Shadi krte waqt koi aurat se thori kehta hai ke apni bhi izzat ka khayal rukhna bus yehi kaha jata hai ke shohar ki izzat ka khayal rukhna

These lines struck a chord with me; this really is a bitter truth of our social set up. Women are considered the custodians of the honor of their family but in many households they do not get due respect. The concept of a woman as a giver is reinforced over and over again because this is the kind of thinking that makes it easier for men to have their say. It is an easy way to maintain a “balance” in the society; if every woman starts expecting the degree of respect that Kiran does then things will be very tough for many men as well the women associated with these men (the mothers, sisters etc), that is why they are led to believe that their self-respect is not half as important as the honor of their family. But if every mother starts giving her daughter the advice which Kiran wants to give to her daughter then things will change for the better.

Kiran and Adnan’s conversation on the night of their wedding was yet again sweet and very well done. The way Kiran opens up to Adnan and the manner in which he reassures of his love over and over again is one thing I don’t mind watching repeatedly.

Rukhsar’s double standards and bullying nature never fails to surprise me. She does not believe in giving her own mother in law an ounce of respect and always has an issue with serving her tea even. But when it comes to Kiran, she expects her to read her in laws’ mind and act likewise. There is no way that Kiran can ever please Rukhsar because she is impossible to please. Rukhsar has a very controlling nature and for some odd reason she thinks its her duty to pick fights with others. All this time when Kiran was doing the household chores, she had no clue that she was offending Rukhsar in the process. Kiran’s conversation with Rukhsar about the reason why she left her job proved to be the final nail in the coffin!

Sikandar justifies her actions by calling Kiran characterless and why is it so? Because she decided to get married again! This thinking is very common in our society, if a man remarries after a divorce, it is perfectly normal but if a woman gets divorced, she is expected to mourn the break up for years without end. Sikandar is not willing to accept that Kiran has moved on and also tries to convince himself that no one can love Kiran the way he does. Sikandar manages to control his anger whenever he has a confrontation with Arzoo, although he admits that he cannot control his anger… I wonder why! I liked the conversation between Sikandar and his father in which he continues to blame his father for being a bad role model. He seriously needs to take some responsibility for his own actions as his father rightly pointed out. He can’t go on living his life blaming others. He blamed Kiran for the break up and blames his father for everything else. It is not possible for anyone to mend their ways unless they start owning up to their mistakes.

It is very difficult to predict where the story will go from here. Kiran’s problems will not be solved until Rukhsar is out of the house. Sikandar and Arzoo’s track seems to be going around in circles. The preview of the next episode suggested that things are only going to get more difficult for Kiran and Arzoo’s parents will finally confront Sikandar and his family. All the actors did a commendable job like always; Sanam Baloch portrayed Kiran’s innocence perfectly. Even after going through so much, she still does not know how to play games. Hassan Niazi has been perfect as Adnan, I wasn’t very sure about his suitability for this role in the beginning but all my doubts have been removed now. Rukhsar’s character is not likeable at all but the fact is that Uroosa Siddiqui has been brilliant throughout the show.

Did you watch this latest installment Please share your views about it and also share what you think will happen next.

Fatima Awan

I found this week’s episode totally dragged, and there was not much progress in the story either. Natasha’s tantrums, Qudsiya tears and Aaliyan’s frustration; we have seen enough of this in the past few episodes. It is high time the story moves ahead now. I want to see Emad Irfani and what role he would be playing in the show. The story needs to spice up a little to keep the viewers hooked.

The most prominent development in this episode was Dudi’s realization of how serious the situation is at Qudsiya’s house. She went to meet Qudsiya’s parents with the intention of making them understand the situation, and leave Qudsiya back at her house. When Qudsiya announced that Dudi wants to meet them, her family was on the seventh sky as they thought that Aaliyan’s family has accepted Qudsiya as their daughter-in-law and all was well. Little did they know what Dudi’s intention was for going to their house!

What Dudi saw there made her change her mind though! She had just started the conversation and was pointing out what a huge blunder they have made by letting this wedding happen in the first place, when Zaheer’s health started deteriorating again. Because of his condition, Qudsiya stopped her from saying anything further and Dudi quietly took Qudsiya back with her. I simply love Dudi and Qudsiya’s bond; Dudi understands Qudsiya so well!

Aaliyan was relieved when Dudi decided to visit Qudisya’s parents. He wanted the matter to get settled as soon as possible because it was causing trouble in Natasha and his relationship. He had expected that Dudi will clarify everything and leave Qudsiya back at her house, but was shocked to see Qudsiya in his house again. His frustration and anger was at its peak when Natasha once again lashed at him for lying to her.

Natasha created havoc once again when she saw that Qudsiya has turned to Aaliyan’s house. This time even Qudsiya was not spared, and she lashed at her in anger too. Her accusations and questions were highly insulting in my opinion, and Qudsiya was in tears by the time Natasha was done with her. Next, it was Dudi’s turn and she did even care that Dudi was the eldest in the house and deserved a little respect. She rudely spoke to her and called her ways old fashioned on her face! I really hope she stays adamant on her decision of staying away from Aaliyan now! (Though it seems highly doubtful)

I could not believe my ears when Aaliyan told Dudi that he was fine with Natasha the way she was, and did not want to change her. I agree with Dudi that if he intends to marry Natasha, then at least she should respect him. She downright insults him every time and is always screaming at the top of her lungs. I hope Natasha’s chapter closes soon and we get to see more focus on Aaliyan and Qudsiya’s track.

It was sad to see Aaliyan behaving so rudely with Qudsiya all of a sudden. If Natasha behaved rudely, it was still understandable because that was in her nature. But Aaliyan behavior was pretty unexpected; he was a completely different person in this episode. The kindness and sympathy in him has simply vanished, and he literally told her to go from his house. He did not even care if her father was unwell and according to him, it was not ‘his problem’. Dudi’s answer to this statement was bang on and Aaliyan was surprised that Dudi was taking Qudsiya’s side now.

Dudi has stopped Qudsiya from going back to her house, but for how long will she able to stay in the house now that Rana and Sultan are back. I have a strong feeling Dudi will take her with her to her sister’s farmhouse which was vaguely mentioned at the end of the episode. She would clearly not leave her alone in the house when she knows Sultan’s nature. Can we expect to see Emad’s character at the farmhouse? Well, this is just a vague guess from my side.

Hope we get to see something exciting in the next episode!

Do share your opinion about the episode. I would love to hear them!

Till Next Week!

Mariam Shafiq

I thoroughly enjoyed this week’s episode. There was some really cheesy romance and then there was Ahad, who is once again troubling Haaniyah and creating problems for her. He has finally showed his true colors and has dropped the façade of being apologetic and guilty. I have lost hope that he would ever realize his mistake!

The blooming romance in the previous episode had turned into full blown cheesy romance in this episode. There were phone conversations, texts, a blushing Haaniyah and a desperate Ahmed who wanted to hear the three magical words from her mouth. She just kept on delaying and Ahmed kept on insisting, and then she finally decided to say the three words. For the first time she made arrangements to make Ahmed feel special. The romantic ambiance she created with the candles and the bouquet surprised Ahmed and he finally got to hear the three magical words.

“I love you Ahmed. Mein Bohat Khush Kismet Hoon Ke Ap Meri Zindagi Mein Aye”

Her confession was definitely worth the wait. Ahmed was on top of the world after hearing her confession and was at a loss of words. Ohkay, so why were there so many advertisements at the bottom? It totally ruined the text conversation scene for me, because we could not read the subtitles for the texts. The editing department really needs to be careful about such things.

Another thing which I noticed was the mehendi on Haaniyah’s hands. It has been more than two months since their wedding and technically, it should not be there anymore. I guess these scenes were immediately shot after the wedding sequence.

Ahad has had enough of pretending to ‘try’ and come to terms with his fate, and he has decided not to let Haaniyah live in peace with Ahmed. After reading Haaniyah’s texts on Ahmed’s phone and seeing how comfortable they have gotten with each other, he decided to become ‘the trouble in their paradise’. Ahmed and Haaniyah have just fallen in love and are living happily with each other, and Ahad is trying to create misunderstandings between them. First, he convinced Haaniyah to come in the car with him and then started misbehaving with her. He has resorted to some really cheap tactics to make Haaniyah upset. He has crossed his limits this time by trying to get close to her, and this is making Haaniyah extremely worried. I think she should tell this to Ahmed before he witnesses something that she would not be able to justify later on.

Ahmed did get a bit upset when he saw Haaniyah leaving with Ahad in his car. And though he knew that she had come with Ahad, he still asked her to check if she would tell him the truth or not. He was truly relieved to hear that Ahad was present at the engagement and just offered to help Haaniyah when she was stranded alone. Does Ahmed not trust Haaniyah? Why the insecurity all of a sudden? He was completely fine before!

Samina has gone overboard now with her doubts! I cannot believe she thought that something is going on between Afshah and Ahsan. Her thinking is truly disgusting, and even Ahsan was shocked to hear such a thing coming from her mouth! It is time Ahsan does something about Samina. I really do not understand why he stands her in the first place!

The preview for the next episode is indicating that Ahad is going to go one step ahead in his cheapness. Now let’s see for how long Haaniyah will remain quiet about this matter. I really hope she says something before it is too late!

Do share your lovely opinion about the episode!

Till Next Week!

Mariam Shafiq

Shaheen and Mina both are finally out of Mahmood’s house and it seems like the play is heading towards a conclusion. The fiery confrontation between Atiqa and Shaheen was completely spoiled due to Nida Khan’s expressionless face. Atiqa’s reaction for the first time seemed more real and Angeline Malik was brilliant through out tonight’s episode. Some of the things in tonight’s episode left me totally clueless. First and foremost, like I mentioned in the last review as well that why doesn’t Mahmood divorce Shaheen? Secondly, what does Mina want from her psychiatrist? Thirdly, why was she ignoring Shaheen in the beginning of the episode and desperately trying to get in touch with her later on? Fourthly, why did Mina tell her father that she had asked Shaheen to do all that she did. This development in particular made absolutely no sense. Mina has been shown as a very smart girl, it wasn’t like her at all to spill the beans for no reason whatsoever. One minute Mina is thinking about the positive things that her psychiatrist said to her and the next minute she is back to playing the games that she has been playing till now. Mina’s desire to be close to all the men in her life or even those who are not really part of her life is actually very upsetting!

Daniyal may have broken off his ties with Alina but he has not been able to get over everything that happened. The last episode focused on showing how Alina reacted to the break up and this one focused entirely on Daniyal. Asad proved to be the knight in the shining armor for Asma and they seem to be headed towards a happy ending. Both these romantic tracks have no appeal whatsoever primarily because there is hardly any chemistry between these two couples.

Mahmood’s reaction to Mina’s confession was the only good thing about tonight’s episode. This was exactly the way he should have reacted. The scene was very well directed; the flashbacks and the reaction of the rest of the family was shown very well. I absolutely love the OST of the play; the lyrics are very well written and it has been sung very nicely too but I fail to relate it to Mina’s situation now. There was a time when I could feel Mina’s pain but not anymore.

The preview of the next episode showed that Shaheen will reveal her true colors in the very soon. Mina’s seemed unaffected by the fact that her father had disowned her, she seemed more worried about the failure of her grand plan! Adnan and Shaheen are brewing up a storm, how will Mina deal with the situation? She has been deriving her strength from Shaheen for such a long time, it will come as a big shock to her when and if she turns against her.

I have to say that Kadurat must not be doing that bad in terms of getting the desired TRPs because it still retains the 8pm slot and it has many sponsors as well. Did you watch this latest episode? Do share your views about it.

Fatima Awan

I think after the director was done with the whole past & present fiasco, he decided to have a decent take on the episode 13, for which I say that this episode was a pretty good attempt & seeing it after a series of failed episodes, it came as a positive note or left me feeling that our rants must’ve paid off or else I’m done expecting so whatever came my way, swept me off my feet.

Now that the little introductory speech is done & coming to the episode itself, I did enjoy watching it because the series of events unfolded pretty appropriately. A little mistakes are obviously not going to be unnoticed so it’s better to leave the laughing stock for the happy-ending-note.

Shahiq has started to show a bit of an interest in what his wife wants, in fact he always seemed to be a normal husband-like material but it was Narmeen who drove him away from her because of her self-instigated negativity. Even though so much has happened Shahiq is ready to give Narmeen a few more chances or chances to this marriage is more like it. Narmeen still fails to understand that just by yearning for his love & attention, she won’t be getting any, she has to work to earn all that & by no means she is working on that line. I find it unreasonable that after every spat she has with her husband, she reminisces about her ex-fiancé & current-devar. This sulking is definitely going to be her life-long journey unless she tries to accept that Arham’s a bygone & her husband needs her utmost attention. Looks like some facts are now syncing through her mind & she is regretting the idea of leaving Arham in the first place.

Areeba’s continuing to be her husband’s counsellor & listener for which he is now seen to be staying in the present & not going into the past just to fetch those petty details to be laid in front of his wife. They’re having a good time together & this is something good to see.

I did find the already-seen flashbacks unnecessary because these were the scenes from the present which were already shown so there was no need to use them as reminders once again. As I’m cursed to be noticing the unnoticed details, I did catch a few mistakes which obviously started off from Narmeen’s changing blood colours. Accha, Shahiq busted Narmeen & her mother while she was telling her a secret about pulling off an attention seeking stunt. Shahiq already reacted after finding out the reality but what shocked me was his conversation with Narmeen by the end of the episode where he tells his mother that doctors saw the improvement, later he also consoles Narmeen for not worrying a bit too much about her scar which will eventually fade away. I mean, IF he, in fact he ACTUALLY heard her talking, so why was he having a conversation about her face & stuff. I think in normal circumstances he should’ve honestly told her to back off from her drama because he was aware of the fact that the accident never happened. Those conversations seemed completely wrong.

Where Narmeen’s scar-blood changed colors, her head-dressing along with her personal dresses changed too. She’s seen with a dressing on her head when she stops Shahiq from going to work but in the next scene her dressing’s gone. When Shahiq’s mom comes to ask her how she was doing, Narmeen returns from the hospital in navy blue kaftan, in the very next scene when Areeba & Sara come to her room, she had a change of clothes. I did noticed a few of Shahiq’s shirts & coats being changed & removed…I am sure if such petty mistakes weren’t made & some sort of an attention to detail was taken care of, the drama would’ve been a hit.

Arham & Areeba’s conversations were nice & I did find it Arham’s strategy worth a mention. He thinks he’ll forgive her & confess it after Narmeen herself will admit what she has done. Good for Arham that Narmeen’s already having second thoughts about her decision of leaving him & marrying his brother in stead. I hope that the drama isn’t stretched till 20 episodes because it would just drag the situation further & I will once again lose the interest that I quite difficultly developed due to this particular episode.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Let me start by confessing that I usually try to avoid A & B productions plays now because there have been many A & B production plays which I have followed passionately in the past but was sorely disappointed when the stories totally went off track and the dramas were dragged endlessly. Other than that A & B productions plays rely heavily on the bechari aurat and usually take the bechara pan to a whole new level which comes across as annoying and forced at times. But here I am giving a play from the production house a go because I trust Samiya Mumtaz’s choice and would want to follow a play with her in it and also because the first two episodes were promising enough. The writer of the play is Maha Malik and it has been directed by Nadeem Siddiqui.

These first two episodes of Ranjish Hi Sahi were very fast paced and engaging. What stood out the most was the chemistry between Samiya Mumtaz and Faisal Rehman; they came across as two flawless performers who know exactly what is expected from them. Ranjish Hi Sahi is the story of Yumna (Samiya Mumtaz); a single mother with two daughters Tooba (Sana Javed) and Hiba (Maya Ali). The two girls are completely opposite to one another but the one thing they have in common is that they are both very close to their mother. Hiba is very self-assured, outgoing and the apple of her mother’s eyes. Tooba is docile and completely dependent on her mother. The relationship between Yumna and her daughters has been very well defined right from the start. Also, all the three actresses are totally into their characters. After watching these two episodes, one can’t help but appreciate the way the drama takes you in a world of its own.

Yumna accidently meets Kamal Hassan (Faisal Rehman); someone she was madly in love with back in college days but couldn’t get married to because of family pressure. The story takes a different turn from here because Kamal is still in love with Yumna and has a very rocky married life. All the scenes between Yumna and Kamal were a delight to watch mainly because of the chemistry between the two artists and also because the dialogues were written very well. Although, technically it would be very wrong for a married man to be doing all this and the romance should not come across as cute at all but I found it so much sweeter than most of the romantic scenes that we see on our screens nowadays. A fraud in the office lands Yumna into hot waters; things are getting tougher for her because she already has health issues and she may not be able to cope for much longer especially when she has someone to share her troubles with now.

Like any other mother, Yumna very often holds herself responsible for not being able to raise her daughters the way she should have. Even after working so hard, she thinks that her daughters’ personalities lie on the extremes because she wasn’t able to provide them with the kind of emotional support they needed after their father’s death. Kamal proves to be a good listener and Yumna feels very comfortable sharing her insecurities with him. Yumna finally has a friend she can confide in and also someone who is like an easy escape for her.

Kamal’s proposal comes as a complete surprise for Yumna. She knows that her daughters will never accept this new relationship. My heart went out for Yumna, it felt like this is exactly what she was looking for; a friend and a companion. Things are not as easy as it seems because there is no room for another person in Yumna’s life.

There were bits in these two episodes that seemed slightly filmy but other than that the play has started off really well. If it keeps on moving forward with the same pace and the story does not lose its focus then it is bound to be very engaging. These two episodes were very well directed, well written and also superbly acted out. If the focus stays on the main story then it will be an interesting play. For now, I am definitely looking forward to more.

Fatima Awan

Now that Meenu is all grown up, she is transformed into a completely different personality.Unlike her childhood, she loves to wake up early in the morning, goes for morning walk regularly and now has guts to give a shut -up call to Rudaba, who kept on haunting her throughout her childhood. Haan, there are certain things which have not moved an inch in Meenu; she loves Aman right from the day when she lost her parents and she is as much stubborn and pampered as she was in her childhood.

As far as my judgment regarding Nazoo’s personality is concerned, I have found her quite reserved type of person. She never told Aman what she feels for him, how much she values her, for how long she has been missing him. But that’s how typical eastern girl is; unconditionally loving, extremely caring, patient,reserve and quite whenever it comes to show her emotions to loved ones. For all that , Aman developed a feeling  that the way he likes Naazo, she is not fond of him. He was proved wrong certain times too but when it comes to typical man’s nature, no one can question it !

For Aman, when it’s about him and Naazo then there is no room for anyone else. He never felt comfortable whenever Naazo takes Meenu name while they are discussing their life,their issues and their matters. This clearly tells that Aman solely likes Meenu because he loves Naazo that was once said by him too.

I found a flaw in direction today ; When Naazo asked Meenu to wake up and offer Fajar prayer, Sun was shining to the fullest. Fajar prayer or roshni mai ? How come ?

All Aman wanted when he came back is to meet Naazo first. Unluckily, it was Meenu to whom he met and he got shocked as soon as he saw her because he wasn’t expecting that she will grow up this way. Maybe he was expecting that Meenu will be like never-growing creature and for that reason he bought coloring books, color pencils as a gift for her.. :P

Naazo kept on secretly admiring Aman’s gift whenever she finds free time and Meenu felt somewhat jealous. I guess, jealous won’t be appropriate word now because she is a bit far from this jealousy feeling. She is getting anxious and restless day by day by watching and observing  Naazo and her special feeling solely for Aman.

I got a bit disappointed by the fact that why Naazo was unable to put her point in front of Meenu when she asked for bracelet. I mean she is not a kid anymore; she can understand literal meaning of “Privacy”.Par baat wahen aa jati hai that Naazo can never say “NO” to Meenu so was the case this time.

Meenu will develop feelings for Aman and next episode preview is clearly depicting that she will try to explain Aman that she wants someone in her life with whom she can share every minutest issue. What will be Aman’s reaction?

For all that and many more, Keep on reading.

Rabia Basharat.

This week’s episode revolved mainly around Natasha and Aaliyan and the focus was more on their relationship. There was not much progress in the story, but overall it was a good episode. I thoroughly enjoyed watching all Dudi and Aaliyan’s scenes.  Qudsiya and Aaaliyan both are comfortable with Dudi and I guess, so far (ironically) this is the only thing common between them!

The only one who understands Qudsiya’s situation clearly is Dudi. Qudsiya has told her everything that her family is going through at the moment, and what would be their reaction when they hear about the divorce. Even her own mother and sisters are not ready to understand her position and Qudsiya had to turn to Dudi for advice who could understand the situation she was stuck in. Dudi always gives the most genuine advice and is very practical in her approach. She wanted to meet Qudsiya’s parents to make everything clear to them, and from the looks of the preview for the next episode, she is going to realize what Qudsiya has been telling about her father was 100% true and not at all exaggerated. So far, she was not too much worried about the situation but now after seeing everything with her own eyes, she will definitely be tensed and worried about the mess that Aaliyan had created.

For most part, the episode focused on Aaliyan and Natasha. If Aaliyan is careless, then Natasha is clearly very immature and I doubt such a combination can work. Aaliyan is trying his best to explain the situation to Natasha, but every time some thing or the other happens that again brings doubts in her mind. I do not understand how Aaliyan is able to handle her tantrums though. He somehow keeps calm during her tantrums and then once her anger has faded away, he easily manipulates her. He really knows how to handle Natasha! This time Natasha had to go against her father to side with Aaliyan, and what I found surprising was that he did not care if her father was upset or was against their relationship.

Aaliyan and Qudsiya’s cute interaction in the car was as usual very entertaining. They both are complete opposite of each other. Qudsiya is practical, realistic and has a sober and reserved nature. Aaliyan, on the other hand is care free, full of life, and has a highly impractical approach towards life. This contrast makes their interaction even more interesting to watch.

‘Shaadi Ko Maante Nahi Per Kaam To Saare Shoharon Wale Karte Ho’

Dudi could not help but tease Aaliyan who openly says that Qudsiya does not mean anything to him, but he always ends up helping her in one way or the other. After Qudisya and Aaliyan scenes, it is Dudi and Aaliyan scenes that I look forward to. Also, the scene where he comes in her room and complains that Qudsiya had practically kicked him out of her room was simply hilarious! Even Dudi could help but smile at his words.

Qudsiya had taken Dudi’s advice very seriously and when Aaliyan came to her room, she rudely told him to get out! The poor guy had come there to return her earring and Qudsiya realized her fault a little too late. The next day, he made it absolutely clear how offended he was by his behavior. His adorable expressions was definitely a treat to watch.

Adil and his mother scheming was one part of the episode that I wanted to skip. Adil wants to get married to Qudsiya’s sister because of Qudsiya’s relationship with Aaliyan’s family. This track in my opinion is completely unnecessary. They should focus more on Qudsiya and Aaliyan’s story now. I am still waiting for Emad Irfani’s entry. Hope he makes an entry soon!

Share your views about the episode!

Till Next Week!

Mariam Shafiq

From this episode onwards I would be reviewing Shukk for you. I hope you would like my reviews. If not to g jo karna hai kar lena,mein naheen jaan chornay wala! Also, beware that I have been quite inconsistent with my earlier reviews of the two dramas that I was reviewing. But I intend to do this one till the end warna sub ko galliyan parain gee including me. Why did I decide to review this drama (I know nobody has asked me, phir bhee bataunga bhayiyon aur behno because I am the reviewer here! ), I found this drama very real and not over the top like other dramas on air right now so couldn’t resist reviewing it for you people.

Coming to today’s episode, it started with Maham urging Atif to find out where Sehrish is busy these days. Sorry if anyone’s offended but each time Mr. Atif appeared on screen I felt like you could fry an egg over his large bald head (ahem,what about my own hairfall,never mind!). Somewhere Maham’s voice sounded like someone else’s to me, maybe Ainee Jaffri but I could be wrong. Off course to err is human and going by this definition I am super human.

We also got to know in this episode that Sania and Ehtisham were once engaged but then this engagement was called off. The reason for engagement being called off wasn’t revealed. We just got to know that Ehtisham always liked Sehrish and got engaged to Sania on his mother’s pressure. In future, this would prove to be a reason for ‘Shukk’ or doubt by Sehrish on her loving husband Ehtisham and on Sania by his husband thanks to his mother.

The difference between the two mother-in-laws was brilliantly depicted. Sehrish’s mother-in-law is sweet and understanding. She doesn’t blame Sehrish for not bearing her grand children and attributes it to Allah’s will while Sania’s invalid mother-in-law not only curses and abuses her but talks negative about her to her son who’s working abroad. She also tries to create rift between Sania and her son Rumi.

Rumi has got a liking for Sehrish maybe because of the tense environment of his house. He threw his ball constantly inside Sehrish’s house which landed each time at Sehrish’s mother-in-law’s feet who wondered whether the ball had springs as each time she threw it out it landed back. This scene was especially very cute and nicely done as Sehrish got that it was Rumi who’s behind the ball trick and brought him inside. They had such a good time that they didn’t realize that Rumi hadn’t informed his mother or grandmother about coming to their house. When they took him back, Sania was quite rude to them and her mother-in-law also shouted from inside on which Sehrish went to her and khoob lattay liye us ke (sorry couldn’t find a befitting English word for it so thought thoree see English kee tang toroon jaisay aj ke dramas mein actors Urdu kee tang tor rahay hain!)

Because of Sehrish’s outburst, Sania’s mother-in-law ended up in the hospital leaving Sehrish quite guilty. It was another cute scene where Sehrish and Ehtisham were going to the hospital in their car and Sehrish was praying loud to Allah Mian to save Sania’s mother-in-law. However, once in the hospital Sania was quite rude to Sehrish who was making all sorts of offers of help to her. Later, Ehtisham confronted Sania about her rudeness to his wife on the road. Sehrish saw them from her window, seeds of doubt begin to take root. Hats off to Ehtisham’s mother who understood on her own why Ehtisham and Sania were having a conversation on the road even though she got to knew about it from Sehrish.

The episode ended with Sania indirectly taunting Sehrish about not knowing about children as she’s childless and Sehrish walking out of Sania’s home. It might herald a new beginning of friendship between the two and off course thicken the shadows of doubt already there.

Overall the acting of everyone was upto the mark. Ayesha was brilliant as she confronted Badar Khalil (Sania’s mother-in-law), when she was angry even while back home, the way she prayed for Badar Khalil in the car, the way her expressions changed in the last scene when she’s reminded me of being childless. Adeel was equally effective as the loving husband, Shamim Hilali as the good natured mother-in-law of Ayesha and Sanam Saeed as the subdued wife who is at the receiving end from her mother-in-law’s side. Badar Khalil was however, over the top and loud. I personally didn’t find her part convincing. The child who played Rumi was also cute.

I also lament the screen time devoted to the nosy couple Atif and Maham. I understand they are there for a purpose but need they be present in so many scenes. They aren’t exactly eye candy you now plus their irritating tactics. The one-location where Ali, Sania’s husband talks on cell to his family also stuck out like a sore thumb (off course they didn’t want to shoot abroad but why just this strange looking room as one location, it’s as if Ali had nothing else to do than to sit in his room all day, waila like me!).

Now that I have said all that I wanted to say this week, I hope that this review turns out to be every reviewer’s dream. Maximum comments, maximum and unlimited praise in simple words and words for which you need to open Oxford dictionary, no one disagreeing with me and people saying ‘where were you earlier’. O God I need to open my eyes now, I have rolled much far on the floor after having fallen from the bed. O no Masi, don’t broom me, I can bath, I assure you!

Haseeb

This latest installment of Numm was much better than the last few episodes primarily because unlike the previous episodes, there were scenes in which I felt that connection with the characters which seemed to be completely lost before. The scene between Wali and Neelam in which they shared past memories with each other was very sweet. Sadly, the sweetness did not last for long! I find most of the romantic scenes in this play extremely nauseating; the scene between Wali and Neelam in which they are discussing their honeymoon plans was anything but cute.

I must say that until now my favorite characters in the play have to be Bare Sahab and Amtul. I find the way Bare Sahab treats Wali rather amusing. He doesn’t take anything that Wali says seriously and rightly so too. Wali may claim to be in a very unfair situation but there are times when it seems like he is making the most of it. Mahjabeen was the flavor of the month when Neelam was away and now that Neelam is back, Wali thinks it is more convenient for him if Mahjabeen minds her own business. Unfortunately, I find the leading characters of the play least likeable. There is absolutely nothing about Wali’s character that would make the viewers think that he is a good person. Mahjabeen has failed to gain my sympathy because I just can’t seem to relate to her character at all. A few more flashback scenes and a more convincing narration of events would have helped build up the character. Neelam’s character has been etched out nicely but Kanza Wyne’s acting proves to be highly “distracting”.

I must applaud Farah Shah’s brilliant performance right from the start. She has breathed life into a very difficult character and has made it stand out. The relationship between Amtul and Neelam is one of the best things about this play. Neelam and Amtul both are outcasts and victims in their own way. Also, the only time I truly like Neelam’s character is when I see her interacting with Amtul; she knows that Amtul can give her absolutely nothing in return for all the time she spends with her but she cannot help but love her anyway. This goes to show that Neelam is a good person at heart.

Amtul and Wali’s interactions today went to show that there is a tension between the two. The reason for that possibly could be that Mahjabeen is Wali’s Vani or maybe something else. I am sure we will find out in the next ten episodes or so since the mysteries don’t get solved too quickly in Numm, which basically kills the spirit of adding the mysteries to the play. The curiosity to find out what actually transpired almost dies by the time the truth is unveiled.

Wali, like a spoiled kid is looking for “hobbies” to keep him away from the politics in the house. Bare Sahab had a long list of options, non of which sounded even slightly inspiring but then Wal is not looking for inspiration!

Numm is incomplete unless someone makes some kind of a reference to Mahjabeen’s hair. In this episode as well, once again Mahjabeen sits in front of the mirror, looks at her hair and thinks of the way Wali looked at her when she dyed her hair. The fascination with the hair is beyond me!

Although, I really liked the scene between Wali and Neelam because that scene went to show how they were slowly coming closer to each other but at the same time it was a little confusing. Neelam said that Wali’s father only went to talk to Mahjabeen’s family but in one of the flashbacks we saw that he left home with the intention of killing someone. Maybe that is what Wali’s family told their relatives and friends.

The background music was very loud and ever present like always. Numm is a difficult play to review because you need to watch it several times in order to make out what is being said. Overall, a much better episode but not the sort that makes up for all the previous boring and dull ones that the viewers had to put up with. A few more episodes like this one and maybe I will have a reason to change my mind about Numm but the next episode’s preview showed more cat fights so it would probably be back to Neelam and Mahjabeen’s fights and who Wali supports *yawn* !

Fatima Awan

Finally the moment that we all dreaded was here & we had to see the last episode of Aunn Zara. Of all the dramas that I have reviewed, I have enjoyed this one the most because I myself am a fan of this drama. Things winded up perfectly but it did leave me feeling that it ended up way too quickly. Thursday’s are going to be empty from now on.

I loved how Jamshed brought up the conversation of him being alone & Nighat for the first time had no considerable answer. She ran out of words before too when Jamshed rejected her on her face in front of the whole family but this time he once again caught her off-guard with the sudden proposal, which left our Nigho speechless. I thought that Jamshed would ask Zara for it but to make things a bit more perfect, he did the honours himself.

It was just so natural that Husna & Daadi didn’t quite understand when Nighat herself testified in front of them about Aunn being the culprit because none of them thought of their ladla being the (excuse my words) kamina. Loved how they continued to complain about Zara but Aunn tried to twist their words once again just to show that he ain’t going to care for her any more, which was his way of dusting off the grudges.

There were a few very nicely done moments, one of them was Zara-Jamshed’s conversation, he looked adorable when he sheepishly told her of the proposal he had extended to Nighat, the other one was seeing them all re-unite & how the elders showed their wisdom was commendable by ignoring Zara’s try of exposing Aunn then & there. At first I did find it unfair because I was expecting wawela from Daadi & Husna’s salees Urdu ke tanay but Nighat & Zara’s conversation afterwards made things perfect because it was another good reality check for Aunn to know how much Daadi & Husna cared for him & didn’t want to make things awkward for already-awkward Aunn but personally I do think he got away with his kartoot way too easily. ;)

Ohkay, I must say, I loved the way Jamshed looked at Ansa Nighat Parveen & what’s more cute was how she left the biggest chunk of laddu & settled on a smaller piece of mithai, t’was enough of a clear notification of her consciousness & her flourishing feelings which she had for her husband-to-be. Finally, Jamshed’s Mohtarmma & Nighat’s Kharoos are going to be together. I know things would’ve become too explanatory but I did expect to see them together like may be a small ceremony or just both of them happily ever after!

I missed Daadi a bit in this episode but it was justified because there were a lot of other aspects which had to be covered & especially Aunn had to be exposed. Accha, who would’ve thought that Aunn will ever stand up for his family? I think the whole Father thing had a perfect closure & the way Daadi supported Aunn & encouraged Husna to see the brighter side was brilliant. Finally, Aunn accha wala bacha ban hi gaya. :)

Lastly, a shout out to the whole team – from writer to the director to the actors & every single person involved, THANK YOU all for giving us a masterpiece with the name of Aunn Zara. Hope to see another venture of all of you together & special thanks to Osman Khalid Butt for making Aunn our special ladla. :D

& special thanks to all the regular readers & supporters,
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

What a beautiful piece of artwork today’s episode was. Flawless direction, spot-on dialogues and above all tremendous performance by each and every artist in this play.

Pari’s “chachundar” Azam (Danish Taimoor) made his entry today .Despite of least expectations from him,I was eagerly waiting for his entry in the show. The reason of least expectations from him might be because I have never seen him performing serious roles. And now that I have seen him, I must confess that I am truly impressed by his charismatic personality, expressions and dialogue delivery while doing his job as Azam.

Pari and Azam’s first encounter was quite interesting. At first, she seemed comfortable with him but her insecurity for Rukayya is upheaving to maximum with every passing day. And for that when she observed  Rukayya engrossed in chit chat with Azam all the time, she felt as if she was getting ignored by Rukayya. Consequently, developed a sense of envy for Azam.

It adds another level to the show whenever there is heated exchange of words between Pari and Azam; Pari being ultra-insecure of Azam while Azam enjoying every word that Pari utters and responding calmly and intelligently.

Salma’s part is always fun to watch. Her ever confused nature, silly reasoning with Aapa Bi always put a smile on my face. It’s solely because of her husband’s death that she never seemed to be satisfied and happy. Her husband’s death mystery is still an unsolved riddle for all us and I hope when it will get revealed it won’t be of “Khoda pahaar nikla chooha” kind.

Pari took it as her insult when she was asked by Rukayya that she owes an apology to Azam. How can our Rukayya Aapa tolerate that her very own Pari is not ready to talk to her. At the very moment when Pari was upset, Rulayya went to her ,tried to make her move a step ahead of what she was feeling about Azam and every word that came from Rukayya’s side worth million dollars. “Pari mai kya houn terai lyai,koi khilona houn jis sey na tu khud khailti hai,na kisi ko khailnay daiti hai”. That whole scene was the most intense scene of the episode and in true meaning was “Moment of The Episode”.

Aapa Bi is getting more and more worried and concerned about Rukayya’s marriage with every passing day. At one side Aapi Bi cannot bear Naseeban interference in her family matters but on the other, she knows that no one can fill her space in their family. I found Aapi Bi and Naseeban’s interaction really touchy and the way Naseeban got convinced to go back home proved that she values Aapa Bi and her family more than anything.

Azam is not at all fond of his mother because they have nothing in common.Azam is completely family oriented person whereas his mother is fond of partying and hanging around all the time.For her, PR values more than her own son. With all that, her complains that Najma (Azam’s step mother) is applying some cheap tactics to snatch away her son are not at all justified.

Indeed,it was a well packaged episode with a blend of emotions, shades of love and what not.Kudos to the whole team of Sannata!

Rabia Basharat.

Kiran’s reaction to Adnan’s proposal was nothing short of a very pleasant surprise for me since I was not expecting Kiran to react in this manner. Kiran deserves to be happy and there is no other man who can give her the kind of affection that Adnan can. Having gone through a very traumatic experience already, Kiran has her doubts about the authenticity of Adnan’s claims but is willing to give this relationship a chance because she has always had a very high opinion of Adnan. Apart from that, these two always shared a special connection. Kiran always felt that Adnan was merely looking out for her all this time, but now she knows better.

Arzoo got rid of Kiran’s parrots, convinced her mother that it was okay for Kiran to get married to Adnan and left no stone unturned to convince Sikandar that Kiran wasn’t the ideal woman he always thought she was but the fact remains that Arzoo has not been able to fill the void left by Kiran in Sikandar’s life. Sikandar’s attitude towards Arzoo maybe cold and rude but he has not hit her yet. The reason for that could be that he does not feel the need to control her. He is not as possessive about her as he was about Kiran. Or maybe because this time around his mother made it very clear to him that she is not going to back him up if he does something like that. Arzoo’s attitude made me wonder whether she was putting on an act because she loved Sikandar or only because she would do anything to prove Kiran wrong.

Adnan let Rukhsar stop him from getting married to Kiran once but this time around he did not want to lose Kiran for a second time. It was quite apparent that Rukhsar could not stand the fact that her brother was dying to get married to Kiran. Rukhsar’s attitude shows how jealous she is of Kiran. Also, Rukhsar’s situation goes to show how working women are exploited especially in lower middle class households. The only time when I felt for Rukhsar was when she was having a conversation with her colleague. Rukhsar is very sensitive about her own problems but does not think twice before judging others. The way Rukhsar’s mother praised her daughter’s in laws and assured Faiqa that Rukhsar was very happy was rather ironic. She always had so much say when Kiran’s mother did the same and wondered why she couldn’t be honest.

Kiran and Adnan’s conversation was sweet and touching. Hassan Niazi and Sanam Baloch have amazing on-screen chemistry which makes their track totally lovable. The honesty with which Kiran and Adnan share their true feelings with each other was truly refreshing. It is plain to see that Rukhsar and her mother are bound to create problems for Kiran. How will she cope with the situation?

This latest episode was very slow for my taste. Kiran’s story is moving forward nicely but Arzoo and Sikandar’s track is getting very monotonous. The play really needs to pick up pace now so that the story can be wrapped up decently without putting the viewers to sleep.

Fatima Awan