So this episode was again based on the bits & pieces that we have been seeing in the previous episodes. It does not mean that I did not enjoy watching it, obviously I did but now I want things to get settled quickly as we’re already on episode 20 & still the climax is unclear & unpredictable. I guess the unpredictability adds to the beauty of the drama & enhances the originality of the script but still some more progress please!
As usual in the very first scene Zubaida once again got the chance to rant. How easily she manages to look down on anyone even if a person is standing right in front of her face. While she was at Sharmeen for her single decision that she took to go to her Granny’s house, Zubaida involved Essa in between & right in front of Neelam she regarded him as some cheap goon. Sharmeen has completely given up her hatred for Neelam & now seeks her support whenever she can.
Firdous on her own was furious at how easily Ghazanfar has forgotten about her. I guess Ghazanfar at least should have made a move because it’s the first time that Firdous took such sort of a step. He can not ignore all the sacrifices she has made & how happily she has accepted whatever she was given by him. I hate to see Ghazanfar acting all mean at this point especially. Sharmeen, who has no wisdom is still trying to handle the situation but little does she know that it won’t make a difference because she is the one who caused all the chaos in Firdous’s life.
Farmaan’s awakening was dreadful once again & came as a thunder bolt to Neelam. After all that she has done for him & his extended family, this was the least that she expected. She still made her point very clear that money is the last thing she needs from Farmaan because all this while she only has waited for his company, his presence & his role in their son’s life. Farmaan’s realization which was obviously in the favor of Zubaida came after her rant in the morning after she confronted Sharmeen. I couldn’t stop wondering that how easily Zubaida claimed that she has a lot of people who still look up to her & who can look after her but she is definitely unaware that these sort of sweeping statements look perfect hypothetically & when it comes as a reality it is as harsh as let’s say her husband’s second marriage. Farmaan’s claim that he was at fault when he got married to Neelam took her down to the shambles. He could’ve said anything but this that too after seeing how patiently she has been dealing with the situation where she sees that he can not utter a word in front of Zubaida & she keeps him on the edge.
Zubaida once again in order to take care of Ghanzanfar forgot that she left Farmaan & Neelam alone in the house. She never misses a chance to hound them but as usual when it came to Ghazanfar everything became secondary for her. She left the house & knowing that no one can call her or keep a track of her, she posed that no one is calling her or is worried about her just to gain more sympathy. It is obviously crystal clear that she still has some strong feelings for Ghazanfar & this time in clear words she admitted that she regrets not getting married to him as she said she didn’t like big bungalows. Definitely she got money that she wanted so that she could support her family but she couldn’t come to the stage where she could forget her fiancé. That is the reason she has always detested Firdous because she got what Zubaida wanted. Even though she had no such money that Zubaida had but Firdous had what Zubaida wished for & to some extent still wishes for.
Essa-Sharmeen-Adeel trio was boring to the core. I didn’t find even a single scene of them interesting nor I wanted to know what they were up to or what they are planning. Once again Sharmeen lied & sneaked so that she could meet Essa. Adeel swooped in at the right time & saw what he wished he had not. Essa has bid his final good bye to Sharmeen but we still got to see what is going to be the next move in the scenario of this trio.
The preview of next episode was engaging & Farmaan is finally going to make some move. Seems like he is coming to a stage where he will sternly make his point clear to Zubaida. Can’t wait to see more of this.
This episode in literal sense was like a roller-coaster ride. It was to the point & didn’t drag much. I absolutely enjoyed watching it.
The first scene came as a relief where Firdous just left the house & nothing too major or serious happened to them. She, on her own, is right & has been consistent when it comes to Sharmeen. Ghazanfar is again going over-board in making a mismatch. While watching this episode I was wondering about the only two dialogues Adeel has been saying through out the drama like ‘mai Sharmeen se shadi karoonga’ ‘mai Sharmeen se shadi nahi karoonga’. Ohkay, we get it, he likes her but I guess he shouldn’t have been so dumb that whenever Sharmeen wants, she uses him. Firdous has gone to her mother & her rant was right. She is frustrated seeing how the two men in her lives are smitten by Zubaida & now her daughter Sharmeen. At this point I dislike Sharmeen’s character the most.
Ghazanfar tells Adeel that ‘Firdous khush kismat hai k usay tum jaisa beta mila’ but he forgot to mention that I am lucky to have Firdous as a wife & you are to have her as a mother because her life revolves around us only. It shows how properly she has raised Adeel that he turned out to be such a caring son & to some extent an innocent person as well unlike Sharmeen who takes all the cunningness after Zubaida.
Zubaida once again got a chance to let down Neelam after Essa & Sharmeen’s phone conversation. It was heart-touching & Essa’s confession was really sweet but poor Sharmeen has fallen under her own trap that she set for Essa. She seems like a shuttle who is ready to fly between the two guys, she goes to Essa when she wants to love him & bounces back to Adeel when she wants to take revenge on Essa. Zubaida never leaves a single opportunity to degrade others. She told Farmaan & Neelam that ‘Firdous apne ghar ko hi sambhal le to bari baat hai’. Which I found really weird because in front of Neelam she was underestimating her own sister. Even if Firdous hasn’t done much for the rest of the family financially but she is a better wife & a better mother as compared to Zubaida. At least, she didn’t go around poking noses into other’s matters, she was happy in her own bliss unlike Zubaida who gave priority to every other person except her husband & daughter.
By now I feel it should have been understood by Farmaan that whenever Zubaida asks him to go out she is about to meet Ghazanfar. Every time he obeys her orders & goes out she calls him & tells ‘Mubarik ho Sharmeen ki baat pakki kar di hai, Ghazanfar aye the’. Which should be clear to Farmaan by now that she likes to meet her ex-fiancé in seclusion, which in every sense is ODD.
It was a much needed reality check that Shakeel gave to Zubaida. He was spot on & said the right thing when found Zubaida saying all the obvious things which Firdous was not. It is good to see his character building up in a sense that he can now take stand for the right things & can say no to the wrong. Even then Zubaida asked Shakeel ‘koi paisay reh gaye the kya dene k liye?’. Why does she need to say such things when she knows he just met her & there was nothing to be discussed in regards to the money. I am kind of unable to understand her character that at one point she claims that she can spare her life for her family but at the same time she taunts them & hounds them literally.
I hope things sort out a bit as soon as possible because the preview of the next episode looked interesting. I am totally satisfied with the pace of the drama now because seems like they are winding things up with exactly the speed that was needed.
Even if Zubaida’s character has taken a bad turn but still I must say that Savera Nadeem has done justice to the character she opted for. Zubaida’s character is still what we can not hate because she brings in so much reality to what the nature of most of us human beings are. We, at one point are sweet but we may become mean & selfish when in a situation. I absolutely salute the writer for writing up such a beautiful character which is so relate-able Even though from last a lot of episodes we haven’t seen anything positive in Zubaida’s character but still it’s justified that it is how she is, her dignity means the world to him & she can even lie when she deems fit in order to protect herself from the sympathy. Kudos to the rest of the cast too for making what Bari Appa is now because almost every other person is following this drama keenly. :)
So far so good. This has to be my favourite episode from the whole series till now. The direction was flawless & the acting was beyond perfection. I absolutely enjoyed the whole episode, each & every scene & the dialogues as well. I have liked the drama so far but this is now turning out to be my favourite.
The best thing today was lesser taunting of Zubaida & more scenes of the rest of the family members. It is finally good to see Farmaan coming out of his shell & doing what Neelam deserves. I absolutely enjoyed watching them together after Fajr namaz. I thought Ayesha Khan looked flawlessly beautiful in the whole Islamic attire, she looked perfect & so was her acting. It’s a sigh of fresh air that finally Essa’s intervention has taken it’s toll on Farmaan & he has started acted accordingly. Sharmeen has broken the ice & has actually started to like Neelam. From all the past episodes, I liked Sharmeen & her politeness for the first time today may be just because she wasn’t being irrational & showed that she is a mature person too with some abilities to differentiate between right & wrong. She has understood it completely that what her mother talks about Neelam is mostly wrong because Neelam is everything but that.
Farmaan, after so many days has started to show his soft side while realizing completely that what he has been doing was totally wrong & unfair to his second wife. Zubaida had to put a black mark on the sweet time they both had after so many days but it was good that Farmaan did not pay so much of a heed to it. He was worried a bit because that’s his nature but Neelam tackled it brilliantly saying she is ready to take the blame for Farmaan because she can’t see him suffering. After seeing Neelam’s respect, love & concern for her husband, I thought to myself what good Farmaan must’ve done that he was rewarded with a wife like her. May be his tolerance in dealing with Zubaida paid off in terms of Neelam.
Sharmeen tried to reconcile her differences with Essa & took a first step in meeting him but Essa was rigid. He couldn’t understand Sharmeen’s gesture & blamed her once again. I thought he would react differently with much more wisdom but his reaction was clouded by his anger & he let Sharmeen down. I don’t really understand that after being in a relationship for around 6 years why do they have to play the riddles with one another? Why can’t they be up front & be more precise in dealing with one another, especially when they know about the rocky track their relationship is at? I guess they need to open up a lot more so that they can understand eachother well. They both expect a lot from eachother but do not understand, they expect that the other might listen to the silence but they fail. I hope they wind this relation quickly without any further delay or dragging.
& at last Firdous had to face what she dreaded & Adeel confessed of marrying Sharmeen. Like I said before that Adeel has no sanity of his own & acts according to Sharmeen’s suggestion. Same was the case today where he came & talked to his parents just a moment after Sharmeen told him. She should be sane enough to understand that she is kind of furious at Essa & that’s why she is using Adeel as a scapegoat. Ghazanfar, being a gentleman dealt with Firdous with patience & assured her that he will not let Sharmeen agree to marry Adeel but he was deceptive because he spoke to Sharmeen with much softness & a bit too in a convincing manner.
He can not, every time let someone else take a front seat & keep Firdous as his last priority. This is much evident now that he still has some feelings for Zubaida & a bit more soft corner for her than he has for Firdous. No doubt he has given her all the rights of being his wife but he gets carried away whenever Zubaida is in a situation. Firdous’s rant was justified because she is not happy with Sharmeen & is not ready to accept her as a daughter in law from day one that too because of Zubaida, their history, Zubaida’s behaviour & dominance. She has always been honest about how she feels about Sharmeen, so there is no point in convincing her of something which she doesn’t approve of.
Firdous did go overboard in whatever she said to Ghazanfar. The preview of next episode suggests something horrible when it comes to Firdous. I so do not want to see anything happen to her because she doesn’t deserve it as she has whole-heartedly accepted Ghazanfar as her husband & loves him a lot. I so do not want to see her dream come true where the main cause of disruption is Zubaida. I’m keeping my fingers crossed as I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next.
Today’s episode was again on the similar pace & I am kind of disappointed by seeing no such progress in the story. It seems the story is stuck from the last 4 episodes now. Few of the scenes seemed unnecessarily stretched. The end of the episode was interesting with something to look forward to.
Zubaida; as usual, is against Neelam. She is not entertaining the fact that Sharmeen took sides with Neelam too. Sharmeen is the only one till now who has felt some pity for Neelam because of her diligence when it comes to their family & her tolerance when she is being cussed. But Zubaida was not at all amused by the fact that Sharmeen mentioned it all in front of her. I guess seeing it all happening again & again is monotonous & one can’t say much about it because Zubaida has shown all her weaknesses which she carried behind the façade of being a head-strong & ‘honest’ woman. She is equally good at scheming & plotting too.
I thought it would be the limit for Neelam to see Farmaan indirectly taunting her for not taking care of Zubaida, Sharmeen taunting her about the home & the property, Zubaida trying to tell her indirectly that there is no need of any other person when she & her husband are together. Neelam took a good step in talking her heart out to Essa because at the moment he is the only sane person who can understand what she is going through & actually feels for her. But I guess Neelam should take a stand as well either politely or strongly, but she must do something on her own because weeping in seclusion won’t do any good to her & she will be oppressed.
I totally didn’t enjoy the scene of Adeel & Sharmeen today as I thought it wasn’t necessary & even their encounter with Essa & Sharmeen’s confession about her affair with Adeel that too in anger. I find it odd that Sharmeen uses Adeel’s name whenever she deems fit & Adeel acts as a stooge of hers or is so blindly smitten by her that a distant green signal from Sharmeen is considered as a life-saving opportunity . Sharmeen has totally disappointed because the way her character has un-winded is shocking. I find her irrational opportunist who just wants to turn things the way she wants to whenever she finds a chance. For now I am not at all interested in seeing what happens to the trio of Adeel-Sharmeen-Essa just because of the lady in between. Plus I feel Zubaida has failed as a parent because all this while she was so busy in ruling her brother’s, sister’s & mother’s lives that she forgot she had a daughter to take care of too. I recalled what I thought after seeing the first episode that she is the one who is acting totally perfect but as the story will move on we will see she has imperfections within her house & this is exactly what we are seeing. Sharmeen can claim in front of Zubaida that Adeel is her cousin but she can not utter in front of her mother that she wants to go for an outing with her bestfriend/cousin? It shows what sort of an attention Zubaida has paid to her ONLY child.
Finally coming to something which we were all waiting for. “Essa-Zubaida confrontation”. Essa was completely spot on & precise when it came to dealing with the situation of her sister. He didn’t beat around the bush & was to the point. I absolutely enjoyed the dialogues as they were filled with mild taunts yet were sharp enough to leave a mark. Farmaan needed that reality check in what he was doing. & for the first time I felt the ice broke & Farmaan started seeing around apart from the veil of Zubaida which he had wrapped around his eyes. He was actually feeling bad for Neelam & realized what he had been doing was wrong because Neelam didn’t deserve all this after how she has taken care of Farmaan & his extended family.
The flick of Firdous was one again appeasing to see. Her unnecessary haul over the dream she saw was amusing. But right now she has to finally face what she was dreading as Adeel has declared about his feelings for Sharmeen. I can’t wait to see more of their situation & I wish Adeel improves his acting because he looks like a Robotic-Zombie who is expressionless be it terms of facial or vocal expressions.
I found today’s episode completely interesting but a bit slow. I guess the director has slowed down the pace of the drama especially after Neelam’s shift to Farmaan’s home. We understand that Zubaida is having a hard time in accepting Neelam in her house & she is looking for ways to pick up on her but I guess it’s a high time things should move on. No doubt we all follow it but from the last three episodes I see no progress in the story.
Essa & Sharmeen have finally patched up but still their relation is on a rocky track. Sharmeen’s attitude is a bit too confusing. At one point she is smitten by Essa & on the other hand we see her flirting with Adeel & Monty. Ohkay, we understand that she is shocked at how her father has gotten married to Essa’s cousin sister but she needs a closure now. Either accept or reject Essa completely because to linger things on isn’t healthy for them both. I absolutely appreciate how patient Essa is on this matter & how he is dealing with ridiculous attitude of Sharmeen with so much of wisdom. His character no doubt deserves a lot of appreciation.
Things between Zubaida-Farmaan-Neelam trio are totally similar & we don’t see any such improvements. Zubaida is using all the methods to make Neelam look bad. Farmaan; as usual is not in a mood to understand Neelam & doesn’t want to pay heed to what she’s going through. Neelam on her own is doing everything to please Zubaida & Farmaan but all the cards are turning out to be against her. I totally despise the contrasting character of Farmaan. He is the same guy who stammers in front of Zubaida but flushes out his anger on Neelam that too unnecessarily. I guess he should act according to his age & take the situations in his own hands as Neelam is his responsibility & he needs to take care of the circumstances. I don’t really like the idea of how all the time he is telling Zubaida that she means the world to him & he can sacrifice his life for her plus also when he keeps on giving Neelam the pointers at how she should take care of Zubaida & what she should do when it comes to Sharmeen. I totally pity Neelam.
It was a treat to watch a few scenes of Firdous again. She was curious but was spot on when she found that Farmaan got married to Neelam on his own. She has played this character adorablly. It wasn’t pleasant to see Ghazanfar’s attitude with Firdous especially when it came to Zubaida. If we look at it Zubaida is the one who causes all the disruptions on everyone’s lives. Be it her mother or her brother, her sister & even now her husband & his second wife. One woman is the sole reason of all the arguements & animosity between the other members of her family. No doubt she has done a lot for them but Zubaida doesn’t really know how & when to draw a line because she believes she owns everyone & everyone owe her an explanation for even teensy bit of their moves.
Ghazanfar was unfair to Firdous because he can pay all his attention to Zubaida but if Firdous talks about her he always threatens her. The last scene seemed more like a dream sequence. I guess it’s Firdous who is imagining things. I liked the preview of next episode because I think the story is going to make some progress on certain aspects. I can’t wait to see the encounter of Essa & Zubaida.
So this was the very first day of Neelam at Farman’s home & it was full of shocks for her as well as for the viewers too.
All this while I have seen the character of Zubaida as someone who’s dominant but caring at the same time & her character had so many other positive dimensions that made her likeable but to see the streak of jealousy & the negativity was not a treat to watch. It seems like now the director or the writer is trying to make Zubaida look bad in front of ‘sati savitri’ Neelam who for the sake of her husband would tolerate anything just to make her mark in the hearts of the whole family.
I thought Zubaida’s character was way too ahead of all such typicality that we see in many women dominant dramas but to see the similar actions of Zubaida made me feel like I wasn’t watching something new. Ohkay, we get it that Zubaida is hurt & can not accept the defeat in terms of Neelam but it would’ve been better if they had shown that Zubaida accepted the arrival of Neelam & her relation with Farman with all the grace & dignity with which she announced their wedding & how she whole-heartedly introduced Neelam to her family.
Zubaida really doesn’t need to stoop to such a level which is so unlike her because all this while everyone has loved the main trait of her nature & that is dignity. Just to snatch useless Farmaan from Neelam she is twisting her words which seems so uninteresting. I felt that the scene where Farman, Zubaida & Neelam are in conversation was handled so poorly with such confusing dialogues that no one could actually make out where it was going & what was the main reason of Farman calling Neelam so that Zubaida could shed off her frustration at her? Zubaida kept on blowing things out of proportion & all the things went into the thin-air because they made no sense at all. I wish the dialogues were a bit better or the direction was paid heed to because nothing seemed to be in the right place & it seemed totally unnecessary.
Sharmeen disappointed big time with her acting. She seemed so artificial & someone who really can not act. All this while I found her scenes pretty average but the scenes in this episode & her dialogue delivery were a big downer. She should at least work a bit on her emotional scenes because I really like the way she talks but in today’s episode she came as a shock to me.
I really hate to see the fact that they have brought Bari Appa to such extreme edge. Zubaida is shown as a complete devil where as Neelam is being shown as an angel who can’t do anything wrong & is way too polite. I think they should maintain a balance that Zubaida should not make a mountain out of molehill & Neelam should take a stand & Farman can go wherever he want to because he is useless.
I feel Farman actually should start to handle the conflicts a bit wisely & without the favoring Zubaida. All this while we see him as a stammerer who can not utter a single word in front of Zubaida but on the other hand we see his eyes bulging out with anger for Neelam. He has spent 25 years with Zubaida & he knows that it was her attitude which drove him towards Neelam. So, he should man-up a bit & should stop taking sides with Zubaida because it was him who approached Neelam for marriage.
The scene where Neelam enters the house of Farman was really well executed & Bari Appa’s expressions were beyond perfection. At that particular moment the viewers were revealed at what she will be doing to Neelam, because at the beginning we saw how Bari Appa confessed in front of her daughter Sharmeen that she is not going to accept humility & can’t stand seeing people pitying her, now we clearly know what she was talking about.
There was a bit of confusion whether Neelam’s cousin should stay at the dinner & how Neelam should enter but Neelam’s cousin kept on insisting he would stay with Neelam just to support her so that she doesn’t feel awkward in the circle of unknown people. That was the first plot of Bari Appa against Neelam & she played it very subtly & decently where she told Neelam to come with her cousin but told Farman that she wants Neelam to enter with Farman. Now we can expect more of it in the upcoming episodes. Farman’s claim in front of Zubaida that he will shift Neelam back to her old house was a really good suggestion but Zubaida insisted & he had to agree but he actually doesn’t know right now that what he’s going to get into. Neelam would be the one who’d promise the support & accept everything that Farman will offer to her but Zubaida is going to make it really difficult for them.
Sharmeen flirt with Adeel to make Essa furious was below the belt on Sharmeen’s part. They shared such a nice bond but Sharmeen is being irrational towards Essa. She should understand that Essa had nothing to do with the marriage of Farman & his Cousin Neelam but Sharmeen’s emotions are clouded by her affection towards her mother. I hate to see Farman fixing his own things & forgetting that Essa’s proposal is still pending & he should make a move in the favour of Sharmeen & Essa as well.
I personally enjoyed the scene of Zubaida & Sharmeen & felt that Zubaida looked stunningly elegant in that very dress. She has carried herself really very well & I admire her wardrobe too. Another favourite yet funny scene was Firdous’s & Neelam’s encounter & her out of the blue comment about some past experience she had. She has played this character so beautifully that even if she acts dumb at times makes her look completely adorable.
We still have a lot more to see in this drama now especially when Zubaida is going to make it impossible for Neelam to stay with her & Farman but I feel Neelam should get a hold of herself & shouldn’t go with the flow too easily & quickly because she has been married to Farman for more than 3 years & she should have understood the nature of Zubaida by now. No doubt she must take care of whatever Farman asks her of but she legally has nothing to do with Zubaida. Anyhow, I thoroughly enjoyed the episode & can’t wait for the next one.
Finally things & situations have started to come back to their place in Bari Appa. It was sweet to see the scene of Riffat & Shakeel & how they reconciled their differences. It was kind of relieving to see Shakeel admit that Zubaida Appa has always been at fault & this is what has driven Farman Bhai to another marriage. Indeed Riffat needed that sort of support & promise from Shakeel that he will not let her go & is pretty much happy with how things are unwinding for them both after Riffat has started earning. Now we can clearly see that after this incident everyone has started to understand the faults of Bari Appa & now she has lost her creditability & will lose her dominance as well because Shakeel himself mentions that now I have come to understand that Bari Appa has always been at fault.
The only character that fails to impress rather disappoints me the most is that of Farman. He is such a wuss I must say. He knew he had to get married & even became a father but when it came to take a stand for his legally wedded second wife & child, he took a back-track. Even now when Zubaida was out there forcing him to divorce his second wife, he stammered & looked like such a spineless person who had no guts to stand up to his act & be a man at least for once. He was begging her to drop the idea & if she does he will never meet his second family again. What sort of a man is he?
Zubaida has once again proved herself to be egoistic & someone who can not let anyone look down at her. She is always in a competition with Firdous & just to make her position awkward she took such a bold step of coming up with such a huge lie that too with her family. These traits of her character makes me dislike her because if you can’t be honest to your mother & the rest of your family then who are you going to be honest with? Even though at first place she wanted Farman to take divorce but now when the news of that affair broke out to her family she took the situation in her own hand & tried to show that she was the one behind this wedding, which was totally unnecessary & in the last moment Ghazanfar stepped in & supported Zubaida for her hideous lie.
One scene that was truly engaging was the dialogue between Firdous & Ghazanfar. At least Firdous has some guts to say what she has on her mind & whatever she said was true & commendable. I really do not like the idea how Ghazanfar looks down at her sometimes & compares her with Zubaida. Firdous might not be such an intelligent woman like Zubaida but at least I see her as someone who’s honest & does not plan things even if it involves her family. Zubaida should get in touch with her baby brother if she faces any hardships rather than running out to Ghazanfar because no matter what their past was, it’s completely over & now he is her younger sister’s husband. Firdous’s confession in front of Ghazanfar that Bari Appa detests her & has not forgiven her because she took away Ghazanfar from her was totally spot on. Indeed the competition & the animosity Zubaida has towards Firdous is obviously linked to her past with Ghazanfar. I actually do not fancy the idea of Ghazanfar running towards Zubaida whenever she is in need & taking such harsh words from her so easily. Whereas, he is the same person who snubs Firdous even when she is not at fault & only shares the happenings with her immediate family.
Anyhow, the drama even though has revealed all the aspects of the story is still going strong & has a lot of shocking twists to offer to its viewers. I like this drama a lot but I want Farman Bhai to man-up a little bit hopefully.
Life in plastic, it isn’t always fantastic! Although glamour is directly associated with the world of showbiz but very often there are times when our glamorous actresses & actors have to compromise on their styling, make-up and outfits because a certain role which they are enacting in a drama does not allow them to look glamorous. Looking very attractive at times can undermine the effect a character might have on the viewers. Since television is an audio visual medium therefore the outlook of the characters in dramas is just as important as their dialogue delivery and the body language. A character which is going through a difficult phase in life must look like it is going through the worse otherwise the viewers will have a difficult time identifying with the characters no matter how powerfully penned down they are. Also, certain characters need a specific outlook which might not always be very glamorous.
While our drama industry is filled with actors who are more than willing to give up their glamorous looks to translate their characters more flawlessly on screen, there are however some who find it impossible to allow glamour to take a back seat. These actors who are very keen on looking glamorous on screen either opt for roles which are glamorous or make sure that their make-up and styling is on point even when their characters are not supposed to look very attractive. All these actors are immensely talented and have given some memorable performances in their career but they have hardly been seen in roles in which they had to give up their glamorous looks altogether.
Here is a list of A-list actors who haven’t yet been able to give up glamour even though they have been in the drama industry for a considerable amount of time.
Fahad Mustafa:
Fahad Mustafa wasn’t one of the “pretty boys” when he started his career because he focused on his acting more than his looks. He dared to experiment with his looks and left glamour far behind when he starred in Mein Abdul Qadir Hoon but lately he has groomed himself a lot and he clearly wants to be known for his good looks more than his performances. This is the reason why he chose to play the arrogant, rich Sikandar in Kankar because although Sikandar’s character was not perfect but there was tons of room for putting on make-up. Also, his role in Doosri Biwi which was a drama from his own production house was that of a man who was very “wanted”! Fahad Mustafa made sure he looked very charming in this role as well. Fahad wears just as much make-up as his heroines because according to him in our industry you need good looks to survive since talent alone can’t take you much further.
Ayesha Khan:
Ayesha Khan has been associated with dramas for the longest time now and in this long career there isn’t a single drama in which Ayesha Khan wore minimal make-up or did not style her hair. Even in Parsa when her character went through a complete personality change, the make-up was always on point although that character did not require a glamorous look. Every other play which Ayesha Khan has played required a glamorous or a stylish outlook. In drama serial Bari Aapa although she played the role of a simple girl but she was someone who always made sure she looked pretty for her husband. Recently, in Mann Mayal, Ayesha Khan was shown flaunting her wardrobe, hairstyle and make-up even in those scenes which suggested that she just woke up or was about to hit the pillow at night!
Imran Abbas:
Imran Abbas might not admit that he wears makeup but we all know that the camera doesn’t lie. In the play Dil-e-Muztar there were times when Imran Abbas’ lip color was more prominent than that of Sanam Jung’s. Imran Abbas is another actor who always wears a lot of make-up and is very conscious about his looks. The only time he did not look all made up was in the play Akbari Asghari, but other than that in every other play he makes sure to wear a blush on & a proper eye makeup including mascara. Imran also sports a lip gloss & at times a lipstick which is usually very prominent. He is also one of those actors who are blessed with good looks yet they think they can’t do without all the make-up.
Saba Qamar:
Saba Qamar is one of the most prettiest faces of our drama industry & she is a very powerful actor at that too but in every single drama, Saba Qamar makes sure that her hair remain voluminous & her makeup looks fresh as new. In Digest Writer, where Fareeda spends a chunk of her life unhappy with her husband, her glamour most certainly didn’t tell a tale of a dysfunctional marriage. In Sangat, where Saba played the role of a rape victim, her curls remained tight & her makeup was flawless throughout, which most certainly didn’t do justice to the predicament of a rape victim. Saba is a beautiful girl & she can totally do without makeup, especially in the dramas which are more on the mature themes where her character is going through a very hard time because in such scenarios, no makeup look is what will allow the viewers to genuinely feel for what her character is going through.
Osman Khalid Butt:
I don’t ever remember Osman Khalid Butt on screen in a drama without proper make-up and his beard and hair right in place. Even when in drama serial “Goya” he was in the hospital for days, his beard was well taken care of & his foundation stayed put! Osman Khalid Butt surely does not need so much of make-up to look good on screen because he is good looking enough as it is and would even look great in a casual look with no gelled back hair, no proper shave, no cake faced foundation, zero kajal, no mascara and heavy contouring, which further enhances his already chiseled features.
Bushra Ansari:
Bushra Ansari’s name is a brand in itself. She is a veteran actress who has garnered so much of experience over the years but despite putting in all the effort in her acting to make it intense & power-packed, she also keeps a heavy hand at makeup, so much so that it seems unjustified. In drama serial Jhoot, she is playing a role of a well-groomed lady, so her glamorized look goes well with her character but in drama serial Udaari, where her character was mourning the death of her husband, her face was packed on with a thick layer of foundation. Yes, a little bit of coverage using the makeup is a need of the camera, but to showcase a glamorized version of a character all the time is most certainly not needed.
Faysal Qureshi:
Faysal Qureshi has been a part of the Pakistani showbiz for a very long time now & he is probably one of those few actors who don’t hold back when it comes to experimenting with the looks for the sake of different characters that they play, but Faysal Qureshi also falls in the list of those actors who rely heavily on makeup, despite not needing it at all. In recent dramas of his, like Bashar Momin & Mol, Faysal Qureshi’s makeup was so overdone to an extent that even the filters couldn’t defuse the thick layer of foundation & warm toned eye-shadows that he was wearing.
Sohai Ali Abro:
Sohai Ali Abro is a glam doll without a shadow of doubt. She concentrates a lot on her make-up, hair and outfits even if she is playing a role which does not leave a lot of room for glamour. In drama serials Rishtey Kuch Adhoore Se and Bhabi Sohai Ali Abro made a special effort to give her looks as much style as possible. Her hair is always properly made up and her clothes are always stylish even if they are simple.
Armeena Rana:
Armeena undoubtedly has a very pretty face & it is obvious that she doesn’t need that much of makeup but she pays more attention to being glamorous than the situation that her character is going through. In Mohabbat Abb Nahi Hogi, Armeena’s character goes through a very tough phase where she leaves her husband’s house & lives in tough conditions where she finds it hard to fulfill the basic necessities like food, but throughout her hardships, the things that didn’t falter were the Kohl in her eyes & the straightening of her hair. Amreena can look totally beautiful in minimal makeup because she is naturally very pretty, but she chooses to focus a little too much on looking glamorous than being realistic as per the demand of her character.
Yasir Mazhar:
Yasir Mazhar is a brilliant actor but unfortunately his over dependence on thick foundation and hairstyles which give a very made up look fail to give him the perfect look needed to make his characters more presentable on screen. His outlook in Bashar Momin, Mausam and more recently in Zara Yaad Kar qualifies him for this list because if there’s one thing that remained consistent in all of his projects, is his dependency on the bronzer!
Sanam Chaudhry:
Sanam is not only pretty, she is a very talented & gifted actor too but it is not a secret anymore that she relies on makeup a little too much. No doubt her makeup artist does a great job where they use makeup as special effects to elaborate the mindset of her character in a certain situation, but at times it seems a little too made up & gives you a feeling that she could’ve relied on a no-makeup look to make her ordeal seem real & genuine. Sanam’s character went through a lot of sufferings in a drama serial Tere Mere Beech starting from divorce to death of mother to her becoming suicidal, but her foundation to her contour to her blusher to her eyebrows, everything remained on-fleek.
Noor Hassan:
From heavy contouring to bronzing to eyebrow filling & a face packed with foundation, Noor Hassan goes overboard when it comes to makeup & styling. He can most certainly do without makeup as he has good looks but he gives out a clear message that he is not comfortable in his own skin. Every single time in every single drama, Noor Hassan looks machine washed & pressed to an extent that he ends up looking monotonous & makes it feel that he walked from one drama set to another because he is always so prim & proper in all his dramas, irrespective of the characters that he is playing. In Aabro, where he spent years & years in difficulty & bad-luck, where he became a persona non grata for his family but the thing that only seemed to have stayed by his side & worked for him was his makeup & hair-styling team!
Hareem Farooq:
Yes, Hareem Farooq’s makeup has improved over the years but we still haven’t forgotten the days when she sported a Casper look in drama serial Mausam. She was white-washed to emphasize on the fact that she was the pretty one but the whiteness of the white foundation was a little too white for the viewers to handle. In Dusri Biwi, where she was seen crying buckets over her husband’s betrayal & second marriage, her straighented hair never lost their straightening & her face makeup never seemed to fade away. In Diyar-e-Dil, where her character matured & she became a mother, that was the only time when she chose to give her character a realistic look because she couldn’t rely much on the makeup & that was the time when she looked the best in comparison to all drama that she had previously done.
Hina Bayat:
Hina Bayat is an elegant & beautiful lady. She can look equally beautiful on the camera without the makeup too because I remember the scene from Mata-e-Jaan where she had absolutely no speck of makeup on her face & she not only looked 10 years younger but absolutely gorgeous as well. In Aunn Zara, Hina sported a very neat look with a tad bit of kajal & that was enough to enhance her beauty but since then, she has focused a little much on the glam side & has made it a priority, which at times doesn’t suit the age of the character that she is portraying.
Iqra Aziz:
Iqra Aziz is one of those actresses who loves to play damsel in distress but very conveniently, that distress is covered with a thick layer of foundation & a lot of makeup, leaving no room for the distress to peak through. Iqra is quite a talented actress but at times where she can go overboard with her expressions, she goes overboard with her makeup & hair-styling too. No matter how tough the conditions for her might be, her curls never lose their intensity & her blusher doesn’t lose its vibrancy. In Muqaddas, there were certain times where Iqra was seen with no makeup & it actually showed her confidence as an actor but after that, in dramas like Mol & Deewana, where she had her fair share of distress, her makeup didn’t let the signs of it show on her face.
Danish Taimoor:
Danish Taimoor is also one of those actors who are very talented and versatile but they cannot compromise on their looks. Danish Taimoor easily passes for one of those male leads who look just as “pretty” on screen as their heroines. Danish Taimoor concentrates on his looks so much that his styling and dressing very often distract the viewers from his acting & he happens to be the one who wears more highlighter than the heroine he is paired with!
Saboor Ali:
Saboor Ali cried buckets of tears in drama serial Beqasoor but her eye make-up stayed intact right till the end. Even when her character was going through the hell, the heavy eye make-up stood out more than the troubles her character was facing. Saboor Ali is young and attractive but somehow she is also one of those actresses who cannot go with a no make-up look when the scene and the situations demand just that.
Feroze Khan:
Feroze Khan’s perfectly shaped eye brows, hairstyle which is always very “cool” and the shimmer on his face in drama serial Gul-e-Rana make him eligible for this list although he only has two drama serials to his credit.
Sami Khan:
There is no denying the fact that Sami Khan knows how to translate his characters impeccably on screen through his acting but he fails to keep a balance when it comes to the looks he sports while playing these characters. Like all the other kens in this list, he too is known for going overboard with make-up and styling. Most of the times he has so much gel on his hair that you are tempted to take a shampoo and wash it all off! And the make-up on his face makes you want to take a sponge and wipe it clean.
So, here is the list of all these Barbies & Kens of our drama industry. The sad part is that all these actors are beautiful people who would look just as fabulous without all the make-up and styling yet they are not comfortable with letting go of glamour because they don’t feel the need to walk an extra mile to make their on-screen characters look as closer to reality as possible. Please do let us know your thoughts about these Barbies & Kens & feel free to add more names to the list too.
The barat function of Sanam Jung’s sister was held on 3rd of August 2020 in a small gathering. The gorgeous Jung sisters were seen enjoying at the wedding ceremony like earlier at the Mayoun.
The bride Sonia was seen carrying a minimalistic white outfit with gold details.
She wore white flowers on her hair to add elegance and alluring jewelry pieces. The bride’s makeover was by Sheeba the makeup artist though sonia is a makeup artist herself.
The cutie pie Alaya Jaffri daughter of Sanam Jung was also seen at the wedding of her beloved khala. She is absolutely loving the wedding cake.
Famous name of Urdu literature Bano Qudsia passed away today in Lahore. Aged 88, Bano Aapa wrote many novels and collection of short stories. She also wrote drama serials and tele plays for PTV and private productions. Her famous novels are Raja Gidh, Purwa.
Her last drama for television was Piya Nam Ka Diya aired on Geo TV in 2007.
Born in 1928, Bano Qudsia married Ashfaq Ahmed (Late) another famous name of Urdu literature. Ashfaq Ahmed passed away in 2004. The couple has three sons.
Famous literary figure and drama writer Bano Qudsia has denied the rumors regarding her bad health. As per artist Noorul Hassan who regularly visits her, she is in sound health. After death of her husband Ashafaq Ahmed and due to growing age Bano Qudsia now avoids publi gatherings and prefers to stay at home.
Noorul Hassan was replying to some rumors regarding her health on social media. Noorul Hassan appealed to everyone to respect elders and avoid posting false rumors regarding their health.
Abu Aleeha’s film Javed Iqbal: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer, starring Yasir Hussain and Ayesha Omar was banned two days before its scheduled release in theaters. Despite having clearance from all censor boards, Punjab government stopped the showing of Javed Iqbal. The actors expressed their disappointment on social media and filed a petition against this decision in Lahore high court.
Recently, actor Yasir Hussain took to social media to reveal that film Javed Iqbal, which is banned in Pakistan is all set to be premiered in UK Asian Film Festival 2022. “Yeh bohot fakhar ki baat hai k UK Asian film festival hamari movie ko itni izzat de raha hai magar afsos hai k hum kabhi apna content aur apny log pehchan nahi paaty. Pakistan mai yeh Pakistani kahani ban ho gai magar eid pe aap apny culture pe banai gai 5 movies zaroor dekhiye ga”, wrote Yasir.
The year 2016 is concluding in a weeks time. With respect to cinema it has been a mixed year, the cinema business sustained in the first three quarters of the year. In October 2016, the cinema owners and distributors announced a ban on the release of Bollywood movies which hugely impacted the business of cinemas in the last quarter of 2016. The self imposed ban is finally lifted on 19th December 2016.
While there are tales of success and failures at the box office, there are also few films which were denied the right of screening by the government authorities. In our country in order to screen a film it must get a screening certificate or censor certificate from the three censor boards active in our country
Punjab Board for Film Certification (PBFC) has jurisdiction over the whole Punjab province excluding the cantonment areas. Sind Board for Film Certification (SBFC) covers the whole province of Sindh excluding the cantonement areas. Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) covers the provinces of Balochistan, KPK and Federal Capital Islamabad as well as the Federally administered areas of FATA, Azad Jammu Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. CBFC also covers the cantonment areas of Punjab and Sindh provinces.
In order to screen a locally produced film it must get a screening certificate from any of these three film certification boards. For the foreign films an additional step is required. At the first step the distributor writes to the Federal Ministry of Commerce with the intention to import a film. After examining the content of the film the Ministry of Commerce issues a Non Objection Certificate (NOC) to the distributor and the film is imported. Once imported the film must obtain a screening certificate from any of the three functional Film Certification Boards like a local film. The film certification boards can also seek the advise of Federal Ministry of Information for the screening of a film if the board does not reach a decision about the screening of the film.
This article is a compilation of all such films which failed to get either the NOC for import or the screening certificate from the Film Certification boards and thus banned from releasing in the cinemas. The most frequent reason put forth by the government authorities (Ministry of Commerce/Information or Film Certification Boards) for banning these films was the Anti-State or Anti-Pakistan content or theme of these films. Apart from Anti-State content reason, some films were banned due to adult or mature content.
Most of the films (99.9%) banned were Indian Bollywood films, whereas one local Urdu film also came under the axe of censor.
One film Sarabjit included in this list was not banned, but it is included here due to rumors of its ban.
Kiya Kool Hain Hum 3 (کیا کول ہیں ہم 3)
The first banned film of 2016 was the Bollywood’s Kiya Kool Hain Hum 3 (KKHH3). Due to release on the 22nd January 2016, the film was duly imported on time and presented before the CBFC.
Generally in Pakistan, the content of the Bollywood film is regarded as obscene and bold. But ironically the same films prove the first choice of the cine goers and perform very well.
The Film Certification board which seldom shows discontent over the obscene content of Bollywood films banned KKHH3 on the same basis. The content of Kiya Kool Hain Hum was declared “out-and-out obscene” by the CBFC chairperson Mobashir Hasan.
As per Mobashir Hasan
“It is an out-and-out obscene film that not only shows nudity but also has a lot of vulgar content in its dialogues. The board has officially disallowed the film from public viewing and sent a show-cause notice to the distributor,” Mobashir Hasan, the CBFC chairperson told The Express Tribune. “The problem with this film is that we couldn’t even allow it with an Adult rating, it so vulgar,” he further added.
Fakhre-Alam, chairperson of the Sindh Board of Film Certification (SBFC) echoed Mobashir’s sentiments. “The film is not suitable for screening,” said Fakhar. “All boards, including Punjab and Sindh, find it unsuitable for public exhibition in cinemas.”
Out right rejection by the three Film Certification Authorities handed the film the distinction of the first banned film of 2016.
Neerja (نیرجا)
Due to release on 19th February 2016, Bollywood’s Neerja was based on the courage of Neerja Bhanot an Indian air steward.
The film centers on the Libyan-backed Abu Nidal Organization’s hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan, on 5 September 1986. The film is shown from the point of view of the flight’s head purser, Neerja Bhanot, who thwarted the hijack attempt by alerting the pilots, thus grounding the plane; Bhanot gave her life to help save 359 of the 379 passengers and crew on board.
The Government of Pakistan recognized the contributions of Neerja Bhanot by awarding her Tamgha-e-Insaaniyat (for showing incredible human kindness). However the same government represented by the Ministry of Commerce has other ideas regarding the screening of this film in Pakistan.
Initially the Ministry of Commerce issued the NOC to the distributor IMGC required to import the film. However later it revoked the NOC without stating any exact reason. Without any NOC, the film was not imported in Pakistan and thus not presented for the film certification.
Maalik (مالک) Maalik (مالک) is a locally produced Urdu film released on 8th April 2016 after obtaining the screening certificates from all the three Film Certification boards. The film marked the comeback of Dhuwaan (1994 PTV drama) famed Aashir Azeem after a gap of almost 20 years. The film was directed and produced by Aashir who also played the lead role. The film performed average at box office and entered third week of business before making headlines in the press.
After screening for three weeks suddenly the SBFC revoked its screening license objecting at its content as anti-state and presenting some ethnicities in an irresponsible manner and thus its screening halted in the Sindh province. Aashir Azeem obtained a stay order from the Sindh High Court against the decision of SBFC. Two days later CBFC added the further twist to this tale by revoking the screening license of Maalik thus depriving it from screening through out Pakistan. CBFC stated the same reason of anti-state theme, provoking violence and irresponsible depiction of few ethnicities.
Aashir Azeem challenged the decision of the CBFC in the superior court. After three months of hearing the superior court allowed the screening of the film in September 2016. Thus Maalik was re-released in September 2016 and continued screening through out September and October.
The hurdles faced by Aashir Azeem regarding the screening of Maalik eventually lead to an announcement of shelving his next project for an indefinite time period.
Sarabjit (سربجیت)
Released in India on 19th May 2016, Bollywood’s Sarabjit is based on the life of Sarabjit Singh. Sarabjit Singh was an Indian spy who was caught, trialed and imprisoned in Pakistan. He was killed in the prison after an attack by a fellow prisoner.
No distributor from Pakistan contacted the Ministry of Commerce for NOC to import this film. Thus the film is never imported nor presented before the Film certification board. Still the film was part of rumors that it is banned in Pakistan. Officially it is not banned as no distributor asked the government for NOC at is not presented before any government bodies.
Dishoom (ڈیشوم)
Bollywood’s Dishoom was due to release on 29th July 2016. The film was duly imported by the distributor after obtaining an NOC from the Ministry of Commerce. However the film failed to obtain a screening certificate from CBFC.
As per the press reports, the film Dishoom shows the two leads attempting to kidnap an Indian cricketer before an India-Pakistan cricket match in UAE. CBFC initially approved the screening but referred it to the Ministry of Informtion for further advice. The ministry of Information eventually decided against its screening declaring negative portrayal of Pakistan in the film as the reason.
As the film was imported, its was advertised in the print media by its distributor. The lead artist of the film Varun Junaid Dhawan also displayed his disappointment in a tweet when the film was not released in Pakistan.
Bollywood’s Happy Bhaag Jaye Gi (HPJG) was due to release on 19th August 2016. The film stars Pakistani artist Javed Sheikh and his daughter Moomal Sheikh in supporting roles.
The film was duly imported by the distributor and presented before CBFC. Being a film of light comedy genre it was expected to pass the axe of the censor board easily. The film was promoted by its distributor in the print media. It was expected to do well in Pakistan due to the presence of local artists. Unexpectedly the film faced a last minute road block in the CBFC. CBFC objected to few scenes and dialogues of the film which as per them were anti-Pakistan.
Eventually the CBFC referred the film to the Ministry of Information and in the end the film was not released. The ban was unexpected as no one thought that a light comedy Bollywood film can be declared as anti-Pakistan by Ministry of Information.
– “Teri Bhai Ki Shaadi Rukwanay Mae Parosi Mulka Ka Haath HaiIndia Ka Namak, Poora Pakistan Khaata Hai”
– “Teen Hindustanion Nae Lahore Ko Waqt Dala Hai”
Javed Sheikh and Moomal Sheikh were criticized for working in the film which was deemed inappropriate by the CBFC. However Moomal and Javed defended their act as none of the objectionable scene or dialog was shot on them.
Happy Bhaag Jaye Gi promotional poster in an Urdu Daily
Happy Bhaag Jaye Gi was the last banned film of the year 2016. As stated above in October 2016 a wholesome ban on the Bollywood films was announced by film distributors and exhibitors which lasted till 19th December 2016. Now the ban has been lifted and screening of the Bollywood films will commence in coming weeks. However no Bollywood film is expected to be added in this list in the remaining one week of the year 2016.
Do share your thoughts on the banned films of 2016. Especially Maalik which was banned first allowed screening and then banned and eventually superior court removed the ban.
Also comment on the banning of Bollywood films like Happy Bhaag Jaye Gi and Dishoom which were of comedy genre but still failed to clear the censor board criteria. Also in case of Neerja does our censor board and relevant ministry is over reacting to any Bollywood film which has a reference to Pakistan?
2015 has been a remarkable year for film business in Pakistan. Hollywood, Bollywood as well as local Pakistani films have earned quite well this year. While there were films which made headlines due to their subjects and business, there were plenty of films which were the lead stories when they were banned for one reason or the other.
This article is a compilation of all such films of 2015 comprising of Bollywood and local Pakistani films. Interestingly most of the Bollywood films banned in Pakistan also failed to earn big in India. Also the reason for ban on all the Indian Bollywood films was same i.e. their anti-Pakistan or anti-Islam content, still it has not impacted the business of other Bollywood films allowed screening in Pakistan.
Baby
Bollywood’s Baby was due to release on 23rd January 2015. The film has veteran Pakistani artist Rasheed Naaz as well as Mikaal Zulfiqar in the supporting roles. The film made headlines when it was denied the censor certificate by the Sindh Board for Films Certificate (SBFC). SBFC refused the censor certificate due to its allegedly anti-Pakistan subject and theme. After the refusal of SBFC, the film was not presented before the other two censor boards of Pakistan i.e. Central Borad for Films Certificate (CBFC) and Punjab Board for Films Certificate (PBFC).On social media Rasheed Naaz and Mikaal Zulfiqar both were criticized as well for working in this film.
Honour Killing
A British-Indian film Honour Killing was due to relase on 27th February 2015. Pakisani artists Zara Sheikh and Javed Sheikh played important roles in this film. Honour Killing was issued the censor certificate by SBFC, however it made headlines when presented before the CBFC. The CBFC refused to issue the censor certificate calling it an anti Pakistan film as well as revoked the censor certificate of SBFC.
Welcome to Karachi
A Bollywood film released in May 2015. The film created uproar when its trailer was released in April 2015. It also has Pakistani artists Ayub Khoso and Adnan Shah Tipu in the negative roles. The trailer of the film resulted in its negative image in Pakistan and eventually no Pakistani distributor bought this film for release in Pakistan.
Bangistan
Due to release on 7th August 2015, the CBFC issued a negative statement against the film after seeing its trailer on social media. Due to the statement made by CBFC, the distributors of the film cancelled their plans by not presenting it before the censor board.
Phantom
Based on the Mumbai attacks, Phantom was not intended to release in Pakistan. However it gained fame when Hafiz Saeed the leader of Jammatul Dawwa filed a pre-emtive petition in the Lahore High Court to halt its expected release. The petition of Hafiz Saeed (who is accused of Mumbai attacks by India) made headlines in Indian as well as Pakistani media and dragged many politicians in the debate too. Phantom was not presented before any censor board in Pakistan, but was banned by Lahore High Court on the petition of Hafiz Saeed.
Phantom was not the first film of Indian director Kabir Khan banned in Pakistan. Before Phantom, Kabir Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger in 2013 was also banned. Interestingly Bajrangi Bhaijan also directed by Kabir Khan is so far the highest earning Bollywood film of 2015 in Pakistan.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2z857o
Abdullah The Final Witness
A local Urdu film produced in Quetta, Balochistan, this film is based on the Kharotabad event of 2011, in which five russian and tajik citizen were killed by a security agency. The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival 2015. But when presented in CBFC in June 2015 to release in Pakistan, it was returned with many objections. The film is still stuck in CBFC despite few cuts made by the producer Hashim Nadeem. The CBFC has objection on the portrayal of a security agency in this film.
Swaarangi
Swaarangi was due to release on 29th August 2015, but it became a victim of the inconsistent censor policy of different censor boards of Pakistan. Swaarangi got censor certificates from SBFC and PBFC without any cuts, but stuck in CBFC. The CBFC termed Swaarangi as an effort to undermine Pakistan. Swaarangi was based on drug addiction and its consequences. In the end Swaarangi was released only in Sindh and Punjab on 11th September 2015.
Bajirao Mastani
Bollywood’s Bajirao Mastani is also another film which became a victim of the inconsisten censor policy of different censor boards. It was cleared by PBFC and SBFC without any major cut but was stuck in the CBFC. Eventually CBFC also issued the censor certificate after reviewing it multiple times. So Bajirao Mastani is released in the whole Pakistan on 18th December 2015. Though tt is not banned in Pakistan, but the late decision of the CBFC resulted in the rumors of its banning.
2015 is the year where perhaps the number of films banned or stuck temporarily in the censor boards is the highest. Though the three censor boards currently operating in Pakistan follow the same censor code, but their inconsistent decision making with respect to films like Honour Killing, Swaarangi and Bajirao Mastani raised many questions about the qualification of the members of various censor boards. A comparative study carried out by an English daily revealed that while the majority of the members of PBFC and SBFC are mostly former artists the majority of the members of CBFC consists of retired bureaucrats and army officers. The inconsistent decision making of these censor boards might attribute to their members, who belong to different walks of life and thus their approach towards issuing a censor certificate to a film varies to a huge extent.
Pakistani music has the ability to win hearts and stir your soul. Kahani Suno 2.0 is the song which gathered love from all over the world. Kaifi Khalil won hearts and the song became even more viral when it featured as the OST of Wahaj Ali starrer Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha. Wahaj is trending all over the ex-subcontinent these days and his projects have gathered love in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.
Now, Kaifi Khalil’s song Kahani Suno’s new version is here and in the voice of a Bangladeshi singer. A Bangladeshi singer sang Kahani Suno live and her voice is simply mesmerizing. She also devised her own version and it is not less magical then Kahani Suno.
Here is the Bangladeshi singer who is winning hearts with Kahani Suno:
Horror is one genre Pakistanis have not done well in but Bandish was one drama that caused a stir when it came out. The mix of horror, thrill and black magic glued the audience to the screens and people were in love with Abis Raza directorial. Hira Mani, Zubab Rana and Marina Khan gave exceptional performances in the drama and it is one of the best projects made in Pakistan for the horror genre.
So, when the second season of Bandish was announced, people have been on their toes and they have been waiting for the details to be out. Well, Abis Raza is once again in the director’s chair while we have Affan Waheed, Sania Saeed, Amna Ilyas and Areej Mohyuddin all set to scare us this time around with Bandish 2.
The teaser of Bandish 2 is out and it is giving all sorts of chills to the viewers. The dark, subtlety of thrill is already evident in the drama and looks like Bandish fans are in for a ride.
Here is the teaser for Bandish 2:
Here is how the audience is reacting to the teaser:
The super talented cast of drama serial Bandish 2 has recently appeared in Good Morning Pakistan where they reveal details about the drama serial Bandish 2. Well, Bandish 2 is the sequel of an already aired horror drama Bandish which starred Hira Mani, Zubab Rana and Sania Saeed. Abis Raza directed the show. Bandish 2 is also directed by Abis Raza under the banner of Big Bang Productions. The cast includes Affan Waheed, Sania Saeed, Amna Ilyas and Areej Mohyuddin. The drama airs on ARY. The actors have shared horror incidents which happened with them on the set.
Affan Waheed talked about an accident which he faced on the set of Bandish 2. Talking about it Affan said, “I didn’t face anything this much scary on the set because I was throughout sick in the drama, I was seriously sick, but let me tell about my accident, they are talking about the shelf and the same shelf fell on me because maybe they have put a lot of heavy objects on it, but I admit that it wasn’t a supernatural incident”. Have a look at the video link:
Areej said that the supernatural activity happened on the very first day with her and Shuja. Shuja then told the whole incident, he said, “First day, when we both came on the set we faced a supernatural incident like we had a shelf attached with the wall, there was a pot with flowers and a few books over the shelf, me and Areej were just watching the shelf when the pot fell down on its own, the books also fell down, obviously, if we are doing the drama on supernatural existences so they will naturally shoe their existence to us”, Areej also said that she was super scary while doing shooting of her death scene in the drama and it gave her immense pressure while being on the set of horror drama. Have a look at the video link:
An uproar has been happening for a few days now when Verna was banned by the censor board. People showed discontent over this decision and celebrities too came out to talk about this ban. The good news is that Verna will finally release all over Pakistan uncut since the censor board has passed the film after the final viewing.
Verna has released today and has finally come out of the pressure, the director was getting to do some major cuts in the movie. The lead actress Mahira Khan shared a message on Twitter about the power of art:
The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has proposed a ban on video recording in five major parks in Lahore.
Punjab Government has decided To take help from private security companies for the security of 5 big parks in Punjab. Armed Security Guards will be patrolling in all big parks of Punjab.
According to sources, the Punjab government has decided to ban entry without family in all major parks. Students in school and college uniforms will not be allowed in the parks. Security guards of the parks will be trained in the style of dolphin force.
Sources said that a new security plan will be formulated for other parks including Greater Iqbal Park, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Bagh-e-Jinnah, and Jallu Park. Adviser to Punjab Chief Minister Asif Mehmood has been given a special task. The Punjab government has taken steps to avoid any incident like Iqbal Park.
PHA has been Instructed to install new cameras in all Parks of Punjab and all old faulty cameras are to be repaired within a month to ensure the security of females in the parks.
According to News reports, PHA Vice-Chairman Hafiz Zeeshan has said that those working on TikTok and social media channels will not be allowed to make videos in the parks.
He also said that a proposal to charge money from video makers in a public park is also under consideration. After receiving the money, the PHA will also provide security for the required time. He said that decisions would be taken in the meeting of the Board of Directors of PHA.
Na Maloom Afraad 2 released this Eid and in cinemas for over a month now. The film has proven to be a huge success in financial terms as well as was loved by a large chunk of the audience. The film, however, was banned in Punjab after running for so long and the reason given was “vulgar scenes” in the movie. The ban was challenged as it should have been and now the censor board in Punjab has reviewed the movie and consequently, the ban has been lifted after prevailing just for one day. This is the notice issued by the government:
The wait is over, the much awaited film Maalik which was banned by the Sindh High Court is now free from the ban. SHC has lifted the ban on Maalik movie by Ashir Azeem which was released on April 8th 2016. It was the Federal Information Ministry that placed the ban.
The persistence shown by the director of the film Asheer Azeem is remarkable . He challenge the decision of federal Government in court and is reaping fruits today.
the major reason being told for the by the federal government is that an extremist Afghan character who was commemorated as a national hero in the movie.
Sajjad Ali Shah the SHC justice , along with another judge lifted the ban after listening to the arguments given by the director of the film. Therefore now Azher Azeem will be able to release the film nationwide.
According ot the sources, Azeem is very happy and the screening will soon take place once distributors of the film meet the director.
After the Uri attacks on Oct 19, 2011 a ban was imposed on Indian Dramas from airing on Pakistani TV channels. It wasn’t well received by people who were addicted to dramas like “Tulsi” and “Parvati” but they soon got over it when they gave our local series a chance and found them out to be much better than the Indian. One of the major reasons our drama industry has flourished so much in the last decade is because of this.
All good things come to an end, and so has this ban.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has now lifted this ban declaring it null and void as the Federal government had no objections to the Indian content being shown in the country.
A petition to overturn PEMRA’s decision was held by M/s Leo Communications which is the parent company for Filmazia. They claimed that the government was indulging in “selective patriotism” due to Bollywood films allowed in cinemas but not on television.
Not a famous decision at all.Emotions and logic defy rules and regulations sometimes.After all everything is fair in war and love.#Pemrahttps://t.co/k1svA1Sdjv
Shoaib Mansoor’s Verna has been talk of the town ever since it’s filming started and it’s in the headlines again but not for the reasons we’d like it to be for, the film was banned by The Censor Board a couple of days ago almost five days before it was set to release on November the 17th.
The fans are outraged and so are women’s rights groups including Pakistan Nari Tehreek which is a network of over one hundred grass roots women organisations, hence the organisation filed a petition against the ban.
The petition reads,
“The incident in D I Khan of stripping a woman naked and frequent incidents of rape are alarming, and it is appalling to see such decisions being made regarding a film which addresses the ill of our society and the gaps in the system,”
It further said,
“It is known to us that the Lahore and Karachi Censor Boards have passed it but still await the final decision from Islamabad. The full Film Censor Board is due to revisit and review the film and we hope the board members will realise the importance of Shoaib Mansoor’s work and the awareness he has created regarding the heinous crimes against women.”
Moreover the petition adds,
“Verna is also pro-democracy and will take the society forward. As far as we are concerned, the film belongs to the women of Pakistan and it needs to be shown to all, inside and outside Pakistan.”
The petition was signed by representatives of the core members of Nari Tehreek including Mukhtaran Mai, Maliha Husain, Bushra Khaliq, Anbreen Ajaib, Aqeela Naz, Shad Begum, Gulalai Ismail, Aasia Mughal, Sidra Humayun, Shazia George, Irum Fatima, Sana Malik.
This isn’t the first time The Censor Board in Islamabad is being criticised for banning a feature film, it has quite a reputation for that.
After a ban of nearly two weeks, the federal government has reverted its decision and allowed screening of new indian films in local cinemas. While the matter is still subdues in court, commerce ministry has issued Non Objection Certificate (NOC) to four indian films namely ‘Hassi To Phassi’, ‘Ghunday’, ‘Highway’ and ‘Total Sayapa’ which has paved the way for release of these four films.
The ban on Indian films has severely affected the cinema owners who were running shows with empty halls. Cinema owners and film distributors have welcomed the decision by federal government.
In a rather startling move, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Wednesday submitted a first of its kind resolution in the Punjab Assembly calling for a ban on famous Japanese anime series Doraemon.
PTI legislator Malik Taimoor Masood urged Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to impose a ban on Doraemon or limit its airtime as it contains explicit content which has a bad impact on children.
The legislator argued that 24-hour cartoon channels are adversely affecting the educational and physical growth of children. The resolution also claims the language used in cartoons run on channels is damaging societal norms. The resolution will be discussed in the next PA session.
Doraemon is a Japanese manga series and is dubbed in Hindi for viewers in Pakistan and India. The anime series revolves around a robotic cat named Doraemon and a young boy Nobita. It is aired on various cartoon channels.
Here’s how people reacted to the news:
The move comes after Ashish Chaturvedi, the whistleblower of India’s biggest education scam, voiced concerns against two of the world’s most famous Japanese cartoon characters – Doraemon and Shin Chan. Chatuvardi feels the adverse psychological impacts of the two Hindi and English dubbed ‘violent’ cartoons are grappling a whole generation of kids across India and the world, according to the Times of India.
Chaturvedi is seeking a ban on the telecast of the two Japanese cartoons as he claims several medial reports highlight mental abuse and other serious adverse impact of these cartoons on kids.
Further, in 2014, Chinese newspapers cautioned their countrymen against Doraemon saying, Beware of this “blue fatty” — the Japanese are exporting their values through him. According to The New York Times, three major newspapers in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, fired accusations against Doraemon for its “political overtones” and being a tool of Japan’s “cultural invasion.”
Japan’s former foreign minister, Masahiko Komura, appointed Doraemon an “anime ambassador” in 2008 in the hope that the character would deepen the world’s understanding of the country.
Doraemon is a Japanese animated character and cartoon series which is very popular worldwide. In Pakistan Doraemon is not televised on any channel. However it is televised after dubbing it in Hindi on the Indian channel for kids Disney India. Disney India is also aired in Pakistan and all of its series are widely watched by kids in Pakistan.
Indian content be it Bollywood films, reality shows, television dramas, award shows are widely watched in Pakistan and are popular among youngsters and adults alike. Indian content in Pakistan is aired on the Indian entertainment channels (like Star Plus, Colors, Zee, Sony) as well as the Pakistani entertainment channels (like Geo Kahani, ARY Zindagi, Hum Sitaray, Express Entertainment, Filmazia). Like the elders the kids are also fond of watching the Indian content available for kids in the Hindi language on the channels like Cartoon Network, Pogo and Disney India. The series like Doraemon, Chota Bheem, Best of Luck Nikki are popular in Pakitsan.
The most anticipated film Balu Mahi is slated to release on February 10. The album of the film released today and has got us super excited. The album which consists of four songs released on bestsongs.pk.
The title track of Balu Mahi is amazing and is cool party song. The signature Qawwali ‘Rang De Chunar’ is soothing to the ears and Rahat’s voice has done the magic yet again. The third song ‘Bechaniyan’ is the best way to celebrate love and friendship and is extremely captivating. Last but not the least ‘Tu Kya Jane’ is all about love and heartbreak and is melodious.
The music video of Balu Mahi’s title track is out now and we are getting into the groove with the heartthrob Osman Khalid Butt and gorgeous Ainy Jaffri. The confidence and the full command on body and those super energetic dance moves are a must watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPLHJJejM7Q
ps: People who stay overseas like i do, can listen to the album here
Haissam Hussain’s romantic comedy Balu Mahi is one of the most awaited films of 2017. The soundtrack released recently and we couldn’t help but listen to the songs repeatedly. The video song ‘Bechaniyan’ released today and truly celebrates love and friendship. It is sung by very talented Sahir Ali Bagga and Afshan Fawad.
Balu Mahi is a modern romantic comedy that revolves around a bride, Mahi, who runs away from her wedding with a guy, Balu, whom she merely knows. The film which is produced by Sadia Jabbar is slated to release on February 10, 2017.
Osman Khalid Butt, Ainy Jaffri and Sadaf Kanwal’s upcoming flick is set to hit the screens very soon. The stars are leaving no stone unturned to promote their film in every possible way and we’re not complaining, in fact we’re loving it!
There was a dubsmash craze going on social media previously and now it’s two contests; one of it is the Q & A contest. Balu Mahi’s team this time has a fun thing on the floors and that is the dance contest. In the video recently uploaded on Instagram, Osman Khalid Butt and his friends, Hareem Farooq, Zainab Ahmed, Imran Kazmi and Usman Mukhtar, are dancing to the title track of Balu Mahi and we are in love with their energy.
A video posted by Osman Khalid Butt (@aclockworkobi) on
This is what OKB has to say in the video:
“So guys this was us kick starting a new Balu Mahi competition, if you think you have the moves to match this choreography, or better yet, come up with choreography of your own, then please share or inbox your videos on the Balu Mahi page. And we will select 5 winning entities that will receive exclusive Balu Mahi merchandise. Let the games begin.”
Balu Mahi’s album was released recently and has been loved by the audience. The title track has got the audiences grooving to the tunes. The film is slated to release on February 10, 2017.
The most hyped film Balu Mahi’s trailer is finally released. The trailer takes you on a roller coaster ride with some ups and downs coming on the way. It has been entirely dedicated to Ainy Jaffri and Osman Khalid Butt and they are surely not a miss. Sadaf Kanwal had a short appearance in the trailer, the music of the film is undoubtedly amazing.
The romantic comedy film is directed by Haissam Hassan, produced by Sadia Jabbar and Muhammad Arshad Chaudhry. Balu Mahi is all set to hit the cinemas on February 10, 2017.
Produced by Sadia Jabbar, written by Saad Azhar, film Balu Mahi’s first official poster has just come out. The film starring Ainy Jaffri and Osman Khalid Butt will also mark the debut of super model Sadaf Kanwal.
Osman and Ainy, sharing the screen for the very first time look charismatic on the poster. According to Express Tribune, the poster looks a lot more the the poster of film Bjirao Mastani, while we think the title resembles too.”Balu” in place of “Bajirao” and “Mahi” instead of “Mastani”.
The leads of Balu Mahi, Osman Khalid Butt and Ainy Jaffri are promoting their film in London in full swing. One of the most hyped film of the year is finally all set to release and has got the fans excited. The leads decided to have a meetup session with their fans at the Oxford Street in London and were overwhelmed to receive all the love and support from their UK fans. The crowd did turned out to be incredible.
Balu Mahi (بلو ماہی) is an upcoming film scheduled to release on the Valentines Day weekend, Friday 10th February 2017.
It is the first film of the director Haissam Hussain who has many successful and acclaimed dramas to his name like Dastaan, Akbari Asghari, Aunn Zara, Aik Nayee Cinderella, Durr-e-Shahwar. Haissam Hussain’s actual first film was Bin Roye (2015) which he left after filming few scenes due to the differenes with its producer. His name was not given as director on the film Bin Roye so Balu Mahi is the first official film of Haissam Hussain.
Balu Mahi is also the first film of Saadia Jabbar as a producer. Saadia has also produced some famous and acclaimed dramas like Mera Naam Yousaf Hai. Most of the dramas produced by Saadia are aired on APlus.
Balu Mahi stars Usman Khalid Butt, Ainy Jaffri and Sadaf Kanwal in the lead roles. Sadaf Kanwal the famous model is doing film debut. It is the second film of Ainy Jaffri after Mein Hoon Shahid Afridi in 2013. Usman Khalid Butt who earlier did a cameo in Janaan (2016) is also appearing in the leading role for the very first time.
The teaser of the film is released today, which is a song by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan also shot on him. So it is perhaps the first Pakistani film where Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has done a cameo.
Here is the teaser of the song Rung De Chunnar composed by Sahir Ali Bagga. The song is shot at Hirran Minar near Sheikhupura.
Sadia Jabbar Productions proudly presents:
Balu Mahi – a film by Haissam Hussain.
Releasing in 2017.
Plot Outline
Happenstance brings two strangers together on a wintery night in Lahore. What follows is a series of (mis)adventures that brings them together… and drives them apart.
Starring
Osman Khalid Butt, Ainy Jaffri, Sadaf Kanwal (debut)
Directed By
Haissam Hussain
Written By
Saad Azhar
Screenplay By
Haissam Hussain, Saad Azhar
Produced By
Sadia Jabbar Production (SJP)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/balumahi.official
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-dh5motMnPSOVjL9gzDwxg
As already known that Ainy Jaffri and Osman Khalid Butt are wokring in a film together Balu Mahi. The upcoming rom-com film ‘BALU MAHI’ and preparations of the film are in full swing. It’s been along time since the fans are waiting for the release date of the film and finally the wait is over. The release date for Balu Mahi is finally out, the movie is all set to release on February 10, 2017!
Video of Ainy Jaffri learning dance for the movie song.
Film Balu Mahi is directed by Haissam Hassan and produced by Sadia Jabbar. It is scheduled for release in 10th February 2017 with a star cast including Osman Khalid Butt, Ainy Jaffri and Sadaf Kanwal. The teaser of ‘Balu Mahi’ was recently released and it opened to mixed reviews. Fans of the leads were quite excited watching the teaser since it had lots of elements to offer but the critics think Bollywood film seemed like an inspiration to the makers of Balu Mahi.
The teaser and the motion poster was said to be having resemblance with those of Sanjay Leela Bhansali Films. And much like most of the critics, we felt that too but the leads of the film thinks otherwise. According to the leads the movie is based on our culture and is miles apart from anything that exists in an Indian movie.
Talking to HIP, one of the most favorite actors, Osman Khalid Butt, felt that the comparison may have been complimentary but no imitation had been done.
“The comparison is a compliment, but this is the style of the director Haissam Hussain. He is a visionary and he has shot the movie using open frames. Pause the teaser anywhere and you will see that each frame looks like a painting. Maybe that’s how people drew comparisons,” Osman said.
Assuring HIP that Balu Mahi is unique in its own way, he explained,
“The story is for our society and has a message of women empowerment. It’s not influenced by Bollywood story wise.”
Ainy Jaffri, who was disappointed about her upcoming movie being called a copy, also explained that though the comparison is a huge compliment since millionaires fund a Bhansali film, Balu Mahi isn’t based on any other movie.
“We didn’t realize the posters were similar till people started pointing it out,” she revealed. “The fact is, we share the same history with India, our culture, music, and weddings are similar too. Hence, our movies end up appearing the same, and this is the first films in years that look as good as a Bollywood film aesthetically. Even if the song reminds you of Bhansali’s films, the rest of the story has nothing to do with his movies,” she stated.
Speaking on his character in the movie, Osman shared with HIP,
“Bilal is a man on a mission. He has come back from England and he is driven, that is until his world falls apart,” he explained, “When he meets Mahi, he is drawn to her exuberance and optimism. Because of her he begins to see life in a different way.”
Shedding light on her role, Ainy shared,
“Mahi is an independent, fierce and passionate girl of today. Her character resonates with a lot of young girls from Pakistan who want to carve their own future,” she explained.
According to her, Mahi will be a role model to many women and will motivate them to break out of the chains of society.
“She respects her traditions and culture but doesn’t just follow norms that she feels are not right,” further revealed Ainy. “The movie is her journey of self discovery and brings her closer to the goals she wants to achieve,” she concluded.
When asked how the audience will react once the movie is released, both the lead actors remained nervous yet hopeful, and interestingly, not cocky at all. After all, it’s our down-to-earth stars that make us fall in love with them.
“I’m nervous since it’s my first movie and my character was quite challenging, hence I put in a lot of hard work to get the role right. I am grateful to be chosen for such a fresh film.” Like us, he also feels that Ainy Jaffri and her beauty in this movie will pull audiences towards the cinemas, “Ainy has done a magnificent job and people will go to the cinemas to watch her,” the actor stated.
Ainy Jaffri, who believes that her hard work must be reciprocated by fans also said,
“I can’t predict how they will react to the movie but I hope the audience recognizes our hard work and the movie ends up doing well.One thing I know for sure is, that people will go to watch this visually striking masterpiece. And there will be a lot of surprises and twists in store for them,” concluded Ainy Jaffri.
