Yawn, yawn and yawn!! I have officially given up on this drama after watching this episode. The story is going around in circles; I have no idea where this drama is headed with this constant repetition and I am so not interested in finding out any more too! There has been absolutely no character development since the first episode. Komal remains obsessed with living with her husband only if his mother approves of the idea because making your mother in laws happy is more important than ensuring your own happiness and somehow breaking your husband’s heart and threatening him of divorce is alright too!! The way Komal throws a fit every time Arsalan mentions that his mother is still not happy with their marriage is making me dislike her character even more! I felt for Komal when she remembered her family when she was in her house but even then I fail to connect to her obsession! Arsalan is scared of Komal and his mother like he is a ten year old and Arsalan’s mother is one character I don’t want to see on screen ever again! She is a typical Pakistani saas and there is absolutely nothing fascinating about that!

Like every other episode of Aitraz this one too did not add much to the story except that Komal has started working. The relationship between Komal and Rayna is the only good thing about this play and that too only because of Rayna’s character! I am sick and tired of watching Komal’s sad face right from the first episode. Sana Javed should stop playing the bechari altogether! She has a very cute smile and she knows how to act, I am sure the viewers would like to see her experimenting with the characters more and also with her looks.

Dialogues like “tum achi nahi buhat achi ho” have been done to death, they are so predictable! I hate to say this but after watching 7 episodes of this play I have lost all faith in ARY in particular. Using Imran Abbas and Sania Saeed as a “bait” to make the viewers watch this show was an extremely cheap tactic. It might have worked for ARY this time but it won’t work the next time. The direction of the play is confusing and the story of the play is unimpressive to say the least. It looks like the writer did not put in a lot of thought into writing the script, some of the characters are very clichéd and others are impossible to relate to.

Those of you who missed this episode missed absolutely nothing therefore you shouldn’t waste your precious time tuning into Aitraz this week:)

This is going to be my last review of this play; I gave Aitraz 7 weeks to prove itself but unfortunately it has failed to impress. Is there any drama which you think is worth watching and reviewing? Please give your suggestions in the comments section!

Fatima Awan

Aye mere dil kahin aur chal, dard hi dard hai yeh safar….. What better way to sum up how this episode made me feel then to take aide from these lines from the OST itself!! Aitraz started off on a very decent note; it was intriguing and made you look forward to more but ever since Komal and Arsalan got married this drama has taken some very done-to-death turns. I found Arsalan’s mother’s obsession with keeping his son away from his wife twisted to say the least!! I had to keep on reminding myself that this was not one of those doosri biwi dramas in which both the wives are trying to woo the husband but this was actually a ‘battle’ between a saas and bahu. The way it was shown made it look like Arsalan’s mother was the first wife who needed to do everything she could in order to spend some precious moments with her husband – son alone and the other wife could do absolutely nothing about it!

I fail to understand all the characters in this drama now. Komal thinks Arsalan belongs with mommy dear – why exactly did she get married to him then? Rayna who insisted that these two should get married now thinks this is a good time to remind Komal that she still loves Wajdan over and over again! Arsalan is a mommy magnet but at the same time we see him blaming Komal for insisting that they should live with his mother when they had the option of living away from her. The only thing I could relate to was Arsalan’s Khala wanting to get out of this situation she got herself into. It is so convenient to sit and gossip about someone but so difficult to do anything else that demands more time and attention to be there for someone!

Sana Javed’s hairstyles yet again kept on changing after every few minutes. Komal’s character has failed to impress; her sacrifices and her fixation with ensuring that all the sons of the world stay with their mothers till death do them part is just plain annoying. I am having a very difficult time liking her character now. She is turning out to be more of a drama queen than anything else although I am quite sure that her character was not conceived like that but I can’t help but think that most of her problems are self-created!! Why get married at all when you don’t love a man?? The scene in which Rayna and Komal were lying down on the bed and talking wasn’t impressive at all; I found the way it was shot really weird! Why not just show the girls’ faces when they were talking?

There is no sign of Imran Abbas or Sania Saeed till now which is really putting me off!! Most of us started watching this drama for these two actors more than anyone else and making people wait like this is a very cheap tactic to ensure that the viewers continue tuning in to this show every week. I read in the credentials that the actors playing Wajdan’s parents only made a guest appearance which means we definitely won’t be seeing them again. Now we need to find out if same is true for the other two actors we saw on the main title picture of the drama!

Did this episode annoy you as much as it annoyed me? Are you only watching this drama now to see whether Imran Abbas and Sania Saeed will finally make an appearance or not? Do share your thoughts about tonight’s episode.

Fatima Awan

This episode just like the last one was a waste of time. Yes! we get the point – Arsalan’s mother wasted her precious time getting all that education she got from convent and some prestigious college as well therefore she thinks it is wise to share her woes with her maid. She is as insecure as mother-in-laws get in Pakistani dramas and her son’s sole purpose in life is to please his mother which seems like an impossible task at the moment. The bechari bahu gets full marks for playing the qurbani ki bakri with a smile on her face which makes me wonder what happened to the girl who seemed very sensible and had a lot of self-respect too before she got married. Arsalan and his naye naveli dulhan treated Arsalan’s mother like a 5 year old all through tonight’s episode, not that I blame them because her tantrums and attention needed tactics would make anyone question her mental age but somehow I found Komal’s holier-than-thou attitude towards the whole situation very repulsive.

I understand why Komal is so bent-on keeping Arsalan’s mother happy. She lost her own family therefore she wouldn’t want to be responsible for severing Arsalan’s ties with his mother but the problem was the constant repetition and not to mention the fact that watching these saas-bahu rothna manana scenes isn’t actually entertaining! Since the last episode it is almost as if we are watching the same scenes over and over again. In the last episode Komal’s honeymoon was cancelled and there was a big argument between her and Arsalan because she trusted his Khala with something personal but I guess our sidhi sadhi Komal does not believe in learning from her mistakes. She trusted Arsalan’s mother although she knows only too well that she is not her well-wisher. Any other girl with a little common sense would’ve made up some other lie or there is always the option of excusing ones self!!

The only thing that continuously changed all through tonight’s episodes were Komal’s hairstyles. Her hairstyle changed four times in the first eleven minutes of the play!! When the play becomes this repetitive you can’t help but notice things which would otherwise go unnoticed. Komal’s hairstyle changed while she went from one room to the other. Watching Arsalan and Komal plan how to win ami over was not the least bit exciting. The writer and the director obviously want the viewers to understand that our sidhi sadhi heroine is trying her best to save her home but it is not going to happen. I am sorry but I feel like they are trying too hard to make Komal look like the victim, I would’ve liked it better if she was not turned into a bechari character.

It is definitely time for the drama to pick up pace otherwise the viewers will have absolutely no reason to watch it. Right now I am waiting to see Wajdaan and Sania Saeed’s character therefore I am going to watch the next episode as well but if the drama continues to be this repetitive and boring then it will be an utter disappointment. I started watching this drama only because the last drama written by Samira Fazal, Alvida, was interesting right till the end, I trusted Imran Abbas’ choice and I wanted to see what Sania Saeed’s character had to offer but for the moment I don’t see much hope for this drama serial and it looks like the director wants to spell everything out for us which is not always good!!

Am I the only one who did not feel for Komal one bit?? Do share your thoughts about tonight’s episode.

Fatima Awan

Every episode of Aitraz has more than its fair share of clichés but this episode was so full of Arsalan’s mother’s conniving ways that I found it difficult to keep myself alert even after having a cup of tea during the interval. This episode laid the foundations for what is coming ahead – a big change in Arsalan’s attitude towards Komal – but I still feel that the scenes and dialogues were way too repetitive. It is sad to see someone like Shamim Hilali being wasted playing a role which any other actress could’ve played. She is usually seen playing characters which are challenging but this one has absolutely nothing new to offer.

Watching Arsalan trying to please his mother, Arsalan’s Khala playing the very typical Khala-saas who adds fuel to the fire and the bechari bahu finally taking the fall was nothing more than a snooze-fest! Arsalan knows that there isn’t much that he can do to change his mother’s attitude and the lecture from his Khala also made him feel guilty therefore blaming Komal for everything that happened seemed like the easy thing to do! The main “twist” in this episode had to be the most unconvincing development in this drama so far. Komal has been shown as a very sensible girl till now who is also very emotional when it comes to her family. Firstly, she went against her nature and told Arsalan’s Khala something she shouldn’t have shared with her because she has been shown as a very private person. Also, Arsalan warned her that his Khala was not their well-wisher already so why did she think she would be side with her. This was the first time Komal was meeting this woman but somehow she thought she could trust her and that too regarding something that concerned her sister! Later on Komal was willing to apologize and forget everything although she is the same person who gets so emotional about family values that she is willing to let go of everything. She didn’t get married to the love of her life because she wanted him to do what his mother asked him to but she would continue living with someone who did not really care what his mother thought about Komal’s parents.

I am very disappointed with this episode because of many reasons. The top most reason has to be the boring and done-to-death conversations between two women who really need to get a life and secondly Komal’s character was a huge led down in tonight’s episode. She is turning out to be one of those becharis we see on screen all the time. I regret wishing that we should be shown more of the present than the past because ever since the director has started focusing on the present Wajdan’s character has disappeared from the drama.

Anyone who hasn’t watched this episode yet can save themselves the trouble of watching it because it had absolutely nothing to offer. Watch the last ten minutes of this episode if you’re really curious to find out what happened!!

Fatima Awan

Just like the previous episode this installment too focused on Komal’s past and present both. While Komal’s financial status has changed completely since the last time she met Wajdaan but her wealth is not working in favor of her this time around too. Komal made an honest effort to please her mother in law by doing what her family would’ve done for her had they been alive but the idea completely backfired when Komal’s future mother in law felt that Komal was too rich which would make it easy for her to ‘steal’ her son from her!! In the last episode we saw Komal’s mother telling her sister how she was looking forward to being mother to her daughter in law, which went to show that at that time she felt like she was being Komal’s savior – a role which she was waiting to play – but now that she has seen that Komal does not need a savior since she is rich enough to take care of herself she feels that Komal isn’t the perfect wife for her son. I really liked the way the scene in which Komal senses that something was wrong was shot. Komal did not overhear her mother in law saying all those things but when she walked in on Arsalan and his mother talking she could tell by their expressions that something was wrong. Arsalan’s reaction to his mother’s sudden change of behavior was definitely one I could identify with.

Komal was ‘rejected’ by Wajdaan’s mother because she wasn’t rich or polished enough to be her bahu, something which hurt Komal so much that she could not come into terms with what had happened. The fact that Wajdaan actually took a stand for Komal came as a surprise and we have yet to find out why Komal decided to leave Wajdaan. It could be because Komal did not want him to make such a big sacrifice for her or because she felt like she did not deserve him afterall or maybe because she really was insecure that Wajdaan will leave her at some point therefore she was better off breaking up right now when she was already hurt instead of getting hurt all over again.

The reactions of both the mothers had been-there-seen-that written all over them but even though there are some stereotypes in this drama the story is unpredictable and the way it is being presented on screen keeps you wanting to find out what is going to happen next. I particularly liked the way Komal described how she felt about being judged based on how much wealth she had or did not have. Both her future mother in laws weighed her worth not based on her personality or character but based on her status. When Komal said that the day Wajdaan’s mother said all those things to her was worst than the day her parents died I could completely relate to why she would feel that way. What happened to her parents was an accident/a tragedy but she obviously feels responsible for everything that happened to her. She thinks that she put herself in a position in which Wajdaan’s mother had the authority to say whatever she wanted to her. Just like all of Samira Fazal’s plays the characters of Aitraz have to be its lifeline till now. Komal’s relationship with her friend is refreshing; it is really good to see two intelligent girls getting along so well and not wasting their energies in trying to put each other down.! Sundus Tariq looked absolutely stunning in tonight’s episode and she has done complete justice to her character. I must say that Sana Javed’s character reminds me of her character in Goya and the one she played in Ranjish Hi Sahi but I am hoping that as time goes by I will be more into Komal. Sana Javed is a very talented actress and it would be really great if she experimented more both with her looks and the projects she chooses to work in. I can see now why Imran Abbas was complaining about being sick and tired of the same kind of scripts which revolved around love triangles! I am not saying that both these actors haven’t given their best to the characters they are playing because it won’t be fair if I pass such a judgment but all I am saying is that both these actors have played such roles before and that too not very long ago. That does not change the fact however that Sana Javed and Imran Abbas make a really cute and convincing on screen couple; you feel the connection between them instantly! Gohar Rasheed passes with flying colors when it comes to playing all kinds of roles and nailing them every time with a change in his looks and portrayals. Sania Saeed has yet to make an appearance; I am definitely waiting to see what relation she has with Wajdaan and how soon will we be watching the present alone. The director of the play Aamir Yousuf deserves due credit for directing the drama in such a way that builds up your curiosity and for relying on a different technique of story telling.

Did you watch this episode of Aitraz? Don’t forget to share your thoughts about it.

Fatima Awan

Drama serial Aitraz has been written by Samira Fazal , directed by Aamir Yousuf and produced by Six Sigma Plus. The one thing that stood out more than any other about this first episode was the way it was directed. It was a fast paced episode, it was visually pleasing and the way the story and characters were introduced was quite unusual. Komal (Sana Javed) – our main protagonist’s past and present life’s stories ran parallel to each other in this first episode. Komal lost her entire family – parents and 3 siblings in a bomb blast. Since then it seemed like Wajdaan (Imran Abbas) was the only reason she could go on with life. After knowing each other for 2 years they decided that they wanted to spend the rest of their life each other but it took Wajdan another year to muster up the courage to talk to his mother. Wajdaan’s status conscious mother was very sure that Komal would never be able to live a ‘comfortable’ life in their household since she came from a totally different class. Komal’s conversation with her friend (Sundus Tariq) suggested that she was the one who made the final decision of breaking up with Wajdaan probably because his mother did not give her the respect she expected her future mother in law to give her. The story started with Komal’s Mehndi function and right till the last minute I am sure many viewers like me expected Wajdaan to be the groom since Komal was over occupied with his thoughts. In short our heroine is getting married to Arsalan (Gauhar Rasheed) for the same reason Haya got married to Rameez! She has no feelings for her future husband but she thinks this is the ‘right’ thing to do. She cannot move on or forget Wajdaan but she needs to get on with her life.

Arsalan’s mother (Shamim Hilali) is a nice woman who wants to be a mother to her future daughter in law and Arsalan is very possessive about his fiancé. The relationships between all the characters were very well-established in this first episode. Komal’s relationship with her best friend is genuine, they have a special bond. Arsalan might be possessive about his fiancé but he respects her feelings. Wajdaan is very scared of his mother and definitely did not appear to be the sort of person who would take a stand. His mother was your usual status conscious aunty who we see in our dramas all the time. The light moments in this episode like the opening scene, the ring not fitting Komal’s finger, Wajdaan hanging up on purpose pretending he couldn’t hear Komal when he knew she wanted to talk about their marriage stood out for me more than any other. These scenes kept things from getting too serious. The “Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna” scene was very well directed and very filmy but I must say that it didn’t go well with Arsalan’s personality! I found the conversation Wajdaan’s mother was having with her friend on the phone and the one she had later with her son very interesting. It said a great deal about how she looked at other people and how highly she thought of herself.

I can’t say that this episode was free of clichés because the class-difference and the rich boy falling for the not-so-rich girl story have been done-to-death but it is too early to say that this is going to be a typical story. Sana Javed and Imran Abbas looked great together; their on-screen chemistry made it very easy for me to relate to Komal’s feelings for Wajdaan. Sana Javed plays a role which she has played many times before therefore while there is nothing novel about the character she is playing but she is definitely in her comfort zone and therefore giving her best. She is a sensible girl who wants to make good choices in life, someone who would much rather follow reason than her heart and someone who puts her self-respect before anything else. The fact that she chose to live with a friend and earn her own living instead of relying on her relatives who were not sincere went to show that she was a practical girl. We have all seen Sana Javed play such characters before too but that does not change the fact that she is a natural who manages to give her best every time. Same is true for Imran Abbas, he plays the nakaam ashiq once again but the situation is quite different. For once we see him as a very weak person who does not have the courage to fight for his love – which of course is very different from the character he played in MNYH. I wish Gauhar Rasheed’s character was a little more appealing, why does it always have to be the rich and handsome boyfriend against the nerdy fiancé? I would give full marks to the director for all the creativity. I really liked the make-up and dresses too; they were not overdone and suited the occasions which were being shown. Something tells me that there is much more to the story than what it appears to be at the moment.

The preview of the next episode showed that Komal’s mother in law for some reason is going to change her mind and she will call the marriage off – thank God for that because we don’t want another one of our heroines getting married to an over-possessive husband who finds out later on that she likes someone else!! Why would a girl like Komal beg someone she left to marry her? I am waiting to find out.

Did you watch the first episode of Aitraz? Do share your thoughts about it.

Fatima Awan