wooed by his new-found-love-chick that he completely forgot he had a few responsibilities towards Surmed as well.

Neelam faced what she had to but to see her take a U-turn in case of Surmed & act like a typical step-mom was saddening. At first, I found her sweet enough to be considerate towards Surmed but sadly for her, he wasn’t coming to terms with the fact that his father had found a new partner, hence, the mishap. I must say I want to know the brand of Neelam’s eye-liner & her curling rod. She may be in a maternity ward or she may have come home after going through a painful procedure, her eyeliner just won’t budge & her curly locks won’t loosen up. Things related to Neelam weren’t realistic be it her hip-chic fashionable ensembles considering the early 90’s or her statement necklaces but what came as a cherry on top was Toni Braxton’s song ‘un-break my heart’ released in 1996, which Neelam was listening to let’s say may be in the year 1994-1995? I am thinking it may have released in Pakistan beforehand especially for Neelam!?!?!

I must say the girl playing the role of Kiran may be annoying like anything but I actually like her choice of wardrobe. I have always liked her dresses a lot but having said that I think she has crossed alllllllllll the lines this time around. I know her spats with Teeeepu were annoying which may stir just on the mention of her tailor or anything else but what she said to him was the last thing I wanted to hear & actually I just couldn’t believe that my ears heard her litter utterance right? It was way too objectionable & it really killed the enjoyment of the whole episode for me. What’s gone into the dialogue writers these days mate? I am not sure how did the actor herself gather the courage to just blurt that BS out loud? Her pettiness wouldn’t stop here & after looking at the preview I think she still has some stamina left to make some more obnoxious statements. Yes, they should be officially out of this drama. They weren’t interesting from the very beginning & after this particular episode; I am just going to skip their scenes. & oh by the way I think Teeeeeepu was up for some over-acting in the car scene with Surmed where he was waving his hands more than it was required. I am not sure what was up with him but he clearly looked uncomfy.

The ending scenes weren’t done well I believe where at first Naani in the same frame was crying in front of Shabbi feeling sad. On the other hand Jameel Ahmed was crying too because he was missing his sister Neelam but the very next moment he came up with a huge smile on his face & Naani was all happy to hand over the property papers to Neelam just like that. This was a tiny bit of mismanagement I believe I felt in this episode but overall I thoroughly enjoyed watching Rubaru this week. Definitely looking forward to the next episode minus Kiran & her Teeeeepu’s spat!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.