This was yet another episode of Shukk which was filled with situations which you see only in funny sitcoms and not in serious dramas. The way Ehtesham’s mother and Sehrish “framed” him was quite unbelievable, ridiculous but funny at the same time! It was actually good to see Ehtesham being put in such a situation because a man like him deserves just that. But at the same time when I paused to think about what Ehtesham’s mother and Sehrish were up to I actually felt for them; how could such intelligent and educated women come up with such an outrageous plan? Desperate times call for desperate measure suna tha, ab dekh bhi liya! Samira Fazal must have felt a desperate need for a twist, otherwise she wouldn’t have added this latest development to the story. If Sehrish really is expecting than that would be even more absurd! Ehtesham’s mother’s crazy plans reminded me of the Fairy God mother in the animation Shrek;)

I am quite okay with watching the Bulbulay family resorting to senseless and illogical measures to achieve their ends but the same logic does not apply to a drama serial which made a lot of sense once! All the characters seem to have undergone a huge transformation, more like a complete personality change which just cannot be explained. Ehtesham, who was once very level-headed has turned into a very unreasonable person. Sehrish has turned from dominant to doormat. Saniya was once dignified but now she has no self-respect. Roomi couldn’t stay away from his mother before but now he looks for excuses to be with other people. Not only this, one can’t help but notice how different they look; it seems like Shaam has been spending a lot of time in the gym lately probably because he can’t find peace at home, Sehrish has been stress eating;) and Saniya spends most of her time in front of the mirror while Sehrish and her mother in law babysit Roomi.

I still cannot understand what is keeping Ehtesham from divorcing Sehrish. The only plausible explanation for this delay could be that if he does that then the play will come to an end! The play must not end before 25 episodes (or maybe more) have gone on air because the rationality and quality of the script is not half as important as the TRPs. Yes, the viewers will continue watching this play till the last episode because they would want to know how it ends but it was the responsibility of the producer and the writer in particular to ensure that the play ended on a good note. The way the story is moving forward, it seems highly unlikely that Shukk will have a decent ending.

I must quote here some of the funniest and childish dialogues from tonight’s episode:

Saniya: Aap ki ami Sehrish ke liye tohfay bhar ke suitcase layen hein.
Ehtesham: Mein tumhare liye tohfay laun ga.

Ehtesham: Seeriyan nahi chur sukti, tu kya yeh no mahenay inhin sofun pe tangi rahe gi
Ehtesham’s mother: Nahi tum isay godh mein utha ke le kr jao gay!!! Ab isay utha ke le kr jao gay ya bulaun Mushtaq ko!

Are you serious???

Do share your thoughts about tonight’s episode.

Fatima Awan

What a bad start of my day when I had to tune into this pathetic drama for the sake of reviewing it. During & after watching this episode I was like ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, so this is what this drama was all about. They infused the adaption of Halala very colorfully, so that people by the end of it don’t feel bad & only have sympathy towards a girl who has gone crazy & who’s halat ki maari, bechari. 

I feel this drama should’ve been labeled as ‘Kabhi Kabhi Acchi Saas Miliiiiiiii’. Wallah, now Arez’s mother thought she was responsible for Eeshal’s condition therefore she had to rectify her mistakes. Very cleverly they are trying to wrap up the story at a point where it begun. Ohkay, if Arez’s mother wants to do good by Eeshal she should’ve chopped off Soni’s venomous tongue the first thing to protect her ex & potential Bahu from getting affected. But sadly she didn’t think of it.

The beginning of the episode right till the middle had nothing, absolutely nothing to offer. Scenes were long & boring, dialogues were pathetic, Sunny was there – enough said. Now he & his chic naukrani can live happily ever after in a house which he gifted to Eeshal, lol. I mean how many times Eeshal had to say that she wanted the medicines? At first in Sunny’s home then at Rehbar’s place & now at Arez’s? As if we really don’t know & more so as if we care?

The writer herself reassured that Eva & Rehbar have a very strong role to play in the story & I am still waiting for their part. Chop chop people because the drama’s endingggggg, boo hooo!!! Oh & yes while looking at Rehbar & Eva’s lifestyle, I mean Rehbar could afford a luxurious living & provide everything to Eva so why was he seen hovering & lingering & sulking in his FIL’s home in the beginning? What was all that about? I thought Rehbar would avenge his bankruptcy by torturing Eva’s Dad but none of it ever happened, so why all those mean & evil looks & why was Rehbar made to look like a spook with ulterior motives?

I am still amazed actually I am piting the mindset of the writer to serve us with a story of Halala. A girl who was intelligent, loved making choices of her own – gets divorced over a petty kabab-fight, later finds peace by being with a creep whose sight is enough to give you creepy shivers down your spine, marries him, becomes a drug addict & later gets divorced & settles with her first husband. To jab ye sab inka apas ka mamla tha to hum is sab k beech mai kya kar rahay thay? I mean hamara kya kaam tha???

Everyone knows that she is an addict & Dad used to speak about Paris & London & New York but deep down he was so low on brains to be thinking she was under a magic spell. My point is that I am actually amazed because Eeshal’s whole family is shown as a bunch of sophisticated elite loons so why none of them has suggested her admission to a re-hab? Oh did I say loon – enough said once again I guess!!!

Somewhere in the comments I read this was the second last episode & I hope it is because IF that happens I will distribute virtual laddus to every single person!!!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Another beautiful episode of Pakistan Idol backed by a strong theme & some beautiful performances. Loved all the songs that the contestants sang & glad that they had a lot of messages to share too. :)

Abdul Sattar Ehdi’s part in the episode was a highlight definitely. We need such inspirational people to speak more about Pakistan to us & I am glad Pakistan Idol’s team approached him for this episode especially. This episode was a treat right from the start till the end. What a beautiful way to pay tribute to our country; Pakistan.

The list of the performances is as follows:

Mohammad Shoaib (MS) of Peshawar sang Noor Jahan’s ‘Aye Watan Ke Sajeelay Jawanon’. It was a beautiful performance but I felt he had a weak start & even he missed the right ending too but other than that he sang it beautifully & filled his performance with emotions. Hadiqa felt that he sang it devotedly & his expression was perfect but apart from all that she felt his beginning & ending wasn’t perfect. Ali felt that apart from a few mistakes his performance was great. Bushra also said that he was good overall.

Kashif Ali (KA) of Lahore sang Amanat Ali Khan’s ‘Chand Meri Zameen’. He was good but I missed the wow factor. Ali felt that his pronounciation was wrong but overall his performance had a feeling to remind him of his childhood. Hadiqa felt he had some breathing issues & also pointed out the pronounctiation mistakes. Bushra felt that he improved a lot & made a breathing space in between, that she pointed out last week & according to her, his performance was great.

Rosemary (RM) of Karachi sang Nayyara Noor’s ‘Watan Ki Mitti’. What a brilliant performance I must say, I loved it. Bushra found her performance extremely nice & praised her a lot, she felt Rose sang it almost similar to Nayyara Noor. Ali once again mentioned her age & said she sings a lot better than her age would permit her. Hadiqa felt that her notes were perfect throughout the song & she loved her performance too.

Abdul Rafay Khan (RK) of Karachi sang Amanat Ali Khan’s ‘Aye Watan Pyaray Watan’. It was a slow song & Abdul Rafay is good at singing slow numbers, therefore his performance was good but I felt he fell flat a bit in the middle of his song. Bushra said he was brilliant. Hadiqa loved his improvisation & said apart from 2 – 3 mistakes his performance was amazing. Ali was all praises for Abdul Rafay as well.

Ali Asad Zaidi (AZ) of Karachi sang Ali Azmat’s ‘Junoon Se Aur Ishq Se’. What a power packed & brilliant performance, I loved it completely & I am amazed at the change he has showed in his singing skills this time. Ali said he hasn’t sung this song for a few years now & feels that he couldn’t have performed it like Ali Asad & for that he gave him a well-deserved hug. Hadiqa loved it & said he was excellent. Bushra said he was flawless, which definitely he was.

Zamad Baig (ZB) of Mandi Bahauddin sang Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s ‘Pakistan Pakistan’. When I heard that he was attempting NFAK’s song, I was like yeah right, once again making a safe choice. He was good but I felt he changed the pace of the song & it lacked the depth. Bushra said he didn’t give any reason to point out any mistakes. Hadiqa said he chose a song that matches his tonal quality & he was wise at doing so. Ali named him as Ustad Zamad Baig Khan & praised him a lot.

Waqas Ali Vicky (WV) of Mian Channu sang Mehdi Hassan’s ‘Ye Watan Tumhara Hai’. Such a sweet voice he has & such a sweet performance it was. Ali said he sang it very well. Hadiqa felt she was on a journey & found his performance sweetest because he himself was relaxed while singing it. Bushra said that the sweet dish comes in the end & this is exactly how his performance was.

So, this was it from tonight’s episode. My favorite performances of this episode were by Rosemary, Ali Asad Zaidi & Waqas Ali Vicky. It’s going to be heart-breaking to see anyone of them leave the competition because they all were great & have improved a lot. Speak about your favorite & least favorite performances with me.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

I must say that this episode completely failed to impress or entertain me, things are moving forward at a snail’s pace and some of the scenes in tonight’s episode were too long for my liking and the side characters are getting excessive screen time yet again. Another problem is that there are way too many side characters who are supposed to be very important but I couldn’t care less for them! Khala and her family were given a lot more screen time than they should have been given. There were many scenes that were completely unnecessary. Sajjid’s phone call, business plans and the discussion that ensued was pointless. We already know that Khala and co are very greedy and they are banking on Romaissa’s share, can we please move on now. All the scenes were stretched without any reason. There were a few important developments which you literally had to fish out of all the meaningless details that we were shown in this episode.

I have heard Nabeel’s father telling his wife how upset he was with her because she asked Romaissa to leave so many times already that my ears hurt when he repeated similar dialogues again today. Zeeshan took a stand for Romaissa just like he did in the previous episode, so there was nothing new about those scenes as well.

Rabbiya has started to have problems with Zeeshan helping Romaissa out, she wants him to do only as much as she is comfortable with. She also gave Zeeshan a long (never ending) lecture on why he should get his share. Zeeshan’s mother’s opinion about Rabbiya has completely changed, the way she asked Romaissa to stay away from her was shocking!

Romaissa still has no idea what her In laws are capable of doing. She still has faith in Nabeel’s father although Khala told her clearly why they wanted her to live with them. Romaissa obviously had no choice because if she stayed at Khala’s house, she would have married her off to her son. I understand Romaissa’s situation but I did not feel for her after watching tonight’s episode. The story has been dragged so much already that I am losing patience now. It is also very difficult to focus on Romaissa’s character when the director herself is finding it hard to stay focused on her. There is absolutely nothing about this play that makes it a must-watch. 15 episodes have gone on air till now and out of them only 5 were worth watching. Our heroine is a bechari – nothing more and nothing less. I wish she had more of a personality.

Technically I should be looking forward to a lot like – Will Khala be able to take Romaissa back with her? Will Hamnah find out that Hassan was behind filing the case? How will Romaissa survive in Nabeel’s house? etc but honestly speaking I am not looking forward to the next episode at all. I am very very disappointed with Hum TV and also with Umera Ahmed; this is definitely not her best work!

Fatima Awan

Pretty interesting episode. I am glad that the story is moving forward reasonably & every now & then they have something or the other to reveal. I thought the episode was a bit slow in some parts but other than that most of the scenes were done really well.

So, Karam Din is not as harmless as he looks. He definitely has something going on under his moustache which both Surmed & Shabbi are unaware of. Shabbi did find the little bottle of suspicion in her kitchen but I feel she should’ve inquired if not in front of Karam Din but definitely behind his back because by the end of the day it’s her & her husband’s home but yes as our Shabbi is a slow-coach, she will take her sweet time in regards to this as well.

Surmed & Shabbi’s conversations were done well. It showed that Shabbi now puts forward her feelings in front of him but at times Surmed understands her & sometimes he doesn’t. It was made clear that Surmed resists falling in love with Shabbi or getting close to her because he is scared of the emotion of love. This justifies Surmed’s bitterness because he has seen his father make the wrong choices & his mother suffering just because his father fell in love. So, this makes Surmed detached from feeling any affection towards his own wife, whereas he is completely a different person in front of the whole family because he has no fear of being exploited by them, due to his love towards them.

The new entry of Habib Mirza’s son Usman definitely has a certain role to play. I suss that because Usman felt he was familiar to Surmed & he happened to see how Surmed was treating Shabbi, which clearly left him disturbed & I think he will get on with the probing on his own so that he can find out things related to Surmed which might help Shabbi. I think this is another interesting twist in the drama.

Finally, Kiran stooped to her actual level where she was bashing Teeeeeeepu left, right & center. At first he was a nymphomaniac then he became a womanizer & later she turned him into a sicko who’d flirt with his sister-like cousin. I must say whatever happened to Kiran was spot on because trust me girl, with a crappy tongue of yours, you called it yourself. Is it just me or others actually felt nothing for Kiran? LOL! Let’s see what happens next & I feel it would be a closure to Kiran & Teeeeepu’s track, to let’s wait for it.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Hmmmm, so it was more of a drama in this drama now. Interesting as always & I guess they are off to wrapping up the story. I’d pretty much appreciate if they don’t drag the ending & wind it up just when needed.

Is it just me or others feel the same that Laiba is nothing but a crazy egoist? Didn’t she ever come across the saying of never believing in what you see? I mean how easily she just saw Aiza going into Saad’s room & assumed the gruesome details. Does she really think she is going to win Saad over by being like this, where at first she was clingy & now she has turned his mother against him too? Is he actually worth all the hassle? I don’t think so. What she thought & then blurted about Aiza & Saad goes to show Laiba’s own mentality more than anyone else’s in this situation. She is not insecure because that’s the small word, rather she is obsessed to a blinding point.

Aiza was just being herself & kept on reminding Saad about his upcoming marriage. His coughing fits were unbearable to watch where he would cough like he ain’t going to last but the very next moment he would walk like nothing happened, lol. I actually detest Saad & fail to sympathize with him because he has only created difficulties for people around him. I actually once again got a chance to feel bad for Saim because if Saad can’t tolerate his advices, why does he call Saim to listen to his issues quietly? Saim is being so tolerant towards his selfish friend but sadly Saad can’t see it. :(

Finally, Aiza’s brother Bakhtiyaar has taken hold of his life & without going into much detail they showed him having a good time with his family & providing them with the basics. I think it was a perfect timing for Aiza to come to her brother for support because now he is being reasonably responsible towards his family.

I expected better from Shehryar but sadly he gave preference to his daughter’s verdict over anything else & without even seeking for Aiza’s justification he decided to send her away. Aiza on her own is right that he didn’t even give her a chance to explain about what happened & I feel in this matter it would be justified if Shehryar apologizes to her because Aiza never gave him a chance to doubt her. She deserves all the respect & Sheheryar definitely owes her an apology.

Next episode shows Saad’s suffering reaching to a lethal level & hopefully it would make Laiba regret what she has done. Can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Akbari Asghari; adapted by Deputy Nazir Ahmed’s Urdu novel Mirat Ul Uroos, produced by Samina Humayun for her production house Six Sigma, written by Faiza Iftikhar & directed by Haissam Hussain. What a combination. :)

It’s a story depicting the very basic concept of ‘never judging a book by it’s cover’. ‘Appearances are meant to be deceptive’, this is another example which defines Akbari Asghari for me. I can’t begin to tell how much I have enjoyed watching this drama twice & I think I can give it a go again & again because the main factor is, you can never get bored. All the actors have enacted their characters brilliantly & I am sure they themselves wouldn’t have known what they were doing for our entertainment & how grateful we would be to them. :)

The list of the actors & the characters is:

Ali Aijaz as Kareem Fazal Chaudhru (KFC)
Nasreen Qureshi as Bay Jee
Ashraf Khan as Luqmaan
Nayyar Ejaz as Peer o Murshid
Nargis Rasheed as Shaheen (Sheen)
Rehan Sheikh as Hatim
Amna Ansari as Kulsoom (Kim)
Imran Abbas as Akbar
Humaima Malik as Asghari (Sara)
Fawad Khan as Asghar
Sanam Baloch as Akbari (Becky)
Humaira Ali as Batool Pupho
Kiran Haq as Shabbo

The Family:

Yes, it was a family of Chaudhry KFC, with Bay Jee as his sister, Luqmaan, Hatim & Batool as his childern. Luqmaan was married to Shaheen & had two sons Akbar & Asghar, who lived with Chaudhry KFC in a small village in Punjab – Pakistan. Hatim was married to Kulsoom, had two daughter Akbari & Asghari, he was settled in UK, ran a cab & Kulsoom had a catering stall she looked after. Batool was married to the industrialist in Sialkot & had the only daughter Shabbo.

The Story:

Story was about everyone having an ulterior motive except a few elders of the family. Some had them for the betterment of their family members while the others spun them for their own selfishness. Akbari Asghari is a story of two sisters, Becky & Sara. Becky was manipulative, loved to be in everyone’s good books, pretended to be innocent & very sweet but deep down she was very sharp & knew how to mold situations for her benefit; whatever the cost may be. Sara on the surface might come across as a girl with very liberal values & no morality but in actual she was more upfront, straight forward & always had the accurate argument backing with logic to prove herself right. It was just about the time when Becky almost elopes to be with her non-Muslim boyfriend Roger but just in the nick of time her mother Kulsoom finds out about it. Becky heart-broken after finding out about Roger’s marriage then promises her mother that she will go to her father’s hometown & get married to her cousin Akbar.

Akbar who had left everything worldly thinking he was doing everything right for the sake of his Deen spent his life following the footsteps of his peer o murshid. Asghar, the youngest, everyone’s favorite & Gaon’s Casanova was always in a search for someone suitable who’d benefit him materialistically. So, finally the moment arrives when the promise has to be materialized. Promise that was made years ago at the birth of Akbari & Asghari when they were verbally engaged to their first cousins Akbar & Asghar.

Kim & Hatim who have high hopes for Becky dread marrying her away to Akbar – the fundamentalist of the family. Akbar on his own tries to walk out of the marriage because he thinks modern khatoon was way out of his league. Asghar being the opportunist senses Akbar’s distress & gets ready to be sacrificed for the sake of his brother. This is how Akbari & Asghar get married. I loved the fact that even though they were shown as two different people, they were totally the same; manipulative, & dishonest but the only difference that set them apart was Becky being more mature & clever whereas Asghar was gullible & naive. Things spice up a lot when Batool & Shabbo come in the picture because Asghar has made some promises to Shabbo as well but very easily he ditches her & gets married. Akbari keeps on manipulating Asghar because she wants out of this marriage & spend her life free from any obligations. She loves being loved & appreciated because she can’t tolerate being in anyone’s bad books. Asghar right after his marriage earns the title of Zan Mureed by being totally smitten with his wife, he obviously does it thinking this way he’ll be able to go abroad with her & settle there on the expense of his FIL’s business.

After Asghar Akbari’s wedding, Akbar accompanies Hatim because everyone tells him to take care of Hatim & his business after his heart attack so that his Chacha could rest. After finding out the reality of his Chacha & Chachi that they owned nothing which they flaunted about – Akbar tries to bring them out of their complexes & earns their respect because of his modesty. This paves the path of Asghari’s likeness towards Akbar because she finds herself getting attracted to such a humble person like him. Becky now ups her plan & starts fabricating the lies against her in-laws so that her family helps her walk out of her marriage but things go totally unexpected when Sara agrees to get married to Akbar thinking she will be with Becky & would undo the zulm going on with her sister. Akbar agrees to this marriage because according to his peer o murshid, he’d be doing this girl a favor by bringing her back to her long lost path of the Deen.

At first Akbar finds it hard to cope with the be-baak Asghari but as he gets to know her, he finds her submissive, practical, logical & falls in love with her. Asghari who has prejudices against him also after understanding him better knows that he is honest, down to earth & is a gem of a person but has been trapped by a fake peer o murshid because of Akbar’s blinding trust in him. Asghari jumps into a situation just for Akbar to rescue her from his peer o murshid & that’s when they confess their love for the first time. Akbari who later finds out that Asghar was in an awe of getting such a perfect wife feels guilty & rest Shabbo’s clinginess to Asghar does the trick of surfacing her deep etched love for her husband where she rectifies her mistakes & promises to be a good wife & daughter in law. Finally & last but not the least, Asghari takes the situation in her hand & sends Bay Jee away to her actual home – the home of her husband which she rejects going to at the day of her marriage for the sake of her brother’s dignity & in the end they all live happily ever after.

The Brilliance of Akbari Asghari:

I loved Akbari Asghari for the fact that it highlighted thick issues very lightheartedly such as complexes, insecurities, ulterior motives, misunderstandings, family politics & what not. Each & every episode was like a roller-coaster ride of laughter along with emotional moments. I can convincingly say that this drama was entertainment personified because even though they tackled things with humorous, the underlying issues still remained the focal point & were handled brilliantly. Undoubtedly, for people like me who like to tune into lighthearted realistic dramas, this was actually real because people in their daily lives do have such fun moments too which were portrayed with perfection in Akbari Asghari.

I loved all the characters of Akbari Asghari but I must say the star of the drama was Nargis Rasheed as Shaheen or Sheen as Bay Jee called her. Not only Sheen but all the female characters in this drama were perfect examples of how ladies of the family should be – strong, confident, like a binding force & forgiving on tops. I must especially mention the bit where Shaheen & Akbari come to a closure with seeking forgiveness & apologizing to each other was the best moment for me, it went to show how easy is it to let go of the past mistakes & work towards the better future. This is exactly what we need to see in our dramas, some strong headed but bighearted females who know exactly how to run a family. Apart from Shaheen, another interesting character was of Batoolan Pupho played by Humaira Ali brilliantly. I loved her fixation to English & her translations were just perfect. Kiran Haq was adorable as Shabbo & I think she did justice to her part as well. Well, what can I say about Nasreen Qureshi. I love love loveeee her Punjabi fluency & she made me love Punjabi more, she was adorable through out the drama & it was a treat to watch her as Bay Jee.

I loved this drama mainly for the reason because Akbar & Asghari’s characters went to show that how exactly religious matters can be handled. Akbar thought he was just doing things right – which he undoubtedly was, but just the little input from Asghari made him tackle his religious side logically as well. There were some amazing dialogues that targeted the mindset & notions of people which they might have towards someone who is trying hard to adapt the religious way of life. No one could’ve ever thought that a broad minded girl like Asghari could actually have a religious side to her as well but what stood out the most for me about her character was the logic that she always presented in each of her discussions.

I loved Akbari Asghari for the fact that each & every character had an important role to play, starting from Chaudhry KFC to Peer o Murshid, there was not even a single character which seemed boring, forced or someone who had nothing to contribute to the story. Every character was just as important as the other because together they made this drama a master piece.

I loved the Gaon touch, the use of Punjabi, the direction, the screenplay, the dialogues, the story & every thing about this drama & I must say that Humaima Malik & Imran Abbas outdid themselves & they stood out the most for me. Sanam Baloch & Fawad Khan were great as Akbari & Asghar as well & all the other actors were brilliant as usual because the director brought out the best in them.

I loved this drama, hence I label it as a complete package of entertainment. Do share your views about Akbari Asghari if you enjoyed it as much as I did & those of you who have missed this drama, go watch it NOW! ;)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ranjish Hi Sahi would be much more engaging and enjoyable if it picks up pace; whatever happened in these two episodes could easily have been covered in one. I have noticed that lately Geo has started showing dance performances on complete songs in their plays. I find it filmy, somewhat inspired by plays on star plus and also a total waste of time. I would really have liked it if the latest developments in Hiba and Tooba’s life; from Hiba’s rising career to Tooba’s loneliness could have been covered in that one song sequence. We could have been shown how the girls were moving ahead with life while the song played in the background. I must admit though that I am really curious to find out what turn the story will take once Hiba finds out that Rohail is Kamal’s son. She may have a very bright career now but she has not changed a bit. She is still careless, selfish, immature and stubborn. She does not pause for a second to ask her sister what is going on in her life. When Tooba was working, she was always concerned about Hiba and was always trying her best to please her. There was never a time like this when these sisters didn’t share things with each other but now that Hiba has a friend and a career, she is too busy to have time for her sister. Hiba’s likeness for Rohail seems pretty much one sided at the moment.

I really liked the way Arsal took a stand in front of his mother but Tooba knows only too well that even if this marriage takes place his mother will never give her the respect she wants from her. She also does not want to get married in a family in which the head of the family does not have an ounce of respect for her mother. Tooba has been very wise right from the start so her actions made perfect sense. Like many other viewers, I really want to see both of them together but I can only wonder how that is going to happen. The story of the play has been very unpredictable right from the start which is one of the factors why this play keeps you looking forward to more.

Maya Ali’s acting has been very natural and impressive since the past few episodes. I think the character that she is playing is actually close to her real life personality and she can probably relate to it as well that is why it is bringing out the best in her. Sana Javed has been brilliant throughout the play; the fact that her character has been etched-out superbly also adds to the charm.
I must say that I do not like the way the official Facebook page of the play has been promoting it. Asking questions like whether Rohail’s presence in Hiba’s life will draw the two sisters apart or not is so wrong because the story is about much more than just that! If someone is not watching the play, they will definitely get the wrong impression about the story from these questions. The viewers who have been watching the play know only too well that the story isn’t really about Hiba and Tooba growing apart; these two sisters have proven time and again that they may have their differences but they always manage to sort things out. I think they should be focusing more on whether or not Kamal will make a re entry and how Hiba will react when she finds out. There are many viewers who lost interest in the show after Kamal and Yumna were not a part of it so questions like these may bring such viewers back. They can also ask questions as to why Tooba is not getting married to Arsal etc.

I really hope that the drama picks up pace because the story is engaging enough and there is a lot to look forward to.

Do share your thoughts about these two episodes.

Fatima Awan

Wallah! After Sajjad Ali’s & this Friday’s episode, this one has become a memorable one for me. I am sure this was a lucky day for all the Pakistan Idol viewers because now only the deserving contestants are left but I must say, they had us worried, it was like a rollercoaster ride but yes in the end it felt refreshing, exactly how you feel after the ride. ;) lol!

I must say Hadiqa Kiyani looked gorgeous tonight & even Bushra Ansari looked pretty decent too. I am not sure how many times Hadiqa has her hair-color changed but this one suits her the best. I hope that she continues to make wise choices in terms of styling & spare us from the laughing fits. ;)

The first two contestants who came for their results were Ali Asad Zaidi & Kashif Ali. At first I thought they both would be safe because they deserved to be but the worry began when Mohib announced that one of them is going to the danger zone. Sadly & shockingly it was Ali Asad Zaidi. :/

After them only Mohammad Shoaib was called for his result. It was pretty evident that he would be safe & yes, he was. :)

The duo that now came to face the result was of Zamad Baig & Shahmir Aziz Quidwai. I was pretty sure that Zamad would be unsafe because the certain someone gets lucky all the time but fortunately Zamad was safe & Shahmir made it to the red zone.

The last trio that had to face the result was of Rosemary, Abdul Rafay Khan & Waqas Ali Vicky. Judging by the previous voting trend, I guessed it right it was Waqas Ali Vicky who was unsafe but he didn’t deserve to be there anyway.

Finally, it was a time for the moment of truth but before proceeding with the final announcement Mohib asked the judges about who they wanted to see going through to the next round. Very honestly & without being politically correct Hadiqa & Bushra picked Waqas Ali Vicky & Ali Asad Zaidi even though they were asked to choose a single contestant but I am glad they were honest. Similarly, Ali Azmat wanted to see Waqas Ali Vicky safe too.

So yes, it came down to Waqas Ali Vicky, Shahmir Aziz Quidwai & Ali Asad Zaidi. It was the very first high moment of the episode when surprisingly Waqas Ali Vicky was told that he was safe. This had me shouting like anything because his position looked the weakest as compared to the other two in the danger zone but he’s definitely worth it. After a little dance of trance it was the time to face the reality & trust me, in a disbelief I was worried that Ali Asad Zaidi is going because the other one has knocked out some great contestants but I was just surprised when a certain name was announced, leaving me happy, excited, thankful & what-not because yes, finally, it was Shahmir Aziz Quidwaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!! :D

Last week before watching the episode unexpectedly from the Facebook newsfeed I got to know that Asad Raza Sonu was eliminated, this killed the suspense for me & I watched the episode half-heartedly because I already knew the result but this time around I was cautious & didn’t open my FB account before watching the episode. Trust me, words can’t explain how happy I am because this episode was worth the suspense, lol!

From now on, it wouldn’t matter much as to who will win the title because as far as anyone of these top 7 does, it’s going to be a perfect & well-deserving win. Finally, the moment of rejoice has arrived, share your excitement with us!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

ps: YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

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! ;)