Like Ali Zafar, his younger brother Daniyal Zafar is also making his bollywood debut from an upcoming film of Yash Raj Films (YRF). Yash Raj Films is a famous production house of Bollywood and Ali has also worked in their film Mere Brother Ki Dulhan.
Eighteen year old Daniyal is pursuing a career as a performer and singer.
Reference news from Urdu Daily Jehan Pakistan
Rashid Nazir Ali
Yeh Pyaar Hai is a new drama of TV One starting from 9th January at 8 pm.
Cast: Atiqa Odho,Fiza Ali, Rizwaan Ali , Shehryar Zaidi, Fawad Jalal
writer : Uzma Iftikhar
director and producer: ALIYA IMAM and MOHSIN MEHMOOD
https://vimeo.com/115845440
https://vimeo.com/115845441
Rashid Nazir Ali
As per Urdu Daily Jehan Pakistan, seasoned artist Rubina Ashraf has accepted the offer of an Indian drama Saaya. Rubina will leave for Mumbai in coming days to fulfill this commitment.
Rashid Nazir Ali
Javed Sheikh announced a film in 2014 but it was delayed due to busy schedule. As per Urdu Daily Express, Javed Sheikh has now finalized Sameera Fazal to write the script for this upcoming film. Sameera is a famous name in drama writing, and it will be her first film.
Sameera has wrote many famous dramas in past ten years like Meray Paas Paas, Nurpur ki Rani, Bari Aapa. In 2014 her dramas Shukk and Chupp Raho are quite famous on ARY Digital.
Rashid Nazir Ali
Zidd is a new drama by Hum Tv airing every Tuesday at 8:00 PM. Two episodes of Zidd are already aired and we knew about the main characters of Samman (Maya Ali) and Umar(Ahsan Khan). The synopsis of the this drama is as follows.
Samman is an independent, willful, working lady. Being the only daughter she is darling of her father which made her stubborn and arrogant. Samman’s Aunt (Phuphoo) convinces Samman’s father to marry her (Samman) to Umar a divorced man who is settled in USA. However Samman is not aware of first failed marriage of Umar which causes rifts in the relation of Umar and Samman.
’ضد‘ کہانی ہے ثمن نامی ایک لڑکی کی جو پڑھی لکھی ہونے کے ساتھ ساتھ ورکنگ لیڈی بھی ہے۔
ثمن کو سب سے زیادہ لاڈ پیار کرنے والے اس کے والد ہیں جو اس کے بغیر ایک پل بھی نہیں رہ سکتے۔ لیکن، اسی لاڈ پیار نے ثمن کو خودسر اور ضدی بنا دیا ہے۔
ثمن کی پرانے خیالات کی مالک پھوپھی اسے اکثر سمجھاتی رہتی ہیں۔وہ اپنی بھتیجی کے لئے امریکہ میں سیٹل، لیکن طلاق یافتہ شخص عمر کا رشتہ لے کر آتی ہیں۔ لیکن، عمر طلاق یافتہ ہے یہ بات وہ سب سے چھپا لیتی ہیں۔
چونکہ اپنی ضد کی وجہ سے ثمن خاندان بھر میں بدنام تھی اس لئے ثمن کے والدین عمر سے اس کی شادی کر دیتے ہیں۔ لیکن یہ شادی ایسا کڑوا سچ ثابت ہوتی ہے جو نہ اگلتے بنتا ہے نہ نگلتے۔
اسے تحریرکیا ہے بی گل نے، ہدایات عدنان وائی قریشی نے دی ہیں، جبکہ پیشکش مومنہ درید اور مہروز کریم کی ہے۔
ڈرامے کی کاسٹ میں احسن علی‘رباب ہاشم‘ مایا علی‘کنور ارسلان‘ ہمایوں اشرف ‘منظور قریشی‘ سلطانہ ظفر ‘محمود اختر‘ ہما نواب ‘نوشین شاہ‘ انجلین ملک اور عصمت زیدی شامل ہیں۔
Source: http://www.urduvoa.com/content/zid-a-serial-portrays-stubborness-of-a-girl/2573496.html
Rashid Nazir Ali
Abdullah, The Final Witness is an upcoming film.
It is written, produced and directed by Hashim Nadeem. Sajid Hassan, Hameed Sheikh, Imran Abbas and Saadia Khan are in the lead roles. Hashim Nadeem is a famous fiction writer and his drama Khudda Aur Muhabbat also featuring Saadia Khan and Imran Abbas was quite famous. This film is based on the Kharrotabad incident which happened in Quetta on 17th May 2011.
Here is the video of ‘Karam Maula’ from this film
https://vimeo.com/115816350
Trailer of the film
https://vimeo.com/115193561
Rashid Nazir Ali
Revenge of the Worthless is an upcoming film directed by Jamaal Shah.The film is based on a real events during the 2009 insurgency in the beautiful valley of Swat. The film is also shot in Swat.
Starring : Jamal Shah, Ayub Khoso, Firdaus Jamal, Shamyl Khan, Maira Khan and Emel Karakose ,Asif Shah, Asaldin Khan, Imran Tareen, Iram, Shehrbano, Abdur Raheem, Najeebullah Anjum,Tariq Jamal, Arshad, Sultan, Kaleemullah, Qazi Zubair,Wafa Khan, Rafique and Marjan
Directed By: Jamal Shah
Cinematographer : Aamir Tehseen Rao
Written By: Jamal Shah
Screenplay By: Jamal Shah
Produced By: Amna Shah for Hunerkada Films
Here is the first look of Revenge of the Worthless
https://vimeo.com/115817589
Rashid Nazir Ali
Amir Liaquat talks about a true definition of Muslim. He says it is not acceptable if a Muslim is friends with the lovers of Prophet Muhammad and also with the haters of Prophet Muhammad. He says that it is very important to draw the line between friends and foes. Watch the video for more details.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2dw74h_amir-liaqat-defending-his-self-on-the-controversy-of-him-spreading-hatred-against-ahmedis_travel
Written By: Moomal Hassan.
We usually use machinery consisting of metal at our homes but little do we know that these electronics when become useless are a sign of bad luck. In Nida Yasir’s morning show, an astrologist said that wearing green, white or off white colors will help you in pleasing your husband. Old shoes and slippers are also a sign of bad luck in houses where girls do not get good proposals.
Written By: Moomal Hassan.
Duplicate Salman Khan recently gave an interview with his wife in a morning show. He discussed his female fan following and told about the calls he received on the day of his marriage. All girls wanted to stop him from marrying. This usually occurs with other male celebrities. When they become famous, they get hundreds of girls drooling over them.
Written By: Moomal Hassan.
To be honest, I would’ve been so happy if this had been the 8th episode & I’d known that we’re now left with 8 more episodes. Yes, this episode was very interesting with a very nice pace but I now feel it has been very late & I also dread tuning to Jackson Heights next week because this has been the pattern of this drama. It will give you one good episode & after that the next 3 – 4 episodes would be slow & dragged. So, as per my ‘assumption’; (as we all have been assuming here a lot) 20th episode would be good. Anyways, this episode was good for sure & probably the first one that had my undivided attention because it was quite happening also the scenes were short & to-the-point too.
Finally, after 15 episodes we now know for sure that Jamshed has been trapping Michelle all this while but I must commend him for that because Michelle was a hard nut to crack & he succeeded effortlessly. I must say that specific smile of Jamshed was so evil because it carried a clear answer to all of our questions. Yes, it wasn’t a coincidence, it was all a plan of Jamshed but he has been very lucky, he found just the right person to use in order to achieve his goal, which was a permanent visa to Amreeka.
Yes, Jamshed has been mean & he has been plotting it since the day he arrived but the way Michelle opened up to him & told him the exact reason for her detest & hated for Desis, Jamshed started having some thoughts. May be he just wanted Michelle to do him a favour but I think he will eventually fall for her because he knows that Michelle doesn’t deserve to be deceived again. Anyways, coming onto Michelle, I really expected better from her. She has nothing but a baggage of bitter experiences & going by what she revealed today, her own uncle & cousin betrayed her, so how could she easily trust a young stranger? I don’t understand why Michelle was never seen asking herself a question like how could a young guy like Jamshed fall for a woman of her age? This is exactly why I find this script so weak that we have never seen an emotional quotient here. It’s just a basic on-the-surface sort of a story without any depth to it. We have such characters that aren’t in touch with their emotional side, which is why I have never been able to connect or relate to them.
Bhatti finds himself at peace whenever he discusses everything with Salma. Yes, he has confessed that he is getting used to her. Salma often reads between the lines but Bhatti always confesses his inner most feelings effortlessly. Even though it’s only Bhatti who speaks when they’re in a conversation but seems like Salma also loves spending time with him. It’s like he makes her forget her of the duties & responsibilities she has & with him, she is just a friend who is lending a shoulder to another friend. I was glad that it was their conversation at which the episode began but I am also glad that Bhatti found out it was Sikandar who tried to mug him. I loved the way he was being inquisitive about Salma’s husband as he couldn’t believe that Salma was living with such a dangerous person who does such sort of things for living. Bhatti exactly understood why Salma never told him anything because she had nothing good to share with him. It was good to see that he chose to be upfront about Sikandar because he wanted some answers. I think it’s another good thing that happened because now Salma knows that she can depend on Bhatti in more such ways than she had thought of.
The preview was interesting too because now looks like Bhatti will be on Sikandar’s case but sadly Salma will face the brunt. Cathy will be at her usual best because she will be bickering with Bhatti & Jamshed is going to get married & that was quick. I read an interview of Mehreen Jabbar where she spoke about a limited budget, I certainly understand but what I don’t get is, were they so short on budget that they couldn’t afford 2 – 3 options of night suits for Salma? She has only been wearing peachy/orange sleepwear throughout the drama, which really is, I wouldn’t say disappointing but…meh! Anyways, share your thoughts please.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
In Nida Yasir’s morning show, an astrologist discussed some important tips for the year 2015. He said that the color black usually creates hurdles for girls who are in search of a life partner. His advice was that those girls who are having problems in marriages must wear green, white or off-white colors. This way they will have luck with them.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2dw769_wo-kon-se-colors-he-jink-pehene-se-apka-rishta-hojayega-or-miya-naraz-ni-hoga_travel
Written By: Moomal Hassan.
Duplicate Salman Khan has gained alot of popularity in Pakistan due to his looks and personality that matches the Bollywood super star Salman Khan. His real name is Hasnain Saleem. Recently Sanam Baloch invited the newly wed couple in her morning show. Do watch the video to see how they met, how they got married and what is their inspiration for their life ahead.
Written By: Moomal Hassan.
Recently in Nida Yasir’s morning show, a discussion was going on the funny incidents of 2014. Neelum Muneer discussed a very funny incident in which during a shoot, a lizard fell on her hair and all she could do was scream. I am sure everyone of us will be having some sort of funny memory of 2014. Lets remember those funny memories and bid farewell to this year with a hope and a wish that the next year will be full of happiness.
Written By: Moomal Hassan.
Nida Yasir discussed her new year’s resolution with the audience on her live morning show. As we all have different plans every year, in the same way she also had different aims. Those aims included her weight reduction, the education of her children and much more. I believe that we should start our years with positive hopes and intentions so that the whole year brings positivity. Happy New Year to all of you, Do watch the video and share your resolutions.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2dvzz1_nida-yasir-announced-her-new-year-resolution-of-getting-slim-on-her-live-morning-show_travel
Written By: Moomal Hassan.
Recently in Nida Yasir’s live morning show, she made her guests follow Indian traditions. Maheen Rizvi, a leading actress got married and her couple was the celebrity guest in the show. They had to make eachother wear “maalas” just like Indians do. I wonder why dont we get out of this cultural transition. Why do we follow traditions of other cultures when our own culture is so pure and simple. Watch the video and comment below.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2ds7ut_nida-phir-apni-harkaton-se-baz-na-ayi-or-maheen-or-rehman-se-hinduon-ki-tarah-har-pehnwa-diye_travel
Written By: Moomal Hassan.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww! I just can’t emphasize enough on how much I love Shano & Khalil, how much I love their love for each other & how much I love Sadqay Tumhare. This episode, like always, was magical & it was a treat to watch. I don’t know how many times I got overwhelmed by looking at their suffering which has no end to it & yes, needless to say but this episode belonged to Shano & Khalil. :)
‘Pata hai, jab mai appse mili bhi nahi thi, ye bhi nahi janti thi ke app mujhse pyaar karte ho ya nahi, phir bhi is baat ka ilhaam tha mujhe, yakeen tha, ke meri haya ke rakhwalay ho app’. Shano has blind faith in Khalil & she has all the reasons for it because Khalil has extended the exact same respect to her that she had imagined. How can she not fall in love with such a guy who treats her with so much respect & takes care of her dignity? Whose intentions are so pure & modest? How can Shano not take a stand for Khalil, who treats her as a centre of his universe? ‘Mohabbat pe bass nahi chalta, par Nikkah to ikhtiyaar mai hota hai aur ikhityaar iska ma baap ke pass hota hai’, with such ease Shano untangled the perplexity that Khalil was facing when it came to take a decision about their relation. I absolutely love Shano for this; she knows what Khalil means to her but she also knows that she has certain responsibilities towards her parents, one of which includes taking care of their respect that they have entrusted her with.
‘Kaha to sach hai, lekin dil se nahi’. Even though Khalil knew what he was saying, but even before he could explain what he meant, Shano didn’t want any justification because she heard the unspoken truth that imbibed Khalil’s heart. He can never imagine doing anything that would stain the love he has for Shano & anything which would stain Shano’s reputation. He wouldn’t allow any sort of circumstances to get the best of him. ‘Is mohabbat ke do hi anjaam ho sakte hain, court marriage kar lo yan phir bichar ke mar jao’. In just a few words Khail predicted what is yet to come. The best thing about Shano is that she knows what her priorities are & no matter how many times she has to restate, she will never back out. I love Shano’s obedience & her truthfulness, which give her an edge to deal with the most complicated situations in her life with so much of ease & I love Khalil’s morality, even though he will hardly give you any reason to like him but being a man of few words, he will stand by his stand & will never back out from the promise he has made & his honesty makes me like him even more.
‘Appni kasam na dena mujhe, tumhe meri kasam. Tumhe koi dekhe to mujhe is baat ka gham nahi hai, lekin tumhe koi buri nazar se dekhe to dekhe hi kyun?’. Sadqay Tumhare defines how simple dialogues can beautifully strike a chord every single time. Like anyone else, Khalil is possessive for Shano but unlike others, he also gave her an apt reason as to why he flipped because of what Humaira’s cousin Mushtaq did. I liked the fact that Khalil gave Shano a logical explanation for his behaviour. He wants to make sure that Shano also understands that Khalil will protect her no matter what it takes. Everyone knew Mushtaq was a son of inspector but I loved the confrontation between inspector & Khalil. Who would’ve thought that our very own angry young man would just settle with Mushtaq over a dialogue? I was dreading some more feisty fights but this is what makes Khalil a hero in literal sense, he is always unpredictable. :)
I must say I love the way all these actors have even worked on their body language. Shano was not herself when she was with Khalil & it was evident throughout. Those sparkling eyes, reluctant smiles, those fluttering eyelashes of Shano, the tranquillity on Khalil’s face while looking at his love, the way he squared his shoulders while being confrontational, everything makes it a treat to watch Mahira & Adnan performing the characters of Shano & Khalil because they have absorbed these characters. I actually felt a lot for both Shano & Khalil when Khalil chose to freeze himself just so that he could intervene if Shano ever needed him & also when Shano couldn’t bring herself to go to her cozy warm bed when she learnt that Khalil had spent the night siting at her doorstep worrying for her. I must say their love is something else; it was such a heavy hearted scene & made my heart ache for them. There was so much sincerity in the way Shano looked at the sky, as if she was actually hoping for a miracle. *speechless*
I was actually happy to see Ameen after so many episodes but too bad he’s just another pawn who’s under Rasheeda’s control. Seems like she really has spent a whole life planning this revenge which is why she knows what card to reveal at what time. With so much ease, Rasheeda taught Ameen how to emotionally blackmail Shano into marrying someone else. It was pretty evident that Ameen was regretful for what he did to Khalil but he is in such an awe of his wife, that he can’t be decisive on what he wants for Shano. Until now, Ameen has no idea of why he is against this marriage & he even doesn’t know why Rasheeda is as well but he is just following his wife’s instructions without questioning her & that makes him look very naive.
I must say I am totally in love with the entire effort that has been put together to make Sadqay Tumhare such a treat for us all. Each one of them has done an amazing job in contributing towards this project’s quality. I’ve been totally floored by the impressive acting of Mahira Khan & Adnan Malik. I think it’s safe to say that no other faces could’ve done justice to the characters of Shano & Khalil. I was surprised to see the preview of next episode. Rasheeda has been blinded by the rage of betrayal that she has lost the plot. I can’t wait to see how Abdur Rehman will tackle her. I can foresee a dent in Humaira/Shano’s friendship too but I so don’t want that to happen because Humaira has stood by Shano through thick & thin. I can’t wait to see what Sadqay Tumhare has in store for us but for now, we can discuss how much we enjoyed watching this episode so please, share your thoughts. :)
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
ps: I’m covering for my dear friend Fatima Awan, so please keep an eye on the comment section for her say. :)
The first Pakistani film of the year 2015 is released on 1st January 2015.
The film is distributed by A-Plus Films. The film is directed by Sabhia Sumar and written by Shandana Minhas. The screenplay is written by Malia Scotch Marmo, Sabiha sumar and Samhita Arni. Sachithanandam Sathananthan is the producer under the banner of Vidhi Films. The film is based on a novel ‘Rafina’ by Shandana Minhaas.
Good Morning Karachi is about a young girl Rafina chasing her dream.The film stars
Amna Ilyas as Rafina,
Beo Rana Zafar as Rosie,
Saba Hameed as Ammi,
Atta Yaqub as Jamal,
Aamina Sheikh as The cardgirl,
Savera Nadeem as PJ,
Yasir Aqueel as Arif,
Khalid Malik as Murad,
Shaheen Khan as Nawal,
Farhan Ali Agha as Fahad.
Before Good Morning Karachi, Sabiha Sumar has also directed Silent Waters (Khamosh Pani خاموش پانی) but it was not released in cinemas in Pakistan.
Good Morning Karachi is released only in few multiplexes of major cities. As per press reports many cinema owners have shown little or no interest in screening this film as major part of this 1.5 hour long film is in English language.
Rashid Nazir Ali
Zulekha Bina Yusuf (زلیخا بنا یوسف) is a new play which is currently under production for A-Plus. Written by Khalilur Rehman Qamar, it is directed by Mehreen Jabbaar.
The play has a long cast including Imran Abbas, Maya Ali, Mansha Pasha, Hina Bayat, Wasim Abbas, Taqi Ahmed, Ali Sheikh and others.
Here are few clicks from the sets of this drama
Rashid Nazir Ali
Adnan Malik talking to BBC Urdu’s host Fifi Haroon about his five favorite songs.
https://vimeo.com/115623631
https://vimeo.com/115623631
Rashid Nazir Ali
We have talked about dramas a lot but now let’s talk about the usual things that we observe in our dramas.
We have indeed noticed many clichés in our dramas and as Areeba had mentioned due to clichés the dramas become predictable and boring but have we ever paid attention towards some common things in almost every drama? If not then how about paying attention towards some of those things that I observe in almost every drama.
Tea vs Coffee: “aap chai leinge ya Coffee”, “Jee coffee manga lein” the battle between Tea and Coffee continues and most of the time coffee wins. Sometimes I think that coffee and tea is setting some sort of standard in our dramas and perhaps the perfect example of showing clear difference between rich and poor. The trend in dramas nowadays is to show highly rich family and poor family there is hardly any middle class and the coffee is preferred choice for the rich ones while poor can only afford tea.
Lavish Breakfast: “Bibi jee nashta lag gaya hai table per”, “Acha Sahab ko bhi bulalo”. Scratching my head ahh! Cannot remember in which drama I saw “Anda Paratha” or “Kebab Paratha” in breakfast. The breakfast table is usually covered with Omlette and Half fry eggs, Bread, butter or jam, apples, juice and tea (yes this time no coffee but tea). Now make sure that bread is there for buttering and it will not go with the eggs instead you will eat eggs by fork and knife. In Shanakht episode 9 Hashim’s father was eating half fry egg with fork and knife and I said to myself how he will eat the egg yolk then with a fork in his hands?
Raat ko jaldi ghar ajaiyega: “Jee aap office ja rhe hain”, “Nahi channe bechne ja raha hun”, “Acha raat ko jaldi ghar ajiyega salma ne khaane per bulaya hai” “Acha aajonga”.These wives never told their husbands about dinner one day before, not even on breakfast table but just on lastminute.com when person is about to leave the house with the briefcase in his hand.
One suitcase is enough to leave the house: “Mein aapke saath aur nahi rehsakti mein jaa rhi hun” and with this dialogue the lady step towards her wardrobe pick three designers’ dress of her choice and put it in a suitcase. O Hello! Who will pick up those makeup kits? And what about the remaining dresses? So this lady who demands for new dresses every day from her husband can leave his house with three dresses only. This is the same case in “bhaag ke shadi karlete hain” where girl picks her few dresses, put it in a hand carry or bag and run with her boyfriend, leaving at once all the lavishness that was provided by her father. The most recent example is Aik pal where Bareera tries to run away with few dresses in her rucksack. On the other side when a boy decides to leave the house, he prefers to use a bag instead of a suitcase. Perhaps the most usual thing in almost every drama.
Everyone is working on a Project: “Yeh buhat bara project hai hamare haath se nahi jaana chaiye”, “Jee sir”. This is the latest obsession from our drama writers and directors where everyone is working on some kind of project and no one is performing their everyday operational activities. The recent examples are Shukk and Shanakht. Rung was the most recent drama where the wife is a doctor and husband is a bureaucrat. I was actually annoyed with Hum as they telecast such beauty on Hum Sitaray instead of Hum Tv, anyways that’s not our topic. I hope that writers do come up with stories where the well offs belong from some other field rather than running a group of industries.
Men reading books while going to bed: Last but not the least every men in dramas prefer to read some books while going to bed, probably you guys have noticed this habit as well. This seems to be a popular scene where husband is reading some random book under a lamplight while going for bed, her wife sitting in front of a dressing table apply some lotion on her hand. She then turn around and started talking about current happenings thereby interrupting her husband from reading and meanwhile all of a sudden during the conversation they come up with some decision or if there is an argument it ends up with no agreement at all.
Any more things that you guys can add if yes then please do share your thoughts?
*drum rolls* Ladies and gentlemen, Hassan and Farah have finally tied the knot! Since it took such extreme circumstances for the two to get married, I am a tad bit relieved that they finally tied the knot in the fourth episode without further dragging because I was honestly sick and tired of the same monologues over and over again. I had already prepared myself for the worst so when I saw Farah’s father all set for hanging himself, I wasn’t shocked at all. This is not something I’d like to be joking about but seriously, our plays are taking emotional blackmailing to a whole new level! His intended stunt actually made him the savior of the day because that’s exactly what was needed to make Hassan utter the six magical words: Mein Farah say shadi karoon ga!
”Maana kay Hassan shadishuda hai, ek bachi ka baap hai magar woh Amir say laakh darjay behtar hai.” Among the many implausible twists and turns of the plot, the most questionable one has to be the way Farah’s parents don’t have an issue with the fact that Hassan is married and has a seven-year old daughter. Believe me, this is the first time I’ve seen parents letting out a sigh of relief after finding a damaad who is not even an eligible bachelor. On one hand, they are too conservative to break off Farah’s engagement with the guy she detests and on the other, they are liberal enough to accept a married man as their son-in-law. Hello? Farah is blindly in love (zzzzzzzzz) and if she thinks this entitles her to become a home wrecker, I think she should re-question her priorities! Everything is NOT fair in love and war. Period. Farah is struck by love and her parents are driving me up the wall because their decisions show a lack of forethought- they marry her off to Hassan by taking advantage of Amir’s absence. No matter how psychotic and short-tempered Amir is, I still think it was ethically wrong to take such a huge step without even officially calling off the engagement.
The writer clearly wasn’t tired of all the pre-marriage drama because right after Hassan and Farah say, ‘I do’, another striking revelation embraces Hassan: Aisha is expecting! Perfect timing, no? Oops, now that I come think of it, I realize I didn’t even mention Aisha in the earlier part of my review but don’t worry, she is used to being sidelined and quite surprisingly, she never seems to mind :P About Aisha, I know she loves her hubby to bits but ever since Farah entered Hassan’s life, the change in Hassan’s attitude towards his wife and daughter became pretty obvious and you don’t have to be psychic to guess that he has become faintly aloof and tense. Strangely enough, Aisha doesn’t seem to realize that her significant other is not as loving and caring as he used to be and yes, we often saw Hassan messaging and calling Farah late at night but I don’t know what was Aisha doing all this time! Also, Hassan is not even excited about his child but I don’t understand why can’t Aisha put two and two together and come up with the conclusion that something is seriously wrong with her husband. She is gullible beyond belief and I am not liking her this way.
If there’s anything that’s working for Hassan, it definitely has to be his luck. I mean, while his pehli biwi is easy to fleece, his dusri biwi is proving to be quite saabir and as long as her piya’s name is attached to hers, she doesn’t have anything to worry about! Hassan is currently romancing with two young ladies and this irritates me to the core! It’s Fahad Mustafa’s last play and I don’t know why he wants to end his career with a character that has absolutely nothing likeable about it. Even though it was Farah who confessed first, I still deem Hassan the fasaad ki jurr because he took great interest in Farah since the beginning and this obviously gave away the wrong signals. I feel the writer wants us to assume that Hassan loves both his wives at the same time but I refuse to buy that.
So this was it, folks! The lighting problem remains unsolved :/ I must say the OST is really nice and easy on the ears and somehow makes it easier to stand the extra-long scenes :)
Are you watching Dusri Biwi? Share your thoughts!
P.S: Naya saal mubarak ho doston!! God bless you all :)
With the year ending, we have decided to compile a collection of the best selfies. The ones that were taken on important occasions, by awesome people, in amazing ways. As you scroll through the pictures, you’ll know that our stars are multi-talented, taking a good selfie is a talent too after all. :D
Meesha’s “Stuck in Traffic” selfie:
Meesha decided to make use of the time wasted in the traffic jam, and the Coke Studio advertisement in front of her!
A man’s gotta love his achievements:
Bilal Lashari won 4 awards at the ARY Film awards.
A Selfie with the award from across the border:
Fawad won not only the hearts of the Indian audience but the Best Debut at Masala Awards, for Khoobsurat, as well.
The Selfie with Bachan:
Mahirah Khan was invited to India by Zee Zindagi and she received an overwhelming response from the people.
Mehreen Syed on vacation:
Mikaal Zulfiqar’s “Selfie with himself”:
As he himself said. :D
Fahad Mustafa enjoys his vacation abroad:
Adnan Siddiqui’s Selfie from Dubai:
Bilal Lashari’s Selfie from James Bond Island, Thailand:
Hamza Ali Abbasi’s Selfie from Bangkok:
STAR STUDDED SELFIES:
The Rockstar Selfie:
Sajjad Ali and Ali Zafar appeared as guest judges in Pakistan idol Gala Round 3 and 9 respectively and then in the finale, they performed as well. This selfie is from the final episode of Pakistan idol season 1.
The Selfie from China:
The two buddies, Hamza Ali Abbasi and Bilal Lashari visited China this year.
The Waar couple:
Shaan Shahid and Ayesha Khan, two seasoned actors and friends, at Lahore airport.
The Star Couple:
Muhib Mirza and Aamina Sheikh’s selfie was taken in Florida, before Firaq’s shooting started.
Afridi’s selfie with the 2015 (his last) Worldcup trophy:
The 2015 Cricket Worldcup will be Shahid Afridi’s last worldcup and here we have him and the team with the trophy, when the ICC sent it to Pakistan to spark interest before the world cup.
DRAMA BTS SELFIES:
Jane woh kaise log thhe jinke pyar ko pyar mila:
Yup, our favourite Pyaray Afzal cast, enjoying their time together. This is the cast which had the best chemistry ever seen, and had a huge impact on our lives.
Haye Re Ham Sadqay Tumharay:
The couple of Shano and Khalil is worth going sadqay on. They have adorable interactions and a pure form of love which has kept us hooked.
And Bashar and Rudaba lived happily ever after:
The Residents of Jackson Heights:
Jackson Heights is a star studded drama shot in New York. Here is a selfie of the cast and crew:
SELFIES FROM EVENTS:
The AFA Selfie:
The ARY Film Awards were initiated to recognize the developments in our film industry in the year 2013. They did their job very well, in the ceremony hosted by Shaan Shahid, on 27th April in Karachi. Here is a selfie from the day:
Agents of 021:
Operation 021 was the first spy-thriller of Pakistani cinema. This selfie is from the day of its premier.
The Na Maloom Afrad:
These are the Na Maloom Afrad who took over social media by storm within hours of the release of their movie’s trailer, and then took over the box office, earning RS 11 crore.
The Wedding Selfie:
Sarwat Gillani and Fahad Mirza’s wedding took place this year. We have so many stars of our industry in one shiny night :)
The Best Selfie Moments:
This is not exactly a selfie, but a selfie moment from the AFA.
Hope to see them in a project soon.
From the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 launch.
Fawad Khan and Sadaf Khan at the Lux Style awards.
Atif Aslam rocked New Delhi and performed in front of 18,000 people.
So who is your selfie king/queen?
In the end I would like to thank Aiman for the wonderful idea. :) Hope you all like it.
Areeba Mohsen
Hmmm, still not sure what I feel about this drama because it hasn’t made a mark as yet. I understand that a few stories take some time to pick up the pace but everything for now seems a bit too forced however there are a few bits & bobs that I do like about this serial but it hasn’t made an impact as a whole. I am just trying to understand Saman’s nature & attitude but then I hope it proves to be worthy of our time & effort because other than that I don’t see anything extra ordinary in this serial for now (which I hope changes soon).
I do like the way Saman & Raza’s relation has been shown. Everyone knew that it was only Raza who could tiptoe through the minefield & convince Saman on getting married once again. I did enjoy how the conversations have been written because it was good to see some detailing in them & the way Raza got Saman’s agreement was totally interesting. He started off by trying to make her understand that two people always have different perspectives & different thinking but that doesn’t mean one always backs out on making a commitment & this thought struck a chord & she agreed easily.
I must say where I do find Saman’s nature interesting, I kind of find her odd as well. She is career oriented & is driven plus she knows that no one understands her well but then why does she always surrender when it comes to marriage? Saman knows how to take a stand for herself & that too for the right, so why can’t she just tell her family once & for all that she is not interested in getting married for now? Every single time, she allows them to get her hitched but then she gives everyone else a hard time, calls off her engagement/marriage & then she’s so much at peace that she finds a time to watch a movie while everyone in her family is having a sleepless night!
I know it was supposed to be funny but the way Saman’s family was walking on the eggshells the whole time wasn’t appeasing to say the least. I mean if they are well aware of what her thoughts are about this relation, then why are they trying so hard to get her settled? Saman; who herself agreed on this proposal was giving rude looks to Omar (Ahsan Khan) her new husband-to-be? She was indifferent, she wasn’t interested but then she’s the one who thought that this marriage was the only way to find an escape from this tedious job of rishta hunting, so was it such a hard thing to just sit through her own function with a smile on her face?
To be honest, I lol’ed at the entry of Ahsan Khan, I mean may I ask how typical can he be? I remember in one of my comments last week I mentioned that we’ll get to see a shot of a parking sedan, followed by a close-up of our hero coming out of the car with his gelled back signature hairstyle, all suited booted, prim & proper & voila! I am so glad that Ahsan Khan didn’t prove me wrong because this is exactly how he has made an entry in all of his serials lately, so how could Zidd be any different?
There was once again a verbal spat between Saman & her mother where she used the C (compromise) word & Saman wasn’t thrilled by the idea of it. The only time I found Saman reasonable in this episode was when she showed some interest in telling Omar the truth about her previous breakups because that’s when she made sense that every relation should begin with transparency, not with secrets or compromises. Omar on the other hand found Saman’s family very conservative but his mother (Huma Nawab) seemed quite satisfied because she felt that the girls who belong to such background can be moulded easily. It looked like Omar also wanted to discuss a few things with Saman before the marriage happens but Appu swooped in with her agenda of maintaining a distance between the bride & the groom, in which she succeeded & they both couldn’t find a chance to speak to each other.
Well honestly, the note at which the drama ended made me say ‘not again’ because Saman wanted to call this marriage quits as well. It was after she read her Nikkah Nama. If I’m not mistaken I think she’d be wanting a right to divorce because the way she was partaking in this marriage saga went to show that she was just using it as a medium to her freedom & more like a ticket to USA because this is exactly what she said to her friend too. The preview of the next episode didn’t make me look forward to it but I will be watching as I ain’t giving up on it as yet. This episode was just ohkay but yes, the direction & pace of this episode was better & it was good to see Huma Nawab on screen after a long long time. Share your thoughts about second episode of Zidd please.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
Rameen tumhei kub aqal aye gi?? Even after everything that happened to her Rameen is still a naive and innocent girl who can be fooled very easily. I am surprised that Rameen is still so stable mentally although she does not have any kind of support at all. Even after looking at her roommate’s pictures Rameen still thought that Zarina deserved benefit of the doubt. If she had a husband why would she be living in a girls hostel? Just like we predicted Rameen’s life in the girls hostel isn’t turning out to be easy but even after watching everything that Rameen was put through today I couldn’t help but think that she was better off here than with her so-called family. Numair has conveniently “moved on”, he had fun harassing Rameen when she was around and now that she is gone he couldn’t care less. Numair is a completely different person when it comes to his daughter, his double standards are shocking beyond belief.
The best thing about the recent developments in the story had to be that it seems our guesses about what was going to happen to Naila were probably wrong. If Naila is going to be sick and the only way for her to get better would be if Numair comes out with the truth and asks for Rameen’s forgiveness then it isn’t that bad a deal after all. Numair’s concern for his daughter and the hamdardi aur insaniyat ke lectures which he gave the doctor were ironic to say the least. Azar has decided to drink his worries away, I never knew that alcohol addiction could be this bad too.
The way Rameen’s “supporters” were willing to help her out was very strange, I haven’t seen so many nice people willing to help out a stranger like this ever. I guess the writer wanted to show that there are good people in this world too and perhaps that sometimes your close relatives might not care about you the way a stranger would. Everything else about the girls hostel from Zarina’s lifestyle to the treatment meted out to Rameen and Madam’s change of heart was shown really well. Anita Camphor is one of my favorite actresses; I admire her for her versatility and perfect portrayals in particular. Watching her in the play was a complete surprise and a pleasurable experience. One minute Madam was on Zarina’s case and the other day she was best friends with her! The actress playing Zarina performed her role really well too.
The preview of the next episode showed that Zarina is going to get Rameen involved in the same kind of activities that she is involved in. Rameen will also meet a very drunk Azar on the street. How can Rameen let Zarina talk her into wearing those clothes and going out with her? Sometimes I have a very tough time relating to Rameen’s character – she speaks like she is very wise but she acts like she does not know right from wrong. There was no violence in tonight’s episode so that was definitely a plus point. Are we supposed to stop wondering when the show will end? Because I get a feeling that it won’t be ending any time soon. I am tired of asking the same question over and over again but why can’t Rameen go take refuge in a shelter house dedicated to women like her? Maybe because the writer does not want Rameen’s troubles to come to an end just yet!
Chup Raho has always been flawless as far as the performances of all the actors are concerned and tonight’s episode wasn’t any different. It does look like the drama has come to a point where it may end in a rational manner since Rameen is still mentally stable (surprisingly!) and the writer might have something very different in mind for Naila as well.
Did you watch tonight’s episode? Do share your thoughts!
Fatima Awan
Most of the dramas of 2014 were a mix of controversies and clichés! The scripts of majority of the dramas reflected a lack of creativity. Star casts and great production values were used to entice the viewers and issues related to marital life remained the focus of our dramas.
Unlike the past three years or so HUM failed to keep up the high standards which it had set for itself a few years back when Hamsafar and Durr-e-Shahwar went on air. HUM started this year by airing dramas like Mohabbat Subha Ka Siatara Hai, Bunty I Love You, Zindagi Tere Bina, Rubaru, Ishq Mein Tere, Main Deewani, Izteraab and many more which mostly lacked the must-watch factor. Mohabbat Subha Ka Sitara Hai was written by Umera Ahmed but it failed to leave an impact on the viewers. Most of the viewers failed to relate to Romaissa’s character and for the most part the supporting characters got more screen time than the leading lady herself. Bunty I Love You was written by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar and it was anything but the usual love story we see on screen. This drama was definitely different but somewhat heavy duty as well and definitely not the sort of drama many people could relate to because of the unusual storyline. Mein Dewani was a weekend play which was completely sidelined by drama serial Shukk.
ARY Digital on the other hand welcomed 2014 with dramas like Pyare Afzal, Shukk, Sannata, Meri Beti, Mere Apne and Zara Aur Mehrunissa. The fact is that Pyare Afzal and Shukk were the most watched and talked about plays of the first season of 2014. While Shukk disappointed its viewers in more ways than one Pyare Afzal proved to be a play which will be remembered for a long time. The characters of the actors playing the lead in the play became their new introduction. Khalil-ur-Rehman’s script and a different storyline proved to be a breath of fresh air for the viewers. Most of the viewers who were sick and tired of watching gherulu problems on screen felt like a romantic play with some very impressive and memorable characters was just what the doctor ordered. Pyare Afzal had to be the biggest hit of this year which basically goes to show that ARY definitely won the first half of the race between these two channels.
In the second half of the year HUM aired dramas like Mausam, Aahista Aahista, Laa, Firaaq, Shanakht, Mohabbat Ab Nahi Hogi, Du Saal Ki Aurat and Mere Meherban among others. All the weekend plays of HUM in this season did not get enough attention or appreciation from the viewers. Mausam and Aahista Aahista had weak storylines, mediocre characters and both these plays were slow paced. Laa had a different storyline but it did not get a massive viewership mainly because people were not impressed by the direction or the acting. Firaaq went from being a masterpiece to a complete disaster in only 10 weeks! Plays like Shanakht and Mohabbat Ab Nahi Hogi were appreciated more by the viewers than those dramas which boasted of a star cast and had big names attached to them.
ARY Digital started the second half of the year with dramas like Shikwa, Koi Nahi Apna, Soteli, Bhabi and Pyare Afzal had not gone off air even till now when all the dramas that started at about the same when Pyare Afzal went on air had ended. All these dramas were the kind of dramas that keep you hooked for some time but completely go off track after a while. Most of the dramas that aired on HUM in the second half were not impressive in any way but they were certainly followed by the viewers more than the ones which aired on ARY Digital. The fact that Pyare Afzal was still being watched by many people proved to be a plus for ARY.
The plays that are currently on air on HUM include Sadqay Tumhare, Digest writer, Aik Pal, Mehram, Tum Mere Hi Rehna, Zid and Nikkah will be replacing Firaaq on Sundays. Until now Sadqay Tumhare and Digest Writer have proven to be far better than the plays which HUM aired on weekends in the last season but it remains to be seen how the stories unfold in the future and what kind of a response they get from the viewers.
The dramas that are presently airing on ARY include, Chup Raho, Mein Bushra, Khataa, Khuda Na Karay, Goyaa, Dil Nahi Manta, Doosri Biwi and Na Katro Pankh Meray. There are no clear winners in this list till now. Chup Raho and Mein Bushra are being followed by many viewers but are they being liked as well?? I guess not. They are more like guilty pleasures or plays which people continue watching out of curiosity. It looks like HUM will have more to offer to its viewers than ARY at the start of this new year but one cannot be too sure since many of the dramas which started off really well on HUM this year did not deliver in the last few episodes.
Do you think we have a clear winner here? I think the fact that ARY had two hits to its credit this year and HUM had none makes ARY a clear winner. While HUM failed to live up to its hard earned reputation this year ARY managed to come up as a strong contender. Sadqay Tumhare and Digest Writer might prove to be a step in the right direction for HUM if they manage to keep the viewers engaged till the end but airing dramas like Nikkah and that too on weekends might prove to be fatal for HUM. Unfortunately, our channels greatly compromised on quality this year therefore while evaluating their dramas one has to be very generous in order to reach a logical conclusion!
Let’s hope that this year these channels and all the others have more to offer than showing us the same stories over and over again!
Do share your thoughts about the dramas that aired on these two channels this year and about other dramas which you think qualified as the best dramas of the year.
Fatima Awan
Recently Sahir Lodhi did a show on a very strong topic which is the addiction of heroine. Two girls, Sana and Ana are both sisters and addicts of heroine. They say that bad company is the one reason that made them this addict of heroine and now it is nearly impossible for them to leave it. It is rightly said that a man is known by the company he keeps. Watch their exclusive interview and i am sure you will be shocked.
Written By: Moomal Hassan.
Amir Liaquat is known for his exclusive way of presenting things. Recently at his show Subah Pakistan, his duplicate or look alike arrived and started taking over the show. He made fun of everything and presented the show just as Amir Liaquat does. The audience was amazed and Amir Liaquat was shocked. Below are the videos do watch and get amused by it.
Written By: Moomal Hassan.
“Ashiq Hussain” is Faysal Qureshi’s upcoming drama, produced by Big Bang Entertainment. The director of the show will be Anjum Shehzad (director of Khuda aur Mohabbat) and the writer is Sana Fahad (writer of Koi Nahi Apna) .
Here is the new look that Faysal has put on for the show:
Not much is known about the plot other than the fact that Faysal himself is pleased by it. He, in this video uploaded by Big Bang Entertainment , has told that the script forced him to be a part of the show and that it will have a good cast.
The rest of the cast includes filmstar Saima, Maria Wasti, Zahlay Sarhadi, Maha Warsi, Moomal Khalid, Saboor Ali, Salahuddin Tunio and Afshan Quraishi.
Areeba Mohsen
Year 2014 has been a very promising year for Pakistani films. We saw all kinds of films in this year from those that dealt with very serious issues to those that were comic. These films are not only giving the viewers a chance to enjoy Pakistani cinema on the big screen but it has also given the actors and directors to show their talent to the fullest. This is the first time that a fully animated film has been made for children. The film is titled “Teen Bahadur” and the lady behind the film is non other than the Academy Award winner director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Waadi Animations which is a joint venture of ARY Films and SOC Films has taken a much needed big step forward by investing in a venture like this one.
It is about time that our directors and producers started working on something entertaining for children which they can see on the big screen. Talking about her film Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy said, “When I first said that I wanted to make an animated feature, people thought I was crazy. But people think I’m crazy anyway, so it’s okay.” Sharmeen is very sure that this animation is going to be something different which the Pakistani children and their grown ups will enjoy equally. “I believe that Teen Bahadur is going to be groundbreaking because it provides quality entertainment for the whole family.”
The title song of the animated film has been sung by Shiraz Uppal. Teen Bahadur is the story of three brave and intelligent young kids, one girl and two boys who use their superpowers which are not based on fantasy but are very real to change the world. “These powers exist in all of us, we all have super powers, we just don’t know about them,” said the talented director.
Sharmeen believes that it is very important for the Pakistani children to have their own super heroes who they see in films and series in settings which are familiar to them. “It’s time that Pakistani children have their own heroes who live in cities and villages just like their own,” she added, “The cities in the movie are actual cities in Pakistan.”
“Teen Bahadur is not just a movie. It is a movement…….The message we’re sending with this film is that ‘We shall overcome.’ Like these three kids, we can face the challenges that come our way. You don’t need to be a superhero. You are a superhero,” said Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy with a lot of conviction.
We wish the team of Teen Bahadur a lot of success.
7th Sky entertainment had disappointed a lot in the past few months, and that is why I was reluctant to give Aik Pal a chance. I was sure that it would be too preachy and full of stereotypes but after watching it, I was proven wrong. Good job Sarwat Nazir, for keeping the balance. Last week, I criticized Bareera’s character for being too OTT and Omair’s for being cliched and the readers mistook my statement for the fact that I did not like Aik Pal as a whole or that I don’t find a balance in it. The fact is that I do enjoy watching Aik Pal but I am a reviewer and my job is to point out the good and bad in the show after watching it. You can agree or disagree with me and I won’t mind, because I love reading your comments, unless they are not harsh.
The episode was good and a lot happened in it, especially the university scenes. Bareera didn’t forgive Mus’haf for the proposal and indirectly told Omair that Mus’haf is causing problems for their marriage. Poor Mus’haf was beaten by Omair but being the good person he is, he did not tell anyone about who beat him. Bareera smiled when her friends talked to her about the beating and refused to visit Mus’haf in the hospital. The way she immediately decided to abandon her father for Omair was unbelievable too, but I am glad that Mus’haf was there to save the day.
Areej Fatyma’s dressing was marvelous today. The black jacket over the pink printed T-Shirt and jeans looked totally cool on her. Later in the rishte wala scene she looked amazing in the red top and jeans. Her makeup was better than before, thus I enjoyed Bareera’s scenes today. Danish Taimoor was good as always. Him and Areej totally rock as a couple and that is why I loved the way Omair announced his engagement with Bareera and in the after-class scene, put his cap over her head.
I did not feel for Mehreen at all because Maryam Ansari failed to deliver. Her dialogues were too mainstream.
Omair’s parents were, contrary to my previous impression of them, laalchi! They have a lot of money but they shamelessly asked Bareera’s Dad to give them loads of jahez. Bareera did notice their behaviour but she was sure that Omair would be nothing like them. Still under the 50k impression Bareera?
Imran did make an appearance today and this time we saw him with another woman. drinking and enjoying himself. I totally felt for Noor Fatima when she picked up her hand , looked at the engagement ring and appreciated Bareera’s good fortune. However I did not like the way she called Omair “sahab“. Was it necessary?
Overall, the episode was good. I’ll give it 7/10 stars and will be awaiting your comments.
Areeba Mohsen
With Mera sultan ending soon it is time for me to review this drama which has no doubt left it’s mark on our collective psyche. The drama while a great favorite of mine unfortunately contains historical errors so I will be reviewing it fully so for die hard fans of the drama be warned ‘SPOLIERS AHEAD’.
When Mera Sultan was first aired certain people started the propaganda that it was anti-Islamic and meant to defile the image of a great Muslim ruler. Fed as we are by a myopic version of our history we simply could not comprehend that Muslims can do bad things too. Also Sultan Suleiman was a great ruler indeed but he was not perfect. So today I’m going to discuss historical incidents only.
1) Sultan Suleman succeeded his father Sultan selim the grim ( Known so because of his cruelty) and was generally regarded as a just ruler. He is called Suleman the law-giver and expanded The Ottoman empire to it’s greatest heights however he did NOT DO IT ALONE. He was aided in it by his great prime minister Pargali Ibrahim Pasha, Khizr raees and many more able men.
2) Sultan’s greatest vizier, his best friend, brother-in-law who was like a brother to him was Ibrahim Pasha who helped him achieve great heights. However in Royal reign no other person is allowed to have so much power. He was strangled in his sleep a decision Suleman always regretted. Another reason given was that he was not in favor of Hurem sultan who conspired with her son-in-law Rustem Pasha to have him killed.
3) Sultan’s mother Ayşe Hafsa Sultan was the first Queen Mother to awarded the title of ‘ Valida-e-Sultan’. She was almost Sultan’s co-ruler and unlike the drama was not insulted regularly by Sultan for the sake of his precious Hurem.
4) Sultan had many Concubines as the Turks did not believe that any royal family was equal to them in stature and hence they kept slave-girls in their Harems. Sultan’s First concubine was Fulane Hatun who gave him a son, then came Gulfem who also bore him a son, then came Mahidevran who was the mother of Mustafa. Fulane and Gulfem’s sons died in their youth and after that they both lost their previous power and position.
5) Mahidevran was perhaps the most unfortunate Queen in history. Originally thought to be a concubine it is now known that she was the daughter of a circassian prince. According to one of her descendants who was angry at her portrayal in this series both she and Gulfem were wives of Sultan not concubines. She gave birth to FOUR CHILDREN. Mustafa, Ahmed who died young, Raziya Sultan who married her brother’s supporter Tashjee ali Yahiya and Fatima who was married to the royal architect Mimar Sinan. Mahi’s real life was even sadder in real life then that shown in the drama. She was expelled from the palace when Mustafa was very young and spent the rest of her life in remote outposts of the empire. After Mustafa’s death her royal salary was ended. She lived in great poverty but the common people gave her tremendous respect ( While they abused Hurem non-stop). It must be noted that she outlived all her children and took care of her grandchildren all by herself. It was only during Selim’s reign that her pension was restored. Sultan’s treatment of her was unfair beyond belief. It must be noted that she was extremely beautiful and is considered by some as the most beautiful woman in Turkish history. How ever this beauty did not ensure her a fate she deserved.
6) Gulfem was the concubine or wife before Mahidevran. She is said to be a Sicilian or polish concubine, daughter of a prince called Murad, Daughter of an Albanian Bey or daughter of a convert to Islam called Abdurrahman.( One of them)! How ever all Ottoman sources describe her as extremely intelligent, fluent in many languages and a favorite of Suleman. It is said that she was second only to Hurem sultan in the Harem and after Hurem’s death she reigned supreme the Sultan would spend his nights with her sharing his sorrows with her. In Turkish archives there is a letter by her to Shehzade Beyazid advising him not to rebel against his father. This clearly shows that she was genuinely concerned with the empire’s well-being and was an important member of it. How ever the other concubines sought to get rid of her. Gulfem was building a mosque and ran out of funds. One concubine agreed to give her gold in exchange for her giving one of her nights with the sultan to her. Poor Gulfem thought that it was not such a big deal however she was wrong. The ‘great and just’ Sultan had her dragged right away by her hair to his room and without even hearing her explanation had her strangled right there! Later when he found out about it he ordered her mausoleum built next to the mosque she had commissioned.
7) Hurem is portrayed as the heroine of this series although to be frank this is the first heroine I have seen who displays serious psychological problems and has all the patterns consistent with a serial killer. Hurem was a Ruthenian slave known to the west as Roxana because of her Russian origin. She bore The Sultan five sons and a daughter. One of these sons died as a baby and hence was not shown in the drama. The real Hurem was not breathtakingly beautiful but was said to be heavy with an attractive face, jolly nature and it is said that she possessed s*x appeal. She was However extremely sharp who used her wits to beat her rivals. In this she was helped by Rustem pasha who later became her son-in-law. By no standards of morality whether in the drama or in real life can Hurem be considered right. Infact as foreign ambassadors reported Turks used to abuse her openly and call her a witch especially after Mustafa’s death. Hurem’s three major achievements were
a) Marrying the Sultan.
b) Never leaving the Harem with her son as was the custom but staying on till the very end with Suleman.
c) Moving to the main palace with Sultan as a fire ‘mysteriously burned down the old harem’. ( Yaqeenan khud lagwai hogi)
8) Sultan’s sisters had nothing against Hurem. They added this part for spicing up the serial and also so people can feel sympathy for the ‘Innocent Hurem. khazeena( real name Hatice) died heart-broken two years after Ibrahim’s death. Fatima and Beyhaan lived their lives quietly after their husband were killed by the great Sultan. Sah obtained a divorce not because of Hurem’s conspiracies but because her husband beat her.
9) Mustafa was the eldest and undoubtedly the greatest of Sultan’s sons. Sultan had him killed as Rustem had him believed that the army was planning to replace Suleman with him. Our Great Sultan not only had him killed but had his young son Mehmet executed. Can any Huremist or people who admire Sultan give me a solid reply what danger could a child pose to a great Sultan like Suleman? Also he did not disobey his father by marrying Khizr raees’s daughter. Their is no Mehrunnissa Hatun. His son was by his concubine Rumaisa.
10) Hurem’s son Mehmet died a natural death due to small pox. What they showed in the drama WAS A LIE. MAHIDEVRAN DID NOT KILL HIM. THEY ADDED THIS PART SO PEOPLE CAN JUSTIFY HUREM’S CONSPIRACIES AGAINST MUSTAFA. He was married to his cousin Esmahan daughter of Sah sultan whom he fell in love with as soon as he saw her and had a daughter with her. After his untimely death the ‘great innocent sweet long-suffering poor’ Hurem snatched her grand daughter from Esmahan and had her sent to her mother where she died heart broken four years later.
11) Ayaz Pasha the vizier after Ibrahim was not killed by Sah but died a natural death in a plague. ( Lagta hai writer conspiracy theories pe yaqeen rakhti thi her death ko Hurem ke dushmanon key ser pe daal dia) LOL.
12) Kazi Ebu Saud, Yahiya effendi ( Sultan’s foster brother), Sikander chalebi, Tashjee ali Yahiya are all real historical characters.
13) Jahangir died heart-broken for his step brother Mustafa.
14) Beyazid rebelled and was executed with his sons on order of Sultan Suleman in Persia where he has taken refuge. Sultan offered shah Tahmpasamp 400000 gold coins for having his own son and grand sons killed. ( wah wah lekin phir bhi ham nahi manengen aur kahengen ye sab jhoot aur west ka propaganda hai)
15) Hurem’s son Selim was a useless drunk. Turks suffered the worst defeat of their history in his reign at the Battle of Lepanto.
16) Sadiqa/Victoria, Froze khatoon, Princess Isabella, nazenin were all fictional characters added to show how much Hurem had to fight to control/brainwash her Sultan. LOL
17) Shah Tahmpasamp of Iran was a weak rival Of Sultan. He did not obsess about harming the ottomans. Later his descendant Shah Abbas the great inflicted major defeats on the Ottomans when they were in decline in the Sultanate of women period.
18) The murders in Harem are based on reality. Hurem initiated a reign of terror. Her cruelty can be judged by the following real incident. One of Sultan’s concubines Gulshah khatoon bore him a daughter called Nuriye Gul Sultan. Hurem made numerous attempts to kill mother and/or daughter and finally when the daughter was 3 years old she succeeded. They were killed and their bodies thrown in the sea. This incident shows Hurem’s inhumanity and Sultan’s criminal negligence. ( They did show a Gulshah in the drama. She was however a gullible maid of Mahi and Later Hurem who only caused harm to her employers)
20) Meherma the daughter of Hurem was highly influential and acted as Valida-e-sultan in her brother’s reign. Her marriage to much elder Rustem was considered an unhappy one and she spent most of her time with her father. Her Husband Rustem was one of the most corrupt and hated Grand viziers in Turkish history.
21) After Mustafa’s death the Janissaries rebelled so to placate them Sultan had Rustem deposed and on his advice appointed his brother-in-law Kara Ahmet Pasha to this position. This measure basically saved their life but within two years Sultan repaid this favor by executing Kara Ahmet pasha!
When all is said and done there is no doubt that It was an excellent and entertaining drama and I look anxiously forward to Kosem Sultan the next installment of this series. The Turks really know how to make historical dramas.
Talha Rizvi
2014 is just coming to an end so I thought to give a small tribute to super hit Drama of 2014 “Pyaray Afzal”. This was not just the drama but an emotional attachment, a roller coaster ride and an unforgettable Journey. Every scene every episode was a visual treat to watch. This drama had truly expressed the meaning of love and the deep reality of human relationship.
Poor Afzal he was shot dead when Farah finally embraced his love and actually wrote letter to him but missing Pyaray Afzal doesn’t mean that I am only missing Afzal, how can we forget bubbly Yasmeen, Responsible Aarfa, Stylish Lubna, Confused Farah, Tensed Ruqqaiya( Wife of Maulvi Subhanallah), Respected Maulvi Subhanallah and brave Babu Hameed.
Pyaray Afzal took us all by Storm and it was not only popular in Pakistan but all around the globe, I have to admit that it is the highest quality drama produced by Humayun Saeed’s production and indeed it will took many years now for ARY or any other channel to telecast such Gem again.
Round of Applause for Khalil ur Rehman for penning down this amazing story and dialogues
So let’s remember Pyaray Afzal through some great dialogues of this drama:
“Meri Auqaat nahi hai ke mein Farah se Muhabbat kar sakun lekin us se Muhabbat karne ka Haq hai mujhe”– Afzal
“Muhabbat ko ghussa ajaina Farah to tum jeson ko bhi hojaati hai”– Lubna
“Jab koi Naya Naya Musalman hota hai to kuch zayada hi Musalman hota hai”– Lubna
“Mere abba kaha karte thay ke mardon mein se asal mard ko phechaana aisa hai jese saare tarboozon mein se lal tarbooz phechaana”– Sheikh Ibrahim
“Dil ki Saari baatein dil walon ke pass amanat hoti hain aur who amanat mein khayanat nahi kya karte”– Afzal
“Mein Maulvi Subhanallah ka beta hun Wali aur who mujhe bataya karte that ke maut Zindagi ki hifazat karti hai is se mat darna zindagi se darna yeh wahan maarti hai jahan paani bhi nahi milta”– Afzal
“Pata hai yeh goli mujhe pheli baar nahi lagi aik goli mujhe Hyderabad mein bhi lagi thi dil ko cheerkar nikal gai thi mene khud operation kiya tha khud taanke lagai thay magar toota hua dil zayada solid nahi hota sirf zinda rakhne ke liye kaam ata hai”– Afzal
“Mera naam badal diya jai Abba mujhe nahi pata yahan Afzal kon hai jo begunhai mein maare jaate hain ya jinko mene maara hai”– Afzal
“Farah ke sirf moun per ghussa hota hai andar se to who bilkul mombatti hai zara si aanch dikhao pighal jai gi” – Lubna
“Muhabbat agar cricket hoti to mein jeet gaya hota”– “Afzal
“Is tarah milo jese bin bulaye gham se milte hain, pass bulaya dil mein rakha aur phir kaha tumhaari to aisi ki taisi”– Lubna
“Jaag jao Farah is keemat per ke tumne kayion ki neendein haram kardi hain”– Yasmeen
“Yeh akhri akhri badtameeziyan hain pyaray phir tum kahan aur mein kahan”– Yasmeen
“Marne se dar nahi lagta yaar magar jeene ka buhat dil karta hai”– Babu Hameed
“Tumhaari Kasam Afzal chahe uske gham mein jalte rehna magar in khaton ko nahi jalana”– Yasmeen
“Apko kasam hai meri shadi hojai to dua nahi dijiyega mera naam le kar khaiyega jao Farah humne tumhe maaf kya”– Farah
“Main Afzal ban jaata lekin mujhe koi batai to sahi ke Afzal aisa hota hai”– Afzal
Now some funny Dialogues:
“Mein tumhaara baap hun Farah koi channe bechne wala nahi”– Sheikh Ibrahim
“Khat kyn likhongi phone mene mirchein peesne ke liye thori rakha hai”– Lubna
This is my favourite one
“Mehboob ke sar ke aagey behen ka sar tarbooz hota hai”– Lubna
Hence these are the only dialogues that I remember, so do you guys remember anymore amazing dialogues? if yes then please do share :-)
It is finally over! I must admit that I was expecting this last episode to be much worse because I was expecting an 8 to 10 show tonight as well. When the drama ended at 9 I was relieved! Tonight’s episode showed that the writer of the show Mustafa Afridi is talented enough to wrap things up in less than 45 minutes even when they are so messy, I wish he would have put in the same amount thinking while penning down the Paymaan/Imroze track as a whole. Hareem’s happiness lied with her son, she did not want a man in her life and she got just that. Paymaan forgave Imroze for everything he did just like all the other good wives in our plays. Honestly speaking I felt completely detached from all the character thanks to all the crazy twists that we have been witnessing for the past few episodes therefore the fact that this last episode was short and slightly less complicated was good enough!
Imroze’s second marriage and everything that happened after it was definitely a bad move. Imroze’s explanation to Paymaan confirmed that the reason why he left Paymaan was that his insecurities got the best of him but at the same time he had enough confidence to go ahead and get married again to someone who cheated on him and left him for someone else. Why are the men in our dramas naive enough to think that a second marriage will solve all their problems?? And to top it all, Imroze has learned nothing from his experiences since he suggested: “hum teeno is ghur mei mil ke bhi reh sakte hein” !! Right till the end Imroze was willing to have both these women in his life until Hareem pushed him to the edge. Paymaan never had a problem with “sharing” her husband with Hareem, which was very strange!
“Aap ne mujhe chalna, phirna, bolna, urna sikhaya” …yeh sub kub huva?? Right from the start, the viewers were shown that Paymaan’s life with Imroze was dull, to say the least. Imroze said so himself that Paymaan had stopped being happy and that is exactly what we saw too but somehow we are expected to believe that Imroze was the best thing that ever happened to Paymaan. I still remember the first scene which was shown a few months after their marriage, Paymaan was complaining and she did not look happy.
Firaaq had many tracks but the main story revolved around Paymaan and Imroze’s relationship and the Firaaq between the two. Unfortunately, the writer and the director both failed to narrate Paymaan and Imroze’s story properly. For the longest time, the viewers kept on watching the play so that they could enjoy Tabbasum and Haider’s scenes. The viewers were unable to understand why Imroze fell in love with Paymaan, the marriage was rushed and we never got to see the dynamics of their relationships. The fact that there was absolutely no chemistry between Sanam Saeed and Mohib Mirza did not help as well. There was so much about the main track of this drama that was flawed right from the start to the end. The mystery surrounding Imroze’s character right from day one was unnecessary and the truths about him that were revealed later were not worth all the wait. After watching the first few episodes we were all convinced that Firaaq was going to deliver but once Imroze entered Paymaan’s life everything went haywire. It was an absolute pleasure watching Uzma Gillani and Syed Mazhar Ali mesmerize us with their superb performances every week, for me, they were the stars of the show right till the end! Their story was far more interesting than that of Paymaan and Imroze. Junaid Khan and Noor Hassan played their roles well. Sanam Saeed did the best she could with her character, unfortunately, Paymaan’s character took a U-turn after getting married to Imroze which was definitely not what most viewers wanted to see. Imroze’s character wasn’t even remotely likable but Mohib Mirza acting was everything one could wish for. For me, Firaaq will always be the story of Haider and Tabbasum and not Paymaan and Imroze. Isn’t it sad that we were shown all the characters at the end of this last episode except Haider’s? He was the only male character in the show who was liked by many of the viewers. Adnan Jaffar’s character and his acting also deserve a special mention here but I have to add that we could have done without these new additions.
Although Firaaq turned out to be very disappointing, I must confess that I enjoyed reviewing it nevertheless mainly because of all of you out there who contributed to the discussions. I want to thank everyone for reading the reviews especially those regular readers who are kind enough to read the reviews even after they stopped watching the play. Firaaq is being replaced by drama serial “Nikkah”, the tag line of the play is ” piya naam ki choriya…bani meri majboorian!” and I am guessing that this drama also revolves around the story of a woman whose husband gets married again – yes doosri shadi all over again!! How many of you are sick and tired of these stories??
Fatima Awan
Exclisive Video: 10 Mysterious Pictures That Even Science Can not Explain
