It is great to see our leading Pakistani male actors bring a new mentality to the forefront. Even though Agha Ali has failed to set new standards when it comes to his screen persona and the role he chooses to play, he is definitely breaking barriers otherwise. While answering a question in Jago Pakistan Jago, Agha Ali made it very clear that he does not want to marry someone who can do his chores for him. He said that I am very independent and do not expect my wife to do everything for me.
Here is what he had to say,
“I want to marry a girl who is simple and also has a strong personality. I hate men who get married because they want a wife who will do their house chores for them. I iron my clothes myself, I also wash the dishes and I also clean after me. This is so wrong – I don’t want Sakina Massi in my life!”
What he said next was even more refreshing! He said,
“I will even iron her clothes provided I have the time to do so.”
All the actresses on the show said that Agha Ali had made tea on the sets more often than they had. They called him an independent man who really did not need a woman to look after him.
Azra Mansoor assays the role of lady of the house really well she is kind and wise and basically everything you expect a granny figure to be. Ammi lives with her son Saad (Aqeel Abbas) and daughter in law Nazia (Madiha Rizvi) Anna bee and her grand son Hadi. Asma is portrayed as a very immature and childish character but then again that could be Asma’s coping mechanism for dealing with her past trauma. Asma regards Saad as her elder brother and Saad Bhai also considers her a part of the family which is why he is always invested in her studies. He keeps encouraging Asma to study and make something of her life but Asma finds it hard to focus on her studies and that’s what Asma’s days revolve around working, taking care of the family and struggling with studies. Unlike Ammi, Saad and Hadi Nazia treats Asma mostly like a maid. Things go a little berserk in the family when Naureen Appa (Saba Hameed) who is Ammi’s eldest daughter comes home from America. Naureen’s husband died because of which she had to raise her two sons Salar and Sheheryar (Azfer Rehman) alone. It is established that Naureen lead a tough life alone in a foreign land and raised the two boys to be successful independent men. The reason behind this visit to Pakistan is Naureen’s intention of getting her elder son Salar married to her late husband’s niece Maria. Salar is portrayed to be a very elder brotherly figure who is an obedient son and very affectionate towards everyone on the contrary Sheheryar is the mischievous young-ling who still needs a lot of growing up to do. 
When the two adult kids Asma and Shehryar meet the results are naturally disastrous. They avail every opportunity of making each other miserable. It is evident that they have started forming an attachment that both of them are unaware of. Because of Naureen’s and her son’s arrival Ammi appoints her house help’s son Saadatmand for extra help. Naureen suggests the idea that since Asma is so pivotal to this household she should be married to someone like Saadatmand who lives and works in this very house so Asma wouldn’t have to leave Ammi ever. Asma is not a huge fan of the idea and for the first time she has started acknowledging her place in this family which is noting more than that of a maid. The plot looks predictable so far but we await to see how and when both Asma and Shehryar will realize that despite the differences between them they have both formed a bond like nothing they have experienced before. Overall the story isn’t something new so it would be a challenge for the entire team to make this drama stand out from the rest of the same genre. Most of the times in Pakistani dramas the portrayal of Pakistani American nationals isn’t convincing enough same is the problem with this drama. I understand that the budget and time factors limit the amount of detail that can be worked on in such projects but it’d be nice to see such portrayals done right once in a while. Saba Hameed, Azra Mansoor, Madiha Rizvi, Hina Altaf and even Saadatmand are doing a great job at assaying their roles. On the other hand Azfer Rehman’s portrayal of Shehryar seems a bit forced same is true for the actors playing Salar and Hadi. The soundtrack as mentioned earlier is top notch. I have previously seen Hina in serious roles and this role is the exact opposite of what she has done previously but she surely is nailing it. It’s a good start despite some flaws and we are intrigued to see where this journey takes us. How’d you find the first two episodes of’Aaatish’? 
