Script and screenplay are the backbone of any drama we watch on TV! A megastar star cast can be a gimmick to promote the play, create a hype and attract audience for a few initial episodes of the play but only a strong story-line will make the viewers stick till last episode. During the last few years, our entertainment industry has opened doors and welcomed few novelists on board, that I must say is like a fresh gust of air for the industry, let’s explore three of those female novelists who actually made it BIG on TV in no time!

Umera Ahmad

Don’t have a thing for fantasy, sugarcoated romance and non-realistic comic plays? Do you actually prefer watching plays that genuinely inspire a social change in society?  If you have replied “yes” to both questions then Umera Ahmad is the one writer you are definitely going to savour!

Unveiling the hidden evils of society, presenting them through an engaging story and then summing up the play with a possible solution is Umera’s thing! Her plays Doraha, Maat, Meri Zaat Zara-e-Benishan, Daam, Qaid-e-Tanhai and others all have a purpose; purpose of bringing a change into the society for good.

Kankar, is one of her recent plays that actually received mix feedback from the audience. The play revolved around a girl Kiran who was stubborn enough to not to surrender and compromise at the cost of her self-respect and individuality. The play wrapped up with a message that there is a fine line between standing up for your rights and being stubborn and that marriage is not the end of a girl’s life. Getting married doesn’t mean that now a girl will have to live only for her husband and in laws but this relationship should be established on the basis of equality for both parties.

Faiza Iftikhar

I remember Faiza Iftikhar as one of the most hilarious and genius comedy writers, of course after watching her beautifully written play Manchalle (starring Sanam Baloch and Danish Taimoor). But comedy isn’t the only genre where Faiza excels; she has given an amazingly beautiful fairy tale play for probably the first time ever to the drama audience of Pakistan in the form of Ek Nayi Cinderella.

Faiza Iftikhar is a versatile writer, who at one point makes her viewers giggle with dramas like Aaun Zara and at other times tries to be more responsible and presents the not-so-pretty side of socitey with plays like Akbar Asghari. Personally I feel, Faiza’s play can be a hit or miss, they can either wow you or disappoint you totally (I’m pointing at Khoya Khoya Chaand).

Farhat Ishtiaq

The queen of romance Farhat Ishtiaq made her television debut with the universally famous play Humsafar. Like her novels, the play recvieved huge appreciation from all across the globe, Sultana Siddquie, the Chief Executive Officer of Hum Networks declared it the best play of all times and honoured the entire team of the play in channel’s official award ceremony. The success story doesn’t end here rather it was just the beginning, Humsafar gained international recognition with it’s telecasting on Indian TV channel Rishte, not only that but the pay was dubbed in Arabic as well.

Farhat Ishtiaq’s another novel, Matta-e-Jaan was also dramatized under the supervision of dynamic Mehreen Jabbar, the play didn’t create as much Ohhs and Ahhs as was expected but it wasn’t a plain flop either. The fact that the screen play for this drama was written by another writer but not Farhat herself shouldn’t be ignored while rating her as writer.

Rehaii was the play where Farhat wrote about anything but romance for the first time ever, The play was disturbing mainly because it aimed to unveil the shockingly bleak side of our society, it proved the versatility of Farhat Ishtiaq.

Bin Roye Ansoo, the upcomming play of Farhat Ishtiaq has already created a buzz around before it’s release. Let’s see if it meets up with audiences’ expectations.

Who is your favourite playwright among these three? Your feedback is appreciated!

Zubia Rizvi.

In a world of roti dhoti kahaniyan that we can only try (unsuccessfully) to ignore, there are some unique dramas that are different and engaging. Here is a list of recent dramas that are/were so engaging, that we couldn’t help but praise them, and wish that there’s more where they came from!

1. Alvida:

Alvida came to its end just two days ago on Hum TV. It was written by Samira Fazal and directed by Shehzad Kashmiri. The main cast included Imran Abbas, Sanam Jung and everyone’s new favourite, Zahid Ahmed.

Alvida was a love-story_ one where circumstances eventually unite the hero and heroine. The difference between this and other love stories was that it wasn’t just the hero and heroine who made the audience feel for them, but the negative characters won hearts as well. Haya and Haadi may have been united in the end, but there were many people who felt for Rameez, the mentally disturbed character with a  troubled childhood. Fareesa’s character, despite being negative, was also considered interesting by some.

Love stories come and go, but what made Alvida stand out, was the wonderful direction by Shehzad Kashmiri and the realistic acting by the entire cast, especially Sanam Jung and Zahid Ahmed. Samira Fazal wrote an excellent script as well, with dialogues and situations that made the audience well up with emotions.

The hope:  Shehzad Kashmiri is really good at what he does and we have high hopes that his future projects will be as mesmerizing as this one.

We are also expecting a lot from Zahid Ahmad, Sanam Jung and Sarah Khan. All of them shone in Alvida and if they showcase the same skills in their future projects, then we’re all in for some amazing performances.

Samira Fazal and Hum TV make a great combo. We really hope she continues writing for Hum TV.

2. Jugnoo:

Jugnoo came as a pleasant surprise. Some have called it too unrealistic but then, who needs an overdose of depressing realism on their TV screen?

Written by Amna Mufti, Jugnoo is the story of a headstrong girl trying to solve her problems on her own. She refuses to let anyone boss her around, and despite missing her father’s presence in her life, never lets anyone know that she does.

The hope: Jugnoo is so enjoyable that one hardly gets bored while watching it. Here we have a heroine who is no damsel in distress and even though her husband is a weak man, she never lets this get her down. Jugnoo’s character gives us all hope that Pakistani TV can have female characters who are strong enough to deal with their own problems without crying their eyes out.

Jugnoo has loads of comic relief. It makes us believe that a drama does not have to have a truck load of tears attached to it to make it interesting, but comedy can do the trick as well.

3. Mera Naam Yousuf Hai:

Since it’s start, MNYH has kept the audience hooked not just because it is a love story, but because of the way it has highlighted the patriarchy in our society. Afia Begum’s struggle to save her daughters from this system is what has made MNYH so interesting. It has been penned down by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar and directed by Mehreen Jabbar .

The hope: MNYH is a great example for drama makers who make their money through weeping heroines. It is one massive hit, and if strong female characters can make a play successful, then we don’t think weak ones are needed.

Most of the viewers of the show have praised the direction, saying that Mehreen Jabbar has wonderfully handled the filmi script. We hope we see more from Mehreen Jabbar soon.

Areeba Mohsen

We all know that Mehreen Jabbar is a very unique director. Her dramas always have substance and they leave an important message in the end.

What we specifically love about her style is that she brings forward our society’s reality through the right kind of drama and not through exaggeration.

Pakistani dramas have surely come a long way and as much as we enjoy a good amount of dramas on screen these days, there are some dramas which stay with us forever due to their content and the feeling that they left us with.

And three of Mehreen’s dramas are such which left a rather bitter sweet mark on all of us.

1. Daam

Daam aired on ARY Digital in 2010 and starred Aamina Sheikh, Adeel Husain and Sanam Baloch  in the main roles while Sanam Saeed played a supporting role. The drama tells a story of what happens when the relationships of siblings and those of friends stand on a cross road.

It deals with the complexity of human relationships in the simplest of manners and would make you think for a while and ask you that till what length should one go to in order to prove their love for a blood relation.

2. Mata e Jaan Hai Tu

https://youtu.be/ytikw8O8uZU

The drama starred Sarwat Gilani and Adeel Husain in the main roles and aired in 2012 on Hum TV. It dealt with the issue of how to deal with life once you have lost the love of your life to death and the conflict between the approval of parents and choosing your own life partner.

3. Malaal

Lastly, Malaal was one of it’s kind which broke stereotypes on Pakistani television in the year 2009 by depicting romance between an older woman and a younger guy. The drama starred Imran Abbas, Faisal Rehman, Sarwat Gilani and Deepti Gupta.

Based in New York, it unravels the romantic relationship between two couples and how they come together and deal with their problems.

Therefore, every drama lover must make use of YouTube right about now and binge watch these excellent dramas.

 Being on the cover of magazines is taken as a symbol of immense popularity in the showbiz industry of Pakistan. It is natural that the printed media look forward to cash the stardom which is been created by the popular celebrities. The month of October has just started, giving us the three most happening celebrities in the Pakistani entertainment industry on the covers of the most prestigious magazines of the country.

1. G.L.A.M

This printed form of monthly entertainment which comes under the channel Style 360. It is a Lifestyle and entertainment channel that aims to fill the gap in quality programming in Pakistan. With varied local programming and exciting international content, Style360 encompasses all aspects of stylish living and promises to deliver its viewers entertainment with an edge. The G.L.A.M Magazine is a monthly edition focusing on the current and interesting gossips and events from the industry. It is Faisal Qureshi with his striking looks and just-too-perfect chilling expressions  who appears on the cover of G.L.A.M.S Magazine this October.

2. Ainy Jafri

The Aseerzadi of today, the fresh face of the Q mobile endorsement, the young, the talented Aniy Jafri comes next on the list here. Under the slogan on Pakistan today, Paperazzi is one of the leading magazines which provides all in all every news one should know about. The monthly release is out now where we see Ainy on its cover page.

3. Mehwish Hayat

The ninth most beautiful Asian lady as per the results of 2008, Mehwish Hayat enjoys a smooth reputation in the field of acting and modelling both.While the audience is loving this diva on screen in Kabhi Kabhi, she is busy in doing photoshoots for brands too. Mehwish appears on the front cover of Xpoz’e Magazine this October.

Wishes,

Nida Zaidi

The world of social media gives us an up close glance into the lives of our favorite celebrities. As much as we love watching what they are up to, it is a cherry on top for pet and animal lovers when your favorite celebrity also happens to love animals.

Therefore, we bring you 3 celebrities who have the most adorable pets ever.

Anoushey Ashraf

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKU6gA-A2rx/

Anoushey Ashraf is a dog lover which is quite evident from her instagram feed.

Tipu Sharif

https://www.instagram.com/p/BM0tXe8lZmJ/

Tipu Sharif has gorgeous cats and also often posts pictures of chilling and taking care of stray dogs. Tipu’s treatment towards animals is heartwarming.

Umair Jaswal

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQsOgmOBOdn/?taken-by=umairjaswalofficial

Umair Jaswal has the most handsome Labrador dogs ever and we can’t help but double tap on all of his photos featuring his dogs.

We all know, how much our TV channels crave ratings. We all know how they have made their target audience specified i.e housewives and don’t care about anyone else. This point has been discussed by viewers and reviewers on review sites again and again. But other than then desperately grabbing ratings, there are a few absolutely annoying things they do:

1. Showing it all in the promos:

Whether it is the promo of an upcoming drama, or an episode promo, entertainment channels believe in “sab keh do”. The whole story of the show is told through the promos. We might as well watch them only! This is one of the reasons why I try not to see the promos, so I can at least enjoy the first episode. Ab woh bhi cliched ho tou phir…..

The episode promos are the worst. No matter how big or unpredictable the twist is, it is revealed before the episode and the viewers can go to hell for all the channel cares! Clearly they think that we all have low IQ levels, and we will tune into the episode after knowing the big twist.

2. The “After the break” reveal:

What is the point of showing the “after the break” scenes? They should be banned, I repeat, banned! Express Entertainment deserves a mention here. Their goal is to reveal everything that will come after the break, before it! Those who watched Garr Maan Reh Jaye will understand.

Do the channels not want people to
watch their shows? Is it necessary to reveal everything beforehand?

3. Allowing the same kind of story to be telecast more than once a week:

Why? Just why? Either all the script handlers have resigned or are extremely lazy at doing their jobs, otherwise, how could they approve the same kind of shows to be aired at the same time? Writers have complained, that these are the people who pressurize them to write crap dramas and do not let them write anything new. This is the reason our drama industry is stagnant. Nothing good came out after Pyaray Afzal. Something that would impress the masses.

Hum TV has improved a bit this time, otherwise their last batch of dramas had 3 doosri biwi dramas (Mehram, Tum Mere Hi Rehna and Nikkah). Nikkah is still on-air. ARY Digital had 4 of them!

^This  is the effect cliched stories have on a sane human’s brain.

Channels need to quit doing these things. What do you think?

Areeba Mohsen

The HUM TV awards were shown in the repeat yesterday while going through parts of the show I questioned myself was English our first language? Are we ashamed of speaking Urdu? Does speaking English make our stars feel superior or more refined? Or it could be that they do not know any Urdu! Whatever the reason maybe but it was saddening to see that these Pakistanis who were paying tribute to Pakistani culture and entertainment did not think that it was necessary to speak in their national language. I am very certain that many viewers like me would have found their efforts much more impressive if they spoke good quality Urdu. If the guests could not do it then at least the hosts could have since whatever they had to say was scripted. Learning a few good lines of Urdu would have made the show look more Pakistani but equally modern. Pakistani dramas are in Urdu, our songs are sung in Urdu so that they can reach the masses but the shows that are held to celebrate these entertainment mediums largely depend on the use of English although they are meant for the Pakistani audience too. It was uplifting to see hosts like Samina Peerzada and Fahad Mustafa speaking in Urdu.

The effort that was put into the show was very evident from the sets and the well choreographed dances but why not put an equal amount of stress on ensuring that the content on which the artists are performing is Pakistani too. Pakistani artists have a lot of hit numbers to their name, why not promote them in these shows? On one hand Indians are criticizing the cheap lyrics of their songs and on the other we cannot get enough of them. HUM TV is a big enough entity to have bands sing special songs which can qualify as dance numbers in their shows. Talking about dance numbers, the stress on dances in the show was a reason because of which I am sure many people forwarded most part of the show. What happened to witty skits? The very few skits that were part of the show were much more entertaining then all the dance numbers put together.

Through this article I want to tell our beloved actors and entertainers once again that the awaam does not get impressed by foreign English accents, Western dresses and naach gana on foreign songs but we want to see Pakistani content and we want to see our celebrities speaking Pakistani language in award shows. Shalwar Kameez is a beautiful dress that can be worn in many stylish ways, we would like to see our celebrities experimenting with Shalwar Kameez instead of wearing party gowns. We want to see the same representation of Pakistan in our shows which we see in our dramas. How many viewers agree with me?

Saud

Maya Ali is now a household name of Pakistani Showbiz. Within short of span of time she has taken the world by storm with her award winning performances. Her notable plays include “Aik Nayee Cinderella” “Aunn Zara” “Shanakht” “Mera naam yousuf hai” “Diyar-e-dil” “Mann Mayal”. Maya Ali will soon enthrall the audience in her upcoming Movie “Teefa in Trouble” starring Ali Zafar as lead male protagonist. The film is expected to be released in 2018. Apart from her professional Career, Maya Ali is well adored in her personal life. She is very down to earth and her self-effacing personality really counts in her success.

Besides retaining skills in acting, Maya Ali is a slaying model as well. On many occasions she just stunned the audience with her looks. Maya Ali is a true Fashionista and 27 times we were just carried away with her Style and Fashion.

1. Those coffee coloured hair leaning on her right shoulder as she looked absolutely striking wearing this pear coloured wardrobe.

2. This pose in a black outfit with shiny black straight hair will make you fall in love with Maya. A beauty in black.

3. This a hottie selfie with an IPhone while wearing pink skirt and a gold coloured watch.

4. Is at an American girl? A British girl? Don’t be baffled she is our own Maya looks enchanting in white shirt paired with denim jeans.

5. Isn’t she just looking like a Barbie doll? Wearing knitted woven shirt with wavy hairs and protruding eyes shrilling your heart.

6. Even if it comes to being simple she is matchless, how amazingly she carried this navy blue wardrobe and her straight brown hair looks mesmerizing.

7. Go Glam! Q-Mobile ad was definitely a treat to watch just because of Maya. You will be just carried away in this pic as your soul get stabbed with her upturned eyes staring at you and wavy hairs making her looks more prominent.

8. When it comes to following old traditions Maya Ali ensured that styling should remain on top. How resplendent she look with Maang tika on head along with traditional earrings while wearing multi-coloured sari with green and purple bangles.

9. A proud award winning moment. She just dazzled everyone on show with her dashing lavender empire waist outfit.

10. Deep set eyes in black sleeveless attire with wavy hairs makes this one a sizzling hot still.

11. She always managed to be different in award shows. This red mermaid silhouette apparel definitely made her distinctive among crowd in Lux style Awards 2017.

12. When attitude blends with style! A spellbind still in tortilla outfit and chandelier earrings.

13. No one can simply carry Nomi Ansari wardrobe with such grace like Maya. My eyes remained glued to the picture as she looked absolutely in this sea green full ankle length skirt.

14. Holding hairs from back of the neck to showcase her drop earrings while she slays you with her smile and downturned eyes. This is definitely a unique still of Maya and will pierce your heart.

15. Holy Moly! A still from bata TVC where she looked ravishing in this crimson red skirt.

16. That breath-taking still in Burgundy Sari with Tiara on head and brunette wavy hairs whilst she gaze you with wide set eyes.

17. It will certainly took you while to look at surroundings as your eyes remained glued to her ensemble. Such an exquisite style which only Maya can execute. By looking at her navy blue apparel I must confess that this is Fashion at its best.

18. This candid still in yellow sleeveless wear will crush your heart as she stares with almond eyes and brunette hair rolling over her face.

19. All those black are now glitters. How ravishing she looked in this black skirt and a collar necklace marking its eminence.

20. Glaring in the white long skirt and brunette hair she looks undeniably like a princess.

21. El Magnefico! When Navy blue top matches with Textured waves chocolate hair. This pose is an absolute killer.

22. Once again slaying in Nomi Ansari ensemble. Slate structured off shoulder blouse paired with godet skirt. Even if the background was not blurred it would certainly go unnoticed.

23. She loves wearing skirt. Once again looking charismatic in Berry blue blouse and godet skirt.

24. A flawless portrayal of Nomi Ansari Bridal Collection. She truly embodied a bridal look wearing Nomi Ansari’s bridal ensemble with tiara on head and full neck necklace paired with traditional earrings.

25. Yes Orange is also her favorite. An elegant look in simple Orange attire and those straight hair are also noticeable indeed.

26. A true ambassador of Maria B. designs. How gorgeously she rendered Maria B. linen collection in this still.

27. Lastly a showstopper. While representing Maria B. collection she stunned every on ramp in this attire along with Osman Khalid Butt.

So starting from the scratch and becoming a renowned Pakistani Actress, Maya Ali had indeed struggled a long way and faced immense criticism in her preliminary projects but hard work finally paid off. No wonder why she is a brand ambassador of Nomi Ansari, Maria B. and now BATA. Above all in real life she is a beautiful soul with a pretty heart.