After little pause in the blowing air, HUM Awards are again successful to create a hype among the viewers of Pakistan’s Drama industry. It was only few days back that the channel announced its first official ceremony to pay a tribute to the leading dramas of the channel for the year 2012-2013. From the nominations to the results, the event seemed quite controversial where either the audience raised questions about the criteria been set for the nominations or the fact that the results were bias and no decisions of the audience were given respect.

It was also amusing to find that the event that took place on March 12^th, took more than a month to actually get edited. It is now that the promos are been shown but the award ceremony is still under the label of “Coming Soon”. As predicted, the upcoming award show will become a tur turnover r the channel especially in regard of its ratings.  We did share all about the Hum TV Awards, updating you all with the minute-to-minute happenings; that is, from the nominations, to the results, from the pictures to the feedback and what not.

We are here again with a bundle of worth watching pictures from the Awards ceremony that are lately revealed on the social media. These clicks speak pretty well for the show and would definitely leave you curious and anxious for the event. Have a look!

The pictures seem interesting enough to keep your breaths hold for the most awaited show coming this April. Share your views about the Hum TV awards ceremony and the celebrities that are been seen here.

Wishes,

Nida Zaidi

The Pakistani Heart throb Fawad Afzal Khan started his acting career with the movie ‘Khuda Ke Liye’ and gained immense popularity worldwide through his character Ashar from the show Humsafar. He is also currently seen as Zaroon in the show Zindagi Gulzar Hai, the most hyped and watched show nowadays. He has proved himself as a brilliant singer and a superb actor in a very short time. Well, it seems like we are getting to see a new side of Fawad Afzal Khan who is now striving for a good cause. He would be going to Islamic Relief USA for a series of events for Pakistan Humanitarian aid. He would be attending Pakistan Fund Raising dinner on behalf of Islamic Relief USA in the month of April and May. Fawad Khan will be accompanied by comedian Azhar Usman and singer Alman Chand Nusrat – ANX.

Islamic Relief USA will be once again hosting its Pakistan Celebrity Dinner Tour, which brings international stars to different towns in the USA for a great cause: to raise awareness and support for IRUSA’s Pakistan humanitarian development projects.

Islamic Relief has been providing services in Pakistan since 1992. Islamic Relief Pakistan opened its office in Islamabad in 1994. Islamic Relief teams have helped implement vocational training projects, water and sanitation programs, and have administered health care services. Islamic Relief has also been at the forefront of providing emergency relief in times of natural disaster, and team members in the region work closely with local organizations and government officials to ensure efficiency and deliver aid where it is needed most.

I must say, I am very impressed by this step taken by Fawad Khan for a good cause and I am sure his fans will love him even more now. We definitely need more public figures to strive for such good causes for the betterment of their nation. I am glad that Fawad Afzal Khan took the initiative to serve the people of his country. Many of his fans in the USA would be very happy to hear that he would be visiting their cities. Below is the schedule of the cities he would be visiting:

Below is the video of Fawad Afzal Khan announcing his arrival in USA for the Pakistan Celebrity Dinner Tour:

 
Mariam Shafiq

There are a lot of shows being made on concepts based on social issues that are prevalent in our society nowadays. Dramas can surely serve as a form of reform and change the mindset and orthodox thinking of people as they are ardently followed by the masses. There are many people in our society who can relate to the realistic stories depicted in our dramas and this may boost up their spirit to see the stories of their lives reaching out to audiences. Here is a list of recent shows that have targeted social issues like second marriages, child marriages, obsession with sons etc:

Daagh:

This is one the recent shows that targeted on a social issue very common in our society i.e. giving priority to sons over daughters. In this era, there are still people who give discriminate between sons and daughters and even marry again in hope of getting sons from the other wife. People still blame woman for giving birth to daughters even in these times which is very disappointing since science has clearly proved this wrong and this show made people aware of how lives can get disturbed by making hasty decisions and the result of doing injustice with your daughters. The story and the message in it is what made me watch this show in the first place.

Rehaai:

Another show which has recently started airing is Rehaai and this show focuses on how girls suffer due to child marriages and what problems they face later on. This is again a very common issue in our society. Girls are married off at an age where most children enjoy their childhood and how they face the complications of pregnancy at such a young age. This show has shown this concept very openly which surprised me at first but I think audiences have matured enough now to face the stark reality of such concepts. Though, some people have complained that this show should not have been placed in the prime slot as it is not a show which can be watched with one’s family and I do agree with them.

Main Guneghar Nahi:

This is another show which targeted a social issue common in our society i.e. the treatment of rape victims. The victims are condemned and considered an outcast in our society and are degraded and humiliated at every step. Instead of getting love and support which they need and deserve to get out of physical and mental trauma, they get the worse treatment possible from people. This story focuses on a girl who is a victim of such an incident and how she is treated by her family and the society and what problems she faces in her life and how she finally manages to get back her confidence and stand on her own feet. I think this show has a very good concept and the message it is conveying to the society may change the mindset of people.

Mera Yaqeen:

Second marriage is another common issue in our society and many shows have been made on this concept. Mera Yaqeen is one of those shows which depicted what problems may arise after marrying for a second time and how hard it is to keep justice between both wives. Jealousy and competition between the two wives can affect the whole family in a negative way and this is what was shown in this show.

Humnasheen:

This is another show in which the male lead marries for a second time because he is childless from his first wife. All of you know what happens next! The first wife becomes insecure and asks her husband to leave the second wife when she had herself forced her husband to marry in the first place. It is very common in our society to marry a second time for the sake of children.

Ek Nazar Meri Taraf:

This show was a bit exaggerated and dramatic but the story had a message as it was based on the treatment of widows in our society. It is hard to believe that such people exist who treat their widowed daughter in laws in such a manner. Instead of supporting them through the hard time, restrictions are placed on them and the society analyze their every action very critically and leave no chance to pass comments on what is the appropriate way for them to behave.

Most of the dramas nowadays are focusing and highlighting on reality. Social issues are taken from the society itself and a story is churned out of it. I really hope these shows can influence minds of the people in our society and change their way of thinking!

These are just a few shows. Feel free to add to the list!

Mariam Shafiq

What makes a play a must watch for you? Generally speaking, the ingredients that make a drama stand out are a well written script, good acting, good direction and quality production values. Having said that, I must add that there are rarely plays that have all these four qualities, therefore lowering ones expectations every now and then and compromising on a few things that may not matter that much depending on a person’s interest sometimes proves to be fruitful. I used to be very choosy before, there were many times when I gave up on a drama right after watching the first episode only because the production values did not seem up to the mark or the characters did not instantly click with me. That was such a bad idea; as a result I missed some great plays while they were on air like Kuch Pyar Ka Pagal pan, Dastan, Akbari Asghari and many others. The sole reason for not watching these plays was that I didn’t warm up to them right from the get go. Later, on the recommendation of friends when I watched these plays, I realized what I missed out on and decided never to give up on a play right in the beginning. So, I am what you can call a very patient viewer now, I give myself time so that a play can grow on me and two of the plays on my list in particular are the ones which did not click to me instantly.

I think these five plays are not to be missed in this season and if you have not been watching them, I highly recommend that you do. I am not going to rate the plays but would rather line them up alphabetically. However, if I were to rate them Talkhiyaan and Zindagi Gulzar Hai would top my list.

Dil-e-Muztar

Yes Dil-e-Muztar has enough going on for it to make it a must watch despite of the minor glitches here and there. The story is nothing out of the ordinary but the direction is superb, the production values are worth raving about and the lead pair melts your heart. Sanam Jung, the talented  newcomer, literally lights up the screen with her beautiful smile. Her apt portrayal of an innocent naïve girl who is madly in love with her cousin is perfect. Dil-e-Muztar also marks the debut of Shehzad Kahsmiri as a director and he has definitely proved that he is very good at what he does. Imran Abbas makes his comeback to Pakistani television with this serial and is doing a brilliant job of playing his character. Sarwat Gillani is equally convincing as the neighbor who goes out of her way to help Adeel and Silla out in time of need.

Dil-e-Muztar is a love story which has been directed in such a way that it is nothing short of a visual treat. It may not have any outstanding dialogues but the storyline is sweet and simple and keeps you glued to your TV screens. It is definitely a must watch for all the hopeless romantics out there, your heart will go out for Silla in particular. Dil-e-Muztar has been written by Aliya Bukhari, directed by Shehzad Kashmiri and produced by MD productions. You can watch it Every Saturday at 8 pm on Hum TV.

Mirat-ul-Uroos:

Mirat-ul-Uroos is one of those plays that gradually grow on you and you find yourself waiting for the next installment every week. When the play started it seemed repetitive and the characters appeared to be very black and white. I was afraid that it might be another story about sister rivalry but had faith in the writer. Mirat-ul-Uroos has certainly proved to be much more than just another story about two sisters who are poles apart. In a very apt manner it puts forward the plight of the middle class in our society. The different tracks are very relatable and the dialogues have Umera Ahmed written all over them.
In the beginning most of the leading actors seemed like total misfits but they seem very comfortable in their respective roles now. The story is unfolding nicely and the direction has been excellent too for the past few episodes. The production values fail to impress but overall it is a good effort and definitely worth catching up with. Mirat-ul-Uroos has been written by Umera Ahmed, Directed by Anjum Shehzad and produced by 7th Sky. It airs every Thursday at 8pm on Geo Entertainment.

Silvatein:

This would be another play that failed to impress me in the first few episodes but I continued watching it only because it is a Samira Fazal play and we all know that Samira Fazal is someone whose intelligent scripts manage to entice you sooner or later. After fast forwarding the first few episodes, things started shaping up for me when Natasha got married, I really enjoyed her dilemma in the beginning and the character as a whole is as interesting as it gets!! She makes me laugh and makes my blood boil…love her or hate her but you want to see more of her. Watching Zeb and Mikaal having those conversations, which sometimes tend to go around in circles is thoroughly entertaining. Vasay Chaudhry is spot on as Mikaal and Amina Sheikh is the perfect Zeb. Mira Sethi makes her acting debut from this play and she fits perfectly in the role of a stubborn younger sister who thinks she can do no wrong!

Yes Silvatein is a story of two sisters who are completely different from one another and do not get along but the way it has been presented on-screen makes it a must watch. The fun and witty dialogues, interesting characters and the unpredictable storyline is what makes Silvatein a must watch play. Like all of Samira Fazal’s scripts, there are no heroes or villains in this play so you may find it difficult to side with one character in particular. The ‘competition’ between the two sisters makes for a very interesting storyline. Silvatein has been written by Samira fazal, directed by Sheherzaad Sheikh and produced by Six Sigma Entertainment. Watch it every Thursday at 8pm only on ARY Digital.

Talkhiyaan:

Talkhiyaan is nothing short of a masterpiece. Watching the play is like watching a beautiful art movie; the scenes are breathtaking, the way it has been directed is equally spectacular and the characters leave you speechless. Sanam Saeed plays the character of Bibi beautifully although the character is so complicated. You will see Hina Bayat playing a completely different character in Talkhiyaan…Apo Ji is nothing like the sweet and subtle characters that Hina Bayat has been playing till now. Shamim Hilali is equally remarkable as mama ji; another character which has many layers. The drama touches upon many tabooed topics but does not bore you for a second. It has a lot of unexpected twists and turns which keep you hooked. The OST has been sung beautifully as well but sometimes it seems overpowering when you have to listen to the entire song in almost every episode. Talkhiyaan will take you in a world of its own and once you start watching it you wouldn’t want to stop. The child artists Mehre sagar and Sabina are simply brilliant as Jugnu and Zoyee. There are many new actors in the play like Sarmad Mirza, Summer Nicks, Adnan Jaffar and others. Everyone is extremely well-suited in their respective roles and the characters have been etched out beautifully.

Talkhiyaan has to be the most underrated drama of the season and deserves much more attention than it is getting. The prime reason for this could be that it airs on Express Enetrtainemt, which isn’t yet one of the few channels that are followed by the viewers more religiously. Talkhiyaan has been written brilliantly by Bee Gul, Directed by Khalid Ahmed and produced by Seema Razi and Raziuddin Ahmad. You can watch it every Sunday at 8pm on Express Entertainment.

Zindagi Gulzar Hai:

Zindagi Gulzar Hai has to be the most viewed and also the most talked about drama of this season. The excitement with which many of us looked forward to the show was unmatchable. The play has given rise to some very interesting and heated discussions on gender roles. Zindagi Gulzar Hai is not just another love story but the play highlights the role a woman can play in a society and the difference she can make. Zindagi Gulzar hai has a very interesting storyline, we quote the dialogues from the play over and over again because they are totally worth it, the acting by all the characters big or small is spot on but the direction can be a little disappointing at times. There have been a lot of times when we have been left wondering about certain important events that should have been shown. Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed have done a commendable job and the rest of the actors are just as convincing.

Zindagi Gulzar Hai is a must watch because it has brilliant dialogues, an intriguing storyline and some great performances to its credit. Zindagi Gulzar hai has been written by Umera Ahmed, Directed by Sultana Siddiqui and produced by MD productions. It airs on Fridays at 8pm on Hum TV.

Which plays are must watch on your list and why? I would love to give the plays recommended by the readers a go.

Fatima Awan.

Let me start by saying that I take pride in the fact that the Pakistani drama industry has come a very long way in the past few years in particular. Our actors, directors, writers, producers and technicians are doing a commendable job. There was a time when our drama industry lost its charm and many viewers started watching dramas from across the border. Our directors and producers also started copying those dramas and I still remember the days when we saw our actresses clad in saris and heavy jewelry all the time on-screen. But gone are those days, we are not following anyone’s lead now and that is exactly the reason why these dramas are not just being watched by Pakistanis living all around the globe but also by many people from across the border too. There are still certain shortcomings in some of our dramas or one can say that there is always room for improvement. So here are a few suggestions which I would want to give to those people who are involved with making our dramas. Please feel free to add to the suggestions and also give your opinion about how you feel about them.

If a story can be summed up nicely in less than 20 episodes then why drag it to 20 plus episodes? I think that this has to the biggest problem with most of the dramas nowadays, the story is dragged unnecessarily and even the most engaging of dramas tend to become repetitive and the story becomes stagnant. I think the editing should be crisp and none of the tracks should be lengthened unnecessarily. I remember Mera Naseeb and Durr-e-Shehwar were very few of those plays that kept me glued right till the end and when they ended I felt like everything had been wrapped up very decently. Other than that there is a long line of plays, some of which were immensely popular, which just seemed like they were being prolonged without a reason after 15 episodes or so.
The producers know that once a drama hits a home run with the public, they will watch it till the end even if few of the episodes are not as engaging and entertaining as the drama might have been as a whole. But I strongly recommend that this stretching of the storyline unnecessarily should stop because I am quite certain that many of the viewers would much rather not watch the few episodes that have very little content or action.

Dramas should have a clear focus; focusing on too many things can be difficult to handle both for the writers/directors and for the audience. Most of the plays that go on air nowadays bring to light many social issues; some deal with adoption, others with marital problems and there have been quite a few dramas recently that deal with the issues related to women folk in our society. It is obviously a great effort by those who work day and night to make these dramas but sometimes I feel like the writers are trying to highlight so many issues in one drama that none of the issues being discussed is given proper attention. The result is that these dramas fail to leave an impact on the viewers and we are left with confusion, more than anything else. I am all for multiple sidetracks in one drama as long the focus does not constantly keep on shifting from one to the other without keeping a balance.

Please stop promoting Stereotypes.
Sadly enough most of our plays promote many stereotypes for example a girl who wears Western dresses can never be as good as the one who wears shalwar kameez or a duppatta on her head. A Mother-in-Law hardly gets along with her bahu and most of the bahus are way too mazloom. Rich people do not have the religious values intact and now the latest trend has to be that the first wife is always evil and the second one is the victim. I think we should not promote such stereotypes in our dramas and maybe the next time a modern girl wearing jeans can be shown as someone whose family values are intact too. I am not saying that all of our plays promote these stereotypes but many of them do.

Background music should compliment the scenes and should not seem overpowering. In many of our dramas nowadays at times the background music is so loud that it is very difficult to make out what is being said. There are also plays in which almost the entire OST is played at least once. I know that a lot of effort goes into making these OSTs and some of them are so melodious too but I honestly feel like sometimes these songs playing in the background seem forced and unbearable.

Dramas with bold scripts should not be aired at prime-time. Prime time is the time when usually everyone would sit together to watch a play or if not that than most of the television sets are placed in a common room in homes so whoever is around will automatically take notice of whatever is on television. Some of the dramas that are being aired at prime time nowadays have very bold scripts and it would be better if they are shifted to a slot later in the night. They are not the kind of dramas that people can watch with their families; therefore the viewer ship for such dramas gets effected too.

Continuity bloopers should be avoided. I do understand that different scenes in a drama are shot at different times and sometimes there is a gap of months even between the shootings. This is the reason why we see all these continuity bloopers where a person maybe wearing different clothes in a scene and also sometimes some of the accessories are missing. These are minor glitches but ones that have a great impact on the audience. I think it should be the duty of the actors and directors both to ensure that these continuity bloopers can be avoided.

Are there any suggestions that you would like to give to the people who make our dramas? Please feel free to share them here and who knows someone out there may pay attention.

Fatima Awan.

It was recently heard that Singer Atif Aslam is now all set for his live concerts that are been lined up after his busy month of March which went occupied due to his wedding ceremony and reception. Atif, while talking to media, also disclosed that he would soon be leaving for UK for a live concert along with his wife Sarah.  The Concert that took place on April 5th ‘2013, was presented by LG Arena  in Birmingham (UK).

The event had all the ingredients to make it a happening one for the audience who paid pretty well for the show. The concert also  highlighted some prominent figures of Bollywood including Bipasha Basu, Malaika Arora Khan, Singer Shaan and Atif Aslam. The event turned out to be a successful one where majority of the audience found the show worth attending for the cost it offered.

Besides the fact that Atif has been enjoying the limelight for his newly married life, he seems to have adopted a new change in his persona and the singer looked really cool in wayfarers and the formal-funky outfit.

Here are few of the clicks from the event, have a look!

We, as a nation, are proud of this rockstar. He has been representing Pakistan on different platforms, making the world think that the country still have a lot of potentials in every field of life and when it comes to music, Pakistani Singers are no more less than any international talent.

We wish him all the very best for his future endeavors,

Blessings,

Nida Zaidi 

The nation we live in is a Muslim country where about 85% of the population is comprised of the Muslim citizens. However, when it comes to the media industry of Pakistan, the principles and the traditions been followed are somehow contradicting to the laws that a Muslim state should follow. Knowing that this is a sensitive topic indeed and not going into much of its detail, let us talk about the celebrities who have been talking about religion lately and have been appearing in religious shows. It is always a pleasure to find that our celebrities are not only focusing on the worldly wealth but are also aware of their duties as a Muslim.

You must have been coming across such shares on different fan pages on Facebook but here are few of those rare pictures that you might have missed. It took quite a good time in assembling this collection and we hope that seeing your favorite celebrities in the House of Allah will definitely please you.

Have a look!

Actor/Producer Nabeel at Makkah

Comedian/Actor//Businessman Ayaz Khan in Haram at Makkah

Actor/host Ranbo and Sahiba in Khana-e-Ka’abah

Cricketer Shahid Afridi and Former Singer Junaid Jamshed in Ehraam

Actress/host Madiha Iftikhar at Makkah

Islamic Host Aamir Liaquat Hussain

Model/actor/Host Ahsan Khan

Shehryaar Munawar and his brother performing umrah

Singer Atif Aslam in Ehraam

Actor Hassan Ahmed with his mother at Makkah

May Allah Invites all of us to His House and make us all walk on the Right Path.

Share your views about it,

Blessings,

Nida Zaidi

I am sure many of you would be aware of the name ‘Alycia Dias’ by now. It would be not wrong to say that she is the most hyped and ‘in’ singer nowadays as she has sung one of the most beautiful and melodious OSTs of recent times. She is known for singing both eastern and western songs to perfection.

Alycia started her career with the singing reality show Lux Awaaz Banaey Star which she won at the age of 17. Being too young at that time she chose to finish her studies before further pursuing her singing career. Last year, she made an official start of her career by making her first debut onstage with Nabila’s hair show for L’Oreal Paris titled Somptueux. She performed alongside musicians like Emu, Ustad Nafees Ahmed and Shallum Xavier. Alyicia took over and personalized Louis Armstrong’s version of La Vie En Rose, rendered Voltare in perfection and extended her natural vocals to narrating Dimitri’s ‘I’m a very stylish girl.’ Their live performance was appreciated and applauded by the audiences and she left the audiences spellbound by her deep and melodious voice.

She then worked on two songs with the band ‘The Milestone.’ She sang the song Tumhi Ho which had a western touch to it with Ali Tim, member of the band and a popular singer of the 90’s. She then sang another song Aag with Ali Tim and Charlie. Both the songs were unique with a mixture of eastern and western tunes and lyrics and was liked and appreciated by audiences, though not on a very large scale.

“Ali Tim recommended me to Nabila and Emu. We had a few days to rehearse before the show and I was nervous at the night of the performance, though I tried to control my nerves to make sure it didn’t affect my voice. I always wanted to become a singer and this was like a dream come true,” said Alycia.

Performing live and making her debut on such a large scale was like a dream come true for Alycia and although she was nervous, her performance did not reflect it as she gave an absolutely flawless performance.

Despite having no professional training, Dias is no stranger to music. She has been performing at the homegrown Club 777 in Karachi and has been trained by her father through tedious vocal exercises. Her father, Maxwell Dias is in the field of music for the last 30 years and audiences remember him for playing with Zoe Viccaji. So we can easily say that music is in her blood and she was bound to come into this field one day or the other as she was passionate about music since the very beginning.

She came into notice on a massive scale when she started singing title songs of some very popular shows. The first title song I heard that was sung by her was the OST of Noor. People may dislike Turkish shows but nobody can deny that its OST is beautiful. She has a perfect pitch and toning in her voice which makes her voice flawless!

The next OST in line is the OST of Daagh which was again a huge hit!

“Kitni Bewajud Hai Zindagi, Ke Mein Hun Yeh Mujh Ko Yaqeen Nahi…..Yeh Tamaam Zindagi Daagh Hai”

The lyrics of this OST are beautiful and Alycia’s voice enhanced the effect of the beautiful lyrics.

Then came the absolutely spell bounding OST of the show Dil-e-Muzter which was very well received by the audiences far and wide. I hear everybody appreciating this beautiful OST which was penned down by Waqar Ali who is known for writing so many title songs of dramas in the past. Alycia turned out be very humble and gave the credit of the song to Waqar Ali as she posted this on facebook:

“Guys i think the credit for Dil e Muztar should go to mr.Waqar Ali.. cause he is the man behind all the hardwork that was put into the songs..from vocals to music /composition /editing.. im just a singer who sang it..he is the one who brought feel into Dil e muztar..and it wouldnt have been a sucess without him….:)”

The title song of the show Nanhi is also sung by her which is a unique song and with a different tune which is very catchy and makes you hum along. She has also sung the OST of the drama serial Fareb.

Alycia is very much in demand as she has made a name for herself at an age of 20 which is a feat in itself! We hope to hear more beautiful songs from her in the future and wish her best of luck!

Mariam Shafiq