A month or two back I posted an article on this show. It had intrigued me, but I was not excited to watch it because of its cast. Most of them are new unrecognized faces and the only person who I liked in the cast was Faysal Qureshi. There was a lot of curiosity created when Faysal Qureshi started sporting the army haircut and full beard look, but the details of the show were kept tightly under wraps till the final product was made.

I must admit the extravagance of this show has impressed me. Faysal Qureshi is seen adoring suits ranging from 1.5 to 5 lakhs and the leading ladies had sported jewelry of worth 7 crores, and trust me, these are just a few minor details. It is called the most expensive drama yet because of its extremely high budget.

Now coming to the first episode, it was not extraordinary because the story is just building up, but it was definitely a good start. We need a few more episodes to give a verdict about this show. At the end of the day, it is not the hype or the budget that matters; it is the content that attracts the viewers. The promos attracted me, but then from experience I can say that promos can be very deceiving.

The episode started with Rudaba’s (Ushnah Shah) engagement to Buland (Sami Khan). Rudaba was not too happy about the engagement because it was completely arranged, and she had never even met her fiancé. He lived in America and she thought that he might turn out to be like most typical Americans. In Rudaba’s words, he might turn out to be a ‘burger’ which was a trait she loathed in any man. She wanted a simple life partner and feared that he would feel that she was not good enough for him.

Rudaba’s character is an open book for all to read. She is simple, innocent, and naive and had lived in a protected environment all her life. She is unaware of the realities of the world and true faces of people around her. She is close to her father who is her friend and her mentor. I enjoyed all the scenes between the two, he tried his best to convince her that Buland was the right person for her and she needed to trust him. Her bonding with her father’s friend and her future father-in-law was also a treat to watch.

Rudaba’s brother, Adil (Yasir Mazher) is married to Saira (Maheen Rizvi), one of the two beloved sisters of Bashar Momin (Faysal Qureshi). Adil works under Bashar Momin who is involved in quite a few illegal activities and this has created a rift between Adil and his father who had loved the life of a sincere bureaucrat. Saira is a complete control freak, she definitely knows how to manipulate people and play with their minds. It was obvious from the way she manipulated Rudaba that she excels in her abilities. She has the ability to make people feel inferior and she always has a mask on her face; she never shows her true emotions. Her life can be in a complete turmoil, but she would always portray to the world that her life is perfect. Her sister Tayabba (Sundus Tariq) is just the opposite. She seems unsure of her herself, and is quite insecure and emotional.

Bashar Momin is the villain and the hero of this show. We did not get much insight into his character, but I could make out a few things about his character. He has an aura that makes people bow down in front of him. He is too powerful to be challenged and hell breaks loose when he loses his temper. He has simply no control over his temper, and there is no such thing as patience inside him either. He believes in getting what he wants by hook or by crook.

Sami Khan’s character is yet to be introduced, but I can make out from the promos that he is playing the role of a broken hearted lover. Nothing new in this, he plays similar roles in every show!

There was more of an introductory episode and a lot of insight was given into different characters. Rudaba might be unhappy about her engagement, but she would do anything for her father. She promised him before he died that she will marry Buland at all cost and she will be more open minded about her relation with him now. It was quite unexpected to see the end of two important people in Rudaba’s life. This is definitely a turning point in her life.

I am really looking forward to know what happens next!

So what are your views about the first episode? Share your views.

Mariam Shafiq

This drama was a complete disappointment for all its fans (including me). We have been waiting for a romantic scene between the leads since the past 23 episodes and got one right in the end and that too was only 3 minutes long. It took a lot of effort for me to go through the whole last episode and I had been delaying watching it since a week.

The last episode was an absolute drag! Aaliyan was still running after Natasha, trying to mend things with her and asking her to compromise and forgive him. There were more Natasha and Aaliyan scenes than of Qudisya and Aaliyan. This show seemed more of Natasha and Aaliyan’s story than of the main leads. I breathed a sigh of relief when Natasha and Aaliyan had a teary good bye (he still did not want to let her go), and I thought now Qudsiya and Aaliyan would be shown together. But once again, I was in for a disappointment. They had to show various conversations between Rana and Sultan which were not needed at all.

And FINALLY when Aaliyan went to Qudsiya to take her back, she refused to go. She gave a long list of reasons why they would never be able to be together. She wanted to be left alone because she did not want to suffer the same fate as his mother. The only thing that finally made her end her rant was Aaliyan’s one simple dialogue:

“Apko apke Shamsa apa ke bête per bharosa nahi hai kiya”

Aaliyan had made it absolutely clear that he would never behave like his father. His father had married her mother for a child and then left her when Aaliyan was born. In the last episode, they finally revealed the details of the past which they should have done a long time ago. I am still not sure what Shamsa’s relation was with Shahnawaz. I had assumed that she was his sister, but then Aaina always called her Tayi Ammi (father’s brother’s wife) which does not make sense at all. They were a lot of loopholes that the writer left open. There was also no coordination between certain scenes. One minute Aaliyan was asking Shahnawaz to convince Qudsiya to come back to him, and the next minute they were happily living together.

One part of the last episode that I liked was Sultan finally coming to his senses. His conversation with Qudsiya is what made him think. He had insulted Qudsiya all over again and this time Qudsiya did not remain quiet. She gave him a piece of mind and his conscience was finally awoken when Qudsiya asked him what he would have done if the something similar happened to his own daughter

‘Betiyon ke rishte daulat se nahi, kismet se bante hai’

This dialogue kept on repeating in his mind and he also remembered Aaliyan’s word. He felt guilty for whatever mistakes he had made in the past which he was now repeating.  Aaliyan was shocked when Sultan praised Shamsa and told him that she never stood up for her rights as her ego and self respect was above everything. Same was the case with Qudsiya, but Aaliyan was adamant to get her back in his life and he finally succeeded in the end.

Aaliyan’s confession to Shahnawaz about his feelings for Qudsiya was extremely adorable. Shahnawaz kept on asking Qudsiya to stay with them but finally gave up when he saw that she had made her decision. I would have liked to know what happened to Shahnawaz and Aaina too.

Sajjal Ali was definitely the star of this show; her acting and expressions was  absolutely perfect! Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui has improved a lot in this show but he still has a long way to go. Emad Irfani needs acting classes; his monotonous delivery and expressionless face ruined most of the scenes. Sanam Chaudhary has also done a commendable job (her screeching will echo in my ears for a long time). Dado’s character played by Azra Aftab was also one of my favorites!

The story needed to be a bit improvised and the direction needed to be smoother. The show had so much potential; I wish they had utilized it properly. Well, at least the OST was good!

Sorry for the late review, I was on a bit of a holiday!

Share your views!

Mariam Shafiq

So, another week goes by & no conclusions so far. No doubt the story is progressing but we are still kept in the dark about the ending of the drama & because of this nothing can be anticipated as to who will eventually win Ehtashaam over. I loved the performances today by all the actors but Roomi had me completely. What a brilliant little actor he is.

Sehrish; just how she promised is now leaving no stone unturned to part Ehtashaam & Saniya. Be it for a few hours, she thinks she can convert this little time-span into life-long togetherness. In the beginning of the episode, I wasn’t much into what Sehrish was up to because she has started to look like an unwanted person. Even though she has gotten to know about Ehtashaam’s decision clearly, she is still sticking with the hope of staying with him & making her broken marriage work. The whole ghar-mai-koi-ghus-gaya scene was to show how tactfully Sehrish earned some attention from her husband. When Ehtashaam decided to be in her room so that she can sleep peacefully, I thought not again! How long would it take to send an SMS to Saniya about the situation because she had just called him a couple of minutes ago? At that moment I thought Ehtashaam is one of those who thinks those who love him will trust him no matter what. We saw it happening before & even now he thought Saniya would understand why he was with Sehrish.

Saniya didn’t want to know why Ehtashaam chose to stay in Sehrish’s room but still she questioned him to make her point clear. I think this time around it was quite evident that Ehtashaam had made up his mind & decided to bring everyone out of misery by speaking adamantly to Sehrish about the divorce. Sehrish put the blame on him once again & wanted to know why he never stopped her from going, which I think was nothing but irrational of Sehrish to say so. Ehtashaam did the same by saying she initiated the divorce herself & he respected her decision, which again made me think now Ehtashaam was being irrational because if he knew Sehrish wanted a divorce, so why not send her the papers before signing the new ones while she was away?

Just when we thought the story was becoming stagnant, they had a special card to reveal & yes, it was Ehtashaam’s mother. I thought the poor guy was torn between the 2 ladies already so now one more will be doing the honours. It goes without saying that Ehtashaam’s mother loves Sehrish more than anything & she would side with her obviously. But I loved the conversation between Ehtashaam & his mom because he got the right person to share his inner-most feelings with but sadly for him, his mother thought the opposite & still supported Sehrish.

‘Kya izzat aur sharam aurton k liye hi hoti hai, mardon k liye nahi’, I must say before this conversation I wasn’t too sure of Ehtashaam’s moves but this dialogue went to show that he was also shattered because of what Sehrish put him up with. He wanted his mother to understand his perspective & also that everything affected him deeply as well. The second conversation that Ehtashaam had with his mother in the presence of Saniya went to show how much he wanted to ensure Saniya about his decision on this matter. Even though she had nothing to contribute in there but her presence was definitely necessary as Roomi was a part of the talk too.

I thought all the scenes of Roomi made the episode light-hearted again. Sehrish at that time felt like an outsider when she saw Saniya, Roomi, Ehtashaam & Roomi’s Daadi in one frame. I am not sure what’s happening but I feel Sehrish needs to accept the fact that she has lost Ehtashaam for good because her denial won’t benefit her at all.

The episode may not have given much in terms of story but the power-packed acting & brilliant direction was enough to enjoy the drama tonight. Shamim Hilali did a wonderful job & her re-entry as Ehtashaam’s mother (who sides with Sehrish) was definitely important as now it calls for a final decision from Ehtashaam. I am sure what we saw in the preview would be another antic pulled off by Sehrish to delay what Ehtashaam has promised her of, let’s see what happens next. Share your thoughts about tonight’s episode.

Keep supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

ps: I am once again covering for my friend Fatima Awan but please do keep a check in the comments section for her say. :)

Also to my dear readers, especially those who think that I side with Saniya & hence this is holding them back from sharing their opinions, I just want to tell that I have come to a point where I don’t feel anything for anyone. No detest towards Sehrish, no sympathy towards Saniya & also nothing for Ehtashaam, I am just enjoying the drama as it is & going with the flow. So, please you’re free to share whatever you feel like without the fear that the reviewer has an inclination towards a certain character. It’s all done & dusted! ;) 

& yes, once again they proved me right, this drama is left with nothing to offer & they are just stretching it to keep the prime slot of Fridays filled with some dirt, you know something-better-than-nothing sort of a thing.

I practically don’t have anything left to say about this drama because there is absolutely nothing that needs to be covered. I am amazed at the number of episodes Kabhi Kabhi is dragged to even though the story stopped just around 15th episode & that’s it. Rest are just the petty details which are being covered. This time around they covered Eeshal’s addiction next time I am sure they’ll be covering Ali’s poop.

Finally, Dad has made a comeback & he is once again in action to protect his half-mad child Eeshal. While listening to his conversation with Arez all I thought of was k ye uncle jab bhi muh kholenge kuch bura hi bolenge & I was just so right, he now thinks Eeshal is under a magic spell that’s why she is not in her senses anymore. Matlab koi tukk banti hai? He has reached the age of pata nahi kya but still he lacks basic sense, he needs some pills too. Oh boy! Things people do when they are bored & Kabhi Kabhi is a result of Samira Fazal’s boredom. I still can’t get over the fact that this drama once upon a time began at such a different note & look where it has gotten to.

Eeshal has become a sleeping-pill addict as if we weren’t aware of this secret by now & they took around 3 episodes to reveal the detail. I think the director & the editor were sleeping too while making this play, hence the delay.

Eeshal in her drug-pan allowed Arez to take Ali with him. Least bothered about Ali but I just couldn’t get over the fact that the scenes were just plain annoyingly long. Sunny literally repeated 10 times that he just gave Eeshal a single pill, he gave Eeshal a single pill, he took care of Ali, he took care of Ali, he took care of Ali, he took care of Ali. I swear I was waiting that if just one more time I hear him say this, I will hit a spare sauce pan hard on his head because I know the pan would get deshaped but it won’t have an effect on this empty headed loon. & I was holding a knife in my hand to chop Soni’s lambi zuban if she opened her trashy mouth once again. I am thinking if Eva had to attain the intelligence or some IQ just before the end of the drama so why was she shown as a dumb corpse with limbs in the beginning? Koi tukk hai?

What good did Sunny do to Eeshal after marrying her? What good did Eeshal do by giving birth to Ali? What good did she do by leaving her father’s place? What good did Arez do by divorcing Eeshal? What good did Arez do by marrying Eeshal? What good did Samira Fazal do by writing this piece of garbage & what good did the director do by directing such a hideous play? In short what good did they do by making Kabhi Kabhi? If they wanted us to waste our 26 weeks, they should’ve just told us like that, I’d definitely & happily had preferred watching a BLANK SCREEN for 1 hour than watching this torturous nightmare aur jo peechay wo a jati hai YE KIYYYAAAWWW HUAAAWWW JOOOWWW KURBATOOONNN MAI something something, I feel like telling her CHUP KARRR MANHOOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep Cursing (the drama-makers),
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

So, another week goes by of Pakistan Idol & glad we got to see some amazing performances this time around as well. The episode was based on the tribute by the contestants to their music idols. I thought the song selection this week was spot on & every one picked a song that suited their vocal tones. The guest judge was Rahim Shah but I don’t think he gave away much as a judge himself.

Before saying anything I actually want to know what our dear female judges were thinking by showing up on a show like this? Hadiqa definitely forgot that a bangle is supposed to be worn on the arms & not on the head by wrapping the strands of hair around it. I feel it’s good to be a punk but a reasonable one is not much to expect. I can’t imagine how people in the studio & even the contestants would’ve controlled their laughter fits because I certainly had an uncontrollable one & also I want to know what was Bushra Ansari thinking as well? I think Sarree’s pallus are used to cover what you may want to but she may have missed that detail too. I am not sure what’s wrong with her but I think to age gracefully isn’t too much to ask for from her either!

Having said that, the list of performances by the Top 8 contestants is as follows:

Zamad Baig (ZB) of Mandi Bahauddin chose Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan as his idol & sang ‘Sanu Ik Pal Chain Na Avey’. I found his performance just fine, wasn’t too overly impressed by him even though he sang really well but he was just good at it & nothing extra ordinary. Rahim Shah said he was excellent & all his notes were just perfect. Bushra gave him a standing ovation & said he was wonderful. Hadiqa liked his singing & Ali said it was a stellar performance & he forces people to become his fan.

Shahmir Aziz Quidwai (SQ) of Islamabad sang Ali Azmat’s ‘Sayonee’. I think he changed the feel of the song, made it too slow & screamed like anything which made him go flat at times as well. Ali Azmat being the actual singer of the song pointed out the technical mistakes in the notes. Hadiqa clearly said she wasn’t happy with the performance & said he himself knew that he committed a big mistake & after that he couldn’t perform well. Bushra started calling him a fighter, a brave contestant & someone who takes criticism strongly but didn’t say much on his performance. I absolutely loved what Rahim Shah said to him that this stage is not for learning anymore, either you perform good & stay in the competition or get eliminated after a poor performance.

Ali Asad Zaidi (AZ) of Karachi sang AR Rehman’s ‘Dil Se’. The band sort of remixed the song but when it came to Ali Asad he sang it brilliantly. It was a difficult song but the way he attempted it was great. Bushra said he had made a few mistakes but overall the performance was great. Rahim Shah said he gave more than it was required for this stage & he was brilliant. Ali said it was a difficult song which can be tackled properly in a studio while recording but to sing it live on stage that too in one take was commendable. Hadiqa agreed to Ali & said he is going to give a tough time to his co-contestants, she also felt that he made some mistakes but said they can be labeled as human errors which can be ignoned.

Mohammad Shoaib (MS) of Peshawar sang Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s ‘Mai Tennu Samjhawan Ki’. He was brilliant & has improved like anything, even though the ending was flat but he did a complete justice to the song. Bushra said he attempted it really well but felt he didn’t own the song (!?!?!). Hadiqa finally said ‘maza a gaya’. She liked his performance & felt that there were a few mistakes which can be ignored but she said she could connect to the feel of his singing. Ali said he selected a difficult song but sang it really well. Rahim Shah suggested he should sing Pushto songs & choose such songs that suit his vocal tone but he liked his performance & pointed out the flat ending.

Waqas Ali Vicky (WV) of Mian Channu sang Sajjad Ali’s ‘Katna Naee’. He was brilliant & sounded very melodious. Bushra said he picked a difficult song but very sweetly sang it & she named him Waqas Ali Barfi. Rahim Shah made him sing without the music to make a point that this was his actual voice & said he sang perfectly but he passed a judgment in fact gave him an advice that he shouldn’t hide his own voice & project it like it is. Hadiqa appreciated that he owned the song & she couldn’t hear him copy Sajjad Ali’s voice. She said he did copy the singing style but the voice was very much his own & she liked it. Ali Azmat was all praises for Waqas Ali Vicky & said that just because he was sitting while performing, it affected his projection but otherwise he was good.

Rosemary (RM) of Karachi sang Lata Mangeshkar’s ‘Saulah Baras Ki Baali Umer’. I think this was by far the best performance of Rosemary with no excuses left for pointing out any errors. Ali said she sounds mature to her age & it was a great performance. Rahim Shah felt she had a control over her voice & molded it with ease. Bushra said there were no flaws this time & she had taken care of everything. Hadiqa loved her performance as well.

Kashif Ali (KA) of Lahore sang Kailash Kher’s ‘Ya Rabba’. He was perfect once again & as usual but just because the song had more low notes I felt that the music overlapped his voice. I think the band needs to take care of it. Bushra pointed out a little technical issue that Sajjad Ali himself reminded Kashif of as well. According to her he needs to give a breathing space while singing & he himself needs to decide where to take a pause so that he won’t miss the words. Rahim Shah & Ali Azmat gave him a hug & were all praises for him. Hadiqa loved the ending & said the performance was larger than life.

Abdul Rafay Khan (RK) of Karachi sang Ghulam Ali’s ghazal ‘Hungama Hai Kyun Barpah’. He was good but there were some clear mistakes. Ali said he made a difficult choice but apart from a few issues he was good at it. Hadiqa felt that there was an issue with the notes through out the performance. Bushra said it wasn’t a suitable song for him even though he tried & even though at times he was more than good but still he lacked because of the caliber of the ghazal itself. Rahim Shah said he needs to work on the delivery of his words.

So, these were all the performances. I feel everyone sang really well except a certain someone but my favorites from this episode would be Waqas Ali Vicky, Mohammad Shoaib, Kashif Ali & Rosemary. I think the way judges try to sugar-coat Shahmir’s mistakes is just unfair. Bushra Ansari kept on praising him for being brave & what not but I think Pakistan Idol is all about singing & not about measuring the caliber of who is emotionally strong or who takes criticism perfectly. If that’s what Shahmir is good for then Living On The Edge is the right place for him to be because in Pakistan Idol people are concerned only & solely with the singing so instead of pep talking to the audience about any contestant they should just come up & rationally give the judgement so that the people actually know what’s happening & who deserves to stay!

It’s going to get so tough from now onwards to see any deserving contestant get eliminated because they all have been performing perfectly. I feel after this episode Abdul Rafay Khan, Shahmir Aziz Quidwai might go to the danger zone, not sure about Zamad Baig though, he may be safe or may not be so let’s see!

Please do share with us your favorite & least favorite performances of the night.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Tonight’s episode was extremely saddening. I truly felt for Romaissa and understood even more clearly today why Nabeel used to get so upset when something used to go wrong in his family. Nabeel’s family’s greediness had been well established in the previous few episodes but even then when Hassan resorted to those loathsome tactics to get his hands on Romaissa’s wealth today, I found myself hating his character even more. Now, I actually understand the reason for all the focus on Nabeel’s family. If we were not shown what kind of people they were, it would have been very difficult to relate to all that they are doing to Romaissa now.

The flashback scene in which Nabeel asks Romaissa to look into her crystal ball and tell the future was important in more ways than one. Sometimes things our loved ones say haunt us long after they have been said. These things seem meaningless at that given moment but at some point in life you realize how true they really were. Romaissa did not have the power to predict what the future held for her but Nabeel knew only too well that he had to do everything in his power to ensure that Romaissa did not have any financial problems even if something happened to him. Nabeel was very wise for his age; he knew exactly the kind of people his family members were and what they were capable of doing. He was also wise enough to trust Romaissa blindly even though someone like him who was surrounded by selfish people had plenty of reasons to not trust anyone ever.

Zeeshan and Romaissa are the only two people who have been truly effected by Nabeel’s death. Both of them are finding it impossible to move on with life. When I saw Rabbiya fighting Romaissa’s case in front of Nabeel’s mother and sister I realized why someone like Zeeshan had been so close to this girl all these years. She may have her flaws but she is definitely not ruthless like Nabeel’s mother and rest of the family. We also found out today that Zeeshan wasn’t interested in Rabbiya at first and the relationship was forced on him by his mother.

The scene in which Romaissa is crying at night and her heartless cousin tells her not to disturb her was heart-wrenching. All of Romaissa’s scenes were very emotional and touching; they were well put together. I was not able to connect to Romaissa and Nabeel’s relationship before but now I can totally relate to what these two meant to each other and why their relationship was so special.

The preview of the next episode was intelligently planned this time around so thank you Hum TV for that. Overall, this episode was engaging enough but there were still some scenes that seemed forced and repetitive. The story is getting interesting and I can finally relate to what Romaissa is feeling and going through.

Do share your thoughts about tonight’s episode.

Fatima Awan

As much as I enjoyed more than half of an episode, I wasn’t sure of the ending. I think it was rather abrupt & the scenes or rather the emotions in the scenes didn’t flow appropriately. I found Neelam & Surmed’s scenes nail-biting & I actually feel something worst should have happened to Neelam for being a home-wrecker followed by becoming a psychopath.

Finally Surmed has started to feel some affection for his wife Shabbi. It was good to see her putting in an effort & Surmed actually acknowledging it. He may not be expressive but yes, his outbursts have reduced leaving enough space for Shabbi to breathe. I must say I felt a lot more for poor Surmed after seeing what Neelam put him up with. I know he was wrong in pushing Neelam from the stairs but I think Taimoor should’ve taken control over all the things. He was too busy & too wooed by his new-found-love-chick that he completely forgot he had a few responsibilities towards Surmed as well.

Neelam faced what she had to but to see her take a U-turn in case of Surmed & act like a typical step-mom was saddening. At first, I found her sweet enough to be considerate towards Surmed but sadly for her, he wasn’t coming to terms with the fact that his father had found a new partner, hence, the mishap. I must say I want to know the brand of Neelam’s eye-liner & her curling rod. She may be in a maternity ward or she may have come home after going through a painful procedure, her eyeliner just won’t budge & her curly locks won’t loosen up. Things related to Neelam weren’t realistic be it her hip-chic fashionable ensembles considering the early 90’s or her statement necklaces but what came as a cherry on top was Toni Braxton’s song ‘un-break my heart’ released in 1996, which Neelam was listening to let’s say may be in the year 1994-1995? I am thinking it may have released in Pakistan beforehand especially for Neelam!?!?!

I must say the girl playing the role of Kiran may be annoying like anything but I actually like her choice of wardrobe. I have always liked her dresses a lot but having said that I think she has crossed alllllllllll the lines this time around. I know her spats with Teeeepu were annoying which may stir just on the mention of her tailor or anything else but what she said to him was the last thing I wanted to hear & actually I just couldn’t believe that my ears heard her litter utterance right? It was way too objectionable & it really killed the enjoyment of the whole episode for me. What’s gone into the dialogue writers these days mate? I am not sure how did the actor herself gather the courage to just blurt that BS out loud? Her pettiness wouldn’t stop here & after looking at the preview I think she still has some stamina left to make some more obnoxious statements. Yes, they should be officially out of this drama. They weren’t interesting from the very beginning & after this particular episode; I am just going to skip their scenes. & oh by the way I think Teeeeeepu was up for some over-acting in the car scene with Surmed where he was waving his hands more than it was required. I am not sure what was up with him but he clearly looked uncomfy.

The ending scenes weren’t done well I believe where at first Naani in the same frame was crying in front of Shabbi feeling sad. On the other hand Jameel Ahmed was crying too because he was missing his sister Neelam but the very next moment he came up with a huge smile on his face & Naani was all happy to hand over the property papers to Neelam just like that. This was a tiny bit of mismanagement I believe I felt in this episode but overall I thoroughly enjoyed watching Rubaru this week. Definitely looking forward to the next episode minus Kiran & her Teeeeepu’s spat!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

I can’t thank team of Ishq Mein Tere enough for keeping us hooked to this show till now. The writer, the director & all the actors have done a commendable job in providing us with quality entertainment in the form of this drama.

The ring ceremony ended with Saad’s never ending coughing & this made me think again why Saad was doing all that to turn everyone’s world upside down when he himself doesn’t even know how much time he has on his hands. The whole Saad-approaches-Aiza scene wasn’t necessary. I thought he might tell her to do the honours being Laiba’s best friend & her sweet step-mom but it wasn’t meant to be so yes, I feel it could’ve been skipped because she was still a part of the function anyway.

I think Aiza’s bhabhi scenes are nothing but used as a forced comedy which can be skipped too. I wonder now after she has seen Aiza’s household, how much greedier she is going to get. Cuckoo’s annoying & I dislike the fact that she will always speak ill about every single person. If she thinks she can win Shehryar, how can she forget that he has a few family members as his responsibility too? Does she really think that she’ll be able to confine Shehryar to herself IF she gets him? I lol’ed at Saim’s pep talk to Saad but felt for that poor guy when Saad told him that ONLY & STRICTLY family members were invited for the engagement, I felt for Saim so much thinking he must’ve been shattered & heart-broken that his only family – Saad doesn’t take him as a part of his family till now. :/ A moment of silence for Saim’s misery please!

Laiba totally surprised me today & pleasantly at that when she took Cuckoo’s accusations on Aiza quite maturely. She turned Cuckoo’s brain feeding down & defended Saad when it came to his sketch of Aiza. I would’ve liked it a bit better if she had kept that sanity but seems like she lost the plot at the thought of Aiza & Saad being together & alone in Turkey. I think Laiba may have missed the fact too that Aiza insisted her to come along as well but Laiba herself refused. This was just enough of a reason for Laiba to trust Aiza but she lost it & decided to go to Turkey.

I wasn’t a fan of Laiba’s stalking antics because she on her own went to Turkey & not even a single call was made from anyone in Pakistan to Saad or Aiza asking whether Laiba reached safely or not. Yes, Laiba did tell her father that she wanted to surprise both Saad & Aiza but still I don’t think Saad’s mother would take it so lightly if she hadn’t heard anything about Laiba from either one of them. Laiba has once again believed in what Cuckoo told her & based her judgments on what she herself wanted to see. I actually pitied Aiza a lot more because all this while she kept on speaking about how much she missed her husband & sadly, all that’s going to come down crashing.

I know I am a fan of this drama & have really liked the story as well but I am not sure what will happen next & the last thing I’d want to see is Shehryar doubting his wife Aiza because I think Aiza deserves all the respect & even the blinding faith in her because she has loved Shehryar & married him with all his heart. For once, I would love to see a girl being treated with respect & even though things turn to be against her, she has her husband supporting her. Shehryar himself sent her to Turkey with his clingy nephew who was decent enough throughout his stay with her surprisingly so just because his immature kid Laiba tells him something, he is ready to just believe on what he may hear but not what he himself saw, I think Shehryar could’ve done better. I knew Aiza’s Mother-Teresa approach will put her in a difficult situation & this is exactly what’s going to happen next. I hope Shehryar & Aiza don’t part on such a petty misunderstanding because they are better than that.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

The most amazing thing about these “old” dramas is that they have a very new feel to them which the dramas that are currently on air mostly lack. The picture quality or the make-up may not be picture perfect but then these aspects are completely secondary especially when there is a strong script, impressive direction and spellbinding performances to keep the viewers engaged. I must say that Malal is very different from all the other plays written by Umera Ahmed. It does not involve middle class families, lectures on morality or religion and there is a variety of characters which stay with you long after you are done watching the play. Malal is the story of broken dreams, heartaches, happy endings and most of all of human relationships. Every character is a story in its own right. The beautiful and meaningful conversations make the drama a treat to watch. Everything falls into place beautifully in the end leaving no room for arguments as to how things should have turned out.

Malal has been written by Umera Ahmed, directed by Mehreen Jabbar and produced by MD productions. The main cast includes Sarwat Gillani, Faisal Rehman, Imran Abbas, Deepti Gupta, Adeel Ahmed, Tania Kazi, Badar Khalil, Shamim Hilali and Ismat Zaidi.

The story begins with Zeenia (Deepti Gupta) and Danish (Faisal Rehman) living happily as friends for ten long years in the US. Both of them have a special liking for each other but no declarations of love or verbal commitments are made between the two. Things change drastically when Danish’s mother pressurizes him into getting married to her best friend’s daughter Mahi (Sarwat Gillani) although Danish makes it clear that he wants to get married to Zeenia. His mother feels Zeenia is too old and modern and she wants him getting married to a girl who is much younger and prettier. The marriage takes place but Danish never accepts this relationship whole heartedly, he cannot help but constantly compare Mahi with Zeenia, who just cannot come up to those standards no matter how hard she tries. Mahi’s cousin Jawad (Imran Abbass) falls in love with Zeenia and he makes Zeenia realize that she too deserves to be appreciated. I am not going to go into the details of the story because people who are reading the review have either watched the play already or may want to watch it so I wouldn’t want to give away too many details.

Here are few aspects of the play that make it a must-watch

The story is new and free of clichés

The story of Malal does not revolve around a zalim saas and a mazloom baho, there are no never-ending misunderstandings between the hero and heroine and guess what there are no heroes and heroines in this one at all but just real people who everyone can relate to. There are no villains either!!! Moreover, It is not the story of a rich boy marrying a poor girl.
It is a brand new story which sets new standards.

*It is not alright to befriend people over the internet but even if you do it isn’t that big a mistake!

*It is perfectly alright to marry a woman much older than you if there is mental compatibility. Age is not a factor in marriage but compatibility is.

*An independent working woman wants and deserves to be loved too!

*We have a set of parents in the play who are open-minded and understanding.

*The writer does not rely on dramatic twists to keep the viewers engaged because the conversations are enough to keep you glued to the screen.

Watch it for the excellent characterizations

I must say that I had a difficult time disliking any of the characters except when Danish was being very selfish and unreasonable. All the characters are very relatable; you feel whatever they are going through every step of the way. All the actors have done a commendable job.

When Mahi got married to Danish, I got the feeling that maybe the writer was trying to prove that a girl like her couldn’t be a good wife but gradually she learned everything and was doing great. Mahi may have been fun, bubbly and young but she was willing to learn to be responsible and she did. She tried to save her relationship but when she found out that Danish never loved her she decided to move on. Sarwat Gillani is picture perfect as the innocent, naive, immature but still very likeable Mahi. Sarwat Gillani’s voice is very nasal in the entire serial probably because they were shooting in very cold weather and she had a constant flu.

Zeenia’s character had to be my favorite in the play. Zeenia is someone who was brought up by relatives and friends because she came from a broken home. Having lived that kind of a life, Zeenia thinks that pleasing people was the only way to win their love. Zeenia’s character is kind, soft hearted , fair but very strong. I loved the way she decided to keep her distance from Danish once he was married. Deepta Gupta’s perfect portrayal of Zeenia’s character made me feel for her and also made me fall in love with her character over and over again. Deepita’s eyes speak a thousand words, something you can’t help noticing.

Zeenia had been in Danish’s life for so long that he didn’t know how to live without her. The marriage was too sudden and he never allowed himself to fall in love with his new wife. Faisal Rehman is among my favorite actors. He breathed life into his character by
adding his own touch to it.

Jawad’s character is very inspiring, we definitely need to see more men (boys) like him in our dramas. Jawad is a very open minded person who knows exactly what he wants from life. He is confident and likeable throughout the play. I must confess that I am not a big fan of Imran Abbass but I especially liked him in this play.

Saifee’s character is also an important part of the story. Saifee is a young boy who doesn’t know how to cope with the situation he has been put into and therefore ends up making a big mistake. His character is vital to the story because the aftermath of his actions serves as a reality check for many.

The actress who played the role of Zeenia’s friend and the actor who played her husband deserve a special mention here. It was refreshing to see new talented actors on screen. The relationship between these two added a balance to the story; they went to show that all marriages are not dysfunctional!

All the characters big or small have something to add to the story. All the actors playing these characters are very well-suited for these roles.

Superb and meticulous direction

Mehreen Jabbar handles all the tracks in the story with finesse. The relationship between different characters is gratifying in more ways than one. Mehreen Jabbar is known to create such chemistry between all the actors that the viewers can’t help but relate to the dynamics that exist between them. You don’t feel bored listening to the long conversations between the characters because the setting is just perfect for every scene. The play is laced with moments that stay with you long after you are done watching a certain episode. Except for the confusion regarding the age difference between Jawad and Zeenia in different scenes, everything is picture perfect.

There is a lot of talking in the play but you can’t help but rejoice every second of it. Malal is sweet and sensitive. It was very refreshing to watch something different written by Umera Ahmed. I recommend it to everyone who is looking for something different, engaging and unhurried. It is compact, effective and definitely a must-watch!

Fatima Awan

Afzal’s longing for Farah has attained another level where he craves for Farah but cannot express,where he dreams for her but forgets everything everytime she comes infront of him. With a hope of making Farah a permanent part of his life, he asked his parents to visit Farah’s parents but he never counted the real life consequence in his plan. And when he got rejected by Farah,he was back to what he was before – rather even worse than ever before. He was unable to bear the pain of letting Farah go out of his life and to keep his mind distracted of her thoughts, he adopted every bad thing that can help him to forget the refusal.Farah did no good by insulting Afzal; Poor Afzal was unable to utter a single word after hearing what she said.

Jo chup kharay gaalyaan sun laitay hain na woh badnaam nahi kartay..

Lubna was so right about Afzal ; How can he even think of destroying Farah’s image in other’s eye. Afzal was one of his own kinds and Lubna knew it very well. Afzal knows how to respect women and if Farah was sensible enough, she might had the whole “8 lakh waali nokri” in mind for which she hired him. If not then than how can he think of putting a question mark on her character now. She made Farah realize that she should have shown patience which she lacks.

Afzal was all set to leave Hyderabad but it was his concern,love and respect for his mother that was not letting him take this very step.

Mera Zameer mujhe keh raha hai k chala jaa..

Tou phir maa se kyu pooch rahay ho chalay jao..

Chala jaoun ga Saajid, bus mujhe koi ye bata dai k maa bari hai ya zameer bara hai..

And at that very moment, his friend,Saajid,was completely short of words. The whole sequence, the silence with which Afzal left and the answer Alladyo gave, Batao na uss ko.. Maa bari hoti hai.. left mark deep inside my heart. This is the beauty of Khalil ur Rehmaan dialogues – When everything seems quiet, silence breaks the ice.

I really like the fact that both Afzal and Farah’s family share good regards for each other. Unlike typical serials,where after being insulted or rejected, all families are left with is rivalry or somewhat close to that.

Arifa turned out to be evil yet concerned tonight when she came to know that her brother was insulted by Farah right in the middle of street.Her reaction to the situation was too natural to believe and I literally felt that I was watching a real life scene; the strength of siblings relation was at its peak today.

Arifa knows when and how to react.She has all the elements that make a perfect sister – she smiles when she sees her brother happy, she cries when her brother betrays her and she can even switch herself into an evil immediately as and when she feels that her brother was insulted.Indeed,she is a typical eastern sister and I mean no harm in saying that!

Arifa revealed the letters mystery infront of Farah and Lubna and by the time, I was completely convinced that it will be Farah as she knows that Afzal won’t reveal her identity out of respect,she played with her emotions just like typical rich spoil girls by writing him letters.But I was proved wrong next minute when Farah visited Arifa and clarified everything infront of her mother. It was so nice and surprising to see how blindly Afzal’s mother trusted Farah.

From asking for coffee to the gift they gave, every action of Afzal’s family was depicting that how open heartedly and without holding any grudge,they welcomed Farah and Lubna.

It was so sad to see Afzal stepping in gambling again; I mean there are other ways with the help of which a person can keep oneself distracted  from all the thoughts but for Afzal,if not gambling, than what would it be ?Afzal packed his belongings as he finally came to a decision that he will no longer stay in Hyderabad.After watching tonight’s episode,according to me, these lines fit best on Afzal’s situation:

Jisay mai keh nahi sakta usai mai farz karta houn..
Chalo mai farz karta houn, mujhe tum se mohabbat hai..

I would love to read your comments about today’s episode.

Rabia Basharat.

Wallah! Another disappointing result. I know that not all of them can win the title but what’s disppointing is the order in which they all are getting eliminated. I am gutted to see another deserving contestant going home this week.

When asked by the contestants about the best performances on the Friday night, their clear picks were Asad Raza Sonu with 4 votes & Mohammad Shoaib with 3, followed by Waqas Ali Vicky, Shahmir Quidwai & Zamad Baig with 1 vote each to their credit. Even the contestants knew who performed well in the Gala round but still the results were shocking.

The first duo that faced the result was of Ali Asad Zaidi & Mohammad Shoaib & as expected they both were safe which makes me happy because Ali Asad Zaidi is performing brilliantly with consistency & Mohammad Shoaib is improving & has a great voice.

After them the trio that came for the results was of Rosemary, Kashif Ali & Asad Raza Sonu. At this point I wasn’t too sure about who’d be safe & who wouldn’t be because Kashif & Asad are great singers & have been performing perfectly while Rosemary was good on the Friday night too. So, yes the first shock of the night came when Asad Raza Sonu was made to sit in the danger zone, leaving Rosemary & Kashif Ali safe from elimination.

The next duo that came in for the results was of Zamad Baig & Waqas Ali Vicky. I was hoping for Waqas Ali Vicky to be safe & yes he was making Zamad Baig the second person to go to the danger zone.

The last duo that came in for the results was of Abdul Rafay Khan & Shahmir Aziz Quidwai. It was a half lucky day for us all to see Shahmir being unsafe & obtaining the last seat of the danger zone, but the good phase came to an end pretty quickly.

It was now time for the final announcement when Zamad Baig, Shahmir Aziz Quidwai & Asad Raza Sonu were told to come on the stage. I hoped that it was Shahmir but to see him go to the safe zone before anyone else was a huge disappointment & sadly the shock didn’t end there because we had to go through another one in the form of an elimination of one of the best singers of the lot & yes, it was unfortunately Asad Raza Sonu.

I am glad he took it positively & the judges were supportive of him too. I have one thing to say here that Hadiqa looked clearly disappointed when Shahmir got safe, so, why don’t they use their energies in letting the whole Pakistan know how much of a weak singer this guy is. She seems to be degrading Waqas Ali Vicky & Mohammad Shoaib clearly may be because she wants to influence the voting trend against them, so why not do it against Shahmir Aziz Quidwai because sorry to say being just the viewers we can clearly pinpoint his weaknesses which they can’t seem to be doing being the judges. There you go people, I can clearly see the Baysura becoming the very first Pakistan Idol, congratulations to the judges for making the biggest mistake by selecting him. Job well done guys!

Anyways, I wish luck, power, success & a brighter future to Asad Raza Sonu.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

ps: Can someone wipe that smug look off his face? I think if Shahmir is a dignified person, he must leave his seat gracefully for any deserving contestant.