Statutory Warning: Spare me for some questionable language here. Kabhi Kabhi jaisay blunder ki hi tarhaan kabhi kabhi ho jata hai!

Ummm did anyone understand what actually happened in this episode or only I am clueless & speechless? Just like the script has NOTHING to offer, I think I have run out of the words as well.

They showed that 5 years have passed but did it make any sense? NO! Arez was still crying over what Soni did & how she scurried to Sunny’s home? All this was being discussed after she got married to someone else & also got divorced. No wonder it had to happen considering the length of her crappy crappy tongue. But seriously, don’t they know the art of MOVING ON in their lives? Why Arez is still stuck at what happened 5 years ago & actually I am wondering what difference did it make to move the story forward by half a decade? It WAS stupid & still is.

Is it just me or it looked like Eeshal has lost her brains completely? 5 years have passed & not even an inch of grass on Sunny’s head, proving the point once again that his skull is barren & nothing can be produced out of it. I thought Eeshal was intelligent because we were spoon fed with this fact again & again so at this point I am wondering IF this is what intelligence is, then Einstien must be Eva’s brother.

Why do they think that the people who are playing the roles of the friends as fillers are supposed to be acting-free. Who is this new found friend of Eeshal who is literally baby sitting her with zero acting to her credit? Ali is batameez, it was pretty evident & IF this is why Eeshal stayed in a relation with Sunny then I think she didn’t calculate that how Ali will take it after Sunny!

Why all of a sudden I heard a word DAD in this whole episode? It is something alien? Some alien is known as some Dad in this drama? I thought he was gone for good & now repetitively it was mentioned that Dad is doing charity work, Dad is doing charity work as if he we are interested to know? What went wrong between Eva & Eeshal? I mean if Eeshal estranged her sister just because she was in contact with their father, then I am not understanding why all this is happening?

Rehbar spoke about being a bright student in his childhood? I mean really? After 23 episodes they think we wanted to know how Rehbar performed academically? Eva goes like Eeshal wala Arez? How many Arezes does show know of that she had to use this reference? I think people who are dumb & have mental issues don’t last for too long but Eva seems to be doing good in her life with -zero IQ, is it really possible?

I think Arez just came back to show he had grown some hair which were chopped in the very next scene. Same thing happened with Shahraiz, good-for-nothing bloke. Arez is NOW by the end of the story wondering WHY Soni is so spoiled by her mother, so what was he doing all these years? Justifying the title KABHI KABHI, Kabhi Kabhi khayal a hi jata hai psycho behan ka.

Is this drama making ANY sense AT ALL? I think the writer is liable & answerable to all of us for WHY she put us through this hell? In the end just an expression which I have never used but I will use it now to show my mental state after watching this piece of crap….WHAT THE HELL MAN!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Keep Supporting, (in fact don’t – on this pathetic serial)
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

There was a time when I thought that the chemistry between Romaissa and Nabeel will make this drama worth watching but I was very wrong. Unfortunately, most of the conversations between Romaissa and Nabeel in tonight’s episode put me to sleep. I completely understand that Nabeel loves Romaissa because she is genuine but the fact that these two cannot even have a normal conversation really puts me off. Sometimes it seems like Nabeel has adopted Romaissa and now his sole purpose in life is to make her dreams come true and to protect her. I understand that we are being shown all of this because very soon everything is going to change but even then I have been unable to connect with them. The obsession/fascination with ducks, fish and everything else is beyond me! Romaissa’s character is very lifeless and has absolutely no depth and I must say that Sanam Jung’s monotone dialogue delivery isn’t helping either.

Zeeshan and Rabbiya’s conversation like always focused more on Nabeel and now his wife than anything else. Zeeshan is very impressed with Romaissa’s ” sughrapha” and thinks she is caring and simple. Romaissa is very harmless and very seedhi but that doesn’t make her character likeable.

I must admit though that an interesting aspect of Romaissa’s personality which I found very believable (for a change) was the way she felt useful by doing favors for others and found nothing wrong with that. Romaissa spent all her life with people who have used her and bullied her, so she doesn’t know any better. She is used to pleasing people so it is nothing out of the ordinary for her. I couldn’t help but wonder though that how was this house running without Romaissa once! And doesn’t her Mother in law know already that Nabeel doesn’t intend to stay with them in the long run so why teach Romaissa how to cook continental, Chinese and Italian?

Every time Nabeel’s mother complaints about Nabeel’s behavior or something that Romaissa did, Nabeel’s father always asks her to be patient because Nabeel’s runs the factory and the house!! No wonder Nabeel craves love and sincerity the way he does. I find it easier to connect to Nabeel’s character because I can understand his deprivations and frustrations. Nabeel’s character has been penned down well too. Romaissa’s dialogues on the other hand are most often very annoying.

The conversation between Hamnah and Nabeel was sweet; it was good to see them interacting like a brother and sister should. Hamnah has finally put her foot down and has given Hassan a last warning. Honestly speaking I have no idea why we should even be interested in finding out whether Hamnah will stay with Hassan or not because these two are one of those many characters in the play who are being given a lot of screen time and importance for no reason at all.

Except for a couple of scenes in tonight’s episode there was absolutely nothing which stood out for me. I must say that at this point, Nabeel is the only character in the play who is keeping my interest alive. I really hope that Romaissa changes for the better in the upcoming episodes. 11 episodes have gone on air till now and there isn’t even one dialogue in the entire drama that touched me and not even one character which I truly fell in love with *sigh*

Fatima Awan

This week’s episode had me hooked throughout. The episode was a mixture of romance, drama and suspense. It did not drag for a change, and we FINALLY got to see some quality scenes between Aaliyan and Qudsiya. I must say that their chemistry is way better than I could have ever imagined. In the past episodes, we had gotten a glimpse of it but the full dose of romance took my breath away.

The episode started off with Qudsiya’s humiliation which seriously made me cringe. The poor girl got insulted and slapped in front of so many people; I seriously felt bad for her. First Sultan insulted her as he thought that she had come with a new agenda on her mind, and then Natasha crossed her limits and slapped her in front of everybody. Unfortunately, Shahnawaz also witnessed Natasha abusing Qudsiya which was even more humiliating for Qudsiya.

But on the bright side, we got to see Aaliyan accepting Qudsiya as his wife for the first time in front of his family. He stood up to his father when he insulted Qudsiya, and openly declared that she is his wife and his responsibility. He did not care about anyone’s reaction and did not stop when Natasha tried to stop him from going after her. He immediately went to Shahnawaz’s house to convince Qudsiya to come back to him. He admitted his mistake and declared that he considers Qudsiya as his wife now. Qudsiya was truly surprised and a tad bit shocked after seeing the sudden change in Aaliyan.

After being through so much, it was natural for Qudsiya to be upset with him. Her self respect had been bruised beyond repair as she had suffered enough humiliation to last a lifetime. She was not ready to go back with him and demanded a divorce at first, but Aaliyan refused to back off at any cost. He was determined to have her back in his life and gave her the assurance that she will get all the respect that she deserves in his house. I am glad that they had this conversation because Qudsiya had to get all the hurt out of her system by showing anger towards Aaliyan. She could truly forgive him only if she does not hold any grudges against him.

The best part of the episode was the unexpected romance between the two. For the first time both were vocal about their feelings for each other. A bold Aaliyan and a blushing Qudsiya looked adorable together. I loved how they cutely fought and then said some really cheesy dialogues. Aaliyan, for the first time, told Qudsiya that he loved her. I must admit that the confession was quite unexpected! The scene was so perfect that I barely blinked while watching this scene. I am sure all of you must have a huge grin on your faces while watching this scene (I did!).

Although Aaliyan and Qudsiya had patched up, and Aaliyan had promised her that he would come to pick her up the next day, Qudsiya still did not keep her hopes high. She was scared to get hurt all over again and decided to go back to her mother’s house instead.

Another shocking revelation was that Shahnawaz had fallen for Qudsiya. He got the shock of his life when she revealed that Aaliyan was her husband; the poor guy did not know how to react to this news. I always thought that Shahnawaz wanted to marry Qudsiya because of Aaina, but it was revealed that he had feelings for her and he even told her indirectly about his feelings. He gave her an option that if things did not work out between her and Aaliyan, then he would always be there to support her. It was obvious that Qudsiya was not comfortable about this topic and she would not ever consider this option.

I have high expectations from the last episode. Judging from the recent promo, it seems like we will get a fair dose of Aaliyan and Qudsiya. I have also heard that the last episode would be of two hours (not confirmed though).

Do share your views about this week’s episode!

Till Next Week!

Mariam Shafiq

Ohkay, this drama is getting way more interesting & intense then we first expected. All those tinsy bit issues with the direction have subsided & I think it’s going to get better as we go.

Taimoor did what he thought was the right thing to do & without giving any such consideration to what his wife or son would think, he went to Pakistan to get Neelam back. I think Taimoor is an absolute sorry excuse of a human being because he had a good wife but sadly he couldn’t cherish her or value her because he deserved a girl who’d treat him bad. His wife thought she won him over & their marriage was safe but it wasn’t meant to be.

I thought after finding a caring husband like Parvaiz, Neelam would forget about Taimoor because even though it looked & sounded cheesy but her husband praised her 24/7 & even did those little gestures of comfort to show how much he loved & adored her. At first when Neelam shooed Taimoor away I thought she was serious & didn’t want to walk out of her marriage because she actually found a good husband but sadly Taimoor succeeded & once again tagged her with him. I must say all the songs sung by Pervaiz & overdone praises were appalling. :/

I think now as the story is progressing Surmed’s frustration & anger is getting justified on it’s own & all our questions are being answered because he, at a very young age got to see all the nightmares come true when he was wide awake. To see his mother begging her husband to not leave, to see her lose her senses & then eventally to see his mother die right infront of his eyes, I think he went through a lot. He even got a professional help of the shrink at such a young age which does show that he was totally disturbed.

It was good that they showed a little bit of the current day stories as well. Kiran got the compliment of being psychotic from her husband & that’s the last thing any girl would want to hear that too in the early days of her marriage. Shabbi got in contact with Surmed’s uncle once again & this was the first time we got to know his actual relation to Surmed. He is not only his uncle but also happened to be his father’s friend & someone who helped Surmed when he was young.

The next episode seemed more interesting & I can’t wait to find out what happens next. How did you find tonight’s episode? Do you think it’s getting interesting? Do share with us. :)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Day 3 of watching Dastaan, 6 episodes down & still finding it as gripping as the moment it started off with.

I didn’t like Basant Singh & his part but this doesn’t mean that I didn’t think it wasn’t important to show in the drama. I had my dislikes because obviously he was playing a role to stir everyone’s detest & he was good at it but I do believe that it was unsuitable to show Bano getting married to Basant Singh but it wasn’t unrealistic by any means. This is what exactly happened back then. A few Muslim girls did surrender & got married to save their lives but a few others like Bano were made to do it despite how much they hated & resisted. This obviously highlighted the level of how much Bano suffered & how much she tolerated.

It was sad to see Rasheeda & Hassan move on in their lives. I think Mehreen Raheel did play her part as Rabia quite suitably but on a personal note, I would’ve found it a bit more convincing if someone younger to Sanam Baloch was casted for that role because we all remember how young Rabia was when Hassan was in University & Mehreen Raheel has all those braids, a sort of a try to cut down her age but still she looks more mature than Sanam Baloch defying the purpose of a young Rabia – bride-to-be of Hassan. I think it was Sultana’s mistake that she let her only daughter get involved in one sided love with Hassan all her life & for this reason we saw how disturbed Rabia seemed when she didn’t get the attention she expected from him. Whereas everyone in the family knew that Hassan got engaged to Bano 5 years ago, though they all parted because of the partition but still Rabia’s claim that she had loved only Hassan all her life showed how much she was pushed by her mother. I know their scenes were just shown to move the story forward but seeing how Hassan belonged to Bano & how Bano longed for Hassan all those years, I didn’t enjoy Rabia & Hassan’s scenes at all. All this while I had Bano’s sympathy with me more & another reason being Mehreen Raheel playing the role of Rabia.

I think no other actress should be labeled as a best actress ever after this performance of Sanam Baloch as Bano. She has a league of her own & she was flawless. Struck the chord hard & she was absolutely brilliant through out. Finally, it was good to see her rescued by Basant Singh by the fate’s play. Her little dance gestures in hysteria made it seem more real that how much she hated being in a relationship with him & how much she awaited this moment.

While Basant still remains the character who I disliked but my least favorite would have to be Rasheeda. After Bano met Hassan & they got hold of the fact that how their family was killed, Rasheeda thought shedding a few tears at the sacrifice of her family’s Shahadat was just the right & enough of a thing to do. But the way she treated Bano & gave her a cold shoulder after sussing that the dream of her son’s marriage wasn’t going to materialize showed how mean Rasheeda was. She was the one who moved on though after seeing her cry I thought she would hold Bano near to her heart but it was upsetting to see how easily she cried at the death of those who she loved but how she treated Bano – the one who didn’t die physically but suffered a million deaths every single day before she made it to Pakistan. This was the last thing I ever expected to see in this drama, that too from Rasheeda. To see her become a typical mother who just wanted her son’s happiness her way wasn’t appeasing at all. It was the same Rasheeda who suffered & tolerated her Bhabhi’s dominance all her life without once complaining & just how typical she turned was something I never expected to see.

Bano’s disbelief after she steps on the land of Pakistan was beautifully portrayed by Sanam Baloch. To see her get what she wanted all these years was overwhelming. Finally, Bano & Hassan are back together & Hassan has already decided to lend the shoulder Bano needs to cry on & shower her with all the love & care she deserves but I want him to fall in love with his Bano again & then get married to her. I wouldn’t want to see him take Bano as a responsibility & a liability cluttered with guilt that he has to undo what Bano went through. It would be magical to see Hassan love Bano wholeheartedly where no such signs of sympathy would be involved. I loved the little condolence speech Hassan gives to Bano to bring her back to her senses & how he tells her to move on in her life & work towards the progress of the nation by forgetting what happened & by forgiving those who did that to her in the past.

Still finding the story unpredictable & loving it so far.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Love,for people like Afzal ,is the purest of the pure form of affection and respect. While for people like Mehtaab,its more of craze- Craze to get something ,to own something just the way they want , rather than playing with the cards intelligently.

Afzal’s love for Farah is of the type that is rarely found these days. But when it rains, it pours and same is the case with Afzal; Afzal’s affection is not merely the matter of words. He loves Farah beyond any limitations and above all with no expectations and for that, he seems always ready to face any kind of situation that he comes across with.

Whereas, Mehtaab’s love is more like that of a child’s urge to get a toy and play with it. I am not saying that it’s just his attraction towards Farah that made him this way. His love was pure too but right from his childhood, he got what he desired for and that made him stubborn and pampered. Now when he faced the real life challenge ,he expected the same but this time it was a matter of life and death plus he failed to compromise on Farah letting go out of his life. So collectively, all that was buried inside him for so many days came out as revenge in the form of burning the thing that was closest to Farah.

I really like the fact about Pyarai Afzal that nothing has been portrayed overboard. Mehtab’s exit from the show could have been much more wild as compared to what was shown. But what he did was just a cute little silent revenge from his side. Further, his mother could have created the mess but that part also went absolutely normal – rather much lighter than our expectations.

Arfa proved that she is not only caring,loving,concerned and loyal sister but also a wake up alarm for Afzal whenever she finds him suspicious.The dialogues and that light nok jhonk is what that makes their relation look beautiful always.The rungeeli sisters, Farah and lubna, finally decided that Afzal part should now come to an end in their lives but Afzal, for the first time, took a step for himself and credit goes to his friend who did the right thing at the right time.

Sometimes,in this show, they take care of even minutest details like I was impressed by the director’s attempt to show Maulvi Saheb drinking water with three pauses.I am glad that they always succeed in showing Maulvi saheb as ultra optimistic person in this show .I really enjoyed Afzal and his father conversation today; Especially, when his father asked him,“shaadi kar k ittela dou gay ya humain bhi bulao gay“.Maulvi Saheb’s concern and Afzal’s loyalty to his father is another example of pure relationship in this show.

Afzal left Maulvi Saheb in confusion when he told him that its his boss’s daughter with whom he wants to get married and they, themselves, invited Afzal and his family for the dinner. From last couple of episodes, I was thinking about some twist related to Arfa’s misunderstanding of thinking Lubna as the mystery girl. But that is revealed  at the end of this episode too and we are left with questions in our mind again- whats next ?

I thoroughly enjoy each and every dialogue of this show every time. Brilliant piece of art-work by Khalil-ur-Rehman. Cant wait for next episode.

Do share your thoughts about this week’s installment.

Rabia Basharat.

Ohkay so this was another episode where they seem to be taking things just the way we like to see.

It is just me or Saad actually shouldn’t have returned from the UK? Because he certainly deserves to rot. Aiza has tried to make him understand like a million times that she is already married & in love with her husband but Saad doesn’t seem to get the hint. He is one of those mouse who scurry away when they see the cat so for this I think Aiza needs to tell her Mr. Tom that some lunatic Jerry is bothering her & the peace will follow.

I am glad that this accident put Laiba in her right frame of mind & she actually got closer to Aiza because fortunately she didn’t hear anything else that Saad would’ve said to Aiza & in fact only heard that Saad dissed the idea of getting hooked to Laiba which Aiza was convincing him of. I think Laiba is just naive that she gets swayed very very easily. We saw it happening at first with Cuckoo & now again with Aiza.

The deal which Aiza agreed upon with Saad was ridiculous. She is intelligent enough to know that Saad just doesn’t want her hanging around with him as & like a friend. He certainly has these feelings for Aiza which can’t vanish overnight plus Saad was pretty clear that he would only extend courtesy & attention towards Laiba if he gets the same from Aiza. So, I believe if Aiza takes this as an opportunity where she thinks she would be able to convince Saad to love Laiba then she is clearly mistaken.

Saad’s disease seems to be surfacing again & who did we see him with? Yes, his uncool clingy friend who was there to do the honors of their bromance rituals. I think if this disease couldn’t put Saad in his right mental state then nothing else can. Laiba got hold of the situation after her accident but Saad doesn’t seem to get a hint.

I think Aiza’s sneaking away from her husband to see what Saad had to say in the middle of the night was wrong on her part. She thinks she can handle all these things but she doesn’t know she has Cuckoo to deal with who is just waiting for the right moment to snatch happiness away from Aiza. I think the next episode has a lot more to offer because supposedly things are going to slip away from Aiza’s hands. Let’s see.  Plus is it just me or Mehwish Hayat should & must actually change her wardrobe or at least a little attention to what she wears? :/

& oh I have a little Ishq Mein Tere Trivia to play. What can be picked as this family’s family drink? Do let me know if you think you have the right answer. ;)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so, Day 2 & 6 episodes down so far. So much has happened in the story & what more has to come, I can’t predict. This is what I am loving about this drama that nothing is predictable & they have took me by surprise at times pleasantly & at times sadly with the turn of events.

I resumed watching the play when Bano decides to join Muslim League & becomes an active member of the campaign. Surraiya while taking in consideration her husband’s detest, does what she think is suitable & the least she could do. Giving away her jewellery as a token of support to fund Muslim League’s campaign was heart warming. Even though later on she seeks for her husband’s forgiveness but the way she stands by her decision spoke volumes about her character.

Hassan faces what Saleem wanted him to face but despite all that, his family manages to seek Bano’s proposal. At that moment when Bano senses that her eldest brother Saleem isn’t happy with her engagement, she tells Faheem to help her call off the engagement. This showed how much Bano kept her family close to her heart. It also went to show the seeds of respect, courtesy & compassion Bano had towards her family. Even though she loved Hassan with all her heart & wanted to be with him but just because her brother seemed unhappy, this made her believe that sacrificing her love for her brother’s dignity was the right choice.

Saleem’s character was worth sympathizing with because his mental state was a representation of a lot such Muslims who actually took Hindus as being their well-wishers. Saleem was so brain fed by Raam & Ravi that he was even ready to give away his only sister in a marriage to him. Again it shed a light on the acceptance Muslims had of Hindus & how inter-religion marriages were done to save the families & give a name to the friendship they shared. The time when Saleem learns about his friend’s intentions & cries in helplessness was executed brilliantly. He then understands that whatever the supporters of Muslim League said was right because Congress was a Hindu dominant political party where no one ever intended to help Muslims in this hour of need. Saleem’s frustration surfaced when he wished that Bano had gone away after being married to Hassan, leaving his family shaken in shock because a family member who had so much faith in his political party was at a loss of words, making all the others burdened with worry.

The episode in which the whole family fights & dies was absolutely gutting. I took it fine but the moment Faheem pleads to Bibi that she should strangle Bano to death was what made me teary & overwhelmed. Samina Peerzada & Sanam Baloch should take a bow for such brilliant performances. It was heart-wrenching from there onwards. Surraiya’s last moments were heart-breaking & the way all of them die in just a jiffy tell us about the painful reality that we can not even imagine of. Bibi’s last interaction with Kaminee & her last moments were depressing. The guy who lead the caravan & motivated them had a very small role to play but it was again a powerful performance. The moment he died showed that at that particular time no one was sure of how much time they were left with & no one knew that would they ever be able to make it to their new found home – Pakistan.

What Ravi did to protect Bano was again an unpredictable turn but then I wished if he had manned up a little earlier when Saleem seeked for some help, then things wouldn’t have been the way they were. Raam’s murder by Ravi himself was a proof that Ravi at least once in his life thought of them as a family. Later when that Sardar brings Bano home made it a bit more realistic because I am glad they just didn’t just show that all the Hindus & Sikhs were against Muslims. There were many such Sikhs who actually gave shelter to Muslims & protected them.

I think the recent entry of Basant Singh & his mother is my least favorite so far. I believe they have gotten a lot more screen time than they actually deserve & things are getting a bit slower from now on. Not sure what his intention is but at least it makes the drama a bit light hearted again. It was sad to see Rasheeda & Hassan worry about their family but after not getting any heed of them, sadly Rasheeda kind of moved on but Hassan was naturally stuck in the past showing how sensitive he was. Hassan’s proposal to Bano & then their parting was impactful. Who would’ve thought that when they will see each other again, they’d have suffered so much. Bano’s first ever letter to Hassan was filled with warmth & hope. Little did she know that Basant had no intention of posting it in the first place but at least if this gave her restless heart some peace, then it was worth it.

So far the drama’s going strong. I love how they have again & again labeled Pakistan as ‘Paak Zameen’. We really can not imagine what this partition meant to the Muslims living at that time & how much of a blessing they took it as.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

We have decided to start this segment of Drama Of The Week in which one of us is going to write an overview of one of the old dramas, so that all of us here can get a chance to talk about some of the most popular dramas from the past.

I did not watch drama serial Meri Zaat Zara-e-Benishan when it went on air and decided to catch up only recently since I felt that it was a must-watch play. The play has been written by Umera Ahmed, It has been directed by Babar Javaid, it has been produced by 7th Sky Productions and the main cast includes; Sammiya Mumtaz, Faysal Qureshi, Samina Peerzada, Adnan Siddiqui, Sarwat Gillani, Imran Abbass, Mehreen Raheel, Ismat Zaidi,. Khayam Sarhadi and others.

First of all I would like to say that one aspect of the play which I liked the most was that unlike many of the dramas that are on air nowadays, I wasn’t left wondering what the characters were going through. I am all for leaving things to the viewer’s imagination but sometimes I feel like our directors at times show us more than there is need to and at other times they fail to emphasize on what is important in an intelligent manner and therefore the audience is left clueless. Every time Sara (Sarwat Gillani) wondered about something important, the director ensured that the viewers got to hear her thoughts. Sometimes expressions and gestures are not enough to convey the exact feelings of a certain character and things need to be spelled out loud and clear. When Arfeen (Faysal Qureshi) finds out about Saba’s death and visits her grave, Sara finds it strange that a cousin her mother had not even seen for years felt so strongly about her mother’s loss. There were many other times when I couldn’t help but appreciate the director Babar Javaid for the clarity with which he presented the story on-screen.

Meri Zaat Zara-e-Benishan is essentially a story of regrets, betrayal and self-discovery. Like most of Umera Ahmed’s writings the story has a religious and spiritual element which leaves a very strong impact on the viewer. I must say that the different messages/lessons that were highlighted in the play could not have been brought forward in a more apt manner. Here are some of the messages in the play which you can’t help but ponder upon.

The Inside Is More Important Than The Outside

How often do we judge people based on how they look like from the outside? Women who cover their heads and say their prayers are always considered more righteous than the ones who do not do both these things. Umera Ahmed touched upon a very sensitive topic by refuting this belief. Sometimes those who look pious from the outside can do horrible things too. Arfeen’s mother (Samina Peerzada), who is considered as an exemplary woman by everyone in the family and his father who is respected by all do something terrible to someone who may not pray five times a day but is God fearing.

The conversation between Saba and Sara that was shown in one of the last few episodes was heart touching and very meaningful. I feel like I must quote it here….

Sara: Ami kabhi kisi ne ap ko buhat takleef di hai?

Saba: Nahi mujhe kabhi kisi ne takleef nahi di

Sara: Aur aap ne , kya ap ne kisi ko takleef di hai?

Saba: Shayed

Sara: Aisa nahi ho sakta, ap kese kisi ko takleef de sakti hein, ap tu itni ibadat krti hein aur ibadat krne wale log kese kisi ko takleef de sakte hein

Saba: Allah se mohabbat krne wale kisi ko takleef nahi de sakte, sirf ibadat krne wale de sakte hein. Mein Allah se mohabbat krti hun sirf ibadat nahi krti

This scene and these dialogues have to be one of the many in this drama which are soul stirring. They leave you pondering upon things we don’t often think about and shake you to the core!

Making A Mockery Out Of Your Religion Merely To Get What You Want In This World Can Have Serious Repercussions

Arfeen’s mother was so blinded by her desire to keep her son from marrying Saba that she forgot all about the consequences of her actions. She did not think twice before making a mockery out of her religious beliefs and was actually very content afterwards, when she managed to get what she wanted. She had no idea what was coming her way.

Is Forgiving Others As Difficult As We Make It Out To Be?

I must say that the message of forgiveness that has been put forward by this play is beyond impressive. Saba forgives everyone, only to please Allah – it is so simple yet so complicated!

The following conversation of Haider with his father was very meaningful and deep.

Arfeen: Mera tu koi kasur nahi tha.

Haider: Aap ko yakeen hai papa ke ap ka koi kasoor nahi tha?

Arfreen: Haider, mein buhat pyaar krta tha Saba se. Agur ama yeh sub kuch na krti tu mein usay kabhi talaq na deta.

Haider: Sara qasoor dadi jan ka nahi tha papa, kuch kasoor aap ka bhi tha.

Arfeen: Mera kasoor sirf yeh tha ke meinay apni maa ki baat pe aitebaar kiya. Such aur jhoot ke beech mein tameez na kur saka….agur meri jaga tum hotay aur bazahir tumhari biwi gunehgaar sabit ho jati tu tum kya krte?

Haider: Mein? Mein usay maaf kur deta!!! Such aur jhoot ko janchnay ke liye Quran ko beech mein lanay ke bajaye agur aap aala zarfi dekhate huve un ko maaf kr dete, unke bazahair nazar anay wale gunah ki pardaposhi kur dete tu buhat si zindagiyan buch jati papa……agur ap yeh kehne ke bajaye ke mein tumhei talaq deta hun keh dete ke mien tumhei maaf krta hun!!! Aurat ko bhi maaf kr dena chahyhe….ghur, rishtey aise tootney nahi dene chahyeh!

People Who Fear Allah and Respect Him Turn To Him In Adversity

Saba might have had a very difficult life in the world and all the people in her life let her down but it was this adversity that brought her closer to Allah. The conversation between Saba and Arfeen when he comes to take her with him was another impactful conversation – one which one can listen to over and over again.

Saba: Aap ne mujhe judge kiye Arfeen. Mujh Mein khot dekha tu berehmi ke sath mujhe sooli pe charah diya. Aj begunah paya tu phir mere pass a gaye. Kul phir se gunehgaar hone ka shuk huva tu phir se dhudhkaar dein gay mujhe.

Arfeen: Ab aisa nahi ho ga….tum meri mohabbat ka yakeen karo

Saba: mein gunehgaar hoti aur tub aap mere sath aa kur khare hotay tu ap ki mohabbat ka yakeen kur leti

Arfeen: kon hai Saba aisa jo kisi gunehgaar ke saath khara ho sake ?

Saba: Allah…..Allah hai na. Wo gunehgaar ki sunta bhi hai aur us ko bakshta bhi hai , us ko nawazta bhi hai.

Arfeen: Wo Rub hai Saba aur mein insan hon. Vo jesa hai vesa koi nahi ho sakta.

Saba: Haan jesa vo hai wesa insan nahi ho sakta…koi nahi ho sakta!! Faisla krna buhat aasan kur diya aap ne mere liye!!

The play also emphasized the importance of marriage and how vital it is to try to make this relationship successful for both men and women. I think this was a very important message as well because in most of our dramas we are shown that it is only the duty of the women to make a marriage work.

While watching the play, I couldn’t help but think how important it is for parents to have faith in their children. Saba’s parents chose to believe what others were saying about her rather than their own daughter. They ended up losing their daughter forever.

Sara’s track is very important in the story because it gives Arfeen and his family a chance to redeem themselves. If it wasn’t for Sara, Haider would never have found out what happened in his father’s life in the past. There were times when I felt like the story could have been more interesting if it was not shown in flashback mode.

I found a few similarities between this play and Shehr-e-Zaat. Both of these plays are about a woman’s journey of self-discovery which brings her closer to God. But I must say that MZZBN had more of an impact on me than SeZ. Saba’s character has been beautifully portrayed by Sammiya Mumtaz and etched out brilliantly by Umera Ahmed. There are no loose ends in the story. The play has been directed very well too. Samina Peerzada plays a role entirely different from what we see her playing on screen and she does it so remarkably. Faysal Qureshi’s character reminded me of his character in Qaid-e-Tanhai. He excels in showing remorse and regret. The scenes in which he is reminded of his past had to be my favorite as opposed to the ones in which he plays the young Arfeen.

The beginning few episodes were slow for my liking but the mystery element of the plays keeps you hooked to the screen. As the story moves forward, it is a completely different experience altogether. This drama definitely takes you on a spiritual journey and gives you a lot to think about. The drama is intense, heavy-duty, inspiring, extremely touching and poignant. The OST of the play has been beautifully sung and the lyrics are extremely heart-touching too.

I am surprised at the number of times Mehreean Raheal has played roles similar to the one she plays in this drama. She has to be one of those actresses who have been typecast to the limit.

Do share your thoughts about the play. I felt like I had to add all these dialogues because most of the viewers must have watched this play when it went on air so the dialogues may help some of you remember few of the scenes I mentioned.

Fatima Awan

So, after a lot of recommendations & after facing a lot of haw haye’s I decided to give this blockbuster a go. I must say I am impressed. Day 1 – down with 5 episode & counting. I thought I won’t be able to do justice with the drama in just one review after I finish watching it, so decided to divide the reviews as I go.

Ohkay, speaking of the first impression. I was in an awe of such a huge star cast. I must say I am totally impressed by the screenplay & the direction. The way they have brought back to life the olden era is definitely a treat to watch. The feel of the drama with a special consideration to both Urdu & Hindi languages is what has contributed a lot to this drama’s success. I am so far enjoying all the characters but the one character that has made a mark for me until now is that of Surraiya, even though till now all she does is hide behind her ghoonghat but her minute expressions tell a million feelings within. I have never been so convinced by Saba Qamar as an actress but I think she is phenomenal as well as beautiful in this drama so far.

Yes, the story as we all know emphasized on the co-existence between the two religious communities of pre-partitioned India. Starting off from Punjab, no doubt we have a clean history of Muslims & Sikhs living peacefully together. I found this a lot more convincing that they showed the time lapse in between to elaborate the progress & crisis people faced altogether. Not only Muslims in India over all faced the blood shed but very convincingly they have brought down the story to the happy household in Ludhiana & the toll partition took on their close-knit family.

I must admit that when the drama began I wasn’t much into the character of Bano because I thought Sanam Baloch over did it but I am glad as the story is progressing Bano is showing more of her real nature. Fawad Khan as Hassan is phenomenal – an Engineering student, active & proud worker of the Muslim League political party, the most sought after bachelor & a kind hearted person, I can’t even begin to imagine what this character would be meaning to his fans. ;) I loved the note at which the drama began, showing all the festivities, harmony among the people, all the tehzeeb & adab o lehaaz where a wife shied smiling at her husband even behind a closed door & a sister thought her brother has gone disrespectful just because he took his wife for a little outing.  I loved the situational comic moments they showed because this is what I as a viewer look in a drama. Some sweet moments, some overwhelming ones & a few bits that bring a smile to the face is what all I need. So, I am ticking all the boxes for now.

I thought Ahsan Khan had a strong role to play as Saleem & no doubt he did play his part well & acted out his character brilliantly but Saleem’s nature is of someone who has a few complexes & had no such insights. At first when Hassan & Saleem had a difference of opinion about supporting Congress or Muslim League, I thought it was because Saleem had a few convincing arguments in his bag but this came across as something which wasn’t the case. Saleem is someone who is scared of taking a stand on a larger scale, despite the fact that he is being stern on his family, he actually has no guts to stand against the people he has shared the shelter with. I thought Saleem’s support to the Congress was based on the positivity but till now I believe just because Hassan is an active member of the Muslim League, Saleem has to oppose it because like he says to his father, he has always faced some sort of a comparison to Hassan all his life which shows us more that the mere disagreement had a little backing of personal feelings too. This sheds a light on those few innocent Muslims who thought supporting Congress was the right thing to do because the Hindu’s sugarcoated their hatred in front of a few such Muslims & made them believe that they meant no harm to them whereas deep down, they were only happy when Muslims were just a minority & nothing else.

The story of Bano & Hassan as a side note is sweet & done really well. Luckily for Hassan, Bano also shares the same ideology as him. I think now the story is going to take a serious turn but till now I am totally hooked to the show. All the characters have played their parts extremely well but this had me thinking. When I looked at the direction & the locations & all the characters, it shook me with grief that just a matter of years ago this phenomenal & record breaking drama was produced for the Pakistani audience & shown on Hum Tv, but don’t know what got wrong with the channel that they have stooped to the level of Ek Tamanna La Hasil Si & Rishte Kuch Adhoore Se type of dramas? I think when they could pull off such sort of brilliant dramas in the past, why can’t they redeem themselves & get back to this level again? I will end my say on this wishful thinking with a sigh!

I am being a little mean here, I hope & request that I don’t get to come across ANY spoiler alerts but sadly I know what will happen to Bano in the end but for now I want to enjoy this moment of glory. Share your say with me & those who recommended me Dastaan & awaited the reviews, there you go & a big fat THANK YOU! :)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers.
Zahra Mirza.

This drama is a roller coaster ride through and through. It has so much depth to it that sometimes I have to re-watch the scenes to understand its implication. Dania is clearly obsessed with Bunty and she gets insecure at the slightest things when it comes to him. She has found how it is to feel young and in love all over again because of him. She wants all his attention and time, and in return she wants to shower him with material things that Bunty had never even dreamed of.

But Dania has forgotten that she has never been lucky when it comes to love. She knew that Bunty was involved with some girl but chose to ignore it for a while. She was upset with Bunty when he went out on his own to Jedi’s house, and she did not know how to explain her own reaction. She chose to avoid him for a while to hide her feelings; she does not want Bunty to know the extent of her feelings for him. Ironically, Bunty is too innocent to understand anything; he had no idea as to why she was upset with him over such a small issue.

Dania changed her decision to avoid him when her servant made her understand that Bunty does not even understand why she was upset with him in the first place, and she was back to normal. She probed him again and again to tell her about the girl in his life but he chose to lie to her every time as he feared that she would not like it if he tells her about Mehwish.

She is trying to gain Bunty’s attention through her money and he once again got his wish fulfilled as soon as it comes out of his mouth. Bunty had always dreamed of a heavy bike and Dania gifted him one. Dania felt happy and alive when she rode on the bike with him. She thought that this would distract him and get his attention away from the girl in his life, and he might start liking her too, but her plan clearly did not work.

The stubborn, rude and egoistic Mehwish is just not the right girl for Bunty who is innocent and madly in love with her since years. She only thought about him after Dania changed his appearance and status, before that she was not the least interested in him. He was heartbroken when she refused to accept his ring, but she soon realized her mistake and accepted his love. Bunty was on the top of the world when Mehwish finally accepted his love. Mehwish is not too happy about Dania being in Bunty’s life though, and this is one of the main reasons why they fight all the time.

Dania was clearly heart broken when she overheard Bunty talking to Mehwish on the phone and caught him red handed. She chose to remain cold and aloof with him for a while till he explained that he was scared to tell her the truth and apologized. Dania was almost on the verge of breakdown but she somehow composed herself. Saba Qamar was absolutely superb in this scene! The scene where she looks at her frame and tells Bunty that it has been years since she really laughed showed how lonely Dania feels.

Woh Usse Lekar Ajaye Ga Aur Tum Dekhti Reh Jao Gi                                                      

Mein To Hamesha Dekhti Reh Jati Hoon

The sadness in her eyes when she spoke these words showed her longing and desperation for love. She acted normally in front of Bunty as she did not want him to know the real reason why she was upset. She invited Mehwish to the house and made the best arrangements for her. She even went to Mehwish’s house when she refused to come to meet her. She wanted to see who Bunty loved and she wanted to test her. She only wanted the best for Bunty and she wanted to make sure that Mehwish’s love was true. From the looks of it, Mehwish failed the test because she would accept Bunty as long as he was rich; she had no interest in Bunty if he returned to his old life.

The show is getting more interesting by the week!

Do share your views about the episode!

Till Next Week!

Mariam Shafiq

This episode was one of the best episodes so far in terms of acting. Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui took my breath away with his amazing acting. This guy might be a bit weak in delivering dialogues, but he sure can cry! Two scenes were the highlight of this episode; first, when he goes to his mother’s grave and second, when his Dudi dies. The scenes were so heart wrenching that one cannot help but cry with him. It was a devastating loss for Aaliyan to lose two of the most important people in his life in the span of two days.

He was already feeling so guilty because of the way he had treated his mother. He wanted his mother’s love all his life but when he finally met her, he was cold towards her. He regretted that he could not even say sorry for his rude behavior, but now it was too late to regret.

He went to the only person who he knew would understand his feelings and he shared all his feelings with Dudi, only to find that she had also left him like his mother. His screams and cries tore at everyone’s heart! This guy definitely deserves a round of applause for this scene. Now Aaliyan has another burden on his conscience, he had misbehaved with Dudi when he last saw her and never got a chance to apologize.

The main reason for Dudi’s sudden death had been guilt. She regretted not telling Aaliyan the truth about his mother before her death. She had been protecting her son, but now it was too late to regret. Aaliyan, however, thought that his father’s misbehavior is the reason for her sudden death. It was truly heart breaking to see Aaliyan so shattered and upset.

Rana and Sultan’s behavior after Dado’s death was pathetic. Rano was whining about everything and had no interest in entertaining the guests and she was pretty vocal about it too. Sultan, on the other hand, was busy entertaining his important and influential business partners. I cannot believe he told Aaliyan to entertain a guest because he had an important upcoming deal with him. Sultan was too busy thinking about his business even at his mother’s death.

Natasha was least bothered about Dudi’s death as expected. She was, however, upset that her shoot would be disturbed because of her death. Her fake concern for Aaliyan when she called him just made me roll my eyes, and I am so glad that Aaliyan did not talk to her. She should have been by his side if she really cared. She is under the misconception that now that Dudi is dead, Aaliyan will move to America with her. Aaliyan knows what a self obsessed person she is and he will never go back to her now.

In such difficult time, he turned to the only person he knew would understand his situation. He called Qudsiya and simply cried on the phone, and she understood that he was very upset and needed her by his side. He immediately went to him to console him and her presence soothed him. He wanted her to stay by his side like he had when her father died. He also made the confession about his lie that day and it truly shocked Qudsiya.

Qudsiya also cleared his misunderstanding about her and Shahnawaz’s relationship. Aaliyan should have asked Qudsiya why she was living in Shahnawaz’s house instead of making his own assumptions. He now wants Qudsiya back in his life now that he has no one left. This is not fair with Qudisya, she should not be treated as the last resort for him. Now the question is how long will it take for Aaliyan to convince Qudsiya to come back to him?

Share your views about this episode!

Mariam Shafiq

Right after such a shocking elimination I’d just move on to the results. I am stunned at what just happened & not sure what the public of Pakistan is looking for in their very first idol!

The first three contestants who came to get their results were Shahmir Aziz Quidwai, Mohammad Shoaib & Abdul Rafay Khan. At this point I was sure that Shahmir would be in the danger zone because it was what we all expected & it would’ve been justified considering his last performance but what shook me the most was that he didn’t even make it to the red seats & was completely safe with a considerable margin of votes. I was content with the results about Abdul Rafay Khan & Mohammad Shoaib because Abdul Rafay is a fine singer & Mohammad Shoaib is at least showing some improvement but sadly Shahmir is improving downwards & is still being saved. A BIG QUESTION MARK!

Next contestant to face the result was Zamad Baig, he came to get the decision of the public alone & like it was expected, he was safe. It was a good decision because he deserved the spot in the next round.

After him the contestants who came for their results were Kashif Ali, Waqas Ali & Ali Asad Zaidi. I was hoping that all three of them would be safe but it was sad to know that Waqas Ali was in the danger zone. Ali Asad Zaidi was good in the last episode & because he has a huge fan following, the result was in his favour. Kashif is Kashif & who doesn’t know what a phenomenal singer he is. So, at this point I was gutted to see Waqas Ali – such a mature singer to go to the danger zone AGAIN!

Next to face the results were Rosemary & Sana Zulfikar. I was happy to know that Sana Zulfikar was sent to the danger zone. I think she needed this close call to up her ante because in her comparison Rosemary has shown her versatility so far in the competition.

Last lot to get the result was of Syed Sajid Abbas, Waqas Ali Vicky & Asad Raza Sonu. All three of them were again brilliant in the Friday night’s episode but just because Waqas Ali Vicky’s song selection was a little tricky it was pretty evident that out of the three he would be the one in the danger zone & I was right.

Finally, the moment came when the final elimination had to be announced & not that the results weren’t shocking & none of the three deserved a spot in the danger zone but I hoped that IF the decision had to be made choosing one of them, it was against Sana Zulfikaar, because the other two are definitely better than her but sadly & unfortunately Waqas Ali of Rawalpindi was eliminated.

It was an extremely unfair decision & poor choice made by the public to vote out such a brilliant singer who was not only mature as a singer but sounded mature too. He was definitely ONE OF THE BEST singers of the lot & it literally felt like we lost one such contestant whose caliber was to make it to the TOP 3 because he deserved to be there.

I am shocked at the people who are liking Shahmir Aziz Quidwai, a guy who is clearly confused till date as to which genre to associate himself with. Calls himself a rock artist but sounds like a playback singer of the 80’s. Clearly the contestants in majority chose Shahmir to have performed the weakest this time around & even in the judges Hadiqa Kiyani & Bushra Ansari agreed to them but still we saw what happened. The rate with which this guy is getting the votes, I am dreading to see him win the title because his voters clearly do not have an ear to the detail.

I have to have a say about Sana Zulfikaar here, it’s not that she was facing the eliminations for the very first time that she nearly had a nervous break-down. Last week, when she actually should’ve been worried about going through the process of facing the results for the very first time, she was perfectly alright just because she was confident about her performance. This time when we clearly saw how she performed, she literally ran out of words because of her weakness. I think she knows the drill of the show & she knew what she was getting into, so to put forward an excuse about her health is the last thing we all need to know. I feel she should take a leave & rest if she is so physically & emotionally weak. I know this can happen to anyone but why only Sana is coming forward as the most sensitive & fragile contestant of the show? Sana dear, you aren’t going to earn the votes by telling us how emotionally weak you are, you should give us your 100% & the votes will automatically follow!

Anyways, coming to Waqas Ali – his last performance & all the reactions were heart-breaking. It was absolutely sweet of Waqas Ali Vicky to actually tell people who did they eliminate because yes, he was a very knowledgeable singer who had the insights & know-how of the singing which was visible through his singing. It was a very poor decision & his departure was sad.

I am sad at his elimination & I wish all the luck, success & power to him.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

I must say this drama is getting better & better. They never cease to surprise us & for me this had to be the best episode so far. I loved the pace of the episode & the approach with which they showed what they had to. There were undoubtedly the amazing performances by the actors tonight & I enjoyed the episode thoroughly.

Ehtashaam obviously grew closer to Roomi more than he expected. He loved doing things for him & being around him. The episode began at such a sweet note where Sania could actually see what Roomi has started to mean to Ehtashaam. I am glad they showed a time lapse of few months in between because in the mean time Sania got the push she needed & it unrealistically didn’t happen over night. No one forced anything on each other & the time took it’s toll on them. Just when I thought to myself that they haven’t shown the state of Ehtashaam’s career, I got my answers. Atif has gotten to a higher position on the expense of Ehtashaam & Sania wanted to help him by telling the truth about their relation thinking it would be some sort of a help to him.

There were some amazing conversations in this episode as well which is the essence of this drama. To the point dialogues, enough to make things clear is what was the best part of this episode. I loved how Sania tried to convince Ehtashaam of giving Sehrish another chance but Ehtashaam not being egoistic spoke what he had in his mind because no doubt, he on his own is justified for not giving any reasons for Sehrish to act irrationally like the way she did. Ehtashaam’s confession about how Sehrish has earned his resentment was true, this is what I like about his character that he doesn’t beat around the bush & stick to what has to be said.

I felt for Sehrish & her anguish was portrayed beautifully too. She is shown as an insecure person because she is aware of the incapability she has. The truth is that those who are insecure about a certain issue in life end up making themselves believe that whatever happened has happened because of that particular fact. This is exactly what Sehrish pushed herself to believe because according to her Ehtashaam got involved with someone else because she was unable to give him a child.

Now coming to the proposal. It has to be one of the best scenes I have seen ever, backed by the brilliant performances by both the actors. Whatever & however Ehtashaam said to convince Sania & to make her understand what she actually feels was absolutely perfect. How Ehtashaam told her what she & Roomi mean to him & how he was aware of the fact that Sania has started to rely on him more than she knows was just relayed beautifully. Sania who is just capable of being courteous, considerate & compassionate still felt it was her obligation to remind Ehtashaam of his wife but I think Ehtashaam had more power in his argument & Sania actually had to submit to his will. I loved how they should them as a happy couple with an adorable kid. The kid Qabool hai scene along with the chocolate-cheers was the best way to begin their marital bliss. Sania looked gorgeous & Ehtashaam looked like a true gentleman who was content because he made the right decision. I loved how they showed some color coordination in the couple’s outfits, it was picture perfect.

As much as I was happy for Sania, I also felt bad for Sehrish but not so much as she drove them both closer & what happened was just because Sehrish chose to believe the otherwise. Her conversation with her mother actually showed how much she wanted to make things right & how after a long space & gap she got back to her right state of mind. I think Ayesha Khan has nailed her character as Sehrish because she has made her believe in her character & her sufferings effortlessly.

The best thing about this play is the way characters have been etched out with perfection. The director gets a full credit for bringing out the best in all the actors & for perfectly executing the story. Each one of the character has been through hard times but never losing the control has made all the characters relatable & our favorite. The preview of the next episode shows Sehrish’s plea to make things work for herself even if it means she has to accept Sania as well. I am sure this is still going to get better. Can’t wait for the next episode.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

ps: I am covering for my friend Fatima Awan but do stay tuned for her say on this in the comments. ;)