Another interesting episode with a lot of great performances to it. It was based on the songs that were related to the contestant’s memories. It’s good to know a lot more about the contestants & they all came across really honest in expressing them. Mostly the songs that we heard were slow but by all means melodious.

The commentary on the performances is as follows:

Waqas Ali Vicky (WV) of Mian Channu sang ‘Sapnon Se Bharay Naina’ from the Indian movie. At least he is trying to show his versatility by choosing different sort of songs every now & then & he was good though, but it did seem at times that he was struggling a bit. Hadiqa Kiyani said that the song had both the feels of rock & classic & he sang it well with great expressions. Bushra Ansari felt that his lower notes were weak but that was on a minor level. Ali Azmat felt that he didn’t project the notes with clarity & for that his lower notes had an issue but over all he got satisfactory remarks.

Zamad Baig (ZB) of Mandi Bahauddin sang Kailash Kher’s ‘Teri Deewani’. This was a song that suited his vocal tone the best & he chose it wisely, sang it great too because he can be perfect at these sort of songs. Ali Azmat also commented on his song selection & said he did it well. Bushra Ansari said he was flawless this time around. Hadiqa Kiyani also liked his performance a lot.

Shahmir Aziz Quidwai (SQ) of Islamabad sang Najam Shiraz’s ‘In Fizaon Se Aagay’. A great improvement I must say, the start was weak as usual but he sang it well considering the high notes the song had. Bushra Ansari mentioned the issues he always has at the lower notes & felt it was pretty audible in this performance too. Hadiqa Kiyani spoke about his low notes as well but said he has a very distinctive voice. Ali Azmat said this time had a lot of control on his notes meaning he has improved.

Sana Zulfikaar (SZ) of Lahore sang ‘Baabul’ from the Indian movie ‘Baabul’. I don’t know why but she sounds very boring to me, nothing in her performance every week which stands out & at times she gets inaudible as well. The judges most of the times use headphones for clarity & that’s why they have never mentioned how music always overlaps her voice. Bushra Ansari said technically speaking there were a little issues in her performance but over all it was good. Ali Azmat said it was an outstanding (???) performance. Hadiqa Kiyani said she sang it well over all but clearly had an issue at some places.

Abdul Rafay Khan (RK) of Karachi sang Lata Mangeshkar’s ‘Ma Mujhe Apne Anchal Mai Chuppa Le’. It was a very sweet performance & he sang it brilliantly. All the judges loved his performance & indeed it was a very emotional one as well.

Ali Asad Zaidi (AZ) of Karachi sang ‘Nadaan Parinday’ from the Indian movie ‘Rockstar’. I found this performance by him the best so far, it looked like he owned the song & sang it perfectly. Bushra Ansari said this was a difficult song which he sang with ease & he has a very strong voice. Hadiqa Kiyani said she exepcted something else from him but he chose a song wisely & he can be a real challenge for all the other contestants to overcome. Ali Azmat thought this performance of his was weak & something was missing, he thought nothing on the notes was questionable but over all he didn’t enjoy the performance (???).

Mohammad Shoaib (MS) of Peshawar sang ‘Albela Sajann’ from the Indian movie ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’. He has improved himself a lot & that is getting evident week by week. Bushra Ansari thought that the Pathan was totally impressive, she felt there were a little issues here & there but overall it was great & the Sargam was perfect too. Ali Azmat said he had a weak start but the Sargam was great. Hadiqa Kiyani said it was a difficult song & she didn’t like it at all, thought he was weak on the notes through out.

Asad Raza Sonu (RS) of Lahore sang Atif Aslam’s ‘Aadat’. He was good as usual & once again chose a different song to prove a point. Hadiqa Kiyani said he brought in the desi-ness in the song once again but she liked it. Bushra Ansari said he was flawless & she couldn’t pick any mistakes. Ali Azmat said he has done a complete justice to the song.

Rosemary (RM) of Karachi sang ‘Baba Ki Raani Hoon’ from the Indian movie ‘Appko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai’. She sounded good too & it was a difficult song selection. Bushra Ansari felt she was good at expressions & feel of the song but there were a little issues of breathing like always. Ali Azmat didn’t like her performance at all & thought the ending notes were weak every single time. Hadiqa Kiyani said she sang it smoothly but yes there was an issue in the tail notes.

Kashif Ali (KA) of Lahore sang ‘Naina Thagg Lainge’ from the Indian movie ‘Omkara’. He was great & as always got the raving feedback from the judges.

So, this was it. Overall it was a good episode with a lot of flawless performances. I must say Abdul Rafay Khan came across as a very very sweet boy & his little dedication & performance was overwhelming. Shahmir Quidwai did improve but once again it goes to show that he knows what people are thinking about him but still he chooses to stick to the show. I am sure he will win the title by looking at the voting trend for him so it’s useless to expect him to be eliminated. Luckily for us Sana Zulfikar wasn’t unwell & even danced in the intro-performance.

I am kind of getting bored by Kashif Ali’s song selection. He should now choose songs from the different genre to show his versatility. Hadiqa Kiyani mentioned the same thing to Asad Raza Sonu that he should show how much diverse he can be so she should now suggest that to Kashif as well. I think Hadiqa Kiyani is being biased towards Mohammad Shoaib completely. It’s like every single time he comes to perform she’d seem least interested & then without paying much attention she will straight away say ‘maza nahi aya’. She does judge honestly but at times also doesn’t pinpoint the clear mistakes of all the other contestants but when it comes to Shoaib she has set certain prejudice & she sides with it always.

At this point I think Abdul Rafay Khan & Ali Asad Zaidi should be in the top 2 as they have been consistently performing well. Let’s see who gets eliminated this time around.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Jab insaan ke khooni rishtedaar us ko izzat aur mohabbat denay ke bajaye us ko lottery ka ticket samjhein tu takleef tu ho gi na

Finally some words of wisdom from our Romaissa that tugged at my heartstrings. Romaissa and Nabeel’s conversations were definitely the highlight of tonight’s episode. Nabeel opened up to Romaissa like he never did before and for the first time Romaissa shared with someone how she felt about the way she was treated by her Khala’s family. For the first time tonight, I could actually connect with the reasons behind their strong relationship. The reason for this emotional connection could also be that I know only too well what is coming ahead but I must say that I knew that while watching the past few episodes too but I failed to relate to the bond that Romaissa and Nabeel share. It almost felt like these two people who came from two completely different backgrounds and had totally opposite personalities were meant to be together. Yes, I saw Romaissa and Nabeel as soulmates today! Nabeel made future plans with Romaissa completely oblivious of what maybe coming ahead. Romaissa still finds it hard to believe that Nabeel is a part of her life.

Waleed and his wife’s issues coupled with Khala’s never-ending requests completely ruined the feel of tonight’s episode. In my opinion, this episode could have been picture perfect if there was more of Zeeshan and Nabeel than Waleed and Khala’s family. The conversation between Zeeshan and Nabeel was important because Nabeel spelled out clearly to him how he felt about the way his family was treating Romaissa. I must say though that I expected much more from this conversation because of obvious reasons.

The first half of the play was totally forward worthy. All the conversations were long and painful! I found it strange the way everyone in Nabeel’s house was wondering how he found out that his wife had been getting the kids ready for school. He lives in the same house so he was going to find out about it eventually! Even if he wakes up late, he could have noticed that Romaissa was not in the room.

The last few minutes of tonight’s episode were well done; I could feel that something was about to happen. The bad luck started with Nabeel’s call getting disconnected and we didn’t see Nabeel and Romaissa talking after that. The last scene left me confused but I am quite sure it was intended to be that way.

The preview of the next episode did not give away much which I think was a very wise idea. I have seen so many dramas in the recent past in which the most important twists of the upcoming episodes are completely given away in the preview, which kills half of the fun. In my opinion tonight’s episode was sabr ka phal which of course is always well deserved. Like every other episode of the play some of the scenes could easily have been chopped down but overall a much better episode which gave me something to look forward to.

Don’t forget to share your thoughts.

Fatima Awan

LOL! What a brilliant episode & the performances. I think we all have definitely come to a stage that when nothing makes sense, you end up laughing till your stomach hurts & this is what happened to me today at least, I laughed throughout the episode so hard just trying to figure out what were they thinking?

Yes, I did do a little reminisce check to explore the point where this drama began. A sweet love story with two amazing characters Eeshal & Arez, where Eeshal was a hopeless romantic & Arez resisted falling in love with a headstrong girl but he couldn’t & it was almost magical. I really had no idea & I think no one else could’ve thought that this drama would come to a point where we’ll be seeing a batameez bacha whose potty pishi would be a topic of discussion. Whose ganday kapre, buu & untidy nails would be used to cover a whole episode & give us the creeps, blukh!!!

Oh, we thought we were watching a drama about the learned, the rich, the enlightened ones but didn’t know they were worse. Yes, it does happen that all those kitty party aunties forsake their kids for their activities but Eeshal abandoned him because she wanted to sleep. So, yes I do give them a 10 on 10 for showing the reality, because that’s the only thing I can do to keep myself sane, trying to dish out some sense out of an utter nonsense. 5 years of sleeping I mean artificial sleeping & isn’t Eeshal worried as to why she has started to sleep more than a kid herself? Looking at Eeshal, Sunny & Ali in one frame, the only thought that came to my mind was ‘What a mad druggy family this is’. So, yes for this I can label them as picture perfect, lol.

All of a sudden why Arez started to act like a James Bond, sneaking into his own home with his own kid? If he even decided to bring his long lost baby at his place, why the need of hiding him? Definitely his amman wouldn’t eat him for lunch & Soni wouldn’t scream in shock thinking she saw something alien. They all would obviously accept him because he is Arez’s son, I thought Sunny & Eeshal used to be on a joint but didn’t know Arez smelled some too.

Rehbar, Eva with their half dumb, half intelligent daughter, not sure what they are doing in this drama? Still I can’t seem to figure out, if someone has gotten hold of the importance of their characters, please do let me know as I am unable to solve the mystery. Chalo, this time around the story progressed towards Ali’s pamper, I am sure the next progress would be in terms of us seeing him on a commode! So, YAY for us!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

So, it was again another of one those slow episodes but as far as the story is moving forward, I have no issues.

Neelam moved on just as soon as she got a chance & without looking back at her newborn she decided to be with her Taz. Taimoor who was already utawla didn’t even wait for a moment & got married to Neelam ASAP. Given the early 90’s era, I think Neelam was quite liberal to have such values & morality where she could walk out of her marriage that too after a kid, to be with someone who she loved.

Surmed’s khala wanted to keep him with her but Arif uncle’s involvement & the decision seemed really irrational. He already saw what Surmed went through & how he was struggling but all Arif could think of was to divorce his wife if she decided to keep Surmed & raise him. I thought he was a good person & knew his friend Taimoor better, despite being aware of what might happen ahead, he also contributed in parting Surmed with the only motherly figure that was left for him & she was his Khala.

Neelam pretty well accepted Surmed as Taimoor’s son & even tried hard to form some sort of a relationship with him but sadly for Surmed he had suffered a lot already to be giving a space or forgiveness to his father & then his new-found wife. In this whole scenario I do feel for what a poor child had to go through because he didn’t deserve all this. A lot more could’ve been shown in regards to Surmed but the director didn’t emphasize much on that, rather just sticked to show how much enraged Surmed was getting day by day.

Surmed & Shabbi stll have a rift going on & once again to my surprise, Shabbi seems to be taking it all a bit too well. She does cry but never do we see her working hard to fix things. I think the next thing we’ll be seeing would be this. Kiran & Tipu again have a lot more going on where Tipu seems to be ignoring her & she is losing her sanity. Like I sussed it before, Tipu isn’t so seedha saadha as he pretends to be & it does look like he had a fling to be taken care of back in Turkey.

Neelam, to me comes across a person who was just bored & discontented with her life. She wanted adventures in her life, no matter what the scale may be & how much destruction they caused, but all she ever wanted was the things to be always spicy in her life. Therefore, at first she broke Taimoor’s home, got away from him & fled to Pakistan, got married & left her baby to reunite with Taimoor. She almost hated that kid as it was Pervaiz’s child. Now when she got what she wanted from the last 5-6 years, she got bored with it & started a hunt down for her baby, so why leave the baby in the first place? She should have taken Shabbi with her & raised her while being married to Taimoor.

Anyways, let’s see what’s more left ahead for us to watch.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Kamal Hassan and Yumna Haider’s story is being repeated all over again. Tooba must have feelings for Arsal but she is clearly holding back because she knows that getting married to Arsal will completely destroy her relationship with Hiba. Yumna had the same doubts as well but Kamal managed to convince her that things will not turn out the way she feared they well. Arsal, too, like Kamal decided to talk to Hiba, thinking that he will be able to convince her but Hiba is still the same stubborn, over-emotional and possessive girl that she was before. Hiba does not believe in forgiving anyone and she also does not want to move on.

Hiba’s actions show just how self-consuming possessiveness can be. She ran away from home when Yumna decided to get married to Kamal and now after hearing what Arsal had to say, she went ahead with her decision to start a modeling career. She is not only causing problems for Tooba but also for herself. Hiba is immature, she never tried to understand her mother’s point of view and was not willing to give her the space she needed in order to live a part of her life the way she wanted and she is doing the same with Tooba. I really want to see a transformation in Hiba’s character. I must say that Maya Ali was brilliant in tonight’s episode; she gave me nothing to complaint about.

I am really happy that Arsal is still in love with Tooba and is willing to take a stand for her. But I wish Mohammad Ali could have acted better in many of the scenes in this episode and the last one. His dialogue delivery has been very unconvincing and misleading. Also, I fail to understand why Arsal is so convinced that Tooba will be willing to get married to him. Arsal’s mother is turning out to be one of those typical mothers who are a pain to watch on screen. I must give credit to the director and the writer though for not keeping us confused about the intentions and feeling of the characters.

Mohammad Ali’s acting many not be impressive but Tooba and Arsal look good together. Arsal is the only man Tooba ever had feelings for and Arsal’s feelings for Tooba are very genuine so I would really want to see them together.

Abdullah Ejaz played his part well. Rohail will make a comeback in the next episode. I think people who were thinking that Rohail and Hiba may end up together, may just be right! That would be a very interesting twist in the story. I would like Rohail and Hiba both to discover for themselves what it feels like to be madly in love with someone because both of them are very practical. The story has come to that point now where I think it can easily move forward without Kamal Hassan as well. We will surely be seeing him in one of the upcoming episodes but this time probably as Rohail’s father and not as Yumna’s husband. I had lost interest in the play because of the slow pace in the past few episodes but this recent episode has definitely given me something to look forward to.

Fatima Awan

As expected & as usual – another week ended with a shocking result. Absolutely sad to see another such great singer getting eliminated.

When asked by all the contestants who they wanted to give the return ticket to, 2 names that got surfaced prominently were Shahmir Aziz Quidwai & Waqas Ali Vicky by 4 votes each, followed by Sana Zulfikaar with 1 vote & the fun vote of Mohammad Shoaib to his roommate Sajid Abbas & vice versa. Clearly it goes without saying that people have by now gotten hold of the weakling of the show but sadly the results have no effect on him whatsoever!

According to the judges Bushra Ansari stated that the best performance was by Asad Raza Sonu. But Hadiqa Kiyani was asked to pick the weakest performer & she selected 3 based on their singing solely. I am glad that Hadiqa Kiyani is the only judge who never ever sides with anyone & despite the fact that no matter how much she likes a contestant she will always stand by what’s right. So, for this she picked Abdul Rafay Khan, Zamad Baig & Mohammad Shoaib to have performed the weakest on a Friday night.

Now coming to the results, the first two contestants who came in to face the verdict were Zamad Baig & Rosemary. This was the FIRST time ever that we heard Zamad speak about his health & condition. This is how it should be that no matter what, you just don’t make excuses. If Zamad had wanted he would’ve also told how he was not feeling well but he just didn’t say a word. Anyways, from these two it was pretty obvious that Zamad Baig would be in the danger zone & that is what happened.

The next contestants who came in for results were Kashif Ali, Shahmir Aziz Quidwai & Abdul Rafay Khan. I thought that may be either Abdul Rafay or Shahmir will be in the bottom 3 but it wasn’t our lucky day & Shahmir was safe along with the other two well deserving contestants Kashif & Abdul Rafay.

After them the trio that had to face the results was of Asad Raza Sonu, Sana Zulfikaar & Ali Asad Zaidi. It was pretty much expected that Sana Zulfikar will make it to the red zone once again & that is what just happened & that is how it should’ve been.

The last trio to face the results was of Mohammad Shoaib, Syed Sajjid Abbas & Waqas Ali Vicky. For me, any one who had made it to the danger zone from this trio would be upsetting so from them sadly Syed Sajjid Abbas was chosen, which was nothing but a shocker.

When asked by the judges again that who were they shocked to see in the danger zone this time, Bushra Ansari picked Sana Zulfikar (???) & Hadiqa Kiyani was again logical & precise so she said she was sad to see Sajjid Abbas & Zamad Baig in the danger zone, leaving her first-ever favorite Sana behind.

Now it was the time for the final elimination & Zamad Baig, Sana Zulfikar & Syed Sajjid Abbas had to face their results. It was absolutely annoying to see Sana Zulfikaar safe again,  When it came between Zamad Baig & Syed Sajjid Abbas, I thought Zamad wouldn’t make it to the next round because yes, certainly his performance was weak but sadly Syed Sajjid Abbas was eliminated. I am not sure what was the reason but I feel his song selection was the major & in fact the only contributing factor. He chose a bad song which in the middle comes to a point where it sounds like the singer is just talking & not singing at all, so, for this Ali Zafar’s composition is to be blamed but yes if Sajjid Abbas had picked another song, may be the result would’ve been different.

Once again I am absolutely disturbed to see such a fine singer getting eliminated. I am not sure why but Shahmir always seems so confident in the elimination round, no wonder he knows what a backing he has. I am totally gutted to announce that with this voting trend I suss & congratulate all the viewers of Pakistan Idol that I can clearly see first two contestants who are going to make it to the TOP 3 & they are Shahmir Aziz Quidwai & Sana Zulfikaar. The 3rd one would be the bhoola bhatka bloke who will unexpectedly make it there but won’t be successful in winning the title even. Yes, looking at the prevailing trend we are unfortunately & definitely going to have these two non-singers as our Top finalists of the first ever season of Pakistan Idol.

Anyways, I wish luck, success, bright future & power to the guy who possesses the sweetest voice ever – Syed Sajjid Abbas!

What do you think about his elimination? Rather how much disappointed are you with this result? Share with us!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

I must appreciate the fact that Shukk is very unpredictable and the only play on air right now which keeps me at the edge of my seat. The actors never fail to impress you with their perfect portrayals but in my opinion the story could have moved forward in a more convincing and likeable manner. The latest developments in the story left me enraged and disappointed. I really liked Saniya’s character before because she was docile yet likeable; she always put her foot down whenever it was needed. But lately, I have been finding it very hard to like her. First she went ahead and got married to Ehtesham knowing that he was still married to Sehrish and now that Sehrish is back she is playing the savior. If she really wanted Ehtesham and Sehrish to get back together she should have gone to Australia. Did she get married to Ehtesham out of hamdardi too or was she hoping that Sehrish would never come back? Now that Sehrish is back Ehtesham and Saniya are finding it hard to disclose the news to her, something which I thought was very strange. Ehtesham should have “informed” his wife that he had a new wife when he married Saniya but since he did not do that, now was a good time to break the news to her. You just don’t go ahead and get married to someone like that; Ehtesham has lost my vote for good after tonight’s episode. If he loves Saniya so much then he should stand by her! And enough of Roomi ki kasme….the kid has done enough for his mom already!

I am very glad that Sehrish has realized her mistake, too bad Ehtesham did not wait for her for years the way most of the heroines in our dramas wait for their insensitive, insecure and insincere husbands. I am not saying that this is unreal in any way but what I am saying is that this is actually a little too real for my liking! How about showing for a change that it is not the responsibility of the women alone to go out of their way to save their marriages?? And if they don’t do so then their husbands are sure to move on.

Ehtesham and Sehrish may just get back together of course, how I wish that Sehrish would have begged Ehtesham for forgiveness rather than pleading before Saniya. Ehtesham is in love with Saniya now and he doesn’t feel anything for Sehrish except hamdardi maybe!! Sometimes I feel like our dramas are more of a reflection of the sad state of affairs in our society than I would like them to be. In most of our dramas women are punished to the limit if they fail to deliver in a marriage but men go scot free. Such ideas tend to click with the viewers more too because mostly people find it easier to forgive men rather than a woman. We forgave Asher and Adeel but we want to see Sehrish being punished! Ehtesham went behind Sehrish’s back and got married to Saniya, is that not wrong?

The fact that Sehrish and Ehtesham do not have kids and Roomi played a major role in bringing Saniya and Ehetsham together has been giving me sleepless nights! Is the writer in any way trying to imply that childless couples are more likely to grow distant? If Sehrish had a child who would constantly call Ehetsham to come save him like Roomi did maybe things would be very different today.

In my opinion tonight’s episode belonged to Ayesha Khan. I have not liked her this much in any other role in a long time. Sanam Saeed looked gorgeous in white and she performed brilliantly as usual. It is impossible to predict what is going to happen next. It is highly unlikely that Ehtehsam will divorce Saniya and Saniya will not let him leave Sehrish. What do you think is going to happen next? And please do feel free to share your thoughts even if you disagree with me because different opinions make the discussion more engaging.

Fatima Awan

Oh My, Oh My! This has to be my favorite episode so far & no other upcoming episode will replace this one because the reason is obvious & it is Sajjad Ali. Another reason is that this episode was sort of a tribute to all the Pop Icons of Pakistani Music Industry & this focused on 90’s onward era of music when our music industry was at it’s peak & I was certainly waiting for this episode.

The episode began with Sajjad Ali’s performance, wasn’t sure about two figurines dancing behind him creating a total distraction & looking unnecessary. Anyways, Sajjad Ali’s appearance made it more clear as to why he should’ve been judging the show. This shows what a true star & a living legend is – knows his game yet is HUMBLE & down to earth. Loved the way he corrected the contestants & pointed out their mistakes but never did he make them feel they were doing something totally wrong, in fact he addressed their mistakes in order to correct & more importantly teach them. I so wish he was a judge because he truly deserves to be. Just one episode & look at the technical intricacy with which he speaks.

We have seen so many episodes & the only terminologies that I could hear our respected judges say were ‘jagahain acchi lagai hain’, ‘wo jagah thori kamzor parh gai’, ‘rooh se gaya hai’, ‘sur theek hain’. This is exactly what I pointed out in the beginning that none of the judges are passing technical judgments & Sajjad Ali proved it. The way he sang in order to explain things to the contestant, the technicalities he noted in each & every performance showed what a great & a perfect singer he is. I thank him for coming to Pakistan Idol & for making this a memorable episode for us.

So, the commentary on all the performances is as follows:

Abdul Rafay Khan (RK) of Karachi sang Fuzon’s ‘Akhiyaan’. It looked like he was putting in so much effort in his singing which could be heard easily. He definitely attempted a song other than his comfort zone & looked like he pushed himself hard on it. Bushra Ansari liked the over all performance but pointed out some mistakes on certain places. Hadiqa Kiyani said from start till the end of the performance she found his notes weak. Ali Azmat spoke on the same lines as the other judges & said his voice sounded strained. Sajjad Ali found his voice quality really nice & said he has a long way to go.

Ali Asad Zaidi (AZ) of Karachi sang String’s ‘Sar Kiye Ye Pahar’. This song looked like it was made to fit his voice & for this very reason it sounded almost perfect with his vocal tone. He was pretty good at it & Ali Azmat said he has been consistent in performing well till date. Hadiqa Kiyani said he is perfect for the stage because his aura is of that sort, she also commented on his vocal quality being strong & loved his performance. Bushra Ansari liked it as well & Sajjad Ali spoke on the technical terms saying that this is a simple song which doesn’t give away much about a singer’s singing prowess but Ali Asad gave in his 100% & sang it how he could.

Rosemary (RM) of Karachi sang Hadiqa Kiyani’s ‘Dupatta’. She sang it really well & it matched her vocal tone just perfectly. Hadiqa Kiyani loved the song but also told her to work on her accent a little. Sajjad Ali was all praises for her & said she sang it the way she deemed fit & conveyed it using her own style. Ali Azmat said she sang it nicely & was completely flawless. Bushra Ansari nicknamed her as ‘chiriya’?!?!?

Mohammad Shoaib (MS) of Peshawar sang Aamir Jamal’s ‘Kaho Na Kaho’ which is actually an adaptation of Amr Diab’s arabic song ‘Tamally Ma’ak’. Anyways, he has improved a lot, he sang it with full confidence but once again he experimented with those Arabic lyrics, sounded good at most of the places & flat sometimes too. Ali Azmat felt he fell flat during the chorus of the song. Bushra Ansari was happy that this song had no heavy sargam in it but also pointed out that he was weak in a couple of places. Hadiqa Kiyani commented that he focused more on his moves in stead of his singing & his notes were off. Sajjad Ali liked his voice but spoke about the technicalities saying he sang the Arabic part perfectly.

Waqas Ali Vicky (WV) of Miyan Channu sang Shafqat Amanat Ali’s ‘Khairiyaan De Naal’. It was a very very difficult song & he sang it half good half not so much. It was a slow song so for this all the mistakes were clearly audible. Bushra Ansari said the same thing that it was a difficult song but ending was a little weak. Hadiqa Kiyani said he is one of her favorite singers from the lot but she unfortnately & sadly didn’t enjoy the performance. Ali Azmat said if we ignore the minor problems, overall his performance was good & Sajjad Ali again went into the technical details but also complimented that he sounds sweeter than the famous Barfi of Miyan Channu.

Kashif Ali (KA) of Lahore sang Sajjad Ali’s ‘Sahil Pe Kharay Ho’. Amazing performance as always & what else can be said. Sajjad Ali said he sang it perfectly but pointed out some breathing issues he needs to work upon. Bushra Ansari said the way he conveys his notes is brilliant. Ali Azmat said he is gifted to have a quality of stirring emotional contact the moment he starts singing & it indeed is true, Ali Azmat also spoke about how at times he tends to get teary while listening to him & I once again agree to him. Hadiqa Kiyani seconded Ali Azmat but she also felt that today on his ending notes she felt a little vibration in his voice.

Shahmir Aziz Quidwai (SQ) of Islamabad sang String’s ‘Zinda Hoon’. The start was weak as always but luckily for him this song fell close to his comfort zone of rock genre. He also forgot where he had to sing again & committed a mistake in the middle of a song. Ali Azmat said after a long long time he got to hear his actual voice & felt this was a better performance. Bushra Ansari said this style suited his vocal tone a lot better. Hadiqa Kiyani said subliminally that if he can’t even perform rock songs than what more’s left? She also told him to show some diversity. But still he got a fine feedback. Sajjad Ali clearly said he is one of those singers who can not experiment in different genres & for this he needs to stick to a certain type of songs & work on them. Clearly shows how VERSATILE he is.

Asad Raza Sonu (RS) of Lahore sang Najam Shiraz’s ‘Inse Nain’. One of my favorite songs & he is obviously a good singer so he sung it well but I felt he changed the feel of the song & made it slow. This is what Hadiqa Kiyani pointed out that this song has a western feel to it but because of his way of singing he added a ‘desi’ touch to this song. Bushra Ansari whistled for him & said he was good. Ali Azmat was happy with his song selection & felt that he showed his versatility today. Sajjad Ali said he has everything it needs to be a good singer & the music industry needs him.

Zamad Baig (ZB) of Mandi Bahauddin sang Junoon’s ‘Khuwaab’. He picked a totally different song as compared to what he has been singing previously & because this was a slow song, all his mistakes were clearly audible. Ali Azmat said he couldn’t connect to him today & felt he struggled a lot. Bushra Ansari said the song didn’t suit him & selection wasn’t favorable to him. Hadiqa Kiyani didn’t find him comfortable at all & Sajjad Ali said it’s again one of those simple straight songs but he didn’t perform the way he should have.

Syed Sajid Abbas (SA) of Karachi sang Ali Zafar’s ‘Asmaan Ko Chutay Jayein Hum’. He has a sweetest voice & he sings effortlessly but his performance got weak in the middle. Hadiqa Kiyani enjoyed his performance but found his base notes a bit unclear. Sajjad Ali liked his performance & said that this was a song which didn’t match his tone but still he sang it well. Ali Azmat clarified what Hadiqa Kiyani stated & said he was clear on his notes.

Sana Zulfikaar (SZ) of Lahore sang Fariha Pervaiz’s ‘Haaniyaan’. I just didn’t get what she sang at all. The music completely overlapped her voice & she wasn’t audible throughout her performance. Ali Azmat liked it, Bushra Ansari liked it, Hadiqa Kiyani felt she was weak on her vocals & Sajjad Ali felt she is suitable for playback which she is already doing.

So, these were the performances. The best moment of the episode was when Kashif Ali asked Sajjad Ali to perform with him. He clearly got emotional & Hadiqa Kiyani got overwhelmed too. It was actually really sweet & this shows what a nice person Sajjad Ali is. All this while I couldn’t help but think how Waqas Ali would have performed in this round with the mentoring of Sajjad Ali because he was such a good singer.

I don’t actually get what’s the issue with Sana Zulfikaar. Clad in full makeup, she goes around saying she isn’t feeling well but all of a sudden walks just fine & sings this high energy song. Like Ali Azmat said that we thought she’d come on a wheelchair because she keeps on saying I am not feeling well & stuff. I am not too sure if she is actually not well or this is just an attempt to grab the votes. Why is it that everytime she is sick, she still manages to sing. Next time I would actually appreciate if I don’t get to see any of her issues.

Let’s see which one of the DESERVING contestants get eliminated because certainly those who don’t deserve to be here are going to be safe, sigh!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Day 4 & done with Dastaan. Still surprised at how much they had to share till the end of the drama even. No one could’ve predicted what would’ve been the ending of this serial but whatever happened seems completely justified.

In my honest opinion I think the drama was very gripping till the 18th episode but later on I didn’t enjoy watching it come to a level of family politics. I am also glad that it just didn’t end at that note & in fact showed how Bano contributed the way she could to at least help & inspire people around her. Luckily, Rasheeda escaped from being the only hated character of the drama & that place was over taken well deservingly by Sultana. No doubt she just did what any mother would do but I am glad Rabia was different. As the story moved forward I developed a certain level of respect for Rabia’s character & her wisdom which clearly she didn’t inherit from both her parents but had it as an exclusive trait & strength of her own.

I thought Bano would find peace when she will come to Pakistan but it was upsetting to see no improvement in her mental state in fact it seemed that it worsened as the time progressed. I say that because she took the trauma of 5 years pretty well but now when she came to Pakistan, she should’ve at least forgotten what happened & should’ve worked her way towards the betterment of her dream land – her Pakistan. I know it was Bano’s hope that kept her going when she was trapped with Basant Singh but to see her hopes shatter every single time she came across something unexpected was heart breaking.

Bano was a patriot to the level of devotion but it was sad to see the smallest of the small details take a toll on her state of mind. I think it would’ve been a little more appreciable in my opinion to see her walk towards the acceptance of what her country was. Having said that, after when she starts working, I found that part the best again because those were very serious issues which were conveyed in such a short time but with a brilliant impact. They showed how the system of dowry compelled the helpless parents to keep their daughter’s unmarried. How the elite class crushed the poor & needy beneath their greediness. How people who got the freedom forgot they had to pay the price & justify why they were entitled to it. How those who sacrificed everything were forgotten by the flow of few tears. How the fixation with English was a symbol of mental enslavery. How disowning your mother tongue was nothing but a confession of your complexes & in the end how turning away from the teachings of Islam was the sole reason of all the social evils that people were sunk in. I loved how effortlessly they highlighted the issues which weaken the nation & this is exactly the state of Muslims in Pakistan & all over the world.

I am still a little surprised that whenever the name of Dastaan came under discussion all I ever heard was about Bano, Hassan & their love story but I never actually came across a comment on the issues that this drama highlighted & the lesson it carried to give away to those who watched it. For me, Dastaan was something more than Bano & Hassan & it was an experience from which I learned a lot, it would be an understatement to say that Dastaan is an experience of it’s own & is a journey which was supported by the characters but the message is independent of any character. I feel I am taking the story of hope & sacrifices with me more than anything else.

I must say the way Rabia took responsibility of Bano when she was with them was heart warming. She thought that it was her duty to take care of someone who lost everything to make it to this country. Hassan till the end thought Bano was his responsibility or more like a liability & he labeled himself as guilty whereas this wasn’t the case. I would’ve enjoyed a little more conversations between Bano & Hassan to see how he tried to bring her back to the normal life. After the little speech of hope Hassan gave to Bano, I thought they would actually show them as a pair who worked to enlighten the people & will share the story of Bano with the nation to keep it’s people on the feet but nothing of that sort happened. I think this was ignored because Hassan was surrounded by the issue of marriage at his hand. He was being convinced by everyone around him to get married to Rabia & for this Bano’s progress came to a halt.

Kaleem was once again a dark spot in Bano’s life but he had a pivotal role to play because his murder was what made Bano come to terms with the fact that Basant Singh died & people like him vanished too. This is what made her believe that she is past that stage & she did what she had to because in her perspective Pakistan was now free from people like him & Pakistan was on it’s way towards a brighter future. I think Bano & Hassan had two parallel paths & I sussed it beforehand that they would never be together again because I believe in realistic endings so for this I rate this 10 on 10!

So, my verdict is that it was a time well-spent on this serial. The story was brilliant but a special appreciation should be given to the director for having such a to-the-point & accurate approach in dealing with a script like this. Never came across any such drama where the whole cast was perfect & everyone lived the character assigned to them. Starting from those who had major roles to play to those who came for guest appearances, everyone justified & contributed towards the success of such a perfect drama.

In the end, I would like to thank all those who recommended Dastaan to me & those who actively responded to all the reviews. This level of appreciation & encouragement means a lot to me & I am actually overwhelmed by the warmth I received. You people rock & thanks for being with me on this.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Statutory Warning: Spare me for some questionable language here. Kabhi Kabhi jaisay blunder ki hi tarhaan kabhi kabhi ho jata hai!

Ummm did anyone understand what actually happened in this episode or only I am clueless & speechless? Just like the script has NOTHING to offer, I think I have run out of the words as well.

They showed that 5 years have passed but did it make any sense? NO! Arez was still crying over what Soni did & how she scurried to Sunny’s home? All this was being discussed after she got married to someone else & also got divorced. No wonder it had to happen considering the length of her crappy crappy tongue. But seriously, don’t they know the art of MOVING ON in their lives? Why Arez is still stuck at what happened 5 years ago & actually I am wondering what difference did it make to move the story forward by half a decade? It WAS stupid & still is.

Is it just me or it looked like Eeshal has lost her brains completely? 5 years have passed & not even an inch of grass on Sunny’s head, proving the point once again that his skull is barren & nothing can be produced out of it. I thought Eeshal was intelligent because we were spoon fed with this fact again & again so at this point I am wondering IF this is what intelligence is, then Einstien must be Eva’s brother.

Why do they think that the people who are playing the roles of the friends as fillers are supposed to be acting-free. Who is this new found friend of Eeshal who is literally baby sitting her with zero acting to her credit? Ali is batameez, it was pretty evident & IF this is why Eeshal stayed in a relation with Sunny then I think she didn’t calculate that how Ali will take it after Sunny!

Why all of a sudden I heard a word DAD in this whole episode? It is something alien? Some alien is known as some Dad in this drama? I thought he was gone for good & now repetitively it was mentioned that Dad is doing charity work, Dad is doing charity work as if he we are interested to know? What went wrong between Eva & Eeshal? I mean if Eeshal estranged her sister just because she was in contact with their father, then I am not understanding why all this is happening?

Rehbar spoke about being a bright student in his childhood? I mean really? After 23 episodes they think we wanted to know how Rehbar performed academically? Eva goes like Eeshal wala Arez? How many Arezes does show know of that she had to use this reference? I think people who are dumb & have mental issues don’t last for too long but Eva seems to be doing good in her life with -zero IQ, is it really possible?

I think Arez just came back to show he had grown some hair which were chopped in the very next scene. Same thing happened with Shahraiz, good-for-nothing bloke. Arez is NOW by the end of the story wondering WHY Soni is so spoiled by her mother, so what was he doing all these years? Justifying the title KABHI KABHI, Kabhi Kabhi khayal a hi jata hai psycho behan ka.

Is this drama making ANY sense AT ALL? I think the writer is liable & answerable to all of us for WHY she put us through this hell? In the end just an expression which I have never used but I will use it now to show my mental state after watching this piece of crap….WHAT THE HELL MAN!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Keep Supporting, (in fact don’t – on this pathetic serial)
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

There was a time when I thought that the chemistry between Romaissa and Nabeel will make this drama worth watching but I was very wrong. Unfortunately, most of the conversations between Romaissa and Nabeel in tonight’s episode put me to sleep. I completely understand that Nabeel loves Romaissa because she is genuine but the fact that these two cannot even have a normal conversation really puts me off. Sometimes it seems like Nabeel has adopted Romaissa and now his sole purpose in life is to make her dreams come true and to protect her. I understand that we are being shown all of this because very soon everything is going to change but even then I have been unable to connect with them. The obsession/fascination with ducks, fish and everything else is beyond me! Romaissa’s character is very lifeless and has absolutely no depth and I must say that Sanam Jung’s monotone dialogue delivery isn’t helping either.

Zeeshan and Rabbiya’s conversation like always focused more on Nabeel and now his wife than anything else. Zeeshan is very impressed with Romaissa’s ” sughrapha” and thinks she is caring and simple. Romaissa is very harmless and very seedhi but that doesn’t make her character likeable.

I must admit though that an interesting aspect of Romaissa’s personality which I found very believable (for a change) was the way she felt useful by doing favors for others and found nothing wrong with that. Romaissa spent all her life with people who have used her and bullied her, so she doesn’t know any better. She is used to pleasing people so it is nothing out of the ordinary for her. I couldn’t help but wonder though that how was this house running without Romaissa once! And doesn’t her Mother in law know already that Nabeel doesn’t intend to stay with them in the long run so why teach Romaissa how to cook continental, Chinese and Italian?

Every time Nabeel’s mother complaints about Nabeel’s behavior or something that Romaissa did, Nabeel’s father always asks her to be patient because Nabeel’s runs the factory and the house!! No wonder Nabeel craves love and sincerity the way he does. I find it easier to connect to Nabeel’s character because I can understand his deprivations and frustrations. Nabeel’s character has been penned down well too. Romaissa’s dialogues on the other hand are most often very annoying.

The conversation between Hamnah and Nabeel was sweet; it was good to see them interacting like a brother and sister should. Hamnah has finally put her foot down and has given Hassan a last warning. Honestly speaking I have no idea why we should even be interested in finding out whether Hamnah will stay with Hassan or not because these two are one of those many characters in the play who are being given a lot of screen time and importance for no reason at all.

Except for a couple of scenes in tonight’s episode there was absolutely nothing which stood out for me. I must say that at this point, Nabeel is the only character in the play who is keeping my interest alive. I really hope that Romaissa changes for the better in the upcoming episodes. 11 episodes have gone on air till now and there isn’t even one dialogue in the entire drama that touched me and not even one character which I truly fell in love with *sigh*

Fatima Awan

This week’s episode had me hooked throughout. The episode was a mixture of romance, drama and suspense. It did not drag for a change, and we FINALLY got to see some quality scenes between Aaliyan and Qudsiya. I must say that their chemistry is way better than I could have ever imagined. In the past episodes, we had gotten a glimpse of it but the full dose of romance took my breath away.

The episode started off with Qudsiya’s humiliation which seriously made me cringe. The poor girl got insulted and slapped in front of so many people; I seriously felt bad for her. First Sultan insulted her as he thought that she had come with a new agenda on her mind, and then Natasha crossed her limits and slapped her in front of everybody. Unfortunately, Shahnawaz also witnessed Natasha abusing Qudsiya which was even more humiliating for Qudsiya.

But on the bright side, we got to see Aaliyan accepting Qudsiya as his wife for the first time in front of his family. He stood up to his father when he insulted Qudsiya, and openly declared that she is his wife and his responsibility. He did not care about anyone’s reaction and did not stop when Natasha tried to stop him from going after her. He immediately went to Shahnawaz’s house to convince Qudsiya to come back to him. He admitted his mistake and declared that he considers Qudsiya as his wife now. Qudsiya was truly surprised and a tad bit shocked after seeing the sudden change in Aaliyan.

After being through so much, it was natural for Qudsiya to be upset with him. Her self respect had been bruised beyond repair as she had suffered enough humiliation to last a lifetime. She was not ready to go back with him and demanded a divorce at first, but Aaliyan refused to back off at any cost. He was determined to have her back in his life and gave her the assurance that she will get all the respect that she deserves in his house. I am glad that they had this conversation because Qudsiya had to get all the hurt out of her system by showing anger towards Aaliyan. She could truly forgive him only if she does not hold any grudges against him.

The best part of the episode was the unexpected romance between the two. For the first time both were vocal about their feelings for each other. A bold Aaliyan and a blushing Qudsiya looked adorable together. I loved how they cutely fought and then said some really cheesy dialogues. Aaliyan, for the first time, told Qudsiya that he loved her. I must admit that the confession was quite unexpected! The scene was so perfect that I barely blinked while watching this scene. I am sure all of you must have a huge grin on your faces while watching this scene (I did!).

Although Aaliyan and Qudsiya had patched up, and Aaliyan had promised her that he would come to pick her up the next day, Qudsiya still did not keep her hopes high. She was scared to get hurt all over again and decided to go back to her mother’s house instead.

Another shocking revelation was that Shahnawaz had fallen for Qudsiya. He got the shock of his life when she revealed that Aaliyan was her husband; the poor guy did not know how to react to this news. I always thought that Shahnawaz wanted to marry Qudsiya because of Aaina, but it was revealed that he had feelings for her and he even told her indirectly about his feelings. He gave her an option that if things did not work out between her and Aaliyan, then he would always be there to support her. It was obvious that Qudsiya was not comfortable about this topic and she would not ever consider this option.

I have high expectations from the last episode. Judging from the recent promo, it seems like we will get a fair dose of Aaliyan and Qudsiya. I have also heard that the last episode would be of two hours (not confirmed though).

Do share your views about this week’s episode!

Till Next Week!

Mariam Shafiq

Ohkay, this drama is getting way more interesting & intense then we first expected. All those tinsy bit issues with the direction have subsided & I think it’s going to get better as we go.

Taimoor did what he thought was the right thing to do & without giving any such consideration to what his wife or son would think, he went to Pakistan to get Neelam back. I think Taimoor is an absolute sorry excuse of a human being because he had a good wife but sadly he couldn’t cherish her or value her because he deserved a girl who’d treat him bad. His wife thought she won him over & their marriage was safe but it wasn’t meant to be.

I thought after finding a caring husband like Parvaiz, Neelam would forget about Taimoor because even though it looked & sounded cheesy but her husband praised her 24/7 & even did those little gestures of comfort to show how much he loved & adored her. At first when Neelam shooed Taimoor away I thought she was serious & didn’t want to walk out of her marriage because she actually found a good husband but sadly Taimoor succeeded & once again tagged her with him. I must say all the songs sung by Pervaiz & overdone praises were appalling. :/

I think now as the story is progressing Surmed’s frustration & anger is getting justified on it’s own & all our questions are being answered because he, at a very young age got to see all the nightmares come true when he was wide awake. To see his mother begging her husband to not leave, to see her lose her senses & then eventally to see his mother die right infront of his eyes, I think he went through a lot. He even got a professional help of the shrink at such a young age which does show that he was totally disturbed.

It was good that they showed a little bit of the current day stories as well. Kiran got the compliment of being psychotic from her husband & that’s the last thing any girl would want to hear that too in the early days of her marriage. Shabbi got in contact with Surmed’s uncle once again & this was the first time we got to know his actual relation to Surmed. He is not only his uncle but also happened to be his father’s friend & someone who helped Surmed when he was young.

The next episode seemed more interesting & I can’t wait to find out what happens next. How did you find tonight’s episode? Do you think it’s getting interesting? Do share with us. :)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Day 3 of watching Dastaan, 6 episodes down & still finding it as gripping as the moment it started off with.

I didn’t like Basant Singh & his part but this doesn’t mean that I didn’t think it wasn’t important to show in the drama. I had my dislikes because obviously he was playing a role to stir everyone’s detest & he was good at it but I do believe that it was unsuitable to show Bano getting married to Basant Singh but it wasn’t unrealistic by any means. This is what exactly happened back then. A few Muslim girls did surrender & got married to save their lives but a few others like Bano were made to do it despite how much they hated & resisted. This obviously highlighted the level of how much Bano suffered & how much she tolerated.

It was sad to see Rasheeda & Hassan move on in their lives. I think Mehreen Raheel did play her part as Rabia quite suitably but on a personal note, I would’ve found it a bit more convincing if someone younger to Sanam Baloch was casted for that role because we all remember how young Rabia was when Hassan was in University & Mehreen Raheel has all those braids, a sort of a try to cut down her age but still she looks more mature than Sanam Baloch defying the purpose of a young Rabia – bride-to-be of Hassan. I think it was Sultana’s mistake that she let her only daughter get involved in one sided love with Hassan all her life & for this reason we saw how disturbed Rabia seemed when she didn’t get the attention she expected from him. Whereas everyone in the family knew that Hassan got engaged to Bano 5 years ago, though they all parted because of the partition but still Rabia’s claim that she had loved only Hassan all her life showed how much she was pushed by her mother. I know their scenes were just shown to move the story forward but seeing how Hassan belonged to Bano & how Bano longed for Hassan all those years, I didn’t enjoy Rabia & Hassan’s scenes at all. All this while I had Bano’s sympathy with me more & another reason being Mehreen Raheel playing the role of Rabia.

I think no other actress should be labeled as a best actress ever after this performance of Sanam Baloch as Bano. She has a league of her own & she was flawless. Struck the chord hard & she was absolutely brilliant through out. Finally, it was good to see her rescued by Basant Singh by the fate’s play. Her little dance gestures in hysteria made it seem more real that how much she hated being in a relationship with him & how much she awaited this moment.

While Basant still remains the character who I disliked but my least favorite would have to be Rasheeda. After Bano met Hassan & they got hold of the fact that how their family was killed, Rasheeda thought shedding a few tears at the sacrifice of her family’s Shahadat was just the right & enough of a thing to do. But the way she treated Bano & gave her a cold shoulder after sussing that the dream of her son’s marriage wasn’t going to materialize showed how mean Rasheeda was. She was the one who moved on though after seeing her cry I thought she would hold Bano near to her heart but it was upsetting to see how easily she cried at the death of those who she loved but how she treated Bano – the one who didn’t die physically but suffered a million deaths every single day before she made it to Pakistan. This was the last thing I ever expected to see in this drama, that too from Rasheeda. To see her become a typical mother who just wanted her son’s happiness her way wasn’t appeasing at all. It was the same Rasheeda who suffered & tolerated her Bhabhi’s dominance all her life without once complaining & just how typical she turned was something I never expected to see.

Bano’s disbelief after she steps on the land of Pakistan was beautifully portrayed by Sanam Baloch. To see her get what she wanted all these years was overwhelming. Finally, Bano & Hassan are back together & Hassan has already decided to lend the shoulder Bano needs to cry on & shower her with all the love & care she deserves but I want him to fall in love with his Bano again & then get married to her. I wouldn’t want to see him take Bano as a responsibility & a liability cluttered with guilt that he has to undo what Bano went through. It would be magical to see Hassan love Bano wholeheartedly where no such signs of sympathy would be involved. I loved the little condolence speech Hassan gives to Bano to bring her back to her senses & how he tells her to move on in her life & work towards the progress of the nation by forgetting what happened & by forgiving those who did that to her in the past.

Still finding the story unpredictable & loving it so far.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.