Emmy award winner Riz Ahmed will be joining a panel with famous author Mohsin Hamid at the Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) on February 24. According to the schedule posted by LLF on their website, the panel will be moderated by Shahid Zahid.
Ahmed as we all know won the Emmy for Best Actor in a limited series or a television movie for his performance in BBC miniseries The Night Of. He became the first Muslim actor, as well as the first South-Asian actor, to win an acting Emmy.
Other famed authors who will be speaking at the LLF include Reza Aslan and Scottish novelist Irvine Welsh will also be taking part at the LLF happening in Lahore over the weekend.
LLF will be held at Alhamra Arts Council, Lahore, on February 24 and February 25.
Ohkay so, though clichéd & typical, it was still a pretty decent episode of Pukaar & Samra’s character made it worthwhile because the way her struggles were shown were convincing.
Fahad & Samra are two very different people who belong to different worlds. Just because Fahad is the only son, his parents not only have a lot of expectations from him, but also from his wife. Right from the start, Fahad’s mother Tashfeen started to ‘train’ Samra so that she meets everyone’s expectations & starts moulding herself to fit their standards!
Even though Samra was getting overwhelmed with the new details that she was getting to know about Fahad & his family but it was quite sweet of her that she was putting up with everything, because she genuinely loves Fahad. Samra not only understood Fahad’s perspective but also tried to accept things that were new & alien to her.
Samra got to see how Fahad’s father was instilling this sense of superiority & taste of power in Fahad, which actually scared Samra because she was not used to all of this & also feared that Fahad might not be able to give all this up in the future, but I loved that she tried to reason with her husband & shared her perspective. Fahad did play a decent role in trying to make Samra comfortable & by doing things to accommodate her so that she doesn’t feel too frustrated by what was happening around her but sadly, there isn’t much that Samra can change or control, or will she? Time will tell!
I liked the fact that Samra stood her ground & tried to convey whatever was not in line with her perspective but in a very decent manner. She even reasoned with Tashfeen despite knowing that she was quite stern & rigid. I don’t know why, I feel Tashfeen will melt & she will side with Samra too, but it will take a lot of effort. Also, not sure if this aspect will be covered but I feel Tashfeen also must have been through this scrutiny to become so rigid, let’s see if the will touch on it in the future episodes.
Well, the last scene promised a new set of challenges for Samra & a completely different picture to what she was promised. Fahad’s parents obviously used his marriage with Samra as a bait to make him do what they want, which is for him & his wife to stay in the village & contest in the local elections. Though Fahad didn’t want to but he also couldn’t say no to his father, which obviously will create a rift between him & Samra. It is obvious that where Samra is quite strong & opinionated, Fahad is submissive & doesn’t have enough courage to have his own perspective.
Overall, it was a pretty decent episode & definitely better than the previous episodes. I hope it gets better week after week. This episode definitely made me like Samra’s character a lot more & I can’t wait to see what she will do with her life in the village. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Pukaar.
Ohkay so, finally this drama ended & I can’t be more relieved that I wouldn’t have to tune to this torture anymore!
All this while I stopped talking about Qasim because to me he was just a plain annoying puppet, but the opening scene along with everything else that he did made me detest his character even more. So, it turns out that Qasim could raise his voice as well as his hand on Meena, the girl who was just insecure & wanted to protect what was hers, but when it came to Sassi, all he could do is plead in front of her. Qasim was perfectly fine with Meena when she was being Mammo part 2, but the moment she started stating facts, he couldn’t tolerate her. Also, Qasim impregnated Meena, but in front of Sassi, he called his marital relation a majboori & also confessed that he still loved her! Wow! What a wuss!
Anyways, not that I am feeling the ending that Sassi met, but I am glad she didn’t turn out to be a home-wrecker. Sassi was just a restless being who wanted one adventure after another. First, her adventure was bringing Sonia in Khayyam’s life, then her adventure was to make Mammo suffer, after that she turned everyone’s life into hell only to pursue a new adventure which was working in a film, next was following Wajih & trying to make him fall in love with herself, then a new adventure began by hating everyone; Sonia, Khayyam, Meena & in the end she fell in love with Qasim because she was bored & ran out of other adventure options, so she decided to try her hands on wrecking his marriage. I am not sure how was Sassi ‘bold’ because seeing her entire journey & the ending that she met, to me she was ‘psychotic’ & not ‘bold’. Also, I must say the writer should re-evaluate his definition of bold & how he sees bold women because all the bold women in his drama met a tragic end; Sonia died miserably & Sassi will continue to live aimlessly like a ‘malang’ for the rest of her life. So I am not sure why he sees bold women like this where he thinks they can’t be normal beings? The only good thing was Sassi’s refusal to get married to puppet Qasim, who just sat there waiting to hear her say ‘qabool hai’, hah!
Right from the beginning, the viewers just couldn’t relate to Sassi’s character & that was the reason why this drama wasn’t getting ratings – something the writer himself shared under one of the reviews, but those, including me, who were happy to see something different advocated Sassi’s character & sadly, when things still didn’t work out, the team members started blaming the viewers for not having the sensibility or the wisdom to understand this ‘bold’ character. So, now when this drama has ended, I am rolling my eyes really hard because I can’t wrap my head about this ‘boldness’ which the team started using as an excuse or let’s say sheild to hide behind!
Mammo & Khayyam fizzled in the background & Khayyam’s character had nothing, absolutely nothing to offer. He just got this label that he is ‘khudgarz’ but apart from that, there was nothing in his character. He was just a man suffering from mid life crisis & ended up losing everything in the pursuit of overcoming that crisis. No remorse, no apologies, nothing & he still got away because there was another one-dimensional character Mammo who couldn’t do better!
I can not believe that this drama began on such a high note & ended up like this? Not that this drama was working but the needless dragging sealed the deal that once a super-hit drama was going to end as a flop. Sajal Ali & Noman Ejaz were good. Bilal Abbas Khan was good too. I am not sure what was worse, the story or Hamza Firdous or both? Ummm I think I will go with the last option. Umair Rana was wasted in this drama & Sonia Mishal ended up becoming a peeve of mine with her never-ending vocal vibration & the extremely unflattering messy makeup. Irsa Ghazal deserves a continuous facial massage for the next year or so because I can’t imagine how painful it must have been for her to sport such a depressing look on her face for so long. The actress playing the role of Kareeman Bua seems to be the only respectable aspect of this drama, despite her limited screen-time, she seemed to be the one who broke the monotony of madness that this entire family was an ambassdor of. I will once again say that Hamza Firdous should leave acting for those who know how to do it in stead of becoming an eyesore for the viewers. This drama could’ve broken records but sad to see the fate it met. The only good thing about this drama is the OST. Please share your thoughts.
Ohkay so, I love Aangan for the fact that it just doesn’t shy away from highlighting all the issues a family is faced with at a desi wedding but in a humorous way. Just because things have been kept so light hearted, they make more impact & what I love about the entire storytelling is that in the middle of the humor, the message isn’t lost. It is like the writer & the director knew when & how they had to convey a certain message so that it makes a way into the hearts of those who are watching!
When I saw the preview last week & there was a mention of Anila’s narazgi, I knew the matching outfits would be the reason behind her wrath & voila! I was right. No one could say anything as they knew that Anila was doing what she is known for; having a problem for every solution & once again, she made sure to convey her problem by making it even bigger. Zaitoon calling their similar dresses ‘wardi’ was so amusing, I just couldn’t stop laughing. It was funny how just to calm Anila down, Zaitoon for a moment started siding with her & called Laila & Hajra out for gifting Rubina a dress!
Asim actually thought that Laila was feeling bad at what Anila did but in reality, she was just feeling depressed because she knew she was going to face the question regarding her childlessness during all the wedding functions & Milaad was just the beginning. It is nicely shown that people not always speak about this personal matter in a bad manner with a curious undertone, but the one who is going through it knows what it feels like & just when a girl is trying to keep her morale up & is praying to avoid these type of conversations, this is the last thing she wants anyone’s attention on. It is a fact, even though someone’s intention might not be to hurt by asking such a personal question, but the one dealing with this baggage not necessarily always wants to have a discussion over something which is beyond their control. Ah! Been there, seen that & that is the reason why I relate to Laila’s character on a personal level because whatever has been shown through her journey is a reality!
It was actually very sweet how both Zaitoon & Hajra were trying to accommodate Rubina & going out of the way to make her feel that she shouldn’t worry an ounce over her or her children’s clothes, probably the major expense one has to bear if a family member is getting married. The way Zaitoon spoke about Laila’s friends in sleeveless was absolutely hilarious & I was in a laughing fit for like 10 minutes! Hahahah!!! & oh yes, Zaitoon’s mention of Anila getting a million more chances to create issues & turn her mood off was spot on. I love how effortlessly everyone in this family speaks about others shortcomings, it is like they all despite being courteous are brutally honest & know about each other’s strengths & weaknesses!
Well, Zahid continued to show attitude to Aqdas, it’s like he still feels he has an upper-hand as he caught them doing something which he doesn’t approve of. I must say it is nice how everyone around Zahid despite being aware of his short-temper is still considerate of his feelings because they know there are a few things that don’t sit well with him.
Sadaan & Afrah finally got to talk about the misunderstanding that Hajra created between them but it was nice of Sadaan to not take Hajra’s name in front of Afrah, because he didn’t want to malign her heart against his mother. I think for the first time Sadaan actually succeeded in putting his message across that Hajra was not being considerate when it came to his likes & dislikes as after that Hajra did seem engrossed in some thoughts.
Well, Aalu once again got a chance to tell Anila how her family doesn’t really care much about her. The way he handed Sajjad all the bills was so amusing but typical. Even though on the record both Anila & Aalu arranged this entire Milaad function but when it came to the real deal, they told Sajjad & Asim to take care of the expenses. What else can be expected from such relatives who only like fulfilling their wishes at other’s expenses!
Now coming to the best part of the episode, which was the last scene where Abba Jee came up with this genius plan of reaching out to Anila. It was so funny how Zaitoon & Sajjad felt so relaxed after they got a blank chit, because they knew they didn’t have to deal with another problem. I am actually quite interested to know who will get the auspicious opportunity to go to Anila, Abba Jee or Zahid or Asim? Any bets guys? I think it would be Abba Jee but I would love if it turns out to be Zahid, it would be a sight to see him doing something like this, lol!
Overall, once again a fun episode with so many amazing moments to its credit. All the actors are doing a wonderful job & the direction is perfect. Faiza Iftikhar should take a bow for bringing Aangan to us, a drama which in literal sense is what an entertainment should be like. I am sure this drama is going to stay with us for a long long time. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Aangan.
So, Lux Style Awards 2018 were held last night and it got me thinking. Umm! Wait! I’ll put my thoughts aside and let the biggest star of the industry explain the situation. So here are some kind words via Noman Ijaz:
First of all, the show must change its name. LSA is not Lux Style Awards anymore. It has genetically morphed into Lux Social Media Awards or if you really want to disclose the real name, I think it would be Lux Sasta Award. Our award shows are sidelining talent for ages but you have to be somewhat discreet, giving out awards on the basis of social media memes is not a criterion. Here are some of the wins which no one can digest:
Best Actress Film-Mahira Khan For Verna:
We know you have to give her some award if she is attending the event but look at it yourself. Can you justify it? Verna was an average movie and Mahira’s acting was average too. While on the other hand, Mehwish Hayat won millions of hearts with her portrayal of Amal in the blockbuster Punjab Nahin Jaongi. Same is the case with Uzma Hassan, her acting was appreciated in Arth-The Destination by everyone. But since these two are not our favourites, we will give this award to Mahiar Khan since she has come to attend the event.
Best Singer Female Film-Aima Baig For Sadqa:
Sadqa was an Okay Okay song from Chupan Chupai. The same category had two more nominations which were far more deserving. Aima herself was also nominated for Kaif o Suroor from Na Maloom Afraad 2 which was a much popular song than Sadqa and the other was Bagiya by Jonita Ghandi. Bagiya became more famous than the film Rangreza itself. But well the LSA was again trying to surprise us.
Best TV Play-Baaghi:
Was Baaghi a hit? Yes! Were a large number of people loving it while it aired? Yes! Did it get good TRPs? Yes! But let me remind you this category had Sang e Mar Mar and Muqabil in it too. Muqabil, a drama based on a very sensitive topic with a mind-blowing execution and for Sang e Mar Mar, I do not have to say anything. Everyone knows how superior it was and yet Baaghi wins the best play. Why? Maybe the number of posts on social media is more important than the actual worthiness.
Yaqeen Ka Safar was a very good drama and the character Dr. Asfandyar played by Ahad Raza Mir won the hearts of millions. But let us be honest. The character was not the main crush till the very last episodes and even it became famous because of the sweet chemistry between the lead pair. The other actors who deserved this win more than him were Mohsin Abbas Haider and Adnan Siddiqui. Mohsin was phenomenal in Muqabil and Adnan too stole the show in Sammi. Moreover, the nominated Noman Ijaz for Pinjari in this category while his character Gulistan Khan was the main character in Sang e Mar Mar and he should have been nominated for that. But yes, Dr. Asfi is more popular on social media and these are Lux Social Media Awards.
Best TV Actress-Saba Qamar for Baaghi:
Saba Qamar is a phenomenal actress. Many times she never gets an award she clearly deserves because the other favourites are also present at the ceremony. Looks like Saba’s India ka chakar lagane se value barhne wali theory is correct. As she got the best actress award for a role where she was just mimicking Qandeel Baloch and that’s all that she did. The nominations of the category were also strange. They nominated Bushra Ansari for Seeta Bagri. Like why? Sajal was nominated for both Yaqeen Ka Safar and O Rangreza. O Rangreza has turned into a disaster but Sajal was still worthy of the award for her portrayal of Sassi. Her performance is thousand times better than Saba.
Yes, I know there is a voting system involved too but honestly everyone knows how voting on anything works in Pakistan. So, that was not even something to consider. LSAs should try to up their game or better tell the world openly that “S” in their name does stand for sasta!
Pakistan Super League’s third edition is all set to kick off tomorrow in Dubai and Hareem Farooq will be the one hosting the opening ceremony of the biggest cricketing event of the year. This won’t be the first time Hareem will be hosting for an event she has previously hosted Hum Awards in 2017 held in Lahore.
When talking about hosting the PSL opening ceremony Hareem Farooq stated,
“It’s a moment of great pride for me to represent our great nation Pakistan at such a huge platform and that too on international ground! PSL is one of the biggest sporting events for our amazing nation, bringing us together and hosting the opening ceremony is an honor for me as a actor, as a producer and most importantly a Pakistani.”
The opening ceremony of PSL’s first season was hosted by Yasir Hussain and Sri Lankan model Stephanie Siriwardhana and the second season was hosted by Jeeto Pakistan star host Fahad Mustafa himself. Fahad is a charmer as we all know will Hareem be able to be as charismatically engaging as him on stage or not is the question that will be answered pretty soon.
Lux Style Awards 2018 held last night and people were awarded in the categories of acting, fashion and music. Both films and dramas were nominated and were honoured. Here are the winners of the LSA 18:
FILM:
Best Film: Punjab Nahin Jaongi
Best Actor: Humayun Saeed for Punjab Nahin Jaongi
Best Actress: Mahira Khan for Verna
Best Film Director: Nadeem Baig for Punjab Nahin Jaongi
Best Supporting Actor: Javed Sheikh for Na Maloom Afraad 2
Best Supporting Actress: Urwa Hocane for Punjab Nahin Jaongi
Best Singer (Male): Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for Sawar De Khudaya In Arth 2
Best Singer (Female): Aima Baig for Sadqa In Chupan Chupai
So this episode brought Gulmeena’s story to us after a brief recap of Yasmeen’s. It was good to see Yasmeen in such good spirits and dreams to make a legal livelihood for herself and her daughter. She got reassurance in Sanam Saeed’s calm and collected response. Aurat bhi toh Allah ki makhlooq hai..
Gulmeena’s story was equally tragic, equally heartbreaking and so so sad. Ammarah Butt did a great job as a young and naive girl who has had to grow up more than her years till the day she could not take it anymore.
The only issue I had was that the use of pushto language, while suited the poor people who are shown as IDPs, limited the amount of conversation I could comprehend in a scene, and even had to go back over some of them to try and get the meaning of dialogues.
It started with Gulmeena transported back to the time this tragic story of hers actually started. Displaced from their village and their home, a heavily pregnant Gulmeena is scared for her and her child’s future. Her mother in law Amma Gul leaves no stone unturned to torture her physically and verbally. Her husband, Yousuf, however is a humane man and even went against his evil mother’s wishes to take his young wife to the doctor. They never reached there though and Gulmeena became mother to a baby boy. Just as the couple is dreaming of going back, finding their family and making them happy by showing the newest member, fate takes another cruel turn and Yousuf suffers a fatal heart attack, leaving Gulmeena and his several weeks’ old son at the mercy of total strangers. They however managed to find Yousuf’s family since Gulmeena herself is shown as an orphan.
Without the shield of a loving husband, Gulmeena suffers terribly at the hands of her mother in law. One thing that stood out was the fact that even though women are shown so terribly suppressed and men so atrociously dominant, in Yousuf’s parents the case is totally opposite. His father cannot even take a stand for the young daughter in law he so wants to protect but is helpless in front of his wife. So it seems, ruling over your household and having a strong say in it is more of a stroke of luck, no matter which culture. Amma Gul is one of those rare women who would actually benefit from a taste of male dominance and chauvinism but she has been really really lucky.
In her spite and hatred, the evil Amma Gul tricks Gulmeena into marriage by falsely agreeing that her baby Rustum will go to her new husband’s house. Her new husband, old enough to be her grandfather is an illetrate old beast of a man who has no mercy for the young mother or her infant. In the throes of her husband’s cruelty, Gulmeena finds the courage to run away from this degrading and unhappy life. When her husband totally refuses to agree to let her son live with her, she just packs up and leave. It was sad and happy at the same time to see her running through the fields with her little belongings packed in a small black cloth. A woman running away from an existence which would eat her body and soul if she stays. A woman facing her fears of making it alone in the big bad world rather than staying in the false security of a marriage where she does not even get basic human respect. You have to pick and choose your battles but they never end and Gulmeena took the path to freedom, to achieve the only happiness she has ever known, her little son.
One thing that is shown common between the two stories till now is the strong maternal instincts of both Yasmeen and Gulmeena, and it is extremely realistic. A child truly is a mother’s biggest weakness and her greatest strength, both at the same time.
So it was another great episode by Kashaf Foundation and Sarmad Khoosat. Despite being a little difficult to understand because of language and lighting, it made for an impactful story. So glad they took unknown faces for these roles. That makes it look all the more real, all the more heartbreaking..
Ohkay so, it is so good to have a drama which doesn’t disappoint. 18 episodes of Khudgarz have been aired & it is still going strong, giving us so much more to explore & look forward to. I am glad we’re getting to see such a drama which has stayed on track & is unfolding just so interestingly, week after week!
Munawwar continued to be unreasonable & his unreasonability touched new sky when ever after finding out that the dead body wasn’t Hassan’s, he told Junaid to leave the house taking Aairah with him. Munawwar might have brought Junaid in his life because he pitied him, but he was also well aware of the fact that when the time will come, he will be able to use Junaid as a punching bag. Even if it wasn’t for Hassan or Aairah or anyone, this is exactly what Munawwar must have done with Junaid because he always had this arrogance & sense of superiority that he did a favor on him!
Aairah had a small accident but even though everything on the surface was fine, both Aairah & Junaid broke from within. Aairah obviously had her reasons that she didn’t want to step back in that house but it was so good to see Junaid finally standing up to Munawwar & his atrocities. Even though Junaid never said a word but the way he barged into the conference room & confronted Munawwar went to show that his patience was tested to the limit & he couldn’t take it anymore as he saw that he almost lost his child & his wife had suffered a lot. Even though it took a lot for Junaid to finally speak up, I am glad he did. Even after Munawwar told Junaid to leave the house, he spoke about Munawwar with so much of respect & affection when he told Aairah how he was raised & how his father helped him in putting everything together in his room. Junaid would have never changed, he would have never confronted Munawwar, he would have continued to bear his atrocities, but the love for Aairah in his heart forced him to bring some changes in himself as he knew that he had to protect not only Aairah but his child as well & also because Junaid felt guilty that his wife was facing the brunt for something she wasn’t even responsible for.
I must say, I love how strategically all the scenes are placed because just when things were getting a bit intense, the conversation between Abeer & Raheel was such a breather, also, it was so good to know that in such a tough time, Aairah & Junaid had Abeer & Raheel’s support. Sadly, Hassan once again tried to harm Abeer by calling Raheel’s mother but fortunately, Raheel tackled everything. Just when I was thinking that the relationship of Abeer & Raheel was lost in the background & their track was fizzled out, this conversation showed that they stil had their thing going on too. To be honest, for a moment I actually thought it could be Munawwar who must’ve contacted Raheel’s mother, I mean when he can pettily meet someone in person to stop Junaid’s hiring, then why can’t he stoop this low either?
Even though Hassan doesn’t realize it, he has started relying on Omar a lot. Right now Hassan might portray that he can still do without the help & support of Omar but deep inside even he knows that he needs Omar’s support. My favorite part of this entire episode was Omar’s contribution in bringing a change in Hassan, without making things preachy or forceful. Omar just shared his past & personal experiences, he just told Hassan a tale or two of what actually people go through. Omar exactly knows that Hassan needs to hear all of this to bring a change in himself but he isn’t trying to force anything on him by giving him lectures, it’s like he minds his own business, but whenever he feels the need, he speaks up.
To be honest, I shed a tear listening to Omar’s story. No wonder why he connects with Hassan & more than that he understands where he comes from because Omar has been there too & he has paid a heavy price for it, therefore he exactly knows that in the course of punishing his family, Hassan is punishing himself as well. Hassan tried to judge Omar by thinking that he couldn’t make his marriage work but what he heard was enough to shake him up. Hassan was already struggling to cope up with what he heard & may be that’s why he allowed himself to go with Omar to the welfare centre but there what he experienced broke the ice, it shattered the walls of his ego & that was enough for Hassan to realize that the world had bigger problems, people had bigger issues that they dealt with. Just because Hassan was so absorbed in his own being, in his own problems all his life, he never really got to experience what life actually is & how hard or cruel it can be for others, that’s why he changed & that too unwillingly. I loved the way Hassan sat in seclusion trying to gather his thoughts & then Omar came to help him put things into perspective. Omar made Hassan realize that life wasn’t over just yet & because he had gone to one side of the spectrum, he could now experience the other side with all his heart too – absolutely beautiful!
My my! It was such a perfect & amazing episode. I love all the conversations & the dialogues of this drama. Yasir Nawaz is not only an ace director, he is a very fine actor as well & I am so glad & want to personally thank him for playing the role of Omar because I am sure no one else could’ve breathed life into this character the way he has done. The writer Rida Bilal should take a bow for bringing such an intelligent script, such complex characters & beautifully written dialogues to the table, she nailed it. All the actors, Amina Sheikh, Salman Saeed, Mansha Pasha, Shaheen Khan, Sami Khan, Ghulam Mohiuddin, Yasir Nawaz, every single one of them has done a marvellous job & Syed Jibran deserves a special mention for even changing his body language like sporting slouched shoulders to fit the character of Junaid. Hats off Team Khudgarz, well done. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Khudgarz.
Ohkay so, the production of MD Productions, direction of Ahson Talish & writing of Imran Ashraf; Tabeer commenced tonight on Hum TV. The first episode gave an introduction to the main characters but other than that, despite being a decent episode, it wasn’t extra-ordinary!
The plot revolved around two characters Fawad (Shehzad sheikh) & Yasir (Imran Ashraf). Fawad is happily married to Zarnish (Eeshal) & Yasir is married to Tabeer (Iqra Aziz) & both the couples are expecting their first child.
Yasir works for Fawad & takes care of all the chores. His family is settled in Hyderabad but he works in Karachi because Fawad’s runs his family business there. Both Fawad & Yasir are doting husbands & make sure to let their wives know that they are there for them. Fawad goes an extra mile for Zarnish & so does Yasir.
Fawad’s mother (Seemi Pasha) feels that she has lost the connection to her son because of his wife. Even though she voices her concerns openly & directly, the fact still remains that she has an issue with Zarnish & also with the fact that her son loves her a lot & goes out of the way for her. Fawad’s mother overlooks the fact that Zarnish is pregnant & Fawad is doing what a husband & a father-to-be should do.
Yasir on the other hand misses his wife Tabeer & so does Tabeer, but she also understands that his work demands him to be away from her. She spends time with his grandmother while thinking about him all the time. Even though the equation between both the couples was a bit too filmy but it surely was refreshing to see two happy couples because that’s a rarity in our dramas these days!
Fawad takes care of Yasir’s needs & is also very considerate towards him, because of which Yasir promises him that he will do whatever he can to repay his favors. Well, Fawad finds out that his wife has cancer & that’s where the episode ended. Two other characters got a slight introduction too but no links of them were established to the main characters but I am interested to see how they will contribute to the story!
So, the first episode was pretty basic. Judging by the first episode, I do have a feeling that this drama might turn into a guilty pleasure for all those who’d tune to it. To be honest, seeing that it has been directed by Ahson Talish, I do have my reservations so I am not keeping my hopes high, but let’s see. Well, the whole chicken broast scene was amusing & I would’ve liked if they hadn’t promoted Dargah culture the way they did in this episode. Anyways, the direction seemed decent & so did the acting. The OST of the drama is nice as well. Please share your thoughts about the first episode of Tabeer.
Lux Style Awards 2018 are taking place today. For the biggest award event of the year many of the biggest celebrities including Sajal Aly, Mahira Khan, Noman Ijaz, Ahad Raza Mir, Sanam Saeed, Iqra Aziz, Mohib Mirza, Amina Sheikh and many others. Ahsan Khan and Mahira Khan performed on the show. Here are some pictures of your favourite celebrities from the show:
Which celebrities do you think are rocking their style tonight? Share in comments!
Ahad Raza Mir is the new heartthrob on the block. After his blockbuster Yaqeen Ka Safar, Ahad has been ruling the hearts of his fans by posting cute pictures with his family and always expressing love for his mother. The Aangan actor expressed his thoughts about how men suppress their emotions and how we should educate our children from a very young age to cater to their feelings and learn from them. Here is what he had to say:
The two actors Sonya Hussyn and Feroze Khan are ruling the TRP charts with Aisi Hai Tanhai and Khaani respectively. Both the stars will be seen working together soon in a drama. Sonya is currently making the viewers fall in love with her character Pakeeza in Aisi Hai Tanhai while Feroze’s pair with fellow actress Sana Javed in Mir Haadi has been famous. Looks like the pair of Sonya and Feroze can be a treat to watch for the audience.
Do you think the pair will work? Share in comments!
Alishba Yousuf got married to Rayyan Durrani in 2009, the couple had a baby girl in 2015 and named her Ilyana. Now the couple has been blessed with a baby boy as per sister Syra Shahroz’s insta post.
About an hour ago Syra Shahroz took to her Instagram and congratulated the couple by saying,
“Our very own first G of the family. You are love and so much more congratulations @rayyandurrani and @alishbay “
PSL 3 is around the corner and we are hearing about different celebrities supporting our favourite teams. With Peshawar Zalmi showing off their celebrity power with appointing Mahira Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi as their brand ambassadors, the hot favourites Quetta Gladiators who have been finalists in the previous two seasons are not behind either. Our very own Teefa In Trouble girl, Maya Ali has joined the Quetta walas as their brand ambassador. Maya has gotten her own Shan e Pakistan jersey and was spotted wearing it as she was unveiled as the Quetta Gladiators’ brand ambassador.
Let’s see if Maya’s camp makes it to the final this time too or not, as no doubt, Quetta is one of the best teams with very well-loved players. Apart from Maya, singer Aima Baig and actor Feroze Khan are also supporting the Quetta camp:
Trophy for the third season of Pakistan Super League was unveiled today in Dubai in the presence of the six captains who along with their respective teams will be competing for it from 22nd of February.
The trophy is sponsored by Swarovski and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi thanked them for crafting such a beautiful souvenir.
All the captains spoke on the occasion, with each of them optimistic about lifting it after the landmark final at the National Stadium of Karachi.
Other than the trophy awards including the man of the series, highest scorer etc were also showcased.
This world never was an easy place for women but undoubtedly this struggle for survival has become a hundred times harder in today’s world or may be it always was this hard and it’s only now when women who were wronged have spoken for themselves and have forced us to open our eyes and see the truth that we so conveniently had closed our eyes to for centuries. The need to talk about where we went wrong has never been more relevant than now and there is no better medium to spread awareness than media, be it electronic, social or print.
As much as we need movies and plays telling stories of rape, sexual harassment, domestic violence and honor killing we also need stories that inspire. Women who have fought against all odds and have achieved the un-achievable. As much as the dark side of this society needs to be shown constantly we also need to show the audience that there’s still hope and that no dream is too big. Women who did not comply to the society’s definition of what a woman can and can not do, women who did not let their gender decide their limits, women who are the epitome of freedom and women empowerment.
Today we celebrate such women and their courage. Here’s a list of stories that need to be told through our TV serials and cinema.
1-Syeda Ghulam Fatima
The first time I heard of this superhero of a woman was when Brandon Stanton (the owner of photo-blog Humans of New York) shared her story and helped her raise $1.3 million for her organization, Bonded Labour Liberation Front Pakistan (BLLF). I had never heard of this brave woman or her cause ever before and that makes me terribly sad as I wonder how many other Ghulam Fatimas are still unsung and uncelebrated.
Fatima holds a master’s degree in Political Science from Punjab University. She has been campaigning for worker’s rights and against bonded labour in Pakistani brick factories, kilns. She has been threatened, attacked, and wounded because of her activism. Through her organization, the Bonded Labour Liberation Front, Fatima has established Freedom Centers where workers can go for protection and legal counsel. She is the elected General Secretary of Bonded Labour Liberation Front Pakistan. Alongside her husband, Fatima runs BLLF from a storefront in Lahore.
She helped to release more than 80,000 bonded laborers in Pakistan from all provinces since her engagement, and trained more than 600 women in alternative skills for poverty reduction. In September 2015, Fatima was awarded a Clinton Global Citizen Award for “leadership in civil society” in New York.
2-Shamim Akhtar
Shamim Akhtar, at 53 is Pakistan’s first female driver; she is one such example who decided to go against all odds to make both ends meet for her family and adapted to a role skewed toward gender based obstacles. Married off at 17 years, she quickly found out that she had to fend for herself and her children. In the face of considerable financial hardship, Shamim relied on her own intelligence and strength to take care of her children and marry off her eldest daughters. Her husband was never around, and left her for another woman.
She attributes her success to the Islamabad Traffic Police Training course that paved the way for her to show her the possibilities of being able to drive heavy vehicles as she had gained an excellent road sense and courage to defy all stereotypes associated with driving vehicles. Her untiring efforts later helped her gain a public service vehicle license, making her the first Pakistani woman licensed to drive trailers, tractors and trucks.
3-Samina Khayal Baig
Samina Baig comes from Shimshal village in Hunza Gojal, Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan, and was trained in mountaineering from the age of 15 by her brother, Mirza Ali. She is a student of Arts and began climbing when she was merely four years old. She is a high-altitude mountaineer who in 2013 climbed Mount Everest and then all Seven Summits by 2014. She is the first and only Pakistani woman to climb Everest and the Seven Summits. She is also the youngest Muslim woman to climb Mount Everest, having done so at the age of 21. Samina was the first to climb the peak Chashkin Sar (above 6,000 meters) in Pakistan in 2010, which was later renamed Samina Peak after her. She reached the summit of ‘Koh-i-Brobar’ (‘Mount Equality’) in 2011. Besides the Himalayas, Baig has been employed as a mountain guide and expedition leader in the Hindu Kush and the peaks of Karakoram. Baig has been a professional climber since 2009.
4-Kulsoom Hazara
Kulsoom Hazara, is a young enthusiastic, passionate and determinant Pakistani karateka who belongs to ‘Hazara Community’ located in Baluchistan. She is first female ‘karateka’ to represent Pakistan at international competitions. Despite of inadequate facilities and resources she is very optimistic about her future and vows of winning more medals for Pakistan. She participated in the 2012 Asian Championship, squaring off against fighters from various Asian countries. She is national Karate champion since 2003. She previously represented Pakistan in many international karate events like Islamic games, Asian and south Asian games and won many gold medals for Pakistan. Kulsoom is the only female player in Pakistan karate team who has hat-trick for wining 3 gold medals in 3 competitions and is still holding her record. Recently she took 2 gold medals in south Asian karate championship in new Dehli India and 3 gold medals in national games Lahore.
5-Sabia Abbat
Born and bred in Haripur, Sabia Abbat became the first woman from Hazara division to win the National Cycling Championship in 2013. Being a sports enthusiast at college where she represented the institution in various competitions helped. She saw a cycling competition in 2011 in Pania where the women could barely ride bikes and decided that this was a skill she wanted to learn. Back home, in Haripur, she practiced on her uncle’s cycle, fell a lot but kept at it. The cycling championship has nine events, six of which are held on a velodrome while three are on the road. Haripur has no facilities for training in cycling so for serious practice Sabia has to travel to Lahore. Sabia holds a Bachelor’s degree in physical education. She has been a National Champion, an army athlete and an inspiration and her journey is far from over.
6-Nergis Mavalvala
One of the most recent Pakistani woman to hit the international news headlines has been Karachi-born quantum astrophysicist Nergis Mavalvala, Associate Department Head of Physics at MIT, and a member of the team of scientists that announced the scientific milestone of detecting gravitational waves, ripples in space and time hypothesised by physicist Albert Einstein a century ago.
Dr Mavalvala worked with researchers at the US-based underground detectors Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) Laboratory to build sophisticated sensors to detect gravitational ripples created from the collision of two black holes some 1.3 billion years ago and had been hurtling through space to reach Earth on September 14, 2015. Dr Mavalvala, 47, attended the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Karachi, before going to the US as a teenager.
The article is already too long and yet this is the tip of the iceberg only there is so much more to where this comes from. Pakistani women are superheroes in true sense of the word and it baffles me why we do not celebrate these women and their stories as much as we focus on the stories that show women as the victim. We hope we get to see more plays and movies focusing on lives of these women in future. Let’s celebrate women for the warriors they really are.
Tau Dil Ka Kya Hua finally ended tonight and unfortunately this last episode wasn’t as powerful or gratifying as I was hoping it would be. All the mysteries were solved and just like every other ending written by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar a death changed a great deal but there were certain changes in some of the characters which were sudden and some of the mysteries didn’t interest me one bit. This ending could have been way better if it focused on the main characters alone.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed watching and reviewing this play but after watching this last episode, I am convinced that this ending and the drama as a whole could have been much more powerful if there weren’t so many tracks and characters in it. Saif’s character had an important role to play in the story yet he did not get a lot of screen time and Zahid Ahmed’s performance left a lot to be desired. Another reason why this ending wasn’t really satisfying was that I never really warmed up to Zoya and Faris’ relationship with each other. Dariya and Faris on the other hand had made for each other written all over them. Dariya’s character and Mansha Pasha’s acting too was far more superior than that of Zoya and Noor Khan’s acting was the weakest link in a play which had some amazing performances overall.
The change in Maya’s personality was rather sudden therefore although it was good to see her doing something for someone else for a change but it wasn’t relatable. The dialogues were well written and Ayeza Khan’s performance just like every other episode was right on point but this entire development overall wasn’t convincing. Dariya’s phone call gave hope that she might come back but that didn’t happen and it was sad watching her end up alone. Although, she was always shown as a strong woman who didn’t need a man to save her but even then the fact that she never got married went to show that she loved Faris so much that she couldn’t settle down with any other man. Tipu and Dariya had the most unhappy endings and these two were the best characters in this play.
Tau Dil Ka Kya Hua as a whole was brilliantly executed. The director Shahid Shafat deserves all the credit for making me tune into this drama every week. He made this drama a visual treat. Sami Khan, Mansha Pasha, Rehan Sheikh, Ayeza Khan and Imran Ashraf’s phenomenal performances were another reason why most of the episodes were brilliant even when the story got a little too complicated. This play also had tons of beautiful dialogues which explored the concept of love from a brand new perspective. The first 12 episodes or so had some of the most amazing conversations and kept me hooked. The background score throughout was remarkable and the overall feel of the play was quite unlike other Pakistani dramas yet quite appealing. The person incharge of the styling also deserves tons of appreciation for a job well done.
The channel did not do justice to this drama and it didn’t bag any awards either but for me Tau Dil Ka Kya Hua overall was a winner. Had it been slightly less complicated it would have been even better. This last episode however didn’t work for me overall.
A special thank you to all those wonderful people who read the reviews every week and shared their thoughts here. I really appreciate your feedback.
How many of you watched this last episode? Did it work for you? Do share your thoughts about it.
Imran Khan is a political figure whose personal life is also something of extreme interest for everyone, be it media or general public. Few days back, the whole media was wrapped up in chaos when the rumours about his third marriage surfaced which he later denied. Now Imran Khan is a married man as is confirmed by PTI. PTI spokesperson Naeem ul Haq confirmed that Imran Khan got married today to Bushra Bibi in a private ceremony. Party leaders are congratulating him and here are the pictures from the ceremony:
Best wishes for Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi! May they lead a beautiful life together!
These two episodes of Laal Ishq were as mindblowing as expected by a drama that has set such high standards, not from marketing or promotions but sheer good quality script and acting. The inter personal dilemmas are translated in a way that seem truly like a genius at work, or rather many geniuses since everyone is doing a brilliant job. The best thing about this drama is that not one person is inherently bad or evil, they are all bound by their own forces of love, heritage, loyalties and obligations. That is what makes them all so relatatable, so endearing and yet so charismatic. To be honest, I was not very fond of heavy dialogues and meaningful intonations after sadqay tumharay but Laal Ishq changes all of that. Here the dialogues are not merely for adding drama and weight to the situation but they truly add life and soul to the scenes.
In last week’s episode, Punar faced severe repurcussions from both Mehr Chiragh and Mehrunnisa and was even called a female and spineless son by them. Since he is always shown very impressionable and awed by Mehrunnisa, he has taken a U turn and decided to shake off the stigma of a weakling from himself. On the other hand, a ground is being set for the Mehrs and Jajji’s kids to know that Bali is their real father. Mehr Chiragh adds two into two and concludes that Farhad is Bali’s son and he is very proud of himself to be one step ahead of Mehrunnisa this time in getting justice for Hukum. This makes Mehrunnisa worried but only for a second. The strong and stubborn Mehrunnisa returns in a second and takes away Mahi’s engagement ring. As Bali recovers, Rameen and Farhad get to know that their father is actually called Jajji, so they are very genuinely concerned about their paternity. Eventually Jajji breaks down in front of their harsh questioning and tells them the truth. Kashif Mehmood has outdone himself, truly and thoroughly. There cannot be a better Jajji impersonating as Iqbal or a better father to tell his kids that he is not their real father. The end of last episode and starting of this one belongs totally to Kashif Mehmood for each and every tear that seems to be coming right from the core of his being.
The dialogues between Jajji and Bali were hilariously tragic. They make such an interesting duo, with both of them fighting for something that they know is rightfully neither of them fully. Jajji tried to convince Bali that he has done his best to ensure that Farhad and Rameen will hate him and love their real father, but Bali sees right through his facade. He is thankful that his kids were so loved and yet angry that they love his friend like their father and not him. This contradiction of feelings has made Bali so emotional and so helpless that he is almost talking non sense. Babar Ali has yet again proved what a talented actor he is. Bali is the heart of the play and Babar Ali’s acting is the heart of this character. He is simply amazing. I love the way how every character retains their sense of humor, no matter how trying the circumstances are.
Rameen and Farhad were also brilliant as the two youngsters who have suddenly had their whole lives and identities wiped away from them. Their anger is so genuine and yet so mixed with love that they want to hurt Jajji for hiding the truth but not quite. They hate Bali for the havoc he has created in their lives, and yet that have to protect him now. No questions asked. Since he is their biological father, they need to secure his life from Mehr Punaar and his gang.
Punaar has erased all good feelings from his heart or atleast he is trying to. Mahi, on the other hand believed in forgiving Bali right from the start and continues to do so but she is loyal enough to break all ties with Farhad. Farhad however is not going to give up on her this easy and wants to try one time to convince Punar to take his life instead of Bali’s. It was a very well written scene including Rameen’s unexpected arrival and losing her cool and screaming and crying in the hotel lobby, but Punar calling Farhad a dog was totally uncalled for. It would have been much better to end the scene with grace rather than abusive words.
Mehr Chiragh is also leaning towards forgiving Bali now, as he has sensed that his grandkids are irreversibly entwined in Bali’s family now and his death would adversely affect both sets of children. Mamoo Munir, on the other hand is single minded like his sister and would not agree to let Bali Iive at any cost.
It’s hard to wait a whole week for the next episode to air.
Tonight’s episode of Shayyad had a lot of important developments to its credit and just like every other episode of this drama this one too had a surprise in store. Aslam sahib’s entry has changed a great deal in a good way. Just like Tania, he is really different from Saad and his family. While in Saad’s family, everyone takes everything a little too seriously and they tend to worry more and do less, Tania and her father have a completely different approach. Some of the major developments tonight however, didn’t have the same impact they could have had because they seemed rushed. Having said that, the story is getting more interesting with every passing episode and it is impossible to guess what turn it will take in the upcoming weeks.
This episode opened with everyone greeting Tania’s father Aslam. He turned out to be a really pleasant surprise since his first interaction with Mahpara suggested that these two were meant to be together. I wasn’t expecting Mahpara’s track to take this turn but watching her take interest in a man other than someone who left her a long time back was a positive development. The actor playing the role nailed the light hearted scenes but he could have done better in that one relatively more serious scene in which he tells Hani to follow her heart. This conversation however was written brilliantly since it wasn’t directed at Hani alone but Mahpara was also listening to it and it was something she could relate to.
The lavish brunch was covered perfectly and this was another meaningful scene which showed how Tania helped Hani Smile again. Tania’s character is a breath of fresh air and it was sad to see her finding out who Saad’s true love was just days before her wedding. Saad has always been quite selfish when it comes to loving and supporting Hani therefore it did not come as a surprise at all that he didn’t pause to think about Tania when he proposed to Hani once again. This entire development however was too rushed since it seemed like some of the more important details were missing. The timeline in these scenes was confusing because the divorce papers were ready a little too quickly and the conversation between Hani and Saad was rather abrupt. When did Saad give Hani these papers and why did she change her mind suddenly?
It was surprising watching Salar drive away after his encounter with Saad. Saad’s father was absolutely right, this wasn’t like him at all. I am waiting to see what is going to be Salar’s next move. His conversation with his mother tonight revealed that his father used to abuse her and perhaps him to. Now that he is in control instead of doing things differently, he is doing exactly what his father did. He gets pleasure out of causing pain to people around him and is incapable of loving anyone at all. Nauman Ijaz yet again acted brilliantly tonight, no matter how short his scenes are he always makes his presence felt and completely owns his role.
Uzair Jaswal’s performance tonight was impressive and the fact that he shares great on screen chemistry with all his co-stars makes all his scenes work. Saad and Tania’s scenes together are always meaningful. Tonight too, all their scenes together added something important to their track. Tania was always afraid of losing Saad and now that her fears have come true I am waiting to see how she is going to react. Tania’s scene with Hani in which she tells her to move on was also really well written.
The dialogues tonight were deep and meaningful and right now the story is more interesting than it ever was. If some of the developments weren’t rushed tonight this episode would have been perfect. I also miss watching Irfan Khoosat’s character on screen, he should have been given some screen time in every other episode. Overall, Shayyad is an engaging play which keeps on giving you something to look forward to. Really looking forward to the next episode!
How many of you watched tonight’s episode? Don’t forget to share your thoughts about it.
This drama as expected has fallen victim to extreme dragging and in order to increase the number of episodes, they are just going to make every character loose mind and start whining over stupid, senseless stuff. Arsala, a girl who is hated by everyone, her parents exploit her and her sister is an unleashed monster who is always busy plotting her death, never ever says a word in front of anyone. But one person who tries to make things easy for her is so unacceptable that she starts whining and complaining that how horrible he is. The scene where he brings sweets was the most annoying scene in the whole episode. Why the hell are you complaining ke aap yahan kyun aaye when you always end up running to him for help? With 20 episodes down, even if you want to drag at least make the heroine like the bechara hero.
Shehnaz is another character who will probably never reach towards any realization and is obviously a negative character but make her do something other than writing essays on committees. She just keeps complaining about committees and is so naive that she could not figure out that Naima just does not want to lend her money while she is the same person who has made a whole story about how Arsala is cutting their allowance. Sabir’s realization has also proved to be extremely useless since he just is seen pouring out his philosophies at home and is not taking any action to bring things in order.
Naima is brilliantly played by Iqra Aziz, she has made this character extremely hateable and is hands down the best performer in Khamoshi. But the story is dragged so much that there is a limit a person can take a drama to some level. They have made all her scenes about abusing Arsala and fighting Atif and his mother. Naima was a character who used to plot against everyone in order to get things right for herself but all she does now is ATIF MERI TAREEF KARO!
Next episode is just going to be all about Bee Jaan and Arsala reunion. Since Bee Jaan’s family has turned her into Arsala number 2. Let’s hope the bad guys will start getting punished in the upcoming episodes because even if they want to get it to 30 episode mark, it will be a delight to watch the bad ones pay for their deeds in the last 10 episodes!
Ohkay so, it was a pretty interesting episode of Noor ul Ain. Things are being taken forward in a very simple & straight forward manner. It is a fact that the story of this drama is pretty basic but the execution & the depth in the characters is what is going to make it an interesting watch.
So, Noor landed herself a job opportunity in an interior designing firm & she seems pretty focused & career oriented. Noor has time & again said that she is not thinking about commitment at this stage because she has other goals in life but Ghazala keeps on directing her mindset towards commitment & more than that, towards Khizar.
I must say, I love Ghazala’s character, she seems just so real because she has all those shades that everyone has, she is nice but she can’t help analyze things as per her perspective too & that is why she discusses everything with her husband & son because she has no one else to share some gossips with. Well, that being said, I feel she genuinely loves Noor & wants to see her settled & happy. It seems Ghazala has lost her daughter Shumaila because of her own wrong decisions that is why she doesn’t want Noor to go through all of that. I am keen to find out more about what happened with Shumaila & what Ghazala had to go through. Ghazala’s conversation with her son Kashi was so sweet, where she started off with a little nagging then she tried to inspire him using his cousins as an example, then she shared her wishful thinking that since she has a son, he will take care of everything & it ended on a little joke regarding his wife. The way that entire conversation just flowed & most importantly the way it was carried out was simply beautiful because Iffat Omar just had a perfect grip on Ghazala’s character.
Khizar not only has no direction in life at this stage, he seems a bit too immature as well. The way Khizar’s friends make a joke or two about him goes to show that they are well aware of how Khizar’s obsessions change with time. Khizar’s mother might seem controlling but I feel she just wants him to excel & do well in his life, though her approach might not be motivational for him, but her intentions are pure & in line with how every mother feels. Also, because Khizar’s mother has done everything & has taken care of family business on her own, she wants her son to have some sense of responsibility because he is the one who is going to succeed her & run things after her.
After her conversation with Ghazala, Noor for the first time thought seriously about Khizar but sadly, he ended up doing something so childish which further pushed Noor away from him. Even though it was amusing yet sweet that by lying to Noor, Khizar tried to land himself another chance of meeting her, but it once again highlighted the fact that he was pretty immature & a polar opposite of Noor who is focused, serious & responsible. Luckily for Khizar, without even being aware of it, he left a good impression on Noor where he helped the little boy & gave him the flowers, that was the first time Noor got to see the niceness Khizar has & her smile said it all!
Overall, it was a pretty interesting episode of Noor ul Ain. Dramas like these show that no matter how simple a story might be, a decent execution & strong acting can make it worth a watch. I must say I am loving the casual no makeup look that all the girls are sporting in this drama; Noor, Sofie & even Khizar’s friend, it is nice to see these girls relying more on their acting & less on makeup because it makes their characters seem more real & natural & thank goodness for a girl in a bun, again, so real!!! Imran Abbas & Sajjal Ali are not only owning the characters of Khizar & Noor but share an amazing chemistry too. The preview of the next episode got me excited because now Noor will approach Khizar. Direction & acting of this drama has been flawless & I’m looking forward to what’s in store for us. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Noor ul Ain.
Architectural security is something we do not consider at any level in Pakistan. From no fire exits and no earthquake proofing in buildings to dingy collapsable stage setups for weddings and functions, we do it all. Recently the stage collapsed at a concert where singer Annie Khalid was performing on stage in Gujranwala at a college. The stage was a temporary makeshift type and about ten girls were injured in the incident. Here is the video of the unfortunate collapsing:
It is high time we start putting some efforts o safety of people and hope the girls recover soon!
Rawalpindi express, Shoaib Akhtar has been appointed as the brand ambassador for Pakistan Cricket Board as well as the advisor to the Chairman Najam Sethi. Najam Sethi announced this on his twitter account.
Shoaib Akhtar expressed delight on this appointment and vowed to work with the same passion he has always worked with in his whole career.
He also expressed that he wants to take Pakistan cricket to the next level:
Congratulations to Shoaib Akhtar on being appointed at these positions!
One thing which has been constant for many Pakistanis from their childhood memories is Ainak Wala Jin. Each one of us has grown up while watching that show. Matloob ur Rehman commonly known as Munna Lahori is the actor who played Zakoota Jin in the famous series. After losing Nusrat Ara (Bil Batori) last year, now we have lost Matloob. He was suffering from paralysis and was getting dialysis for his kidneys.
He faced a severe financial crisis in his last years and finally breathed his last in Lahore. He has left behind a wife and five children.
May Allah bless the deceased soul and grant peace to the family. RIP Zakoota!
So finally here with a review of the probably most read novel in Pakistan, Yes you are right its about Nemrah Ahmed’s new novel Haalim.
This novel could be categorized as Science Fiction because it is more like a fantasy world or a world that only existed in the Einstein’s time equation in addition it has that gems of wisdom we usually taste in Nemrah Ahmed’s novels. I am sure this gave you a lot of her characters to remember in retrospect. I know this novel is more like a fantasy or a superficial kind of world but the lessons from each character’s story gives you a whole new dimension to think about and the time theory makes it very interesting.
Number 10 is out and I ought to say it had a lot of events that capture your attention and refresh your mind and give you a reality check in terms of your thoughts and believe me that is the speciality of the writer. I cannot resist to say this because every episode has a title and it unfolds with scenarios and conditions which are most likely happening in our country nowadays and it always touches those topics which are faced by many people these days. Let’s jump in the ocean of this beautiful and thought provoking world.
TITLE- SANAM TARAASH
Well, the title was quite captivating but it wasn’t something new as we already experienced this in Namal But surely the story had. For me this title hinted the two main aspects of the episode.
1- The ‘’fan fever’’ moments that were magically explained by our favourite Fateh Ramzel. I can not even explain those moments in words that how beautifully he made clear the idea of being easily impressed by others. As a matter of fact I thought I was reading a psychology book. So thumbs up for that therapy Wan Fateh Ramzel or Ghulam Fateh Ramzel.
2- The Statue of Wang Lee. Atleast here they showed some ‘’Good’’ talent in Taaliya or Should I say Shehzadi Tasha.
TAALIYA’S JOURNEY SO FAR IN THIS EPSIODE
The episode took off with Taaliya’s dream that she was in an office cabin and wearing a symbolic ring. Taaliya’s dreams are actually visions that come true exactly how she sees it so there are no hidden meaning or symbolic gestures behind it. So good news for all Haalims that Taaliya will go back to Malaysia But the question lies … Alone ? or with Adam or Fateh Ramzel or both? That was the sacriest question of Adam That I am sure left all of us wondering and guessing.
Despite being called a chor and dhokebaaz by our favourite Fateh Ramzel ( a politician ) I still don’t dislike her character. I don’t know why but when you read about Taaliya’s actions and her justifications you could feel for her. I didn’t know Taaliya would speak about these matters. The first one that actually stood out the most for me was the ‘’Work Place Ethics’’ and the second one ‘’Victim Shaming’’.
I was surprised to read how seamlessly the writer linked the Rishta of Sultan Mursal with the Work Place Ethics and made it very clear that what should be the status of a ‘’Boss’’ and ‘’Employee’’ and the true meaning of Harrassement.
I just appreciate the determination of Taaliya, even when she knew her father knew everything she wasn’t shattered but tried to make plans to escape and it was good to see our Taaliya back jiske paas hamesha plans hote thay! Now coming to the most Shocking and Eye Popping Event of this episode.
Mehndi hai rachne waali, haathon pe gehri laali…..Lol the shaadi part. I honestly remembered Datan when she messed up the plan of Taaliya by calling Asra and telling her that a girl will steal ur husband. Does she really knew Taaliya or she could foresee future? Never mind, the most weird shaadi happened and I don’t know what I felt. Taaliya’s fans maybe Happy but I still don’t know what to say about this.The reaction was shocking then neutral….Lol if it makes sense but the circumstances made the decision quite satisfying as there was no other way to get rid of Sultan and his proposal.
Taaliya finally knew what Treasure was awaiting for her and why she visited Sanbao, At first it looked as if she will visit that place for Fateh Ramzel but then the puzzle was solved by Taaliya herslef and it was exactly in accordance with her nature….Yes, Yes it is choari but different kind of choari. ‘’The Antique Shop’’ whose inauguration will be done by Adam and Taaliya in the future. What a thought!
FATEH BIN RAMZEL’S JOURNEY
This episode marked the unexpected shaadi of Fateh Ramzel and literally this man is a born politician you know jis ke rag rag main siyasat basi ho…duh even at that crucial moment where he had to marry Taaliya to save her he was looking for brownies.. I know his plans were for all par hadh hoti hai…khair
We also knew that Fateh Ramzel was upset about the distorted history written by our Shareef Moarikh Adam but the reason was not what Taaliya assumed. She accused him of fame, and wanting to stand out as Best. He just wanted to meet Taaliya’s father that’s why he was upset when Adam didn’t mention him but Fateh Ramzel is a politician after all he knows other ways to make his job done.
Fateh Ramzel was also seen encouraging the slaves and teaching them about ‘’Zehni ghulami’’The Entry of Aariyaana and the history of Tea, Fateh Bin Ramzel always proves to be a ‘’Mr.Know it all’’
COUNTRY’S ECONOMIC STATE
Economic Hitman a disease well explained to common people by Nemrah Ahmed. I just keep wondering how a single novel could touch so many important topics to educate everyone. The suggestion which was put forth by Taaliya was for the well being of the country but the Chinese ( Wang Lee ) idea won the argument and Sultan because of his moti aqal couldn’t grasp the disaster behind it.
DREAM MYSTERY
I swear I wouldn’t have known about these treasures as my guesses about Namal were exactly like this.The Mystery of the treasure revealed so far was that there were 3 treasures, The first one was the treasure of ‘’time’’ the second is going to be the ‘’ Antiques’’ and the last one is still unknown.
ADAM’S JOURNEY SO FAR
Adam’s participation in this episode was little but whenever he appeared he did something really important and gave the basis to progress the story.
He found out the book about the Three moons and discovered that island and collected his location for different maps.
Adam loved Taaliya and this line explains it all…haaye Adam
END OF THE EPISODE
What a true politician Fateh Bin Ramzel is, he easily convinced Raja Muraad that he knows everything about the future but what was awaiting for us as readers was shocking….
I think FATEH Bin Ramzel lied but if he didn’t then Taaliya must discovered the key and travelled back to her time.What are your thoughts about this episode and what are your guesses? Pardon me if a missed something as the episode had a lot of happenings.
Ohkay so, this drama has turned into a joke because the story has completely flipped & the concept or theme that was being advocated has totally been compromised upon.
In the beginning, when the drama wasn’t getting much ratings, the statements by the members of O Rangreza team were passed that people can’t really tolerate ‘bold’ female leads, but seeing what that bold female lead is upto at this stage of the drama is sending mixed signals. I guess Sajal Ali herself told that the drama had 26 episodes, so it is quite obvious that it has not only been extended but such twists & turns have been added which are further making this drama look like a joke. Sajal Ali also hinted that the ending of this drama would be different but I guess just because the viewers liked Sassi & Qasim’s jori together, things have been twisted to make them end up together, so when everything had to become so predictable, why was our time wasted by promising us something different or unique?
Oh well, looks like the writer couldn’t keep up his promise by keeping Sassi BOLD so he now made a point that no matter how bold a girl or a woman is, she will always need a boy or a man to rely on, she will always need a man to rescue her when she feels lost? I really am shocked to see the fate the ‘bold’ female characters have met in this drama where Sonia literally couldn’t even die without the help of a useless man & Sassi has become a lunatic because she now wants a man in her life?
It is such an insult to all those bold women out there because the writer has given this story his tunnel visioned treatment where he is making a point that being bold will tire a woman out & either she will die miserably or will lose her sanity but in all cases, she will need a man? Seriously? I guess the writer was set to try something different but in the middle of the story he thought he was giving women a lot of edge, therefore he once again decided to inflate the ego of all the men out there including himself, by showing that no matter what a woman does or how strong or bold she is, she will always be miserable if she won’t have a man in her life!?!?! It was also being suggested that Sassi was ready to change herself, she was literally ready to turn into a housemaid for Qasim’s sake? So much for being bold, eh?
The entire ‘mujhe bacha lo Qasim’ scenario is absolutely bizarre. I know people would be going bonkers over Sajal’s acting, she undoubtedly performed phenomenally but I’m having a hard time watching her scenes since last episode because I didn’t tune to this drama to see a so-called bold girl turn into a psychopath who’s now having fits!!! The screaming & everything is not only depressing but it is absolutely disturbing!
Now when Khayyam is free since Sonia’s no more, he suddenly realized that he has to do something for his daughter & he has to get her the toy she wants by hook or by crook. What an excellent parenting I must say. Just because Khayyam & Sassi are selfish, it means they will have things their way because wo to bhai aisay hi hain, dheet aur ziddi se, seriously???
The preview of the next episode had me nodding in disbelief because now Qasim will be assigned a new duty, which is to bring Sassi back to her batameez self & in the middle of all this, Meena will become the villain because things won’t rightly so sit well with her? It all seems way too forced now & only a hideous attempt to make Qasim & Sassi end up together. Whatever the writer has tried to convey or achieve is quite messed up I must say. Please share your thoughts!
Malala’s support for Akshay Kumar starrer ‘PadMan’ was unwavering and so the director Balki has decided to have a special screening of the film for the Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousufzai.
“What can I say about Malala coming forward to support our film? We are blessed and honoured. It is voices like her that would carry our message in PadMan forward. Menstruation must not be swept under the carpet anymore. And we need powerful voices like Malala’s to carry the message forward,”
He further added,
“We are definitely showing it to her at the earliest, as soon as the logistics are worked out.”
Talking about this film he said,
“I decided to do PadMan because the story of the man who thought of making the sanitary pad affordable to the middle class really inspired me. When Twinkle Khanna came to me with the idea, I was hooked.”
With cyber world taking over the real world there is no running from the fact that the only game that matters now is your social media game as long as that is strong you are winning at life. We have seen chai walas become models and parchees become singing sensations because they went viral and became the nation’s crush.
The latest entry to this world is Fawad Khan. The Zindgi Gulzaar Hai star is all set to make his debut in a web series with a five-episode online family drama.
According to Deccan Chronicle a source has revealed,
“Fawad has a huge fan following and after exploring television and films, there are film-makers who have been approaching him for online productions. The actor himself also seems keen to work on a web series,”
The Humsafar star was last seen in Karan Jauhar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and is currently working on Bilal Lashari helmed cult classic Maula Jatt. Fawad Khan fans have pretty much earned the right to see him in this web series since it’s been so long since they last saw him.
We wish the star success for this endeavor just like his endeavors of the past. Way to go!
Pakistan Super League’s opening ceremony is not only going to be a thrilling event for the cricket enthusiasts but also for all the Ali Zafar fans out there because the actor just announced that the teaser trailer for his upcoming romantic thriller ‘Teefa In Trouble’ will be released at the opening ceremony of PSL on February the 22nd.
It has been directed by Ahsan Rahim and also features Maya Ali. The movie will mark Ali Zafar’s, Maya Ali’s and Ahsan Rahim’s debut in Pakistani film industry.
So we got the next two episodes of Umm e Haniya this week and one thing is really noticeable, this drama airs in two episodes every week and still manages to keep it happening and engrossing. Filler scenes are few and far between but story does move forward. There was a little too much moping by Rohan and too much conversation about keeping the abandoned baby home but over all it was still not a drag.
Another good thing is that till now, the drama is making sense. The people are acting in line with their characters and the script in written in a sane way. Even though the happenings are not very usual, like finding and keeping a lone baby and the fact that Romi’s fiancé was the person whose negligence caused Saba’s death, they are shown in a very realistic manner. The story is looking unusual and interesting but not outlandishly unbelievable. Rather, it is becoming more like a thriller. You really want to know how and when Rohan will find his daughter and how will Kamil and Roban’s mother get punished.
Hashim Butt and Neelum Munir were again stars of the show. The father daughter duo is so endearing, so loving and so gentle that you can’t help falling in love with both of them. They couldn’t have done better than Hashim Butt in the character of a supportive and feminist father. He makes your heart melt and gives you such fatherly feel. He is just the best part of the whole play. More men like him are needed on mainstream media to show how men shoulda treat their families and daughters and even orphan and under privileged members of the society. No wonder his daughter cannot make herself abandon a helpless infant even though her own marriage and relationships are in danger because of that.
Regarding the other two families, Kamil’s is your usual family next door with its flaws and trials. Kamil is not a bad person but he made a bad and selfish decision under crisis. It’s not like he deliberately killed Saba but his negligence in both driving and getting her prompt medical care lead to her death. It was good to see Rohan remembering and pursuing this, and now this lost watch scenario is certainly adding thrilling and mysterious dimensions to the play. Kamil’s mother is also typical and orthodox but not evil because she was defending Romi in the face of her daughter Sundas’s accusation about the baby being Romi’s illegitimate child. Sundas, however is almost comical in her dislike and jealousy of Romi and the way she is handling the situation also shows that she is not a bad woman per se but cannot really digest the freedom and trust that Romi is given by her father and brother, which she likely never got.
Rohan’s family on the other hand is such negative energy. Only a woman like his father mother could have raised a daughter like Maham, wo does not have an ounce of sympathy for her broken and bruised brother who has just lost his wife and newborn baby. Such people make you nasueaous by their mere presence. On top of that, both Farah Shah and the girl playing Maham (please enlighten me with her name if you know) are not even doing a good job as actresses, so it’s very hard to understand their characters at any level, but the other two main families are compensating quite well for them.
Stay tuned to see where the next week’s episodes take the story..
Writer: Inam Hasan
Director: Saife Hasan
Produced By: MD Productions
I am going to be honest, the title of this drama didn’t appeal to me at all but the promos definitely caught my attention and piqued my curiosity. Any drama which promises to offer something other than the usual topics that are the subject matter of most of our dramas deserves a shot but not every such drama delivers because being different alone is not good enough. The first episode of Bela Pur Ki Dayan couldn’t have been more on point especially because it was executed brilliantly. We have seen some horror and suspense dramas in recent past which failed to deliver because the execution was sloppy, to say the least, therefore I am convinced that when it comes to such dramas especially the director can make or break the script. Translating such scenes on screen isn’t an easy feat especially because it hasn’t been done a lot in Pakistan but this first episode of Bela Pur Ki Dayan gave hope that this time around the viewers will get to watch a show which does not rely on scenes and scenarios inspired from Hollywood movies of the same genre.
The opening scene of a first episode in particular says a great deal about what the approach of the writer and director is going to be like. The first scene of tonight’s episode was intelligently written because it did not give away too much or too little information about the main protagonist or the background of the house but just the right amount of information to keep you wondering. This scene was also shot perfectly, the camerawork, acting and the background score couldn’t have been better. The scene was also wrapped up quickly which was another positive.
The story started with Aziz Sahib’s (Shakeel Yusuf) family moving into an old ancestral home only because that is what he wanted. His wife showed her reluctance immediately after he told her that they were moving in to that house and even before stepping in the house she did not feel comfortable. Tasha (Sarah Khan) is the main protagonist since the demon living in that house seems to be more interested in her than anyone else. She was also the one who experienced the most terrifying encounters with the demon first hand. Although Rameez (Osama Tahir) also got a warning when he replaced the picture hanging on the wall but that warning was more subtle than the encounter Tasha had. Wajdan’s illness however suggests that whoever is in that house will do whatever it takes to let everyone know that they are not the ones in control! The fact that this isn’t just some random house but the house Aziz grew up in makes the story more interesting.
The director Saife Hasan used short, to the point spooky scenes throughout to build excitement and the director of photography did his job really well too. All the actors involved gave realistic performances which always helps connecting to different situations. Bela Pur Ki Dayan’s first episode will definitely make you monitor your surroundings more than once if you watch it alone! The overall setting of the play seems perfect, the location couldn’t have been better and the strong attention to detail was obvious from every scene!
If you haven’t watched this first episode, do tune into it since it will surely give you something to look forward to every week.
Ohkay so, this episode of Pukaar was strictly alright. Even though the drama is in the initial stages but till now it hasn’t offered anything new. The pace is however good but I am not sure for how long will they be able to keep it that way as it doesn’t look like there’s much for them to show, but let’s see what’s yet to come!
So, Samra finally got convinced that Fahad loves her & she couldn’t turn a blind eye after she found out that he was actually leaving. To be honest, Samra’s feelings didn’t get conveyed clearly as to why she changed her mind that too so suddenly because she was pretty sure that marriage was not on the cards for her yet. I would’ve liked a bit more if they had shown what was Samra thinking & what actually convinced her that Fahad is the one for her because it seemed a bit out of the blue that one fine day she woke up & felt something for him. Anyways, Samra said yes & told Fahad that he shouldn’t leave.
Fahad right from the beginning seems a bit too conceited & arrogant, that is why even after he proposed Samra, he made it look like he actually did a favor to her by falling for her. Fahad wants things to be as per his terms & conditions that is why he seemed offended at everything that Samra said & did. It has a lot to do with the sort of environment he grew up in where he has seen his father being stuck up & his mother believing in her false pride while clearly knowing that she has no authority whatsoever.
The entire proposal & meetings between the parents showed how Fahad & Samra’s families were completely different with their own set of beliefs & perspectives. Fahad’s parents right from the beginning just looked down upon Samra’s family & made it obvious that they were just going to treat them formally & not as a part of their family as they didn’t seem too happy for Fahad or Samra!
They both got married & Samra couldn’t stop thinking about her parents. I actually felt the marriage came a bit too early & happened way too quickly & then the preview showed what the story is going to be about but then again it didn’t really excite me to be looking forward to it. Right now, all I can see is that it is going to turn into a love triangle with the new character of Zahid Ahmed helping Samra & rescuing her from the torture of Fahad’s family, may be.
Overall, this episode was just alright & didn’t really impress me much. The preview showed that Fahad’s father will start brainfeeding him & that will give a space for misunderstandings to nurture between Samra & Fahad. Everything else is ok but why was Fahad been referred to as Fahad Sultaannnn again & again, because they tried really hard to create that persona but it just didn’t go with the image of the actor as he seems a bit off for this character. Anyways, please share your thoughts about this episode of Pukaar.
The much-awaited film starring Amina Sheikh, Sanam Saeed and Adnan Malik, Cake is near its release. The official trailer for the film is out and we have to say it looks interesting. Cake is based on family rivalry and has a perfect pinch of comedy in it. The film also has Mikaal Zulfiqar in a special role. Directed by Asim Abbasi, Cake will hit the screens on 30th March 2018. Here watch the trailer:
What are your thoughts on Cake? Do you think it will be a hit or a miss?
The Lollywood power couple star director Syed Noor and wife Saima have always been strong. They have gone through rumours about their marriage many times but they never pay attention to them. This time around the social media was blazing with news of them separating. It hurt the feelings of both of them and they decided to address those nasty rumours. In a video, Saima and Noor Sahab clarified that they are very much together and they will not tolerate people saying stuff about their relationship to get some views. Here is the video they released:
We wish the couple always remain together in happiness and peace and people should not spread such cheap rumours for views and trps!
