Ohkay so, the journey of Alif has come to an end tonight. It is a bitter-sweet moment because as complete as the ending of this drama was, it could’ve easily been extended to a couple of more episodes. I think it was very intelligent on the drama maker’s end where they decided to wrap it up without delaying much because the viewers always come across such dramas which get ruined due to unnecessary dragging & that didn’t turn out to be the case with Alif, this is the reason those who loved tuning to Alif feel the need for a few more episodes because we’re still not done with it.

Full Circle

Everything came in full circle for Qalb e Momin when he got the paintings of Husn e Jahan that Master Ibrahim left for him. He or even Husn e Jahan would’ve never imagined that Qalb e Momin will once again get the possession of his father’s paintings, something that solely belonged to their family & no one else.

Master Ibrahim & Husn e Jahan were married for 5 years. Husn e Jahan died young but in the last years of her life, at least she was in a presence of someone who cherished & appreciated her the most. They did not go much into details but it was hard to believe that Master Ibrahim didn’t know about Husna being Husn e Jahan & on top of that, Abdul Ala’s daughter in law. She used to come once in a while to see Qalb e Momin, so not sure how all these years, Master Ibrahim never really got to know about her son. Also, in one of the previous episodes, the teenager boy they showed as Qalb e Momin looked older to be a 14-15 year old. However, keeping these minute details aside, it is commendable how all the questions were answered because when the previous episode ended, there were quite a few things that were answered, therefore they used this opportunity to leave no loose ends.

All the things that Abdul Ala said about Husn e Jahan went to show how regretful he was for judging her wrongly & also how keen he was to make things right. He wanted to do good by her that is why he got her married to the man he trusted the most. Master Ibrahim revered Abdul Ala, therefore he could not question him. Another beautiful aspect was how even after finding out about Husn e Jahan, Master Ibrahim never mentioned it to Abdul Ala because he knew, that will put him in an awkward position. The thing that I have loved noticing the most throughout Alif is how they have depicted the respect students have had for their mentors & how they have this beautiful relationship that they share with one another. Master Ibrahim & Abdul Ala’s relationship being one, similarly Momina & Master Ibrahim also shared a special bond where Momina would share everything with him. His death left her devastated but Qalb e Momin found a complete closure because he got to know that the man Abdul Ala chose for Husn e Jahan was one of a kind.

Momin & Momina

Momina & Momin finally found their purpose in life, Momin had to go to Turkey because he made a promise to Abdul Ala, however Momina had to stay where she was because of her parents & the self-assigned duty of carrying the legacy of Master Ibrahim & Husn e Jahan forward. They both decided to go about their own orbits but Momina knew that Momin was always going to wait for her. This part of the ending was bittersweet, because as much as I wanted them to have a happy ending, this one does make a lot of sense. Momina has never believed in rushing things & this is why she decided to take her time. It also showed that she had developed this strong trust in Momin to know that he was going to be there for her. Momina also wanted him to explore his path on his own a bit more, he needed this time to himself, to rediscover & realign his priorities. The bottom line is that they both were at peace after a long time & just having each other’s support was all that they needed at this point to go about their lives.

The way Momin came to Momina’s house after reading all the letters, it also showed how he had started relying on her for emotional support, he knew she understood him like no one else did, therefore just by telling her what’s in his heart made him feel at ease, it was a very short scene but it showed how in such a short span of time, Momin had grown comfortable around Momina & her presence meant so much to him.

Alif Is A Magical Journey

Alif was a beautiful drama. It spoke about spirituality, judgments, regrets, consequences, thing spinning out of control & then everything falling in its right place – each & every character & its journey had so much to offer. Umera Ahmed once again wrote a perspective altering & thought-provoking script, which allowed people to look into their hearts & just ask simple questions about the purpose of their lives. The most beautiful part – it never ever got preachy & all the dialogues were carefully written which were precise & to the point. Despite being a story of a filmstar, Alif ended up being a story so relatable to general audiences because these are the spiritual & religious struggles everyone is faced with at certain point in their lives. All the characters were not only beautiful but very important to complete the story, therefore all of them contributed in making it a wholesome experience. Each & every character was carefully placed by Umera Ahmed to convey what she wanted to, be it Jahangir or Aqsa, or Neha & even Husn e Jahan’s mother. Coming to the main characters; Abdul Ala, Master Ibrahim, Husn e Jahan, Qalb e Momin, Momina, Sultan, Taha – they were so complete in their own way & when interlinked, they gave us Alif. Manzar Sehbai, Saife Hassan, Saleem Mairaj, Kubra Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Sajal Aly, Ahsan Khan, Pehlaaj Hussain, they all contributed equally towards the success of Alif & the way they breathed life into these characters was phenomenal. All the supporting actors such as Hina Ashfaq, Lubna Aslam, Fareeha Raza, Musaddiq Malik, Yashma Gill, Sadaf Kanwal & Nida Mumtaz also did justice to the roles that were assigned to them. Special mention goes to Pehlaaj Hussain for making all the scenes of young Qalb e Momin so much special with his adorable personality & brilliant acting.

Alif was a team effort & it actually makes me proud as a viewer that we still have such drama-makers who are capable of creating something as magical & beautiful as Alif. The dialogues were some of the best that we have heard, the background instrumental musics were beautiful & hit the right emotion in every scene. The locations were beautiful & the attention to detail paid to create the era of 80’s was a masterstroke. Taha & Qalb e Momin’s homes were my absolute favorite & it also helped in depicting the kind of personalities they had, which goes to show how much attention was paid while making Alif. The flashbacks were used in an apt manner to convey the story brilliantly. Editing, camera work, the overall vibe that the director Haseeb Hassan created was perfect & added more aesthetic value while watching it. The producers, writer, director and all the actors should be extremely proud of themselves & take a bow for a successful project such as Alif. Please share your thoughts about the last episode of Alif.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Opening Thoughts – Intelligently Told Story:

Another week, another brilliant episode of Alif. This episode of Alif might have been on the slower side & it focused on couple of scenarios but the note at which this episode ended made it complete & perfect. I like how the drama makers are not giving out everything & they are pretty much playing with the emotions of the viewers, where they want the viewers to grasp everything as it comes, they want them to think, introspect & ponder. I think this has to be one of those projects which have been tackled just so intelligently where the drama makers have a complete grip on the story & they know what is meant to be given away at which moment & this makes Alif a wholesome experience, a journey of its kind. Simply amazing!

Momina’s Opportunities:

Momina got in touch with Faisal only to find out that he demanded more from her than she had to offer. Momina clearly understood that she must’ve thought of Faisal as a reward but he actually came back to test her further than she was already being tested. Faisal made it pretty clear to Momina that he had more expectations & he wanted her to fulfill them, which means this was basically him establishing the foundation of their relationship where he wanted to dictate her all his life. Momina’s bubble was burst, not that she was living in denial, but after everything that life threw at her, Momina found it easy to come to a conclusion that she could not deal with Faisal & his demands. Their conversation actually let Momina know that Faisal claimed to have accepted her but he was never ever going to understand her or her struggles, which means he will never love her unconditionally like she deserves to be loved. Momina has done everything for her family, her younger brother & she never once compromised on her values but Faisal only perceived things how he wanted to, without ever giving Momina a chance to explain herself. Faisal has been very demanding, he is quite controlling, which means he will not even find it easy to trust Momina, therefore she made the final decision & walked away!

Life presented Momina another chance, the coordinator has seen the potential in Momina & those expressions showed how Momina actually was forced to think about the notion of ‘living life for herself’. Momina has never done that & even now she is doing this project to pay off the debt, so for Momina to hear someone say those words was hard to grasp. The only thing she wanted in her life was probably Jahangir’s recovery & then Faisal’s presence but life took Jahangir away from her & she herself had to give up on the dream of being with Faisal, so what else is left for her to live her life for? Momina did mourn the loss of her love now, first she had to mourn the loss of her brother & now her love, but she surely has no idea what life has in store for her. It is actually interesting how life is presenting her with more opportunities, that too in such a field which she didn’t choose for herself & did not even want to pursue. Momina knows this is not the success she wants for herself but she would still explore the opportunities because she has to take care of her parents, once again a selfless decision of Momina that will pay off is actually going to count as her success. I am interested to see Momina’s journey now!

Qalb e Momin’s Questions:

Qalb e Momin made a big announcement & to his surprise, no one was thrilled or happy for him. Momin is just doing all of this to prove a point to his grandfather but right from the very beginning, right in the initial stages Momin found out that this was a challenging path that he has started to walk on. Qalb e Momin has not actually realized the superficiality of the industry that he is associated with or the people who surround him but now, he is also in the initial stages of self-discovery. Qalb e Momin’s professional failure will lead him to personal success & the foundation of this journey was laid in this episode. No one around Qalb e Momin is excited or even buying his concept & in fact Qalb e Momin himself doesn’t know what he wants to show in his movie – which goes to show that he actually is a blank canvas right now!

Once again, the highlight of the episode for me was Abdul Alla & Qalb e Momin’s brief interaction which was shown as a flashback. Abdul Alla sent Qalb e Momin the letters that he used to write, only with a motive that may be he will start asking questions again & this was the point that I absolutely loved & couldn’t stop thinking about the whole time when they were showing Qalb e Momin’s ordeal & his blank state of mind. Umera Ahmed has done it again, in a very subtle manner, she has actually shown how important it is to ask ‘questions’. This is actually another beautiful way of preaching the right message, don’t just preach like a lecture but rather, push people to do soul searching by asking questions & this is exactly what Qalb e Momin’s entire journey is all about – questions. Abdul Alla wants Qalb e Momin to ask questions & this is exactly what he keeps on telling him time & again. Simply beautiful!

Abdul Alla mentioned that he got the answers to his questions through Qalb e Momin’s letters. In all of his letters, Qalb e Momin only wrote about Husn e Jahan’s state of mind, he mentioned how miserable she was, how lonely & depressed she was. Abdul Alla has read all those letters so he knew all about Husn e Jahan & through Qalb e Momin’s letters he got to understand how pure she was & how selflessly she loved Taha. Qalb e Momin actually could not really understand the ‘answers’ that Abdul Alla spoke about but yes, he has to find that out. It is simply beautiful how Abdul Alla admitted that Qalb e Momin’s letters helped him but he did not tell him everything, it is like he doesn’t just give away everything easily to Qalb e Momin!

Closing Thoughts – Simply Perfect:

Overall, this episode of Alif was once again brilliant. It was simple & made such an important point of asking questions. Qalb e Momin’s entire journey is going to be all about questions & finding answers – what a perfect way of showing a journey of exploring spirituality. Hamza Ali Abbasi & Sajal Aly – their acting, their performances & the characters of Momin & Momina are the backbone of this drama. Their performances are exceptionally good. Every minute expression shows the grip they have had on the script. They have not just performed these characters, they have lived them & it is evident because they have succeeded in showcasing Momin & Monina’s mental state every step of the way. It sure is a treat to watch them. I must say Hina Ashfaq is very impressive as Tina. Yashma Gill’s acting is really good too & her look with the lighter hair & bronzed tanned makeup suits her & gives her more character & personality. Every single actor has worked a lot on their styling & looks which shows the level of attention they paid & the hard work they did. Acting, direction, camera work, every single aspect of Alif is simply perfect. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Alif.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Opening Thoughts – Brilliant Direction & Acting:

Ohkay so, this episode of Alif was simply beautiful & absolutely sweet. Alif happens to be one such drama which forces you to think about spirituality & all of it being conveyed with so much effortlessness. Brilliant direction along with fully dynamic & complete characters make Alif a beautiful & unique drama. Haseeb Hassan deserves full credit for not only directing Alif in such a unique manner but also guiding the actors to showcase their acting skills because their powerful performances leave an impact & long-lasting impression on your mind even after the episodes have ended. Alif is truly a masterpiece & I can not wait to see more of it.

A Walk Down The Memory Lane:

This entire episode was dedicated to Momin & Abdul Allah. Momin did spend time with his grandfather when he was a child & he still remembers each & everything vividly. It was beautiful to see how every single time Momin felt shocked when he saw that Abdul Alla remembered minute details about those days that they spent together & also that he knew Momin so well. Momin obviously lied that he had come to see the location, whereas he only came to Abdul Alla because he wanted to run away from all the negativity that had overtaken his professional life & was draining him personally as well. Momin never ever imagined that just by walking into Abdul Alla’s place, he will be taken back to his childhood every step of the way, be it the conversations related to calligraphy or Momin’s own artwork displayed by his grandfather as prized possession on the wall.

Momin learned something new this time. As much as he enjoyed listening about his father Taha, he got to know that Abdul Alla was never in favor of his marriage to Husn e Jahan. Taha was an artist, a spiritually blessed soul who was an ideal son & a source of pride for Abdul Alla. The way Abdul Alla described his personality was simply beautiful, it was like I learned about him enough to feel as if I know him now. Another thing I loved noticing during Abdul Alla & Momin’s interactions was that they both were artists, but were on absolutely different spectrum of art. Their entire family is of artists, Abdul Alla, Taha, Husn e Jahan & now Momin. No wonder why Abdul Alla feels a little disheartened seeing Momin & the path that he has chosen for himself because someone so in touch with spirituality & who wanted to see his offspring on the similar path too must have actually found it hard to accept that his only son decided to get married to a woman who was desired by so many men. I have absolutely loved how Abdul Alla has never once said anything against Husn e Jahan, in fact he also told Qalb e Momin that his mother was a very good human being, obviously the way he saw Husn e Jahan in such a miserable state because of Taha, it must have changed his mind about her. Another thing which is important to note is how Abdul Alla has never once judged Momin for his choices, yes he states what he feels is right & talks about all the things that are wrong, but he never once makes Momin feel uncomfortable. Yes, it is the truth which irks Momin but then even he knows that whatever Abdul Alla says is absolutely right, therefore he can not let his words escape his mind, even if he wants to.

Neha made a huge deal about Momin not working with the writer Akhtar, but then again, it was obvious that she was doing all of this because of an ulterior motive. Akhtar was just a pawn & the mastermind was Neha. Neha did hit the bullseye because this chaos has only brought heaps of publicity & profits her way. Momin actually is hurt & this is something that Neha will never be able to understand. Momin must’ve loved her but for him, this is another unbearable thought that Neha could cheat him, someone as famous, as popular, as successful & as supposedly complete as Momin. This is the bruise on Momin’s ego & this is why he is unable to deal with it.

All of Momin’s interactions, be it the ones that he had with Abdul Alla in his childhood, or the ones that he was having now were simply beautiful & heart-touching. He was getting to learn so much but he obviously was not in the right headspace. Momin did end up admitting that he was looking for ‘peace’ around him but then again, Abdul Alla being the truthful person that he is, could not help but remind Momin that the path he is walking upon is definitely not going to bring him the peace that he is after. I absolutely love how Abdul Alla has this confidence in Momin that he is going to come back to his roots, he is going to come back to calligraphy, he is going to do what his father & forefathers used to do & have done all their lives. It is absolutely beautiful seeing the kind of confidence & faith he has in Momin. Abdul Alla knows that Momin has lost his direction for now & although he is quite eager to see him coming back, he is ready to wait. How beautifully Umera Ahmed has shown a character like Abdul Alla who knows how to entice & invite people back to the right path, without being judgmental, without holding anything against them. Simply beautiful!

Momina got to meet Faisal & now her mother was keen to get her married to him. Momina has kind of lost that hope because she knows she does not have the time to get married because she has to deal with the loans first. Obviously her mother doesn’t know & she being a mother thinks everything is smooth & easy for Momina but the reality is different. Faisal has obviously come back with the intention of rekindling an old affair but he is selfish. He got engaged, which shows that Momina was never a priority & neither did he have the courage to take a stand for her. Faisal expects a lot from Momina & this is something that Momina is aware of that she can never fulfill his expectations. This is the reason why Momina was numb & didn’t show any signs of happiness that Faisal & her mother spoke about the marriage. Momina did go back to work but it was obvious that she has lost that passion, the determination & the drive because now she has no other motivation than just to simply earn money & fix the financial crisis her family is faced with.

Closing Thoughts – Absolutely Sweet & Meaningful:

This episode of Alif was absolutely sweet. I must thank Pehlaaj Hussain for bringing so much sweetness to this drama, all of his scenes only bring a smile to my face & the innocence with which he has portrayed the character of Qalb e Momin is commendable. Hamza Ali Abbasi is right in his element as Momin, every single expression, minutest ones are so perfectly portrayed by him which allow us to understand all the things that are running through Momin’s mind. Manzar Sehbai is the life of his drama, his body language, his dialogue delivery, his voice, everything is simply perfect as Abdul Alla. Sajal Aly is a gifted actor for sure. Sadaf Kanwal has surely done a great job too, yes, in the initial episodes I was not too convinced & still feel her dialogue delivery at times is off but overall her performance as selfish & mean Neha is worthy of appreciation.I absolutely loved watching this episode of Alif, feel that they have created is simply magical, every single episode of Alif just takes you somewhere, love it. Oh yes, can we just take a moment to appreciate the gorgeous Islamic artwork & calligraphy that they have showcased in this drama, I could not stop looking at each & every piece in awe, this is the kind of Islamic artwork that I personally love so it served as such a visual treat, perfect choice I must say. Another beautiful aspect of Alif is that all the conversations, despite being meaningful are conveyed in such easy words & the chemistry between the characters is always perfect because it actually leaves an impression & strikes a chord. Well done Team Alif. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Alif.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

PS: Team Ishq Zahe Naseeb, please take a few pointers from Team Alif on how the OST should be used to add depth & impact in any given scene.

Opening Thoughts – Different From The Previous Episodes:

Ohkay so, this episode of Alif was different from all the previous episodes that we have seen so far. There were emotions but still, the way everything was conveyed is making me feel empty & there’s a void in my heart right now. I totally get that before showing how things will change in both Momin & Momina’s lives, they have given a detailed insight into their emotional & mental state, which is necessary. I am at a loss of words right now & I totally get why this episode was executed this way because now everything is about to change & we will experience the magic happening soon!

Reward & Revenge:

All of the scenes that covered Momina & her family’s mental & emotional state were done beautifully. They left me feeling overwhelmed & once again, each & every detail was executed brilliantly. Momina’s body language, her slouched shoulders, defeated gait, empty eyes & expressionless face depicted what was running through her mind. Momina is unable to feel any emotion because she has realized that everything that she felt & experienced was related to Jahangir. For so many years, Momina could not feel at peace & she could not put her mind to rest because the thought of healing & getting Jahangir treated dominated her life. Momina struggled & struggled because she knew that she had to do everything in her might to help her younger brother & because she got used to that kind of life, now with Jahangir gone, she is being forced to reform her life & she is finding it hard to do so. Momina is unable to decode what the purpose of her life is, when Jahangir was around, Momina despite beating herself up felt she had a purpose because she had the responsibility but now, she is completely lost. She has now started thinking about her parents, this way she gets to feed herself that she is still needed & she has a lot to do. Momina is dragging herself through this mayhem but yes, she is tired.

Momina tried to make things better for her parents, she decided to speak to them, get them back to normal but she failed. It makes me feel so much for her that Momina has dedicated her life to her family – everything that she feels is only related to them & while doing so, she has left herself somewhere far behind. Sultan related Jahangir’s death with the death of Husn e Jahan, he felt that the people he loved strongly passed away & that made him upset. At that moment Momina just walked away which showed that she realized that this was something that her father could not help – it was not in his control to not feel such emotions for Husn e Jahan.

Master Ibrahim & Momina’s conversation was beautiful & emotional. This was a very unique kind of catharsis for Momina, at least after hearing all those things from Master Ibrahim, Momina started thinking about her ‘rewards’. Momina has all this while felt a strong emotion for Faisal & she assumes if she’ll get to be with him, that will be her reward but she is mistaken – again a lesson that she will learn the hard way. I must say, the way Sajal Aly has elaborated all the emotions & feelings of Momina with such clarity & precision is absolutely commendable. Just by looking at her you know what she is going through, her minute expressions are actually a treat to watch because she gives away so much in such an effortless manner – this kind of portrayal of emotions is my absolute favorite & I am loving Sajal Aly’s performance as Momina.

Momin once again proved a point that he is Momin – the one who never forgives, the one who keeps grudges & never forgets. Momin humiliated Neha in front of the world whereas whatever Neha was doing was behind closed doors. She cheated quietly but Momin humiliated her publicly. Momin actually had strong emotions for Neha & that is why he was hurt but yes, he couldn’t let go off it so he thought of getting back at her. Momin actually underestimated Neha & because he is ruling the industry with his power & authority, he thought he could get away with everything & there was nothing that will ever get in his way. Neha is hurt & she wants to see Momin fail. As much as I totally feel that Momin has to taste failure in order to actually understand what real success is, I still think Neha is not in a position to be angry at Momin because she was the one who cheated on him in the first place. Momin didn’t cheat, therefore he’s in the clear!

Momin has landed himself in a scandal & with this, his life is in a downward spiral. Momin is definitely not ready but he will be faced with one situation after another which will make him question everything. Momin will be forced to reflect, introspect & he will only have a control on his life back when he will decide to change himself & this is the journey I am eager to experience.

Momin is carrying a facade & no one has actually been able to understand or decipher that there’s a vulnerable, scared & scarred Momin behind this tough looking man who shows he is very much sorted emotionally. When I saw the scene of Husn e Jahan & young Momin, I could not help but feel sad for the little child who was getting to hear his mother’s confession. For a child, his first superheroes are his parents but Momin’s father showed him that he was a coward who ran away & his mother herself confessed that she was not an ideal parent for him & this is something that a child can’t even imagine. Young Momin was trying hard to figure out things at a very tender age & he found his mother admitting that she was a failure, even if she hadn’t said all of that, he was observant, he was wise for his age to actually see his mother dying a slow-death every single day. Momin hates the fact that everyone idealizes Husn e Jahan for her beauty, fame, success because he has seen her at her lowest, when she just yearned for love & togetherness of her husband, where her status, the love of her fans didn’t matter to her at all – what did was Taha’s affection & sadly, that was the only thing that she didn’t get.

Momin looking at his mother’s picture showed that behind such strong emotions, he was still a little child who missed his mother, who was upset at the sad life that she had lead. This goes to show that Momin has bottled up all these feelings for so long that he has actually forgotten why he feels this way. His time away in Turkey will allow him to untangle his thoughts, paint a clear picture & actually realize where does this anger actually come from & for what? Momin has a lot of sorting to do & it will be interesting to see him doing that.

Closing Thoughts – All Over The Place, In a Good Way:

Overall, this episode of Alif was interesting & I liked how it was all over the place because I can totally see that things are going to follow a sequence with Momina trying to take charge of her life & Momin being on a quest of finding himself & the ‘seedha rasta’ that Abdul Alla spoke about. Momin will find himself landing in trouble which will eventually lead him to realize how meaningless all these things are that he had been chasing most of his life. At this point I am actually looking forward to Momina & Momin’s meeting the most but I do like how things are being built up. I must say the background music in all the scenes is spot on because it plays such a huge role in making an impact & adding more meaning to the situation. The sad music used in the scene where Momina spoke about Jahangir with her friend added more emotion to it. Hamza Ali Abbasi has breathed life into Momin’s character – every expression, every emotion has been conveyed brilliantly. Momin is a very complex character & to portray it with such finesse shows Hamza Ali Abbasi’s calibre as an actor. Pehlaaj Hussain is brilliant & his presence adds a different layer of emotion in all of his scenes. Saleem Mairaj’s performance in this episode was outstanding, a father who lost his son & a fan who lost his idol, those emotions were jumbled up but were coming from the same place – a place of loss & heartbreak. Alif so far has been a well-directed, well-executed & brilliantly acted drama which has thought-provoking dialogues & such situations that strike a chord. I can not wait to see the rest of the journey. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Alif.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Opening Thoughts – Emotions Done Right:

Ohkay so, can they please stop playing with our emotions this way? Why is every single episode of Alif so heart-touching & emotional that I find myself shedding a few tears every single time? Team Alif really knows how to convey the emotions, this is why they strike a chord & leave an impact. Like all the previous episodes of Alif, this one was phenomenal too, yes, it was a little on the slower side but considering the turn of events they had to cover, the pace of this episode was totally justified. I loved watching each & every detailing in this episode & that once again made me feel that this episode ended too soon, although it was a little slow. Another aspect that I love about the way the story of Alif is being told is the similarity in both Momin & Momina’s tracks, I am not sure if that is intentional but I enjoy drawing the comparisons & reading between the lines.

Momina & Momin Are Lonely:

Momina lost Jahangir, she lost her support system, her biggest fan, her little brother – that too at that stage of her life where she could actually see things shaping up & she fulfilling the promise that she made to Jahangir about saving him. Momina was faced with a reality check that a human being can only do so much but in the end, it is Allah who decides & plans. Momina went to the auditions only because she had Jahangir as her driving force & the idea of being able to save Jahangir never slipped her mind, this is the reason while signing the contract she got emotional. Momina thought she would be able to do what she had promised but no, it wasn’t meant to be. I saw this coming but I didn’t really expect it to be this emotional. The way every single detail was covered was heart-wrenching.

I feel that attention to detail is what sets Alif apart. They actually showed that Jahangir passed away but all the things that followed made it real & easy to relate to. The doctor’s attitude & the demands – how many of us have heard of or experienced such incidents where the doctors were only keen about the paperwork & the bills? I am sure after watching this scene, a lot of people must’ve been reminded of the time when they were faced with a similar situation because all of it was so realistically portrayed. I must say, the one responsible for the look & makeup of every character in those scenes has done such a commendable job – a mother’s pale face, unkempt hair, teary eyes & dark circles. A father who is emotionally drained but is still trying to hold back his tears, a sister sitting on the floor while her friends count the money to pay the bills – all these details were heart-wrenching but portrayed the reality of death & the family dealing with it phenomenally.

The thing I enjoy the most about Alif is how it always balances everything out – at one hand they showed us cruelty & inconsideration displayed by the doctor but on the other hand, they showed how everyone came to help Sultan in the hour of need. His friends didn’t hold back in giving whatever little they had so that they could contribute. Jhumar felt it would be inconsiderate of him to eat at Sultan’s house but the others were busy having their meal. I love these little details because it really brings reality to life on screen.

Momina refused to pick up the phone call of Asad, her casting agent. Obviously, Momina can not think straight & working on the biggest break of her career is the last thing on her mind right now. It was only Jahangir that Momina was working so hard for & now that he is gone, does she have any motivation left to work just as hard? No! The similarity that I found in Momina & Momin’s scenarios in this episode was the loneliness – Momina was feeling alone because her brother left her & Momin was actually feeling the loneliness around him, getting to him. They both are alone but in a very different way – Momina realizes it but Momin doesn’t. Momina has no excuse to not register it but Momin is in denial & he is not acknowledging it that despite having everything that he dreamt of, he is alone. The scene where Momina walks in Jahangir’s room after his funeral, looking at his pictures, his accolades & then lying on his bed, thinking about him, the emotional moments, also remembering the times where he made her smile – it was beautiful. Now that Jahangir is gone, his memories are all that Momina is left with. I must say, Lubna Aslam portrayed the emotions of a mother who had just lost her son to perfection, although she did not get an undivided screen time in this episode but in those few moments where her mental state was covered, she left an impact. Hats off!

So, Momin was thinking constantly about all the things that his grandfather said to him. Momin could not take his mind off even for a second when he was alone. Momin is reflecting, he is actually wondering if he is even happy or not? Momin lied to his grandfather that he did not even think about whatever he had said because he is in denial & he would never admit that he actually is feeling lost. Momin was taken by surprise by Abdul Alla’s response, he thought he would hold it against him but Abdul Alla didn’t. Momin got a clarification from his grandfather therefore, he did not pay heed to this little detail that Abdul Alla did not have a grudge against him, whereas Momin doesn’t believe in forgiving & forgetting. Momin has so much to learn from Abdul Alla, that time will surely come.

Momin definitely is planning a big surprise for Neha & Zufi & it obviously won’t be what they both are expecting. Neha actually thinks she has defeated Momin & she has been successful in two-timing him but she has no idea that Momin obviously gets the entire picture. Momin & Neha’s conversation over the phone was very interesting & while giving it back to Neha Momin sounded so relaxed but he had a lot building up inside him. Momin is not someone who believes in letting go, so now when he knows that Neha was cheating on him, he will make sure to humiliate her in the worst possible manner. Momin deals with everything his way, its his power that has given him this sense of entitlement & superiority over others but then again, soon enough he will also realize that he can not control everything & that will be the start of a new journey.

Closing Thoughts – Emotional Yet Beautiful:

This episode of Alif was heart-wrenching & so emotional, however I am glad that Momin’s scenes broke the momentum when it got a bit too overwhelming. I must say, the way everything has been portrayed so realistically in Alif is what makes watching it a one-of-a-kind experience. Sajal Aly was phenomenal in this episode & Hamza Ali Abbasi was superb. Saleem Mairaj & Lubna Aslam both deserve a round of applause for their brilliant portrayal of grieving parents who just lost their son, however I did feel the dialogue stating Husn e Jahan in that moment was a little out of the place, but I am think when that aspect of the story will be revealed, it will be made clear why Sultan has not been able to get over Husn e Jahan till date & why he remembered her during such a difficult time of his life. I am sad that Hadi bin Arshad’s role is probably over in Alif, however in those few scenes in which he played the role of Jahangir, he surely has left an impression. His performance was effortless & hit the right note. I actually wanted to see more of Jahangir but sad, it wasn’t meant to be. Hadi bin Arshad should be very proud of himself for portraying Jahangir’s character brilliantly. I must also add, I loved Manzar Sehbai’s attitude during the phone call, it was very enjoyable seeing him being so casual & forgiving about whatever had happened at Momin’s place, also the way he was holding the phone reminded me of all those elderly people who speak exactly like that on hand-held phones – that scene was very cute. Haseeb Hassan has created magic on screen; every single scene, every angle carries a story in itself. I am glad it is Haseeb Hassan who has taken up Umera Ahmed’s script & directed it because he has surely done justice to it. I think I will end the review before I start falling short of words, please share your thoughts about this emotional yet beautiful episode of Alif.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Opening Thoughts – Simply Beautiful:

Ohkay so, this was another beautiful episode of Alif. I feel I am falling short of words right now. It is absolutely amazing that the drama-makers have given the viewers such a drama which touches their heart. Umera Ahmed is Umera Ahmed for a reason, she knows what she is talking about. She knows what she wants to say & how to say it as well. I don’t even remember how many times while watching this episode I felt a lump in my throat & found myself getting teary-eyed. They have portrayed emotions with such beauty & finesse that it sets Alif apart. What I love the most is that while they show people struggling in their lives, they always make sure to bring their emotions to the forefront & this is what strikes a chord every single time. Each & every scene of Alif is perfectly compiled where it has so much to show & offer. Hats off Team Alif for bringing such a perfect drama to the table!

Meaningful Conversations:

Abdul Alla & Master Ibrahim’s meeting was one of my favorite scenes of this episode. It was detailed & just enough to let the viewers know where they met, what sort of relationship they share & the ship that Master Ibrahim has sailed in the past. I loved seeing how Momin’s Dada Jee; Abdul Alla, after feeling helpless went to see Master Ibrahim & confided in him. It was like he needed this catharsis & because he could not bring himself to talk to Momin about all the things that bothered him, he decided to share it with the one who he knew will understand his feelings. Master Ibrahim was once a shoe designer, he was living his life to the fullest, making money being an artist but then, his life changed & Abdul Alla played a huge part in bringing him back to his roots. Master Ibrahim is still very much in touch with his artistic side but he has changed his direction & he is far more content & happy.

“Insaan ko har tarhaan ke raaste pe chalna hota hai, sirf seedhe raaste pe chal ke to koi apne Rabb tak nahi pohanchta”, who would’ve said & known it better than Master Ibrahim. Abdul Alla also knows exactly what Ibrahim’s life was before & how everything has changed, but yes, being a helpless grandfather who wants what’s best for Momin, he could not help being worried. Momina & Abdul Alla saw each other. That brief moment was enough for Momina to know that he was someone very important for Master Ibrahim & she will later find out who he actually is.

Momina & her friend’s interaction was another beautiful moment of this episode. Her friend knows exactly how hard things are for Momina already, that is why she wanted to do something that would help Momina get to the auditions. Momina is talented & because life has not been favorable for her or her family, she underestimates her talent. Momina wants to, but she fears dreaming big & this was elaborated in the conversation that she had with Jahangir, still hoping to do soaps & dramas. It is beautiful how everyone around Momina sees the potential in her, they are always more confident than her. It explains how when circumstances are tough, the one going through the crisis stops seeing the skills which they have been blessed with. Momina lives in fear, she has so much running through her mind & that is why, she has let this fear overshadow everything else. Momina finally got selected & I really dread that a start of something great might in other terms turn out to be a huge personal loss for her? I so hope that does not happen though. Jahangir is the only driving force in her life, he encourages her, he motivates her, he is her brother, her friend, her partner in practice sessions – I hope nothing happens to him!

Momin was taken back to his childhood. I loved how it was explained that your circumstances in childhood shape your future. Momin grew up in a setting where he was very much aware of how he had to differentiate between right & wrong but because everything around him was what his definition of ‘wrong’ used to be, while despising it, he ended up doing all of that himself. Momin is being tested by the Creator & he has no idea. Young Momin saw his mother doing all that he never liked, he saw his mother dancing in front of men, he saw her spending time with strangers – Momin noticed all of that but his tender age did not allow him to see how helpless his mother was, how she didn’t want to do all of it but she was being pushed. Another attention to detail that I enjoyed watching was how they showed that slowly & steadily Momin’s clothing changed, everything around him changed – it was because Husn e Jahan decided to get back to work & then she started providing these luxuries for her family & child, while feeling dead inside.

Momin was keen to find his answers & he was so sorted that he also had a plan of action set in case he did not get the reply from the Creator. Young Momin would have never thought that all the things that he said to his friends will end up being his future. Momin actually is upset, he is sad, he is not happy because Allah did not reply to his letters & then his surroundings played a huge part in turning him into this arrogant successful director of this age. All the scenes that covered younger Momin’s ordeals & surroundings were brilliantly done. They actually did take us in the past & gave away all those details that were necessary to put things into perspective & complete the entire picture.

Abdul Alla prayed hard for Momin. They finally had a conversation & Momin thought he had all the winning arguments but his Dada obviously outbid him. For the first time Momin was forced to leave the argument & turn his back because even he did not have the answers to his Dada’s questions. Momin is right, everyone knows him, his Dada is right too – Allah knows him. I loved loved loved the conversation they had about ‘arrogance’. It highlighted the concept of projection, Momin saw exactly what he himself is in his Dada’s argument – arrogance. It is a done deal that Abdul Alla must have left but he has made Momin curious. I am not sure if this is the reason why Abdul Alla used to seek Husn e Jahan’s forgiveness – the flashback of Taha (Ahsan Khan) asking him the same question that Momin did about ‘seedha raasta‘? Is it that Abdul Alla did not approve of Taha & Husn e Jahan’s marriage because Husn e Jahan was an actor & because Taha left, Abdul Alla felt guilty? I can not wait to find out the truth but oh yes, no spoilers please!

Neha & Momin’s conversation was interesting too. Momin actually is emotionally invested in this relationship & he actually can not understand why Neha is being so pushy about Zufi? It was a minute expression but Hamza Ali Abbasi was phenomenal when he showed Momin finding it hard to believe that Neha was putting Zufi above him. He is Qalb e Momin, someone who is so used to being everyone’s priority, the first, the one & only, that for a moment he could not really accept what was happening to him & that Neha was saying all these things to his face!

Closing Thoughts – Perfection:

This episode of Alif was nothing short of perfection. All the actors have breathed life into their characters & this drama is an experience in itself. While watching their exceptional performances, I always look out for those minute expressions & I enjoy them the most. Manzar Sehbai was the star of this episode for sure. The way he got overwhelmed at the thought of Momin being lost was absolutely brilliant. Saife Hassan in that scene was equally brilliant too. The way he normalizes himself when Momina walks in was such a treat to watch. Sajal Ali was absolutely adorable as the underconfident Momina who was finding it hard to believe that she got selected. She also felt a little shy at the fact that she was in a 4-star hotel, it was all so amazing to see. Oh yes, her audition scene was another highlight of this episode, what a performer! Pehlaaj Hassan is another breath of fresh air in this drama – his scenes are heavy but his innocence gives so much relief. Pehlaaj Hassan has played the role of younger Momin with such finesse that both him & Haseeb Hassan deserve credit for getting such kind of acting channeled out.

I loved Qalb e Momin’s winning speech where he was thanking himself for the hard work, Hamza Ali Abbasi has nailed Qalb e Momin’s arrogance. That scene was so perfect & amusing where Qalb e Momin was showing off his victory & Abdul Alla left thinking it wasn’t worth his time. Kubra Khan looked gorgeous in this episode but yes, I loved her in those scenes more where she was with her son, being his mother. The supporting actors are doing a wonderful job too, Sadaf Kanwal & the actor playing the role of Momina’s friend are really good as well. This episode was absolutely beautiful. Umera Ahmed has written some brilliant dialogues – every single conversation is so meaningful which depicts the inner struggles of a believer with such clarity, simply amazing! Haseeb Hassan definitely should be very proud of himself for directing Alif so brilliantly. When the time comes, it won’t be wrong for Haseeb Hassan to thank himself for such an amazing direction – just like Qalb e Momin did, lol! Please share your thoughts about this episode of Alif.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so, this episode of Alif once again unveiled a lot of secrets from the life of Husn e Jahan. It is interesting to note that Qalb e Momin thought he had all the minute details to write the story, but little did he know that there were a few more who knew about her more than he did. Qalb e Momin was a child, he was young, he was immature to understand the struggles of his mother, but it is basically a favor happening to him that there is Sultan as well as Master Ibrahim who can tell him all that he did not know about Husn e Jahan!

Husn e Jahan & The Mystery Surrounding Her

Sultan finally revealed everything & told Momina that he did not murder Husn e Jahan. I guess after facing Qalb e Momin & seeing the look in his eyes, Sultan knew that he was not doing anyone a favor by holding onto this secret. Husn e Jahan chose to go away in seclusion herself. It was interesting to note that she did mention Qalb e Momin, because it was her plan to spend the rest of her life with her son. She obviously didn’t know that Abdul Ala had something else planned for her but the moment when she took that decision, it was purely because she wanted to be with her child. Husn e Jahan did experience some days of her life by distancing herself from her son, but with each passing day, she realized she could not fool herself anymore & could not carry on by being ignorant of the fact that her child needed her the most. It was nice to have a clarity that Qalb e Momin’s love forced Husn e Jahan to take this decision.

It was heart wrenching seeing Qalb e Momin holding himself responsible & accountable for everything that his parents go through. It was definitely unfair of Sultan to say all that to Qalb e Momin, yes his love for Husn e Jahan once side but he isn’t oblivious of how hard things were on Qalb e Momin too as a child, that too a child of movie star Husn e Jahan. Sultan gave away those letters, not with an intention of helping Qalb e Momin change his perspective about his mother, but because he wanted her character in the film to be painted differently. In this entire scenario, it was nice to see at least Momina being by Qalb e Momin’s side & showing some sort of support to him because of all the people, she does understand that things have always been hard on Momin too. He never led a peaceful life, did not even have an ideal childhood, therefore if there’s someone who deserves care & affection is Qalb e Momin.

Momina found out yet another secret & it was related to Master Ibrahim. This does explain the reason why Momin was looking for him. He had no idea whatsoever but because he saw Abdul Ala being in touch with him, he assumed Master Ibrahim is going to be the only person Abdul Ala must’ve chosen for Husn e Jahan. Momina couldn’t help but recall all the discussions she’s had with Master Ibrahim about his wife, the paintings, the way she decided to come back from Turkey & settle in Pakistan. It was obviously very easy for her to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Even Master Ibrahim didn’t take much longer in figuring out that Momin was here to ask some questions. It showed that he saw it coming, ever since Momina started working with Qalb e Momin, he knew there will come a time when she will get to know about him & Husn e Jahan’s connection. Master Ibrahim also knew about Sultan being Momina’s father, so it was like he knew everything about Momina’s family too, he must’ve heard everything from his wife Husna!

Phenomenal Performances

This episode of Alif belonged to all the actors because of their phenomenal performances. Each one of them poured their heart & soul & the way all the actors elaborated all these emotions, it actually showed that they have lived these characters for so long & now when the drama is about to end, they were right in their element & there was no other way than to do justice to these characters & their journeys. The attention to detail that has gone into making Alif has played a huge part in its brilliant execution. In all the flashback scenes of Momina & Master Ibrahim, I couldn’t help but notice how young & simple Momina looked, with the help of makeup, they gave her such a look which suited her before she became a famous star. They also justified the time that has lapsed since she has had those conversations with Master Ibrahim. It is brilliant how much attention the makeup artists as well as the director paid to this little aspect because it added so much reality to these scenes & made a great visual impact.

In the discussions under previous reviews, some of the readers did say that all that we were getting to see about Taha was basically through Qalb e Momin’s eye, that too when he was young but considering that it was the 2nd last episode & the fact that the last episode is going to focus more on Master Ibrahim & Husn e Jahan’s relationship, I feel the viewers who have not read the novel were not wrong in drawing a conclusion about Taha’s character such as him being a coward who ran away from his responsibilities. As much as I am glad that Momin understood Husn e Jahan’s struggles as a mother, I hope he doesn’t shy away from holding his father responsible for not doing justice to his roles as a husband as well as a father. Saife Hassan, Sajal Aly, Hamza Ali Abbasi & Saleem Mairaj, they all made this episode impactful with their phenomenal performances & the direction was like a masterstroke that made this episode a masterpiece. I will honestly say that I am so not ready to see Alif ending so soon & going by the preview, I wish they don’t give an open end to Momin & Momina because their love story needs a proper closure & the viewers deserve that too. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Alif.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

ps: I apologize for the late review, I was really unwell & I still am but decided to review it because I couldn’t keep the lovely readers waiting. Hope I was able to do justice to this episode of Alif. Thank you for understanding!

Uf! What a beautiful episode of Alif. There’s so much running through my mind right now. This episode, like so many previous episodes, has left me speechless but there’s so much to talk about. It is worth noticing how after so many tranquil episodes, this one was happening & covered so many emotions, similarly the preview also suggests more action & progress in the story. Alif is a masterpiece & every single episode proves it again & again.

The Feelings:

Momina was experiencing falling in love once again. She was finding solace in her thoughts & feelings that she was having towards Momin. She was learning more about him as the days passed by & understood that she was wrong in judging him. Momin that Momina was now coming across had become a humbled human being who was in touch with his emotions & didn’t know anything else. Momina was touched by this change & emotional transition of Momin but unfortunately, her happiness was short-lived (for now). The most beautiful aspect of their relationship is that Momina knows a lot more about Momin than he is aware of, this is the reason she sees him differently & more than anything, she feels a lot for him because she knows what he has been through & how harsh life has been towards him.

The scene where the team came together to finalize the theme song of the movie was refreshing & showed the creative process of how ideas are executed for any given project. Momina was touched by Momin’s idea of Alif, however, she didn’t know that it was Abdul Ala’s who had taught that to his grandson. The same Abdul Ala that she has utmost respect for. The most intense scene of this episode was Momina trying to alter Qalb e Momin’s perspective about Husn e Jahan. She made it sound like this is what character of her movie ‘might have’ done in order to provide for her child, but the truth was, she was trying to show Momin the more humane side of his mother that he was unaware of. All those dialogues which glorified Husn e Jahan’s role as a mother were beautifully written. It was interesting to see how Momin was left speechless & he could feel that everything Momina was saying made a lot of sense.

Mother Son Bond:

I love the fact that they keep on bringing back a scene or two from the past which showcases the beautiful mother-son relationship of young Momin & Husn e Jahan. It always warms up the heart & gives some sort of relief that Momin has at least some beautiful memories of his mother. The way she was always there for him, the way she took care of him, had meaningful conversations with her curious child, it is always heart-warming. This scene also highlighted an important aspect of Husn e Jahan’s approach towards her relationship with Taha. She used to keep things from him, little or big, not because she was dishonest or a liar, but purely because she didn’t want to bother her husband who she already knew was dealing with a lot emotionally. This was Husn e Jahan’s attempt of saving her husband from troubles as much as she could & guess what, this selflessness cost her their relationship because all this while, Taha failed to understand Husn e Jahan’s selflessness in her white lies. With each passing episode, I feel more for this beautiful character of Husn e Jahan & it makes my heart ache because she was misunderstood by all those people who she loved with all her heart!

The Heartbreak:

Qalb e Momin got some clarity in his thoughts, he was also forced to see the other side of the coin & what’s interesting was that he started paying heed to whatever Momina said because he could actually see that given his tender age, he could’ve misjudged the situation that his mother was faced with. He wanted to talk & because he was already not in the right frame of mind, he misjudged Daood & Momina’s friendship as well. Oh well, I kind of liked how Momin showed the signs of jealousy, because it depicted how he had fallen for Momina & felt distrubed at the thought of she being involved with someone else. Hamza Ali Abbasi elaborated those emotions phenomenally & all this while, as intense as the scene was, I kind of giggled because I could see he was being jealous. Anyways, coming back to the intensity of the scene, when Momina slapped him hard & said ‘tumne har aik ko Husn e Jahan samajh rakha hai’, although they later explained why Momina uttered those words, but right then & there, I could totally understand that Momina wasn’t judging Husn e Jahan, in fact she was highlighting the fact that Qalb e Momin is wrong in his approach of painting every woman’s character with the same brush. Momina knows that he has misjudged Husn e Jahan, this is why she knew that he was misjudging her too.

Momina was heart broken, because she has fallen in love with Momin & she was also hurt by the fact that Momin didn’t think twice before drawing a wrong impression of her & Daood. It also goes to show how absorbed Momin has been all his life that he doesn’t even know much about his employees or his assistants, like the fact that Daood is committed already & he is just a very good friend of Momina. However, Momina did what she deemed right but I am glad that she asked this question from her father because it gave her the clarity about Momin’s thought process. It isn’t his fault. He grew up thinking his mother cheated on his father, therefore it isn’t his fault to immediately think on similar lines about anyone. Once again, it will take for Momin to change his perception about people that he is surrounded with. I am glad Sultan’s answer showed Momina the other side of the picture. A random thought though, when Momina entered her house, all I could think of was how taxing & difficult it must be for her to walk into this space after a long & emotional day, because she knows that she is coming home to two people who are so engulfed in their miseries that they are probably incapacitated to put her heart to ease. I feel for her so much!

Alif Basss:

This episode was beautifulllll, it made me say ‘hayeee’ so many times. I love the fact that although I have not read the novel, what I always get to hear from all the lovely commenters is how this is exactly what was written in the novel that the drama-viewers are being able to pick up while watching the episode. It goes to show the vision & the clarity with which Haseeb Hassan has directed this drama. Sajal Aly & Hamza Ali Abbasi should take a bow for their power packed & phenomenal performances & for creating such a beautiful chemistry on-screen as Momin & Momina. Also, props to Hamza Ali Abbasi for bearing the slap & also to Sajal for making it so real. I am sure it must’ve hurt but then this is what sets Alif apart because it brings the factor of realism in its portrayal & execution. I think I am running out of words now, therefore, please share your thoughts about this hayeee wali episode of Alif.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Opening Thoughts – Visual Treat:

Ohkay so, this episode of Alif ended too soon. Alif is such a visual treat but I must say I am so impressed that there is so much more that meets the eye than just the visuals. Haseeb Hassan has shown his caliber as a director in Alif & the first two episodes have depicted the kind of vision he had for a script like Alif. This episode of Alif was beyond brilliant & just like the first episode, this too felt like a well-directed movie which had so much to offer. One of the strongest aspects of this drama so far happens to be the to-the-point approach of the director, there is so much that has been explained but a lot more which has not met the detailing, which shows that the director wanted the viewers to also untie the knots themselves while watching every single episode of Alif. This episode of Alif was impressive because of the way the mood & the feel kept on changing within each scene. The best part is that even in every single scene, every character gets enough attention so that their emotions can surface. Alif so far has been nothing short of a treat & I can’t begin to imagine how much better it is going to get.

Loss of Hope, Loss of Connection:

Momina did not get much coverage in this episode but I loved how the director drew a comparison between Momina & Qalb e Momin in the initial scenes. Their lives are on completely different stages, they both themselves are in very different phases in their lives but one thing that is common between them is the lost connection with their Creator, which to some extent is a form of their weak faith. Umera Ahmed once again succeeded in elaborating the spiritual struggles of people, who when tested by their Creator either get to establish a stronger connection or lose it completely. One thing that was similar in little Momin & Momina Sultan’s journey was a ray of hope that kept their faith alive & the moment they felt they were losing hope – was the time when they actually lost the connection with Allah.

Momina had to let go the love of her life Faisal (Osman Khalid Butt). They both had liking for each other but Faisal didn’t paint any false picture in front of Momina. Faisal let Momina know that her family background was questionable. Momina must have loved Faisal with all her heart considering that she still thought of him but for Faisal, it was too obvious that his relationship with Momina was becoming a burden to him. Momina let go of him because she realized that she had to take care of her brother. Momina did bravely take up the challenges but because she is a human being after all, she tends to get tired too.

Momina’s interaction with Master Jee (Saife Hassan) was beautiful & heart-wrenching. It was nice to see that there is at least one person that Momina confides in, someone who understands her struggles & feels for her. Momina is losing hope, not in Allah but like she said, because things are not working at all, she is forced to think that may be Allah doesn’t love her. That entire conversation was simple but it had such a deep meaning, it showed how trials & tribulations not only affect people on the surface, but they leave you feeling uncertain, ambiguous, doubtful & hopeless from within as well. “Sab Allah ke hain, bas Momina Allah ki nahi hai” depicted how Momina was losing control of her emotions & she could not find that hope which would help her to hold onto her faith in Allah. Sajal Aly is such a phenomenal performer, she moved me to tears in just that short scene. I love how they have shown that Momina Sultan does calligraphy & it works as a catharsis for her. This is the only thing that she is doing for herself & it gives her peace. Beautiful!

I loved how they showed a contrast in the lives of people who belonged to the same field but were on very different levels. There was Momina who was even questioning the kind of work she was being forced to do in order to provide for her family & on the other hand, there was Qalb e Momin, who was enjoying the limelight & there was no one to question him about the kind of work he was doing. Momina was failing but Qalb e Momin stood tall & arrogant. Qalb e Momin has reached the level where people actually deem him as a sign of success & Qalb e Momin is not ashamed to admit that he has achieved everything on his own & he actually wants people to envy him. Qalb e Momin thinks he has overcome his vulnerabilities by carrying this facade in front of the whole wide world but as the episode progressed, it showed that his vulnerabilities were just intact & he was very much aware of them all. Qalb e Momin is at the stage where he wants people to only talk about his success & present, that is why he has kept everyone in the dark about his past. Qalb e Momin is not only hiding a lot, he is even ashamed to admit that his past was not according to his idea of perfect just like his present is.

The rest of the episode just covered Qalb e Momin’s success party & the get together he had at his place. It was interesting to see how people are attracted towards Qalb e Momin because of what he has, not because of what or who he is. Shelly was playing her game too & then Neha, the fashion designer was two-timing Qalb e Momin. Neha obviously is involved with Zulfi & she is cheating on Qalb e Momin. He doesn’t know that yet but he will slowly learn that the world that he was creating on his own, which was purely based on his success was surrounded by all those who wanted to enjoy a piece of it without being loyal to him. Qalb e Momin will get to learn that his success brought nothing but insincere people in his life & he will realize that the success that he so arrogantly flaunts comes with the territory.

Qalb e Momin is chasing after something, he has burnt all the bridges from the past & he has now engulfed himself in this world of his own which has nothing to do with the people from his past. This is the reason why even though he had immense respect for Dada Jaan (Manzar Sehbai), he was not in touch with him. Qalb e Momin knows that his Dada Jaan is the only link to his painful past, that is why he was not too keen about him. I loved Dada Jaan’s entry & his demeanour. The director, at the right time took the story into the past & linked it with the present. The young innocent Momin that we saw writing letters to Allah was the ace director Qalb e Momin of today. Qalb e Momin saw his mother & his grandfather chasing after his father Taha who estranged them & ran away. Momin, at a very young age got to experience what heartbreak & disloyalty is. What losing hope feels like. The scene where Momin tore his letters apart was beautifully done, it showed that by tearing those letters, Momin had given up on the hope that he had & that very hope was basically his connection with Allah, which was lost right at that moment & after that, Momin never really got back to fix that bond.

Dada Jaan, a practicing Muslim did not judge Qalb e Momin for who he had become but yes, he was sad to see the path that his grandson was walking upon. Dada Jaan could totally see that Qalb e Momin had lost his path, he had lost his faith & he turned into someone he did not recognize. The scene where Qalb e Momin was trying to ignore the call for prayer was dark but was done so well. It depicted the battle that Qalb e Momin & a lot of people like him fight every single day – where they do get the reminders but they force themselves to ignore those reminders. Qalb e Momin might have lost his connection at a very young age, but there is still something in him, it was expressed when he turned the paintings & stowed one of them away. The little nuances make a whole lot of difference in the drama-watching experience. Dada Jaan obviously was now finding out things about Qalb e Momin because he was out of touch with him for so long, he never really wrote him back therefore Dada Jaan did not know what Qalb e Momin was upto. He not only was taken aback, but it was obvious that he was now feeling a little disappointed. I can not wait to see the impact Dada Jaan will have on Qalb e Momin’s life!

Closing Thoughts – Perfection:

This episode of Alif was perfect in literal sense. Be it dramatization, picturization, art direction, acting, characterization & display of emotions – everything is subtle yet so clear & it absolutely leaves an impact & allows the viewer to ponder about what they are watching. The dialogues are simple but they carry so much of meaning. Hamza Ali Abbasi, as arrogant Qalb e Momin is so convincing. He has embraced this character in such a way that I am finding it hard to even imagine who else could’ve played the role of Qalb e Momin with this much perfection. Sajal Aly is such a fine actor, in such short scenes, she has left such a huge impression as Momina Sultan, the desperate, eager, helpless Momina Sultan who just wants to save her brother. Yashma Gill & Sadaf Kanwal did justice to the characters they have been assigned to play but their performances were the kind that anybody could’ve portrayed with just this much ease & it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. Manzar Sehbai’s screen presence & his minute expressions were a treat to watch. Pehlaaj Hassan has breathed life into the scenes of young Momin, who saw his mother’s sufferings. Hasseb Hassan should take a bow for giving such a convincing start to a story like Alif. Eager to watch the next episode already. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Alif.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so, this was one of the best episodes of Alif. It was all about experiencing the emotions that Qalb e Momin & Momina Sultan were going through. This episode was more like a feeling, something that has to be just felt & absorbed. It was magical, it was beautiful, it was like this artistry & a beautiful painting that one just looks at completely mesmerized.

Momin & Momina’s Equation

Momina has moved on but it seems Faisal the opportunist is trying to rekindle her feelings for him. All of a sudden, Momina has made Faisal proud, another instance where Momina was forced to see Faisal’s true colors & yes, she did not waste any time in reminding herself about the things that she had heard from him back then. More than Faisal wanting to tell everything to Momina, it seemed he was actually trying to learn whether he still holds the same place in her heart or not. Momina’s cold response did send him a message loud & clear but the Faisal that we know is obviously going to come back & try harder.

The shooting of Alif began & Momina started seeing Qalb e Momin in a completely different light. Slowly & steadily, her perspective about Momin is changing & she is unable to figure out what is it that is drawing her closer to him. Momina is focusing on her project, but it is also a fact that she appreciates Momin’s presence. She notices how his eyes are locked on her. Momina knows that just the way she sees Husn e Jahan in herself, Momin was also seeing Husn e Jahan’s memories coming to life every time he looks at Momina.

Qalb e Momin was also unsure why he was unable to draw a difference between the fact that she was Momina & not Husn e Jahan. The bitterness that Momin & Momina had towards each other had subsided but now, they were growing comfortable with each other’s presence. Momin was going out of the way for Momina & she was liking the attention. Momin settled everything by apologizing, it went to show that he had changed & he actually regretted his past decisions. Momina has moved on, the fact that she gets to see the difference in Momin firsthand has also helped her a lot with her decisions. The dialogue where Momina stated that she doesn’t live in the past seemed to be coming from the misery that she has seen her parents facing due to Jahangir’s death & not being able to come out of it. She has seen what living in the past does to you, maybe this is another lesson that Momina has learned from Jahangir’s death.

Momin would’ve never thought that all that Momina would settle for would be two white roses. Momina has also accepted Momin’s feelings but there’s a lot that’s left to be said. At this point, Momina feels sympathetic towards him because she knows the miserable life that Qalb e Momin has led as a child. This has allowed her to feel for him. Momin has no idea that he doesn’t need to carry a facade in front of her. She once again beautifully tried to ask him whether the boy in the script was Qalb e Momin, but he didn’t give it away. It was interesting to see Momina knowing about all the things Qalb e Momin was keeping from her!

Momina & Master Ibrahim’s conversation ended up being a turning point in Momina’s behavior towards Momin. She learned that she was being judgmental & probably harsh in her approach towards him, it allowed Momina to bring a shift in her perspective. Umera Ahmed should be given full credit for time & again shedding a light on the fact how people should be more focused on themselves rather than going around judging people for what they don’t know. Momina who sees Master Ibrahim as a practicing believer was shocked to see him admitting his mistakes & being afraid of judging someone else. This changed Momina’s thinking. Their conversation was absolutely sweet & all the scenes of Momin & Momina that followed were equally beautiful too.

Magical

This episode of Alif was more like a feeling. It was magical & I still have a smile on my face because it was absolutely sweet. The chemistry of Hamza Ali Abbasi & Sajal Aly was phenomenal. It was understated but still obvious. The way they looked at each other & smiled was absolutely sweet. Sajal Aly looked as beautiful as a dream in this episode in particular, no wonder why Qalb e Momin could not take his eyes off Momina. Hamza Ali Abbasi & Sajal Aly’s performances in this episode where so much had to be conveyed with just facial expressions were exceptional, they made it so easy to understand all that was running through Momin & Momina’s minds. It was a treat seeing their relationship evolve & grow. The preview did suggest some rough patch though which I am dreading but I am sure that’s going to add more depth in their equation. Haseeb Hassan has directed this drama like a dream. Every single frame, every camera angle beautifies the scenario & then the way he has captured the emotions of the characters, it is phenomenal. Please share your thoughts about this magical episode of Alif.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so, this soulful episode of Alif covered different aspects of the story in a lot of detail. What I feel is the best part about all the episodes of Alif is that although they might come across slow-paced, but when taking a closer look, so much happens & they give us an insight into every character’s thoughts & emotions, which is absolutely brilliant. This episode was no different; from emotional struggles to professional life, unveiling of secrets to coming to terms with the past, all the fronts were covered beautifully which has left me in awe of how brilliantly the story of Alif is being told. Strong direction, stronger script-writing & acting, everything works in perfect harmony to give Alif the status of a masterpiece.

The Deal

Momina was not only doing Momin a favor, she was doing herself a favor too. Being someone who knew exactly what the status of Abdul Ala & his art was, she could not see it being sold to anyone. The deal that Momin & Momina made was heart-warming. Momin made a promise to himself that he will get those paintings back & Momina felt relieved because she knew she succeeded in saving those artworks.

Highlight of This Episode

For me, the best part of this episode was Momin’s emotional transition & how they showed his attachment to the artwork done by his grandfather. It was not like one fine day Momin woke up & realized he could not part with the paintings. I am so glad they showed us in great detail about all the things that ran through Momin’s mind. Each & every painting had a story, a memory, a conversation behind it which was now helping Momin put things into perspective. It was not just the gifts that Abdul Ala gave to Qalb e Momin, in fact they all had a lesson, a food for thought, something that would help Momin reflect & introspect when he will try to mend his ways & this is exactly what was happening now. How realistically they have shown that when someone leaves, you are reminded of all the moments you have shared with them. This is what is happening with Momin too. Ever since Abdul Ala’s death, he has not been able to get him out of his mind & as a result, he is reminded of all the meaningful & soul-stirring conversations he has had with him.

It was a brilliant execution of Momin’s journey in those few scenes, which started of with him stepping into the industry, then getting the fame & success, but all this while Abdul Ala was there, trying to guide him, trying to keep him grounded & doing everything he could to keep him in touch with his roots. As Momin started achieving the success, the change in his attitude was not only obvious, but phenomenally captured in those few scenes. Now when Momin has hit the rock bottom, he has realized the superficiality of the industry he is associated with, the slow & steady realization of losing the track & trying hard to get back on it again, Momin was astounded when he realized that he had missed all those reminders given by his grandfather every step of the way. It was like Momin was getting to learn more about himself now than ever before. He was seeing his journey through Abdul Ala’s eyes. This entire insight into Momin’s emotional turmoil & realizations was the highlight of this episode & it made so much easier to understand why Momin was finding it difficult parting with these paintings. They actually are his assets which are irreplaceable.

Secrets Unveiled

Momina & Master Ibrahim’s meeting was absolutely sweet. I loved the way Sajal Aly acted in that scene, she actually made it obvious that Momina had walked into Master Ibrahim’s room for the first time because of the way she noticed everything around her, as if trying to grasp whatever she could, to learn more about him. She has so much respect for Master Ibrahim, therefore the awe as well as happiness was evident on her face. It was like she cherished the moment of stepping into her mentor’s personal space because now she could talk to him about his life & experiences too. Momina finally got the clarification that Qalb e Momin actually is Abdul Ala’s grandson, he is also Husn e Jahan’s son too. Master Ibrahim grew uncomfortable but he knew he could not lie to Momina. At first I did not understand the disappointment that Momina felt but later it made a lot of sense that she felt for Momin because she knew her father has also played a part in ruining her life – at least this is what she thinks for now.

The Press Conference

The press conference was interesting. Once again, Momin was reminded that he has lost the position, the status that he used to have & now people were here because of one & only Momina Sultan. It was interesting how he took a backseat & let Momina deal with the questions because she not only defended the project but owned it like her own.. Momina did her part because she felt guilty & Momin has no idea what her reasons were. Momin actually was unsure of how to process everything because he was still unsure of letting go of his paintings & handing them over to Momina but when he saw her being honest & devoted to Alif, he felt at ease. It was like at that moment he felt that Dada Jaan’s paintings were in safe hands & Momina will never let go of them. All of this was just conveyed through expressions & Hamza Ali Abbasi’s performance was phenomenal. To convey so much without even uttering a word is not an easy feat but it is always a treat to see both Sajal & Hamza letting their eyes do the talking. Although I have not read the novel but I am so glad that Sajal & Hamza are playing the roles of Momin & Momina because it is their performance that is making it so easy to understand these characters & their struggles. Brilliant.

Another secret was unveiled in this episode that Husn e Jahan invited Sultan so she could give him her paintings. It was her desperate attempt to help her family & this was all she could think of. Maybe it was also Husn e Jahan’s way of getting to know about her family because it had been 7 years since she left everything behind. Sultan made his intentions clear, he was in love with her, he was also waiting for her but Husn e Jahan had taken the role of being Taha’s wife & Momin’s mother gracefully. She could not, rather did not even think of leaving Taha. She was sincere, she was loyal, she was devoted to her husband.

Phenomenal Performances

This episode was brilliant. It was soulful & I absolutely loved all the conversations. Another cute moment was when Jhumar was trying to make Sultan smile. Some friendships are like that where people involved understand the struggles of their friends & without knowing the reasons, they try everything in their might to do something. Jhumar’s scenes are always sweet, he breaks the monotony of sadness that Sultan has surrounded himself with, his energy is nice. Also, I am so glad we got to see Dada Jaan in this episode, it was like getting a good dose of his wisdom & beautiful advice. Hamza Ali Abbasi & Sajal Aly owned this episode, their acting was brilliant. I must say, whoever is responsible for the interiors of Qalb e Momin’s place has done a fabulous job, it has to be one of the best decorated spaces I have seen in Pakistani dramas. The rest of the details are pretty much the same – brilliant dialogeus, brilliant acting, brilliant direction & editing. Editors of this drama are on some other level, the way they switch to the very next scene leaving the viewers curious & wanting for more is interesting. Please share your thoughts about this soulful episode of Alif.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Wow, simply wow. This was an absolutely brilliant episode of Alif yet again & yes, it once again ended at such a moment where I was actually looking forward to how the conversation was going to carry on. The editors played a good game for sure. I can already feel the next week is going to be long because waiting for the very next episode is not going to be easy. Alif is a masterpiece, no matter how many times I will say it, I feel it will not be an emphasis enough because scripts, stories & dramas like Alif are a rarity in Pakistani drama world & I truly feel lucky to be able to see a drama like this. Direction, acting, dialogues, emotions, expressions, every single aspect of this drama touches your heart & it actually takes you to another world. Alif is a feeling & a beautiful one at that!

Different Side of Taha’s Personality:

Everything I said about Taha Abdul Ala in the previous review made me feel I was a bit quick to draw conclusions about him because I liked the side of his personality that was shown in this episode. Although Taha was fighting his own demons, it was actually nice to see him trying his very best to be a good & doting father to Qalb e Momin. Taha was guilt-stricken, but he was not oblivious to the deprivation Qalb e Momin felt. Taha knew that his son was just being a child, he had his demands, his wants, his needs, he was just asking for things a child is entitled to, therefore he seemed keen enough to do something in order to meet Momin’s demands. While watching these scenes of young Qalb e Momin, my mind was automatically drawn to the famous & wealthy Momin who was proud of what he had earned. A child who came from a humble background with no financial stability, where he hardly saw his wishes getting fulfilled, when he reached the age where he was able to achieve so much in such a short span of time, it gave him the confidence to an extent of arrogance that he was capable of getting everything he would want in his life. The best thing about Alif & the backstory is that everything is related & while watching every scene, you can easily figure out the purpose of why certain scenario is being highlighted. Momin’s demands of cookies, chocolates & cycle made it very easy to understand the reason behind Momin’s arrogance when he became successful & started doing well financially.

The conversation between Husn e Jahan & Taha was heart-touching. It was good to see him confiding in his wife, it ensured that he was not trying to escape the life he had chosen for himself, rather he was trying to find the solutions. Taha knew that everything he was experiencing was because his father chose not to forgive him, which meant he did not hold his wife or son responsible for what he was going through. Another beautiful conversation was between Taha & Qalb e Momin where he metaphorically explained who Husn e Jahan & Qalb e Momin were. It was beautiful & just through that, Husn e Jahan once again got a reminder of the storm that Taha was dealing with which was slowly killing him inside.

Momina Connected The Dots:

Momina did not have a hard time connecting the dots. She also did not have a hard time seeing her father differently because she could feel, Sultan’s feelings for Husn e Jahan were more than what he had expressed till date. She also wanted to know whether it was love or guilt or something else which Sultan felt for her. Momina was not gullible to fall for Sultan’s half-baked truth, she wanted to know everything & this is why she decided to go ahead & sign the film. This is not just a project for Momina, it has made her curious & she wants to know everything about Husn e Jahan because Sultan chose to keep his secret.

Well, let me just say, it was nice to see Momina & Momin in one frame once again. The tables have surely turned & now Qalb e Momin sat there with humility, uncertainty & zero arrogance, whereas Momina was self-assured, she knew what she was getting into, confident & sorted. This difference in their attitude was brilliantly portrayed by both Hamza Ali Abbasi & Sajal Aly. Even before they met, Qalb e Momin found it hard to believe that Momina had agreed to do this movie, it was like he was relying on her name & kind of felt relieved that he won’t be facing financial restraints to go ahead with the movie because Momina was a brand of her own.

Momina wanted to know the truth but she knew it was not going to be easy to hear it from Momin. Momina saw him differently, she knew this was the story of his mother, the question in Momina’s eyes was so evident. She knew but she was unsure why he was hiding the truth. The deal that Qalb e Momin did not finalize was another brilliant moment of this episode. Mr. Khaliq was keen to get the paintings but then just listening to everything he had to say about the paintings & Abdul Ala’s art made Momin reconsider his decision. He wants finances for his movies more than ever, he is keen, he is eager but still, it showed that his love for his grandfather stands ahead of everything that he wishes for. It was nice to see Qalb e Momin in this light too, who wants to treasure his grandfather & cherish everything related to him more than ever before. Momina also got to see a different side of Qalb e Momin, while she sat there figuring out what was happening, she was stunned to see Abdul Ala’s paintings at Qalb e Momin’s place. Her demand to get the 7 paintings was something that neither Qalb e Momin nor I as a viewer saw coming & just when I wanted to see more, the episode ended, ah!

Beautiful Episode:

Overall, it was a beautiful episode of Alif. Simply beautiful. I am glad that the story has now come to a stage where both Qalb e Momin & Momina will be getting their answers. Qalb e Momin needs to learn more about his parents, especially his mother to let go of the grudge he holds against her & I can’t wait to see that happening in the episodes to come. Sajal Aly looked absolutely gorgeous when she walked into Qalb e Momin’s house for the meeting. Hamza Ali Abbasi has portrayed Momin’s restlessness & emotional turmoil to perfection. He is just not himself anymore after losing his grandfather & where in his professional life Momin is trying to get back to work, in his personal life he is shattered & slowly dealing with his pain of surviving without his only family that he had – Abdul Ala. Pehlaaj Hussain’s scenes are also a treat to watch, his innocence is endearing & the way he delivers his dialogue fills heart with so much warmth. He is a beautiful child. Ahsan Khan & Kubra Khan were right in their element as Taha & Husn e Jahan. Alif is a brilliantly directed drama, every single scene has so much to offer & has been curated with so much attention to detail that it not only completes the picture but makes everything look visually appealing as well. The preview of the next episode was promising & I can not wait. Please share your thoughts about this beautiful episode of Alif.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Another week, another brilliant episode of Alif. This episode did not allow me to look away even for a second. The detailing, the acting, the expressions & the essence that has been captured & breathed into every single scene & frame of Alif sets it apart from all the other dramas that have made it to our TV screens ever. This episode was a perfect balance of past & the present. At the forefront it might not seem that the story has moved forward but the way they take us in the backstory & give us all the details definitely shows how important it is for the viewers to understand what happened in the past & the consequences of it in the present. This episode definitely had some of those amazing moments that left me in awe but yes, after watching the preview, I am more than looking forward to what they have in store for us.

Momina’s Trials & Tribulations

I have always felt a lot for Momina’s parents Sultan & Suraiya, but for the veryyy first time while watching this episode, I really felt Momina could not win, no matter what she did. As much as I do understand the issues Momina’s parents are dealing with, that makes me feel a lot more for her than I feel for them. Suraiya & Sultan have lost their son, but they do have each other, don’t they? I will only take their characters as a reason that the writer has chosen, in order to show that while Momina was stepping on one level of success after another, her personal life was full of tests & trials, where one awaited her after another. Surraiya is suffering from schizophrenia, that entire scene was dark, disturbing & actually conveyed the essence of how hard things were for both, Momina as well as her mother. Surraiya was attached to Jahangir & she could not deal with his loss. To top it off her entire surrounding was changed, new place, new home, no contact to her old life that she was used to ended up allowing her to develop this mental condition. I thought Sultan will somewhat ease Momina’s pain but he had his own baggage. I love how they have shown Sultan as well as Surraiya as selfless parents. They are not selfish, like they themselves are a victim of harshness & cruelty of life but it is unfortunate that they are now bringing Momina’s spirits down. I do feel for her parents but I feel for her a lot more.

Qalb e Momin’s Transition

The way Hamza Ali Abbasi showcased the emotional & mental transition Qalb e Momin went through after losing Dada Jaan was absolutely phenomenal. Every step of the way, through his facial expressions, the dejection in his body language, even his eyes spoke how far he had come in just a few months after losing Abdul Alla. Qalb e Momin has changed, people around him can already feel it but he has yet to realize it. The same Qalb e Momin who would not speak to anyone nicely was now welcoming people in his personal space only because they were somehow associated to his Dada Jaan. I must say, the highlight of this entire episode for me was the short scene where Qalb e Momin was watching Momina’s interview on TV. His minute expressions were beyond impressive. Qalb e Momin looked like a fan who was happy to see Momina on the TV & not only that, he was actually getting impressed by her maturity & wisdom which she displayed while answering all of the questions but then, Qalb e Momin was hit with a harsh reality. He was taken back & got a reminder of the time when he used to be ruthless. He actually felt miserable learning about Momina’s brother & his demise. Qalb e Momin has slowly started realizing that he has hurt & probably crushed a lot of people in those days when he was ignorant & arrogant. His embarrassment & humility was evident. Brilliant performance by Hamza Ali Abbasi I must say!

The Past

Taha & Husn e Jahan. They had a dysfunctional marriage & what broke my heart was seeing young Momin being a part of the equation where he could see his parents in such a miserable mental & emotional state. Qalb e Momin was young but he was at such an impressionable age that he was picking up little details – he was compassionate enough to shed a tear when he saw his father disturbed. He was also observant enough to see that his mother’s demeanor had changed too. In those disturbing scenes which showed two people struggling hard, young Momin’s presence was not only sweet, it was heartwarming. He was trying to find happiness in such a place where there was nothing but emptiness & darkness. I felt for Momin a lot & knowing how these experiences have shaped Qalb e Momin’s personality & life at this stage, I feel for him even more.

I am sure there are a lot of details that will be given out in the future episodes, but honestly speaking, I am not sure what to think of Taha’s character. I am just wondering if he had behaved the same way if he had gotten married to anyone & not just Husn e Jahan? A wife in this situation would’ve been a distraction for him anyway, so because he was miserable himself, he held Husn e Jahan responsible for everything? I do understand his character; he was guilt-stricken that he had disappointed & estranged his father who loved him wholeheartedly, he was also struggling because his father chose not to forgive him when he sought his forgiveness. Taha was a victim too but then, calling his marriage to Husn e Jahan a mistake made me upset. He easily accused Husn e Jahan of cheating too just after he found out that she was in contact with Sultan. Why would he do that? Didn’t Husn e Jahan prove herself to him enough, didn’t she show him that she was loyal & had actually left everything behind? I found Taha to be rigid & unforgiving. Yes, he was fighting his own demons but holding his wife solely responsible for everything made me not appreciate his character as much as I would’ve loved to. Yes, he was flawed, he was weak, he was guilt-stricken & he was struggling but then, would he have behaved the same way if he had gotten married to anyone because eventually he’d had blamed his wife for not being able to concentrate on his calligraphy & losing his aesthetics & art? I feel for Husn e Jahan & Qalb e Momin more.

So, Momina started reading the script written by Qalb e Momin – Alif, ‘ye kaisa naam hai’. In that moment, she had no idea that this script was going to change her life. She was going to learn so much more about her father than he had ever told her. The preview of the next episode was enthralling & I can not stop thinking about it. The way Sajal Aly depicted Momina’s developing interest in the script immediately after she started reading it was another brilliant moment of this episode. Momina Sultan has no idea what she’s about to get into. Qalb e Momin has definitely written a script based on the life of his parents, it sure is going to move everyone & touch everyone’s hearts.

Beautiful Episode

This episode was absolutely beautiful. It was filled with such heart-touching moments. It was like a movie. I absolutely love the instrumental music they play in the background, it really doubles the charm & makes the drama-watching experience enjoyable. I must say, camera wise the best scene of this episode was the walk of Qalb e Momin & Husn e Jahan after he picked flowers for his mother. That scene was absolutely adorable & captured the unconditional love that a child has for his mother beautifully. This episode of Alif once again had some beautiful moments to its credit. Director Haseeb Hassan definitely deserves the credit for always adding so much detailing in every frame, every scene, every single episode of the drama. His visionary direction has made Alif what it is. Hamza Ali Abbasi, Sajal Aly, Ahsan Khan, Kubra Khan & Pehlaaj Hussain have been brilliant throughout. Special mention definitely goes to Pehlaaj Hussain for giving the young Qalb e Momin not only an adorable face but phenomenal & realistic portrayal. I am most certainly looking forward to the next episode, especially the confrontation of Momina & Sultan. Please share your thoughts about this beautiful episode of Alif.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

How is it possible that every single episode of Alif leaves its viewers spellbound & emotional? I think Pakistani drama buffs should be thankful to Umera Ahmed, Haseeb Hassan, the producers & then all the actors who have teamed up to bring Alif to our TV screens because they have not only created magic but have compelled the viewers to think, analyze & ask questions. This was yet another brilliant episode of Alif, it was emotional, it showed the contrast between lives where someone is touching the skies & someone else is engulfed in loneliness & misery. Alif brings human emotions to life on screen in such an articulate manner that it leaves you speechless. Absolutely brilliant.

Momina’s Success

Momina’s personal life has a huge baggage to it, the loss of her brother & the fact that her parents still have not moved on. I find this portrayal very realistic, they were still not coping well with Jahangir’s loss that they actually had to change their home & leave the one which held all the memories they made with Jahangir. This change in the long run is definitely going to be beneficial for them but at this moment, their hesitancy in accepting the change & the new house denoted the fact that they were grevious of the fact that in this new chapter of their lives, they won’t have Jahangir around. The fact that Sultan immediately found a spot for all of Jahangir’s pictures & accolades was emotional, it showed that he still wanted to dedicate a place to Jahangir no matter where he went, because even if Jahangir is no more, he is very much going to be a part of their lives as long as they live. Momina tries really hard to help her parents overcome Jahangir’s death but she often just lets them be because she can’t muster up the courage to tell them to move on. This emotion has been brilliantly portrayed by Sajal Aly in every single episode, she always shows how Momina is also grievous but is putting up a brave face only for her parents, but then gets disappointed when she sees that no matter what she does, she remains unsuccessful in her attempts. I feel for her a lot.

Momina unlocked another achievement where she scored herself an Oscar award. I love how they always show Momina being in touch with her spirituality, always finding solace in the recitation of Holy Quran, away from the noise of her success & the world around. Momina knows the price she has paid & how much she has lost to be where she is. I think this is also a commendable effort by the writer to show the actors in a more humane & relatable spot. Quite often people judge the actors & assume they are only doing everything wrong or are only running behind the worldly success but Momina’s character shows them in a very different light. There’s Momina, who is stepping on one level of success after another but no one sees her for who she is. No one knows her, or the fact that she is a calligrapher herself who loves to maintain her relationship with Allah & His Book. Just a very different way of perspective alteration & Umera Ahmed deserves all the credit for that.

Qalb e Momin’s Struggles:

It was definitely a much needed change in Qalb e Momin’s scenario where they covered the struggles of his professional life at this stage. No one was ready to work with him. Abdul Alla’s suggestion of financing his movie for him through his paintings was absolutely sweet. He wanted to support Qalb e Momin in everything that he did, this was something he confessed before too & he was standing by what he said. In this moment of loneliness, Abdul Alla’s supportive words healed Qalb e Momin & gave him some encouragement that he was looking for. Qalb e Momin is slowly & steadily learning about the superficiality of the world that he is associated with, this is the reason why he is finding himself getting detached from it as the days are passing by.

I don’t know about others but I am definitely going to mourn the loss of Abdul Alla for weeks to come. Why did he die? All the scenes covering Qalb e Momin’s misery after the departure of Abdul Alla were brilliantly shown & acted phenomenally by Hamza Ali Abbasi. Momin finally learned more about Abdul Alla but unfortunately it was too late. All this while I was wondering about all the things Momin would be wanting to ask his grandfather but sadly, he will never be able to have a conversation with him again. Once again, Qalb e Momin was full of regrets, he regretted not knowing about the success that his humble Dada Jaan achieved in his life, he regretted misbehaving with him, he regretted losing him & in the end, Qalb e Momin was once again lonely. He has lost his father, his mother & now his grandfather too. The famous Qalb e Momin is lonely, he is an orphan who has no one by his side. I feel for him too.

The Prayer:

Qalb e Momin has finally acknowledged the fact that he went astray. He lost his path & forgot about his Creator. Acknowledging the problem is the very first step of making amends & Qalb e Momin is finally ready for it. The dua scene was so powerful, it was spellbinding, impactful & just perfect. In most parts of this episode, Hamza Ali Abbasi did not have much dialogues, he just had to act & convery the emotions & feelings through his expressions & he was phenomenal in all of those scenes. The very last scene was the highlight of this episode & it left me overwhelmed. Sheer brilliance!

Sultan wants to get in touch with Qalb e Momin. I think he doesn’t know that the famous director Momin is Qalb e Momin because everyone around him has only referred to him as Momin. Be it Daood, Tina, Shakoor, Neha or Shelly. He is known as Momin & in all of the scenes, either Momin has referred to himself with his full name or it was Abdul Alla who preferred calling him Qalb e Momin, therefore not many people know his real name. This is the reason why Momina was forced to think about the possibility that may be Qalb e Momin was the son of Husn e Jahan that Sultan was talking about. I am sure this is the reasoning behind Sultan not knowing who Momin is, otherwise he would’ve known himself, considering he has been involved in Husn e Jahan & everything related to her, all his life.

Alif Is Magic:

This episode was emotionally charged & absolutely beautiful. Alif has allowed viewers to not only experience a unique storyline but also come across such brilliant acting where every single actor is doing justice to their characters & elevating the level of this drama. Sajal Aly, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Saleem Mairaj, Lubna Aslam as well as all the supporting actors who are playing the characters of Jhumar, Daood and Tina have given their 100% to this drama. Every scene is skillfully brought together, be it the art direction, aesthetically pleasing locations and spaces, angles, camera work, lighting, background scores, everything is just brilliant and adds more charm to the drama watching experience. I am sure the prayer scene is going to stay with me for a long long time, it was a work of art & just took me to another world. Alif is magical. The preview is already making me look forward to the next episode, I can’t wait for Momin to get in touch with Master Ibrahim & then Sultan to learn more about Abdul Alla as well as his mother, it sure is going to be an interesting journey. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Alif.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so, this episode of Alif was absolutely beautiful. Although nothing much happened in this episode, however it covered the emotional transition of both Momina & Qalb e Momin in such a convincing manner. This episode of Alif did have one of the most important revelations to its credit & I am sure no one saw it coming. I am pleasantly surprised that the story which might seem somewhat predictable has so many different surprises along the way to offer to the viewers. Alif has been super impressive so far & I can not wait to see what’s in store for the viewers.

Momina & Qalb e Momin’s Emotional Transitions:

Qalb e Momin is not only on the path of soul-searching, he is also getting to know a different side of his mother that he never really saw or bothered knowing about. He is unconsciously finding closeness to Allah & that path is also leading him to get closer to his mother because for the first time, it sounded like he felt for her & regretted the fact that he misjudged her. Qalb e Momin is at that level of maturity where he can finally analyze that his mother also had a tough life & the fact that her only son resented her must’ve made things far more difficult for her. I have said this before & I will say that again too, I love how the main characters of Alif have so much in common & this is what I explored in this episode as well. I saw a similarity in Abdul Alla & Qalb e Momin where they both were full of regrets – the only difference is that despite holding himself responsible time & again, Abdul Alla has come to terms with the fact that he made mistakes, however Qalb e Momin has yet to come to terms with these new found emotions.

Abdul Alla got Husn e Jahan married to Master Ibrahim, wow. I never saw that coming. Hearing it from Qalb e Momin made it sound like Husn e Jahan lived miserably & died miserably too but the way Master Ibrahim remembered her showed that they both shared a special bond. I am sure there’s so much more to Husn e Jahan’s story & I can not wait to find out more about her. The fact that Master Ibrahim happened to be her husband made things appear less harsh & also suggested that she must’ve been treated with respect & love, something that she couldn’t find when she was married to Taha.

Momina’s track is unfolding at a decent pace but I am definitely waiting to see her coming across Qalb e Momin. Momina came back from America but had to put a closure to Faisal’s chapter once & for all. She was reminded of him repeatedly but she knew that it was finally time to address the issue & put an end to it. Momina knows she lost someone she cherished the most & that is why she is also sad about it but because she is far-sighted & wise, she knew she had to lose herself in order to keep pleasing Faisal, someone who was so demanding. It was nice to see big changes in Momina’s life but Jahangir & his memories are always going to keep her grounded & connected with her past, her reality, her roots & where she comes from. All those scenes that mentioned Jahangir were absolutely heart-wrenching & emotional. I must say Haseeb Hassan has done a commendable job by establishing this kind of connection of the viewers with Jahangir where they feel for him even when he is not around. Every single conversation that is related to Jahangir actually shows the reality where it is very hard for parents to move on.

Qalb e Momin is slowly getting answers & he finally got an idea about his script. Another aspect worth noticing is how the writer Umera Ahmed has commendably shown the impact dreams have on people. Qalb e Momin has always stayed in touch with his spirituality through dreams, although he lost his direction but the dreams that he has seen always have had a meaning which he is finally recalling to put things into perspective. Momin has always gotten the hints & clues, now it’s up to him to solve the conundrum!

Meaningful Conversations:

This episode of Alif was all about beautiful & meaningful conversations. I am glad they also established a connection of Abdul Alla & Momina Sultan in this episode. I really hope we get to see more of Master Ibrahim as well, not because he happens to be Husn e Jahan’s husband but because he is such a dynamic character who has experienced life differently. Master Ibrahim & Momina also have a lot in common, the way he gifted her the calligraphed Quran Majeed went to show that he knew exactly what Momina was getting into. I have always loved the conversations both Momina & Master Ibrahim have, it is like he guides her the way she wants to be guided & he eases the emotional burdens & tensions that she feels. Saife Hassan & Manzar Sehbai’s performances have been phenomenal. Sajal Aly & Hamza Ali Abbasi are breathing life into the characters of Momina & Momin. Saleem Mairaj & Lubna Aslam have performed convincingly as parents who have lost almost everything but are finding ways to be happy because of their daughter. They all are grievous & hide their emotions from each other but still when they come together as a family, it somehow shows how many battles they have fought together. The way the director has established the chemistry between all the characters is one of the brilliant aspects of Alif as well. I am so looking forward to the next episode because the preview seems quite happening, however I hope nothing happens to Abdul Alla. Please share your thoughts about this beautiful episode of Alif.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

ps: Apologies for the late review. :)

Opening Thoughts – Another Beautiful Episode:

Ohkay so, this was yet another beautiful episode of Alif. When it was about to end, I thought I saw a lifetime of all the characters & their journeys but then I was reminded that there’s so much more to be seen, which I am so looking forward to. Like all the previous episodes of Alif, this one was no different, it was beautiful, it had so many details & it laid the foundations of what is yet to come. I love how they’re establishing the fact that your past shapes your present & your future, this is why they have taken us into Qalb e Momin & Abdul Alla’s pasts to understand them better & see them differently.

Emotional Transitions & Regrets:

I loved how they showed us flawed human beings flawlessly. There’s so much to a person & his journey – full of ego, greed & most importantly regrets. This is exactly what is common in Abdul Alla, Taha, Husn e Jahan & also Qalb e Momin. In this episode, they finally got over with everything that transpired in the past, which I feel is a perfect approach. Now we are more than ready to take what’s yet to come. Yes, they have left another riddle unsolved but then I am sure when the time is right, we’ll find the answer to that too.

In this episode, what I absolutely loved was the conversation that happened between Abdul Alla & Husn e Jahan after he came to see her 8 years later. It was much needed & I kind of felt relieved that they both got a chance to speak to each other & confess where they both were wrong. I loved seeing Abdul Alla as a flawed character, who not only admitted that he made mistakes but also changed himself. This is the reason why we see him being so lenient with Qalb e Momin while still trying to guide him to the right path because that is his responsibility as a believer & as a Muslim. The transition that they showed in their behaviors & outlook on life was another brilliant aspect of this episode. Abdul Alla was rigid, he was judgmental & he was unforgiving. Husn e Jahan thought she owned Taha & that she was doing the right thing by parting him with his father. Then came the stage where they both accepted their mistakes but unfortunately, they were full of regrets because it was too late.

I loved how the relationship of Abdul Alla & Husn e Jahan evolved. They resented each other, but then the love that they both had for Taha brought them on the same level where they endured pain & mourned his loss together. It was like the emotions & feelings they both had for Taha acted like a binding force between them. They both met years later with bigger hearts & room for forgiveness. They were hesitant in the beginning but then came a time when Husn e Jahan referred to Abdul Alla as Baba, just this utterance was enough to show that their relationship got better & they both did not have any negativity, grudge or hatred towards one another. It’s details like these that I enjoy picking up when I am watching Alif, it is like they effortlessly put so much into perspective which is commendable.

After the heart wrenching & emotional scene of Abdul Alla’s confession, I loved seeing how Qalb e Momin at least had one good memory of his father. Every child deserves to have a memory of seeing his parents happy & it came as a relief that Momin saw that time with Taha. Qalb e Momin transitioned as well, from someone who was full of resentment to now someone who was full of regrets because all of a sudden he started seeing his mother differently. I somehow felt they should’ve explored why Qalb e Momin developed those feelings for Husn e Jahan because yes, he was upset when he saw her surrounded by men in Pakistan & decided to go to Turkey but the 8 year old Qalb e Momin had a lot of love for his mother. It was not like Husn e Jahan sent him away selfishly, it was the decision made by Qalb e Momin & his mother just respected that. Qalb e Momin has gotten a lot of answers, he is now ready to see both his parents as flawed human beings who made mistakes & probably were also victim of Abdul Alla’s rigidity. Although they have kept the focus on Abdul Alla & Husn e Jahan, but the screen time that Taha’s character got was also engaging due to Ahsan Khan’s spectacular performance.

Momina’s Approach:

Momina is touching the skies & I absolutely loved seeing her emotional transition too where she went from being sad to a little excited, then happy & then grateful to Allah. Momina is going to mourn the loss of Jahangir for the rest of her life, she will always remember him whenever something good will come her way because she feels sad that Jahangir couldn’t live to experience all of this with her but then, I loved how she put her act together & took it as an opportunity to be thankful for what she has achieved. I must add, Sultan & Jhumar’s scene was another beautiful moment of this episode, it is nice to see them having a handful of people who genuinely feel for their family & love them wholeheartedly. (stlucysvision.com)

Closing Thoughts – Outstanding Performances:

This episode of Alif was beautiful in every way. It was focused on showing everyone’s transitions & the foundation of how they are going to evolve from here onward. Kubra Khan should be extremely proud of herself for giving Husn e Jahan the perfect & the kind of treatment she deserved. She has flawlessly showcased all the emotions that Husn e Jahan felt, all the aches that she endured & her regrets. Manzar Sehbai is the backbone of Alif & Abdul Alla’s character is beautiful. He actually thought his life was sorted with him doing something that pleases Allah & a son who was so obedient but then he crumbled when he was tested & probably became egoistic about it too. Getting to know his journey has been a wholesome experience of its own. I am now looking forward to seeing Qalb e Momin’s journey & his approach now that he has gotten so much clarity & some of the answers that he was looking for. Hamza Ali Abbasi’s precision in expressions makes his acting beyond brilliant. Sajal Aly depicted Momina’s sadness & happiness in such a precise manner that it was nothing short of a treat. The entire team should take a bow. Please share your thoughts about this beautiful episode of Alif.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.