After the three successful episodes of Coke Studio, the promo of fourth episode is out. There is a very interesting line up of the singers in episode four. Coke studio has gathered Jabar Abbas and Nirmal Roy, Noori and Shilpa Rao, Mohsin Abbas Haider and Meesha Shafi along with Naeem Abbas Rufi.
Let’s see what engaging songs does fourth episode produces.
This season improvements in Coke Studio 9 are becoming quite evident. As for entertaining the audience with diverse but splendid music numbers Coke Studio has lately roped Bollywood singer Shilpa Rao. Shilpa Rao has sang very famous songs in Bollywood like Ishq Shawa from the movie Jab Tak Hai Jaan , Khuda Jaane by the film Bachna Ae Haseeno and Meherbaan by the film Bang Bang.
This Friday Shilpa’s song in coke studio will be out let’s see what magic will she create with Pakistani musicians. This interesting collaboration is creating high expectations from coke studio.
Shilpa Rao revealed, “I met Noori in Delhi for lunch at a common friends’ gathering,” said Rao. “We hung out, sang songs together and that is when they asked me to come to Pakistan and sing for Coke Studio. I agreed – Ali took it very seriously and actually got me here to record the song. It’s basically musicians bonding with each other. One song can make you friends for life – that is the power of music!
Regarding Coke studio she said “It is a place where all the musicians are in an environment where they have their instruments, their space and the freedom to choose anything and convey it to the people in their own style; it’s very powerful.”
Murshid Sayeein toh kaam se Gaye... Out of everyone present at the ceremony, it was Nimmo who was quick to notice Habibullah’s inclination towards Kulchu. While Kulchu was feeling uncomfortable at the mere thought of such a possibility, Nimmo logically deduced “Woh dono ka couple bohut mismatched hein”… Even someone as young and inexperienced as Nimmo can see the obvious which further proves how completely blinded the rest of them are by the Murshids.
Habibullah was restless after seeing Kulchu and we got an insight into his silent musings over his lost love-Aur Tum dobara apna chehra lekey aik nayi wujood ke saath mere samney agayi ho… Paanch saal baad… Habibullah’s Meera bears a striking resemblance to Kulchu which seems to have effected him more than he realized. He couldn’t help eavesdropping on Bilal’s conversation with Kukchu and he sneered at Bilal’s presence and ultimate asked him to return home to his mother.
Poor Bilal- I felt sorry for his plight because he is truly going above and beyond. Kuttey jaisi halath hogayi hai Meri… Tere Haroon Bhai aur Murshid Sayeein ke agey peechay dum hilaata rehta houn…
Murshid Sayeein ka remote Bibi Sahiba ke haath mein hein… Bilal has also realized that It is Bibi Sahiba who calls the shots. As expected, Bibi Sahiba had an outburst hearing Bilal was sent home- Yeh koi langar Ki roti nahin ke adha adha karke baat diya do mureedon ke beech aur woh Bhi mujhse pochay baghair? But very cunningly she played her cards right- Gaddi toh badshahat hoti hai… Uska ek hi faisla ek hi soch honi chahiyeh… Aur unsool toh yeh he na ke Mera faisla toh aap mansookh kardte hein Magar apka faisla mein mansookh nahin karsakti…
Bibi Sahiba is careful in manipulating Habibullah- she pushes him but pulls back in a timely manner. Looking at her smirk made me certain that this is exactly what she wanted- she’s not the kind of lady who would allow anything against her will. But what’s she really after? Only time will tell. Sawaal choti Bari baat ka nahin, Meri zabaan ka hai…
Tahira continues cursing and blurting obscenities which leads to a heated debate and almost brings it to the point of divorce. Tahira’s arrogance clouds her judgement and she’s feeling frustrated that things aren’t going her way- Hum toh naslon se unkey aqeedatmand hain… But when her husband shares his thoughts about Murshid Sayeein’s suggestion that Bilal and Kulsoom can move into their Dargah waley ghar, she rejoices and finally sees the light at the end of the tunnel. Her hatred towards Bilal is so intense-Churay Ki aukaad badaljayegi…
I really liked the scene when Bilal comes to meet Kulsoom- the two of them light up the screen with their amazing chemistry. Kulsoom is certain that Seedha rasta hamari zindagi mein hein hi nahin… Kar apni maa Ki kidmat ya Phir kar Meri maa ke marney ka intezaar… And after seeing Kulchu’s negative reaction, Bilal feels discouraged.
I’m loving every moment of Dumpukht and it continues to keep me glued to the TV. This is turning out into a powerfully captivating serial and I can’t wait for what comes next. The preview hinted at Habibullah being the one to put a ring on Kulsoom’s finger. Let’s see how that shapes up. Thoughts/ Comments/ Emotional Outbursts?
Kanwal Murtaza
Produced by Suhurwardy Brothers Mangoes TV Series become a huge hit when its season 1 was released in 2012. Comprising of 6 six episodes only it was definitely a breathe of fresh air in Pakistani Sitcoms Department.
The story of first season revolved around three South Asian room mates and problems they are encountered with while living in Toronta, Canada. The opening theme song “Keh Dena” received massive gratitude by the audience as it was sung by legend Alamgir together with canadian singer Christie Yung.
First Season was obviously incomplete as it got finished vaguely. There was much anticipation about Season 2 and finally after 4 years of Gap Suhurwardy Brothers decided to release Mangoes Season 2. Let’s see what Season 2 will offer us, here is the link to watch trailer of Mangoes Season 2:
Produced and directed by Moomal Productions and Fahim Burney and written by Saima Wasi, Erum Wasi and Edison Idrees Masih, Laaj airs every Saturday on HUM TV at 8pm.
Laaj is the story of two feuding families in rural Punjab. We are introduced to the family of Bari Sahab (Asma Abbas) and her two sons Jahanzeb (Kamran Jillani) and Shahzeb (Mirza Zain Baig). Zainab (Zarnish Khan) is Baris Sahab’s dead sister’s daughter and has lived with Bari Sahab since her mother died when she was little. Jahanzeb has been married earlier to Meena and has a daughter Mannat (Iqra Aziz) who has been raised primarily by Zainab after Meena’s death.
Sikander (Nayyar Ejaz) is Bari Sahab’s dead husband’s brother and the two have been at loggerheads with each other over the family property and lands. Sikander feels Bari Sahab has been unfair and has not given him his due share in the family jaidaad. He lives with his son Dilawar (Saleem Sheikh), Dilawar’s wife and his grandson Chooza, I mean Sajjad. In a gesture of goodwill to mend the relations between the two families Mannat is wed to Sajjad.
Sikander apparently had underlying motives behind agreeing to the marriage and suggests that Bari Sahab transfer a certain land in his name or face Mannat getting divorced to which Bari Sahab opts for the latter. Overhearing Sajjad make fun of Mannat after the divorce, Jahanzeb in a fit of rage has Sajjad murdered. Sikander vows to make Bari Sahab’s family pay but he wants her to suffer and we do not know as yet what he has his up his sleeve.
Zainab has been in love with Jahanzeb since umm, forever and never misses an opportunity to tell him that. He keeps telling her he is not interested but she keeps harping along the lines of ‘ishq kiya hai, love me or not I will annoyingly, obsessively, stalkerishly (my words, not hers) love you till I die’. Mannat is in love with Shahmeer, a young man from the village who is not as well off as Bari Sahab’s family is and works for her family. The two are in love but feel, rather believe nothing can come of their love as Bari Sahab would never agree to such a match.
Let’s not forget Shahzeb – the educated, younger son who is a misfit amongst the family and their fueds. He is interested in Alisha (Sabeeka Imam) but has not yet had the nerve to broach the subject of marriage to Bari Sahab. Mirza Zain Baig is very unimpressive in Dillagi but as the educated misfit he seems to be doing a decent job – or maybe the flashy waistcoats have diverted my attention from his acting! I wonder if this couple has much to offer to the story beyond the flashy waistcoats and Sabeeka Imam’s duck mouth pouts. At the end of the latest episode, Alisha has shown up at Shahzeb’s haveli, Zainab is flinging herself for the zillionth time at Jahanzeb and he has rebuffed her advances for the zillionth time, and Bari Sahab comes upon Mannat and Shahmeer meeting alone.
Why am I watching Laaj? I am not entirely sure. The set, the scenes, the clothes are all very colourful and visually pleasing. Zarnish Khan is a good actress although I find her accent fluctuates from being normal to more village like. Kamran Jillani as Jahanzeb has impressed me if I am very honest for his expressions, his accent, his body language fits his role to a T. Another person who seems to have fit into her role like a glove is Asma Abbas as Bari Sahab. With her big eyes outlined and the severe black clothing and the constant hukka, she does look intimidating. The constant hukka does remind me of the trains cartoon my son used to watch and I wonder if she needs to be a Chuggington in every scene but oh well. The actor playing Shahmeer is truly bechara, and Iqra Aziz is sigh, Iqra Aziz with her only acting skills being limited to eyes narrowing and widening a centimetre and the same with her lips. A clogs-less Iqra Aziz however is refreshing to see!
The storyline itself. I tuned in knowing this was a story of zamindars and fueds but I was pleasantly surprised to see that these ‘angry people’ did more than just shout and get angry and beat each other up. Although Bari Sahab and Jahanzeb are shown to be short with the driver or the women working in the house at times, but then the questions about Shameer’s mother’s health and sending his father to the city for a medical checkup show they are not heartless. I like Bari Sahab’s relationship with Zainab too when she tells her that the haveli people should be scared of her and not Zainab. I do wonder though why Zainab has not told Bari Sahab she loves Jahanzeb. I also wondered at Bari Sahab not thinking of wedding Zainab to either of her sons but that was clarified when she says to the rishtay wali that she does not want people to think that she kept Zainab in her home for greed of her jaidaad and feels she must marry outside the family. Jahanzeb is often seen to be looking mournfully and talking to his dead wife’s picture which shows he must have loved her a great deal.
I found the age differences hard to figure or relate to at first and I suppose by the fifth episode I just got used to it. But what confused me was Jahanzeb saying to Zainab to think about their age difference as if there were a huge gap. Then Zainab looks hardly much older than Mannat, but she raised her like a mother. So if Zainab is that old, then why has Bari Sahab not gotten her married, despite her protests that she does not want to wed but surely she would not have a 30 something niece sitting at home and not worry about her marriage? Kamran Jillani could possibly pass off as a father of a teenager but suggesting he is much older than Zainab did not make sense.
I find Zainab type characters in our drama hard to link to real life. Does a woman really become like that that she is constantly declaring her love to responses of constant rejection and carry on with a smile on her face content that she has done her duty to love the man of her life with all her heart – heart accepted or not, be damned! She does give in to frustration I agree and sometimes yells at Jhanzeb or has a meltdown but I almost gagged at the conversations she and Jahanzeb often have such as when she tells him ‘Zaida ghussa na kia karein’ and he asks ‘kyun’ and she says ‘Aur pyar aata hai’….uggh!
The story so far is not outstanding and maybe Laaj would not be on my top dramas list but despite the loopholes, it is the acting so far and the fact that I am waiting for the ‘punch’ in the storyline which makes me feel I may keep wanting to watch it. It does have a filmy touch to it and all the jhumkas and bangles clanging all the time got a bit much for me. The promos show that Jahanzeb will be arrested but I wonder where the story goes from there. Recommended watch? Yes, if you have the time and want to watch something where the acting does not make you wince and the characters are not so cliché. I am not gushing (obviously) but I am not entirely put off either! How many of you are following Laaj and what do you think of it so far? Would love to hear your thoughts.
Kunwal Javid
This episode opened with Haider submitting to the decision of the jirga because he could not see his Taya suffer the consequences of his actions. The conversation between Bibi jaan and her daughter and the ones between Tahira and her mother had absolutely no impact for two reasons. Bibi Jaan’s character is very confusing; I am still not sure which side of her is real!! I am all for grey characters but she goes from loving Shehla to treating her like she is a nobody in no time. After everything she said to Shehla in the previous episode, it was impossible to relate to her feelings for her “daughter”! She was shown saying to Shah Sb that she didn’t want to raise Shehla but had to because he forced her to and now tonight she told Shehla she lost a baby and when Shah Sb brought Shehla she felt like she got her baby girl back! Bibi Jaan’s character isn’t making a lot of sense right now. The actress playing Tahira does not know how to act, I am surprised that she is getting so much work! There is absolutely no variation in her acting, her dialogue delivery is flat and her expressions confusing. Same is true for the actress playing her mother.
The visit to the Mazar and all of Shehla’s conversation with the maid seemed like filler scenes – I am still wondering why they got so much screen time. All of Shehla’s efforts, her emotions and even her conversation with Haider fell flat because of Naveen Waqar’s terrible portrayal and dialogues which were not very touching. She looked good playing the bubbly Shehla but she isn’t very impressive playing the emotional fool who has no control over herself. Shah Sb’s concern for his children and his helplessness was the only part of this episode which I could relate to, rest of it did not work for me at all.
Mansoor and his father just like Bibi Jaan are showing their true colors now. Mansoor’s father does not respect his wife or women in general which is why Mansoor is the same. I am wondering now how could Shah Sb not know this about him since they are bachpan ke dost! Once again a character which was shown as a positive one has been turned into a villain all of a sudden. Mansoor is greedy and he does not respect women therefore Shehla is going to face a very tough time once she gets married to him. Emaad Irfani’s acting too was unimpressive in this episode and Irfan Khoosat is a complete misfit for playing this role. Mansoor found out in tonight’s episode that Shehla was not Shah Sb’s real daughter but that doesn’t change much because he is not marrying her, he is marrying the money and status which he will get automatically once he marries her.
So far, this drama is getting worse with every passing episode already! None of the characters or actors are standing out in any of the roles. There is zero chemistry between the actors and even the most emotional scenes fail to have an impact. The preview of the next episode promised some drama – Shehla will do something extreme after Haider tells her once again that they don’t have a future together. So far the only episode of this drama which was better out of all the 4 which have gone air was the 1st one. The previous episode was full of loop holes and this one was unimpressive to say the least.
How many of you watched this episode of SDBN? Do share your thoughts about it.
P.S. The review of Tum Kon Piya will be posted tomorrow.
Here comes the much awaited sound track of “Ek Thi Marium”. The song is titled as “” Pankh Laga Ke”. It is sang by none other than Zeb Bangash. Where as the composition is by Shani Arshad & Lyrics by Sabir Zafar.
Here watch the song
Gone are the days when every other Pakistani drama would guarantee its viewers some quality entertainment. From the last few years, where we have seen some great dramas, our industry has churned out some worst dramas as well. There was a time when we hardly came across those dramas that could be labeled as worst because the priorities of our drama-makers were different where their first & foremost focus used to be on the viewer satisfaction, as they knew that they were making these dramas for the viewers & not for themselves, but sadly, that is not the case anymore because our drama industry has turned into another lucrative business & our drama-makers have turned into businessmen where in this day & age the thing they care the most about is the rating. The higher the rating, the greater the misapprehension of believing that the viewers want them to ruin the charm of the drama & also deviate the story from the main plot with which it started, that is why these days, the moment our drama-makers smell the reek of TRP’s, they decide to stretch the drama like a chewing gum, which only in the end deserves to be dumped into the trash can by the viewers, but hey who cares, as far as they are getting the ratings right?
We have two categories of worst dramas these days, in the first category, the dramas are ruined because of the ratings & in the second category, we have those dramas that do not have any substance or story to begin with, but are promoted by the makers as if they will break all the records of popularity, only for the viewers to find out that they were fooled by the drama-makers.
So, in order to pay tribute to these rating-ruined chewing gums, here is the list of the worst 5 dramas of the season & we’re sure that you will agree with the order of the list as well:
Mann Mayal
Writer: Samira Fazal
Director: Haseeb Hassan
Producer: Momina Duraid, Sana Shanawaz, Samina Humayun & Tariq Shah
Drama serial Mann Mayal tops this list for innumerable reasons. The number one reason why Mann Mayal tops this list is that there were huge expectations attached to this play because this was Hamza Ali Abbasi’s first play after Pyare Afzal which was a massive hit, the director of Mann Mayal Haseeb Hassan was the man behind Diyar-e-Dil which was also a very successful drama and most importantly it was promoted aggressively by the producers as the love story of 2016 which would make viewers forget all the other love stories they had ever seen on their television screens. Everyone who was associated with this play made tall claims before this drama went on air. For a few weeks the drama did make sense and it seemed promising but the second Mannu got married and Salahuddin moved to Karachi, things took a turn for the worse and then from there on things just kept on getting more illogical.
The viewers who had started watching the show continued watching it out of curiosity and also because they hoped that it will get better therefore the drama got ratings and as a result the people at the helm of affairs decided it was time to give the viewers another 5 no 7 no maybe 10 more weeks of a drama they liked so much! This is when things completely stopped making sense altogether. Characters appeared and disappeared whenever they were needed to take the story forward, there was hardly any connection between different events and even the major developments in the play happened without a climax and there was no aftermath shown either. Choppy editing and zero continuation in the story made the drama unbearable to watch.
Mann Mayal
Writer: Samira Fazal
Director: Haseeb Hassan
Producer: Momina Duraid, Sana Shanawaz, Samina Humayun & Tariq Shah
Yes! Mann Mayal is first and second on the list because mentioning it only once wouldn’t be “fair” with the viewers who have put up with this torture for so many weeks! Apart from a weak story-line, choppy editing and a drama which has no direction another reason why Mann Mayal is the worst drama of this season and most likely the entire year is that some very talented actors disappointed their viewers by choosing to play characters which unfortunately have become their new introduction in a bad way!
Jeena is the first example – I will think twice before tuning into any drama which has Ayesha Khan in the cast!
Mannu – it is seriously upsetting to see someone like Maya Ali, who doesn’t need to bank on characters which rely solely on becharapan and rona dhona doing exactly that! One would expect such a thing from actresses who are still struggling but why would Maya Ali settle for something like this?
Salahuddin – Hamza Ali Abbasi has been the biggest disappointment as Salahuddin. Not only is his character weak but his acting is the opposite of effortless!! Too many expressions, too much effort and very little emotions make his acting as well his character an epic fail.
The parents – the parents in this drama are a joke! Mannu’s parents in particular have played a major role in making sure that Mannu stays a bechari for the longest time. Saba Hameed, who has been part of some very impressive projects and always gives her best looks bored and disinterested in this one because of obvious reasons. Mannu’s abba’s change of heart and personality from time to time has been very difficult to digest.
On the whole Mann Mayal banks on isolated events and there is no continuation. If you try to make sense out of this show you end up feeling very upset and frustrated. It has been a perfect example of a drama which was supposed to a hit but on the contrary is a huge failure!
Zara Yaad Kar:
Writer of Season 01: Khalil ur Rehman Qamar
Writer of Season 02: Amna Nawaz Khan
Director: Amna Nawaz Khan
Producer: Amna Nawaz Khan
THE LAST VIEWER CLAPPING AT THE END OF THE DRAMA: Amna Nawaz Khan
The drama set in the 1780’s actually started looking like an insult to all the intellectuals who were watching this drama, because it was a poor attempt of the writer to show that he has got more brains than all the viewers combined. A drama that began with the story of a selfish character, making the viewers believe that she will face the consequences, turned into a Happy Halala story where now the ex-husband is on the hunt to find a temporary husband for his ex-wife. When the drama began, we all expected that KRQ-Factor, the wow-factor which drew the viewers’ attention in the first place because everyone is aware of the magic that KRQ’s scripts have created before, but as the episodes progressed, it turned into a chewing gum that was not only losing its elasticity but was losing its taste too. Just when the viewers expected the finale, season 2 of the drama began where the director, mistook herself as the writer & took over the script, hitting the last nail in the coffin because all of a sudden the main leads took the back seat & the forced side characters got the limelight & I might as well add that such side characters/actors where one is totally acting-free & the other is in literal sense breaking the bones, arms, legs of English & Urdu.
This drama could have made a bigger impact if the director had curbed the urge to turn it into a chewing gum because at this stage, this drama is beyond the level of tolerance & has completely lost its purpose. All the characters are now looking like a bunch of doormats, giving each other a tough competition as to which one is a better doormat than the other. Another strong (coughing sarcasm) point of this drama was its dialogues, that in the initial stages made quite an impact & kept the viewers hooked but as the episodes progressed & the story stopped making sense, these dialogues turned into a boring philosophy class that forced the viewers to scratch their heads in the state of confusion because where at one hand, things were as ridiculously simple as black & white, the falsafa class was getting more complicated & difficult to understand, so much so that even one of the characters in the latest episode blurted out ke philosophy jharna band karo & I say Amen to that. The slowwwwwwwwww-mo direction & reactions of all the actors serve as a very strong lullaby for all the viewers & not to forget the forlorn face of Haadi, colorless face of Aneesa, uncombed stands of Uzma, stark white face of Gaiti that gives Casper a tough competition, Gaiti’s angrez-chalay-gaye-mujhe-chorh-gaye accent & foundation-zada face of Waqar, all these things contribute in making this drama one of the worst dramas of this season!
Mor Mahal:
Writer: Surmed Sebai
Director: Surmed Sultan Khoosat
Producer: Baber Javed
This drama is a depiction of the fixation that our writers have with the saas-bahu sagas because the makers of Mor Mahal showed that no matter which century it is, or which era it is, saas-bahu tiffs are what the viewers are going to get & what the writers are going to write because they can not think of anyyyyyyyyyyyything else & they aren’t creative enough, boo hoo!!! I still remember the day when the innocent me saw the promotional posters of Mor Mahal on Facebook, that got me excited about the fact that we were going to get an amazing period drama of the recent times but as I started watching, I found out that this drama had a mother, who was fixated with her son’s millionth shab-e-uroosi & then we had a few wives who were crying buckets because they got married to a feminine husband who only looked manly from the surface but had a brain a size of a peanut & an attention span of a poodle. The promotional posters showed some battles & some manly stuff but when the actual drama began, it turned out to be an entire different story where the ladies were always in the limelight & their petty politics were getting the most coverage. The writer also tried to add in the quotient of fantasy in this drama which actually served no purpose at all because none of the situations were synced with each other. The entire focus of the creative team of Mor Mahal was on the set, costume & jewelry designing but then, how long did they expect that 2 rooms, 3 walls & 2 head-gears will keep the viewers hooked to the drama? In my opinion, the walls made of cardboard, the forest on Akhari’s head & the dim lighting also contributed a great deal in making this drama a worst drama of the season. My readers who have followed my reviews know it really well that my patience level is a bit too high but at the 14th episode of this drama, I gave up because just like Asif Jahan lost his marbles, I lost my level of patience as well. No wonder why this drama didn’t grab the attention of the viewers & didn’t earn much ratings, even though it was promoted as Star Trek of Pakistan but it turned out to be a perfect example of ‘khoda pahar, nikla chuha, wo bhi mara hua’!
Beqasoor
Writer: Sameena Ijaaz
Directed By: Syed Atif Hussain
Produced By: Big Bang Entertainment
The OST of Beqasoor still haunts me – mein beqasoor – yes that is exactly how all the viewers who watched this drama must have felt after watching a few episodes of the show. The main idea of the play was done-to-death – two sisters who are completely opposite to each other, one the ultimate bechari and the other one had all the characteristics of a materialistic and selfish girl! The fact that the bechari Hira was far more annoying than the chalak Sehr made you wonder if the writer and the director had managed to achieve their objective! The negative characters in the play kept your interest alive in the early episodes and the other characters remained predictable and boring throughout the drama.
Black and white characters, twisted turns in the story, Saboor Ali and Samina Peerzada’s never-ending rona dhona, a story which was stretched even though it lacked substance and watching amazing actors like Sajid Hassan and Samina Peerzada settle for such a mediocre script was a huge disappointment. Like all other plays which show women suffer to the extreme – from getting married to a man old enough to be her dad to getting poisoned by her mom, Hira went through it all and more – this drama got the ratings which producers want more than anything else and therefore it ended only after losing all its “fans”!
The viewers expect better from Pakistani writers, directors and producers. They also want the actors they love so much and who are clearly very talented to choose their projects after giving it a lot of thought otherwise people will lose faith in them and will be disappointed as a result of their wrong choices. The good thing is that all the dramas in this list do not define our drama industry, we are still making great dramas and hope that there will be a time when our drama makers stop compromising on quality.
Are there any other dramas which you would like to add to this list? Feel free to share your thoughts.
Zahra Mirza & Fatima Awan
Lately one of the Pakistani website revealed that the rock star Atif Aslam only charges 8 lac for one song in Bollywood. Where as one of his biggest rival Honey Singh charges 15 lac. On the other hand Arijit Singh takes 13 lac and Mohit Chauhan charges 7-8 lac.
No matter how low Atif is charging the Bollywood still his magical voice has conquered hearts of many and we wish and hope he keeps on spreading the magic always.
Lately Atif’s new song “Toota Jo Kabhi Taara’ from Flying Jatt movie featuring Tiger Shroff while Tere Sang Yaara from Rustom movie is also a melodious tune on everyone’s lips.”
Mahnoor Baloch is making her comeback in a new drama serial Khoobsorat with Azfar Rehman.
So the news is quite satisfying for Mahnoor’s fans as many wanted to see the gorgeous lady on the screen.
Welcome back Mahnoor!
Shaan Shahid’s Arth 2 has finally begun shooting and BTS shots of the movie have already emerged! Produced by AAA Motion Pictures, HKC Entertainment, and 5th Element, Arth 2 is the much-hyped remake of Bollywood classic Arth starring Shaan Shahid, Mohib Mirza, Humaima Malick and Uzma Hassan.
The concert promotion and videos created a boom already. There was a huge crowd that gathered for attending the clash between the two rock stars Ali Azmat and Umair Jaswal.
Before the two rock stars came on stage, it was DJ Fisal that rocked the crowd with his excellent beats. When the two entertainers appeared on the stage the crows welcomed them with roaring cheers. To all the hype Ahmed Ali Butt was a great addition.
Ali band included Omran Shafique, Kamran ‘Mannu’ Zafar and Gumby. While Umair’s band included Coke Studio in-house drummer Aahad Nayani, along with Ali Suhail, Amir Azhar and Haider Ali.
Before the clash was announced both the singers sang there songs and entertained the crowd. Ali had got his crowd in the corner where as Umair was able to get his targeted crowd when Umair sang Sammi Meri Waar. This song of Umair really changed the game and then audience started singing with him.
Then Ali sing Aaroh’s Raag Neela, while Umair sang Babiya. For round two, which was titled as “The Takeover’, in which the two bands played a single song together. “Mera Maahi” was the track that Ali started with, while Umair took over in the middle but was not that impactful. The second round proved that Ali Azmat is a better live performer. In the third round the singers played different genres.
In the mega finale the two singers brought guest of their own choice. Ali clearly had an edge over Umair and brought Mekaal Hasan as a guest and sang Garaj Baras. This song proved to be the final blow for Umair. Umair invited the talented Faraz Anwar for one final performance. Almost in the end of the show Ali gave everyone a surprise by inviting Umair on the stage and hugged him.
Over all the concert was a big hit the only thing compromised was that the venue was small in comparison to the crowd and sound system could have been better.
The release of “Salute” a film by Shahzad Rafique is again delayed. The reason behind delay is said to be the flaws in the final version of the film. For removing these flaws Shahzad is taking help from both Pakistani and Indian experts.
The film was initially set to release on 5th August but again it was postponed later it was decided that it will be in cinema’s in the end of August. The company marketing the film wanted the film to release on eid but Shahzad is unable to make it. The company says it’s thrice that Shahzad delayed the release of the Film.
One of the very obvious reason behind the delay of the film is that film is based on terrorism issue and Shahzad wanted to shoot on real locations. The issue at real; locations was that resources lacked for proper shooting.
Shahzad previous famous projects include Rukhati, Ghunghat, Nikah and Mohabbataan Sachiyaan. His previous projects were love stories doing this different project made him consume more time. Salute is based on the real-life story of ninth-grade student Aitzaz Hasan Bangash, who gave away his life while saving his schoolmates from a suicide attack in 2014. Rafique also visited Aitzaz’s hometown of Hangu and met his parents, as part of the research for the film
Sad but true, the famous female singer Humaira Arshad has decided to break her marriage. It’s been several years that couple was having problems with each other. Previously the couple also blamed each other for deteriorating situation. Humaira Arshad got married to Ahmed but in year 2004.
The couple has one son, which is currently with Ahmed Butt and Humaira says she would go to court for getting his custody.
In a statement Humaira shared, “Ahmad Butt tortured me in front of people, snatched my money, and kidnapped my child and as a result I had no other choice but to make marriage a public affair,” she said, adding that keeping all these factors in mind, it is highly likely that the 11-year-old love marriage will come to an end.
She also explained that she called a press conference because his husband was false blaming her.
Humaira added, “I never want to come out in public, particularly over a minor family dispute, but my husband accused me of property fraud and threatened my life. That made me step up.”
“Ahmed never gave me a single penny, I was running the entire household on my earnings as a singer and Ahmed would ask for money every now and then. It is sad that he has brought our internal affairs to this point.”
The entire situation is really sad not only will the couple suffer but also the child.
Ohkay so, this episode was a tad bit slow but I still enjoyed watching it because this drama has made me form a connection with all the characters that I enjoy seeing them on screen & I enjoy watching what they’re upto. I like how things are moving forward with each passing episode & every situation is covered nicely.
Like any concerned mother, Bee Jee made Kaleem conscious about the fact that he has two daughters who’re approaching the age of marriage, therefore he should be paying heed to that aspect of their lives too. Even though Kaleem comes across as a very stern & rigid person, for the first time we saw that just like every other loving father, the thought of his daughters leaving him after their marriage made his eyes tear up. Kaleem might not say or express, but he loves his daughters a lot & he is always concerned for their well-being. Shaani is mature so I am sure she won’t put her father through hardships, but as far as Dhaani is concerned, I am sure she is not only going to suffer alone, but she will make everyone around her suffer too & I am dreading that moment the most as I’ll hate to see such loving & caring people getting hurt because of Dhaani’s mistake of falling for a guy like Sameer.
Maya is over the moon that Sameer & she will be working together & running a business together but Sameer doesn’t seem interested. I am amazed that even after Sameer has given her such clear signs, Maya is turning out to be quite a half-wit who can’t really see that he is not into her at all. Even though Dhaani has been trying to conceal her feelings, but she is at the stage where she wants to explore the world that Sameer belongs to & that is only because of Sameer. Sameer makes Dhaani’s heart flutter & she hasn’t told Shaani about it but this is the reason why she looks forward to his phone calls & hasn’t returned his phone to him even after talking about it time & again.
Bee Jee arranged a proposal for Dhaani but just because they couldn’t show up, Kaleem who already was looking for an excuse turned their negligence into a reason for refusal of their proposal as he still isn’t mentally ready to marry his daughter off. Raja obviously didn’t take the news well but I most certainly didn’t see it coming. I thought Raja was just disheartened because he thought that no one cared to tell him about the proposal as a family member but the actual reason that made him sad was because he himself likes Dhaani to an extent that he wants to get married to her. It is actually quite nice to see that even though Raja has had feelings for Dhaani, he has never made it obvious or he has never made Dhaani uncomfortable. He just enjoys being around her & he is comfortable in liking her from a distance. The scene between Bee Jee & Raja was quite emotional. Bee Jee knows that Kaleem will never accept Raja’s proposal for Dhaani as he doesn’t hold a high regard for him, but being his mother, she also could understand Raja’s heart-ache because he would lose such a nice girl like Dhaani.
Dhaani has taken a step further into this relationship, where she is ready to fool everyone in her family just so that she can spend time with Sameer. Sameer is interested in Dhaani but for now Dhaani is awestruck that a guy like Sameer is giving her so much of attention. I still am not sure about Sameer’s intentions because may be for him, Dhaani is just a deviation but for Dhaani, Sameer is the first guy who has given her the attention that she as a girl likes, so that is why even at this stage, Dhaani seems more interested in this relationship because she is putting everything on the line to be with him.
Overall, this episode was really nice but a little on the slower side, however, I still enjoyed watching it. I love the chemistry between all the actors, it’s like they have really lived together as a family & that is why their bonding comes across as genuine & heart-felt. The direction of the drama has been amazing too & the acting of all the actors as well. I love the usage of the OST because they don’t rely too much on it & just use it when it suits the situation the best. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Dhaani.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
Ohkay so, this episode of App Ke Liye was a bit average in my opinion. Despite being slow, I feel the drama has one-dimensional story & we haven’t seen much twists & turns & we can’t really expect much in the future too because since day 1 it has been quite evident that this story is going to be about Washma & Shaheer & the two evil sisters Washma will be dealing with, so, I think the lack of side stories & interesting characters is what is preventing it from becoming a very gripping drama.
This episode was all about the wedding preparations. Washma’s family was a bit too involved in everything in comparison to Shaheer’s side of the family. Nishat made an effort to meet Washma but the purpose of that meeting wasn’t well-explained because it sounded like everything was already planned; the venue, the date, Washma’s bridal dress & the Nikkah was just a day after, so not sure why did Nishat go to meet Washma in the first place. I am all for Washma’s boisterous character but the way she spoke to Nishat seemed a little too forced & unrealistic, also, the way Waheed showed up at Shaheer’s office with his tailor for measurements was also another situation that didn’t really sit well with me. I am not sure if the unrealistic situations was what the director was depending upon to spark some comedy because other than that, such things not only made no sense, but seemed quite forced & unnecessary & definitely not comic enough. Yes, we get it, Waheed is thrilled for his sister but he is mature enough to judge what sort of a person Shaheer is, so even though I tried really hard to take it just as a drama, I didn’t see the comedy in those scenes, sorry.
Well, Nishat’s phone call forced Shaheer to do some thinking about choosing Washma as his life partner, not that he was worried about anything else, but he actually was concerned that she was younger to him & they were almost 15 years apart. Just like Shaheer is doing a compromise, even Washma deep inside knows that this marriage is not just a regular marriage, it’s more like a dare that both Shaheer & Washma have accepted.
Finally, it was good to see that Arsalan came clean & told everything to his sister about how he was the one who rejected Washma & she didn’t utter a single word because she made a promise to him. I am glad that Maryam got to know the truth because it was a high time for her to have a reality check. Well, Washma made sure to have her Nikkah her way, where she consciously kept the window of putting an end to this relationship open. Washma might be impulsive, but she is mature enough to foresee that things can go wrong in the future. Both Washma & Shaheer have their reservations & they both are vulnerable when it comes to this relationship. We’ll now have to see if they will be able to form a strong bond with each other or they will fall prey to Nishat’s scheming!
I didn’t enjoy this episode as much as I thought I would. There’s a monotony in the theme of the drama & there aren’t much situations & characters to add the wow factor in this drama & I feel the conversations sound repetitive too. I am not sure for how long viewers will be able to watch this drama for Washma’s character because even Shaheer’s character is pretty one dimensional. Anyways, I feel every single episode of this drama doesn’t give me much to talk about, so for that reason, I will be reviewing App Ke Liye fortnightly, in a hope that may be 2 episodes will give me enough content to have a discussion about. Please share your thoughts about this episode of App Ke Liye.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
Ohkay so, despite being teensy tiny bit slow, this episode was amazing & power-packed. I love watching this drama & I am so glad that even though so many episodes have gone on-air it is still going strong. I like how situations & all the characters are evolving & every episode brings a new chapter with it.
Haider has pretty much given up on his dream of becoming a politician & because he is feeling burdened by the household expenses, he is forcing himself to do a regular job that will guarantee some fixed income with which he will be able to take care of his family, but little did he know that just when he will stop thinking about everything, Asfand Sultan will appear in his life & ask him to join his party once again. It is amazing how Mishi has not once forced Haider to go out of the way to fend for his responsibilities because she knows that he is trying really hard. If Mishi had wanted, she could’ve easily told Haider to settle for a job but in stead, she chose to tell him to chase his dreams as she knows that politics is something that Haider is most passionate about. I am glad that they introduced this track in Haider’s life once again because things will become even more interesting.
Mishi chose to contact Qadeer because she not only had to talk about Saba but she also wanted to know about his final answer in regards to Humna too. I think it was a wise decision that Mishi made because she know that Saba’s parents would never believe what she will say & Saba will easily persuade them into believing that Mishi was lying, so she knew that if there was one person who’d actually understand the entire situation, it was Qadeer. However, I feel Mishi should have informed Haider about it too, not that it would’ve made much difference because Haider trusts her completely but it wouldn’t have hurt to have Haider’s back in this matter because one way or the other, Haider is linked to this situation because his part of the amount is missing as well.
Haider has made such a good impact on Sara in such a short span of time that even though she still feels uncomfortable at the idea of Mishi living with Haider in his humble abode, she has accepted their relationship. Sara has learned the truth that Haider might not be financially stable, but he knows how to protect Mishi & most importantly, he knows how to make her happy. Sara has seen how determined Haider is & she has also seen how Mishi is at a happy place in this relationship, so she can’t really complain much & that is why she was convinced to go to meet Mishi & Haider’s family with a wedding gift. I am glad that they didn’t cover that scene because they have shown enough of her for us to imagine what she must’ve said & how she must’ve reacted, but it was good to see Sara giving a nod of approval to Mishi & respecting her choices.
I must say, the character that has evolved into a very respectful personality is that of Khadija. It was so nice to see her complimenting Mishi over her smallest of efforts. Also, the way Khadija didn’t pay much heed to what Sara said also goes to show that she isn’t someone who will make a fuss about the facts that she herself is aware of. Khadija isn’t oblivious of the fact that Mishi comes from a very different background, that is why she wasn’t surprised at how Sara reacted & even told Mishi to not worry much about what she must be feeling or thinking. Also, I think it was quite sweet of Khadija when she refused to take the money from Mishi, saying that Haider gave that money to Mishi for her personal use. These are quite a few things that might not matter but actually do stand out in this drama because we rarely get to see such characters, such mothers in law, such husbands, such wives & such daughters in law in our dramas who deal with the situations wisely, who believe in respecting each other, who believe in letting go of the bitter stuff & who are not always on a hunt to makes the matters worse.
I loved loved loved Haider & Mishi’s scenes the most. The way they bicker, the way they taunt each other, the way they compliment each other, it is actually quite refreshing to see a husband & wife behaving like a ‘normal’ couple in the toughest of circumstances, because it shows that the power of love is so strong that they are ready to deal with anything & everything with a smile on their face. Mishi has made her place in Haider’s heart & his home too & Haider has done the same thing because the changes in Sara’s attitude are pretty explanatory. Even though in the initial stages of their marriage, it looked like Haider was quite demanding & believed in having things his way, but as their story progressed, Haider started reciprocating everything that Mishi was doing for him & his family & that is why, he made sure to form cordial terms with Mishi’s mother, as he could see that Sara’s behavior affected Mishi a lot.
So finally, Haider accepted Asfand’s offer because Mishi gave him the validation & push that he needed, but first Haider made sure to let him know that he was pretty much settled with his wife & he won’t be bothered if Asfand will once again have any objections over his marriage. It is good that Asfand doesn’t seem much concerned about Haider’s personal life & only wants his expertise in the field of politics. Mishi finally had a conversation with Qadeer, but she was shocked to know that Qadeer has moved on. I hope now when Humna will get to know this, she will kiss the idea of getting married to him good-bye because she deserves someone better than him for sure. Also, Sikandar got an answer from Wahab that he most certainly wasn’t expecting. I am still not sure if Wahab did this to get back at Haider or he was genuinely interested in Sikandar’s shop, I hope they do uncover the reason behind Wahab’s move as well.
Overall, this episode was amazing & I am so glad we’re getting to see a couple of such individuals who not only believe in supporting each other, but also believe in empowering each other with their validation, with their love & with their trust too. It was for the first time when Mishi also confessed her love for Haider & it was absolutely sweet. All the questions about ‘kangan’ were so filmy & done really well, I can’t thank the writer enough for giving us a couple that behaves normally because this is something that we never get to see in our dramas. The acting of all the actors & the direction of this drama has remained top-notch so far & I am so glad that even at this stage of the drama, the ending of each & every episode leaves us asking for more. Thank you so much team Besharam for giving us an incredibly amazing drama. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Besharam.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
Ohkay so, when the smoke erupting from the green tea mug seems more interesting, when Shaan’s Korma Masala advertisement seems more enticing, when the placement of keys on your keyboard seems to catch your attention more than what’s on TV & when the past hour turns out to be the longest & most boring hour of your life, then you know for sure that the drama that you’re tuned to has turned into a disaster.
I’ll get straight to the point. I thought this drama was about the story of Uzma, Mahnoor & Haadi’s characters but I am not sure when did the writer of the season 2 of Zara Yaad kar get this idea that people will be happy to see the side characters taking the lead while pushing the main leads in the background? This episode was about Gaiti & Anoushay & what for, I am still confused. Chalo yan to unke characters gripping hote to bhi baat thi, but their characters are sticking out like sore thumb in the drama & the coverage that they are getting is totally unjustified & is only wasting the time of the viewers!!!
I think since Haadi is a brainless bug, I will suggest him to put an ad on OLX.com.pk for a temporary husband that he is in search of for Mahnoor, I am sure the process will be quicker that way, he will find the guy & we will be free from this torture named Zara Yaad Kar.
Oh well, seems like Uzma turned a blind eye from Fahad because she was too comfortable being a doormat to Haadi. Everyone in this drama is a doormat to one another. Haadi is a doormat to Mahnoor, Mahnoor was a doormat to Waqar, Uzma is a doormat to Haadi, Anoushay is a doormat to Waqar & even Gaiti was a doormat to Waqar too. So many doormats gathered at one place, how cool is that? Well, I had a good laugh at the scene where Mahnoor banged a door on Haadi’s face treating him like a doormat & I knew, I just knew it that now he will scurry like a mouse to Uzma’s home & she will not only listen to his gibberish, but will serve him tea & food too & this is exactly what happened which made me laugh out loud!!! Talk about everyone being brainless & spineless bug in this drama!!! Is this why Haadi told Uzma to cancel her wedding? Only to have her around & give him advises whenever he showed up at her doorstep like a sore loser? My blood actually boiled when I saw Haadi having a normal conversation with Mahnoor & smiling at the thought of her, after planting a seed in Uzma’s mind that she was just compromising in the name of marriage so she should rethink her decision. Haadi displayed a lot of ‘wisdom’ in analyzing Uzma’s situation, so when is he going to put his wisdom to good use in the matters concerning his own pathetic life? Also, didn’t Uzma think that she was ready to leave a guy like Fahad for a loser like Haadi, who will vanish from her life once Mahnoor will be done with Halala & get married to him again? Yeah, all this while I thought at least Uzma had some brains, but oh well!
The scene where Anoushay barged into Haadi’s room inquiring about Waqar was ridiculous & insane. Like she couldn’t get a hold of her loser two-timer boyfriend & there she was giving a piece of her mind to Haadi but yes, at least there was one thing that she said that made sense & that was ‘ye philosophy jharna band karo’, phew, at least there’s someone who thinks the same about this entire falsafa that has been happening in this drama. Waqar is another loser on the loose. I am amazed that after becoming a politician, Gaiti had the time to track Waqar down & call him. I am amazed that these episodes are written by the director herself who happens to be a female, because she left no stone unturned in making all the female characters of this drama look like a bunch of desperadoes who only dream of getting married by hook or by crook, without even bothering if the guy they are drooling over is worth it or not!!!
Oh well, the playful & pleasant music in the background of Haadi & Mahnoor’s scenes was cringe-worthy. Like the director here is showing us a love affair of ex-husband & wife & she is showing us their omlette ka nashta made by Mahnoor ke haath & is still expecting us to accept everything wholeheartedly, like seriously. Seems like even Aneesa has become a part of this adventure too, where she is eager to see her daughter commit Halala & then she covers it using her motherly instincts as an excuse, oh PHULEEEEZZZZZZZZ!!! Get over with this crap already as this drama is back to square 1 & we’re stuck in a rut.
Well, I am having anxiety just by thinking that I’ll have to tune to this drama next week that too when the preview didn’t look like that it will be the last episode. Can any angel-like-human tell me when this torture is ending because I am done with this drama & I don’t have any patience left. I must say, that after watching Shanakht, I never had imagined that Amna Nawaz Khan will become one of those drama-makers who ruin the drama for the sake of ratings & I never thought that just like Samira Fazal’s projects, I’ll have to raise my guard in regards to her projects too. I will be screening her dramas from now on because I don’t think they’re worth my time! Anyways, please share your thoughts about this pathetic episode of Zara Yaad Kar!!!
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
The most intriguing part of this serial is that it starts with the anticipation and celebration of peer sahab’s visit to a mureed’s family. They are staunch believers of peer sahab’s miracles just like kulsoom. She is struggling hard to have a taweez from peer sahab for her neighbor’s son Bilal who is apparently her childhood’s love.
Writer zafar miraj who has penned many serials and has always touched very sensitive topics but this serial has some beautiful dialogues which includes “ yeh ilm ki batay hai taleem say samajh nahi aye gi” His writing is filled with the minutiae of everyday lives of common people but simultaneously also manages to avoid the black and white characters. Her heroine kulsoom is a damsel in distress suppressed by her family norms and values. She tries to be vocal about her opinion. Surely we will get more of her in the coming episodes as soon as more of her character reveals itself. On the contrary she firmly believes that if there is a will there is a way.
The writer has given the audience range of individual characters to compare and contrast such as Suman Ansari who is kind and graceful peer sahab’s wife having wisdom. On one of the occasions she says to Kulsom that “Agar tum taweez apnay naam se lo gi to woh tumharay liye laut kar aaye ga, apni maa ke liye nahi” This actually demonstrates the command that she has on the knowledge that she has acquired on such matters. On the other hand Bilal’s mother who is living alone and missing her son prays to get her son back in the first episode. At the end of the first episode there is a Bollywood knock at the door and our beautiful Sonia mishal open’s the door which is the freeze of our first episode.
Dumpukht will surely provide a great opportunity to explore and question fake beliefs. Peer’s character seems to be promising and when Noman Ejaz’s character will reveal itself further, story will get more exciting. I have a strong feeling this drama story may resemble to aseerzadi or mera saeen but for now this is very different. This serial is directed by kashif nisar while the first episode was crisp and few scenes with kulsoom sister were boring
The viewers in India love Mahira Khan. Recently she also bagged an award but after the award ceremony when Mahira Khan was bombarded with questions by the Indian media she found herself confused on many occasions because the reporters kept on asking her questions which were not relevant.
Mahira Khan replied to one of the questions that it was a strange questions and she wasn’t sure what to say. Her down to earth nature has won many fans in Pakistan and now Indians find it impossible to resist her charm. Mahira Khan wasn’t sure how to answer the questions asked by Indian media because of the nature of questions and just wanted to walk out of that place.
Watch the video here:
Fawad Khan’s new upcoming Bollywood film “Aa Dil Hai Mushkil” has been the talk of the town for a long time because of its cast and a director who is known for giving many hit films. Karan Johar is the most well known director in India right now and he showed his eagerness to work with Fawad Khan more than once.
Ranbir Kapoor, Fawad Khan, Anushka Sharma and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan are going to play the leading roles in the film. When the poster of the film came out Pakistani viewers criticized it because Fawad Khan was not on it. The first teaser of the film suggests that Fawad Khan will be playing an important role in the film but the main lead role is played by Ranbir Kapoor.
Watch the teaser here:
As we all know that cable ads have provided Pakistanis with entertainment since the media explosion. In the business of these cable adds a king has emerged on the scene. His name is Waseem Hassan Sheikh.
Waseem Sheikh has done another interesting piece of work lately he used Mahira Khan’s Uber add and excellently used her project names for creating the add.
Watch it for yourself.
Just got back from shoot! Careem se behtar humsafar koi nahi! Ke Bin Roye, kahin bhi aur kabhi bhi gaari mil jaati hai. Aur sirf Raees logo ke liye nahi, har tabqay ke liye. Ho Mann Jahan, bas Careem wahan!
The upcoming Film of Shaan titled as Zaraar it is an action -thriller. The movie is written and directed by Shaan Shaid.
The lead cast of the movie includes Nadeem Baig, Kiran Malik, Adnan Butt, Nayyer Ejaz and ShaanShahid.
The BTS of the film reveals that Shaan will be in a commander’s avatar. The current look of the shots show that it will be a big hit. Along with this film, other projects of Shaan Shaid are Arth-2 and Yalghaar.
The production of the film is under the banner of Jehan films in collaboration with Timothy Hallam Wood of UK.
The film will also be starring actor Adnan Butt who is from UK and will be making his debut in this film.
The styling of the film is done by Fatima Butt, whereas casting has been carried out by Syed Noman Alam.
The movie is expected to be of International Standard and is expected to release next year.
Team of Upcoming Pakistani Film ‘ Dobara Phir Se ‘ Adeel Hussain , Sanam Saeed and Hareem farooq behind the scene of Upcoming photoshoot for Pepe Jeans Pakistan…
Amber Khan and Kiran Khan both the sisters are very famous in the media industry. Lately Amber khan daughter got married . Here are few picture of celebrities at the function. Soon we wills share the pictures of the wedding too.
For all the Fans who are waiting for the “Bin Roye” Play anxiously. Here is the second promo:
All the flashback scenes in tonight’s episode reminded me of the good old days when I believed that this drama had something grand to offer! It also reminded me of the torture this drama has put all of us through! The only thing I am looking forward to right now is an ending to this torture. Mannu’s family members welcomed her like Columbus and Ibn-e-Batutta’s families must have welcomed them when they came back from their travels. The viewers were shown the flashback scenes covering Mannu and Salahuddin like we had already forgotten about their love story.
All of Mannu’s troubles came to an end in this episode and Abba took a u-turn! After the surgery he actually had a change of heart. After torturing us for months with her becharapan Mannu is a now a more enlightened individual who knows exactly what she wants from life – yes she had a change of hear too! If the moral of the story was that girls should not see marriage as the ultimate goal than it was definitely not presented in the best way. If it was this easy for Mannu to go back to her parents’ house and live a life she wanted to live then why was Abba’s condition used as an excuse to make Mannu stay in Salahuddin’s house for the longest time? The fact is that this drama would have had a decent ending on this note if Mannu’s mother did not pressurize her to stay in Salahuddin’s house, if Mannu wasn’t turned into the ultimate bechari and if Jeena wasn’t part of this grand plan. That way Mann Mayal could have ended at episode 16.
What exactly was Jeena’s role in this story? Apart from giving Salahuddin zehr and then drinking it herself, she did not add anything to the story. She got plenty of screen time, more than Mannu and Salahuddin’s families combined together and now that she is dead I am wondering why did she get so much attention? Jeena’s character was the most unnecessary character in the show. Unless there are actually viewers out there who felt something for her.
Even in this second last episode things moved forward at a snail’s pace. I don’t want to tune into another show in which Maya Ali sheds a single tear! Maya Ali has cried so much in this drama. It is sad to see someone who is capable of so much more being wasted in a role which has absolutely nothing to offer. Salahuddin kept on asking everyone why Mannu left, what happened to picking up the phone and dialing her number to ask her why she left? Also, Mannu’s call to Salahuddin’s parents and the way he was taken away to the operation theatre was meant to mislead the viewers into thinking that he might have died. Which doctor gives a patient anesthesia before taking him to the operation theatre? That was brand new!
Oh well! The story has still not ended and once Salahuddin is fit to travel he will go to Mannu’s house with a rishta.
How many of you watched this episode and how many of you are going to celebrate when this drama ends?
I have been a huge Coke Studio fan since the Rohail Hyatt days. Rohail Hyatt introduced Coke Studio to Pakistan. He aimed to explore, reinvent, rediscover Pakistani music industry. Blending traditional and sufi songs with modern music, trying to save the dying languages of Pakistan and discovering raw talent – this is what Coke Studio was all about. I remember back in season 5, a group of Chakwali singers collaborated with Punjabi rapper, Bohemia, for the song, “Kandyari Dhol Geet”, and this insane collaboration actually worked so well that this song is still on my playlist. The point is, Hyatt dared to take risks, and this is one of the many reasons I absolutely loved Coke Studio.
After the hastily concluded season 6, Rohail Hyatt went AWOL, and Strings took over. I loved seasons 6 and 7, and I think Bilal Maqsood and Faisal Kapadia did a wonderful job. Sab Akho Ali Ali, Washmallay, Nadiya, Mujhe Baar Baar and Chaap Tilak were some of my favourites from season 7. They returned with a bang in season 8, and Bewajah, Tajdar e Haram, Sammi Meri Waar are only few of the many songs that stood out for all the right reasons.
I was eagerly waiting for Season 9, and my expectations sky-rocketed after listening to the goosebump-inducing, heart-achingly beautiful, Aye Rah e Haq Ke Shaheedo. Unfortunately though, this season is shaping up to be quite the disappointment. Here are my thoughts on the latest episode:
Khaki Banda – Ahmed Jahanzeb and Umair Jaswal
Music Director: Shuja Haider
I am pleased to see Ahmed Jahanzeb after quite some time. He is incredibly talented! Umair Jaswal knows his stuff, but I think it’d be nice to see him add a new flare to his singing, because he is beginning to sound monotonous now. The song wasn’t an utter disappointment and I especially enjoyed the last two minutes, but again, it’s largely forgettable. Ahmad Jahanzeb does a wonderful job here, and I want to see more of him in Coke Studio.
Tu Hi Tu – Mehwish Hayat and Shiraz Uppal
Music Director: Shiraz Uppal
Now, seriously, what on earth was this song? Unlike most people, I had no issues with Mehwish Hayat featuring on Coke Studio season 9 because I think she has a very nice voice. But, this was a poorly composed song and the lyrics had Bollywood written all over them! Sorry, but this wasn’t Coke Studio material.
Dilruba Na Raazi – Zeb Bangash and Faakhir
Music Director: Faakhir Mehmood
Here again, the music director decided to offer his vocals and the result was far from satisfying. It’s not that Faakhir’s a bad singer – he’s not – it’s just that it’d have been nice to see a Pushto singer sing with Zeb Bangash. Zeb Bangash, however, is an absolute delight!
Maula-e-Kull – Abida Parveen
Music Director: Shani Arshad
Here, Abida Parveen was seen doing what she does best. This is one of those renditions that you listen to with your eyes closed – you feel at peace. It’s an experience.
So, far the most popular song of this season has been Afreen Afreen. But, I am not a huge fan and that’s not because it doesn’t compare to the original – I don’t think covers should be harshly criticized for not being able to measure up to original, let’s get real, no one can match Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – but because it was not a well-conceived rendition. I loved Momina Mustehsan’s velvety vocals but her bit was too brief – she sang for less than a minute. For the remaining six minutes or so, she just…sat there and looked pretty. Momina herself said that there were no rehearsals prior to the actual recording and she first heard the arrangement when she came for the final recording. Also, it doesn’t help that the opening music totally reminds me of Atif Aslam’s Jeena Jeena.
The only song that I have thoroughly enjoyed and played quite a few times is Aaja Re Moray Saiyaan (sung by Zeb Bangash and directed by Noori). It always brings a smile on my face! Other than that, Coke Studio has yet to impress. I think this has a lot to do with the different format of this season. All these music directors are incredibly talented and creative, but after watching (listening to) these three episodes, I am afraid this new format isn’t working, at least not for me. I am no music critic, and when it comes to music, it all comes down to your personal taste and preference.
What do you think of this season? Feel free to share your thoughts.
Maryam Mehdi
Pakistani drama industry has gone through many changes in the past few years. The production houses are much better equipped today than they were before but with the advent of many private channels, the demand for dramas has increased, therefore the writers, directors and actors do not always get the time they need to give their best. The challenges which are faced by all these people involved in making our dramas nowadays are far greater than they were at the time when there was only PTV. The writers, directors, actors and producers have to try extra hard to get the attention of the people because things are far more competitive now then they were when there was only one channel. Even with all this pressure if a writer is able to write a quality script, a producer is willing to experiment, a director does not compromise on quality and an actor manages to live and breathe the role he or she is playing than surely it is a much bigger feat than it was years ago. Although, we often criticize Pakistani dramas but the fact is that even now there are some drama-makers out there who believe in giving their viewers a quality entertainment.
This season in particular has quite a few entertaining and powerful dramas to its credit. The fact that some of these dramas have been on air for more than 20 weeks now and still managed to make it to this list makes them a clear winner. These dramas can easily be termed as the top dramas of this season for a number of reasons which have been stated below. The list is in an alphabetical order:
Besharam
Writer: Sarwat Nazeer
Director: Farooq Rind
Produced By: Six Sigma Productions
A unique love-story showing how two head-strong individuals who come from totally different backgrounds, lifestyles, endorsing an entirely different perspective from one another can make their marriage work together as a team. In the recent years where the writers time & again have heavily relied on showing marital problems, Besharam comes across as a breath of fresh air because it focuses on showing the solutions more. The writer has beautifully conveyed a message that no matter where you come from, if you develop a sense of commitment, love, understanding & respect for your spouse, you can deal with any obstacle that comes your way. This drama has some very unique characters to its credit like Haider, who respects his wife enough to give her the time & space she needs & then Mishail who despite being an independent woman does things to please her husband as he makes her feel secure. Saba Qamar as Mishail & Zahid Ahmed as Haider have given a perfect face to their beautifully written characters. Another bonus of watching Besharam is that it shows how each & every relationship around you deserves time, attention & affection. The chemistry between Saba Qamar & Zahid Ahmed is the strongest point of this drama along with some very strong supporting characters portrayed by Sundas Tariq, Shahista Jabeen, Mehmood Akhtar & Malik Raza so for all the right reasons, Besharam is definitely a must-watch of this season.
Since Sanam Marvi sang in the Coke studio she got busy in performing at other shows too. The way Sanam Marvi excelled it attracted not only more audience but also Tanya Panjwani the director of the documentary. The documentary will be premiered at the Global Community Film Festival in Toronto, Canada in October.
Tanya Panjawani has made a 60 minutes documentary revolving around the Sanam’s journey of exploring the Sufi music. The director said “It traces Marvi’s musical journey from her childhood to present day.”
Panjwani also shared that she got this idea of documentary when Sanam sang for the first time in Coke Studio. She said, “I was a Masters student in London at that time and there was all this hype around Coke Studio. I watched Marvi on the show and was completely captivated by her performance.”
Later Tanya Followed Marvi for six weeks in 2015, Panjwani basically documented the Sanam’s visits to the shrines of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Baba Bulleh Shah, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Sachal Sarmast and Bibi Pak Daman and to her concerts and meetings.
Let’s see how the documentary do at the Global Community Film Festival in Toronto, Canada in October.
In few weeks the movie “Actor in Law” will be released i.e. on Eid –ul- Azha 2016. Lately the movie has released its funky song “Funkaraan” which is sung by the rock star Asrar.
This very interesting number shows that a Young man is very much agitated with the current government system and everyday life. The video is really cool and the Asrar vocals in the background has given complete finish to the song.
“Hum log sabhi funkaraan re” sings Asrar is his impactful, high-pitch voice. Whereas in the video the handsome Fahad Mustafa appears out of the car, looking dynamic in his stylish suit and chic look.
Watch the song for yourself here.
This is for sure that Asrar magic works every time, as previously he was very much appreciated for Shakar Wandan Rey.
Do share your feedback on this latest song of Asrar.
The famous humsafar star Atiqa Odho is making a comeback in 2016. Atiqa will be seen on the big screen in Mehreen Jabbar’s, Dobara Phir Se.
Atiqa is also working in another film currently. Her next film is a Canadian based Pakistani movie. For the shooting of the film Atiqa has gone to Toronto.
In a statement Atiqa said, “It’s a comedy written by an Indian writer”. “The cast is completely Pakistani, with a couple of big names doing a film for the first time.” She also added, “I’ve gone a new fun look for my role”. “I play an interesting character, a modern and independent single mum who brought up her kids single-handedly.”
The director of the film is Sonia Ahmed, whose is also the director of the critically acclaimed documentary I Shall Dance to her credit.
Further Atiqa also shared that she really liked the character and did not want to miss an opportunity to support new filmmakers was a big factor in her decision to take on the role.
Well Atiqa it’s great to know that senior artists like you are there to support the Pakistani Cinema. We wish you and your team a very best of Luck.
Atiqa’s new look for the upcoming film
Source : Dawn news.
The girl with charasmatic eyes Sanam Chaudhry and the heart throbbing hunk Noor Hassan are known to be good friends from a long time. Soon both will be seen on the big screen in an upcoming movie titled 100 crore, written by Babar Kashmiri and will be directed by Shoaib Khan.
The star cast which includes veterans Javed Sheikh and Ismail Tara with Sana Fakher, newcomer, Inayat Khan and Adnan Shah Tipu of Josh and Maalik.
Here are the pictures of both the lead characters who are shooting for film in Thailand.
Man can absorb a lot. A lot can be one heck of what one could visualize. Yet at times, it strikes your chord, as you admit, although inside, that the limit has been reached; now the question is: would you take more? When should you decide that this is it? This differs from person to person, with tempers, tolerance levels rather, ranging from high to low. And so, we come across a lot of people, around us, and on- screen who leave us scratching our heads, only a step from yelling : STOP!
In the latest lot, and what initiated me the idea of this topic is Haadi from Zara Yaad Kar. He has been cheated on, and that too quite openly, by Mahnoor, who had left no stones unturned in insulting him, yet despite having a well- wisher in Uzma, he finds himself in a dilemma, where he knows the truth, but isn’t far away from ignoring it. Call it unconditional love, but it shouldn’t cause one to become a fool of him/herself.
As the saying goes, love is blind, but not baseless. It is not just a matter of having an affair. Rewind a little, and we come across Taimoor, who in Ru Baru, despite having been married, has an affair with his university student. This is what ignites all the trouble. His wife falls into depression and suicides, while his son later suffers due to the chaos he experiences as a child.
Aasmano pe likha showed showed a lady as bechaari , indeed to extreme. Her husband never acknowledged her presence despite all the circumstances. He then even marries his ex- love, Natasha. There is then a turnaround of events until Aaliyan gets the word.
Yet before, we had encountered Sila in Dil-e-Muzter, who had later learned of her husband’s affair and then marriage in her absence to a close neighbour. After a lot of thinking, Sila somehow in the end, ends up forgiving Adeel and decides to go back.
In Paani Jaisa Pyaar, which aired in 2011, Sana quite easily, followed by a little insistence from Adarsh’s side agrees to return to his life after he had previously abused and disliked her.
The turns, that a few quick decisions we take, cause are unavoidable. It’s true man makes mistakes, so we surrender simultaneously, but there are factors such as self- respect that shouldn’t be left reeling. A number of dramas, like Manjali, Mera Naam Yousuf Hai, including some current ones show the face- off realistically, including Udaari, Dil Lagi, Besharam, and Kathputli.
What do you think? Feel free to share.
Amna
Ohkay so, this episode was decent but it focused more on the side characters. I feel if the side characters get more coverage, then things become a lot more repetitive, which doesn’t do any good to the pace or the purpose of the drama.
Mehru has started taking care of Ahad’s father in such a way that she has compelled him to become more respectful towards her. Even though Ahad’s father does not admit it in front of Mehru or Ahad, in his heart he knows that Mehru is not only different to Mehwish, but she is far better than her as well. Despite getting married to Ahad in such dire situation, on the basis of humanity, Mehru has started respecting not only Ahad but his father too. However, it would have been better if they had shown that along with the change of heart, Ahad’s father had a change of attitude towards Mehru too because the way he speaks to her still feels that he is demeaning her, which isn’t a good thing to watch.
Zeenat & her concerns for her daughter have become totally repetitive. Yes, we get it, she regrets what she did with her daughter & there’s nothing more to it & there can’t be because what she speaks about every single time is the same thing over & over again. She is completely responsible for how Mehru’s life shaped up & she is also responsible for giving Ehtashaam the leeway & so much of an authority to rule over Mehru’s life. Now all she can do is cry because there’s nothing else that can be done & we won’t be sympathizing with her on her repetitive dialogues every time!
I find the problems between Saira & Ehtashaam a bit forced. Saira is such a person who believes in reasoning & that is why in the initial stages of her marriage we saw how she used to engage in a conversation with Ehtashaam leaving him speechless because she made sense & also because she had an idea of how she should be tackling her husband as she understood his nature, so to see Saira doing something despite knowing that her husband won’t approve of it wasn’t a wise choice. Yes, she wanted to go to her mother’s place which was her right, but then she could’ve done that after having a conversation with Ehtashaam because she knows how to convince him. I feel just because Umair has made an entry, things have to get rough between Ehtashaam & Saira so that Umair gets a fair bit of coverage too, even though he has nothing to do with what happened between both of them right now. Also, Saira’s character has made a shift, she is still the same with her mother in law, but she has suddenly changed her behavior with her husband, which definitely is unlike her & is making everything look a bit forced. Also, I don’t think after knowing her husband’s nature in & out & after being well aware of what he did to his own sister Mehru, Saira would be so careless or immature to get candid with Umair just like that!
Finally, Shiraz has made an entry again but this time with his wife Amna. Shiraz & Amna are Mehru & Ahad’s neighbors & I don’t know what sort of a neighbor Shiraz will be, but for now, Amna is quite a nosy neighbor who asks a bit too many questions & is taking a bit too much interest in Mehru’s life.
Mehru’s father in law passed out because of his BP issues & very conveniently Ahad blamed Mehru for it. I don’t think Ahad’s behavior with Mehru was justified that too after he knows how difficult & rude his father is. Ahad’s concerns before bringing his father to their home were genuine as it looked like he was well aware of how rigid his father can be & how he was capable of giving Mehru a hard time, so despite knowing everything, his cold attitude with Mehru was uncalled for. Also, I know Ahad’s father had a hard time because of Mehwish, but it’s no fun seeing him crying buckets over the same thing time & again because now everything related to him is taking a toll on Mehru & she doesn’t deserve that!
Overall, this episode was fairly decent but I feel the sudden shift in the characters has been made only to stretch things & we all know when things get stretched, dramas get dragged too. Even though I didn’t have much expectations from Gohar Mumtaz’s wife Anum considering it being her first project, but I most certainly didn’t expect her acting to be this bad. Her body language, her hunched shoulders & her stammering clearly showed her lack of confidence as an actor & for that reason, I believe the director could’ve easily chosen someone else for this job. I think the drama is at such a stage where things will become quite slow & repetitive & every single episode won’t be giving us much to talk about, therefore I have decided that I will review Kathputli fortnightly, at least that way we will have enough content to discuss for sure. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Kathpulti.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
Ohkay so, this episode of Thora Sa Aasman was quite good & interesting to watch. I must say, the pace of the drama is working for me the most because just when we were getting a little bored with the coverage of one track, they introduced in a lot of new faces & the scenario of the story changed completely. I am definitely looking forward to all the tracks & their stories that have yet to unravel.
So, Baqir Sherazi sent a proposal for Haroon Kamal through Sabiha, where he suggested Haroon to divorce Shahista otherwise Baqir will make sure that Haroon faces a loss in his business. As hideous as the idea sounded, what I liked the most about the entire situation was that it made the ruthless & emotionally absent Haroon Kamal vulnerable for a moment. Haroon’s arrogance & social standing actually made him believe that he had control over everything & that everything will always fall in its place for him every single time but it was good to see that a man, far more powerful than him made Haroon reflect on himself & reminded him of the fact that he was no different to any other regular human being & he was just as weak as anyone can be.
It was for the first time that we saw the reality of a liberal Haroon Kamal who, by the circumstances, was forced to doubt his wife & her loyalty towards him. Haroon actually posed to be quite a broad minded person who didn’t mind seeing his wife being friends with men who had more power & who could help him in his business in any way possible, but when things got out of control, he conveniently blamed Shahista for giving an edge to Baqir due to which he believed that he could get her in a barter bargain. This was also a slap on Haroon Kamal’s face & was something that bruised his ego because Baqir in just a second made him realize about the sort of a person Haroon was & how Baqir saw him as just an opportunist who could be lured easily using money as a bait. Haroon never really imagined that people could see him as such a weak person having no substance at all.
Another face that we saw of Haroon Kamal was a depiction of his double standards. Shahista is expecting their baby & just because the time span & timeline of their relation could raise questions against the baby, Haroon didn’t mind telling her straight away that she had to put an end to this ray of hope in her life. This was something that took Shahista in her past where it looked like Haroon has taken away her baby from her previously too. Sadly, Shahista fell into this trap of love with a wrong person because he is the one who demands & Shahista is the one who has to compromise every single time. Haroon is quite a superficial person who believes in fake standards because at one hand, he can not see people questioning his sister & her family, but on the other, he doesn’t mind having an affair with Zarka, getting married to her stealthily & then also doesn’t mind depriving his wife of all those rights that she is entitled to. Also, the way Shahista & Haroon opted for court marriage highlights his double standards a bit more where he conveniently fooled someone’s daughter & forced her to take such a step that only became an embarrassment for her parents & that is why her parents have till date not forgiven her for what she did!
Well, Baqir Shirazi along with Sabiha Judoon died in a car accident & I am kind of relieved that we’re past this triangle that wasn’t sparking much interest, but I am interested to see what life has in store for Shahista & Haroon!!!
Well, we got introduced to the families of two brothers Mansoor & Masood. Masood’s (Anwar Iqbal) family consists of his wife & his two sons Talha (Umair Laghari) & Osama & Mansoor’s (Babar Ali) family consists of his wife Muneeza (Lubna Aslam), his daughters & son; Ambar (Sahar Afzal), Safiya (Aleezay Tahir) & Roshaan. Ambar & Talha, Safiya & Osama are engaged to be married. In this episode we got introduced to their characters in a very appropriate manner & I am definitely looking forward to their stories.
Ambar is a daddy’s girl & in the very first encounter she can come across as someone who is a spoiled child who believes in having everything her way but as you get to know her, she also has kindness in her heart that her mother most certainly doesn’t approve of & this is something that doesn’t make her character black & white, it’s like she has different shades, some of which can be appreciated & some of them can make her look a little unreasonable. It looks like Ambar is her father’s favorite, that is why she makes the most of his kindness & for that reason, Mansoor can never deny any of her demands. Ambar has not only been spoiled by her father, but even her fiancé Talha believes in doing everything that she says. Talha loves & respects her a lot & they both believe that the factor of trust is what has kept their relationship strong over the years.
Mansoor’s wife Muneeza is enjoying her luxurious life & she doesn’t realize that all the comforts that she has can make people around her a little envious of her lifestyle. Muneeza also doesn’t mind flaunting how her husband Mansoor has given her the control over the household & she makes the most of it. Muneeza seems just as spoiled as Ambar & she doesn’t look like someone who believes in making compromises, that is why just when Ambar & Talha had a tiff, Muneeza held Talha responsible for spoiling Ambar’s mood in stead of making her daughter understand that she shouldn’t be so rigid. The second daughter of the family; Safiya in comparison to Ambar seems a lot more mature & understanding. It looks like Osama likes Safiya a lot too & being her fiance, wants to spend time with her but Safiya doesn’t take advantage of the liberty her parents have given to their children because she is far more rooted & simple.
Masood’s wife & Talha’s mother finds it a little odd how much freedom her daughter-in-law to-be has & how Ambar has her son wrapped around her finger. She also feels the envy when it comes to the life Muneeza is living as she finds her husband far more accommodating & understanding in comparison to her husband Masood. It seems that Muneeza or Mansoor & Masood have an elder sister & she is also quite interested in Ambar & Safiya & for the obvious reasons because she knows that Ambar comes from a very sound background & she tells Muneeza that at least she should have accepted her son’s proposal for one of her daughters. Apa also has a daughter who she seems a little worried about too as she wants her to get married in to a family that has a financial stability.
It looks like Haroon Kamal has started exploring more business options & he is doing collaborations with well-established companies & for that reason, Mansoor believes that he should propose a venture deal to Haroon Kamal because he know that the association of his name with their family business will not only bring a lot of advantages but will help them in raising their graph too. Things are definitely going to get more interesting & I can’t wait to see more.
Overall, this episode was quite interesting & I hope that the pace of the drama stays the same. I am glad that this story has a lot of characters & a lot of tracks that is why things don’t become slow at all because there’s so much to explore that the change in the scene brings a change of track & perspective with it. I will say that the director has handled the script quite well & all the actors are doing a fairly decent job but I do find their timing a little off which makes the flow of the scene a little choppy, it looks like that the actors don’t have that understanding & because of that we see some awkward pauses in between their conversations. Anyways, as far as the story is concerned, I feel that a little tweaking has been done but for that reason, I find this drama a lot more engaging because these changes not only come as a surprise but leave you guessing about the scenarios at times too, which is a bonus. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Thora Sa Aasman.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
© 2025 Reviewit.PK - All Rights Reserved.