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Kuch Na Kaho Episodes 8 & 9 Review – Manhoos Aina!

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The pace of these two episodes continued to not disappoint. I found myself interested to see where the story is going for although we do have a fair idea of what will happen I am glad to say that at least the way the events are unfolding is convincing – and interesting – enough.

I was highly sceptical and cringed thinking seriously, is this how predictable and annoying this drama will be when Aina leaves for Islamabad and Imran gives up his mobile phone that they will be unable to get in touch which will lead to misunderstandings ending with disastrous results. I was glad however when Imran learns from Aina’s friend that she has left for a few days and when she returns she goes to the flat and thankfully Imran is home. I can not stress enough how that raised the drama’s worth in my eyes at least for the done to death, no communication ka rasta or Imran leaving the flat to run an errand when Aina arrives would have done my head in. While the drama may not be rid of such clichés later on, I will give credit now for where it is due. I do wonder though at the 1990s style of ‘dumb calls’ when Imran being so rich could have given Aina a mobile phone that he could reach her on. Obviously before he was stripped of his own belongings but even if Aina was all about ‘I am not after your money’, I am sure a simple phone to be able to contact each other would have been a wise idea but oh well.

Aini too surprised me when she announced enough is enough and broke off the engagement. Eyebrows went further up when she said Aina’s family should be paid a visit and I thought, good stuff! But while Aini may think of herself as a competent player so to speak, Imran’s father is the true puppet master and knows when to pull which chords. He knows his son well and knows he will return once left to fend for himself. Seems like Aini is back on board too.

Aina’s fiancé is far from impressed by Aina’s ‘reserve’ and I have to say I really like Faraz’s character where he has been all understanding about Aina’s heartbreak and also encourages her fiancé and her to have a few moments together. It is good to see the writer presenting a male character with a broad mind but a sensible one for either they are too conservative to the point of being manic or there are the truly liberal ones with the fake English accents, huge cigars and drink in hand. Faraz is a character I can really understand and like – till now at least. I also liked how he did not fly off the handle when he came upon Aina and her fiancé and also later how he stresses how Aina is unhappy with this upcoming marriage.

While Huma Nawab’s acting leaves a bit to be desired, her character does pinch at my heart especially when she says how Imran is not worthy of Aina and his parents refused to come and take her ‘izzat se’. I am glad to see a level headed sensible family that cares about each other and is not out to manipulate each other which is why Aina’s actions seem even more, deplorable for lack of a better word not because I am judging her for marrying against her family wishes but for pulling the wool over her mother’s eyes who has trusted her and devoted her life to her children and even agreed to meet Imran’s parents. I keep repeating that I know, but while Aina is worried now it is because the fiance’s family wants to move ahead with the wedding not how she has let her mother, Sajal and Faraz down. I can see why she would not care about Mohsin, LOL.

So Aina from sweet loving Aina is fast becoming Manhoos Aina in Imran’s mind. While it is admirable and definitely much more fascinating when the rich boy leaves his family in the name of love and makes his way in the world, portrayal of a character like Imran has also been very realistically done. It is true that he has never had to worry about a single aana – I could not resist substituting dime with aana with all the Aina-Aini going on, LOL. There is that old saying, when poverty enters the door, love goes out the window. Imran blames Aina for all the hardship coming his way and now that things have been laid out in the open at his end he wants Aina to rush things at her end. I could see how he wanted her to also come clean and move in and while Aina said he could barely fend for himself she did not want to add on her own burden, I felt it was more because she lacked the courage. I wonder why she went ahead with the nikkah anyway and even if she did, then the very obvious would be to sort of avoid starting a family until things had settled between the families? Methinks so! But then all those fainting spells, bar one drama (Teri Chah Mein) – spell out only one thing – a pregnancy! How are the women in our dramas always so clueless that they never realise they are pregnant until they faint?! I would honestly love to know if that has happened to women in real life. Yes the odd few maybe, but routinely?!

There have been a few negative comments regarding Naveen Waqar’s appearance and while I totally get how a certain actor or actress can put you off from watching a drama and I agree that her fringe is distracting, her acting so far has been realistic enough. I feel her despair, I dislike her for being selfish and I find while Aina may end up being the victim, Naveen’s portrayal of the character has been such that you feel the ‘victim’ sort of brought this upon herself. Imran’s character is wishy washy where he grows a backbone and then loses it the way a lizard may lose its tail and grow one back. I am pleasantly surprised at Mirza Zain’s acting and how he seems to be comfortable in his character. Faraz is the only sensible one so far and I hope he has a sensible plan of action rather than letting Aina flit round the streets again trying to sort things out. I like a few dialogues of this drama too especially the scene between Imran’s parents when his father says that why do mothers assume fathers are unfeeling. A father’s stern attitude for the long term benefit of his child can be viewed as unfeeling at times when it is not. While I may not agree with his tactics for bringing Imran back to him or forcing him into a marriage with Aini, I could understand the underlying anger when he wonders how Imran thought he could have fooled his own father. His father is an arrogant man who believes he knows what move to make when and till now things have panned out favourably for him.

Next week’s preview shows Aina paying her in laws a visit and although I suppose Imran and Aini have gone to Dubai to shop, Aina will meet Imran and given the direction he is headed, seems like he has had enough of her. I wonder if Aina’s mother survives the heart attack and what is in store for Aina now. Sorry, no screenshots today as my daughter is a bit poorly. I would love to hear what you all thought of these episodes though and any guesses whether Aina’s pregnancy will bring a change of heart in Imran or will he not be told?

Kunwal Javid

Dhaani Episode 19 Review – End It ASAP!

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Ohkay so, I hate to say this but Dhaani drama has come to a point where it is becoming hard for me to sit through its episodes. The pace of the drama has slowed down considerably & there is nothing that the drama is offering from the last 4 – 5 episodes. I think the story of the drama was best suited for 16-18 episodes but as usual the habit of stretching the drama has changed the way I used to look at this drama. This is one of the reasons why I procrastinated watching Dhaani because it is getting harder for me to give this drama a go & I am dreading tuning to the next episode of this drama already!

So, Sameer finally landed himself a job & Amjad seems pretty impressed with how Sameer is performing. Sameer has already gotten into Amjad’s good books so I won’t be surprised if after getting to know that Dhaani is the guy Sameer is in love with, Amjad will back off!

The initial part of the episode involved a lot of yelling & screaming which I most certainly can not tolerate. I know it was required to showcase the emotions that everyone in Dhaani’s family is going through when it comes to Sameer, but that’s not something that I sign up for when I tune to a drama, so it was such a put-off for me. Babu Niyaz ended up facing the brunt for giving a place to Sameer to live & the way he pleaded Sameer’s case was actually quite reasonable & rational. It is his home & he is entitled to bring anyone in, as his tenant or as his friend, that is why those who sat together to come to a conclusion about this matter couldn’t really say much as Niyaz had a point!

Raja’s friends attacked Sameer in Raja’s absence, that is why Kaleem couldn’t understand who it was that hurt Sameer & for what reason. Kaleem has zero sympathy for Sameer as he suffered a lot of embarrassment because of him, but I don’t really understand one thing, Kaleem only heard things from Rehan but he never really tried to get to know why Dhaani’s name got involved or linked with Sameer? It is good to know that he trusts his daughter but at least Kaleem should get into the detail of the matter to find out what is it that has forced Sameer to leave everything behind & most importantly who is it that Sameer is doing all this for, because may be that way, he will stop being so rigid towards him & might as well consider getting Dhaani married to someone she is not in love with.

It is actually quite sad to see Dhaani being fizzled out in the background from last so many episodes, like she was the girl who had a personality, had some dreams & had this persona, but it is sad to see her turning into a sobbing-queen whose only motive in life was to fall for a guy & get married to him, because now when things have become shaky and unfavorable, she is seen crying all over the place as if her life has ended!

Overall, this episode was way too slow & was quite boring as well. I really hope they finish this drama off soon & edit out the remaining episodes to fit the ending into the next couple of episodes as these many number of episodes are enough, in fact in my opinion they have exceeded a number that was required to cover a story like this. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Dhaani!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Farhan went down on his knees again at QHBCW

Pictures of Farhan Saeed proposing Urwa Hocane circulated on social media recently. Farhan and Urwa have been dating for sometime now and have never shied away from accepting their relationship,showing their love and affection.And to our surprise Farhan recently proposed Urwa in Paris and they’re now finally engaged.We just can’t get over the fact that how cute this couple is. Farhan time and again shows his love for Urwa and this time again he did not missed the chance to go down on his knees again for Urwa at Bridal Couture Week 2016

And the girl said yes on the ramp ! ?? #UrwaHocane and #FarhanSaeed #QHbCW

A photo posted by Paki_Celebs_Universe ✨ (@paki_celebs_universe) on

They are the cutest couple! About yesterday. #qhbcw ~ #urwahocane#farhansaeed

A photo posted by ➤ URWA HOCANE FC (@urwafeeds) on

How dreamy this couple is! Urwa and farhan #QHBCW #framesipk #kryolanpk #EbuzzPR

A video posted by ebuzztoday (@ebuzztoday) on

Rimsha Butt

Sabiha Khanum will be attending Pakistan Film Festival New York

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Pakistan Film Festival New York which is already going to be star studded event just got another huge star in the list,The classic star of Pakistan “Sabiha Khanum”.She will first attend the red carpet event taking place on December 2nd followed by the Film Festival to be held on this weekend in New York.

Sabiha Khanum was the leading actress of Pakistani cinema in the 1950s and 1960s and continued to play award-winning roles for films in the 1980s and 1990s. She also acted in some award-winning television dramas.Most of Sabiha’s movies were with her husband playing the lead role opposite her, the late Santosh Kumar (Syed Musa Raza).They were always regarded as the perfect couple.

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Ms Khanum currently resides in USA with her daughter.She will be accompanied by her granddaughter, Sarish Khan, at the Pakistan Film Festival New York.

“Nani has remained out of the public eye for quite some time now,” said Sarish, the current title holder of Miss Pakistan USA. “But it gives her great pride that I’m following my passion as an artist so she didn’t want to miss the opportunity to support me and support Pakistani cinema.”

Rimsha Butt

Bradaari Orchestra makes an impressive debut

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There’s been growing anticipation for musician Hamza Jafri’s new project, Braadri Broadcast, a compilation of 10 fusion tracks featuring 15 artistes from all over Pakistan.

After a launch event on Monday night, Braadri Orchestra’s first single was released online.The video “Karma Walay” is a fusion of Punjabi folk and Urdu ghazal,featuring vocals by Sarfraz Ali, Akram Khan and Zarnab Rashid and lyrics by Tauqeer Chugtai.The Rest of Braadri Orchestra’s 10 original tracks will release through the course of the next year.

The main composer and music director for the project Bradaari Orchestra is Akram Raja, the videos have been produced by Rola, audio recorded by Bilal Nasir Khan and costumes designed by Yousuf Bashir Qureshi. Hamza’s band member from Co-VEN and Coke Studio percussionist Sikandar Mufti is the tech head and creative associate.Nida Butt is the creative director of the project.

In an earlier interview with Images, Hamza said,“There is all this East-West fusion music happening, but no cross-ethnic fusion. Pakistan has such rich musical traditions from its provinces. It would be amazing to create a fusion between them, such as mixing Punjabi folk with Balochi, Sindhi with Urdu, Pashto with Shina, and so on.”

Here is the official video of “Karma Walay”

Rimsha Butt

Ali Zafar to star in a Pakistani Film!

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Ali Zafar who needs no introduction started out on local TV, then also established a career in Bollywood and his success led many Pakistani actors to venture into Bollywood films.He made is debut in Bollywood with film Tere Bin Laden and was nominated for Filmfare Best Male Debut Award.The Singer has now finally signed a local Pakistani Film which is all set to go on floors in early 2017.

In a candid tête-à-tête with Images, Ali dishes on his debut Pakistani feature film, his musical career and why Deosai, which was supposed to be his first Pakistani project, has been shelved for now:

Ali Zafar to star in a Pakistani Film!

Images: Tell us a little bit about your role in Ahsan Rahim’s next, which is the first Pakistani film you’ve signed. What made you finally take the plunge and do a local film?

Ali Zafar (AZ): I’ve been working towards making a film in the local industry for the last four years. Various subjects, stories and ideas were discussed and developed. And finally our excitement levels skyrocketed on this particular [story] and how it developed.

Ahsan and I have worked very closely and look forward to this hitting the floors for filming come early 2017. I wanted my first Pakistani film to appeal to the dance -party walas and the rickshaw walas alike — a film for everyone. I can’t share much about my specific role as yet.
All I can say is… well, nothing for now! It’s a surprise.

Images: Ahsan has shared that it’s an action comedy. How will you be preparing for the role?

AZ: You can definitely expect a lot of action and comedy from me till the film releases. [I’m] completely immersing myself into the character.

Images: You’ve done a number of Bollywood movies. Share how Dear Zindagi was different and give us some insight into what it was like working with the cast.

AZ: You don’t really get to see many films that are so simple yet so fascinating. I found this to be one of them. The characters are real and so are the emotions. I found it to be something people would be able to relate to in the real sense, especially younger audiences.

Modern storytelling has and should continue to change and I think Dear Zindagi reflects that freshness in the art of storytelling. I also loved how my character was written. Not to mention he was named after one of my favorite poets, Rumi.

Images: You were set to star in your own production, Deosai that has now been shelved. Why did you decide to abandon the project?

AZ: It hasn’t been shelved but rather to be looked at for a later time. It just became too ambitious a film for its expense and too elaborate for the dynamics of our current industry as it required a lot of technical paraphernalia to go and shoot at impossible heights. I also happened to incur an injury in the preparation process.

Meanwhile, my current film with Ahsan Rahim developed as a much more doable and an exciting venture with the perfect fun, feel good script with which to start this journey. I have a passion for positivity, fun, romance and laughter and this film is the perfect reflection of these facets.

Images: Give us an update on your music. Do you have an album in the pipeline or has acting taken priority for the moment?

AZ: Yes, I am also working on my fourth music album. Music will always remain my most intense passion and I am glad I get to keep the passion alive and burning in my movies. Dear Zindagi, for example, has me sing and perform two songs that I love. I hope you like them too.

Images: Your thoughts on the progress of the current film industry?

AZ: I think it’s great to see so many people venturing into film and to see different styles of films under production. Our strength lies in our versatility and diversity. Although we are still at a nascent stage where we need a lot more content to keep our cinemas running, our country is full of talented people just wanting an outlet to put their talent to use and skill set to polish.

They should be given a chance and provided with all the support and infrastructure they need to create, write, direct, produce and act. This is my goal for the future and should be a common goal. Also the culture of being positive and progressive needs to flourish rather than bringing each other down. We should help and support each other.

Learn from each other, discuss ideas and build an industry based on professional and sustainable work ethics so one day the world awaits to see what does Pakistan has to offer next. And we can only do this together.

Rimsha Butt

Aap Ke Liye Last Episode Review – Shuker!

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Ohkay so, finally Aap Ke Liye ended last night & I think it was good that they gave everything a proper closure but again, I feel where the last episode should have given Washma & Shaheer’s relationship some coverage, the entire screen space was taken up by Nishat, which was so unfair, because that lady has literally taken up the entire drama, so at least, they should have left her out in the last episode at least because people didn’t sign up to see ‘her’ journey.

So, Nishat realized that everything slipped away from her hands because her husband left her & even her brother confessed that he knew every single thing that she was upto. Shaheer said all he had in his heart to Nishat because he had to come clean in front of Waheed. Nishat did realize that she hurt Shaheer a great deal but even then she couldn’t stop planning & manipulating Shaheer into saying stuff about Washma in front of Waheed that wasn’t true.

So, finally, Shaheer got to say everything to Nishat on her face as he was eager to tell her that he wasn’t oblivious of what she & her husband did all this while, but one thing that seemed odd was that Shaheer said he knew it right from the beginning, so why didn’t he try to amend the situation with Abeera before meeting Washma, since he knew that Abeera wasn’t at fault? Also, another thing that I found a little off-putting was that if Nishat hadn’t told Shaheer to go to Washma, he wouldn’t have done that? Yes, I do realize that for Shaheer, Nishat was everything but to see him staying silent at her wrongdoings doesn’t put him in a good light too. Anyways, Areesha got some screen time too & it was good to see her tackling the entire situation with a lot of maturity, where she not only went to Washma to plead Shaheer’s case, but also consoled Nishat knowing that she has hit a rock bottom!

Waheed was proud of what he heard from Shaheer about Washma & that’s when he knew that things will be alright. Shaheer finally gave everything a closure, apologized to Abeera & went to Washma to tell her how much he loves her, which was sweet. I so wish they had given us some more moments of Washma & Shaheer in the last episode & also in the overall episodes, because their couple was the best thing about this drama & now when I look back, I feel I didn’t get enough of them!

Overall, this drama was strictly alright, it could’ve been way better if the director or the editors had omitted out the coverage that was being given to Nishat & Imdad because with an influx of negative characters on our screen in the last few years, we already knew what they were going to offer, so there was most certainly NO need for them to be getting so much of screen-time because their characters were one-dimensional & nothing new! I would surely have put this drama on a recommendation list but I won’t, because I will then suggest everyone to forward 80% of the drama as it was filled with Nishat & Imdad & they are not fun to watch, so the viewers won’t have anything left to watch either! The writer commendably wrote such nice characters like Waheed, Maryam, Washma & Shaheer but sadly, this drama seemed more about Nishat, than about Washma which was unfair. When the stories are simple & one-dimensional, it depends solely on the director as to how he executes them to make them memorable but it seems that the director was a fan of Waseem Abbas & Samina Peerzada that he made them the focal point of the drama while completely forgetting about the ‘good things’ that the story had to offer!

There were a few good things that this drama offered which deserve a mention too. First & foremost, the character of Washma, it was good to see such a young girl being so confident about herself that she took everyone’s life by storm. Washma entered the marriage with Shaheer for the sake of adventure but it was her love for him that pushed her to such a limit where she challenged the system that was prevailing in her husband’s personal & professional life. Washma surely made this drama worthwhile. It was also good to see Shaheer transitioning from a very rigid person to someone who learned to go with the flow because Washma introduced him to a new perspective of how one can life their lives. It was equally appeasing to see such a strong & positive bond between a Nand & Bhabhi, because it is a rarity in our dramas. Yes, Washma & Maryam both had a fair share of cat fights with each other but it was also a reflection of how much they loved each other. Maryam empowered Washma every step of the way. Maryam challenged Washma & pushed her to the limit & it was actually because of Maryam that Washma got the courage to face the obstacles. It was equally amazing to see Waheed supporting his sister through thick & thin because he had his blind trust in his sister which was also refreshing to see. Waheed was an unconventional sort of a brother who didn’t deal with his sister by keeping his ego intact, he trusted her, he knew his sister won’t do anything wrong that is why he took matters in his hands as he knew that for the most part of it, his sister wouldn’t be wrong. Then comes the relationship of Washma & Shaheer, which was so unique, created at a spur of a moment but changed their lives & would last forever because they both began to love each other & accepted each other with all their faults & shortcomings. I so wish, I so so so wish we had gotten some more insight into their relationship because now when the drama has ended, it just doesn’t seem enough. I tuned to the last episode of this drama all excited thinking Washma & Shaheer will have some beautiful moments to share, only to find out that they were spotted together in the last minute of the entire 40 minute episode!?!?!?! Anyways!

The director surely needs someone to teach him how to keep a steady hand while directing a drama, as the way the camera moved actually made it quite tiresome to watch Aap Ke Liye. The entire bokeh effect that the director added as a wow-factor was an epic fail too, because most of the times I felt like touching the TV & removing that white cast off my screen manually to get some clear visibility of the frame as it was so very annoying. Faysal Qureshi & Arif Fatima’s acting was brilliant, so was Saife Hassan’s & Salma’s. Samina Peerzada ruined this drama for me & traumatized me for a long long time because it was hard to keep up with her expressions as most of the times I ended up having a headache. Waseem Abbas needs to get rid of that wig & that ugly beige silky night suit ASAP. It was no fun to watch such experienced actors overacting so much as if they had a point to prove that they know how to act, like we have been watching you guys since childhood so we know you guys can act, so there most certainly was no need to overdo anything!!!

I thank all the readers who watched & experienced this drama with me, thank you guys for making it possible to sit through this drama. Please share your thoughts about the entire journey of Aap Ke Liye!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Choti Si Zindagi Episode 8 Review – Shaadi Kay Baad!

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After having binge watched seven episodes, this one was obviously a bit slow for me but I am not complaining for it focused on the events unfolding in Urwah and Ameena’s lives after the wedding, but sadly not together. While I had earlier been critical of Ameena’s character and it being a bit far from reality to be normal, I could relate to her today although the preview for next week shows that the loud wailing might be back.

Ameena finds comfort in the form of Aisha Baji which is why she was so upset at her leaving. I have to say Aisha Baji is a breath of fresh air from the negative nands and it was nice to see her trying to help Ameena settle in and understand the importance or rather, position of Urwah in her life. I did feel bad for Ameena though when in her few moments of reflection when she sees Urwah’s picture all she can remember is the moment on her wedding night when he angrily tries to stop her from making noise. All he has done is fret and frown so I can not blame her for being relieved he is gone. Ameena is immature but it is not mere immaturity that makes her behave the way she is and that is the thing that bothers me. For she does not seem extremely simple minded either – or maybe she is. I am still waiting to find out. After her wedding while she is not heavily adorned or made up yet she is making an effort with the make up and jewellery. But I felt for the young girl who found herself suddenly sleeping alone in a new place, and the way she asked her Taayi for an ‘om-late’ was actually quite natural and funny.

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While not evil yet, Taayi is not exactly warm. She was not approving of the match yet anyway and I understand her reasons especially since Urwah is far from happy too. She is disapproving of Ameena’s way as I expect any mother in law would be but I suppose we need to give that track time to develop for so far Ameena takes her criticism well and listens to her. I love Taaya’s role where he asks his wife to think of Ameena as her daughter and also how he speaks to her about going back to school. Ameena’s simplicity was actually touching when she laughed at the idea of going back to school now that she is married like she has a label attached to her now and that does not enable her to go back to school.

Urwah has fled back to university and well, not exactly back to Azra. He hides the news of his wedding from all and I was glad to see Sohail was actually upset that he had not confided in him. However, the way he is he takes it in his stride telling him to keep it to himself but the scene between the two and Azra in the cafeteria later makes me think he will not let a single opportunity pass to make Urwah uncomfortable that Sohail knows his secret. I am not sure whether Urwah has decided to not tell Azra for he fears he will be ridiculed or also because deep down he is not ready to let her go completely. Yes, he made the speech of ‘we are from different worlds’ and all that but I do not think he believes it completely. Also, I am finding it really hard to understand Azra’s fascination with Urwah. If she was the creepy, I-must- have- this- guy- who- does- not- seem- too- interested- in- me sort, phir bhi samajh mein aata. She seems fairly normal so just because Urwah is shareef and respects women which for her is a rarity, but then it can not be that much of a rarity that she overlooks the very obvious differences in their mindsets. But then love is blind and all that.

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While I understand that Urwah was tricked into coming back so he fled the first chance he got and also that there is the undealt matter of Azra, I do wish Azra ko jaldi nibat shibat kar he comes back so his story with Ameena can actually begin. I wonder how things pan out between him and Azra and how Ameena deals with the challenges of settling in with her Taya’s family and going back to school. What is really working for me in this drama so far is the absence of a truly negative character who has no goal, no aim in life except to cause havoc and misery in the main couple’s life. Iqra Aziz acting was toned down a bit in this episode and actually made me feel for her more. While I still wince at the over –immaturity (is that even a word), I do commend her for trying to get into her character where her body language and the way she sits and jumps up off the bed is far from ladylike, LOL. Shahzad Sheikh’s acting is consistently good. His expressions when he learns that his father knows about him meeting Azra were spot on and I love the attention to detail his character demands such as the huge trainers, the tucked in shirt, the stiff, awkward demeanour. I also like how the director has not relied on painted sets or backgrounds and the scenes where the green open lands and small town life was shown I could almost feel the crisp air and the modern university building scenes were equally appealing. Does anyone know which building/university this is by any chance?

Choti Si Zindagi is working for me as my Tuesday drama fix and am looking forward to see how Urwah and Ameena deal with this new phase of their lives – as individuals and as a couple together. What did you all think of this episode? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Kunwal Javid

Films in December 2016

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December the last month of the year has started. Five Urdu films are scheduled to release in this month.

Salute (سیلوٹ)
Salute is directed and produced by Shahzad Rafique a famous director/producer from Lahore. Shahzad Rafique has some successful Urdu/Punjabi films to his credit like Ghoonghat (1995 as producer), Nikaah (1998 as producer), Salakhain (2004 as director), Mohabtan Sachiyan (Punjabi 2009), Ishq Khuda (Punjabi film in 2014 as producer/director).

Salute is based on the real life events of Aitzaz Hassan, a school boy from Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Aitzaz Hassan sacrificed his life to save his fellow schoolmates by stopping a suicide bomber. Salute stars some big names of cinema like Saima Noor and Ajab Gull in the lead roles. Saima Noor and Ajab Gull are appearing as parents of Aitzaz Hassan character. Ali Mohtesham is appearing in the role of Aitzaz Hassan.

Salute has been under production for more than two years and is delayed multiple times. Now finally it is releasing on 2nd December 2016.

Salute also features a song composed by Robin Ghosh (Late), the legendary musician from Bangladesh who composed many immortal melodies for Pakistani cinema.

Film: Salute (سیلوٹ)
Release Date: 2 December 2016
Genre: Biopic
Language: Urdu, Pasho
Starring: Ali Mohtesham,Saima Noor,Ajab Gul,Nayyar Ejaz,Pervaiz Kaleem,Adnan Khan,Rashid Mehmood,Jalal Haider,Mahnoor
Directed by:Shahzad Rafique
Produced by:Shahzad Rafique,Haji Arshad Mehmood
Written by :Shahzad Rafique
Music by: Robin Ghosh (Late),Aamir Munawar
Cinematography:Adil Askri
Edited by:Mohammed Adeel PK
Production company: Cinetainment Production
Distributed by:IMGC Global Entertainment
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHRA4P3joZw

8969
8969 is a film directed by Azeem Sajjad. Azeem Sajjad is mainly known for his acting in the dramas of PTV Peshawar centre in 1990s. He also directed few dramas for in Pashto and Urdu like Za Pashtoon Yum for Pashto Channel AVT Khyber. 8969 is his first film as a director.

As per Azeem Sajjad
“The film name ‘8969’ is a mystery and can only be solved by watching it. The flick is based on true events keeping in view the motto of education through entertainment.” The prime focus in the film was to discourage youth from ‘misusing’ the internet, especially social media sites.

This film comprises of three songs, where one is a sleazy dance number or item number shot on Saba Qamar. Saba Qamar has already described this film as the biggest mistake of her career.

Starring: Azeem Sajjad, Saba Qamar,Hussain Tiwana,Sadaf Hamid,Anam Malik,Haseeb Khan,Sama Shah,Noor-ul-Hassan,Zunaira Maham,Oun Sarwar,Ali Jabran Khan
Release Date: 2 December 2016
Genre:
Directed By: Azeem Sajjad
Music: Raheel Fayyaz
Produced By: Imran Zafar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/8969film

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glVWB_OU0j4

3 Bahadur: The Revenge of Baba Balaam (تین بہادر: دی ریوینج آف بابا بالم)
3 Bahadur The Revenge of Baba Balaam (TRBB) is part of the film series 3 Bahadur released in May 2015. 3 Bahadur was the first commercial animated film of Pakistan produced by Oscar Winner Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy. 3 Bahadur proved blockbuster by earning around 6.5 crore with a budget of around 1.5 crore.

The success of 3 Bahadur prompted Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy to come up with the second part. In our country there is severe shortage films targeting the younger audience and 3 Bahadur series is the most prominent one. The success of this film might attract investors other than Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy to produce quality content for the younger audience too.

3 Bahadur TRBB will feature the voice overs from some very prominent artists Fahad Mustafa, Ahmed Ali Butt, Sarwat Gillani, Behroz Sabzwari and Zeba Shehnaz.

Film: 3 Bahadur: The Revenge of Baba Balaam (تین بہادر: دی ریوینج آف بابا بالم)
Release Date: 15 December 2016
Genre: Animated
Language: Urdu
Starring (Voice over): Fahim Khan,Zuhab Khan,Hanzala Shahid,Arisha Razi,Behroze Sabzwari,Ahmad Ali Butt,Ali Gul Pir,Fahad Mustafa,Mustafa Changazi,Sarwat Gilani,Zeba Shehnaz,Bassam Shazli,Hammad Siddiq
Directed by:Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Produced by:Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy,Salman Iqbal,Jerjees Seja
Production company: Waadi Animations
Distributed by:     ARY Films
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/3bahadurmovie/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPaNjgkb428

Jazba (جذبہ)

Jazba is produced in Lahore. The film was started with the name ‘My Country’ but later its name is changed to Jazba. Its trailer is not available yet. Jazba features Babrik Shah in the lead role.

Film: Jazba (جذبہ)
Release Date: 16 December 2016
Starring: Babrik Shah, Hina Mumtaz, Babar Khan, Faryal Rana, Sheraz Sikandar, Usman, Shafique Raja, Shahid Hashmi, Saleem Albela, Sami
Directed by:Asad Javed
Written by:Abar Jaib
Produced by:Asad Javed

jazba-upcoming-movie-releasing-on-16-december

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Moula Way  (مولا وے)

Moula Way is a long delayed film under production for past several years. The highlight of this film is Babrik Shah, who has participated in multiple aspect of this film either back camera or front camera. He is the producer, director, writer, lead artistfor this film.

Film: Moula Way  (مولا وے)
Release Date: 23 December 2016
Starring: Babrik Shah, Jahangir Jani, Raheela Agha
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moulaway/

So these are the films scheduled to release this fall in the last month of the year 2016.

Thanks for your time.

Rashid Nazir Ali

A tragedy to Remember!

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Lets go back in time to the tragedy of Qandeel Baloch

We always prefer covering stories of those who are legends but why not light at the life of a person who lost her life because she decided to have her freedom of choice?Qandeel Baloch the social media sensation who was murdered brutally on July 15 2016.

We all know her real name was Fouzia Azeem,we all know what was her background because that’s what we heard in news right after her death.Most of Pakistan’s community hated her but little did we know she was just A girl who wanted to follow her dreams and live up to her ambitions.Her tragedy is not infamous nor was she because she was famous for all wrong reasons but poor girl was even bashed after getting murdered.Where was the humanity when she was killed at the name of honor and people were happy?Why did so many girls had to die to prove a point that honor killing is wrong and does not justify any fault?
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Qandeel did not come from a wealthy, privileged background nor did she have the education and exposure to knowledge but she knew one thing that she wanted to make a name for herself and an identity for herself,so what if she went over board so what if she was wrong but she was a human who had all the rights to live with freedom.She was not willing to live a life of suffocation so she walked out of her marriage and that’s when Fouzia Azeem was laid to rest and Qandeel Baloch was born.In 2015 she became Pakistan’s biggest social media star,who made her the star wasn’t it us?Her Facebook account was at the verge of getting banned,she was threatened to be killed because she was a girl who did not wanted to stop,she wanted to fly but she forgot that she was in Pakistan.Where many others do wrong but only those get bashed who have no support.I accept it is wrong to leave your child and chase your dreams but don’t we all want to be free,don’t we all want to live our lives the way we want and that’s what she wanted.

I do not support her acts,i do not support what she did but at the same time i do not support those who did not condemned her death.She fell victim to an honor killing like thousands of other girls in Pakistan.

She was the girl power!she was the power which was brutally killed.I wish things change,I wish we all one day make Pakistan the country of hope.

Rimsha Butt

Arshad Khan aka Chaiwala in a Music Video

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It was few days back only when we saw people going head over heels for the dashing Arshad Khan aka chaiwala.Girls in Pakistan and even across the border were all gaga over his looks and everybody fell for his dreamy eyes.He got fame in just a blink of eye and overnight he became the social media sensation,thanks to the power social media holds.And guess what there’s a new surprise for the girls out there,because they’re now going to see their hot sensation in a music video too.

 

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Arshad Khan is no doubt ruling the screen now.He was recently seen walking the ramp at an event accompanied by Dj Danny and singer Sid Mr.Rapper who performed on the stage and revealed the news of a music video featuring the chaiwala.The video is out already and people are going crazy over the glimpse of Arshad Khan.The video song is directed by Usmais Khan, the music is produced by the band called, “Lil Mafia Mundeer”, and the song is called, “Chaiwala – feat. Arshad Khan”

 

Here is the official Music Video:

Rimsha Butt

 

Maya Ali At The Shaukat Khanum Fun Mela

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Maya Ali has been actively participating in different awareness programs hosted and organized by Shaukat Khanum Hospital. She was part of their campaign which spread awareness about breast cancer and now she was seen actively participating in the Fun Mela which was held to bring some fun and color to the life of those kids who are under treatment in the hospital.

Maya Ali contributed Happy Baskets for the event which included gifts for the patients. She also took an active part in the event. Her post on instagram reflected the happiness she generated from this whole experience.

Here are some pictures from the event.

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Moray Saiyaan Episode 04 Review – Utterly Sweeeeeeeeeet!

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Ohkay so, not that I haven’t said this before, I will say it again, Moray Saiyaan is such a cute drama I swear. I had this goofy smile on my face while watching this episode especially during the interactions between Ghaziyan & Zubaria. This drama is exactly a depiction of what Rabia Razzaque herself said that she wanted to show a very light-hearted love story & the creative team of Moray Saiyaan has achieved just that. Even though there are a few issues that are based on the egos & family issues, but the overall feel of the drama is just so appeasing. I am glad where on Mondays, for Sanam I have to especially make black coffee, on Tuesdays, I have a drama which I can sit back & enjoy with a bag of popcorn (just imaginary sketch to show how enjoyable this drama is).

So, Ghaziyan is persistent & even though his feelings for Zubaria came out of nowhere, I really really like his approach where he is not doing everything on his own but is also involving his own father & Zubaria’s father too. Ghaziyan did understand that Zubaria won’t do anything against her father’s wishes, so he went ahead & started getting cordial with Zubaria’s father to score himself some brownie points, very intelligent I must say Mister. That entire scenario was actually quite sweet where Ghaziyan was missing Zubaria so he found himself an excuse to see her & earn some time with her!

I really like Zubaria’s character, it’s like even though she is very serious & focused, she is not used as someone who is just pretty, it’s like Zubaria has a personality & an attitude which makes her look very dignified. Even though Ghaziyan has time & again said things to flatter her & has been very vocal about his feelings, I love the fact that Zubaria hasn’t responded him back in such a tone, it makes her look so mature in a sense that she is not someone who is easy to win over. Zubaria has a stance & she wants it to be respected. Even though Ghaziyan is a very decent guy but still Zubaria has not allowed him to think that she is liking that kind of attention from him.

I liked seeing the relation Zubaria has with her father & that surukh jora was actually a depiction of what he & even Zubaria’s mother wants to see. There was actually something very sweet about the entire scene where Zubaria’s father narrated the dream that he saw & immediately linked it to her daughter as like he said, no matter what parents want their children to achieve or become, by the end of the day, they’d always want to see their children settled & happy with a good life partner & no wonder he had this dream just when Ghaziyan came into the picture, it will actually help Zubaria in making up her mind about Ghaziyan!

So, Ghaziyan finally decided to plead his case in front of his father & he told him everything that he has started to feel about Zubaria. Even though Waris’s reaction was justified but I liked how he gave a chance to Ghaziyan to explain himself because when he did, even Waris was compelled to do some thinking as Ghaziyan had a point where he said he won’t be able to keep Nimra happy as he is not in love with her. I find it actually quite amusing that Zakia single=-handedly has frightened every single soul around her because it looks like even before breathing, they think about what Zakia might have to say about it, haha! It looks like Zakia has created this idea about herself where even though she poses to be strong, she has turned herself into a victim, that is why, till date her brother Waris feels guilty for getting her married to his friend Kabeer. I think Zakia needs to loosen up & should allow others to breathe too because no wonder why Ghaziyan feels more comfortable & relaxed in the company of Gul Zeb, at least she is not such a hilter like Zakia!

This episode shed a light on the fact that Gul Zeb knew Dr. Farah & Dr. Altamash from another reference & it was a reference of Kabeer, who was her sister’s husband, which actually did make sense but then again came as a surprise. I wish before showing their interaction in the 2nd & 3rd episode, they had established this fact that Gul Zeb & Dr. Farah knew each other because in these previous episodes, it seemed as if they were complete strangers & were only interacting because Dr. Farah was handling the case of Aashi. Same goes for Ghaziyan, he seemed quite reserved when he spoke to Dr. Farah all concerned about Aashi’s condition but now even he seemed to be quite cordial with her as if he has known her for a long time, at least long enough to be seeking relationship advice from her. This is the only thing that I found came out of nowhere but never mind, it did make sense because Gul Zeb was once related to Kabeer because of Zakia & now she knew Dr. Farah as Kabeer’s daughter in law I guess!

Overall, this episode was brilliant as usual. I am glad that I am getting to watch a drama like Moray Saiyaan which qualifies as a light-hearted entertainment, even though I know things will get a bit intense in the upcoming episodes but still, it will be an interesting ride. I think Gul Zeb & Waris’s meeting won’t be a smooth sail because he will go there out of concern as he is not thrilled with the idea of Ghaziyan getting interested in someone other than Nimra, so I think he might blame Gul Zeb or tell her to stop Ghaziyan from seeing Zubaria. I really feel for Nimra already, it’s like she is such a sweet soul & she seems to be obsessing over Ghaziyan but not for the wrong reasons as she has been engaged to him all her life, so it seems justified that she gets affected & upset over his behavior. I hope Ghaziyan approaches Nimra properly to share what he feels but yes, I still feel bad that just because Ghaziyan has come across Zubaria, he is leaving Nimra in the lurch, that too when their wedding is on the cards. Aww! Well, let’s see how the story unfolds. Neha Rajpoot & Uzair Jaswal are nailing their characters, yes, they still seem a little effortful in their acting but their strong on-screen chemistry compensates for their overall acting. I really like how witty Ghaziyan is, as in the dialogues that have been written for him are super cool! I will once again thank the team of Moray Saiyaan for picking Islamabad as their shooting location, it takes me back to the time that I have spent there & makes me connect to the entire drama & the characters on another level, so thank you once again. Please share your thoughts about this utterly sweet episode of Moray Saiyaan!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Pakistan’s First Transgender Model Breaks Barriers

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Kami Sid’s latest photo shoot is not just another photo shoot because it isn’t merely about a model promoting a brand but it is a social activist breaking barriers. Kim Sid is a transgender who has been fighting for the rights of other transgenders for the longest time now. This time around he is creating history by being the first transgender model in Pakistan.

Transgenders are usually relegated to the background in all social circles and do not get easily accepted in the workplace too. Because of the social nonacceptance of transgenders in Pakistan they are usually make-up artists working backstage but never in the center stage.

The make up for this photo shoot was done by Nighat Misbah of Depilex and photographer Haseeb M. Siddiqi took the picture. Waqar J. Khan also styled Kami. The end result was a look which is being appreciated by many.

Here are some pictures from the photo shoot.

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Sanam Episode 12 Review – Hum Appke Hain Kaun?

You know usually when a drama is about to start, all those who watch it are always in a hurry to finish their chores so that they can sit back & enjoy the episode with few snacks…I wish my routine was the same before watching Sanam because before every single episode, I find myself running to grab a cup of black coffee, 1 to keep myself awake & 2 to nullify the headache that might begin while watching this drama. Anyways, with that being said, I won’t lie & will say that this episode was good in bits & pieces but there were as always, a lot such scenes & conversations which seemed unnecessary & a bit too stretched!

The first scene where Harib was at Sara’s place made me roll my eyes so bad, that I had my 1st sip of coffee. Looks like Harib knows that this Mohalla is named after him so like a true counselor of this mohalla, he was visiting Sara to check on her if she was doing alright, also, I had my 2nd sip of coffee when I heard Harib praising Sara saying ‘cooking karte hue achi lagti ho’, matlab meesna pan check kare koi, I don’t know if Harib is dumb or stupid (both are the same thing I know) to be complimenting Sara, knowing how she is still obsessing over him? Sorry, I had to take the 3rd sip of coffee to digest the fact that Harib was so masoom that he was ignoring Sara’s intentions. Also, can anyone tell me where did Extra-Small-Sized Daadi Amman go in this episode, since she was such an integral part of this drama where she was running the show in last so many episodes, so why was she absent? Use kar liya writer ne usay jitna use karna tha, abb zaroorat nahi hai uski? LOL! There goes the 4th sip!

Well, as if this Rishta of Aan & Farhan wasn’t anokha enough that the writer tried to make it more convincing by adding the Low BP angle to it, where it showed that Aan had to say yes to it because she was worried about her mother’s BP stooping a bit too low, well Aan, here’s a todka for you, jab bhi Amman ka BP low ho, to 1 glass Water mai 1 tsp Sugar aur 1 tsp Salt mix kar ke do, Insha Allah BP theek ho jayega aur BP ko theek karne ke liye appko MANGNI karne ki zaroorat nahi paregi. There I take my 5th sip, takay mera BP theek rahay. Anyways, Farhan’s mom plots with Sara that she needs to seal the deal ASAP because she feared losing Aan & her daulat, so there they swooped in with an artificial ring & Aan said yes despite not wanting to because she was worried about her mother’s BP. It was so evident that even Shabnam wasn’t too comfortable with the idea of spontaneous mangni but Shabnam, appko to pata hai na, aj kal mangniyan shaadiyan turwana hamare writers ka favorite mashghala hai, so fikar na karain, appki beti ki mangni bhi isi liye hui hai. 6th sip done!

So, I wonder if Harib went to talk to Sara about Farhan & his family, why didn’t he share his concerns with Aan immediately, like why did Harib wait for Aan to get engaged for him to confess his feelings to her? 7th sip. But, I will however say that as unconvincing as this entire mangni scene was, I actually & really liked the confession scene, where Harib was anxious, Aan was clueless & voila, there came a confession which changed everything. I liked the way the OST was used at that particular moment too, it added more charm to the situation but then again it was short-lived & we had to come back to face the reality that Harib & Aan’s millan isn’t going to happen until 10 talaqs, 20 halalas take place, so 8th sip!

So, all this while I was wondering where was Aila & then she came at the right moment to capture Aan & Harib’s confession. I wonder, which Mobile phone was she using that worked so amazingly from her balcony that too at night to click Aan & Harib’s pictures, but then after my 9th sip, I was reminded that I am watching Sanam, not Sense, so it’s alright!

Then came the scene where Aan had to be humiliated because of what Aila did. I liked that scene too because Harib seemed genuinely sorry & I actually felt for Aan because uska kasoor kya tha yaar? Sirf parathay hi to khilaye the us ne Harib ko, iska matlab ye to nahi ke kuch hai uske dil mai? But seriously, jokes apart, I actually felt for Aan & loved everything that she said about how her mother raised her & how hard she has worked, I love the bonding Shabnam & Aan share, it is the best thing about this drama in my opinion & with this, with the 10th sip, I finished my coffee to muster up the courage to gather my thoughts in this review for you guys!

The preview suggests that I will be needing 2 cups of coffee next week hopefully. Also, I know things will be very serious & I might not get a chance to make fun of everything but seeing the hospital scene was such a reminiscent of Diyar-e-Dil, Haseeb Hassan ko jaisay hi Diyar-e-Dil factor kam laga hoga, unhon ne hospital scene daal diya hoga & it is just me or the hospital was exactly the same one that was used for shooting Diyar-e-Dil’s hospital scenes too? Chalo we’ll find that out next week. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Snackam oh sorry, Sanam!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

ps: I love how the writer doesn’t forget to show the importance of food & some if not all the conversations do include the mention of food in Harib’s life, may be that’s what inspired me to talk about coffee too, at least itna to mera bhi haq hai khanay peenay pe!

Bin Roye Episode 9 Review – Choppy Editing

Even though Bin Roye has largely been a disappointment so far but every time a new episode airs I watch it with an open-mind waiting to be entertained and enthralled but just like the previous two weeks, this week too Bin Roye lacked the kind of emotions which make a viewer connect to the characters. Choppy editing, conversations that leave a lot to be desired and scenes which are ultimately going to mean something but don’t mean much at the moment make watching this drama a mundane task. Irtiza and Saba shared more screen space in tonight’s episode but these scenes couldn’t make up for the lack of understanding and friendship which was a part of all the previous episodes after Irtiza got married. Tonight when Irtiza told Saman that no one knew Saba better than him, his words did not carry any weight because he failed to address the change in Saba’s behavior when he should have noticed it the most. Irtiza and Saba’s relationship and their chemistry was the main highlight of this drama but these latest developments have completely destroyed the connection these two once had.

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This episode opened with Saba’s call to her dadi, once again Saba shared her troubled state of mind with her dadi. Saba’s presence in Saman’s house did not seem forced in the previous episode but in this episode dadi’s half-hearted attempt to convince Saba’a father to bring her back made it look really forced. Also, there was a time when Saba was her father’s ladli but now we don’t see them interacting even. Few lines suggesting that her parents missed her would have filled in the weird vacuum that makes it very difficult to take this drama seriously. The entire “batameezi” issue was blown out of proportion since Irtiza knows Saba can be unreasonable at times – she is the same person who cried when he lost the match, remember!! The preview of the next episode showed Saman remembering all these incidents and finally putting two and two together but right now most of these scenes made very little sense.

Once again we jumped from one episode to the other. I get it that Saba is confused and she is trying really hard to make the most of this situation but even then those conversations with Saman in particular made me wonder how she could connect to Saman on that level. When she is with Saman she is an entirely different person. Saba and Amir’s conversations were filler scenes which added nothing new to the story. I am also wondering why Safeer’s track is being shown side by side, I just hope that they don’t show Salma waiting for Saba even now after two years!


This episode of Bin Roye was “plastic” as a whole but the biggest blunder came at the very end. It took Irtiza “two years” to tell Saba’s parents about Amir’s proposal! This was a serious editing mistake and the kind of mistake which you just do not expect from a team behind the biggest and the most hyped up drama HUM had to offer this year. The scene in which dadi discusses the proposal with Saba’s father and the last scene should have come two years earlier and not two years later!! I am still finding it hard to believe that the editors made such a terrible mistake. Because of this blooper not much is going to make sense now or we will see even bigger bloopers in the upcoming episode?

Some of the scenes in Bin Roye have this “prism” effect which we don’t usually see in dramas, it makes things look unreal. Tonight’s episode ended at a dramatic note but somehow it did not make me look forward to the next episode. Bin Roye’s pace is slow, there is little or no consistency in scenes, the screen time has not been divided intelligently between different characters and the story as a whole lacks substance. Most importantly, the editing mistakes are killing the flow of the story.

How many of you watched this episode? Do share your thoughts about it.

Item Songs in Pakistani Films, But why?

Pakistani films have come a long way but there are still certain aspects of our film which are disappointing. Item numbers are one such aspect which was borrowed from Bollywood films. The question is that why are the these item songs part of Pakistani films and whether they are needed or not!

Here is a video discussing the trend and answering whether these item numbers are even needed in Pakistani films.

 

Khuda Aur Mohabbat Episode 05 Review – Simply Beautiful!

Ohkay so, this episode of Khuda Aur Mohabbat was beautiful because it depicted the emotion of love & the state of being in love perfectly. It actually gives the viewers an immense pleasure to be experiencing such a beautiful journey of love & what makes it even better is the character of Hammad!

I am so glad that Hammad is getting all the coverage & he is literally running the show now. Hammad is different from his family & not only different, he is better than his family members too because he treats everyone equally, doesn’t judge people on the basis of how much material they have gathered in their lives. Hammad just is a very simple minded person who deems every other person worthy of respect & love & this is what makes him wrong in front of his family because they can not come to his level & understand his mentality as they are so self-absorbed & conceited!

Hammad finally got to see Imaan up close & he couldn’t understand what took him over that he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Hammad was already in love with Imaan but this little interaction sealed the deal, it made him yearn for her even more. Even though that interaction lasted for a few seconds, Hammad then couldn’t gather his thoughts because he was madly in love with her. The beauty of this entire scenario is the fact that Hammad wants to give this relationship a meaning, he wants to give his feelings for Imaan a name, he is absolutely convinced that she is the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with, that is why he can’t stop thinking about the ways of making it possible. Hammad got a chance to give Imaan, Abdullah & Haya a ride to their home on the way back from Nighat’s engagement ceremony & he couldn’t take his eyes off her, because he was unsure of when he will get such a chance again.

Just because Hammad’s restlessness got the better of him, he decided to bring Nighat on board as he knew that she was the only one who could help him. I will say that this entire episode was filled with quite a lot of amazing scenes & scenarios, but this one was my favorite as Hammad & Nighat actually looked like partners in crime who were trying to figure out a way of accomplishing their mission. There was actually something very sweet about the entire conversation that took place between Hammad & Nighat. When Nighat told Hammad that every single family around them has approached Imaan for the marriage, it reinforced the notion in Hammad’s mind that Imaan truly was very very special & he couldn’t wait to bring her into his life!

Where this episode introduced Hammad’s budding feelings for Imaan, it also shed a light on two major obstacles that Hammad will have to overcome in order to be with Imaan. First was his family, who couldn’t even stand the idea of Hammad spending too much time with Shakir, so how would they allow Hammad to fall in love with a girl like Imaan who doesn’t fit the bill of their idea of a perfect life partner for him. Another obstacle would be Molvi Aleemuddin, because for the first time it showed how rigid he could get, where he didn’t even fancy the idea of his daughters attending upcoming wedding functions of their best friend, just because they got a little late in coming back from the engagement ceremony. I loved the goofy smile that Hammad had on his face while looking at Molvi Aleemuddin, because it showed that he must be looking at him with a reference to Imaan, thinking that he will soon enough become his father in law, it was actually quite cute. Another sweetest interaction that happened was between Hammad & Shakir, where Shakir was concerned that Nighat might have demanded something from Hammad, which he most certainly shouldn’t fulfill. It is actually quite appeasing to see that despite knowing the lengths Hammad can go to for his family, Shakir doesn’t even think of taking advantage of it, it is something very sweet!

So, Hammad got the news that Nighat succeeded in arranging Hammad’s meeting with Imaan, which I am actually looking forward to. This episode was amazing to watch & what I am liking the most about this season is that everything is in detail, which makes it easier for the viewers to connect with the characters & understand them even more. Imran Abbas has made Hammad a little more special with his perfect portrayal, I have always felt that if there is one actor who can convey the emotion of love to the T, it is Imran Abbas. Sadia Khan has improved a lot & she is making Imaan’s character even more beautiful. I must say the supporting actors have done a brilliant job too & they all seemed to have owned their characters as well. Even though in the previous episodes, I wasn’t feeling the character of Nighat because of the actress who is playing it in this season, however this episode completely changed my opinion about her & I feel she is doing a perfect job as Nighat. Also, I really like how in such a limited screen time, the director has shown how Abdullah makes the most of the situation by helping Imaan every chance he gets, it’s like he actually enjoys doing things for Imaan without her having any idea about it, which is actually quite sweet too. The direction of this drama is beautiful & even though I do have an issue with the lyrics of the OST, I loved how it was used throughout this episode, that too at the right time because it just added more charm to the situations that were being covered. Please share your thoughts about this beautiful episode of Khuda Aur Mohabbat!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Laaj Last Episode Review – Meray Sabar Ki Laaj!

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I am not sure whether I take more breaks on the rare occasions that I work out or I did during this episode! I tried to get into it with all the ‘exciting’ events happening but kept finding myself pressing the pause button and tuning in a few minutes later. This is the second drama that I have been reviewing that has come to an end this week and that too before the 20th episode mark. I do feel very lucky, LOL!

I will admit I did not expect Shahzeb to die and Bari Sahab to collapse like she did. So even though this drama did rely on a lot of misleading dream sequences there were a few twists and turns to its credit, but still that did not manage to engage me totally. Sab ko maar, peet, bhaga kay, there was nobody left in the haveli anyway so it took a heart to heart between the nurse and Zainab which of course, Jahanzeb overheard to make him stop and ponder over how caring Zainab is. Sigh. So, Alisha has devoted her life to social awareness now and Mannat has gotten her happily ever after while we are left to assume Zainab may or may not have gotten hers. A number of things bothered me in these last episodes – why did Alisha have to take Zainab’s name, why call the press conference anyway when she knew it would cause further trouble and someone from Sikander or Bari Sb’s family would try to get to Mannat, when did Mannat and Shahmeer get married, is Zainab not in iddat now so why was she flitting around the city – I could go on. I am not sure if Zainab’s love for Jahanzeb and his constant resistance or rejection whatever you may like to call it, was meant to be bittersweet or romantic but it felt neither to me.

Sometimes a drama has a very typical and predictable story but the execution is such that you watch it anyway and enjoy it. After all, why do people watch chick flicks time and again even though they all pretty much follow the same pattern (I have given up on them, but still). Laaj was more filmy than like a drama with the feuding Sikander and Bari Sb, lives lost during the feud, the shehr wali larki, the parha likha walaiti son, the ‘selfless,undying’ love, the suffering granddaughter – the works. The set was colourful but some bits like the walls in the background and even the scene when Shahzeb dies and the blood was soooooo not convincingly blood made the presentation look a bit sloppy at times. Iqra Aziz has weeped her way through the play so seeing her smile in the last episode was probably the only thing that caught my attention, LOL! I do think that Kamran Jillani is quite the underrated actor and I liked how he portrayed his feelings over Shahzeb’s death. I missed Bari Sb in this last episode and would have been nice to see her conscious again. Asma Abbas as Bari Sb was phenomenal and although her ideas were outrageous at times, her dialogues and acting especially when it came to expressing her views over Alisha and Sikander thoroughly entertained me. I hope I never see Sabika Imam in a drama again. Zarnish Khan is an excellent actress and I hope for her sake she has better luck choosing her future projects where her talent can be appreciated.

I have seen promos of a drama with surprise surprise, Iqra Aziz and am assuming that will replace this one. Doubt I will be tuning into that! I would like to thank the readers who read my reviews and shared their thoughts, in particular Rida, Haider and Sabika and most of all Omm E Nida who would read and comment on my reviews every single week What did you all make of this drama and how it ended? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Kunwal Javid

Pakistan Film Festival New York – Details

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Pakistan Film Festival is kind of a big deal because it is Pakistan’s first ever film festival, and is initiated and promoted by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi. The much awaited and star-studded event will take place in December. Frieha Altaf is one of the main organizers.

Dawn Images has disclosed the list of the celebrities that will be a part of the festival, and also revealed what some of the attendees feel about this initiative.

Fahad Mustafa & Sana Fahad

Sheheryar Munawar

Mahira Khan

Asim Raza

ARY CEO Jerjees Seja

Director Anjum Shahzad

Mawra Hocane

Nabeel Qureshi 

Frieha Altaf

Sanam Saeed

Saba Qamar

Photographer Faisal Farooqi

Makeup artist Saba Ansari

Tooba Siddiqui

Yasir Hussain

Director Wajahat Rauf

The ttendees feel that this is a wonderful initiative. According to director Anjum Shehzad, “The selection of films screening [at the event] will be very important; Manto, Moor and like productions should also be screened besides mainstream films, to show the variation of films produced in Pakistan.Our films need to start releasing internationally, and screen in different markets. Short films, documentaries and student films should also have a platform to showcase their work at festivals. Nowadays on social media there are countless bloggers who have no clue about film making and they write whatever comes to their mind. They should instead highlight the positive side of the films and promote it. Because if you discourage the filmmaker then how will he make films?”

Nabeel Qureshi, the man behind Namaloom Afraad and Actor in Law is happy about this festival. “It’s the first time the Pakistani govt is taking an initiative to promote our film industry, so that’s good. We need more initiatives like PFFNYC and not just in America but other countries as well, especially the European side. Now all Pakistani films are being released internationally, when we made Na Maloom Afraad, the Pakistani industry wasn’t big on international distribution. But now we have contacts and we’ve started making good films so the distributors have also gained trust in our films.”

Frieha Altaf, the organizer of the event, said, “Pakistani films are just emerging, there is no real industry yet it’s very important to encourage and showcase and create publicity for cinema. Sharmeen Obaid’s Oscar wins have encouraged directors and producers to come forward but more needs to be done.”

Yasir Hussain feels that this is a great step towards the promotion of Pakistani films on an international level.”It will have immense significance because a) it’s happening in New York and in America there’s a great film culture, b) many Pakistani films are not released worldwide or on the same date, and we’re not able to go to America or England to promote a lot of our films. And right now Pakistan needs a screen, no matter where it is in the world.”

 

Saba Qamar spoke well of this initiative, “Well, I think it’s very important for our industry to do well and to be recognised not just in Pakistan but also worldwide. By making good movies we can promote our industry internationally.”

 

 

Mahira Khan Will Not Take Part In Raees Promotions

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Raees, the much talked about Bollywood debut of the well-loved Mahira Khan will be released on January 26th, 2017. Much to the dismay of Mahira Khan’s diehard fans, the gorgeous actress will not be seen in the promotions because of the ban on Pakistani artists in India – the same reason why Fawad Khan couldn’t be a part of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’s promotions.

According to DNA India, the trailer of Raees will be streamed on 3,500 screens across India. SRK will be accompanied by his co-star Nawazuddin Siddiqui for the trailer launch. SRK will be seen interacting with the audience of those respective cities through video conferencing.

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Azfar Rehman’s Upcoming Drama Serial

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Azfar Rehman will be seen in a drama serial titled, ”Nazr-e-Bad”. As the title suggests, the drama is based on black magic. It’s not the first time that Azfar Rehman will be seen in a drama serial tackling this dark topic – remember ARY’s Kaala Jadu starring Aiza Khan and Azfar Rehman?

The cast includes Sara Khan, Sakina Samo, Wasim Abbas, Fazeela Qazi, Ali Abbas, Qavi Khan.

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Speaking to Dawn Images about this project, “It’s not a typical love story, it’s got an eerie element to it, it’s a little scary so it’s a very different project. It’s the first time I’m trying out something different, something totally opposite of my real personality.”

“I think kaala jaadoo is such a subject that people do want to know about, I’m sure people will enjoy it. Though I should warn you, it does have an element of fear so get ready for the thrills and chills!”

Are you looking forward to this play? Share your thoughts! :)

Mikaal Zulfiqar & Sadia Khan’s Upcoming Film

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Good news for people who loved the onscreen chemistry between Mikaal Zulfiqar and Sadia Khan in HUMTV drama serial Laa (sounds like a long time ago, doesn’t it?): the two incredibly talented actors will be seen in an upcoming film. The film sounds pretty interesting as it will highlight the 1971 war. The film will be directed by anchor-turner-filmmaker Kamran Shahid.

Talking to Dawn Images, Sadia Khan revealed, “The script made me sign the film. Everybody has already spoken about India and Pakistan, but this is probably the first film on the split between East and West Pakistan.”

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“It takes the viewer back to the 70s and shows the struggle of the people. It managed to intrigue me since it’s very different from what we get to see these days.”

Speaking about her co-star, “I’ve worked with Mikaal previously and I must say, he’s very helpful. Unlike a few actors, he never throws tantrums on sets and is always there whenever I need assistance with my scenes.”

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Sadia Khan had a bit to share about her character in the film, “My character has a lot of variations. She’s a very simple girl but due to a few situations that occur in her life, she turns into a strong woman. She has a heart of gold and I am thoroughly enjoying essaying her.”

The film’s music will by omposed by Sahir Ali Bagga and Naveed.
It will release in March 2017. Are you excited?

Khuda Mera Bhi Hai Episode 6 Review – The Reunion

This was the episode most of the viewers were waiting for because tonight Mahi finally made up her mind and took the bold step which wasn’t an easy choice but one which was completely in line with Mahi’s character. The opening scene was strong; a conversation with another mother who had chosen to stand by her child instead of abandoning him gave Mahi another perspective, one which she could identify with much more than everything else she was told by people around her after her child was born. The most emotional scene of this episode was the one in which Mahi goes to pick her baby. Adnan Shah Tipu deserves an award for his performance in this play; the character he is playing isn’t an easy one to translate on screen but he is pulling it off faultlessly. Mahi’s conversation with Sanam however could have been shown in a better way. Mahi was always there for Sanam but Sanam completely disappeared from Mahi’s life after she had the baby and now the conversation they had wasn’t one between too best friends but it was one between a therapist and her client. This entire conversation could have been equally productive and far more emotional if Sanam came to Mahi to help her explore her feelings and they talked like close friends.

In this episode the viewers heard from Mahi directly that she gave her baby away only because she was not given enough time to take a decision on her own. Now that she was at her mother’s place and away from all the pressure, she managed to figure out what she really wanted. She decided to take her baby back and that was the most poignant scene of this episode. Mahi’s conversation with Zain was extremely well-written as well, it was so well-thought-out that the viewers could not help but understand how difficult this situation was for the parents. Zain asked Mahi whether their baby was a boy or a girl, a question which everyone asks parents on the birth of their newborn baby. Answering this question was going to be the first most difficult step in Mahi’s life. While this scene was on point, the scene in which Mahi was sitting with her mother confused me about the timeline. The baby who was a newborn few hours back was now at least 3 months old and I actually watched this episode again to see if there was a ticker somewhere telling the viewers how much time had passed in between! Also, the conversation between Mahi and her mother clearly suggested that this was right after she brought the baby back. I understand that these are tiny details but these details matter a great deal. It would have been better if the baby wasn’t shown instead of showing a much bigger baby which caused confusion. I am wondering now how much time has elapsed since Mahi had this baby. This scene ruined the flow of this episode for me and the emotional connection was broken too.

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Zain’s state of mind is completely different from that of Mahi. While Mahi thinks she can raise this child and protect him, Zain thinks he does not have the courage to accept this child. Zain’s unwillingness to accept his child was shown through different scenes, not just this the scene in which he goes to see Adnan Shah’s character went to show that he was disgusted by such people. Once again Adnan Shah nailed the scene in which he tells Zain that he was just another man who could not look beyond the obvious and one who was a coward. Many of the conversations tonight also suggested that nobody knew that leaving the baby was Zain’s idea alone.

So far no one has talked about the choices this baby has medically and if he has none then that should be mentioned too. A child who is “special” or different than others in any way at all isn’t raised like any other new born baby therefore it would be nice if the viewers get to see Mahi talking to medical experts about her baby’s situation even if that is covered in one scene and the viewers don’t hear the conversation entirely. This issue is not an easy one to handle and I hope that the writer has done the research needed to write about such a topic.

Aisha Khan’s brilliant performance is being spoiled by her loud make-up which looks especially odd in this situation. Someone who is this upset and lost does not have the time to make these hairdos and put on such heavy make-up. I understand that a little styling and some make-up is a basic requirement but that is not the case here.  Overall, this episode was emotional just like all the previous episodes of Khuda Mera Bhi Hai. The preview of the next episode suggested that Mahi will ultimately have to make a choice and she will choose her baby over her husband.

How many of you watched this latest episode? Please do share your thoughts about it.

Best & Worst Dressed Celebrities of Hum Style Awards 2016

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Hum Style Awards are considered one of the most stylish awards of the year which is why most of the celebrities turn to the biggest names in the fashion industry for getting their outfits designed. While Nabila takes care of most of the styling and make-up, this time many celebrities got their make-up and styling done from people who they trust the most with their face and hair. Even with the best designers at work and top make-up artists in control, some of these celebrities did not look their best. There were also those celebrities who looked gorgeous on the awards.

Here is the list of best and worst celebrities at Hum Style Awards 2016.

 

 

Noor E Zindagi Episode 20 Review – Khawar’s Revenge

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So, either it is because when you watch a drama without any strings attached you feel differently and when you sit and watch each scene and listen to each dialogue as a reviewer it is a different story – or, I have the anti Midas touch for any drama I think is interesting to review – suddenly stops being just that!! Or maybe these couple of episodes are just dragging the story a bit and the drama will hopefully get back on track soon especially as its nearing the end now – yes, hoping that must be it!

I had wondered what Khawar’s reasons may be to literally push Saleem towards Gulshan and now I know. He was definitely not a true friend, we had established that at the very start but I had thought he may be a mufta and just a faarigh person with warped ideas and beliefs and rubbing them off on his friend but he has a proper agenda now and that is to make sure Saleem falls for Gulshan and that Noor also suffers for having ‘meddled’ in his affairs and having a hand in Saleem seeing Khawar’s true colors. I am amazed that Saleem who can be so stubborn and obstinate when it suits him, chooses to fall for Khawar’s half baked statements and is chummy with him all over again. The conversation between the two at Saleem’s shop was very convincingly done where you could see Saleem being all chuffed up by the attention and respect Gulshan and her family were showering him with.

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Although Noor and Saleem’s track is ‘supposedly’ the main one in this story, we also have a few other stories running simultaneously. A lot of screen time went into Waseem and Zeb’s story in the past few episodes and now the focus was more on Sofia, her brother and Mehru. I actually like Mehru and her husband’s relationship where the two find lots of comfort with each other so even though I felt bad for them with the shart Sofia’s mother in law has laid out, I wished there was more focus on Noor and Saleem. Noor still has not been able to tell Saleem about her pregnancy and I cringed when she is sitting reflecting and her mother in law echoes the same thought earlier as to how now that Saleem will hear of the baby he will change his attitude towards Noor. Masla he saara yeh hai in our dramas and society, ‘shaadi ho jaye, theek ho jaye ga’, ‘bacha ho jaye, theek ho jaye ga’, and the sad bit is that while the ever scheming saas/nand/bahu or desperate in love woman characters are sometimes hard to relate to, statements such as these are very common. Which is why even though this episode seemed to drag a bit, yet a lot of scenes and characters were quite easy to relate to. Noor’s thoughts as to how Saleem may change now, Saleem lapping up attention from new corners, Tabassum Khala’s statement as to how a man when ‘fed up’ with his wife is drawn towards seemingly greener pastures. It all happens far more often than we would like it to I suppose.

One thing I was thinking about now was how Saleem’s heart has totally hardened towards Noor. The complex of being lesser educated, the seed of suspicion of something between her and Waseem, hearing of her broken engagement – has that all made him so bitter? There were the moments when he would watch her and feel remorse for his behaviour, when he dressed in the suit to make her happy then missed her when she was away – has that all taken a backseat now that Khawar’s brainwashing and Gulshan’s chamak dhamak has blinded him? Speaking of blinding, uff what was with all the lighting in today’s episode? Especially in Noor and Gulshan’s scenes when the sunlight would flare in the background – very annoying.

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There were very little in fact, wait there was no scene between Noor and Saleem in today’s episode and although Saleem’s antics, I know I know, make him a dislikable character but Syed Jibran’s acting is so delightful, the gold watch, the visibly chuffed up ego is so spot on I can not help but be impressed at how he has translated Saleem’s character so perfectly! I really can not stand Gulshan’s scenes for the way she speaks is OTT especially as she talks the same way to her mother and sister too! I feel my head must tilt at very odd angles in slow motion while following her scenes the way she cocks her head and gazes from side to side. Man!

Twenty episodes down, Saleem slowly but surely falling for Gulshan, Noor’s suffering in full swing, Sofia and Saas, Mehru and Saas – I do not see this drama ending in the next episode or two. I just hope things pick up and looking forward to seeing how Saleem reacts and his interaction with Noor when learning of the khushkhabri. Saleem miyan will get his nihari – I am left craving for some myself now! Please do share your thoughts about this episode.

Kunwal Javid

Chalay Thay Saath , first teaser is out

Chalay Thay Saath, is an upcoming Urdu film produced in Karachi. It will be the debut movie for Syra Shehroz and is shot in Gilgit Baltistan and Karachi. Though Syra Shehroz made a cameo appearance in the film Ho Mann Jahan released in January 2016, Chalay Thay Saath is the film she is appearing in a lead role.

The first look of the film was revealed in July 2016. The interesting part of the film is its male lead which is a Chinese character.The male lead of this film is played by Kent S. Leung. Kent S. Leung is a Canadian artist of Chinese origin. The film is expected to release in the first quarter of 2017.

This first teaser of the film is released today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVLhqC3aAn8

The teaser is available at the following Facebook link

https://www.facebook.com/chalaythaysaath/videos/1618761438418954/

Film: Chalay Thay Saath (چلے تھے ساتھ)
Cast: Syra Shehroz, Kent S. Leung, Osama Tahir, Zhalay Sarhadi, Behroze Sabzwari, Mansha Pasha, Faris Khalid and Shamim Halai
Directed By:Umer Adil
Written By:Atiya Zaidi
Executive Producer: Sheikh Shiraz Mubashir
Produced By:Beenish Umer
Shot In: Gilgit Baltistan and Karachi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chalaythaysaath

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Rashid Nazir Ali

Dil Banjara Episode 7 Review – Stunning Locations

Once again the breathtaking locations actually made it difficult for me to concentrate on anything other than the background! I have to admit that I was so distracted by the beauty of this place that I had to watch the episode again in order to focus on the characters and their stories! The beauty of Nepal has been captured in this play faultlessly and because of these locations you get transported to another world. Tonight’s episode showed how Nida and Sikandar were getting closer to one another. While I don’t “blame” Nida for falling for this man but it would have been better if these two did not hold hands in this episode as often as they did. For a girl like Nida, having such feelings for a man should be a big deal and holding hands shouldn’t even be an option. Sanam Saeed and Adnan Malik’s on-screen couple is working for me for now mainly because of the way these two have met, away from home, new place, new beginnings. The “love at first sight” scenario however is a little difficult to relate to but then it happens all the time in our dramas. It would have been good watching Nida think about these major changes in her life- her feelings for Sikandar. I am hoping we will get to see that in the upcoming episodes. While Sikandar is busy having the time of his life in Nepal, Shama was shown thinking about him all the time. Once again Sikandar did not even bother calling Shama which went to show that he wasn’t very reliable. Although Shama’s scenes were somewhat repetitive in this episode but I also felt like they needed to be shown in order to show the contrast between Shama and Sikandar. Having said that, watching her doing something “useful” like painting or anything at all would have made her scenes more interesting.

Nida’s parents’ scene just like always was very amusing. I love the way their relationship has been shown. Even though Faseeha’s husband knows that she does not look at the world and things the way he or anyone else does but even then he keeps on doing things to make her feel special. He gets frustrated a lot and there are many scenes in which he curses her for making his life complicated but there is always one scene in every episode which shows that he loves her for who she is. Hina Bayat and Mohsin Gillani make a great on screen couple. It isn’t very often that the relationship between the hero or heroine’s parents is as interesting as it is in this drama. I actually look forward to their scenes and they never disappoint you. Every scene says something new about their characters and their relationship with each other.

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Dil Banjara so far is a simple story with quite a few interesting characters which give me a reason to tune into this drama every week. The overall setting of the play is not run-of-the-mill and the locations make the drama esthetically pleasing. Apart from Sikandar and Nida holding hands number of times and Sanam’s dubbed voice in the scene after they cross the bridge, this episode was directed well. Also, I feel that I do not know Shama well enough although she got plenty of screen time in this episode or perhaps she is a very simple character. In short, I am very willing to sit down in front of my TV screen next week to know more about all these characters and find out what happens next. The best thing about the way this drama is written is that I do not find myself “judging” the characters too much because I have no trouble connecting to them.

I am waiting to find out if Sikandar really is capable of loving someone and staying committed to that person. Also, will he be able to tell Shama how he feels about Nida and that he does not love her? So far he has been brushing the entire issue under the carpet. Nida said that she simply could not afford the luxury of falling in love with someone – what will she do now?

How many of you watched this episode? Do share your thoughts about it.

Seeta Bagri Episode 02 Review – A Decent Watch!

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Ohkay so, this episode of Seeta Bagri was interesting as it unfolded the events in everyone’s life in a very casual manner. I liked this episode for the fact that they have kept things quite light-hearted even though they have showed the struggles of some of the characters alongside too. Even though I know things will become a bit dense & serious in the upcoming episodes but it sure will be an interesting ride to watch because the director has succeeded in establishing a connection between the characters & the viewers!

Nandini has completely fallen in love with Ratan Lal, it is more of a love at first sight thing but she proved that her love wasn’t going to fizzle out because she started taking a stand for him. Ratan brought Nandini to Badrinath’s place because she asked for his help & had nowhere to go in a new city. It was actually quite sweet to see everyone being so welcoming & supportive of Nandini. They all are big hearted people & that is why Nandini felt at home in no time. Nandini woke up from a nightmare as she was scared that something might happen to Ratan. Nandini did say that she has never been scared in her life that is why she survived on her own, it was only because she didn’t have a fear of losing anything or anyone precious to her, but it was kind of sweet to see that just because now she has fallen in love with Ratan & she fears losing him, she started to get scared with the thought of something bad happening to him!

Ratan & Mala are not siblings but they are first cousins. It looked like it was Mala’s father who had some debt but just because he died & couldn’t pay, Ratan decided to take that responsibility as he couldn’t marry Mala off to those people whom her father owed that debt to. It was actually quite heart-warming to see Ratan bearing the responsibility of Mala like a brother & facing the brunt for her sake. Ratan is a hardworking man but the time is not in his favor these days but looks like Nandini has come into his life to sort his issues out. Nandini has already started going out of the way for him because she can not see him in trouble, that is why she didn’t even think twice before paying the money on his behalf as she wants to prove her love without burdening Ratan at that too!

Even though Seeta could see where Nandini was getting to but she had this faith & trust in Ratan, which showed she wasn’t insecure but sadly, hearing about Ratan’s marriage with Nandini shook her a lot as she didn’t see it coming at all. Not sure how Seeta will react & what would Ratan’s reaction be, I am sure he will have a feeling that Nandini was trying to ‘buy’ his love, which actually wasn’t her intention. Even though I liked Nandini’s character on her own, I most certainly don’t ship her with Ratan because they both are a mismatch. Mala & Nandini’s scenes were done nicely too, they added some light-hearted moments in the episode.

Overall, this episode was a decent watch too. I love everyone’s acting, especially Sarwat Gillani’s, she really has acted effortlessly in this drama & her dialogue delivery has improved so much. Syed Jibran has acted flawlessly as well, he has owned the character of Ratan just like Sarwat has owned Seeta’s. Definitely looking forward to the next episode already. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Seeta Bagri!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Noori Is Now Coming To Karachi

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All the Noori fans out there, after wrapping up their tour in Lahore Noori is now coming to Karachi. To give his fans a clue of what his tour to Karachi going to be like, he posted a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGcOWdcGBHM

On December 14-15 Ali Hamza will be performing in Karachi with a fantastic line-up of musicians from Lahore, including Danish Khawaja, Kami Paul, Sameer Ahmed and Rakae Jamil.

The video will definitely make you excited about his tour to Karachi as its all about Ali’s vocals and lyrics over pleasing shots of Karachi.

 

Salam Ahmed Drops Out Of Cultural Event In India

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Singer Salman Ahmed has announced that he is dropping out of a cultural event in Goa to Protest Violence and bloodshed in LOC.
On Wednesday, a coaster en route to Muzaffarabad was hit by the Indian troops killing 10 people and injuring 11 others.
The conflict between India and Pakistan has been affecting the exchange of art and culture between the two countries and the bans enforced from both sides have been opposed by both Indian and Pakistan artists. The only way of cultural interaction are probably these cultural events, from which our artists are willing to drop out of due oppression from the other side. But the good, and thing to be proud about is that our country’s artists speak up and take actions against the wrong.

Sang e Marmar Episode 13 Review – Slow Yet Superb!

Ohkay so, nothing substantial happened in this episode but they did show some reactions of all the characters regarding different issues and it surely was a decent watch & I most certainly had a great time watching it as I always do. This episode might have been slow however, the preview of the next episode suggested a lot more drama so I am definitely looking forward to it.

This time around, Torah got the coverage & he was running the show. In the last few episodes he most certainly took a backseat, so it was necessary for him to put a step forward & conduct his plan. As much as I liked seeing his input in different matters, there were a few things that concerned me as they seemed a little odd, which I will discuss later but for starters, I will commend the writer Mustafa Afridi & also the actor Masroor Paras for giving life to a character like Torah. It is actually quite amazing that even though he is very calculative & manipulative, you can still see through his intentions as to when he is genuinely concerned about someone & when he is just putting up an act in front of someone to extract some satisfaction out of their misery. When Torah spoke to Shireen, I felt everything that he said to her was heart-felt & he was just extending some support to her, may be because he knows that he was the one who transpired everything that brought Shireen to this stage where she had to get married to Safiullah. Even though Torah was sure that it was Saif ur Rehman’s sister who was involved with Gohar, he still felt bad seeing Shireen so down & depressed because he could feel that her life was over & there is no way for her to step out of this deep pit. The thing which I found a little odd was his comment about Shireen giving birth to Safiullah’s child, that too so casually in front of his mother in law, which I don’t think is something that is discussed so openly in such a conservative environment. Also, as much as I enjoy his manipulation, I really wish he had left the ladies out of his agenda, where he was actually enjoying seeing Gullalai in such an emotionally unstable state. Gullalai broke down in front of him because she felt Torah was genuinely consoling her as he shares the same sorrow as her, but poor Gullalai had no idea that Torah was just a spectator who was enjoying the show!

Right now, Torah’s main motive is to keep Gulistan Khan deprived of his dream of having a grand child, that is why he kept brain-feeding Safiullah against Shireen so that he harbors more & more hatred in his heart for her. Torah would do anything to make sure none of Gulistan’s wishes are materialized as he wants to see him suffer.

I felt really bad for Shireen – as if getting married to Safiullah wasn’t enough that now she had to see Aurang & Palwasha together, where their behavior was clearly telling a tale of how much likeness they both had for one another. The moment Shireen stepped into Safiullah’s home, she realized that things won’t be easy for her, but little did she know that she’ll have to see her one true love being in love with someone else as well. At least, Aurang knows everything that Shireen felt, that is why he was a bit conscious & I believe he did the right thing by telling everything to Palwasha too. I don’t know why, but seeing how shocked Palwasha was upon hearing this news, I had a feeling that may be she will back out & may be she will play the cupid by bringing Shireen & Aurang together, I am not sure if it is going to happen but may be because I would love to see that happening, it’s a wishful thinking on my part!

I just love how Gullalai breaks down but picks up the pieces & strengthens herself emotionally as she knows that she has a new battle to fight every single day of her life. She knows Shireen is not at fault & she is just a victim of the circumstances too, that is why Gullalai has never targeted Shireen & in stead, she cries on how no one took a step in the right direction to help her overcome her ordeal. Gullalai may not say it to Shireen but she doesn’t have a problem with her because her complaint is with her husband Safiullah & all those who arranged his marriage with Shireen. I love all the comebacks Gullalai always has in store for Sherbano. Sherbano still believes she runs things in Gulistan’s place but Gullalai showed her, her right place & I am sure Sherbano won’t sit quietly as she has a score to settle that is why as the precap suggested, she will accuse Gullalai of being interested in Torah. I am sure Sherbano has no idea that she is digging her own grave because of all the people, Torah will twist things against her in such a way that she wouldn’t have even imagined!

Overall, this episode was slow but definitely interesting. To be honest, I was relieved to see Gulistan Khan/Noman Ejaz in the preview of the next episode because he was most certainly being missed. Also, it is important for him to be around after Safiullah’s marriage since he is the one who arranged it, so he needs to be well-aware of the dynamics of his house after Shireen’s arrival. Looks like Saif ur Rehman will try to find out the truth & he will interrogate the spy who told Saif ur Rehman about Gohar & supposedly Shireen. I am actually glad that things are going to get intense from the next episode onward, I really wish to see what Saif ur Rehman’s reaction would be when he will find out the truth. Also, I want to see if Torah will help Shireen in any way if he will also learn the truth that it wasn’t Shireen who went to meet Gohar that day. Like always, the performance of all the actors was spot on & even though Mikaal Zulfikar has been performing really well in this drama, in this episode in particular, he looked really nice, like there was some sort of charm in his personality, which was good. Masroor Paras was once again the star of this episode & so was Sania Saeed, I just loved her acting throughout the episode but in that scene in particular where she was trying to get rid of Sherbano as she couldn’t tolerate her bitterness, Sania Saeed portrayed the feelings of a mother who has given up on her hopeless daughter perfectly. So, this is it from my side, please share your thoughts about this episode of Sang e Marmar & let me know how excited are you for the next episode. :)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Aiman & Minal Khan 18th Birthday – Getting Ready Pictures!

Aiman Khan and Minal Khan looked stunning on their birthday and enjoyed the occasion with their family and close friends. We have already posted pictures of their party and now here is an exclusive video from the party in which both the sisters cut the cake and thanked all those people who were there with them to celebrate their special day. There are also some pictures of them getting ready at “Makeup By Hadiqa”. We love their makeover, don’t you?

 

Siblings In Dramas

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Brothers and sisters are one’s best friends and the relationship shared by them is so beautiful so lovely and the time they spend together at parents house, they make sure to make the best of it. Whenever we fight, mom reminds us a time will come we’ll be separated. ?

But unfortunately some sibling character in dramas are so boring so annoying and so unreal that I wonder who shares such a relationship with his siblings!

Amjad’s sister in “Dhani”
The background of Amjad’s family is such that they joke about marriage and all, I get it, but this character is so boring. I mean her fixation with her bhabi-to-be and how she teases her brother talking about Dhani all the time, like she hasn’t got anything else to do. Alright, maybe it depends on the type of person you are talking about and maybe such siblings do exist but I don’t find it real how she only has one topic to talk about ie. her brother’s wedding. Yeah, sometimes we too banter about marriage and all (very rarely though) but there’s something in her attitude I can’t relate to. I don’t find their banters amusing nor do I smile on those. In short, I don’t find anything amusing about her character.
Zony’s youngest sister in “Aks”
And I hate it when there are useless characters in dramas. She had no purpose in the whole drama other than saying “Zony baji ye, Zohra baji wo” in a monotonous tone and getting engaged to one person after other. She was the scapegoat of her family. I think it was also because of her acting that I could never like her. I wish they had given her a purpose in that drama and enough things to do there. If not, there was no need keeping her in the drama. If nothing else they could have shown her relationship with sisters in a “realistic” manner.
Qudsia’s sisters in “Asmanon Par Likha”
Asmanon Par Likha was an entertaining drama but heroine’s useless annoying sisters saying boring things and asking stupid questions with no acting skills were so boring to watch. “Nahinnnn! Ab kia ho ga?” “Log kia kahen ge?” “Api darwaza to kholen!” Shedding tears and sobbing in a filmy/dramatic way and expressing worry over, what we can say, small and stupid things! Their acting and dialogues were of such a quality that no one could sympathize with them ulta hansi hi ati thi LOL even when something serious happened to their family. ?
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Jawaid’s sisters in “Khoat”
I only watched 6 or 7 pisodes of this drama and then left watching it because of its clichéd storyline. The sisters’ scenes in particular were really very boring! The acting of those actors especially that playing the elder sister was perfectly fine but the dialogues they had to offer and the attitude of their characters towards the brother and his fiancée was simply boring! They too were fixated with their brother’s wedding and the bhabi-to-be, also with the jahez she was expected to bring with her. “Ab hamare pass fridge ho ga” “Aur TV bhi!” Han han as if you’re presently living in a cave! Again, I’m not sure if it happens or not and I don’t know what do sisters say or do when there brothers are about to get married, maybe it depends on the type of person you are talking about and maybe some sisters do say things like that and these characters and their dialogues are reality based, but I found it boring to say the least.
These and many other sibling characters in our dramas tend to annoy us either with their acting or stupid jokes and dialogues.
Where we have such characters, we also have some amazing, positive and “reality based” sibling characters such as
Sara and Zaroon in “Zindagi Gulzar Hai”
They were just like how we siblings are. They supported each other in tough times like we do, they bantered just like we do, Zaroon wiped Sara’s tears like a good brother and understood her problems like is expected from any brother! Sara too supported his decision of getting married to Kashaf. Everything about their relationship be it mutual understanding, cooperation and support, the joyful moments spent together, their banters everything was so good and so real! The on screen chemistry between Ayesha Omer and Fawad Khan also contributed to making it one of the best sibling relationship on screen!
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Dhani and Shani in “Dhani”
Sisters are your best friends! They can talk for hours and hours without getting bored, especially at night. They know about each and every thing happening in your life, they give you the best of advice when they feel the need to, they make the best of plans together without others knowing it. They sleep together, eat together and enjoy together. Sister defends you when you’re being bullied by any other of your siblings especially brothers. A girl’s happiness is incomplete without her sister’s presence. They make the best of memories together. And that’s exactly how the relationship between Dhani and Shani is shown to be in Dhani. Two naughty chulbuli sisters whose happiness and grief are mutual. I mean it’s so nice and so real. #SistersGoals ?
sib
Hammad and Ibad in “Khuda Aur Mohabbat”
I was watching the second episode of Khuda Aur Mohabbat and was hugely impressed with the relationship they showed between Hammad and Ibad. I mean, I don’t know why but the things I they said to each other (not those stupid marriage-related not-so-funny jokes siblings tell in dramas) and the level of friendship they had where nevertheless the younger brother could be sensed showing respect to the elder one made these characters look real. I think the acting of the actors playing Hammad and Ibad also made it easy for me to enjoy their scenes. I know the sort of relationship brothers share and the type of things they say to each other and based on that, I can say with certainty that their relationship is 100% realistic, relatable and fun to watch. Well done Hammad and Ibad! ?
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Maliha and Junaid in “Daam”
I liked drama serial Daam because of the fact that they showed reality based and close to life characters and established their relationship with each other too in a realistic manner. Maliha and Junaid were two siblings and the best of the best friends. In the first half of the drama we saw the sort of relationship they shared and the ups and downs of their relationship as the drama progressed were brilliantly written and portrayed on screen. It’s the brilliance of Maliha and Junaid’s characters  that even though I haven’t gone through all that was shown but was able to understand what happens and how you feel when your sibling ruins your life for his own selfish reasons. Again, they made the most of the time they spent together at parents house. Talking at night for hours and hours, going out to eat ice cream together, shopping together, bantering, having fun together and what not!
sib
These were my choices for this article, share yours.
Thanks for reading!
Sidra Hasan

Dumpukht- Atish-e-Ishq Episode 19

Ussey pata hai ke Bibi ka pehnaya hua dupatta kaun utaar sakta hai… Habibullah’s evil intentions were finally revealed as Kulsoom found him making a very bold move forward. At one point, Haroon walked in on Habibullah caressing Kulsoom’s face but as expected his ghairat takes a backseat as he can’t conceive his revered Peer would ever do anything unholy. Habibullah would never allow Kulsoom to meet Bilal as he knows that Bilal wasn’t at fault and Kulsoom would believe in his innocence. He “allowed” Haroon to accompany Kulsoom under the pretext that she would be meeting Bilal only to be scorned and silenced.

Meri toh khair hai, mein toh houn hi khawmakhi Ki... Nimmo’s emotional outburst on finding out Kulsoom was out with Haroon was spot on. She knows Bilal is suffering and believes he wasn’t at fault and she also knows there’s more to this story. Her pleas continue falling on deaf ears… Aisi darpook maoun Ki betiyon Ki ban hi jaati hai... Bibi decided to publicly proclaim Kulsoom as her sister to elevate her status and while Kulsoom’s family rejoiced, Nimmo was clearly upset. Nimmo is the one friend who has the sensibility to look beyond what’s at the surface and hopefully she’ll save Kulsoom from being violated by Habibullah.

With Haroon and Bibi dancing to his tunes, Habibullah has complete access to Kulsoom and he’s also confident that even if Kulsoom were to retaliate, no one would believe her. On the contrary, she would get shunned and prosecuted. Kulsoom’s beauty is her undoing as Habib sees his ex in her and he’s so smitten by her that he will go to any lengths to have her. Habib cannot differentiate between love and lust and he’s driven only by his desires.

Bibi’s pregnancy seems to have completely turned her blind as she’s stopped questioning the obvious. I expected Bibi to see through Kulsoom’s lies but she believed her when Kulsoom narrated her “meeting” with Bilal. Also, she couldn’t tolerate Wali yet he’s around ever since the night of the nikah and she hasn’t once asked for him to leave. Is this the same woman who sat on the throne passed down by generations and made decisions on behalf of others? Bibi’s character has gone off track and has stopped making sense altogether. She was one of the most impactful characters at the start of the show but is being sidelined and I hope there’s more to her in the episodes to come.

I absolutely detest Habibullah and Wali which goes to show how brilliantly they’ve portrayed their respective roles. I haven’t seen Sonia Mishaal before but this role will go down as one of her finest. Each week, I’m in awe of the beautiful dialogues and each episode manages to maintain the narrative while making me anticipate the next. This drama is definitely one of my favourites this year. What did you think?

Kanwal Murtaza