Bridal Couture Week this year just like always showcased designs from all the leading designers from Pakistan. The ramp was set on fire by celebrities from all fields of showbiz. The singers, model and actors on the ramp were full of energy and made it an even to remember.
Here are some pictures from BCW 2015:
Believe it or not, after watching this episode, I actually googled the folklore of ‘Lila Chanesar’ because it had so much to do with the latest episode! For me, Sheheryaar’s conversations with Imtiaz Sahab and Emaan were definitely the highlights of the installment. I’d have to say that the timeless Sindhi folklore, coupled with the touch of folk music made this episode quite an interesting watch.
”Mein nahe chahta kay aanay walay kay intezaar mein meri betiyan apni shakhsiyat ko tor maror kar rakh dain.” I loved this dialogue! I really like Imtiaz Sahab’s character and I wish we could see more on screen fathers like him. It’s so refreshing to see a father who actually wants his daughters to be themselves because most of our on-screen parents refuse to believe in the idea of raising headstrong daughters and our dramas carry more or less the same message: only overly submissive and meek girls are rishta material. Imtiaz Sahab’s dialogues are penned very well and I really like the way Munawwar Saeed delivers his dialogues.
”Masla tou tab bhi shuru hota hai jab sahe loag ghalat logon ki taraf say aankhain band karletay hain.” I really enjoyed the conversation between Sheheryaar and Emaan at the beginning of the episode and the best thing about Sheheryaar has to be the fact that its not Emaan’s looks that caught his attention- its her honesty and integrity which did the trick. And the interesting part is that Sheheryaar and Emaan don’t always agree with each other, in fact, their views are most often contradicting and yet, Sheheryaar feels drawn towards her.
”Lila kay paas naulakha haar na tha aur Kaunru kay paas Raja Chanesar. Jis kay paas jis cheez ki kami hoti hai, ussay ussi cheez ki khuawish hoti hai.” Maybe it’s just me but Emaan looked kind of out of place in that particular scene. I’ll be honest here- at first I couldn’t quite understand the conversation they were having because I didn’t have the faintest idea about the infamous story of Lila Chanesar but thanks to google, I could finally comprehend their views regarding the folktale- I’d have to say that woh Rani thi bari twisted :P. I really liked the background music because it was apt in regards to the overall aura of the place.
”Mera khayal hai kay sahe faisla foran karliya jata hai magar ghalat faisla karne kay liye khud ko convince karna parta hai.” Some might think that they are rushing Sheheryaar and Emaan’s track and last week when I saw the promo showing Sheheryaar asking Imtiaz Sahab for Emaan’s hand, I was afraid that they are going very fast but after watching this episode, I think I can understand Sheheryaar’s decision which is obviously hasty but sensible- if that even makes sense, haha! Sheheryaar is shown to be a level-headed person and he is a good judge of people- he is well aware of the fact that Sajal is too immature for him whereas the few conversations he had with Emaan are enough to convince him that Emaan is the sort of person he can spend his whole life with. Yes, they might not see eye to eye on every matter but despite that, they do seem to connect with each other and this was particularly evident in their conversation in the very first scene of this episode.
”Na hi main ek nau-umar larka hun aur na hi ek ayaash tabyat afsar.” I liked how Sheheryaar tried to convince Imtiaz Sahab. By now, Imtiaz Sahab should be well-aware of the fact that Sheheryaar is a decent man and the comment, ”Bohat kam aatay hain aisay zehen kay afsar, warna zyadatar afsar tou kapron kay saath gardon par bhi kalaf laga kar aatay hain” showed that he does have a high opinion of Sheheryaar but like any protective father, he is concerned about the honour and pride of his family.
Sheheryaar’s feelings for Emaan are one sided for now; Emaan describes Sheheryaar as a ‘dilchasp aadmi’ and there’s nothing more to it. I really want the writer to take some time to establish the relationship between Sheheryaar and Emaan, yep, we want a sound pace but we are definitely not in a hurry :).
The issue with the script has to be the inclusion of unnecessary dialogues and I strongly felt this in the conversation between the elders of Sheheryaar’s family where the mangni kay joray wali conversation put me off because I am sure it could have been cut short, if the khandaani jora is missing, get over it and go buy a new one! We don’t need to know kay pehlay woh jora Daadi nay pehna, phir bari bahu nay pehna, phir choti bahu nay pehna,phir bari bahu nay apnay betay ki Bismillah mein pehna! Everything about Sheheryaar’s father puts me off big time! He is a dictatorial father who is obsessed with the idea of marrying off his son to his bhateji. I actually found it hilarious the way he was taking a great deal of interest in the jewellery his to-be-bahu is supposed to wear at the mangni. The whole Sheheryaar-Sajal engagement track is way too off putting and mainstream! This trend, I mean, it’s like the bandwagon effect- one play shows desperate female cousins running after their male cousins that have ‘not interested’ written all over their faces, and the others also jump on the bandwagon. The sad part is that the guys here make it very obvious that they actually couldn’t care less but the girls here just don’t seem to get it! Self-respect, anybody? I was expecting Hajra to side with her son and support his decision of not marrying Sajal but that didn’t happen.
The promo looks very interesting and I am really looking forward to the upcoming developments. What do you think of the episode? Voice your views :).
Maryam Mehdi
For the episode, one word: Awesome!
For Kardaars, two words: موتو بغيىظكم (Die with your Anger!)
I personally think these words were better meant for Naushervan than any other Kardaar (Let’s call him Sheru from now onwards:-P). Oh, and one correction, the name is Naml not Namal, we pronounce it wrong :)
Boy, this novel is full of murdering lunatics! Eleven episodes have gone and we have seen 3 murders, one suicide and one murder attempt. Let’s see what we got to read in this episode.
****SPOILER ALERT****
Progress
This episode had (again) a lot to offer. Zumar and Faris have started their new life exactly as we expected. I had a funny image in my mind that Faris was trying to be as good a husband as Salaar Sikandar, and failed miserably, haha. Saadi finally got the concrete proof he needed against Hashim. By the way the recording pen thing was kind of obvious, how could Khawar and Hashim be such fools to not think that Saadi can be recording all this? True his phone was taken but there are numerous other gadgets that can be used for recording. Anyways, good work Saadi, we are proud of you!
Just as expected, Saadi was really hurt when he came to know about Haneen’s cheating scenario. Thank God it was handled wisely by Zumar. Sheru, being the idiot he is, tried to take things into his hands and shot Saadi. As a result of this, Hashim abducted Saadi from the hospital, and the Yousufs are now completely at a loss as to who shot him and where in the world is he now. It is a big relief that he is alive, but still his family doesn’t know that.
The story is running on a highway. We all knew something was going to happen to Saadi in this episode that is why I skimmed the parts of Zumar and Faris’s happily everafter to get to the main part. Sorry Nimra…
This whole episode was highly anticipated because of the teaser Nimra left for us regarding Saadi and the next episode is even more anticipated. Readers have questions buzzing in their heads as to who on earth was the person who saw Sheru shooting Saadi and whether Saadi had alerted someone before he came to that under-construction building? There must be someone who called the police or ambulance. One thing is certain though, Saadi put the video recording in his laptop and someone (Haneen most probably) will discover it.
Although, the highlight of this episode was Saadi’s murder (attempted) and disappearance, personally, the best scene for me was the confrontation scene in Hashim’s office as it had a lot to offer. Hashim and Javahirat were apparently helpless in front of ‘becahara, masoom Saadi’ and don’t even get me started at Sheru’s woes, haha. By the way, I wasn’t expecting such insults from Saadi’s mouth about Sheru. But alas! Anger makes one do strange things.
As for the shooting scene, I don’t know why, but I feel sorrier for Sheru than Saadi. He has committed a hideous crime just out of jealousy. Just like Qabeel did to Habeel. Just like Iblees refused to prostrate before Adam. Both had done more harm to themselves than to others. By the way did anyone notice, the words Saadi spoke to Sheru were also the words of Habeel before death?
“Tum agar mujh par hath uthao ge, main tab bhi tum par hath nahi uthaoon ga”
The person bearing witness to Sheru shooting Saadi might be the pathan boy whom he met at the masjid in the previous episode. Zumar would have been a strong candidate too but she had no clue what was happening. What about ‘main tumhari keeper hoon’ dialogue? Anyways, Now that Saadi is out of sight, I have my faith on Haneen to uncover the truth and Zumar to take action on it. Things are going to be much more intense and I have a hunch Sheru’s guilt will get the better of him and he will blurt his confession just as he did in front of Hashim. Faris is proving to be pretty dormant; he has yet to play his role too. Next episode may also have progress in Javahirat’s guilt and the Kardaars will eventually collapse from within before anyone confronts them.
That was a crude review from my side. Do have your say in the comments, as no review is complete without your comments :)
Yours Truly
Noor-us-Saad
TV One is coming up with Ishq Ramazan (عشق رمضان) Aftaar transmission hosted by Maya Khan. The transmission will be aired everyday from 2 pm to 9 pm every day of Ramazan.
The channel is also launching its Sahri transmission hosted by Shabbeer Abu Taalib. Shabbeer Abu Taalib has also hosted similar transmission on TV One last year too.
Rashid Nazir Ali
The Holy month of Ramazan is starting in almost mid of this month. Gradually channels are unveiling their respective Ramazan transmission. This year ATVs transmission titled “Ramadan Kareem” will be hosted by Farah Saadia. Farah already hosts the morning show of ATV “Morning with Farah”.
Rashid Nazir Ali
Ohkay so, this episode of Jugnoo was happening, enjoyable & filled with a lot of drama as usual. Jugnoo has figured a way to deal with the situation but that is a temporary fix & she yet has to find a long-term solution that will promise her & Zulfi the peace they both are looking for.
According to Jugnoo, the best thing for both her & Zulfi is to lie to Baba Sahab for now. Jugnoo thinks she’d be able to fool Baba Sahab because Zulfi has once again paid Bakshi Jee to be on their side, but little does she know that Bakshi Jee is a lot more far sighted & clever than her. Jugnoo tells Zulfi that he has to stay by her side & do whatever she tells him because she has pretty much seen how spineless Zulfi becomes when he has Baba Sahab in his sights. I like Jugnoo’s character for a fact that she always is ready to face any kind of situation no matter how complex or intricate it might be. She always knows exactly what she should do, which is why she often find her little moments of victories even if they’re meant to be short-lived. What matters the most for Jugnoo is coming out of any whirlpool she may find herself getting drowned in.
The thing I enjoy the most in this whole drama is the way Jugnoo keeps on switching places between her mother’s & her husband’s home. It’s like she always keeps both these households happening & lit up with the drama she creates. It is so obvious that Khala Jahangir & Khala Kissho can’t see her happy & they fit the bill of typical relatives to the T. They are a sad but a true picture of how relatives often get restless when they assume someone’s life is sailing smoothly & how they find satisfaction in someone else’s tribulations. Khala Jahangir is a very unique character that has been written intelligently. She knows exactly how to boss around people & how to benefit from them, that’s why she is often seen ignoring Jugnoo’s harsh taunts because she knows that the mother-daughter duo is of great help to her in this present day & time. Shahjahan takes care of Jahangir’s home & Jugnoo is now a cash cow for her, therefore, Jahangir is ready to tolerate both of them.
It was amusing to see Zulfi following Jugnoo’s lead, it obviously shows that Jugnoo is the man in this relationship because Zulfi is too fragile & pampered to deal with such situations, that is why for now he is ready to do whatever his wife is telling him because for him, this is nothing short of an adventure. He knows he has gotten married to Jugnoo because he found her unique & she actually is very special that is why he doesn’t want to lose her at any cost, even if it means he has to fool his own father because of Jugnoo.
For a change, it was interesting to see a new character; Rafique, husband of Khala Kissho & I found his character & their bickering amusing too but it actually didn’t let me forget the fact that they have normalized domestic violence through Khala Kissho’s predicament. They have given it a comical shape but actually, it is something that isn’t very amusing. Every single time, someone does normally mention about how she gets beaten by her husband & to be honest, I don’t see any point of it nor do I find it amusing or necessary. They could’ve just showed that she doesn’t have much interest in her home & family & loves to spend time with her sisters – at least this way the whole issue of domestic violence wouldn’t have been highlighted in this drama. Yes, I do understand that they have tried to show different ordeals people go through in a light-hearted manner & the reactions that follow, but there is always a better substitute for even the darkest issue. I do like the fact that through Jugnoo, they have always tried to give out a positive message of self-sufficiency & present mindedness by showing a lot of problems in her life, but when it comes to Khala Kissho’s track, I don’t see any lesson that they’re trying to put forth by bringing domestic violence in the picture.
Overall, it was an interesting episode & for a change it is good to see a girl running things on her own. I love how Jugnoo gracefully edits the content she wants to expose to Khala Jahangir & always tweaks with the reality because this gives her an edge to rule over her & prove her wrong. I find this quality of her very admirable. For a girl who has never seen happiness in her life, if this is something that gives her sheer satisfaction & happiness, then she is entitled to go for it. Oh, I must add, I think HUM’s previews are now only meant to show the upcoming scenes of ‘all’ the remaining episodes. What they show in the preview of next episode doesn’t mean that this is what that episode will actually comprise of, so for that & from now on, I won’t be discussing the previews because they have been very misleading lately. Please share your thoughts about tonight’s episode. :)
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
It is usually said and many of us believe it too that a woman makes or breaks a house but while watching tonight’s episode of Mera Naam Yousuf Hai I couldn’t help but think that in a household like that of Noor Mohammad there is very little that a woman can do to ‘make a house’! Noor Mohammad could not stop blaming the women of his house for everything that went wrong in his life and not to mention for being ‘kamzad’ because they could not live their lives according to ‘shariah’! And he did all that judging while he made plans to run away with Bushra if that is what was needed for him to be with her. It is ironic that someone like Noor Mohammad who believes in going all out to get the woman he loves from making plans to elope to taking help from police would think that a man much younger and more ‘qualified’ to be in love deserves to be punished in the worst way possible. Everything that Noor Mohammad does in some way has God’s writ – something that he uses to justify all his actions. People like Noor Mohammad must think that they can fool God too!
We saw Noor Mohammad literally pleading Bushra and Tehmina’s case because he understood so well why they would have to resort to extreme measures but he fails to understand the women in his house because understanding them would require going against his wishes. The fact that Noor Mohammad gives Bushra and his phupo so much respect and has absolutely no problem kneeling down to their demands goes to show that he is perfectly capable of letting women take the lead but that is a rule that does not apply in his own house. It was gratifying to see Afia taking a stand for her daughter in a way that will actually help make a difference in her life. Zulekha taking refuge in Yousuf’s house wasn’t exactly the best course of action since the police was bound to look there before any other place but since she wanted to buy herself some time therefore the seemed like the only place she could go to. The scene when Hajra is leaving with the police and she asks her mother to give her her blessings was heart wrenching. Afia cried because Hajra needed her blessing not for a happy life but to face what was coming ahead.
Everyone in Yousuf’s house wants to see him spending the rest of his life with Madiha and for the first time we saw someone talking about it directly with him. On the other hand Daa Ji’s question from Madiha about how she was treated in Yousuf’s house also went to show that he might be thinking on those lines too. Madiha has let her brother down once and she does not want to do it again therefore she wants Yousuf to stay away from them. Madiha and Daa Ji’s conversation like always was short, sweet and touching. The honesty with which these two share their feelings with each other is what makes their conversations and their relationship so special. Madiha’s dialogue “tum is tarah pooch thaaj krte ho na tu lgta hai k mei achi lrki nahi hu, baar baar tumhara itemad tootta hai tu lgta hai mei achi behan bhi nahi hu” was exceptional. Only a very sensitive writer could write something like this because you wouldn’t expect a man to understand how a girl feels when she is questioned the way Daa Ji questioned Madiha and later on his reaction must have made her feel even more guilty.
Noor Mohammad’s conversation with the policeman was one of the many interesting conversations in tonight’s episode. The way the policeman interrogated him because he found it hard to believe that someone would want to do all that he was doing to his daughter and the manner in which Noor Mohammad answered him made for a conversation that said a lot about both these characters. Noor Mohammad obviously thinks that he and his “pakka Musalman” beta are out to wage jihaad against the “kamzad aurtei” who did not have any respect for the rules set by Shariah! That would be height od being misguided!
I would give full marks to Imran Abbas especially for those expressions which he gave when his step mother showed her support for Zulekha. Maya Ali’s expressions when she unveils her face in front of Yousuf’s house were priceless too. Hina Bayat’s acting has been flawless throughout the play but her expressions in the scene when Hajra is leaving with the police were spot on. The music in the background just added to the intensity of that scene. All the actors have done a commendable job which makes everything look so real.
The preview for the next episode made me sad except for the part of course when Zulekha hits Imran Mugheez and Yousuf’s father shows Noor Mohammad what a father should do for his children!
I don’t see Mera Naam Yousuf Hai’s story as a love story any more but it is more of a battle between good and evil. It is most certainly the good people – their honesty and their relationships with each other that keep me hooked to this show. A special thanks to Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar for a beautiful script, Mehreen Jabbar for the brilliant direction and all the actors for giving their best performances in this drama.
Do share your thoughts about tonight’s episode.
Fatima Awan
Mathira has been promoting her upcoming song “Neray Aa” a lot in the past few weeks. Mathira is going to give a new look to the old song which she says will make new memories in the mind of the listeners.
Mathira has always been known for her boldness although she knows that people don’t love her when she is so bold but she keeps on reminding such people that she does not care what they think about her.
Only the trailer of Mathira’s new song video is out but we can tell from it that it will turn controversial just like everything else Mathira does.
Here is the video:
Ramadan is just around the corner, and it is time for the ‘seasonal treat’ we get from familiar face on our TV screens. Let’s have a brief look on what we have been doing, what we will be doing and what we should be doing this month.
Last year the Ramadan transmissions were in full swing. Be it Amir Liaquat Hussain on Express, Waseem Badami & Junaid Jamshed on ARY digital, Ahsan Khan on Hum TV, and many others, no one left any stone unturned in celebrating this Holy month. All transmissions had their highs, lows and plateaus and had their own share of limelight.
Behold! Here comes Ramadan 2015
This year’s Ramadan transmissions are obscured in dark clouds. Junaid Jamshed had to leave the country because of life threats. Waseem Badami has been to Bol and back again, but I doubt he will be doing Shaan-e-Ramzan this year. We have news that Maya Khan will be hosting on TV one, while Ashsan Khan will be gracing Hum TV again.
Hmm…let’s see who remains…Oh yes, how can we forget? Our very own, ‘Jack of all channels’, the generous, the unmatched, the intellectual, Dr. (Axact) Amir Liaquat Hussain!!! (Drums rolling). For those who do not know about his current whereabouts, he is back to Geo these days and will apparently be rocking this year too. One teeny tiny, mini miney thing is his degrees are rumoured to be fake, but who cares really? One has a right to be called a doctor if they know how to feed mangoes after all! Gosh people, you need to stop criticising him, what has he ever done to anyone? :-P
Do’s and Don’ts
Alright, enough back-biting, let’s come to business. Personally, I do not think anyone can watch whole of these hours-long transmissions, but they influence people anyway. So why not use it for some more good?
Say NO to Catchy Jingles
I hate it when you are at iftar dastarkhwan making last minute supplications and have the TV switched on just to see iftar countdown and suddenly you are shaken by ‘light light refreshing…Qarshi Jam-e-Shireen’ or other jingles. There you are cursing yourself for leaving the TV volume high and hastily finding the remote to hit the mute button. Come on producers, we know how much are ads important for you but at least don’t stuff us with this unnecessary music at these crucial times? Most of us end up switching off the TV the moment iftar is declared.
Say NO to Exaggeration
I know I am up for criticism on this, but hear me out. We all love Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) more than our parents; his love is part of our Eeman. But please be careful while choosing Naats, as some have extremely exaggerated wordings that are only fit for Allah Subhana Wa’Taala. These little things can even be categorized as shirk. Obviously, neither the reciters nor the listeners have any bad intentions and only do it for the love of the Prophet (PBUH), but he (PBUH) has himself has warned us against this kind of shirk in us, his Ummah. May Allah guide us to the right path, Ameen.
Say NO to Prize Race
Enough has already been said about this unhealthy trend of distribution of lawns, mobiles, motorcycles and what-nots. News flash (again) for the producers is, we hate to see our brothers and sisters cat-fighting over these freebies and stooping as low as they can to get them. It is disgusting to see elderly people imitating a snake or young adults gulping down fruits for such stupid reasons. Prize distribution on some genuine merit is understandable and no one feels this bad when lost.
Say YES to Modesty
We appreciate that the female hosts, guests and attendees tend to cover their heads in Ramadan transmissions, but sisters, unfortunately, doing so with a georgette/ see through dupattas doesn’t do. If you cover your head, it must be properly done as described by Shariah. Some may object that the same ladies appear on other shows without hijab/ head covering so why the hypocrisy of doing so in such transmissions/ shows? Well, I think we should appreciate and promote the culture of modesty as little as it can be and should not discourage someone based on their other acts. To quote an article by Zeba Khan, entitled “Red Wine and Hojabis: A Judgement on Being Judgemental” which I read a few days ago,
“That’s like seeing a recovering paraplegic take their first steps, and then shoving them to the ground saying ‘You’re doing it all wrong! Just stop, that’s an insult to walking!”
Say YES to Quran
Man, how can I emphasize on it enough? Ramadan is the month of Quran. Reciting, learning and understanding Quran must be the three most important tasks for us this month. For this, the guys running TV can show lectures of renowned scholars like Dr. Israr Ahmed to truly delve into Quran. Also, more popular-among-the-teens scholars like Ustad Nouman Ali Khan and Dr. Zakir Naik’s lectures can also be aired. After all, we can learn something or the other from everyone.
Parting Words
Here is my little wish-list for TV in Ramadan, do share your own in the comments. By the end of the day, television industry is our own too; we should be the ones to rectify ourselves but if my words have hurt anyone, I apologize in advance.
Yours Truly
Noor-us-Saad
I have no idea what to say. I am absolutely speechless because I can’t even begin to describe how nauseating this episode was. What saddens me the most is the fact that this play was one of the very few plays I actually looked forward to. To be brutally honest, even watching Dusri Biwi didn’t repulse me to this extent because DB was a senseless play right from the get-go and I had no high expectations attached to it but to see Ishq Parast receiving this sort of treatment is downright shocking! It’s such a shame because this play started on a strong note and the story was progressing so well and after watching last week’s episode, I had a strong feeling that this Hamza-Dua-under-one-roof scenario will not be a complete disappointment but now that they’ve turned Hamza into a rapist, I am at a loss for words because I never could have imagined that they’d take his creepiness to that level. But thanks a lot, Big Bang Productions, it’s almost as if these people actually want their viewers to regret the day they tuned into their plays so yes, enjoy your moment of triumph because you’ve mastered the art of ruining a decent play- I hope you’re happy now!
So right now the play is all about a deranged madman who has his whole susraal wrapped around his little finger. The honeymoon period is over and Hamza has made it to Zohaib’s office and if you ask me, even Zohaib’s character is not as likeable as it used to be- so much for being the man of the house! Zohaib’s decisions lack foresight and are way too hasty for someone who assumed the responsibility of running the house at a young age. Hamza wants to destroy the whole family in every way possible and is getting every opportunity to do so. Dua tried to knock some sense into Zohaib but to no avail. I have been raving about Zohaib’s gentlemanly ways since the beginning but if he truly loves Dua, he should consider her views and give importance to what she has to say. Dua has been voicing her concerns ever since Hamza entered Arsala’s life but Zohaib has taken no notice of her apprehension.
Pasha Sahab is obviously very concerned about his daughter and I understand and feel for his helplessness- too bad there’s not much he can do to rescue his daughter!
I am finding it hard to buy the fact that Zohaib couldn’t even catch a glimpse of Hamza crashing the car into him. The whole scene just didn’t feel right to me and following that, whatever happened totally changed the course of the play and that too for the worse! It was just last week that I was appreciating the fact that they gave us a headstrong female character in the form of Dua but seems like tareef raas nahe ayi in ko! I can think of a million ways the story could’ve progressed in a decent yet engaging way but this latest obsession with molestation is totally beyond my comprehension. Armeena acted very well today and I felt a lot for Dua but needless to say, this is not how we wanted to see Dua- not so weak and vulnerable. I sincerely advise all drama makers to get over Chup Raho, or all the abuse-based plays for that matter.
The best twist would’ve been Hamza falling in love with Arsala and moving on in the true sense- my wishful thinking! I guess I should have known better than to expect a decent twist from a play produced by Big Bang.
Even though it was nearly impossible for me to spot something positive after the heinous development, I’d say that Arsala’s concern for her brother was very sweet.
I am greatly disturbed by the latest episode. What do you have to say about this episode? Please voice your views!
Maryam Mehdi
According to the sources the new kid on the block Feroze Khan has recently replaced Fawad Khan in the upcoming Lollywood venture Mann Mere (working title). Fawad Khan was excited to be part of the film after hearing what it had to offer but due to his commitments across the border he was unable to be a part of the film.
The shooting of the film starts this August. Feroze Khan mesmerized the audience with his acting in the drama Chup Raho which recently aired on ARY Digital. He also showcased his dance skills in the HUM Awards. He proved that he has everything it takes to play a lead in a film therefore the film producers approached him for the role when Fawad Khan was unable to commit himself for a shooting this year.
This will be Mr.Khan’s debut film and the leading lady is yet to be reveal but according to the sources the Actress has signed the contract and she is looking forward to work with Feroz Khan. Shooting of Mann Mere will be done in Pakistan completely. It will be entirely family entertainment movie with a strong social message plus there would be no vulgarity and item song. Other details will be revealed soon.
When Mawra Hocane entered in the world of Bollywood she assured her fans that she was not going to disappoint her fans. She also said that no one in Bollywood asks you to anything which you do not want to do. Her fans had high expectations from the actress because until now she has been very conscious about her image.
One of the pictures from Mawra Hocane’s photo shoot with Dubai based photographer Paul Aiken set the Pakistani public on fire because of Mawra’s dressing. Paul Aiken is usually busy shooting for celebrities who are associated with fitness training or are very fit. Paul Aiken put Mawra’s picture on his page but after many negative comments he decided to take it off.
Mawra Hocane shares all her pictures with her fans on Twitter and facebook too but she did not share this picture perhaps because she knew that it will not be taken in good taste by her fans here in Pakistan.
Farisa gives the phrase “aik tu chori upur se zeena zori” a whole new meaning! The way she confronted her mother and father in law when they tried to lay down the rules for her was height of “dheetai”! There is no word in English dictionary which explains Farisa’s behavior therefore using these one-of-a-kind words from our dear language would explain Farisa’s behavior way better than any other! I must say that Sara Khan has outdone herself in this play and I have to applaud the director for directing this play very intelligently. I am glad that we were not shown any unnecessary violence in tonight’s episode but the director and actors managed to get the message across loud and clear. Imran Abbas portrayed the other side of Haadi’s character which he probably didn’t even know existed perfectly. The fact that Haadi was willing to take some responsibility for what Farisa had done was definitely refreshing and also I did not expect him to confront Farisa in private! Haadi did not blame Farisa altogether, he did not tell his parents what had happened and he is willing to forget everything too even though his rage is getting the best of him at the moment. Things between Haadi and Farisa had changed a lot in the past few episodes and it was clear from Haadi’s conversation with his friend in tonight’s episode that he wanted to work to make his marriage better but Farisa had already moved on! Farisa thought she could get away with it but she clearly did not.
Haya’s life is as big a mess as that of Haadi and once again I must give the director due credit for keeping aggression to the minimum. Haya’s response to Rameez’s crazy behavior has been like that of a girl who knows how to handle difficult situations but that doesn’t mean that she is not breaking up inside. Rameez is bent on making sure that Haya does not get any space at all. He wants her to wear and eat what he want and his sarcastic comments make you understand what Haya must be going through. We were all making speculations about the accident but the accident was never shown in this episode. In fact some of the scenes that were shown in the preview of this episode were missing from it. Rameez and Haya might not have a perfect marriage but I must say that both the actors playing the respective roles are doing a commendable job. Sanam Jung has done complete justice to her character throughout the play and Zahid Ahmed is brilliant as Rameez. You also understand why Rameez has so many issues because of the way his character has been written.
Farisa is willing to elope with Saim (with all her jewelry of course!); she was more than ready to do that even before Haadi found out but Saim is giving the viewers and Farisa mixed signals. Saim appears to be genuine but the ending will be completely inappropriate if Saim is willing to marry Farisa therefore I am guessing that he might take her jewelry and leave the country.
I must say that I wasn’t expecting Alvida to be this logical. I find it very convincing and I have no problem understanding the characters at all. Samira Fazal’s scripts are always very enticing but the story and characters usually stop making sense at some point usually after episode 13 but there is no such problem with Alvida therefore I am expecting only the best from Samira Fazal in the future too. I must hand it to Shehzad Kashmiri for keeping things subtle and very decent. This drama would have been completely different in the hands of any other director.
Just like all the previous episodes of Alvida this one too was very engaging and it gave me something to look forward to.
Do share your thoughts about tonight’s episode.
Fatima Awan
The trailer of the upcoming film Wrong Number is launched today. Wrong Number is the first film directed by Yasir Nawaz and is scheduled to release on Eidul Fitar.
Sohai Ali Aabro is also making her debut from this film. Seasoned artist Javed Sheikh is playing the role of a Qassayee (Butcher) in this romantic comedy film. Danish Taimoor, who starred in recently released Jalaibee is playing the lead role in this film.
YNH Films & ARY Films Present
Wrong Number
Cast: Javed Sheikh, Danish Taimoor, Sohai Ali Abro, Janita Asma . Danish Nawaz, Shafqat Cheema & Nadeem Jafri
Directed By: Yasir Nawaz
Produced by: YNH FILMS (Yasir Nawaz, Nida Yasir, Hassan Zia)
Distributed by: ARY FILMS
A teaser was also released earlier this year in April 2015
Rashid Nazir Ali
Shehzad Roy is not just a musician but he is also a star like no other because he has done so much to improve the conditions of the people in the country. Shehzad Roy is a man on a mission who does not only want to make music for his country but he also wants to make a difference. Shehzad has looks and talent but he never ventured into acting until now.
When the singer and social activist was invited to Reham Khan’s talk show on Dawn he revealed that he was going to be acting in a commercial Pakistani film which will be released at the end of the year.
The film will be written by the distinguished writer Anwar Maqsood. It looks like the film has a very impressive script because it convinced someone like Shehzad Roy who never even considered acting to act in it. While talking about his acting career her said, “I never actually intended to do a film. But when the concept was presented to me, it was hard to say no.”
In the interview Shehzad Roy said that he has always tried to convey some kind of a social message through his songs and now through this film he will be have a much bigger opportunity to educate the masses in some way.
Shehzad Roy said the film has it all, romance and satire. He also said that people will see a very different side of him in the film. He said, “The film is very thought provoking, it will make you feel like you are sitting in a Pakistani cinema.” because he said that people will be able to relate to what they see on the big screen.
Shehzad said that Pakistani nation is very emotional and you will see all these emotions in the film.
We wish Shehzad Roy and Anwar Maqsood all the best.
Ohkay so, things are moving a bit slow for now in Mumkin but overall, it still makes a good drama to watch on a weekday. It was obviously expected that the pace of the drama will become a lot more stagnant after they’d cross a 10 episode mark & this is exactly what is happening because now every episode only deals with one situation at a time but IF they’ll wrap this drama up before 20 episodes, I think it would be great.
Natasha obviously is having a hard time seeing Maira getting along so well with everyone in the family. Natasha never wants to be a part of that family but she dislikes when someone tries to do that. She should know that everyone is different, so if there are things that might not be important to her, they can be important for someone else, so she should just let that person be & do her own thing. For Natasha, the only thing that set her apart from Maira was her social status but now when Maira is standing at the same platform as hers, she can’t seem to cope with it.
Rafia & her husband want Mehreen to settle down now when she has no one to look after her. Rafia, like a true friend wants the best for Mehreen & ever since the incident of someone trying to break into her home, Rafia is more of an opinion that Mehreen should have a companion in her life, who she can depend on. Even though Maira feels this is the right thing to do, the little hesitation that she had was subsided by the opinions Muneeb shared with her. It was actually very sweet to see Muneeb being considerate about Mehreen just as much as he always is about his own mother.
What Aziz is doing for Muneeb, Maira & indirectly for Mehreen is calling all sorts of suspicion on him but it seems that he really doesn’t care about what Nageen & Natasha would have to say when they’ll find out. Going by the way Waleed reacted, it actually showed that he doesn’t want Muneeb to be a partner in that business & he also doesn’t like anyone’s interference. Aziz obviously is a shareholder so he gets to have a check or say in the business matters but Waleed doesn’t like it. The way Aziz tried to cross check Waleed actually showed that he has picked on how Waleed has kept Muneeb away from the family business because he doesn’t want anyone as a partner. Aziz doesn’t understand that the way he is showering his love on Muneeb & Maira to be precise can put them in an awkward position because Natasha obviously is giving Maira a hard time so she will really make their lives miserable if she will pick on something of that sort seeing her father going through so much trouble for them.
I think it’s about time they let us know the reason why Aziz left & couldn’t come back to Mehreen because their phone conversations are becoming a bit monotonous. Yes, I think the whole scenario of Mehreen’s marriage might make Aziz come out clean about the relationship he shares with her as he obviously doesn’t want to lose her. I am guessing Mehreen will say yes to this marriage thinking she’d be able to keep Aziz away from herself so I am expecting a lot more drama to come. Over all it’s an interesting watch, so let’s see what more do they have in store for us. I am glad they added a few scenes of Muneeb & Maira together; it’s always a treat to watch them both. Share your say please. :)
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza
Ohkay so, this episode was intense & interesting but it left me confused as to who do I dislike more; Ruhina or Behroz? The recent turn of events has unmasked their dirtiest faces & I find them both equally wrong. I like how the story is getting a lot more intense & even though we can figure out what might happen ahead, it still makes us look forward to it because the script & the story has been tackled intelligently.
Even though I find Ruhina completely wrong but this time around, I kind of understood where she was coming from & for me, the real culprit is Behroz. Those people, whom he showed his attitude & ego might’ve changed but this side of him is still pretty much dominant in his personality. Behroz is doing exactly what he did 20 years ago; first he chose not to understand Agha Jaan & made an irrational decision of leaving his whole family & now he is choosing to misunderstand Ruhina & enforcing his decision regarding their only child; on her. Yes, even though now Ruhina has no grounds to hold grudges against Agha Jaan, but the way Behroz has kept her in a dark for the last 20 years, makes her stance justified. I totally blame Behroz for not talking about his family or the repeated attempts of reconciliation done by Suhaib, with Ruhina. He is the one who chose to keep her away from all that he was feeling & for the last 20 years, made her believe that she was the only one that mattered to him the most, so yes, it is imperative that Ruhina will misunderstand his family because she hasn’t met this Behroz before who’d cry for the love of his father & brother.
Just now when Ruhina had a bag full of complaints & misunderstandings against Suhaib & Agha Jaan, why didn’t Behroz utter a single word to clear off their name? Behroz made an extra effort to silent his wife while completely ignoring the point that it was about time he should let her know how hard Suhaib tried to take him back to Agha Jaan & how much he also tried to help him financially while Behroz was busy fulfilling his husbandly duties. Even though, I dislike Ruhina, I still find her right in a way because she has seen her husband suffering & sulking for the last 20 years. All she knows is that Behroz’s family never made an effort to reconcile & abandoned him, she has only seen Behroz being restless & sleepless most of the nights because he used to miss his people, so it is totally natural for her to hate Behroz’s family because for her, her husband was innocent who only went by the right he had of choosing his life partner, making Agha Jaan & Suhaib the culprits who estranged their son & elder brother.
I found Behroz completely irrational because he threw a curveball at his wife & daughter & expected them to understand those unspoken feelings that he had kept a secret from them for them all this while? The way he dealt with Ruhina only made him look a bigger villain who chose irrationality while conversing with his wife whereas he should’ve taken that as an opportunity to let her know how wrong she was being by misunderstanding Agha Jaan over & over again. It almost felt like ever since he has realized his mistake, he is using his only daughter as a pawn to compensate for the pain he has caused to Agha Jaan & his whole family.
It was good to see Arjumand being a part of all the activities in her own way. Looks like she still holds a grudge against Behroz & even Ruhina but at least she is trying not to make Faarah face the brunt of what her parents did to her. I now feel after Agha Jaan’s personal apology, Ruhina has no reason to cling onto that bitter memory. Yes, things don’t change within a few seconds & no one is expecting her to get quite pally with everyone around, but at least she can be at peace now & let go of the past to make her present & future work. I feel the way Behroz is treating Ruhina makes things uglier. I really expected him to tackle the whole situation with a bit more maturity because he needs Ruhina on his side too & now when he has made a decision about Faarah on his own, it obviously will make his wife misunderstand & blame every single person of his family, including him. Now when the story has come to this point, I feel Behroz has been unfair to everyone around him all his life; he was unfair to Agha Jaan just because he thought he was too authoritative, he was unfair to Arjumand by leaving her in the lurch, he was unfair to Suhaib by misunderstanding him all his life, he is now being unfair to Ruhina by expecting her to accept his singlehanded decision & last but not the least, he is also being unfair to Faarah by making the most important decision of her life without even thinking about her for a second. Behroz was egoistic, irrational, and unfair & Behroz is still egoistic, irrational & unfair.
All said & done about Behroz, I really find Ruhina wrong as well. It only took her 2 weeks to forget everything Behroz has ever done for her, for the last 20 years. She actually ran out of words & anger when Behroz reminded her of how he left her. Ruhina, at least shouldn’t just think all this was actually a drama, starting from Suhaib’s death to Agha Jaan’s fragility. She actually comes across as an insecure person who really has no faith in her bonding with her husband, which is why ever since Behroz has been with Agha Jaan, all she has ever talked about is how Agha Jaan will turn Behroz against her. If she was an emotionally & mentally stable person, she would never ever doubt her husband because he took a stand for her & has been a dutiful husband ever since he got married to her, so these 2 weeks shouldn’t bother her at all. Ruhina would have never doubted her relationship if she actually believed in herself.
Over all it was a good episode. The confrontations between Behroz & Ruhina were done nicely without overdoing any of that. I really dislike how they show one thing in the preview to keep us all engaged & that scene is never made a part of the current episode. Yes, I did find the whole emphasis on ‘our’ & ‘hum’ by Wali a bit forced. He has just met Faarah & obviously he believes in giving people a benefit of doubt, so the whole emphasis on that idea seemed a bit out of question, but nevertheless, I enjoyed seeing all three youngsters in one frame, it was good to see some young faces for a change. Agha Jaan looked so sweet while he was making an extra effort to make Ruhina comfortable. I liked that they did add the bit where Agha Jaan picked how Ruhina was still angry at him. Agha Jaan really meant when he said that Suhaib’s death has taken away all that he used to be proud of & has changed him completely. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this episode, loving everyone’s acting & the locations are absolutely beautiful. Please share your say with us. :)
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
ps: Enforcing a ban on the spoiler-alert-police once again!
For the first time I have read such kind of a novel which covered many genres. It was a bunch of mystery, suspense, love, teachings and exotic traveling spots But there were many things I didn’t like about JKP.
JKP was written by a very well known writer Nimra Ahmed. There were many controversies related to this novel’s treasure hunt riddles. People have even stated that the content is not original but I won’t focus in these matters. As long as the novel is gripping and teaches you a lot about Islam we could ignore these things.
Main Theme
The Main theme of this novel could be explained in terms of the main characters Haya and Cehan.One side of the story revolves around the topic of “Hijaab “and how one verse of Quran could change her life forever. The transformation of a modern girl (Haya) to a Hijaabi girl was the main essence of this novel. The Other side of the story depicts the life of a spy guy Cehan and his duty’s severe and harsh demands.
Not revealing the story but giving the main introduction :)
Mr.Suleiman has two children, Haya and Rohail.Rohail has been studied in U.S and Haya has been selected for a scholarship from the Europian union and she leaves for Turkey for about five months. The main reason of Haya to apply for this scholarship is Cehan . These two characters are connected together by a sacred childhood bond i.e Nikkah ,that was forgotten. Cehan’s mother ( Haya’s phopho) Sebain lives in Turkey.
Beautiful Location
The Amazing and Magnificent portrayal of Turkey would actually make you add this country to your tourism list. The Bosphorus bridge, one of the two suspension bridges spanning in Istanbul connects Europe and Asia. I knew alot about Turkey through this novel and I thank Nimra Ahmed for this pleasing introduction.
Confusing Characters
Suspense and detective touch has been added to this novel. The arrival of flowers and congratulating Haya for the scholarship from ARP was very shocking .It actually made me feel that someone is spying on Haya.Many characters such as Major Ahmed, Khawaja Sira , Pinky and Dolly added to the suspense element of this story. It was quite surprising actually to see that whenever Haya was in trouble Major Ahmed, Khawaja Sira,Pinky or Dolly would help her. They were like blessing in disguise. But I personally thought they were obscure.
Major Ahmed was displayed as Cybercrime Agency worker. He removed the dancing video of Haya and Irum from the webs and actually did give her a strange advice about jannat kay pattay. Dolly saved her from Waleed’s trap and it was spot on and he bashed her saying “Be-haya , Be-haya “.
There were so many characters added just to create suspense and mystery but in my opinion the novel would have been much captivating and pleasing without this much characters. It did create a lot of skepticism.
Halay was another positive character added.Ayeshae Gull and Baharay were my favourite characters as they helped Haya to understand and to direct her life according to the teachings of Islam.The Best scenes were collecting the pearls and Surah Al-Ehzab riddle. It was when Haya made a decision to wear Hijab the meaning of the riddle appeared and the unanswered part was answered at the end.
Turkey‘s Adventures and Great Lessons
Turkey changed Haya forever and for good.The journey of problems took a very interesting turn when she reached Turkey with her friend DJ. The flight scene and the introduction of ARP made me sense some danger. ARP( Abdul Rehman Pasha) was portrayed as the well known smuggler and Haya was warned to take good care of herself against him. Haya’s meeting with Cehan was formal. Haya and DJ showed a really good chemistry and became were very good friends.It was DJ who took Cehan with her and Haya to travel Turkey.The scene when the hotel was destroyed made me feel for Cehan Alot. The Death scene of DJ was really heart wrenching and it was magnificently connected with this philosophy
“Cheezain waqti hoti hain, toot jaati hain bikhar jaati hain,rawaye dayimi hote hain apna asar chor jaate hain” and the other lesson was hidden in the horrifying ” Natasha” part where Haya got burned and she felt the torture of hell-fire. These were life long lessons for Haya. The adventure of Haya to find Cehan and enjoying the Hot Air Balloon ride was sweet.
Treasure Hunt Riddles
This was the most interesting part of the novel. Treasure Hunt Riddles added a lot more of mystery content to this novel. In my opinion it was really interesting and gripping while Haya was trying to solve them. The famous quotes of Heraclitus was very well introduced and the puzzle box was my favourite. It was a very clever way of using these riddles in appropriate situations.
Cehan Sikander – The Other Half Of The Novel
Oh, this character is recently the heart-throb of many girls after Salar Sikander (Oh they both are Sikander ). The reason behind this is his bewitching, charismatic and alluring nature.He understood Quran very deeply and this was shown very beautifully by Nimra Ahmed in the tafseer of Surah Al-Falq.Cehan was definitely suffering from inferiority complex because of the past of his perfidious father. The early period of his life and his concept of مرة جميلة (very beautiful ) was well written. He was a spy and the torture cell part showed his intelligent mind. He loved his country and was serving him in a best way possible. He didn’t want Haya to come to Turkey as she would know about his secret. The way he helped Haya was out of this world and a bit filmy at times.He didn’t like Haya because she didn’t fulfill what مرة جميلة of Cehan demands but later on he admires her. The restaurant part was not impressive at all. It made it look like a big drama and his friendship with hammad was very sweet.
Connecting The Characters
It was confusing because as I mentioned above so many characters, so many things happened at the same time. but I have a confession Nimra Ahmed did connected them marvelously and at the end of the novel everything fell into perspective.
All and All, It was a good novel there was much dragging and it made the novel boring at times. Especially when Haya’s period was paused and Cehan’s life started it was too long and there was so much to digest .It was a long novel and it had a happy ending.
One more thing the forced hijab and the restrictions in the family of Haya exposed some character’s filthy actions. As Haya’s hijab was not by force it was a heart’s decision she loved and respected it and the way she fought alone without uttering anything to Cehan showed the strength of her character.
It was hard to review such a rich novel but I tried.
Looking forward to your feedback
Special thanks to Noor-us-Saad
Asma Jamali
Maria Wasti is a confident actress who has been around for a very long time. Nowadays Maria Wasti is busy planning a one of a kind Morning Show that will be airing on a new channel which is based in Turkey. The channel will be airing Pakistani dramas and shows. The Morning Show will be titled “Sunrise from Istanbul.
Maria Wasti posted some pictures which make it look like the whole show will be shot on a cruise ship.
After Mawra Hocane, sister Urwa Hocane was recently offered a film by one of the leading filmmakers in India Ekta Kapoor. The title of the film was “Azhar” in which Urwa was offered to play the lead with Emran Hashmi. Urwa Hocane said that she was interested in working across the border but she was not going to compromise on quality.
Talking to the media the young actress said, “I am getting a couple of offers from Bollywood but I just don’t want to cross the border for the sake of it.”
“If I ever opt for Indian movie I’ll be looking forward for meaty characters otherwise I am quite happy working in Pakistan,” added the actress.
Urwa also added that she had to do some very bold scenes in the film which she did not want to do. “I don’t want to do bold scenes, but that was not the only reason, I was also busy working on a local production Jhol.”
Urwa Hocane has recently stepped into working in Pakistani films with the film Na Maloom Afraad. Urwa Hocane said that there were some others offers from Bollywood to which she was thinking about but there was nothing definite on the cards just yet.
Neelam Munir is one of the many celebrities who make a special effort to stay in touch with her fans. Nowadays Social Networking Pages play an important role in bridging the gap between the celebrities and their fans but some people misuse these pages by making fake accounts. Neelam Munir made a special video to tell all her fans that she did not add anyone as friends in any personal accounts because she does not have a personal account. She said that her sister made this fan page for her which she runs herself but she has never contacted any of her fans through any personal accounts.
Neelam said that sometimes when she meets people they tell her that they talked to her or send things to her when she has never even talked to anyone like that . She urged her fans to not let such people fool them and to be wise.
Here is Neelam Munir’s video which she made for her fans after giving it a lot of thought:
Few weeks ago Imran Abbas also made a similar request to his fans. Looks like there are many people out there who are using the name of these celebrities to get in touch with people and get gifts from them too.
Directed by Ilyas Kashmiri and produced by Momina Duraid and Sateesh Anand, drama serial ‘Mol’ is based on the story put forward by Faysal Manzoor Khan while the person behind the screenplay is our very own Amna Mufti. I was pretty excited about Mol for a couple of reasons. First off, I am a fan of Naveen Waqar and after her convincing performance in Humsafar, I wanted to see her playing the lead role in a quality play. Secondly, seeing Faisal Qureshi on HUM TV after quite some time is indeed a breath of fresh air.
From whatever I could glean after watching the introductory episode, I’d say that this play definitely has some headstrong and interesting characters to offer but the story itself doesn’t seem to be a far cry from the ones we see on our TV screens very often.
So the female protagonist of the play is Emaan (Naveen Waqar). Emaan’s a headstrong woman who has an allergic-to-pretenses approach towards life. She strongly believes in love but is certainly not waiting for her Prince Charming! Emaan works for the welfare of special children because she is a compassionate individual who believes in making a difference and that’s probably why I instantly developed a liking for her character. One more thing about Emaan is that she always has a definite opinion of her own and never shies away from voicing it.
Emaan’s family consists of her mother and father, Imtiaz (Munawwar Saeed) and sister, Nazia (Minaal Khan). They are happily settled in Sukkur. I would definitely commend HUM TV for not sticking to Karachi and the fact that they are exploring different areas of Pakistan is indeed refreshing :).
Then of course we have our hero, Sheheryaar Hassan (Faisal Qureshi). He is an independent man who lives by his own code and is very particular about- everything! He likes things on his own terms and I’d have to admit that his first appearance actually gave me a bad vibe because he came across as a cold and to some extent, arrogant person but my impression of him did change towards the end of the episode.
Sheheryaar’s mother, Hajra (Ismat Zaidi) and father (Nadeem Baig) want him to tie the knot with his cousin, Sajal (Iqra Aziz). About Sajal, I didn’t get any vibe from her- not even a negative one! And that’s because the actress is expressionless and it seems like she is not much into her character. Sajal’s character has given me absolutely nothing to look forward to. What’s different about her character? Zilch! She is in love with Sheheryaar- too bad Sheheryaar couldn’t care less! This sounds so familiar because this track has been done to death and these bachpan ki baat pakkian seriously need to stop.
Sajal’s parents, i.e. Sheheryaar’s Chacha and Chachi are a little too desperate, if you ask me. Also, their dialogues were very lame. ”Mein tou apni beti kay paida honay say pehlay hi uss kay farz say azaad ho gaya tha. Yaad hai Bhai Jaan, kis tarah bachpan mein Sheheryaar ussay god mein uthaye phirta tha?” Do they have any idea how sickening such dialogues are and the fact that they are coming from so-called educated and modern people makes it even worse! Hate to burst their bubble but the Sheheryaar they’re talking about is now a 35-year old man who doesn’t even remember what they’re talking about.
As the episode progressed, we got a clearer insight into Sheheryaar’s character. Sheheryaar stays aloof and distant from his parents and he is not on good terms with his father in particular and there’s a background to it. Sheheryaar’s father is quite an overbearing person- he always kept his son at an arm’s length and failed to give him the time and attention he deserved. Sheheryaar was sent away from home for his studies and as a result, he stopped depending on his parents when it came to making decisions. Now that he is a self-reliant and independent man, he refuses to accept the decisions imposed on him by his parents. He doesn’t want to marry Sajal because of the obvious age difference and also because he wants to make this decision on his own. It’s good to see that Sheheryaar doesn’t have a strained relationship with his mother. I liked how Hajra tried to reason with her husband to make him view things from Sheheryaar’s perspective.
Sheheryaar is a Deputy Commissioner and he has an honest and responsible attitude towards his job. He moves to Sukkur by choice and I think after he reached Sukkur, I actually got a chance to connect to his character. His conversation with Imtiaz Sahab (reminder: Imtiaz Sahab is Emaan’s father) about Sukkur was interesting and well-written.
Sheheryaar and Emaan’s paths cross each other when the school where Emaan works in arranges an Annual Function and Sheheryaar is invited as the Chief Guest. I think that istiqbaal could have been better because Chief Guest ko phool pattiyan kaun phekhta hai? Sheheryaar’s little gestures like reaching the school early to keep the children from waiting showed that behind the stiff and cold facade, there lurks a down to earth individual.
Sheheryaar develops a liking for Emaan because of the fact that Emaan is a strong headed individual- she voices what she feels is right and big names don’t intimidate her. Sheheryaar also likes the fact that she is genuinely concerned about the children she works with. And yes, she is the only woman not smitten with Sheheryar’s charm so that makes her stand out :P. Her dialogues while addressing Sheheryaar were well thought out but I think they could have been cut short. I don’t know if it’s just me but it almost felt like Emaan was delivering a speech memorized or learned by heart. I’d have to say that the supporting actors (Emaan’s colleagues) must work on their dialogue delivery.
Since this was an introductory episode, it’s too early to give a verdict. And yes, I had an issue with the lighting today. I wish they fix it soon. So how many of you watched the episode? Are you looking forward to this play? Voice your views :)
Maryam Mehdi
Hamza Ali Abbasi is a very talented man without any doubt but lately his status updates on his facebook page have been inviting a lot more criticism than one person can handle. His dramatic resignation and his regular status updates on politics and national issues have made him more than just an actor and director. There are some people who get inspired by him but there are also those who make fun of the actor who has something to say about everything.
Hamza Ali Abbasi said in one of his posts that some brand pulled back its brand endorsement because of his opinions on national issues.
What has been the talk of the town is this status of Hamza Ali Abbasi which has not been taken well by many people who think that Hamza Ali Abbasi should stick to acting!
Hamza Ali Abbasi edited this post after public outburst because initially he had used the words “musician and artist ” and not “musawir”.
In the edited post he also added the part about his own “repentance” after people talked about everything that he had done in his film and questioned whether that was “art”!
He also gave more clarifications as people kept on criticizing him.
Veena Malik has been out of the limelight since the court passed rulings against her but she keeps her fans posted about herself and her family through her very active twitter page. Veena Malik’s son Abram Khan is the apple of her eye which is why she is always sharing pictures of him on her twitter page.
Recently Veena Malik was spotted in a party in Dubai and it was revealed that her second baby is on the way. Veena has not informed her fans about the news which is strange because she always shares everything with her fans. In a recent interview Veena Malik said that she missed her country and she wanted to come back.
Here is the most recent picture of the actress:
Ohkay so (can’t get enough of this expression, haha) this episode was totally interesting & made me laugh a lot too. I love Jugnoo’s attitude where she always knows how to bounce back from a certain situation. The way she has played with all the people around her goes to show that there is so much in her mind & she has so many ideas that she knows how to pull herself back from any difficulty that she might come across & this is something that I love about her character the most. They might’ve shown it all with a light humour but at least for a change it is good to see a strong girl who fights her own battles & doesn’t care an ounce about the consequences & what others might have to say.
Zulfi obviously felt bad for leaving Jugnoo in the lurch but he couldn’t say much as he knew, nothing that he will say will make Baba Sahab change his mind. He was obviously having a hard time with the European Ghazala because his mind & heart belongs to Jugnoo now. Jugnoo knew she had to go & find Zulfi because she wanted a few questions to be answered. Even though her main motive was to get her husband back but it was also to remind him about how he fell short on his responsibility. She succeeded in finding Zulfi & that trip was full of adventures too. I love how Jugnoo makes ways for herself & has a bigger ego than her problems that she faces.
I thoroughly enjoyed Jugnoo & Zulfi’s meeting & their reactions. It is so obvious that Zulfi has figured out what Jugnoo is like & he likes to depend on her as well because he knows she will find a way out of everything. That is why Zulfi just followed her lead & even followed her orders of stealing the bangles. This is something that Zulfi has never done before but now that he has Jugnoo, he wants her to run his course of life because he enjoys it like anything & he knows he might not have much of a courage that Jugnoo has, so he thinks it’s better not to stop her.
Jugnoo had a full proof plan which is why she knew exactly what she was doing & was going to do. She knew how she had to fool everyone & rescue her husband from Baba Sahab’s arrest. Till date, Jugnoo has been able to make a very bad impression on Baba Sahab & what’s more interesting is that Baba Sahab knows he can’t underestimate this young girl because she has been challenging him since the day they have met. Baba Sahab has pretty much understood that Jugnoo won’t make it easy for him to get Zulfi back & get him married to Ghazala, this is why it seems he is going to take his gloves off.
During all this, what I really loved the most was that before leaving for Murree, Jugnoo gave some money to Khala Jahangir for her mother. It goes to show that even though she might not say, she loves her mother a lot & feels for her because of what Khala Jahangir puts her through. Amidst all the issues that Jugnoo was going through, she made sure to secure her mother’s position in that place, which I thought was very sweet. Jugnoo knows that this is the only thing that will keep her mother tension free in that house because money is something that will make Khala Jahangir respect Shahjahan & before leaving she made sure to do something of that sort which will stop Khala Jahangir from giving her mother a hard time by taunting her incessantly.
This episode was really interesting & I found myself laughing at a few bits, first one was Zulfi uttering he doesn’t have universe but Europe around him & then the way he changed his voice to speak to Baba Sahab on the phone. Zahid Ahmed has been amazing as Zulfi too & Yumna fits this character so well. I like Rehan Sheikh as Baba Sahab as well; he has done a brilliant job to portray the irritated & non-serious businessman. I think along with Baba Sahab, Jugnoo now also has Bakshi Jee who hates her & he will also do everything to make her life miserable. The preview of the next episode seemed a bit more dramatic & I think next episode will change the course of the drama with a lot more challenges & obstacles coming Jugnoo’s way. Please share your say about this episode & let me know what you think.
Keep supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
” Aba jeet gaye betiyan haar gaye…tum meri baat likh ke rukh lo 3015 mei bhi aba jeet jaya karei gay aur betiya haar jaye gi”
This episode was very disturbing especially the part when Noor Mohammad hit Zulekha. The helplessness of all these women despite of their intelligence and confidence is a very sad reality of our society; everything that we saw in tonight’s episode was very real perhaps that was more of a reason why it was so upsetting. All the women living in Noor Mohammad’s house are more enlightened and sensitive than the man of the house but because they are women therefore when they express their opinion they are considered insolent. Noor Mohammad keeps on blaming Afia for ruining his life even though he is the one who first married her against her wishes. He knew she loved someone else but he did not care about her feelings and is now having an affair. Afia Begum’s threats of divorce were only threats just like Zulekha she is incapable of acting on anything she said. It is sad that men in our society can get away with ruining a marriage because there are absolutely no legal rules to protect the women financially in case of a divorce. Also, the society will always blame a woman even if the man is as unreasonable as Noor Mohammad. When this drama started I tried my best to be very understanding of Noor Mohammad’s behavior in the initial episodes but the fact is that there is absolutely nothing likeable about his character. He is a representative of a very ugly face of our society which everyone knows about but no one wants to do much to change it. Our society if full of Noor Mohammad’s and Bushra’s too! She is the other woman who does not think twice before breaking someone’s house.
Zulekha’s nikkah with Imran Mugheez was completely unexpected but if we see things from a realistic angle than she did not have much of a choice either. Even now all of Zulekha’s threat carry no weight because we all know that her father will make sure that she does whatever he wants her to do. I wish Afia Begum would have come to her daughter’s rescue earlier; it was heart wrenching to see Noor Mohammad hitting Zulekha like that and I could not help but feel for all those girls out there who have to live under such conditions. This drama goes to show what a big effect a father has in making or breaking the spirits of his children. On one hand we have Yousuf’s father who is always supportive of him and understands him and on the other hand we have a very unreasonable father whose sole purpose in life is to belittle his wife and daughters.
I was really looking forward to watching Daa Ji make an appearance today but even though he was there in tonight’s episode but he was definitely not the focus of attention in any way and neither was Yousuf. I would have liked to see a conversation of the two friends in which Yousuf could have shared something about how he felt about Zulekha’s nikkah. Yousuf’s release from the jail came at a very heavy price which effected everyone in the drama. Madiha’s guilt was justified because she was the main reason why Zulekha felt she needed to do something to make sure Yousuf was out of the jail.
Unlike all the previous episodes of MNYH this one was very heavy duty, it was like a reality check. All the other episodes gave us hope that things will get better for Yousuf and Zulekha but now we know that there is no hope for them. Watching a girl like Zulekha giving up and being hit by her jahil father proves that what Zulekha said was right daughters are helpless most of the times. Dialogues like the one I quoted in the begining make you think about where we are headed and where we are standing now. While watching this episode I forgot that this was meant to be a love story but my heart went out to all those women who put up with abuse at the hands of their men and they have no other choice but to continue living with them. We live in a society where most often women are taken for granted.
Like every other episode of MNYH this one too had some really intense conversations, the most powerful one was the one between Zulekha and her mother when Afia Begum says to her that she did not look like Zulekha at all…..“Zulekha hi tu lag rahi hun, dekhe tu sahi qaid mei pare Yousuf ko kharid kr reha kr diya. Apne aap kp ko beech diya meinay.”
I must say that Waseem Abbas has done a really good job of playing the unreasonable father and person who deserves to be hated! I have absolutely no complaints with Maya Ali’s acting in tonight’s episode but I wish we didn’t have to see all that hitting because it was awfully distressing. All the actors acted brilliantly tonight just like all the previous episodes; the acting and direction is so good that I tend to forget that I am watching a drama!
Am I the only one who really needs to watch something fun now in order to cheer myself up? This episode has left me shaken to the core!
Do share your thoughts about tonight’s episode.
Fatima Awan
Umera Ahmed’s Aks ( a reflection ) is all about the game of chess. One might think that what is the connection of the reflection with a game of chess. Well, after reading Aks you will definitely be able to know about this confusing subject.
The writing style is very unique, beautiful, intriguing and a bit confusing. This novel will definitely disturb you as it is about one of the harsh and brutal face of life. Starting from the very beginning ,it’s quite disturbing to jump from one scenario to another and to remember what is happening. But I think this is the beauty and suspense of this novel. In a game of chess, Queen is the most powerful piece. Yet, the whole game of chess is about king’s show of power. Chirya is not satisfied with this arrangement. She thinks if queen is the most powerful piece then she must be the most “important “one too.
Moving to the other scenario of this novel is a fairytale of Snow White and seven dwarfs. The seven dwarfs are actually the jins which are present in the house. There is a per-conceived notion about them that they are scary, horrible and very ugly But Aks loves them because they never harmed her and she named them Daido, Kato, Minta, Kinta, Shinta, Toko, Tofo. Connecting these two scenarios is an art of an amazing writer and I believe Umera Ahmed nailed it.
Aks is all about the struggle, sacrifice and fight of a young girl 8 years Old, who suffers from a childhood trauma . The way she stands on her own not only to face the disgusting world but to defeat the horrifying game of psychologically disturbed people is amazing. She is different, headstrong, intelligent and a beautiful girl because of her determination, intellectual abilities and immense wisdom. Umera Ahmed perfectly conveyed her personality and made me love her.
One of the most important message she conveys is education. Education is actually the enrichment of faculties, development of personality, utilization of abilities, cultivation of individuality, accomplishment of society, transmission of excellences, inculcation of values, organization of experiences and normalization of mind. Aks Muraad Ali achieves all this despite being psychologically disturbed. The way she copes with her trauma with the help of her beloved Nana is exceptional. She proves that Queen is the most important one But there is one thing Aks believes is really important and it is qismat.
“Zindagi ka har imtihan insan zahanat aur mehnat se pass nahi karsakta, baaz imtihanoan k liye qismat ke ilawa aur koi cheez darkar nahi hoti”
It is a very deep novel, it will actually leave you to think about this life in a more philosophical way.
“Kabhi tmne dhoop aur chaon ko aik jagah jamay dekha hai? Zindagi bhi aisi hi hoti hai “
This novel has some beautiful and adorable relationships. The relationship of Chirya and Nana . Her Nana is her huge support. Sherdil is portrayed as a perfect husband even though he admires Aks alot but is sincere with her wife. Aks conveys that whatever bad is happened to you, you should be the one to end it and it is beautifully sketched as she forces Sherdil to return Noor bano for their daughter might not go through what Aks has suffered.
The only drawback or the negative aspect of this novel was the confusing names, two different scenarios and I think the main theme itself. It is quite disturbing to read about such matters as they wrench your heart. But I think it is worth it for such a beautiful character it leaves you with no choice but to admire Aks.
Aks is a reflection and it was left for us to think who we are, the normal looking people with filthy hearts or the scary, ugly creatures with beautiful heart.
I won’t recommend this novel to everyone because it did disturb me a lot but friends it has a deep message . It is inspirational and especially for girls it’s worth it.
Asma Jamali
Fatima Effendi is a young and talented actress who has mesmerized the Pakistani viewers with her outstanding performances in many serials and soaps time and again. It is not a surprise that this gifted actress caught the eye of the Bollywood producers also. Fatima Effendi told the media that she was offered a Bollywood film but she did not accept the offer because her role in the film was very bold.
Fatima said that for her family’s respect came first and that respect will be affected if she played such roles in film. She also said, “Anees Bazmee called me and praised my drama serial and asked me to work in his film. I asked him about the story and the character I’d portray, but refused to sign the movie because it required me to play a bold character.”
Fatima Effendi also said that she is always very conscious about what she wears even in Pakistani dramas so she could not even think about being part of such a film. “I’ve never faced any restrictions from my family about working in Bollywood movies, but I’ve always known my limits. That’s why I never do anything that may be shameful for me or my family,” she added.
The young actress said that she was interested in stepping into the world of films but here preference would be doing an art movie and not a commercial one. Fatima Effendi will be seen in an upcoming serial “Takabur” produced by Six Sigma which will be aired on Aplus. Fatima also appeared in a commercial along with her son Almir. Here is the video of the TVC which marked the debut of Fatima Effendi’s son on television.
As expected, this episode had a lot to do with Hamza’s low life tactics to get back at Dua. But thankfully, I did find a few aspects of this episode quite pleasant so I am pleased that this episode wasn’t a total disappointment.
Even though I am not happy with the significant amount of screen time reserved for Pasha Sahab’s scenes, I would have to admit that I really felt for him in this episode. Now that he was finally content with his life, Hamza came in to ruin the chances of Pasha Sahab becoming a better person. I was very much taken aback when Hamza introduced himself to Pasha Sahab because I didn’t see that coming so soon.
The whole honeymoon scenario tonight made me cringe (excluding Dua-Zohaib scenes, of course). The way Hamza and Arsala easily convinced Zohaib to join them on their honeymoon didn’t convince me at all. The fact that this suggestion was brought forward by Hamza was very troubling and I was expecting Arsala to oppose to it. More so, I was expecting Zohaib to talk sense but no one even flinched at Hamza’s insistence, except for Dua of course. Why don’t these people find it weird that Hamza doesn’t care about his privacy at all?
If, for a fleeting moment, I ignore the fact that Hamza has no feelings for Arsala, I’d say that Hamza and Arsala make a cute and youthful couple. Some of their scenes are cute but if you ask me, the Pooh jokes are a little lame :P. I don’t know why but for some strange reason, I was expecting to see a different side of Arsala after her marriage but khair, Arsala will remain Arsala :). The wedding night scene was funny but I don’t think we could actually relate to it. I wish they take some time to establish their relationship because I want to see if Hamza actually develops feelings for Arsala with the passage of time, I know, the chances are next to zero but if that happens, it’d be quite an interesting twist. I also want to see what Hamza means to Arsala because up till now, I haven’t had much of an idea as to how Arsala feels about him.
Mar mitana hai ya maar mitana hai, jo bhi karna hai do it fast because during this mar mitaana process, the threats and showdowns we are forced to watch are anything but ‘thrilling’. While watching Hamza blackmailing Dua, I was constantly reminded of Ahmed Ali’s scenes in Dusri Biwi where he was hell bent on destroying the life of his ex-fiance. I feel that there were a couple of scenes in which Zohaib should’ve sensed that Hamza is a creep but sadly, that didn’t happen.
Normally, in our plays, we see female leads sobbing and pleading their helplessness in front of obsessive stalkers but I have to admit that it’s indeed a pleasant surprise to see Dua emerging as quite a headstrong woman. I was dreading Dua’s rona dhona but to my pleasant surprise, we didn’t have to sit through any crying sequences. Dua’s dialogues were written very well and I commend the writer for penning quite some hard-hitting dialogues. I loved the scene in which Dua gave Hamza a piece of her mind in front of Zohaib and Arsala. ”Ishq parast aur ana parast mein bohat farq hota hai. Ana parast mein say shuru hota hai, aur ishq parast apni mein ko khatam kar kay shuru hota hai.” Dua’s love for Zohaib has strengthened her and I really like the way she kept bringing up Zohaib’s name in response to Hamza’s jali katti baatain.
”Muhabbat sukoon hai, ishq junoon hai.” Hamza claims to know all about love! Despite the reality checks he gets from Dua, he continues to believe that his twisted sense of ‘ishq’ can justify all his actions.
Zohaib saw this as an opportunity to make up for lost time and even though I found it a bit absurd of him to agree to join Arsala and Hamza, I reallyyy enjoyed watching Dua and Zohaib’s sweet scenes- their scenes are always directed very well. It goes without saying that the chemistry the two share is beautiful! Muhabbat Khan gets irritating at times, especially when he receives undue screen time but his inclusion in tonight’s episode didn’t bother me at all. His concern for the duo is cute :)
Did you watch the latest episode? How do you find it? Do share your thoughts with us.
Maryam Mehdi
Well, when the writer of this drama himself commented on this thread, he spoke about how he was showcasing some reality using Khalida’s character & there was some message he was trying to convey too but I am sure he must’ve forgotten to mention how he was going to change the course of the drama to make it so appalling & disgusting using Zoya’s character.
Zoya has clearly gotten a divorce but even her mother chooses to ignore it as if she was talking about something nominal. Of all the people, Khalida should be the one to know her daughter in & out, so how can she take it all so lightly when Zoya uses such a heavy word in her conversation? Zoya has also told her repeatedly how Adnan drinks but Khalida chooses to let that all slide through her mind as only she knows what’s running through her empty head. Khalida knows what Zoya is like & who she is, so when she uses a word like divorce, it obviously wouldn’t mean that she is using it out of the blue? There would be some reasons behind it so why it is that Khalida didn’t pay heed to it at all & got back to her routine life without even thinking about it for a second?
I don’t know why but I feel the writer was heavily impressed & inspired by Samira Fazal’s Chup Raho because to see Zoya becoming Rameen again is absolutely sickening & oh the similar soundtrack was a seal on the reminiscence. I really want to question Sajjal Ali myself about how does she allow all this to happen to her? Isn’t she tired of playing such characters or doesn’t she have a sense of some self-policing? To see her being abused, ill-treated, manhandled & literally exploited in every other drama is getting beyond control & looking at this petite girl, I actually want to know how does she get this level of confidence? Isn’t she tired of becoming Rameen over & over again? When I talk about the drama, I usually stick to the characters & only speak about the actors when I want to talk about their acting, but for the first time I am actually questioning the actress; Sajjal Ali loud & clear about her choices because I really think she is making one bad choice after the other & this has to stop because it is so obvious that she has lost the plot completely & I don’t think she can get a leeway by just saying that she only played a ‘character’ & all this was a demand of the script.
I know the writer often reads the reviews of this drama so I want to know what was he trying to portray by mocking the concept of divorce & by treating it so casually? Do these writers get briefings to write a story like this or this is something that they themselves conceive through their imagination because to see dramas like these is nothing short of a punishment & makes me question the mentality of the people behind such projects; be it the producers, or directors or even the writers?
When Khuda Dekh Raha Hai started, I really thought this drama would break the norms & give out a very nice message because the initial episodes were tackled intelligently but to see it come to this point, I see my expectations going down the drain & turning into fury because I am absolutely disgusted to see whatever they have tried to show here. What about Iddat? What about protection of a female? Anyone can divorce his wife & claim that he didn’t do it & people will side with the guy? A woman will see her daughter in law being literally molested right under her nose & she would choose to close her eyes? How stupid & horrific is that & to be honest, the team of this drama had the audacity to shoot & run it on the TV? I really want to ask the channel & the producers & the writers & the directors about how far are they going to go to earn some petty ratings? All this cheapness is actually for the sake of ratings so like seriously, is the TRP so important? Isn’t there any sense of morality left in these people? They claim that they want to show the reality but they should be ashamed to dramatize it & exaggerate it for commercial purposes.
I am absolutely disgusted to see what they have shown in Khuda Dekh Raha Hai which somewhat started as a family drama. I really hope the writer comments & answers all these questions or if not, then refrains from writing more such scripts because these disgusting dramas have to & must stop. Please share your thoughts about this!!!
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
Ohkay so, there used to be a time when all our dramas used to be so different & the viewers used to get a lot of variety in terms of stories & the plots but since the last couple of years, all I see is a monopoly of monotony in our dramas. It seems as if the market has been saturated; the writers have completely run out of ideas & the channels are playing it safe as it is so obvious that they want to stick to very limited subjects which they believe with earn them ratings.
While assessing the dramas that I have seen in these last couple of years, I tried to pick on certain things that were so similar & were almost a part of every other drama. This thing showcases how our writers have run out of ideas & it also shows how they stick to very similar things in almost every other drama to tell a story. I feel we can have dramas & stories on so many different subjects because the sky’s the limit when it comes to ideas but sadly, our writers & the channels have forgotten what a variety tastes like & they choose to stick to the not-so-marvellous monotony. Let’s go through those aspects that are a part of each & every drama that have made it to our screens in the recent times:
The mother of all evils; the not-so Holy Matrimony:
Do I need to say more? Even though I know I don’t, I’d like to elaborate just in case there are some writers who’re reading this & aren’t getting a clear picture about what I am trying to say. Every other drama in fact ALL the dramas that we’re getting to see revolve around the subject of marriage & the ordeals that overtake the newly wedded couple’s life, as if Pakistanis are only born to get married just so that they can ruin their lives with their own hands. Yes, marriage is unavoidable but then, it is something that can be avoided in our dramas! Ohkay, even if they want to show what a marriage is like, can they please not only focus on the shadi ke side-effects & focus on all the other good things that do happen when someone gets married? I am tired of seeing every other drama revolving around shadi & the sazishain that later take place. The writers here really need to think outside the shadi box because like I said, there are a million other plots that they can explore in order to write a drama (if they are so keen on not letting their pens/keyboards rest or want to prevent their minds from getting rusty).
Your wife’s cheek is the best itch-repellent you will ever have:
I am actually quite appalled & tired of seeing the domestic violence being a part of our dramas lately. I really want to know why the writers always end up adding a scene or two in every episode with a husband slapping his wife? Literally the way they have normalized slaps & chantas in our dramas gives out a message as if slapping your wife is a very normal feat, like let’s say doing your groceries or eating your food? It seems so contradicting that often in some dramas, they might not ‘show’ a wife getting hit by her husband but the way they show a wife caressing her swollen red cheek afterwards sets things straight, right away. When the directors know that it is something appalling & honestly, quite disgusting to even elaborate on screen, so what’s the need to add such a scene in the drama in the first place? This trend of normalizing domestic violence in our dramas is alarming & should be cut down because if the channels/writers/directors think this is a perfect picture of an ‘entertainment’, then they should switch on their laptops, open the Google Chrome & Google down the telephone numbers of the nearest psychiatrist available in their vicinities.
Out of 7 Billion people, I choose to marry the one I don’t love:
Like seriously? All the couples that we get to see in our dramas are the most incompatible couples ever seen in the history of mankind or ever recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. It is so obvious that the writers make two wrong people get married in their dramas, just so that they can take the story forward. In most of the cases, those who get married do have a chance to back out but they go ahead with the wedding as if they are going to buy a Kurta & they can come out of the shop anytime if they like because they didn’t find anything that fitted the bill of their choice?
I will return to you my love, when I’ll get bored of this wedlock-adventure:
As a continuation of my previous point of monotony, all the characters that we get to see in our dramas are already in love with someone else but they just get married because their mommy asks them to or to put it in simple words, they don’t have the guts to say “ke ammi meli shadi ush shay kalwa dain jish ko mai pashand kalta yan kalti hoon”. I have seen so many dramas where I see two people who’re already in love with someone else, get married & what for? The answer is simple, to create a havoc in their spouse’s life just so that they can bounce back to their beloved after their shadi ka laddu goes stale.
Divorce!!! Oops my mouth automatically blurted it out, but I promise I don’t mean it:
Divorce is such a complex & serious subject which our writers have literally made a fun of. When they don’t know how to instill more bechargi into the lives of our heroines, they resort to the ultimate D word & later play along those lines just so that they can keep on getting the ratings they need & they get to stretch the drama beyond a point where even a chewing gum breaks. After slapping, the divorce is such a subject & the word which is handled & blurted out so casually in our dramas as if the men are born with the right to divorce their wives if God Forbid she commits a mistake as petty as reminding him to get a gas cylinder filled for cooking purpose, just because he sighted the mood to say it. In some pathetic cases, the writers have even given the edge to the guys to even back out from the divorce & refuse to admit point blank, just so that they can extract as much cheapness as they can from this sickening situation.
Let’s only find a friend indeed, when you’re absolutely in need:
I have seen this thing in so many dramas where when a girl is thrown out of her home or chooses to leave her husband’s place, she goes straight to her friend’s place, who by the way was nowhere to be seen in let’s say, the first 40 episodes of the drama? The funny thing is these instant 2 minute noodle-like friends show so much of courtesy & act as if they were BFFL (best friends for life) with the heroine but they end up looking desperate to give their best shot for the 2 minutes of coverage they get on-screen & oh I may as well add that whenever the director picks a certain girl to play the role of a friend, he makes sure that the friend is acting & talent free. As much as they want to restore the faith in humanity by showing overly helpful friends, they end up highlighting the meanness of the heroines who only remember their friends when they are in need.
Don’t know how to take the story forward or spread the rumour; let’s use a KID as a wireless medium:
The role of the kids in our dramas can’t be underestimated & for all the wrong reasons because it gets so obvious, whenever you see a kid in the picture, always be sure that he or she will be used one way or the other to either instill a silly idea in someone’s mind or take the story forward because everything & everyone will end up revolving around the kid & that’s how the story of the drama will progress. I feel this aspect of including the kids in our dramas is also exploited because it is so obvious that the way the kids behave & speak on-screen is completely unrealistic most of, in fact all the time. The kids can serve the purpose of being a bigger daadi amman or dada abba so I think the producers safely opt for a kid because they can make them work for 2 roles in the price of 1.
So, this was my list of the monotonous things that are prevailing in our dramas. I actually find all these things so off-putting because every other drama revolves around more or less the similar situations. They all tell the same tale but in different words but I so wish that the producers & the writers start coming up with something different because there is no dearth of ideas to bring into picture & make a good drama. Please share your thoughts about this subject & also feel free to add more monotonous issues that you are tired seeing being a part of our dramas in the recent times. :)
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
This episode had a lot of interesting developments to its credit. For a change I am enjoying the twisted characters who are anything but perfect. It is the weaknesses in their characters that have put them in the place they are right now. Haya made a very wrong decision by getting married to someone she did not ever consider more than just a friend thinking that it would make Haadi confess his love for her. Everything that Haadi read in Haya’s diary in the last episode went to show that Haya wanted Haadi to stop this marriage and confess that he could not see her with anyone else but that did not happen and now Haya is married to a man who wants her to be all his although he knows only too well that she never loved him in the first place.
Rameez made just as big a mistake as Haya by getting married to someone who he knew loved someone else but expected her to fall in love with him once they got married. Rameez’s already twisted mind became even more so when he saw Haya and Haadi together. Which was quite normal of course but taking the pictures and “confronting” Haya in the most unusual manner is anything but “normal”! Apparently in Rameez’s head there are “two” Haya’s now, one who loves Haadi and one who loves Rameez, I found that bit really funny! I couldn’t help but wonder how Rameez found out about the note Haya sent in Haadi’s lunch box when she made his lunch since he was insisting that he wanted such a note in his lunch box too. Rameez is all set to make Haya’s life hell and Haya is still waiting for Haadi to come rescue her. The method Haya resorted to in order to ask for help seemed like a desperate attempt which wasn’t likely to bear any results. I can think of much better ways of asking for help like banging on the door for instance! It was good to see Haya playing along with Rameez while he was there, she knew that anything else would have put her life in danger.
Haadi’s attempt to patch things up with Farisa was definitely not my favorite part of the episode. It would have been much better if we saw the bonding between father and son alone and he did not attempt to go back to Farisa because that made it look like he just wanted a woman in his life it didn’t matter who she was. Haadi spending time with Saadi had to be the best part of this episode because it showed that Haadi finally has moved on. Saadi was still 6 months or so old in this episode which was a disappointment and I hope that he grows a little by the time the drama ends. We saw Saim asking Farisa for her time and attention. He wasn’t happy with Haadi moving back in the room unlike before when we saw Saim not reacting much to what Farisa had to say about her life or Haadi. Farisa wants Haadi’s money and she wants to live in his house but she does not want to have a relationship with him and she obviously does not want anything to do with his son.
Tayee’s concern for Haya and the way she knew exactly what was going on in Haya’s mind went to show that she really thought of Haya as her daughter. It was good to see her making that phone call because it would have been very unbelievable if no one got in touch with Haya. I am glad that we finally got to see Mahmood Aslam in this episode.
I must say that Zahid Ahmed was the star of the show today; he completely nailed his character. One thing is for sure that these two marriages are not meant to last, it remains to be seen how they come to an end. I am waiting to see how Haya manages to find her way out of this tricky situation and I am quite sure that we will see the story moving forward soon because until now the drama has maintained a very steady pace. I must appreciate Shehzad Kashmiri’s direction once again which definitely makes the drama more engaging. The scenes are always short and I love the camera work.
Do share your thoughts about tonight’s episode.
Fatima Awan
This episode of Maryam was packed with some powerful performances but the story seems to have frozen. Even the clothes Mawra is wearing are the same throughout the whole episode. We can see she has become poor but surely she must have brought her stuff on leaving Amman’s house. Well atleast she is not shown wearing full makeup and extravagant hairstyles, even though a little bit more color in clothes would look nicer.
Sarwat Gillani and Fahad Mirza got married last August. The couple’s love story is an interesting one on which someone can even write a film! The couple announced the birth of a baby boy yesterday but they did not share any pictures of the baby and they did not tell what they are going to name him.
When the news of Sarwat’s pregnancy was made public she was asked about her future plans to which she replied, “I will continue working after having a baby. The world doesn’t stop when you become a mother.”
Sarwat Gillani started her showbiz career as a model but later on became known as an actress. Fahad Mirza has also worked in some dramas and has been modelling too.
We wish the couple all the best.
The plot of Nimra Ahmed’s novel Namal (From Surah Namal meaning Ants) revolves around a murder! No wait, it revolves around the relationship between a boy and his family! Umm…wait, it revolves around money and its evil. Ok I give up, Namal’s plot has all this and much more substance beautifully weaved and exceptionally narrated into a single story.
Umera Ahmed set the trend of integrating religion into stories in the modern history of Urdu popular fiction. I don’t know anything about Nimra Ahmed, but if she is inspired by Umera, she is definitely going to surpass her mentor in near future. The way she seamlessly puts Islamic teachings in her stories makes me fall in love with her writing every time. Umera Ahmed’s stories are more on a spiritual side, divine love and most of all how people repent for their sins. Nimra brings this all to everyday life and common settings.
Namal’s story is a complex matrix and summarizing it can do injustice to it. But to get a gist, here it goes. Faris Ghazi (an intelligence officer) is convicted for the murder of his step-brother and wife and attempted murder of his relative Zumar Yousuf. His nephew (bhanja) Saadi Yousuf is convinced of his innocence and ultimately gets him out of the jail. On the other hand, Saadi’s aunt (Phupho) Zumar who also happens to be a district attorney lost her kidneys in the assault and is convinced that Faris is guilty, mostly because of a fake telephone call in Faris’s voice to Zumar prior to the attack. The actual guilty one is Hashim Kardaar (Faris’s first cousin) who, apart from being an accomplished lawyer, owns an inherited oil cartel. Hashim murdered Faris’s brother Waris in order to hide his corruption cases and in order to cover his tracks created the scenario in which Zumar was shot and Faris’s wife was murdered.
Saadi’s younger sister Haneen is super genius and makes a friend in USA. This friend Alicia who is later revealed to be half-sister of Hashim has introduced us to the motto of this novel “Ants Everafter”.
“Aik bachi k salgirah ko black aur gold ka touch de kar woh log sirf dunya ko apnay mazboot asaab dikhana chahtay hain. Siyah aur sunehra yani koila aur tail(oil).”
A basic theme of this novel is the conspiracies woven and the misunderstandings they create. The cunning lawyer Hashim and his devil of a mother Jawahirat manipulate reality in such a way that people like Zumar also believe this alternate reality and misunderstandings spawn.
“’I am sorry main ap kay pas nahi tha. Mera test tha phupho aur main fail hona nahi chahte tha.’ HAneen ko laga Saadi ki ankhon mein ansoo hain, ya shayad uski apni ankhen namm theen.”
The pace of the story is going fine. Although we keep revisiting the past, but every time Nimra tells a backstory we get to know some untold happenings that add to the depth of the plot. The way Haneen’s ‘sin’, Zartasha Ghazi’s murder and Naushervan’s fake abduction were shown, they added more to the ‘present’ as we know it.
Be it the scheming & queen-like Jawahirat Kardaar, the genius/ evil genius Haneen, the sweet and caring Saadi, the brute but honest Faris Ghazi, the sharp but stubborn Zumar, the cunning Hashim or the envious Naushervan, every character is carefully etched and has depth in it. I have given maximum rating because every major character is portrayed not in complete black or white, but in shades of grey; also because equal exposure is given to the characters.
There is always a blast in every episode that keeps you on the edge of your seats and makes you look forward to the next issue of Khawateen digest eagerly. I was totally not expecting the act of cheating by Haneen and was definitely taken off-guard by the brutal murder of Aurangzeb Kardaar. The revelation that Saadi burnt his phupho’s jahez stuff was shocking too. These twists are the reason that you crave for more.
Namal is an intense story involving brutal murders and devious deceptions, but it is not totally devoid of comic relief. We have been getting a lighter side in the form of quarrels between Haneen and Sam for example.
As I am covering 10 episodes, I have chosen three scenes from the previous episodes that have moved me the most. First was the scene when Naushervan faked his own abduction and Haneen burst her secret in front of everyone. I confess I did not suspect Naushervan to be stooping this low to get money. The whole scheme was kind of funny and written beautifully.
The second scene is basically in two parts: one is the letter from Alicia to Haneen and second is Haneen’s confession in front of her brother. The way Saadi comforted her in the 10th episode is also a mark of his good nature. I used to wonder why Haneen was allowed to watch dramas and movies day and night, the answer was that the writer had its consequence in mind and wanted to relate it to ‘addiction’. I also liked the way Haneen opted to quit her dream of engineering to offer kaffara.
“Baray gunahon kay baray kaffaray hotay hain, khaali khooli guilt aur dukh jaey bhaar me”
The writer has teased that Saadi might be killed in the next episode. If this is true, Haneen might have to take responsibility of exposing Hashim’s hand in Waris’s murder, as Saadi gave her the data she has to crack. But since Haneen has a crush on Hashim, it is not going to be soon. As for Zumar and Faris’s nikah, it will get more interesting to see Zumar try and put blame on Faris for her ‘murder’. I think this will be the point where Zumar will finally be convinced of his husband’s innocence. It looks like Jawahirat’s secret is about to be revealed and very minute details will play a crucial role in exposing her husband’s murder. But let us see what Nimra has in store for us :-)
I will not recommend this novel for light reading but if you can take ‘episodic suspense’ it is a good read, although I have some reservation on the too-perfect-to-be-true scenarios for criminals and the brutality involved. The novel is probably getting the highest following currently. I think there will not be any issues in making a drama serial out of it because it would not involve expensive locations and a lot of fantasy.
This is it from my side. I have tried to write a critical review and not to summarize the story. If my opinion differs from someone else’s, I beg pardon beforehand :-)
Regards
Noor-us-Saad
Ohkay so, I must say we’re 11 episodes down with Mumkin & this drama is getting better & better. I like how they have still kept the story so engaging & interesting but I just wish it doesn’t get the treatment any other good drama of ARY gets & that is the treatment of dragging. I am hooked to this show completely & I actually look forward to Tuesdays to see how the story of Mumkin going to unravel.
Well well well, for a change it is so nice to see a daughter in law sharing a good relationship with a mother in law. I like how Maria & Hina have become more like friends to each other. Hina knows that Maira is a very innocent girl & she doesn’t have much exposure in a sense that she hasn’t dealt with different or mean people in her life that is why Hina feels it’s her duty to protect & guide her, which is the thing I love the most about their whole relationship. I like how Maira is resorting to transparency in her relation with Hina because just when she got a bit confused about what Natasha said to her, she thought the best thing to do was to get to know Hina’s point of view on this.
Apparently, Natasha thinks Maira is just trying to win everyone over with her antics but sad is that Natasha has forgotten that this is who Maira is & this is exactly the reason why Natahsa befriended her because she always got the help she needed from Maira. I don’t know why but I still understand where Nageen & Natasha are coming from. They are obviously very authoritative & also rude to a certain point but that’s just who they are & I still don’t find them completely negative. I know it would sound a bit odd but I kind of enjoy the bickering between Nageen & Aziz too because they look like a typical couple who have sticked together for so many years & now they are in such a comfort zone where they can be their true self in front of each other. I also somehow enjoy watching the way Nageen & Natasha give utmost attention & importance to Aziz. He indeed is the most important person in their life & that is why I always like their family scenes together. Nageen may have a lot of complains with Aziz & she might also boss around him but she actually depends a lot on him & he is the only person who affects her the most which I really feel is something sweet & good about her character.
Aziz is obviously missing the point here. By giving extra attention to Maira & by acting a bit sneaky lately, he is inviting all sorts of questions & suspicion on him. Aziz should understand that Nageen has already started to pick up the hints because she already senses something wrong in the way he has been behaving lately, so it wouldn’t take too long for Nageen to figure out what is actually going on.
Mehreen is obviously in no mood to give an edge to Aziz because he has moved on & Aziz is such a chapter in her life that she doesn’t want to go through again. She knows that he now has a wife & a daughter & more than that Mehreen is pretty much settled in her life. She knows that now if she allows anything of such sort to happen, she won’t be alone in facing the consequences because Maira would also face the brunt, which is something she dreads the most. I really like Rafia’s character too. She is such a good friend to Mehreen because she has always been there every time Mehreen needed her. I think Mehreen shouldn’t lie to Rafia because she has been such a good friend to her & she can actually help her in dealing with the situation properly.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching this episode & can’t wait to see what happens next. I must say I love the way they have kept everything & every relation just so natural, whether it’s a relationship of a father & a daughter, a relationship of a husband & wife, a relationship of friends or a relationship between a mother & daughter in law, everything is done just so nicely & naturally that you actually understand them & relate to them even better. There are always a few things that warm up your heart & a few things that always give you a proper perspective about what’s going through a character’s mind, which for me makes Mumkin work completely. Please share your thoughts about tonight’s episode & let me know how much do you enjoy watching it? :)
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
