With Independence Day just around the corner, I thought I’d compile a list of dramas that boost the spirit of patriotism in me and I am sure, in all of you too. Pakistan is the best country in the entire world_ maybe not in development, maybe not in education, but in patriotism. All the Pakistanis are connected to their roots in one way or another and can never move away for them even if they try. While there are hypocrites who try to undermine Pakistan in every way, there are people who love Pakistan from the bottom of their hearts and above all, there is Allah who will not let us falter until we have complete faith in him.

It was extremely hard for me to choose which show should go at the top. After spending a lot of time thinking, I decided to give the first place to a real story:

1. Sipahi Maqbool Hussain:

ISPR and Interflow Communications Limited presented the story of Sipahi Maqbool Hussain, directed by Haider Imam Rizvi. It is about how Sipahi Maqbool Hussain ended up in an Indian jail and how he was abused for 4 decades for being a Pakistani and denied “Prisoner of war” status. The main lead was Hassan Niazi as young Maqbool Hussain. Other actors were Raja Haider, Batin Farooqui, Riaz Mastana, Reeja and Ghazala Butt.

Sipahi Maqbool Hussain was captured during the 1965 war. He was abused and asked for identity but he kept writing No.335139 as an answer. He was tortured to an extent when even his toe nails and tongue were not spared. He still wrote “Pakistan Zindabad” with his blood. After 4 decades he was sent back in mentally disoriented state but no one from his family, his mother or brother, were alive to receive him. He scribbled his story of abuse in bits and pieces in front of the psychiatrists who attended him. The last scene showed the real Sipahi Maqbool Hussain being given flowers and respects by the army.

The actor playing the role of older Sipahi Maqbool Hussain also did a commendable job.

The real Sipahi Maqbool Hussain was given a VIP suite by Ex-President Pervez Musharraf. He sleeps on the floor and stays away from bright lights. He likes to remain in the dark corners of the room. Such was the impact of torture on him.

We will always respect you Sir!

2. Alpha Bravo Charlie:

Alpha Bravo Charlie was created by ISPR and Shoaib Mansoor. It is the tale of the friendship between Faraz (Faraz Inam), Kashif (Captain Abdullah Mehmood) and Gulsher (Capt. Qasim Khan). Faraz was the rich and handsome one , Kashif was the funny one and Gulsher was the serious and shy one. Another character is Shehnaz (Shehnaz Khwaja) who had a lot of effects on their lives.

The patriotic spirit this show gave the audience was long lasting. Kashif, who initially was not intensely devoted to the army, proved his worth by killing an entire team of Indian soldiers at Siachen. He lost his arms and legs due to harsh weather conditions.

Gulsher fought the Serbs in Bosnia and was captured. He later tried to run away but was again caught and this time, martyred.

Faraz did not get assigned to any combat but he took part in charity works.

Shahnaz did not stop searching for her husband but could not succeed. She returned to Pakistan. Later she permitted her only son to join the army as well. What a wife and what a mother!

The show aired on PTV but after many years Geo Ent. also aired it.

3.Wilco:

Wilco which aired on PTV was produced by the ISPR alongside 7th Sky entertainment. It was directed by Ahsan Talish and written by Mohammed Ahmed. The cast consisted of some big names; Humayun Saeed, Adnan Siddiqui, Ahsan Talish, Laila Zuberi, Ainne, Amna Sheikh, Beenish Chauhan, Imran Abbas, Zainab Qayyum. The story was deep and there were many sidetracks beautifully woven in. It showed how the army not only defends Pakistan against enemies but also rushes to help during natural disasters. There were some scenes between Imran Abbas’s character and Annie’s character which were cute and funny. Humayun Saeed’s death in the end made the audience sad :( but showed the sacrificial nature of his character. He let the helicopter go without him because he knew that his climb would consume a lot of time. The avalanche could damage the helicopter and kill the injured people inside it. He killed an enemy before being consumed by the storm.

This is the final scene:

Danish Taimoor :

4. Dhuaan:

Dhuaan aired on PTV. Directed and produced by Sajjad Ahmed, the story was originally in the form of an english novel written by the lead actor Ashir Abdul-Azeem himself. He dramatized it later. The other actors include Nabeel (we all know him from Bulbulay ;) ) Asal Din Khan, Abdul-Wajid ,Nazli Nasr and Zubair Khan Achakzai. The five college buddies united in Quetta after many years and made a plan to dedicate their lives to Pakistan. Azhar (Ashir) was already an ASP. The others also trained themselves and learned to use weapons. Eventually they were offered a case of narcotics which was supposed to be kept secret from local police. Then followed a lot of action and thrill and finally after succeeding in their mission, all of them embraced martyrdom. The audience wept as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s “Kisey da yaar na wichdey” was played in the background.

Four of the five friends:

5. Dastaan:

Hum TV’s Dastaan was based on Razia Butt’s novel and dramatized by Sameera Fazl, Dastaan was a one-of-its-kind serial. Haissam Hussain directed it. The main cast had, Sanam Baloch, Fawad Khan, Saba Qamar, Ahsan Khan, Mehreen Raheel, Samina Peerzada and Abdul-Qavi Khan.

Bano was the strongest character I saw on TV. She went against her brother’s wishes to prepare banners for Pakistan movement. She supported the creation of Pakistan with all her heart. She had never even thought her life would take such a tragic turn. After partition of India, Bano’s parents, brothers and sister-in-law were killed. She was kidnapped, tortured, forced to convert to Sikhism and married to a Sikh. Even so, her faith remained unshaken. This drama was a lesson for every Pakistani to acknowledge the sacrifices made for their country and love their country till their dying breath.

6. Khuda Zameen Se Gaya Nahi Hai:

This ISPR project aired on PTV and Hum TV simultaneously. Asghar Nadeem Syed took the responsibility of writing it and Kashif Nisar handled the diirection. It emphasized on the enemies who are cutting Pakistan from its roots. They are showing Islam as a terrorist religion. The show highlighted Pakistani army’s efforts to rid the country of them. It covered the issues of bombings of mosques, hotels and schools to killing of women who stepped out of their houses only to earn for their orphan children. It showed how some people claim to be religious when they even don’t let their own children (especially daughters) study. The cast included Jibran, Sara Chauhdry, Ayub Khoso,Nauman Ijaz, Ayesha Khan and Irum Akhter. Jibran’s character was a true patriot.

7. Jaan Hatheli par:

The show aired on PTV and Urdu 1. Story and direction was from Syed Husnain Abbas and Shamim Bazil penned it down. It emphasized the war against terror done by the security forces in Balochistan. For a long time, the people of Balochistan have been terrorized and this drama told them that they are a part of Pakistan and Pakistanis don’t abandon their brothers :) The main cast included Asad Malik, Nadeen Baig, Noman Ijaz, Shamoon Abbasi, Madiha Iftikhar and Myra Khan.

8. Sunehre din:

This drama which also aired on PTV was on a much lighter note. It was supposed to inform the viewers about the life of the young cadets of Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul.Saleem Sheikh’s character went against his mother’s wishes to join the army. Had he known what he was getting himself into! The senior officers were pretty harsh on him and the other new guys. But then again, this is the Pakistani army we’re talking about! They got to be tough and well-prepared for any challenge. The scenes that followed were funny and I had a lot of fun watching them along with feeling a little bit sorry for his troubles :P The night before promotion, our hero and his friends took all the revenge they wanted to take. For one night, the seniors transformed into juniors, and the juniors into seniors. Bas phir kya tha? The revengeful feeling could not be suppressed any longer!

This was the list of dramas I find most patriotic. What did you think of the list?

In the end, I would like to say that please pray for your country on this Independence day. Love your country and never utter any bad word against it because it has been made after a lot of sacrifices. The ones shown in Dastaan were hardly 5% of them. Not only before partition, but also after so many years, Pakistani army and the common people are fighting, struggling and laying down their lives against terrorism. The least you can do is love your country and pray for it. What if Pakistan is not as developed as others? What if it has corruption? We are the ones who can develop it. We are the ones who can finish the corruption and the first step has to be taken by you.

Yes! You! The one sitting in front of the computer/laptop reading this. Stop the corruption. Start by not throwing wrappers on the streets. Start by talking politely to your fellow Pakistanis (whatever language they speak). Start by helping the poor. Start by educating yourself and then educating others.

Most importantly, forget that you are an Urdu-speaker, Sindhi speaker, Balochi speaker, Pashto speaker , Punjabi speaker, Kashmiri speaker and so on. The list will never end but your country will (Allah na kare) end if you keep thinking like this. Start introducing yourself as a Pakistani only. You may have a different language, but not a different identity.
“I’m a Pakistani and my language is Urdu/Punjabi/Pashto/…..”

So stay blessed, united and have a wonderful 67th independence day!!

Areeba Mohsen

I don’t know from where I should start, a great play came to an end. Marasim is one of the absolute masterpiece that we rarely produce nowadays. Applauses to the whole team of Marasim. I think if the drama industry is still alive in Pakistan, it is just because of dramas like Marasim. This shows that thought provoking writers are still writing some great handy stuff but what actually pisses me off is that why these shows never get ratings and viewership? Why these shows are telecast on least watched Channels? Anyways keeping aside my disappointment, let’s start with the message of drama Marasim.

First of all I would like to thank Writer Zanjabeel Asim Shah for providing such a great story to us. Believe me I could hardly see any writer now writing the story which defines the harsh realities of life. Seems like our writers are out of stories and now all they got to write is about oppressing women and love triangles. Marasim gives a brilliant message to society that we should learn to forgive and forget others wrong doings and that’s what Islam teaches us. Life is indeed very short to fight with each other and hate each other. Life is a beautiful gift from ALLAH and we should spend it by doing good deeds like taking care of your family, relatives and friends and helping others. Marasim gives out a clear message that hate and ego which grows inside us not only destroys our own life but infect others and leaves many marks on others life. Gitiara hatred towards her sister in law and family had badly infected Nayab’s and Daood’s life. There is a saying that don’t hurt others because one may forgive you but never forgets.

Another message that Marasim gives out, your destiny is written by ALLAH and never regret what you didn’t get because there is a saying in URDU “HAR CHEEZ MEIN ALLAH KI MASLEHAT HI HOTI HAI”. Poor Nayab she went through many difficulties of life, first her mother passed away then she received worst treatment from her brother in law, then her cousin died who was her only hope and finally daood also left her but in the end ALLAH rewarded her with daood’s business and property and after daood’s death her mother in law also realises that she had failed to provide happiness to his own son.

The strong message of Marasim was that every soul has to depart one day and we should always remember that we have to die one day. This world is finite and the actual life starts hereafter, so never consider anyone below you. Every human being is born equal and die equal so why do we have so many standards and complex society norms? I simply adore one dialogue of this drama “Bas sirf aik rassi khechne ki dair hoti hai saari shaan-o-shaukat thikaane lag jaati hai”. The lavishness of life is nothing but illusion and we could live a better life if we wipe out illusion from our eyes. No wonder this drama was an eye opener and will remind you about the harsh reality of life and that is death.

BRAVO TO DIRECTOR
Marasim is just not only a good play from its strong and powerful storyline but the direction had taken this drama to another level. Each every scene is so well directed that your eyes remain glued to the screen. Owais Khan is definitely a talented director. I can also link his one quality with director of “Ranjish Hi Sahi” Nadeem Siddique and that is the use of colourful extensive wardrobe and use of different bright colours in background. Directors should consider to use range of colours because it gives a visual treat to viewers. The lovely colour combinations allure screen and helps a lot in catching viewers’ attention.
Other credit we can give to director is that he had not dragged the drama at all in fact viewers were commenting why this is ending so early. Similarly to Aunn Zara this drama got finished in 19 episodes.

CREDIT TO THE WHOLE CAST
Whole cast deserves real applauses specially Ahsan Khan, Urwa tul Wusqa and Sonya Hussain. I have to agree with Zahra that I have never seen Ahsan Khan before in such a good role although he is labelled as “nakaam aashiq” but he was splendid in this drama. I hate Hocane sisters for their over-acting but after watching marasim I came to know that Urwa got such brilliant acting skills. Actually it all depends upon director they knew how to get best out of best from actors for example Haissam Hussain he exactly knew the potential of each and every actor/actress. Soniya Hussain is a new talent of our Industry and she can easily rule the Industry, just one good project on her Lap and she will become a star. Salman Saeed (the guy who played Zaid’s character) was also brilliant. Naila Jaffery and Saba Hameed are veteran actresses.

In the end I just want to give gratitude to the production house of Humayun Saeed and A-PLUS Channel. I am realizing that A-PLUS is becoming a good channel as it is providing with some quality stuff now, first it was Aunn Zara in 2013, then Marasim, now Pehchan I wonder how many good dramas I have missed on A-PLUS. I mean if we compare, this channel is better in this quarter and if they continue to provide us with quality stuff then people may switch to A-PLUS. So I have some great expectations now with this Channel, hopefully they will continue to provide quality stuff in future.

So have you watched this drama? If yes then please give your views as well, if not then it is strongly recommended to watch this drama.

Hey there! So after my last article, where I summed up some of the strong female leads I found pleasant to watch I got the question to make the same list for male characters. So today I’m writing this one. Before I start I would like to thank Samar for the idea, Mahera and Voice for their input and special thanks to Areeba Mohsen for helping me write the article.

1. Hassan – Dastaan

This was my favourite drama of all the time: the storyline, the actors, the direction, the production, the locations,… were all just brilliant. Fawad Khan was flawless in his role as Hassan. Hassan is a patriotic young man, studying at university. He is part of Muslim League and strongly supports Qaed-E-Azam. All aspects of his character are beyond awesome and his unconditional love for Bano has made a lot of girls fall in love with this man. He was ready to accept her, even after knowing she lived together with a sikh man for years and was even ready to accept her child. In my opinion, this was Fawad Khan’s best performance till date.

2. Azhar – Dhuaan

An ASP who forms a group, together with his friends to protect Pakistan. He dies fulfulling this mission. Hats off!

3. Afzal – Pyare Afzal

No need for an introduction, as almost everyone is watching this brilliant serial. Afzal is a strong man who leaves him family to end the mafias in Karachi. We surely need more men like him in our country!

4. Daood – Marasim

Ahsan Khan might have chosen some hmm not that great roles recently, but this one is beyond awesome. I have always liked him because in my opinion he’s a good actor and looks good but him playing nakaam Romeo became a drag. Finally he chose a good role and portrayed it brilliantly. Daood is a rich man who has to sacrifice his love for his bachpan ki mangetar for the hounour of his mother. He gets married to another girl, chosen by his mother. He isn’t happy at first but eventually accepts her. I love his character because of the way he handles his wife, he wants everybody to treat her well and give her respect. His character took a bad turn for a little while but he’s back. Now he’s training his wife to become strong and independant. He’s making the best of their married life, till death tears them apart (hopefully not :s)

Here, I want to add Fahad’s character from Marasim as well. He’s not playing the lead but he stole the show with his dialogues. He really loves his wife and even if he grew up abroad he sees his wife as his ‘izzatt’. He accepted her even when he knew she was in love with someone else.

5. Jawad – Malaal

Imran Abbas Naqvi played this role with complete justice. Jawad is someone who doesn’t only say ‘I love you’ but proves is as well. He is very confident and knows exactly what he wants. He has a high maturity level and that’s why I liked this character very much.

6. Abdul Qadir – Mein Abdul Qadir hun

Fahad Mustafa has been one of my favourite actors and this character was played brilliantly. Abdul Qadir is a weak and vulnerable man at first because he saw his parents fighting all the time. But he totally changes and becomes very strong after he helps someone accept Islam.

7. Haider – Mere Humdum Mere Dost

I know, most of us don’t like Adnan Sidiqui for wanting to be the young man forever and playing roles along girls half his age. But believe me, he was the only one who could play this role with justice. I don’t even mind his double Sanam’s age because he’s potraying Haiders’ role brilliantly. Haider is a man with a strong personality. He is the type of friend that would go through everything just to see his friend happy. He has changed Aiman from a weak, insecure girl (read: Romaisa II) into a strong girl full with confidence. I absolutely adore his character.

8. Gulsher Khan – Alpha Bravo Charlie

He gets killed while protecting the Muslims in Bosnia from Serbs. It’s amazing to see someone sacrificing his life while protecting others and reach the muqaam of Shaheed.

So, this was my list. Share your thoughts about it. Who should (not) be in the list in your opinion?

Thanks for reading

Sabahet

We’ve all been complaining for a while now about the efforts directors and writers to establish sisters as enemies who should keep their husbands locked away. If a sister was the least bit negligent, her husband would definitely be stolen by her sister held a grudge against her from the day she was born. I decided to make a list of sisters from our dramas, who loved each other and set examples.

1. Lubna and Farah from Pyaray Afzal:

Performed by Sana Javed and Ayeza Khan

Farah is bold and sometimes really harsh. Lubna is confident but kind. Both of the sisters light up the screen with their chemistry. Their interactions are sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter, yet always succeed in convincing us that they must me real sisters ;)
P.S: I really appreciate that Lubna is trying to make her sister to accept her love for Afzal :P

2. Kashaf, Sidra and Shehnila from Zindagi Gulzar Hai:

Performed by Sanam Saeed, Mansha Pasha and Sana Sarfaraz

These three were sisters who had been abandoned by their father for being daughters. But this rejection drew them closer to each other and at last, they proved that it is not shameful to have a daughter. They made their mother proud.

3. Tooba and Hiba from Ranjish Hee Sahi:

Performed by Sana Javed and Maya Ali

Tooba and Hiba had a LOT of differences but did those stop them from loving each other to death? No!
These sisters went through many difficult phases in their lives. From the death of their mother to losing their house and then facing people who could harm them but their bond never weakened. Even when Hiba discovered that her sister was in love with the man who had rejected her, she did not have any ill-feelings towards her sister.

4. Maya and Zarminey from Meri Behan Maya:

Performed by Annie Jaffery and Neelum Muneer

How a sister can tear the world apart for another one was beautifully depicted in this serial. Maya got kidnapped by her step-mother’s son and Zarmina struggled with every obstacle to find her.

5. Zara, Aasma and Mano from Daam:

Performed by Sanam Baloch, Nimra Bucha and Pariza Hashmi

The chemistry between these three sisters was adorable Mano was mentally challenged and Zara did everything she could to make her happy. Aasma was tensed about her future ans Zara always strenthened her spirit. The bond between these three never failed to make me feel for them and relate to them.

6. Amna and Arfa from Meray Dard ko jo zuban miley:

Performed by Sarwat Gillani and Alishba Yousuf

The story had nothing new to offer but since the beginning these two sisters had amazing chemistry. Amna’s support for Arfa duriing the tough phase in her life showed her affection towards her sister.

7. Nimmie and Millie from Roag:

Performed by Sumbul Iqbal and Sara Omair

While Nimra’s elder sister mocked at her after the heart wrenching incident that ruined her life, the younger one always supported her and took her side no matter what. She always encouraged Nimra to be confident enough to achieve her goals and ignore the people who mocked at her.

8. Sana and Dua from Pani Jaisa Pyar:

Performed by Saba Qamar and Nosheen Shah

Dua’s love and support for her sister after the devastating incident that happened with her was commendable. She not only helped Sana forget it but later, took a stand for her against her abusive husband too. Although she discovered the fact that she was not Sana’s actual sister, this did not stop her from supporting Sana.

Thank you for reading the article. :) Express your views :)

Areeba Mohsen

Ohkay so, as promised, I decided to write an overview of the very first season of MasterChef Pakistan. Ever since it was revealed that MasterChef Pakistan was going to hit our screens, those who have been avid followers of the show MasterChef itself had high expectations & I can say it was the most anticipated reality show for all the reality TV buffs (including me) out there.

To be honest, before it began, I never thought that it would be conducted on such a large scale & in such a professional manner, where the quality would speak for itself but the moment I tuned into the very first episode of MasterChef Pakistan, I knew that the producers of the show meant serious business & the creative team had planned & executed it brilliantly. Obviously, being the very first season, there were some limitations, not in the sets, not in the production but in the editing & camerawork which was probably the very first thing that emerged as a flaw but other than that the journey starting from the auditions to the finale was amazing on its own.

Even before the show began the very first faces that we got to see were of Chef Zakir, Chef Mehboob & Chef Khurram Awan as the judges. People were well aware of Chef Mehboob & Chef Zakir but didn’t know much about Chef Khurram. Chef Zahir has been a household name ever since he has been hosting his personal cookery shows on different renowned channels & therefore people had a lot of expectations from him because of the obvious reasons.

The show began where the judges had to select top 50 contestants from the top 100 auditionees. The auditions were held in Lahore, Islamabad & Karachi & it came across as if the judges were focusing more on the international dishes because the judges seemed very impressed by those contestants who came up with different styles of cuisines whereas those who came up with local Pakistani dishes were hardly selected, probably because the judges had a complete know-how of the Pakistani food, therefore they nit-picked every single detail & mistake that the contestants might’ve made. The editing of the audition rounds was probably a biggest let down because nothing seemed systematic & planned or to say the least, didn’t seem like a MasterChef quality work at all. The initial episodes began & ended giving away the impression that there was a lot of margin for improvement.

By the time the auditions ended, audience got an understanding that the level at which the show was going to be conducted didn’t lack in the quality at all. The judges had to narrow down the contestants from top 50 to 30 to 20, where they were put up with basic yet difficult challenges. After the contestants survived those challenges, we finally got our top 16 contestants, who then got a chance to step into the MasterChef Kitchen. I must say, the creative team blew the audience away with the design of the MasterChef Kitchen & Knorr Pantry because everything seemed top-quality & top-notch. That was the time when the audience started rooting for stand-out contestants as they showcased their calibre in the previous rounds. It was now the time where the fight for the title of MasterChef Pakistan began on a serious note & the contestants were put up with mystery box challenges, team challenges, on-site challenges & elimination rounds. The contestants that stood out the most throughout this journey were Rayyan, Ammarah, Madiha, Amna, Gulnaz, Saad, Khurram & Ali Shah.

The show ended at a positive note where the most deserving contestant, who remained consistent throughout the show with amazing & creative approach to every single dish of hers emerged as a winner & she was Ammarah Noman, who ended up winning herself a prize money worth of Rs. 5 Million & a cook-book contract. During her journey she even won a chance of having her recipe included in the menu of Movenpick Restaurant & she was probably the only contestant who never made it to the elimination round on her own. The one time Ammarah appeared in the elimination round was when her team failed in a challenge & that was the first & the last time she fought in a black apron round. After Ammarah; Gulnaz & Madiha became the 1st & 2nd Runner Up winning the prize money of Rs. 1 Million & Rs. 0.5 Million respectively. The journey of very first MasterChef Pakistan ended at a very positive note but throughout the season there were a few limitations that I wish will be taken care of in the upcoming seasons.

I’d start off by saying that cooking is an art in itself & those who’re passionate about it know very well as to what cooking means & how much happiness it brings to them. I wish MasterChef Pakistan had conducted the competition in such a manner as well where the judges would’ve inspired the contestants, would’ve lead them, would’ve encouraged the contestants to showcase their inner strengths, their journeys, their inspirations, their passion for food through their dishes, on their plates. They did put the contestants up with certain challenges but I think they should’ve allotted certain themes to every single challenge, to stir the creativity within the contestants, where it had forced them to treat cooking as an art. During the auditions we got to hear every contestant say that they were passionate about food but sadly, the way the challenges were given to them, it looked like they were doing a job of some sort without any enthusiasm or excitement.

Sadly, I feel throughout the season the judges on their own had a very hard time in forming a bond with the contestants & that is why it seemed that the judges believed their job finished just when they were done dictating a challenge to the contestants. Yes, I think dictating is the right word because the judges seemed reserved & not friendly at all. The only judge who seemed to be enjoying the chance of getting affiliated with franchise was Chef Mehboob & that is why he got appreciated a lot when he took a moment out to have a chit chat with Zain when he felt he was breaking down. It was pretty evident that the judges started favouring a few contestants a bit too soon & also started competing against a contestant they thought was a strong contender & that was Rayyan. Chef Zakir in particular took pride in bringing him down & it seemed that no matter what he’d do, he’d always fall short on efforts just because a certain judge, a certain senior chef started feeling insecure because of a young & fresh talent. I actually feel that the judges shouldn’t have just announced the challenge & walked away but instead they should’ve made sure they provoked the contestants to be a bit more creative, a bit more experimental & the challenges should’ve been such where the contestants were pushed out of their comfort zones.

One thing that really bothered the audience was the stern behaviour of Chef Zakir, which actually came as a shock to his fans & those who have been following his shows because it seemed like he was trying to fit in the boots of Gordon Ramsay. It seemed like instead of encouraging the contestants, he would make sure to fluster them just because they chose to cook a specific dish in a certain way that differed the technique of Chef Zakir. I think the judges should’ve been a bit more open & a bit flexible especially when it came to Pakistani food; because it is so diverse that every single household has their own signature way of making a dish, which I may state tastes just perfect. I think good chefs are those who experiment with whatever things they get in their pantries but seemed like the judges didn’t approve much of the experimentation & were running a boot camp where the contestants were to follow a code & command while making food, which never results in a positive outcome & instead leaves the contestants tensed & depressed.

The challenges didn’t seem challenging enough. There wasn’t much of a variety that we got to see & 90% of the show was shot in the MasterChef Kitchen where the contestants were told to make savoury dishes every single time making every single episode look monotonous, boring & less exciting. There were 3 on-site challenges throughout the season which actually isn’t enough but I must say, those episodes turn out to be the best episodes of the season. There were only 2 guest judges that were invited in the show which again in my opinion is an opportunity wasted as there are a lot of renowned chefs in Pakistan who could’ve been invited to be a part of the show so that they could’ve tested the contestants by telling them to recreate one of their signature dishes like Chef Shai & Chef Saadat did.

I definitely wish that the producers of MasterChef Pakistan train the cameramen & editing team before the next season because every single episode had more or less the same pattern with a lot of editing flaws. The execution of every single episode was mediocre & we never got to learn any such techniques from the contestants. In every episode we got to see the close-ups of chopping, cutting, knives, pans, taps, blenders, juicers & some marathon to the pantry but we never once got to see any single contestant getting a considerate time frame to share what they were doing, in detail. I think in the upcoming seasons, they should give a considerable screen-time to those contestants who make both the good & the bad dishes & those who end up doing an average job can be ignored in the respective episodes because that would give a clear cut idea about the saving & elimination of a certain contestant.

I always believe that the comparison between two different shows isn’t always a good idea but where MasterChef Pakistan followed the format of MasterChef USA, I feel for the next seasons they should follow the footsteps of MasterChef Australia. They should make sure that the judges’ act a bit friendlier, where they don’t snub a contestant if he/she asks a question regarding the challenge twice, where they aren’t rigid & they push the contestants out of their comfort zones. One thing that I feel should be specifically taken care of is the uniqueness in every single challenge. This time around MasterChef Pakistan earned itself a substitute name of MasterPasta Pakistan & that is because the challenges weren’t designed that way & weren’t diverse enough. It was seen that the contestants re-made those dishes they knew they were good at & saved themselves from getting eliminated & not only that, the judges seemed perfectly happy with the repetition of dishes, so I think in the future, the team that designs the challenges should make a rule & feed it to the contestants that they cannot repeat any single component as they progress in the show, so that they get a window of experimenting.

Another thing that can’t be ignored is the way the judges at time never gave a clear picture about a dish that saved the contestant from getting eliminated. It seemed that there was a massive difference in the statements that the judges gave at the tasting table & while making the final announcement. I think it is very important that the judges stay true to their seats & be a bit more elaborate at first & then honest while making a decision about the elimination.

& lastly, I think the producers shouldn’t encourage the contestants to speak against their co-contestants because by the end of the day it’s a cooking competition that everyone tunes into to watch something different, so they should make sure they edit out all the negative comments that the contestants might make against each other & make the show look like a healthy competition. If people would’ve ever desired watching some petty politics, they could easily watch Pakistani dramas, but the Reality TV shouldn’t showcase any unrealistic or dramatic politics as it killed the enjoyment of the show.

One thing that’s appreciable is the MasterChef Pakistan’s official Facebook page, which made sure they engaged the viewers & fans by conducting different contests as it involved the people in healthy competition & made the interest in the show intact plus the timely posts on their page kept everyone updated too. Another amazing thing that they did was to create official pages of the top 16 contestants where they kept their fans aware of their journey & experience by sharing behind the scene pictures & selfies.

Even though there were a bit of the flaws in the first season, but given the benefit of doubt to the team, they’ve done an amazing job, it was conducted very professionally where they themselves raised the bar high for the upcoming seasons. I wish we get to see a better & improved next season of MasterChef Pakistan very very soon & they make us proud once again. I want to thank the team of MasterChef Pakistan & the all the contestants especially who gave us a brilliant first season of the show.

Please share your opinion & suggestion regarding MasterChef Pakistan & tell us how much you enjoyed watching the show & what changes would you like to see in the second season.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.