Well! What a happening and fast paced episode this was! My emotions were like a ping pong ball flitting between sympathy, dislike, anger, awe – you name it and sometimes contradicting emotions for the same person! Although Yusuf is going all out to help Zainy feel welcome in his home again, he would time and again tell her that she must not do anything that would upset Ahmer. Sherry, however feels that Yusuf is encouraging Zainy to act against her husband’s wishes and that if ‘Baji hoti iss situation mein tau Zainy ko kabhi encourage na kartein’. I have to say Sherry’s conversations with Yusuf are interesting for I mostly can not tell whether it is anger or his own feelings which he is scared of or Zainy’s best interests at heart that makes him say all the things he says to his father. Nonetheless, no matter what he thinks or says – in the end it is what Yusuf decides that happens and Sherry accepts.

Novera’s prolonged stay in Islamabad somehow gave the impression that things were not right between her and Sherry in the last episode. Let me rephrase that – for things have never been right between the two, but somehow we were given the impression that there was some mystery shrouded in her absence – but apparently there is nothing of the sort. Novera returns and is besides herself with anger and indignation to find Zainy visiting again and that nobody thought to mention this ‘development’ to her. Just in those couple of moments I felt for Novera when  Sherry is short with her on the phone and she returns saying she felt the ‘udaasi’ in his voice. But her antics later on in the episode quickly crushed any little sympathy I had for her. Yes I know she has brought this all upon herself. She wriggled her way into Zainy’s home and marriage by being Nigaar Apa’s chamchi and I snorted when she even used the ‘what will Apa say’ card about Zainy’s return. Sherry’s love for Zainy was no secret to her and her insecurity and pettiness makes her act out in ways that by no means bring her closer to Sherry. I thoroughly enjoyed the standoff between Novera and Zainy in this episode too and yes, Zainy has been immature, ungrateful, rude etc and I do not know why but I loved when she said to Novera – ‘jaisi bhi – but hoon iss ghar ki beti’! And also how she was confident about her own ‘place’ in Yusuf’s house – if only she had been that sure and confident about all this earlier then she would not have been swayed by Ahmer. Ah well, spilt milk and all that!

However unreasonable we may think Ahmer is being by forbidding Zainy to visit her father’s house, it is a decision she made when she walked out on them. And while he could relent by letting her visit her father, I can not say I fault him for not wanting her to go to the same house that Sherry lives in, given that he knows Sherry is/was deeply in love with her and was engaged to be married to her. Whether he is wrong or right to tell her not to go to her parents’ house, Zainy is not right to be going behind his back – in my opinion. She has every right to go visit her father but then she should tell Ahmer, argue over it, be firm – whatever mode she chooses but not sneak behind his back. Ever since their marriage I have truly wondered at their relationship. The lovestruck Zainy and desperate Ahmer seem to have faded away but it has not even transformed into a comfortable, loving relationship either. Ahmer at times seems genuinely to care for Zainy and Zainy – I do not know what she feels for him.

Anyhows, this all blows up in Zainy’s face when Novera brings it all out in the open in front of Ahmer. I liked how Sherry did not interfere between Ahmer and Zainy’s conversation but then had a go at Novera later, LOL! Novera – what a piece of work this woman is! You know in my previous couple of reviews I had said that Ahmer would have to do something seriously despicable to have Zainy dislike him and well Ahmer physically manhandled her, tore up her admit card AND locked her in her room! Matlab, road to redemption par aana bhi chahay, he would not even be able to find his way on to it! Where would he start! I am confused though as to how Yusuf finds out – did Zainy call him? And how in the world did Zainy escape – for that window was broken but it had bars across it I believe? I know Zainy is stick thin but still!

I have to say – I truly enjoyed the faceoff between Ahmer and Sherry. Sherry has always been the quiet, broody character and to see him stand up to Ahmer and threaten him – ‘oonchi awaaz mein humein bhi baat karnay aati hai Ahmer ‘– was really a treat to watch. Ahmer showed how low he can stoop – I am sure he can stoop lower but khair – when he said Zainy’s character was faulty. Yes, Zainy has been a brat and she makes these silly choices but I did feel for her when she sat at her mother’s grave and said ‘mein kahan jaoon’.

‘Pyaar tau tum nay kabhi kiya he nahin Zainy, kia hota tau tumharay leeyay duniya say larta. Kis haq se mein awaaz doon.’ Aww! Sherry was upset when Zainy left him for Ahmer but he took the rejection gracefully although he was not impressed with how Zainy had been rude to Yusuf and Mehtaab. His anger really kicked in when he saw what a toll it took on Mehtaab. He loves Zainy though, but is married and so is Zainy and it is so true that Zainy never loved him – at least not in the way he loves her. Gosh, I feel like I am writing about those romantic novels I would read, haha! Yes, ideally we would say he is married and should move on, etc – but kia karein, I truly want Sherry to be happy and if Novera was a sweet girl I would hope the marriage works but it seems that things will only worsen for she has taken Zainy’s return very badly and is resorting to petty little tantrums now. She is constantly comparing herself to Zainy and how Yusuf should feel the same for her, a disillusion he is very happy to crush with his ‘sorry baita but aap mein Zainy jaisi qaabliyat he nahin’ which really did make me laugh. From Novera’s point of view, he probably came across as mean but well she does ask for it I think!

I was surprised to see Sherry siding with Novera over Zainy being made to go back to Ahmer. True, Yusuf sounded a bit out of line saying her exam was more important than her marriage but then he reasoned that if she is unhappy and has made a mistake then by no means does she need to live with that mistake for the rest of her life. I am glad he is sensible and open minded about it. Novera harping from her high horse about how quarrels are common between a couple would probably not be as convincing if Sherry had treated her that way.

At this point, the thing that bothers me is if Zainy suddenly falls in love with Sherry. She wants his love and friendship back but there is the constant ‘bhai’ factor and with this being the 25th episode and the end seemingly near I will not be able to stomach a sudden, undying passionate love for Sherry. Agha Ali has really outdone himself in this drama. We ooh-ed and aah-ed over Asher in Humsafar – well, at least I did but Agha Ali has portrayed Sherry so well that he gives Asher stiff competition and more than Zainy, I want Sherry to get his happy ending, whatever that may be! Each episode has a few well written dialogues that really make me pause and say ah! The writer, Naila Ansari is new to me and I do not know of any of her other plays but she done a good job with this drama. Also, Big Bang productions I have noticed of late have these distinctive features (not necessarily good) that stand out such as the constant daylight glare in Mera Yaar Miladay, the awkward closeups in Socha Na Tha to name a few – but as far as I can recall this play has thankfully been kept clear of such gimmicks.

Although I feel it is time for the drama to begin wrapping up, I did thoroughly enjoy today’s episode. How many of you felt the same? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Kunwal Javid

Ohkay so, the production of Mastermind Productions, direction of Nadeem Siddique & the writing of Umera Ahmed, Thora Sa Aasman started airing on Geo Entertainment 2 weeks ago. Thora Sa Aasman is a story based on the novel that has been dramatized & aired before on PTV but this time around Geo TV has decided to bring it to us with new faces & new look. Those who’ve read the novel will definitely know that they’re in for a ride & after watching first two episodes, I had a feeling that at least in these initial episodes, they did justice to the essence of the script & I hope they stay true to it right till the end too. Thora Sa Aasman has a lot of characters & I am sure a lot of new faces will be introduced along the line as well, but for now they set the grounds for what is yet to come by introducing us to the main characters in the initial episodes & for that I will say that the first two episodes were directed really well & were quite impressive in terms of story-telling & character introduction.

The first family of characters that we got introduced to was of Shahista Kamal (Zeba Bakhtiyar) & her husband Haroon Kamal (Alyy Khan). Shahista belongs to a humble & modest background where her parents being God-fearing people made sure that their daughters also followed the path that they saw their parents at, all their lives. Their lives turn upside down when they find out that Shahista is emotionally involved with Haroon. Haroon happens to be Shahista’s first cousin & looks like he & his father make quite a progress in their business of pharmaceuticals that too after shifting recently to Karachi. Shahista’s father (Qazi Wajid) doesn’t have a high opinion of his brother Kamal & his nephew Haroon because he feels that they don’t earn money with the legal means & also, their lifestyle & mentality is completely different which according to him is wrong. Haroon happens to be quite a ruthlessly practical person but somehow he falls for Shahista’s beauty & convinces her that he will give her the life that she has never lived & has never even imagined. Shahista falls prey to Haroon’s promises & opts for a court marriage because her parents tell her clearly that they will never allow her to get married to Haroon.

After Shahista’s decision of getting married to Haroon without their permission, Shahista’s parents find it hard to forgive her & just in a short span of time, Shahista starts realizing that her parents’s judgment about Haroon & his character wasn’t wrong. Haroon does get married to Shahista but he most certainly doesn’t believe in leading a conventional sort of a marital life. He clearly lets Shahista know that he wants his space & wants to maintain his lifestyle, therefore she shouldn’t worry much about him & to keep herself busy, she should get involved in the family business too. Shahista finds it hard to cope up with such a practical person & his thinking because this was not the sort of a marriage that she signed up for. Shahista hits the rock bottom when she spots Haroon Kamal with someone else. Haroon Kamal being drawn towards beautiful women falls for Zarka; a singer who sells her voice to make a living. Zarka’s mother warns her to not get involved with Haroon but she doesn’t pay heed to what her mother says as she finds herself falling more & more for the irresistible charm of Haroon Kamal.

Then comes the family of Fatima Mukhtar (Yasra Rizvi). Fatima, a middle aged woman with an unpleasant birthmark on her face that affects her overall outer beauty & her appearance, who has never heard a good thing about herself from her family members. Fatima’s family wants her to get married but she doesn’t believe in the societal norms & believes in living a life that she would choose for herself. Fatima’s straight forwardness is often deemed as a bad behavior which then becomes a reason why Fatima drifts away from her family. Fatima comes from a lower middle class family but she dreams high, not in terms of financial security but in terms of living her life freely according to her conditions & rules. With the help of her neighbors Aasia & Azar, Fatima adopts a child from an orphanage that she names Shaheer & she leaves her mother’s house & moves to Karachi. Aasia & Azar also settle abroad & Fatima believes that no one will be able to trace her in such a big city. Fatima rents an upper portion of Askari Bee’s (Parveen Akbar) house, who happens to be a relative of Azar as well, she then starts working in a school & finds the inner peace that she never experienced when she was with her family. However, that peace turns out to be short-lived as people around her start questioning her about her child & her husband that never existed but Fatima lies about her husband being in Dubai in order to protect Shaheer.

Then comes the family of Saiqa (Kaif Ghanavi), whose husband Zafar (Adnan Jillani) sends her off to her parents’ house blaming her for giving birth to 3 daughters. Saiqa’s parents already find it hard to make the ends meet & when she shows up at their doorstep, her mother tells her to start earning in order to support herself & her daughters. Saiqa takes a job at the nearby factory & finds out that she is not the only one struggling with this ordeal. Saiqa’s husband gets married & his second wife gives birth to a son, which seals the deal that there’s no turning back for Saiqa as her husband will never reconcile with her & she will have to fend for her daughters all her life, on her own.

A new entry that made an appearance was of Baqir Shirazi (Qaiser Nizamani), a minister who meets Shahista Kamal at a dinner & gets attracted towards her beauty. Just when Baqir finds himself trying hard to come in contact with Shahista by questioning his manager’s wife Sabiha Jadoon about her, Haroon Kamal on the other hand gets in contact with Bariq’s manager Jadoon to find out that it is Baqir who hasn’t signed the papers to approve the consignment he has been waiting for. I am sure this would make them cross paths with each other & then Baqir would do everything to draw Shahista’s attention towards him using Haroon Kamal’s dependency on him as a bait. Another track that got a little coverage belonged to the girl named Aliya who goes to the orphanage to ask about a Safiya’s child. I am sure it must be Shaheer that she’s looking for, but let’s see.

Overall, these two episodes were really good & were directed quite well too. I read the novel 2 years ago & for that reason I felt that they have done justice to the novel & the characters. Also I must say that nothing has been added & they have tried to keep things as real & as closer to the novel as possible which is a bonus. I am sure when the drama will progress we will develop a relationship with all the characters but I am most excited about the track & story of Fatima & her life because what she’s doing & what she will do is not going to be easy for her. I must say all the actors did really well in their respective characters & there are so many characters that will get introduced along the way. The OST is good to & it somehow compliments the situations that the characters are facing. I must say that I am really impressed with the way the director introduced the characters & their background stories in just these two episodes, it actually developed a strong base for what is yet to come. This story for sure is nothing less than a roller coaster ride so buckle up everyone. I am most certainly looking forward to the next episode, so please share your thoughts about the first two episodes of Thora Sa Aasman.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

ps: It looks like GEO TV uploads the episodes of Thora Sa Aasman a bit late, so please expect the reviews of the upcoming episodes on Mondays or Tuesdays. Thanks. :)

Ohkay so, this episode of App Ke Liye was pretty decent because it took the story forward & looks like soon enough Shaheer & Washma will tie the knot & then the real game will begin.

Washma got Shaheer familiar with a unique way of dealing with the emotional pain & it was for the first time that Shaheer got to know that one can overcome a pain this way too. Washma told Shaheer what he might not have heard from someone before, that one should try to be as happy as possible because it will hurt the ego of those who’ve hurt them. Shaheer couldn’t fathom the fact that a girl whose fiancé just dumped her could be so happy & ecstatic. They both shared a good time together & immediately became friends, because they both were having a hard time & indirectly they were being a moral support for one another.

Nishat Apa is way too concerned for Shaheer but it is amazing that even in such crucial times (according to her) her curls were still intact. She plans to do something for her brother which according to her will help him overcome this emotional suffering that he is going through. Her husband is just a tag along & he doesn’t seem too involved in what his wife says or does as he is too busy hitting on Washma in their office.

As expected, Maryam didn’t take the news too well & she kept on blaming Washma for everything, without even thinking for a second that may be her brother Arsalan might also be thinking on those lines too. Washma took the brunt for something that Arsalan wants but it is good that she is strong enough to tolerate a few taunts without letting anyone change her decision. It is interesting to see that just because Maryam doubts & dislikes Washma, she didn’t think of asking Arsalan about what actually happened & why Washma was taking such a step. She left her husband because she feels for her brother more but like Washma said, it was quite immature of both Waheed & Maryam to let Arsalan & Washma’s decision affect their relationship.

It was good to see that Shaheer became comfortable around Washma & not only that he started reading her face & tried to decipher her thoughts too. At least he knows that her engagement has been called off, so that is why he is being courteous towards her & I believe soon enough he will start developing some feelings for her too.

Areesha is getting ticked off by Nishat’s interference in her life & she has warned Shaheer about it too. Areesha might be immature & impulsive but at least she is wise enough to see how controlling Nishat is & how she has Shaheer wrapped around her finger. Areesha’s motive might make her look selfish but at least her judgment when it comes to Nishat is spot on. Let’s see what more she does in order to make Shaheer see Nishat’s real face.

The preview of the next episode suggested that Nishat might tell Shaheer to adopt her son, which means that she definitely doesn’t want Shaheer to have his own kids because then they will become entitled to Shaheer’s wealth. I can’t wait to see what havoc Washma will create when she will enter their lives. The direction of the drama is good but I wish the cameraman had used an anti-glare lens, also I find it quite bothersome that the camera doesn’t stop moving, it actually evokes a headache. I hate to say it again & again but I am actually not impressed with the way Samina Peerzada has portrayed this character, her overall look is one thing but her OTT expressions are quite hard to digest too. She really didn’t need to go overboard to prove a point that Nishat is evil, we get that ma’am, we most certainly get it!!! Anyways, please share your thoughts about this episode of App Ke Liye.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.