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My Favorite On-Screen Characters (Recent)

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I wrote an article a few months back about my favorite on-screen characters, chosen from the plays that were on air at that time. Many months have passed since that article was posted and now is the perfect time to share with all of you some of my favorite on-screen characters from the recent plays because there are a number of dramas on air at the moment with some very relatable and interesting characters. I think that a strong script is one which gives us characters that are nicely etched-out. There are some characters we love because we can relate to them, there are others which we like because they are inspiring or just plain cute and there are those which just leave you wondering but you still like them! Here is the list of characters which I am really enjoying watching nowadays. Please feel free to add to the list because I am not watching Aik Nayee Cinderella and I know from the viewers’ discussions on this forum that people find some of the characters in Aik Nayee Cinderella very cute.

My Favorite On-Screen Characters (Recent)Bari Apa (Bari Apa):

Believe it or not this arrogant, selfish and rigid woman is on top of my list! Why? Well because I think we have not seen a character like Zubeida in a very long time. She is strong and selfish but I have to say that I find it difficult to totally dislike her. Although sometimes Zubeida’s double standards shock you to the core but there are times when one feels like there is a reason why Zubeida is the way she is. She was given the responsibility of looking after her siblings at a very young age and she could not marry the one man she loved because her mother wanted her to marry a rich man so that she could help the family financially. Does it sound like I am supporting this head strong woman? Well not really I do see very clearly that she is a hypocrite who “cheats” on her husband by emotionally relying more on her ex-fiancé than her own husband and tells the women around her that they need to respect their spouses when she has no respect for her own husband. There are so many interesting shades to Zubeida’s personality, I absolutely love her character and the play too and I am waiting to see what the new twist in the story has to offer. The character has been played brilliantly by Savera Nadeem and half of the beauty of this character lies in the way she has brought it to life on-screen.

My Favorite On-Screen Characters (Recent)Riffat (Bari Apa):

Yes another character from Bari Apa. In fact I was quite confused as to who I should put second on the list Riffat or Firdous. But Riffat deserves this spot much more than Firdous does. Although Riffat is not playing the lead in the play but I fell in love with her character when she decided to walk out on her husband after he threatened her of divorce…finally a woman who can put her foot down and take a stand where it is needed! The way Riffat feels for Bari Apa when she finds out that her husband married another woman and does not derive pleasure from the news showed that she is a very nice person at heart. While Firdous rejoiced at the news that Zubeida was in deep waters, Riffat did not think like that for a second. Madiha Rizvi has done complete justice to her character and is spot-on as Riffat.

My Favorite On-Screen Characters (Recent)Kashaf (Zindagi Gulzar hai):

Kashaf has won my heart only after two episodes; well to be honest I have liked Kashaf right from the first episode. We have seen many characters that are “somewhat” like Kashaf on-screen; girls who are poor and complain often but Kashaf is in no way like all these characters which we have seen previously. Kashaf has so much more to her personality that just the complaining bit. She is a practical and hardworking girl who loves her mother so much that all she dreams of is a day when her mother will not have to work so hard to make ends meet. Kashaf does not only dream of that day but is working hard to achieve that objective. Kashaf is not waiting for a prince charming to come rescue her but she relies only on her own strength. Sanam Saeed is doing a remarkable as Kashaf and I am really truly looking forward to seeing more of her. I am quite certain that she won’t let her fans down.

My Favorite On-Screen Characters (Recent)Rafia ( Zindagi Gulzar Hai):

Rafia (Kashaf’s mother) is a woman who may have had a very tough life but she is still very positive. She is a brave woman who loves her husband and of course finds it very difficult and hurtful to be ignored by him but she still has the courage to go on with life because she knows only too well that she is the only hope that her daughters have. Kashaf may complain and think negative thoughts but she is brave, courageous and practical like her mother. Samina Peerzada never fails to impress us and although she has played so many such positive characters in the past too but she does not bore us for a second.

 

My Favorite On-Screen Characters (Recent)Qabacha (Tanhaiyaan Naye Silsilay):

Even those of you who are not entirely enjoying Tanhiyaan Nayee Silsilay must admit that even after so many years Behroze Sabzwari has managed to pull off this character with just as much ease as he did so many years back. Qabacha is cute, caring, and sensitive and puts a big smile on my face every time he comes on-screen. He was my most favorite character in the original Tanhaiyaan too and honestly speaking I was a little apprehensive to watch him on-screen all over again because it could ruin my childhood memories. But this new Qabacha is just cute and lovable as the old one. Behroze Sabzwari deserves special praise for a job well done.

My Favorite On-Screen Characters (Recent)Serena (Tanhiyaan naye Silsilay):

Out of all the new characters that have been added to this sequel Serena has to be my most favorite. She is fun, bubbly, cute, caring and simply adorable. The way Serena has “converted” herself (the chori daar pajamas, choorian etc) after coming to Pakistan is very sweet. Syra Yusef has turned into a wonderful actress and she was the perfect choice for playing this role.

Please share your thoughts about these characters and also, feel free to add to the list.

Fatima Awan.

Kahi Unkahi Episode 6: Stagnant As For Now

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Today’s episode didn’t make much progress & was somewhat on the similar pace like that of the last episode that was aired. I am actually thinking its getting a bit late for the entry of the hero but as seen in the preview of the next episode, I believe Sherry is finally arriving that too with a very dramatic entry. Can’t wait for the drama to move forward because Sherry is the main lead of the drama.

Like I discussed in the last review that Anam’s ego actually got hurt by the refusal of Shahzeb but it wasn’t clearly shown. In this episode we saw it how strongly Anam put her feelings in front of her mother saying she can’t tolerate any guy refusing her because no one can do so & he won’t be finding anyone as pretty & as perfect as her. I wonder how do girls these days get so much over-confidence from? Anam is just like any other ordinary girl with a sound background & ethics of a poodle. It can be easily seen that it’s her mother who has made her so conceited & arrogant but all these traits do not help you last longer.

Finally, Anam gets to see who Shahzeb chose over her & she couldn’t resist her jealousy. I actually found myself tearing up with the way Zoya gets treated at her friend’s place. I thought may be they will accept her whole-heartedly but again her father’s profession became a wall & she was mistreated. Ayza Khan, in that particular scene acted brilliantly where she felt ashamed & dis-hearted at the same time. Shahzeb did try to convince his mother but I felt he could’ve done better. His reference of Mr. Kamal was spot on but his mothers reaction & reply was saddening. She can focus on the present of Mr. Kamal but can not think about the future of Zoya, who after getting married to her son would become one of them too. It was irrational on Shahzeb’s mother part because Zoya is a bright & decent young girl who is perfect for her son.

Anam on the other hand felt victorious because of Zoya’s humiliation, she cheered in front of her mother & they both plan to tell about this matter to Mr. Kamal, which I feel is unnecessary I guess it would be a treat to watch the reaction of Mr. Kamal because he himself is oblivious oo the fact that his own son Ansar likes Zoya a lot.

The scene that made me smile today was when Zoya posed in front of the mirror with a Bridal dupatta. I guess almost all the young girls in their teens must’ve done this either with the dupattas of their elder sisters or bhabhi’s. It was rather cute but in that scene we saw Ansar’s true intentions came out & he indirectly proposed to Zoya. Bashir Ahmed being a simple hearted person encourages Zoya about the behaviour of Ansar saying she should not misunderstand him because he means well for Zoya, whereas Bashir Ahmed is unaware of Ansar’s feelings.

The last scene of the episode was touchy. Bashir Ahmed in spite of doing such hard work felt failure because of the outburst of his daughter. Zoya, who always took this humiliation light heartedly just couldn’t bear it any more & lost her cool. She & her father, both are not at fault but I really hate to see them suffering so badly. It makes us wonder how many of such people would be moving with us within our society who’d be feeling the same. But the positive part at the ending was Zoya’s self-uttered promise to herself & her father that she will not let him down & will will make every other person change their attitude towards them, I guess this is exactly what should have been done in the face of such situation because obstacles make one grow.

I feel this drama has raised this issue perfectly & has made viewers think about such people with a different perspective because no matter what intentionally or unintentionally most of the people do look down at such fellow beings & judge others on the basis of materialism which is nothing but a fictional façade.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Goher Mumtaz Gives His Second Shot as an Actor!

Like all other singers in the industry, both the singers of Jal Band, more or less manage to stay in limelight, Sometimes for their hatred towards Atif Aslam and sometimes for taking new moves in their career. According to the latest news been leaked in the entertaintment industry, Goher Mumtaz is now all ready to come up as a lead actor in a serial that would be aired on Hum TV.

Ayesha Omer Speaks Up About The T-Shirt Controversy

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When I wrote the post about the Little Miss Jihad T-Shirt which Ayesha Omer wore in Zindagi Gulzar Hai while many people supported me but there were also some who thought that talking about this issue was of no use because the celebrities don’t care. Well, guess what Ayesha Omer decided to tell her side of the story because the public decided to openly speak up against something that was completely unacceptable to them. It is good to know that our actors do care about the public opinion. Here is what Ayesha had to say:

Ayesha Omer Speaks Up About The T-Shirt Controversy

It is very apparent that Ayesha wanted to change the shirt but the director and the rest of the team members thought it was only a “cartoon” so there was nothing wrong with wearing it. In a way Ayesha Omer is blaming the seniors on the set who should have known better.

The few lines in the end suggest that Ayesha is very annoyed with people who used abusive language against her and thinks that they should judge themselves as well.

Share your views about this. I think the matter is resolved now and the actors and crew will be more careful in the future.

 

Saud.

Resham Finally Looking for A Husband- Must Have a Green Card!

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These days when we see young actors getting married at an early age, it seems that the senior actresses are now finding marriages as a less threat to their career and looking forward to tie knots after crossing their 40s’. Actressses Like Meera, Resham and Saima who try all their best to hide their ages though they are in their late 30s’ or early 40s’, are now no more in the wanted lists. Now that Reema has recently tied a wedding knot with American National, Dr. Tariq Shahab, It is now Resham next who is looking for a similar proposal to get married.

Happy Birthday Umera Ahmed.

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Umera Ahmed was born on 10th December 1976 and little did the people around her know that this girl will grow up to be one of the most famous and well-respected authors of her time. Earning so much fame at this age is not easy but it came very easily to Umera Ahmed to whom writing comes naturally. The most interesting fact about this gifted writer is that she did her Masters in English literature from Murray College, Sialkot. She really sounds like someone who is an expert at both the languages, now how many people do we know who do their Masters in English and write such masterpieces in Urdu language.

Umera Ahmed’s first writing Zindagi Gulzar Hai was mostly an experiment than anything else; something she wrote to test her writing skills. She sent her story to be published in a monthly digest with very little hope that it would be considered. To her surprise the story was not just accepted but also turned out t be a mega hit and later she compiled it into a novel and we are all watching it go on air as a drama now. Umera Ahmed has written sixteen books till date and has many devoted fans.

Those people who do not read books are also well acquainted with Umera Ahmed because many of her novels have gone on air as plays and she has also written scripts especially for dramas. There is always a hidden message, social or spiritual in Umera Ahmed’s writing and her characters always win people over. Although, Umera Ahmed has given us many praise worthy dramas but there are a few which will be remembered forever like Wujood-e-Laraib, Doraha, Meri Zaat Zar-e-Benishan, Qaid-e-tanhai, Maat, Durr-e-Shehwar and Shehr-e-Zaat. Umera Ahmed has been awarded many times for her great plays and we wish her a lot more success in the future too.

Umera ahmed’s novel Peer-e-Kamil won her great acclaim and we expect our favorite author to come up with many other such masterpieces in the future too. The team of reviewit wishes Umera Ahmed a very Happy Birthday and loads of success for her future projects.

Saud.

Bari Appa Episode 12 – Intensity Personified

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Finally things & situations have started to come back to their place in Bari Appa. It was sweet to see the scene of Riffat & Shakeel & how they reconciled their differences. It was kind of relieving to see Shakeel admit that Zubaida Appa has always been at fault & this is what has driven Farman Bhai to another marriage. Indeed Riffat needed that sort of support & promise from Shakeel that he will not let her go & is pretty much happy with how things are unwinding for them both after Riffat has started earning. Now we can clearly see that after this incident everyone has started to understand the faults of Bari Appa & now she has lost her creditability & will lose her dominance as well because Shakeel himself mentions that now I have come to understand that Bari Appa has always been at fault.

The only character that fails to impress rather disappoints me the most is that of Farman. He is such a wuss I must say. He knew he had to get married & even became a father but when it came to take a stand for his legally wedded second wife & child, he took a back-track. Even now when Zubaida was out there forcing him to divorce his second wife, he stammered & looked like such a spineless person who had no guts to stand up to his act & be a man at least for once. He was begging her to drop the idea & if she does he will never meet his second family again. What sort of a man is he?

Zubaida has once again proved herself to be egoistic & someone who can not let anyone look down at her. She is always in a competition with Firdous & just to make her position awkward she took such a bold step of coming up with such a huge lie that too with her family. These traits of her character makes me dislike her because if you can’t be honest to your mother & the rest of your family then who are you going to be honest with? Even though at first place she wanted Farman to take divorce but now when the news of that affair broke out to her family she took the situation in her own hand & tried to show that she was the one behind this wedding, which was totally unnecessary & in the last moment Ghazanfar stepped in & supported Zubaida for her hideous lie.

One scene that was truly engaging was the dialogue between Firdous & Ghazanfar. At least Firdous has some guts to say what she has on her mind & whatever she said was true & commendable. I really do not like the idea how Ghazanfar looks down at her sometimes & compares her with Zubaida. Firdous might not be such an intelligent woman like Zubaida but at least I see her as someone who’s honest & does not plan things even if it involves her family. Zubaida should get in touch with her baby brother if she faces any hardships rather than running out to Ghazanfar because no matter what their past was, it’s completely over & now he is her younger sister’s husband. Firdous’s confession in front of Ghazanfar that Bari Appa detests her & has not forgiven her because she took away Ghazanfar from her was totally spot on. Indeed the competition & the animosity Zubaida has towards Firdous is obviously linked to her past with Ghazanfar. I actually do not fancy the idea of Ghazanfar running towards Zubaida whenever she is in need & taking such harsh words from her so easily. Whereas, he is the same person who snubs Firdous even when she is not at fault & only shares the happenings with her immediate family.

Anyhow, the drama even though has revealed all the aspects of the story is still going strong & has a lot of shocking twists to offer to its viewers. I like this drama a lot but I want Farman Bhai to man-up a little bit hopefully.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Zindagi Gulzar Hai – Little Miss Jihad.

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I am a huge Umera Ahmed fan and follow her plays religiously; she is a class above the rest and gives us plays that are very inspiring.I feel that watching an Umera Ahmed play is more than just entertainment, it is a very educational experience as well. It is as if she thinks very hard before writing every single dialogue, the depth in her writing is unbeatable. And that is exactly the reason why I get so upset when I watch Umera Ahmed’s great writings affected by controversies when they go on air. When Shehr-e-Zaat went on air the scene of Falak performing ablution (wadhu) was put under scrutiny by many people and everyone was surprised that no one on the set knew that the way she was performing ablution was wrong. There were many other such careless mistakes or bloopers. For example Falak never wore a duppatta even after she turned towards religion. But all of that is done and dusted so let’s not talk about that.

Only two episodes of Zindagi Gulzar Hai have gone on air and without a doubt the play has a great deal going for it but I have to say with great sadness that the actors and unfortunately the director also has gone somewhat overboard when it comes to showing liberal people. Mehreen Raheel’s dressing is nothing new, sadly she does not consider the feelings of most of the people in Pakistan and dresses however she wishes. But what shocked me and many other people was the T-shirt that Ayesha Omer wore in the second episode, the T-Shirt had “Little Miss Jihad” written on it and it seemed like there was a bomb tied at the back of the scraf of the woman in the picture. And many people noticed and disliked it because the concept of jihad is very sacred to us and while we tolerate and somewhat accept all the modern wear in our dramas wholeheartedly but let us not make fun of our religion.

Zindagi Gulzar Hai – Little Miss Jihad.

Everyone should have complete liberty to wear whatever they want to but the actors should think a great deal before wearing something that is bound to give rise to controversies. We all understand by now that Zaroon’s family is very modern but wearing such things just means that you are pressing the buttons of very emotional viewers who attach great respect to Umera Ahmed’s writings. Such bloopers (very careless mistakes) just leave a bad taste in the mouth and I can only wish that people who were involved with this project realize that they were wrong in letting Ayesha Omer wear this shirt. Even if she felt there was nothing wrong with it, there were many other people on the set who could point it out.

I really like everything about Zindagi Gulzar Hai till now and am hoping that we will not be seeing more of such things in the future because these are the things that can be easily avoided and can hurt people’s feelings. What do you people think? Am I being over emotional? Please correct me if I am wrong and share your feelings.

Saud.

Coke Kahani Episode 5 – Family Reunion

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Amazing episode! I am getting addicted to this show now. The director, writer and actors, all have done a brilliant job and you can clearly see this in the end product. The way the show is presented is different. The credit goes to Mehreen Jabbar, of course, for giving us a refreshing play.

Maya is back! She has come all the way from Florida to take Zoya back with her. Zoya hesitates but Maya is determined. She wants to leave immediately but destiny has its own plans. She slips and ends up getting a pretty bad sprain on her foot. The funny part was when Asfand offered to pick her up! She is twice your size, Asfand! How will you ever manage to pick her up? That scene was hilarious! She is not allowed to travel for 2 weeks now! Maya had plans to stay at Nusrat’s house (Rayaan’s parents) but is forced to stay at Asfand’s house because of her foot. Can things get any better for Zoya?

One could see the happiness on Asfand’s face when Maya came back. We got to see a new side of him. The serious Asfand is now laughing and joking, one can easily tell how happy he is to see Maya. He still loves Maya, and Maya also loves him back. She tries to pretend to be aloof and angry, but the way she looks at him speaks a different story altogether. The scene I found funny was when Asfand was drinking tea and he saw Maya looking at him through the window. He was so surprised that he spilled all his tea on himself. God! Asfand is so cute! Maya couldn’t help but smile and remember the same incident happening in the past.

Zoya also confesses to Asfand that her views about him were totally wrong. She always thought that he was a careless and selfish person and it was because of him that Maya left and went away to Florida, but after getting to know him, she knows now that he is not entirely at fault. She also thought that he lived a very carefree and luxurious life, but now she knows better. She also told Maya that she thinks Asfand is a very caring person and the reason why he does not share his problems is because he does not want to worry anyone. Zoya is starting to get to know Asfand better now. I love the new found bond between these two!

“Maya mujhe dekhte hee phisal gaee”, nice sense of humor Asfand! I couldn’t help but laugh at his dialogue when he said it to Mutmaeen Sahab. I also liked Nusrat’s dialogue, “Neeyat mein sachai aur awaaz mein dard ho to har cheez mumkin hai”. Nusrat believed that Maya would stay back if Asfand asks her. But will Asfand ever ask her to come back in his life? What happened between them in the past?
Zoya asked for 15 days from Asfand to try to patch things up between him and Maya. Asfand agreed, but will it be easy to remove the distance between these two? Will they ever be together again? Zoya shares her worries with Rayaan that this her last chance to get her parents to patch up, she is scared that her attempts would fail. Maya overhears this; will she fulfill Zoya’s wishes and make an attempt to make things better between her and Asfand?

The precap seems captivating. Rayaan, Saad and Zoya are trying to come up with ways to patch things up between Zoya’s parents. Will Zoya be successful? Tune into Coke Kahani next week to find out!

 

Mariam Shafiq

Ek Nayee Cinderella Episode 7 – Hint to Meesha’s Past

Wow! We finally got to see so many Mayer and Meesha scenes. I absolutely loved their scenes. Roman’s advice is finally working. Meesha ignored Mayer and this created an air of mystery around her and Mayer got intrigued by her. He got so impressed with her when she told Bano that she cannot accept her gift because she believes in simplicity and one should not judge people by their clothes, and she does not really care about her attire. Bravo! She totally won over both Bano and Mayer. Another cute scene was when Mayer saw Meesha dancing, and he went to her asked her “Tum hamesha itni khush kaise reh leti ho?” and she replied “Khushiyan mere paas khudi chal ker ajati hai”. Aww Meesha! You are the cutest thing!

Finally, the true face of Zaini is exposed in front of Mayer, but somehow he still wants her in his life since he is under the delusion that she is the same girl he had met at the Mela. Can’t he see what a selfish and proud girl she is? She is so confident that Mayer can like no other girl except her because she is so ‘beautiful’. Beauty no longer matters once you get to know the true selfish nature of a person. Zaini had the guts to misbehave with Bano and this caused Mayer and Zaini to fight. Mayer is still making excuses for Zaini to Bano (Is he stupid or what?) but she has clearly said that she would only forgive Zaini if she apologizes to her in front of everyone in the function. Zaini was adamant on not apologizing but Meher convinced her to do so. Will Zaini apologize in front of everyone? It will definitely be a big blow to her inflated ego.

Amy and Roman scenes were as usual a treat to watch. Amy made ‘pakodas’ for Roman. LOL. By the look on Roman’s face I could imagine how horrible they were. Poor Roman! He also consoled Amy when she was crying because of Zaini’s harsh words. He simply loves helping people doesn’t he? No wonder he is my favorite character. He told her that someone would like her one day, just the way she is. Awww! I also loved Roman’s reply when Amy asked him; does he also believe that a girl should be beautiful? And he replied that he liked girls who were simple. For him a girl’s simplicity is her uniqueness. Wonderful reply Roman!

Now coming to the bad parts, what is WRONG with Suraiya? I cannot believe she asked Roman to marry her. Look at your age woman! Yuck! Poor Roman got the shock of his life when he heard this. Thank god! Meher came to his rescue and gave him shelter in her house. Obviously, she has an ulterior motive for doing this, but at least Roman got saved from Suraiya. Phew! Now I feel even worse for him. I really like one thing about him though, he has so many problems in his own life but he has always remained optimistic. Dado is also happy about Roman coming to stay at their house. He has won her over so quickly. Kudos to him for that! Dado is definitely not an easy nut to crack.

So Meesha has done it again. She has again lied about Zaini to Bano and Mayer. Zaini, in her attempt to show her ‘worth’ to Mayer, confirmed the lie. I cannot say I felt bad for her, her whole relationship with Mayer is based on a lie. She is pretending to be someone she is not. Mayer never liked her because she is pretty; he liked her because he thinks that she is his ‘mystery’ girl. I hope he gets to know that Meesha is the girl he is trying to find in Zaini… Another dialogue which I found adorable was when Meesha asked Roman, “Mayer ko mein cute kiun nahi laghti!” I don’t know about Mayer, but we definitely find you cute Meesha!

Roman is slowly falling for Meesha. He has not realized it yet but I think he will pretty soon. The precap seemed pretty interesting. Mayer and Meesha are definitely up to something. We also got to see a new entry in the show, Shah Baba. I am sure the girl he is trying to find is Meesha. He is somehow connected to her past, but how? Is Meesha in danger from this man? Is this why Dado has always kept Meesha sheltered? Who is the new man shown in the last scene? Only Saifullah and Dado knows about Meesha’s past. I am curious to know where Meesha has come from. I am eagerly waiting for the next episode now!

Mariam Shafiq

Pakistani Dramas that should come to an End!

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If you conduct a survey on what actually made the Pakistani audience hate Star

Tanhaiyan Naye Silsilay Episode 7 – Love Is In The Air!

Tanhaiyan Naye Silsilay has given us some of the cutest characters and I can’t help but fall in love with them. It is a simple and honest story that helps me unwind on a Saturday night. Every character is different from the other but equally adorable. Kishmish se kisi ki pareshani dekhi nahi jati and the way he tried to help Serena out was too sweet. I don’t blame Serena for falling for this young gentleman; even with all his flaws he is very likeable indeed. Shehroz Sabzwari has done complete justice to his character and whoever chose him to play this role made a very wise choice. Chandni has definitely grown on me and I enjoyed the bickering between Chandi and Bibi. I must agree with Bibi it must be very painful for Chandni to stay quiet even for a few seconds! The two have a love-hate relationship and I can totally relate to Bibi’s character, that is how most people get in their old age. No one that age would have the patience for someone like Chandni.

The Mona-Serena scenes were also a treat to watch today; the dialogues were brilliant and so was the direction and acting. Serena maybe like Sanya in many ways but unlike Sanya she does not seem like the kind of girl who would wait forever to find the perfect man. In fact Serena is obsessed with Sanya khala’s shadi and Sanya won’t hear of it. The scene on the dinner table was very well-done too. TNS has a very sitcom feel to it and half of the credit goes to the script and the direction. Everyone in this play has such an eventful life, I feel like my own life is very grim compared to theirs!

Zeenia is finally warming up to Zarak; well the poor guy has worked hard enough, so that is well deserved. The way the two sisters have a heart to heart conversation at night is also another thing that is so relatable. I am sure all sisters who share a bedroom have these conversations before sleeping. Zeenia and Serena may argue all the time but the fact is that they cannot do without each other.

Behroze Sabzwari is absolutely brilliant and I enjoyed all his disguises and his repeated attempts to get close to Sanya. It does not seem likely that Sanya will ever accept Kabacha’s proposal but I really do wish that the two end up together! So, how many marriages will take place in this sequel? I can’t help but wonder. Kabacha is a man on a mission and something tells me that he will be able to achieve what he is working on. He maybe simple but he is also very smart.

Zarak Khan has much more to his credit than what appears on the surface and the traditions of his family were nicely portrayed too. The young man has a lot going for him so in my opinion Zeenia should not even think twice now!

Today’s episode revolved around all the “girls” (young and old, after all they are all girls at heart). The episode ended on an exciting note and I am definitely looking forward to seeing more of TNS. These are Naye Silsilay for sure and I have no reason to complain. I must appreciate the way Mohammad Ahmed has taken the story forward and Marina Khan has done a very good job with the direction.

 

Fatima Awan.

 

Veet Miss Super Model – Liberalism or Unnecessary Imposition?

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Well I got a chance to see the first episode of Veet Miss Super Model while surfing on YouTube & I’m speechless ever since. I guess there’s nothing much to say about it because it is pretty evident & clearly visible by what the contestants in the show are showing but I really would like to know what are the reviews of others about this particular show.

One thing that left me pondering through out the auditions was about the values that the parents of these young ladies have instilled in them. Didn’t they teach them anything about how modestly even a moderate Muslim girl should dress up or what is right & wrong. All the girls are within the age group of 17-24 & look at how boldly they are presenting themselves & how did they muster up so much of a courage to go out in the world choosing such indecent attires. Another astonishing factor was the enormous number of the girls who came in for auditions & how easily Tapu Zaveri was looking at them from top to bottom. The way they walked on the ramp which was full of male audience was extremely sad.

I really fail to understand the need & importance of shows like these where they are encouraging younger generation to forget exactly what Islam teaches us. I know many would not agree but I believe dressing up is also one of the MAJOR aspects of Islam which should & can not go unnoticed. Another show that has caught my attention is the dance show ‘NACHLAY’ where girls are performing as well. I really detest when the judges tell them ‘MASHA ALLAH, you’re doing a wonderful job’ & even in the Super Model Show everyone goes like ‘INSHA ALLAH I will improve’, ‘INSHA ALLAH I will win’. I am sorry to say but it sounds exactly how it would when someone outside the vicinity of our culture uses this word.

Excuse me for saying this but all the girls who came were not even able to talk properly but the way they projected themselves was totally contradictory to their speaking skills which showed they had nothing attractive in them but just some outer façade which was in utter need of make over. With all due respect I would present my opinion that it’s a high time people should understand the importance of women & understand that women are not some objects worthy of use in order to sell their products & women on their own should understand that they have more towards them than just a pair of fake eye lashes & unrecognisable photos of their own.

I pray for the Hidayah of all the ladies who at one point of time will have families of their own. Ameen.

Zahra Mirza.

Zindagi Gulzar Hai Episode 2 – A Complete Package.

“Aik din mei ami ko buhat se jootay le kur dun gi…buhat qeemeti jootay!”

As Kashaf enters the university to see if her name is on the merit list or not, the only thing that weighs on her mind is that whether her mother got her slipper repaired or not and if not how did she manage to make it to the college. The love that the mother and daughter share is simply awe-inspiring. I loved every second of their interaction on-screen. So, we finally know the history behind the “churail awal” dialogue! The merit list scene was superbly done. Zaroon’s over-confidence and Kashaf’s lack of confidence was shown perfectly through Zaroon’s dialogues and Kashaf’s thoughts. While, Zaroon expects nothing less than this that his name should be on top of the list, Kashaf considers him a “nashukra” (the dialogue really made me laugh). Zaroon remarks “churail awal pe aye hai” and Kashaf is not the one to let go of such a remark easily even if it was uttered as a joke. It was great to see a smile on Kashaf’s face, Sanam Saeed’s expressions were simply flawless and she portrayed Kashaf’s pride and surprise in a very apt manner.

Kashaf celebrates in the best way possible with her family but it was plain to see that her mother could only be fully content if her husband could be a part of the “festivities”. Unfortunately, Kashaf’s father’s reaction to the news (even if it was “provoked” by his second wife) was perfect example of the double standards that exist in our society. No one takes a step forward to help Kashaf and her mother but everyone in the family is quick to hold them accountable. Kashaf’s father is someone who is completely oblivious of his responsibilities towards his family but still does not think twice before acting as the head of the family. He does not have an ounce of respect for his wife or daughters but still believes that these women are responsible for maintaining the family honor. Another typical mindset that exists in our society is that most of the people believe that girls should not be highly educated because their education is of no use to them or the family since at the end of the day they have to run the house. It is a great achievement for someone who comes from such a family to make it as far as Kashaf did and hopefully she will prove to be an inspiration for many girls like her who are watching this drama. We need more strong willed, practical girls as role models in our dramas. Of course Kashaf’s constant grumbling is not at all inspiring but it gives a realistic touch to the character. But I must also add that Kashaf would not have made it this far without the support from her mother and sisters. She is also very determined and would do anything to help her mother with the finances. She dreams of relieving her mother of her financial duties and a life in which she does not have to depend on any male whether it be a brother, father or son but she wants to stand on her own two feet…way to go Kashaf.  I must appreciate Samina Peerzada for opting for characters that are so inspiring. Even after everything that Rafia has gone through in life, she is still so positive and calm. Even though she respects her husband and loves him too but at the same time she does not think twice before telling him that his daughters cannot depend on him and would want to be like their mother.

I must say that I really liked Zaroon’s confidence in today’s episode, the way he brags about how he applied in only one university and is so sure that so many girls are dying to have him in their life. Kashaf’s thoughts about rich people as she enters the university and the way she worries about what she is going to wear and how her make up must have vanished by the time she got to the university, added another realistic touch to her character. These small details make such a big difference in the overall feel of the play and make the characters seem more like people from real life.

Zaroon is dead against women who like to dominate men because he feels that some women (like her mother and sister) do it on purpose, in order to feel good about themselves. Or maybe it is just because he is a very typical male who believes that women should play second fiddle to men. According to Zaroon, “Chauvinist hona aurat ka ghulam honay se buhat behtr hai”. Kashaf, on the other hand does not have a high opinion of men at all, although her mother keeps on telling her that not all men are the same But Kashaf insists she wants neither phool nor kaantay but “behtr nahi kachay raastay pe chlatay jayen”…another beautiful dialogue, I must say. So, basically their views about the opposite gender come from what they have seen around them.

Last but not the least the last scene was also one of the many brilliant scenes in today’s episode. In my opinion Kashaf’s reaction to Zaroon saying “hi” to her could not have been more in line with her character. Here is a girl whose mother gave her a long lecture about how she was the first girl in the family who was going to study with men and also she does not have a very high opinion of men in general, so even if she had not heard the churail conversation her reaction still would have been somewhat the same! I have to say that I felt for poor Zaroon, he most certainly did not deserve that!

This was a perfect second episode and I enjoyed every second of it. Kudos to the entire team of Zindagi Gulzar hai, from the writer to the director, producer, actors, camera man and everyone else who put in their honest effort to bring us such wholesome entertainment. I am eagerly looking forward to the next installment.

Fatima Awan.

Mera Yaqeen Episode 18 Review – Seeds of Doubt Planted

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One word for this episode: Brilliant. The pace was fast and the story has finally moved on to the next phase. Maha is back! Yes, she is finally able to move and is on the way to recovery, thanks to the steroids. The progress is slow but she will recover pretty soon.

Since she has kept her recovery a secret from everybody except her nurse, I am waiting to see how everyone will react when she comes downstairs on the wheelchair! I am eager to see their reaction. How will Asfand and Nazish react? How will the children react? Will they be shocked or surprised? I cannot wait to find out.

Nazish is finally accepting the house as her own and making changes to it. However, Maha does not like this and Asfand and Maha have an argument. I absolutely loved the dialogues when Maha asked Asfand “Kya tumhe usse Muhabbat hogaee hai?” And he replied, “Shayad”. Maha was shocked to the core and replied “Aik aam si larki se?” I doubt she will ever stop degrading Nazish. She also taunted Nazish that it is because of her that she is in this house; otherwise she would be at her parent’s place, married to someone of her ‘status’. So much has happened to her but her arrogance is still intact. *sigh* Will she ever learn?

Maha has also managed to plant seeds of doubt in Asfand’s mind about Nazish and Ahmer’s relationship. For the first time, Asfand was upset with Nazish and spoke to her rudely. It was the first time I saw distrust in his eyes. His doubt further increased when Nazish lied to him that she went out to meet Amna, when she actually went to meet Ahmer. Asfand knew she was lying because Amna and her husband were sitting at his house that very moment! I think this was the biggest blunder Nazish could have ever made. She was caught red handed. However, Asfand did not tell her that he knew she was lying, not until she confessed herself.

Nazish realized her mistake when Asfand scolded his son, Ali for lying to him. She went to him immediately and confessed her lie. One could see the relief on Asfand’s face when she told him that she went out to meet Ahmer to remove his misconception about their relationship. Another dialogue which I liked was when Nazish told him that she did not want to increase his worries by telling him about Ahmer and he replied that, ‘A husband and wife relation is not only for sharing happiness, but also their worries’. Asfand never asked Nazish “Why are you meeting Ahmer?” but instead he said, “Why is Ahmer trying to contact you?” This shows that he still trusts her and has realized his mistake of doubting her.

Now, what is wrong with Amna? She was actually giving Nazish advice to go back to Ahmer and leave Asfand. I liked Nazish’s reply that marriage is not some game and she will never leave Asfand. Nazish was also seen angry at Maha as she had crossed her limits by encouraging Ahmer to contact her. Another highlight of the episode was Amna and Maha’s fight. Amna bluntly told Maha what she thinks of her and it is her attitude that is making people leave her. Bravo! I loved the verbal spat between the two. Maha definitely needed a reality check.

But did it have any effect on Maha? The answer is NO. Now she has started insulting Nazish in front of the kids. I liked the fact that kids took Nazishs’ side. They respect her as she loves them and cares for them so much.

The most heart touching moment for me in this episode was when Asfand promised Nazish that he will NEVER leave her no matter what happens. Nazish’s face lightened up when he said these words. She has full faith in Asfand now. But the question is will he be able to keep his promise?

Overall the episode was great. Nazish and Asfand’s scenes were executed brilliantly and left an impact on the viewers. I thoroughly enjoyed the episode. It’s a must watch!

I am excited for the next episode now. What will be everyone’s reaction when they see Maha? Would things get more difficult for Nazish? How will Asfand be able to deal with them both now? Let’s see what happens!

Mariam Shafiq

Foreign Dramas are a Serious Threat to Pakistan Drama Industry- Mubashir Lucman!

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We recently shared an article about the Turkish dramas been aired on local channels and the response that we received was somehow a mixture of different ideas and believes. We respect all of them. However, as predicted, Pakistani Celebrities are finding the telecasts of such dramas more than a threat for not only themselves but for the entire media industry. It was last night that the issue was given a huge platform on ARY, where Mubashir Lucman invited Asif Raza Mir, Humayun Saeed, Samina Ahmed and Faisal Qureshi on his show ‘Khari Baat’.

Haseena Moin Fails To Impress the Audience

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When we think of legendary writers the first name that comes to our mind is Haseena Moin. She is a Pakistani dramatist, playwright and scriptwriter and she has not only written for Television, but also for Radio and Stage shows and has managed to gain International recognition and fame. She has been in the industry for more than the past 4 decades. From comedies like Shahzori, Uncle Urfi, Tanhaiyaan, to tragedies like Parchaiyaan. From romantic dramas like Dhoop Kinaray, Unkahi, Kohar to family dramas like Aansoo. She has written each play to perfection. She has also written several plays based on social issues like the super hit Aahat. She has given us other legendary plays like Kiran Kahani, Des Pardes, Pal Do Pal, Kasak, and Parosi, Bandish, and the list goes on. All these plays have managed to gain International repute. 

Haseena Moin is the recipient of Pride of Performance award. She has introduced many legendary Pakistani actors like Shakeel, Shehnaz Sheikh, Marina Khan, Nadia Jamil, Salman Ahmad, Babra Sharif. Many actors rose to fame by to her serials, including Roohi Bano, Khalida Riyasat, Azra Sherwani, Behroze Sabzwari, Badar Khalil, Sania Saeed and many more.

She has been inactive from the past few years but her shows are back again on television. Meri Behen Maya and Saray Mausam Apne hai are both written by Haseena Moin. There was a lot of hype about the new ‘Haseena Moin’ shows. Haseena Moin’s name is no less than a brand itself. A lot of promotion was done by Geo TV to promote both these serials. Everyone was excited to watch the new plays, especially those who have seen her serials like Tanhaiyaan, Dhoop Kinare, Unkahi. However, all the expectations went down the drain when both these shows were launched. Fans were extremely disappointed as both these shows were below their expectations as they lacked proper story and concept. The stories were Clichéd and did not go well with the audience.

Meri Behen Maya’s story revolves around two sisters Maya and Zarmeena whose father married again and their stepmother turns out to be evil. Sounds familiar, right? Saare Mausam Apne Hai revolves around around a girl named Eshal who is bold, confident, and full of adventure and who has been brought up by her grandfather. It is shown how different people manage to leave an impact on her life. Both these stories have nothing new to offer the audience. Why? Because the audiences have changed! Now people all over the world follow Pakistani shows. From youngsters of all age groups, to adults all have gotten hooked to Pakistani shows because of its uniqueness and appeal. They want to see new mature concept based on social issues. They prefer more realistic shows which they can relate to. Evil step mother is a very old concept which would not impress the mature audiences at this stage.

On top of that, the screenplay is boring and direction is average. The pace of the shows is also very slow. Saray Mausam Apne Hai is directed by Ali Rizvi while Meri Behen Maya is directed by Azfar Ali. Azfar is not a very experienced director and has failed to do justice with Haseena Moin’s script. Ali Rizvi is an experienced director but what the show lacks is a good cast. The lead Kanza Arif is a fresh face and her acting fails to impress the audience.

The trend in the Pakistani drama industry has changed over time and the content needs to adapt to these new trends. Now a hit needs a perfect mixture of story, acting, screenplay and direction. A lot of talented writers have emerged over the past two decade or so and there is tough competition in the industry.
As it is said, “Things will not always stay the way they are, people need to adapt to the change.”

Haseena Moin is a great writer, no doubt about that! But she needs to change the stories and adapt with the changing trends in the industry to be able to give hits like before.

Mariam Shafiq

Ek Tamanna Lahasil Si Episode 9 – Serious Yet Laughable.

 Well, I saw this episode light heartedly & enjoyed it a lot. The more serious it gets the more funny it seems to me.

All the quarrels & Ruqaiyyas’ input in the arguments is making the situation really funny in the drama. No doubt they have tried to project it in a serious way but to me it seems worthy of a laugh.

The story is making a progress at a lighter pace but is still showing something new every time. Finally we saw how Ali tackled the situation by taking about parting ways permanently with Hira. I thought after such a shock Hira would realize a little but unfortunately she still is the same. Jana Malik on her own is giving a lot from her side but I have a problem with her exaggerated expressions. No doubt she has big eyes but she shouldn’t express a lot through them because it makes her look appalling.

I liked the fact that they talked about Talaq in a proper manner where haq meher was also a part of discussion. Mostly in the dramas these days we see no attention being paid to such aspects as such & they project them without any consideration for example in Madiha Maliha, Maliha got divorced but joined the office of her Brother in Law whereas in Islam & in our culture there is a certain time period prescribed called Iddat for a lady who gets divorced in which she should stay at home. But on the other hand the ‘nariyal’ rasm was something I’ve heard for the very first time & to me it seems to be inspired from Hindus because I know there are a lot of non-Islamic rasms that happen in our society during weddings but Nariyal predicting the fate of Bahu is funny. Anyhow, In this drama we’ve seen Ali not being able to give divorce to Hira because of the huge amount promised to her in the name of Haq Meher. That is the reason he has allowed her to come back to his home.

We got to see a lot of scenes of Ahsan & Ramla this time too. I still feel she is too immature to play such a role, she was fine playing a role of a student but now she has become Ahsans’ wife. But as far as her character is concerned Ramla has shown how easy it is to present your opinion in a proper manner. She seems to be someone who won’t be taking the harsh words of Ruqaiyya & would present her opinion every time needed.

Mohsin & Ahsans’ quarrel was uncalled for & in the end Ruqaiyya blamed Nadia for all of that. We finally saw Father in law once again mentioning it in front of Ahsan while convincing him to apologize to Mohsin saying if you won’t say sorry to Mohsin it will take a toll on Nadia. Finally, we have Father in law, Ahsan & his wife Ramla as well who are going to support Nadia from now on.

I know many are still saying that they don’t need such dramas but I am amused to say that each one of us follow dramas of such kind with such a plot & story. So let’s watch it with an open heart & keep the criticism aside because we still follow it anyway. :)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Morning shows: Entertainment or Headache!?!

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We all are well aware of how our mornings are being ruined by the self-proclaimed reputed & respected morning show hosts. I may sound a little backward but I seriously miss the time when me & my siblings used to get ready for school & we only had PTV broadcasting Tilawwat of Quran Majeed to begin our day with followed by the Darood e Ibrahimi (trust me that’s how I got fluent in it by listening to it every morning Allhamdullilah). I am sure many of the readers will agree to what I am saying & what I am about to say. :)

Ah well! This obnoxious trend started off with GEO TV where Nadia Khan used to host the show. I understand it was a different experience for every housewife because they could just do their household chores along with watching Nadia Khan yap constantly. I understand it was appreciated because GEO was the only one hosting a show & there was no race for the TRPs. Nadia Khan did a good job because of her confidence. Later she lost the charm because her fame for sure affected her brain. She called every single person & started targeting their sensitive issues, insulting every single guest & to put an end to that journey what she did with Noor backfired on her perfectly leaving a great impact on every single fan of hers. I find it a bit amusing when people talk so high of her saying she was the best & we miss her. Ok, she might be the best in her screen presence & the way she carried herself but if we talk about the quality of her work….toot toot toot toot toot.

Anyways, now we have moved into another phase of the morning shows where each & every host is in the mode of “bhalla uski kameez meri kameez se safaid kaisay?” kind of a race. We start off our day with them listening to Indian songs, it’s al-right many people are addicted to music but I guess a moderate person having some values will for sure be thinking twice while listening to them subha savere. The first contradiction that we see is they say ASALAM ALAIKUM & let’s hear the music. Asalam Alaikum is a greeting where we wish peace for other human beings & there we go seeing them defying its essence by quickly tuning into music.

Excuse me for saying it but these days it seems like morning show hosts can go beyond the humane limits to grab the TRPS. Weddings, Jinns & Baby-Showers :O are the last things that anyone would want to see on their screens early morning. I heard Nida Yasir announce her TRPs at the end of her wedding week saying we have the highest TRPs this week & the whole staff cheered. She has been crossing a few limits but the limit was Hira’s Baby Shower where she was seen easily discussing about her personal details & history. Sharing secrets & Mani was seen talking about Hira’s weight gain & to top it up Nida Yasir said I am craving for another baby hayeee Yasir to nahi sun raha?!?!?!? I mean seriously?

The target audience of morning shows are housewives belonging to a certain background with very moderate values. We belong to the mind-set where when a lady is in this phase of her life she draws a huge dupatta & doesn’t come in front of her father because of the shyness & hats off to Nida Yasir & Hira for telling women to break the monotony by crossing the limits. That was the time I completely lost it & posted a piece of my mind to Nida Yasir but conveniently I never got a reply.

I read many comments of people saying ‘band karo yeh shows’ in shows ko band ho jana chahiye’ but all in vein. I just read an amazing article of Nida Zaidi about how Pakistani Drama Industry crushed the Indian Drama Craze that prevailed all over Pakistan so I am hoping that we can crush this pathetic trend of Morning shows too. Why can’t anybody take a stand against these below-the-belt shows? Why don’t we just stop seeing them so that they do not get the TRP’s? What could be done in order to stop these morning shows where they are making people complexed by flashing their designer dresses & talking about expensive make up products? What do they wish to turn Pakistan into?

I personally enjoyed watching those few months of morning show when Sanam Baloch used to host the show decently followed by Chef Adeels’ cooking show. That was something good that we saw on the TV. Sanam Baloch did an amazing job & the show was purely based on the interviews of the celebrities not something unnecessary. Recently Maya Khan’s Kitchen Idol was something interesting too if she had cut those unpolished dancers.

The point is that we have the potential for a healthy entertainment, we do not lack the ideas but it’s just that the show hosts either need to shut it or become more aware & DECENT in order to stop giving headaches to the people. I still wish that we hear the Tilawat of Quran Majeed on every single channel not at the time of Fajr when people hardly tune into their TV’s but in the peak hours of morning where every housewife switches it on.

Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Shahzad Shiekh To Marry Soon, Says Javed Sheikh!

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Shahzad Sheikh who started his career with ‘Dreamers’ drama serial and won the hearts of young female viewers in no time, is going to marry soon.  Shahzad has been lucky enough to have Javed Sheikh as his father, who is one of the most popular and versatile actors of not only Pakistan, but have been serving the entire sub-continent with his talent.  Although, he started his career in 2010, Shahzad earned a good reputation in the drama industry which further helped him getting his hands on more projects.

Kahi Unkahi Episode 5 – Getting Way Too Interesting

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Wow! Today’s episode was completely engaging. There are many aspects which have been highlighted in the episode this week with lots of progress. I am totally hooked to this drama because they have dealt with the script & the characters perfectly.

This week we’ve seen a few other sides of Zoya’s nature. She is soft spoken & head strong but she is completely sensitive yet can raise her voice when needed. The start of the episode was completely heart-wrecking where a young servant is being mistreated. Zoya’s restlessness & her tears put a light on the harsh reality & showed that such people do exist where they forget the humanitarian values & cross the limits. Zoya’s encounter with the servant’s mother was extremely well-executed & the dialogues were perfect.

We got to see more of Anums’ character in fact more of her true colors in this episode. Her unreasonable attitude towards Zoya said a lot about herself as well. Mr. Kamal, as usual; an irrational person backed her silly personal joke whereas Mrs. Kamal disliked it. What she said or did was totally uncalled for but then again they have to keep on highlighting the personalities of all the characters, which justifies the scene. But I still don’t understand why every-time they call Zoya for tea or even for passing the orders to the other servants. She ain’t a home-maker of their house nor she is a servant.

One very interesting revelation was of Shahzeb. He happens to be the brother of two sisters who are friends with both Anum & Zoya. Shahzeb was the one Anums’ mother was interested in but he found Zoya more appealing for obvious reasons. It could be clearly seen that when Anums’ friend tells her that Shahzeb has refused to get committed to her, she gets enraged & tries to cover it up by telling she ain’t interested in him either. Anum, however has started to show interest in Sherry even before he has arrived. Seems like he is the one who is up-to the mark of Anums’ expectations & standards. Now, at this point I can’t wait for Sherry’s arrival.

One unjustified thing today was Ansars’ behaviour & his conservative statements & values. At one point he has feelings for Zoya & is being extra particular about where she goes & who she meets & on the other hand he wants a partner who has a clean slate & has never interacted with men. His attitude towards his fiancée Mariam is surprising. On on hand he has agreed to get married but on the other he is least bothered. I am actually wondering what could be the reason behind his lack of interest towards his fiancée? Now we still have another thing to wait for.

Now last but not the least a say on Anums’ parents. We see that Mrs. Pervaiz is pretty much worried & wants to find a suitable partner for Anum whereas she is snubbed by Mr. Parvaiz saying ‘tum kya middle class ma’oon ki tarhaan shadi ki fikar kar rahi ho’. Excuse me? LOL! Do people belonging to high-class do not get their daughters married or leave them at loose to go & hunt for the husbands themselves? I guess the dialogue writers should always re-consider whatever they write because no matter which class one may belong to but our values are pretty clear about how two people get married & what sort of approvals the go through.

Anyhow, I like this drama to the extent that to wait for it for a whole one week seems like a burden but never-mind I am happy that the script is getting stronger & has a few surprises of it’s own. After seeing the preview for the next weeks episode I really can’t wait for it. :) Have your say on it readers.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

 

 

Indian Dubbed Cartoons – A Nuisance!

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Yes you read it right, I am so annoyed over the fact that our kids are being “taught” Hindi- Urdu through cartoons that are dubbed in Hindi-Urdu rather than the Urdu we speak here in our country. Not only this, many cartoons are based on cultural and religious myths of Hindus and while everyone talks against Indian shows on Pakistani channels and Indian models in Pakistani ads, we hardly ever hear anyone talking about these nonsensical cartoons, which have no educational value except that our kids are learning Hindi-Urdu very fast and they watch cartoon characters lying and cheat on-screen. Some years back PEMRA imposed a ban on Cartoon Network and Disney because of these dubbed shows but few months later this ban was lifted on the condition that these dubbed shows will not be shown on the channel. But after a few months the dubbed shows were back with a bang because our children are so addicted to them that they cannot survive without them! Those of you living in Pakistan who have children in the house will know what I am talking about. I have seen many children who are literally addicted to these shows and mothers have to impose a strict ban on Cartoon Network, Disney and Pogo but when kids go to friends’ houses their first request is that they want to watch Doraemon or Chota Beem.

Few months back when Geo TV announced that they were going to have Disney Time I was very happy to hear that because I thought that finally someone has thought about dubbing these shows in Pakistan. I am all for children watching cartoons in Urdu, as long as it is the Urdu we speak here in our country. But when I saw the cartoons being telecast on Geo I was utterly disappointed since they were dubbed in Hindi-Urdu, so basically our channels were just promoting the Indian Urdu even more. Sometimes it scares me that the kids who are growing up watching these programs won’t be able to tell the difference between the two languages. This is what I call cultural invasion in its true sense. Showing Indian advertisements is not as dangerous as this latest trend and something should be done to address the issue.

Indian Dubbed Cartoons - A Nuisance!

First of all my question is that even with so much technological development and enough monetary resources why can we not dub these cartoons ourselves? My second question is that if we have enough money to launch new news or entertainment channel every second month, why can’t we have one channel for children too? Pakistan television private or governmental has never produced good quality shows for kids in abundance. And I think that we are missing out on a great opportunity to educate our children through television. These children are our future and a little investment in them is going to go a very long way.

When Hum TV launched a new channel a few months back, I was not happy about it at all because Hum TV is doing so well already as far dramas are concerned so why not invest the same time, energy and money in doing something for the future generation? I am waiting impatiently for the day when we will have our own cartoons promoting our own values, language and customs. I have seen children watching animations like Dettol warriors and Safeguard ones over and over again. These animations are not meant for entertainment purposes at all but are very educational. Kids find them very interesting and follow the instructions given by the animated characters and understand the difference between good and bad as shown in these animated advertisements, this only goes to show that television is such a strong medium that it can bring about any kind of change. It is sad that we leave it to India to make and dub our children’s entertainment shows but can go on making endless dramas for grown ups. It is obviously more about money than doing something good for the betterment of the country.

PEMRA should take a step forward and this time around ensure that no Hindi-Urdu dubbed shows should air on Pakistani Cartoon Network. It would be much better that our kids watch these shows in English, Chinese or Japanese if we cannot do the dubbing ourselves.

Saud.

Haseena Moin Finds Today’s Drama Industry Unsatisfactory-What Do you Think?

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These days when most of the viewers of Pakistan’s Drama industry are finding this era as one of the most successful ones, It seems that there are some veteran Actors/ directors/ Script writers who are not satisfied with the trend that has been set these days. While I was searching for some latest updates, I found that the legendry drama writer, Haseena Moin has serious concerns about the present work that is appearing on screen.

Turkish Soaps to Conquer the Drama Industry- Pakistan’s Integrity at Risk!

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Although Pakistani Drama industry is attracting viewers where they are finding these dramas interesting enough to follow, it has recently been noticed that foreign dramas are somehow trying to make their entry in the country. Just like ‘Maria-Mummy Papa ki Jaan’, Ishq-e-Mamnoon, a Turkish Serial was aired and ended up conquering high ratings.  Where people are enjoying this change, it is turning out to be a real threat to the integrity and local industry of the nation.

Turkish Soaps to Conquer the Drama Industry- Pakistan’s Integrity at Risk!

For the readers who want to know more about the policy that is been used behind the idea, it is important to highlight the two modules that are followed worldwide. Countries that follow the first module allow the producers to have complete authority to air their dramas anywhere in the world, provided that the drama is first aired in the local country. On the contrary, countries like India fall in the second one where the channels own the rights and are the sole owners of the drama. A drama like Ishq-e-Mamnoon belongs to the first category.

It is a pity that Pakistan, just like few of the other domains, differs from the rules that are followed globally. In fact, the producers sell the projects to the TV Channels for 6-8 lacs per episodes, having profit up to 2-3 lacs. This is one of the reasons that are dramas cannot make their place in the international market despite of a high quality storyline and talent available.

Such foreign aired shows with their urdu translation are becoming a serious threat to the opportunities within the country where the biggest danger is to the Directors and Actors, which is genuine too. How would the local projects attract viewership when there would be a competition from the market outside the country too?

While a survey was been conducted to know about the views of the famous man-in-power in the industry, it was seen that all the artists and big producers are not satisfied with such shows going on air.  Talat Hussain, A senior Actor talked about the issue in the following words:

“These dramas show a more liberal Muslim society which our viewers want to see and feel, but does that mean that these programmes should be allowed in Pakistan? Certainly not — until or unless a dubbed Pakistani drama is playing in Turkey,”

If you go back in history, you will find similar interference of the East India Company that resulted in the separation of the Sub-continent, It is still long way to foresee any resemblance with the issue, but the government should take ‘smart’ actions to avoid disastrous effects on the  economy that depends on our Entertainment Industry.

Share Your Views About it,

Best Wishes,

Nida Zaidi

Atif Aslam is in an Open-Relationship-Rumour or News?

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There is no doubt about the fact that Atif Aslam is one of the most popular celebrities of Pakistan who has contributed incredibly in bringing a good name to the country, in terms of Music. This young Multi-talented celebrity has, however, kept his personal life confide in a shell where very few of his fans know about the relationship status of their idol. Although Atif never spoke openly whether he was engaged or committed but it was always a hard to believe for me that he was single. According to the latest news that is spreading via social media is regarding Atif Aslam’s Faince, Sara Bharwana.

Ek Naye Cinderella Episode 6 Review – Knight In Shining Armor

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‘Love is blind’, Meesha and Mahir has proved this phrase right. In Meesha’s blinded infatuation with Mahir, she cannot see who her real prince charming is. In her eyes, a prince charming is rich, handsome and travel on horses and Roman does not fit into this category. Will she ever realize what a true jem Roman is? Mahir is also blind towards Zaini’s true selfish nature.

Roman has once again proved that he is the ‘fairy man’. Meher had used every possible way to stop Meesha from going to Mahir’s place. The way Meesha cried was heart wrenching, but how can Meesha stay upset as long as Roman is there! He again proved to be her knight in shining armor! He did all her chores and dropped her off to Mahir’s place on a horse. Roman is also seen giving advice to Meesha to win over Mahir. And the advice actually worked! Meesha ignored Mahir and this left him boggled enough to finally notice her and make conversation. That’s progress!

Mahir is falling more in love with Zaini by the day. Zaini Mahir scenes were the most annoying part of the episode for me. How can Mahir even like Zaini? She is the most self centered person I’ve ever seen. Poor Meesha had to watch Zaini and Mahir together and could not help but feel jealous.

Another part of the episode which I liked was when Roman made Meesha realize that she should not have lied to Zaini. Meesha actually felt bad about her lie and tried to make Zaini go back to Mahir’s place. This shows that Roman is not only her helper but also her guider. He will always help her to distinguish between right and wrong.

We finally know why Meher is after Roman. She wants him to get married to Annie. Poor Roman doesn’t even know what is being planned for him. Annie’s attempt to talk to Roman was hilarious. This was the funniest part of the episode for me.

Roman has this quality of winning over everyone and he was finally able to win over Nano too. It was seen that she was against Roman at first, but Roman knows how to win people’s heart. A hot cup of tea with a little flattery helped him to win her over. I have a very strong feeling that Nano is considering Roman for Meesha. Nano is also well aware of Meesha’s feelings for Mahir, she thinks it is just an infatuation and will pass over time. We would have to wait to find this out…

Roman may be the savior for Meesha but his life is also a mess in itself. His relative cum employer is an inconsiderate woman. We saw this when she refused to let him enter in the house when he got late and made him sleep outside the house. I really felt sorry for Roman. Poor thing!

Zaini is also seen showing her true colors to Mahir. She became insecure when Meesha lied to her about Bano instigating Mahir against Zaini. She misbehaved with Mahir and taunted him of being dependent on his mother for everything. I’m happy that Mahir finally saw her true face. I hope he realizes what a selfish person she is.

Overall it was a good episode. We finally got to see some progress in Mahir Meesha’s relationship. At least he spoke to her! Roman made me a greater fan of him. I am COMPLETELY on Team Roman now.

I am really looking forward to the next episode. Will Meesha Mahir relationship finally move forward? Will he finally realize that Zaini is not the girl he had fallen in love with? Will Meesha ever realize who her true prince charming is? To find the answer don’t forget to watch the next episode of Ek Nayee Cinderella!

Mariam Shafiq

Coke Kahani – This is what we call a perfect sitcom!

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It is not like the usual sitcoms that we see on Pakistani television. They are based on vulgar and repeated jokes. In their unsuccessful attempt to show comedy, they compromise the story. Coke Kahani is a package of comedy and drama.

The story of Coke Kahani revolves around a broken family. Zoya’s (Syra Yousuf) parents do not live together. Her father Asfand (Faisal Rahman) lives in Pakistan and operates a restaurant called ‘Alfonso’ while she and her mother Maya live in Florida. On her visit to Pakistan to meet her father, she gets to know that he is selling his restaurant which he had inherited from his forefathers. The reason was that he had taken a big loan to support Zoya’s education and now he was unable to pay it back. Zoya feels indebted to him and plans to stay back and revamp the restaurant with the help of her friends; Raiyaan, Saad and Ruqaiya.

These three are some interesting characters that we get to see in this play. Raiyaan is seen as a lazy and an irresponsible person who never misses a chance to escape work. His attempts are hilarious and you can’t help but pity him at times. Saad and Ruqaiya, however, are the exact opposite, they are more sensible and mature.

Other interesting characters are of Jugno, Maria and Bedil. They are the employees of Alfonso. Bedil is the biggest flirt ever and his failed attempt to do ‘shayari’ and his weird imagination makes one rolling with laughter. Jugno, on the other hand, never fails to show his ‘feminine’ side with his unusual streak for cleanliness. His scenes are also a treat to watch. Maria is shown as a sweet, bubbly character who has hidden from her family about where she works for some reason. Interesting… I am curious to know why?

How can anyone forget Mr and Mrs Mutmaeen (Raiyaan’s parents)? In this episode we got to see a lot of light hearted moments between them. Mrs Mutmaeen wants to join university to study ‘Urdu Adab’, Mr Mutmaeen’s reaction to this news was a pleasure to watch. Poor Mr Mutmaeen couldn’t believe what he was hearing and he started imagining her in university. I think I died laughing on this scene. It’s a must watch!

Zoya’s strained relationship with her father is finally getting better. It is said that ‘silence creates misunderstandings’ and I think this was the reason for Zoya and Asfand not being close, both avoided talking to each other. Zoya took an initiative to fill the gap and she is finally succeeding. Asfand has finally opened up to the idea of his restaurant getting revamped, he appreciates Zoya’s efforts. He has finally seen a ray of hope. However, Maya’s interference may cause problems. She is not in the favor of Zoya staying with Asfand. She came all the way from Florida just to take Zoya back. Will she be able to convince Zoya to go back with her?

Mr Mutmaeen had never missed a chance to scold or degrade his son (not in a serious way though, the scene are usually very hilarious) but in today’s episode we got to see a new side of him. He may be stern with Raiyaan because of his irresponsibility, but he has complete faith in his son that he will always respect his parents. We also got to see a new side of Raiyaan, he is shown as a hotheaded young guy who likes to blame everything on his country. I loved the way Zoya made him realize that a person usually gets angry to cover up his shortcomings. Maybe Zoya would be able to change Raiyaan… Let’s see.

Ruqaiya and Saad have chances of ending up as a couple. Interesting… I always thought there was a chance of both of them being together. Ruqaiya is interested in Saad but Saad is busy dating her ‘burger’ girlfriend. Poor Ruqaiya! Saad thinks she considers herself too good for him.

Mehreen Jabbar’s direction is flawless as usual, the story by Mohammad Ahmed is very well written and the screenplay is simply fantastic. This is what we call a quality play. Coke Kahani is a breath of fresh air for me.

So guys, what will happen now that Maya is back? Will Zoya will able to save Alfonso? Will we finally get to know why Asfand and Maya got separated?
A lot of things are coming up. So stay tuned to Coke Kahani!

Mariam Shafiq

Tanhaiyaan Nayee Silsilay Episode 6 – Simple And Sweet

There wasn’t much development in the story in today’s episode but it had quite a few scenes that made me laugh and one scene in particular which was very moving. The scene when Serena and Zain are having a heart-to-heart conversation with each other right after Zeenia once again makes her father feel like he has never been a good father or husband. I simply love the faith Serena has in her dad and when Zain said “mujhe tum se batein kur ke aik dafa phir apne aap pe yakeen aa jata hai”, I could feel his pain. It happens so often with everyone of us when people who we love make us feel like we are not good enough or that we don’t give our relationships our best. It seems like Zain and Zara had a rocky relationship. Was it that Zara was very possessive about Zain and they fought a lot because of that? That is what I gathered from all the conversations regarding Zain and Zara today. Zeenia says to Zain that he used to shout at his mother like he was shouting at her and that Zara never liked it that Zain worked with women. Zeenia’s stubbornness and her attitude not just towards her father but also towards her sister and everyone else around her is getting to me. Serena lives life to the fullest but is sensitive and caring at the same time. While I understand that Zeenia is still trying to recover from the shock of her mother’s death but even then it seems like she is stubborn by nature. I am definitely loving Serena’s character; she is bubbly, fun and loving. Syra Yusef is turning into a brilliant actress and I expect a lot more from her in the future too.

Aani is always the voice of reason and I like how she explains everything to everyone without sounding too assertive. Kabacha is on a new mission to take revenge from the people who got Faraan into trouble and his plans made it sound like there are many interesting things to look forward to…bring it on Kabaacha.

I felt really sorry for poor Kishmish today, Serena will do anything to be a part of his film and the poor fellow does not know how to deal with Serena and Chandni both. I must add here that today for the first time I really enjoyed Chandni’s scenes, they were so hilarious! But I would not want a maid like her in my house, God the woman talks so much! Kaif Ghaznavi (Chandni) performed really well today and she is another person I am looking forward to seeing more of now.

Zeenia and Zarak Khan are still fighting like they just walked out of a Bollywood flick. These two actors definitely don’t have the kind of chemistry that one would wish for. Shehryaar Munawar was much better in today’s episode as compared to the last one but I am not exactly sold yet! By the way I did not quite get it, where did Zarak Khan get Zeenia’s number from since he had her number saved in his phone…maybe Sanya gave it to him since everyone is trying so hard that they should be friends. It was great to see Nosheen (Sophia) on-screen after such a long time, even though it was only for a minute or so. She looked radiant even after so many years.

Overall, this was an engaging episode, I definitely enjoyed most of the comedy scenes and in my opinion today’s episode belonged to Syra Yusef.

 Fatima Awan.

 

 

“Advertisements Promoting Indian Celebrities Should be Banned Soon”- Pakistan Parliament!

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After placing a ban on Indian Channels in the Country, it seems that the next target been set by the authorities is the appearance of Indian Celebrities in Pakistani Ads. According to the latest news, a paper has been passed by the Pakistani Parliamentary panel for banning the advertisements that feature Indian Models and actresses. Yes, you got it right, it is soon that Slice, Veet and Lux advertisements would not be bringing Katrina on Screen, Pantene would cast Saba Qamar in spite of Shilpa Shetty and Head & Shoulders would have someone other than Kareena.

Zindagi Gulzar hai Episode 1 – Loved It!

Finally the much awaited play went on air and I have to say that I found myself counting minutes today. This first episode introduced the viewers to almost all the characters that we will be seeing in the play. First of all let’s talk about what I liked about this first episode. I simply loved the characterization of Kashaf (Sanam Saeed) and Zaroon ( Fawad Khan) both. I found it very interesting the way they are poles apart and also the manner in which it was shown. Kashaf ke liye “zindagi aik buhat bara masla hai”, everything about Kashaf’s life bothers her and she does not believe in hoping for any better for the future. According to Kashaf “moajzay sirf defence aur Clifton mei hotay hai”, I found this particular dialogue so very amusing! Kashaf wakes up in the morning dreading the fact that she will have to change two different rides before she finally gets to the University. Although she never expected to get into the university in which only the rich and famous get admission but when she did we did not see her thanking God or being happy about it even for one second, simply because Kashaf believes that she does not deserve to be happy. There are reasons for Kashaf feeling this way; a father (Waseem Abass) who does not care about his family because he has another family to look after and that is the family he is more interested in and a mother(Samina Peerzada) who Kashaf loves dearly, therefore she cannot see her working so hard to make ends meet. Kashaf has also worked very hard herself too to get where she is today. How can a girl who is so negative come this far? I could not help but wonder that! Maybe because Kashaf is not just negative but also very practical and that must have been the driving force behind her success.  Kashaf does not believe in making “khiyalai palao” when in reality there is daal for dinner but when there actually is meat for lunch Kashaf does not eat it because it reminds her of her mother’s toota huva chashma and bag and all the struggle she has done all through her life. I absolutely loved Kashaf’s character because honestly speaking I know a few people like that who will never be happy with life no matter what. Besides, Sanam Saeed did a commendable job of convincing me at least that she was the perfect choice for playing Kashaf. She definitely scored an A+ on my list today.

On the contrary Zaroon believes “zindagi kiya khoobsurat cheez hai”. He is someone who cannot even remotely relate to the kind of life that Kashaf lives. Zaroon is your typical spoiled brat who never had to work hard for anything in life but thinks very highly of himself. In fact he is probably the only one who has such a high opinion of himself, everyone around him from his family to his friends think that he is irresponsible. Zaroon has seen so much comfort in his life, he would like a challenge in his life, something that will make his life less easy….ignorance is bliss I guess! Another very interesting thing about both these characters is that Kashaf despises men and thinks marriage is “ghulami”. She obviously thinks so because her father never looked after them and was never there for her mother, therefore she has a very negative opinion about men in general too. Zaroon, on the other hand thinks that women are the only aspect of life that is not enjoyable, although he is quite a flirt!

Zaroon’s mother Ghazala (Hina Bayat) is a very liberated woman who never feels the need to ask or tell her husband before going somewhere and her daughter Sara (Ayesha Omer) is the same too. Zaroon’s father Junaid (Javed Sheikh) and Ghazala are completely different from each other but it was plain to see that it is Junaid who has compromised all his life to make the marriage work because Ghazala has the final say.

Do I want to talk aboutAsmara? She was the only character which put me off. Why? Well, because Mehreen Raheel really needs to stop playing the same kind of characters and that too when she is playing Fawad’s best friend yet again who does not want him falling in love with someone else. I have no idea where the Asmara/Zaroon track will go from here but I must say that I did not enjoy the Asmara/Zaroon scenes…I just watched the two in Ashk and the characters are still very fresh in my mind. Why couldn’t Mehreen Raheel for once play Fawad’s sister and Ayesha Omer could play the “friend”! We only got to see a glimpse of Shehryaar Munawar so can’t say much about his character or acting. Samina Peerzada was spot on as usual, good to see her playing the mother.

I must say that personally Kashaf’s character and dialogues appealed to me more than Zaroon’s character, at least after watching this first episode (Fawad Khan fans please don’t kill me!). I am more than willing to fall in love with Zaroon’s character! Overall, really really enjoyed some of the dialogues in particular, the acting and direction both were spot on and I have to say it was well worth the wait.

I am sure everyone watched this first episode whether you were or weren’t looking forward to it so please share how you felt about this first installment.

 

Fatima Awan.

What Ingredients Make a Drama Hit?

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Just like any other business in the world, the revenue been generated by the dramas depend on some significant features that contributes in deciding whether the drama was a hit or a disappointment. In our industry, where we see directors and producers often talking about the poor resources been allotted to the entertainment industry, it is also evident that the dramas that are emerging at this time of stage are truly great.

It is interesting to notice that although much of the dramas differ from one another, they still share same factors behind the screen. Here are 5 suggested factors that play a vital role in generating revenue from the TRPs of the Show.

Mera Yaqeen Episode 17 – Intentions Revealed

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We got to see a lot of development in the story as well as true insight into the characters in this episode. First of all, I would like to mention the strong bond that has been developed between Asfan and Nazish. Asfan has fallen head over heels for Nazish and trusts her completely. The extent of his trust was seen when he saw Nazish talking to Ahmer. He never questioned her about him. It was Nazish who told him that he was her first husband, who had left her for another woman. He did not get offended but spoke a beautiful line which said it all…“Uski Badnasibi aur meri Khushnasibi ke usne apko chora”. This simple sentence shows how lucky he feels to have a partner like Nazish. Another example of their growing bond was seen when Asfan was sharing his feelings with her that he was losing hope that Maha would ever recover and that he feels helpless that he cannot do anything for her. She again gave him courage and assured him that everything will be fine; he just needs to keep his faith in God. She has become his support system and boosts him up whenever he feels low or sad because of Maha’s taunts and offensive comments. She makes him realize that Maha’s illness is the reason for her rude behaviour. Nazish is the perfect example of a woman. She is patient, kind, compassionate and understanding. (Maybe a little too perfect at times)

Maha has finally made the decision about taking the steroids. She had given a confirmation from her side to the doctor. I still don’t understand what kind of a doctor would recommend such treatment. Maha is well aware of the consequences. Her life span will be shortened but Maha is adamant on her decision. We also got to see the positive results of the treatment. Maha’s condition is showing improvement. However, Asfan is suspicious that Maha is hiding something from him. He fears that she would want to end her life.

 His fear becomes true when Maha attempts to end her life. She was saved by Nazish who walked into the room at the right moment. However, Maha’s malign motives were revealed when she changed her tactic and accused Nazish of attempting to kill her. I did not expect Maha to fall so low. Her attempt to prove Nazish as a murderer was just pathetic! But I am happy and proud of the fact that Asfan did not doubt Nazish’s intention even for a second. He has full faith or ‘Yaqeen’ on Nazish and had no doubts on her pure intentions. Previously, I had some doubt that Asfan would leave Nazish due to circumstances created by Maha but now I am absolutely sure that Asfan would never leave Nazish. The relationship based on trust always has the potential to prosper and remain strong.

The most annoying part of the episode was Ahmer’s scenes. Ahmer is becoming more intolerable by the day. He actually had the guts to ask Nazish the answer to the marriage proposal he had sent. How can you send a marriage proposal to a married woman? This man is just disgusting. He needs to understand that Nazish is not a toy whom he can discard and then try to gain it back. She is a human being with feelings, just like everyone else. Another intolerable character is of the maid Sabira. Once again she was seen instigating Maha against not only Nazish this time, but also Asfan which resulted in a heated argument between Maha and Asfan.

Well, all I can say is that I am completely on team Nazish now. I felt sympathy for Maha previously but after her wrong accusation on Nazish, I have lost the little respect I had for her. Let’s see if Maha would actually get better after taking the injections.
So guys, whose side are you on? Team Nazish or Team Maha? Do share your views.

Mariam Shafiq.

Sanam Baloch – An Underrated Actress?

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Sanam Baloch – An Underrated Actress?We have seen a lot of overrated actresses in our drama industry. The hype and popularity they receive are more than what they deserve. They are mostly not popular because of their acting skills but due to their glamorous roles and the publicity that they receive. However, there are some actresses that are underrated. They have proved on various occasions their brilliant performance as actors but they still have not received the recognition and popularity that they truly deserve. When I hear the word ‘underrated actress’ the first name that comes to my mind is Sanam Baloch.

Sanam Baloch started her career as an anchor on the Sindhi channel KTN. She made her debut in dramas through the play Kalaq, opposite Fahad Mustafa, which was aired on PTV in 2008. The drama turned out to be a huge hit. In the same year, she was also seen in the play Doraha, alongside Humayun Saeed, which again turned out to be a hit show.

However, she gained the fame from her stupendous performance in Dastaan which was aired in 2010. The show was based on the novel written by Razia Butt and was one of the best dramas of 2010. Her role as ‘Bano’ was critically acclaimed. She received the Annual Lux Style Award for the Best Tv Actress (Satellite) for her role in Dastaan.

I still have her scenes imprinted on my mind; her splendid performance had no doubt left everyone speechless. Her sizzling chemistry with Fawad Khan set the screen on fire and her struggle and desire to reach her country after independence was portrayed beautifully by her. I had never thought she had so much potential in her as an actor. I always considered her acting skills to be average but my opinion about her changed drastically after this show. In the same year, we got to see Daam, a play written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Mehreen Jabbar. Daam was the story of the friendship between two friends, Maliha and Zara, one from a rich background played by Amna Sheikh and other was shown belonging to a lower middle class family played by Sanam Baloch. Sanam again proved that she is a magnificent actress. She played the role of Zara to perfection. In the same year, she also did a show called Chemistry opposite Danish Taimoor.

In 2011, she was seen in Akhbari Asghari and Kuch Pyar Ka Pagalpan Bhi Tha. She played a negative character in the play Akbari Asghari which comes in the genre of romantic comedy. She was also seen playing a grey shaded character in Kuch Pyar Ka Pagalpan Bhi Tha. However, both the shows failed to impress the audience. Akbari Asghari was rated as an average show while the latter turned out to be a huge flop. In 2012, she did Dur e Shahwar which is considered one of the best dramas of 2012. She was last seen in Roshan Sitara which went off air recently. She was also seen in Amanat Ali’s music video of the song Thumri. Sanam was seen as a morning show host on Hum Tv a few years back and is currently seen as a morning host on Samaa Tv.

What I find disturbing is that even after proving her versatility time and time again and giving so many hit shows, she had not gained the level of popularity that she deserves. She is not being offered quality scripts by popular production houses. She is seen in the same monotonous roles as she has been type casted by production houses. In my opinion, she is a superb actress and deserves to be admired by the audience and appreciated for her roles. She is not glamorous and does not seek publicity in any way. She is just a simple actor and tries to prove herself through her acting skills and that is what impresses me the most.

Mariam Shafiq.

Komal Rizvi’s New Album Record Label Deals with Saregama HMV!

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These days when we see our actors been insulted publicly across the border, few miles away, Komal Rizvi’s recent record label deal with Saregama HMV for her new album owes an ovation. Despite of the miseries that have been coming on and off in the career of this singer, Actress, Model, and what not, it seems that she has finally made her way.

Fawad Khan turns 31- Celebrates His Birthday!

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It seems that Pakistani Media is now all revolving around the dashing, the cute, The Asher of Humsafar.  We have been sharing some real interesting posts with our readers, highlighting the popularity of this Singer-turned- actor, and here we are again, presenting sensational news about this heart-throb actor, Fawad Afzal Khan.

Ik Tamana Lahasil Si Episode 9: Predictable Yet Interesting

By now everyone is pretty much aware with the plot of the drama. I see feedback of many telling it’s a typical & predictable story but I believe even if it is something common & has been seen before but still is a bitter yet real portrayal of the demons in our society that exist for sure & can be watched over & over again. However, the plot may be old but the execution is new.

Today’s episode didn’t make much progress apart from a few more revelations in regards to Ali especially. Before I move on to the ladies I’d rather discuss the gents first. Only one question that pokes me is ‘when will the gents of Ruqqaiyyas’ house stop acting like such wusses?’. Fahad Mustafa is playing a role of such a character which no doubt many women unfortunately live with. Mohsin continues to believe blindly in what his mother is telling him & is acting irrationally especially towards Nadia. Unfortunately, Ruqqaiya somewhat succeeds in brain-feeding & infiltrating her husband’s mind against Nadia, which was grievous to see Nadia losing one out of the two supporting members she had. No doubt the drama is based on the women but the male characters are making a strong impact too & I feel they are overshadowing the women to some extent because it may show the women being the dushman of the other women but the insincerity & ‘ignoring-mode’ of gents truthfully prevails in our society.

Mohsins’ action on Ruqqaiyas’ reaction was really sad. Nadia has done nothing to deserve this sort of a treatment. Ahsan once again made a mark by standing up against his mother. I liked the dewar-bhabhi relationship shown in Dur-e-Shehwaar but this one is equally sweet. The way Ahsan feels for Nadia is really touching & how he honestly shares the mistreatments & unfair practices of his mother.

I have an issue with the girl playing the role of Ahsans’ student. No doubt Ramla is fine when it comes to being a student but later she will become his wife & that is a bit unacceptable. A couple of years ago I saw her playing a role of someone’s daughter & here she is acting in a role that is not suited for the girl her age for sure.

One completely objectionable thing in this episode was the scene of Ali & his girlfriend. In the previous episode they had clearly revealed the state of their relationship during that short phone conversation where he was casually discussing what they have been up-to  But today’s scene was really creepy & intolerable to the extent that I had to forward it. I don’t think they needed to show the skin-ship (word used for physicality by Koreans) at all because it was unnecessary & beyond words disgusting. We really do not need to actually SEE such sort of things to know what they are trying to tell.

Finally, Hira has started to receive what she deserved & for what she has done with her ex-husband. With the hardship of Hira, Ruqqaiya is also going to go through that phase. Alis’ drinking habits have been exposed in front of Hira & once again she creates a havoc. In this particular moment I feel Hira is not at fault because no doubt she had to face something because of what she has done previously but after getting married to Ali she was a sincere wife & loved him a lot. Even though she couldn’t become a good Bahu or Bhabhi but was a reasonable wife who adored her husband. But then as we know what goes around comes around. This is exactly how we can describe her state.

Ruqqaiya’s contradictions have been at the peak in this episode as well. When Mohsin hits Nadia she doesn’t feel a remorse over getting an orphan girl beaten & when her son-in-law hits her daughter she claims ‘uski ye majjal’. lol. Mohsin seems like a well-fed & personally trained goon of Ruqqaiya in stead of her son but still I find all the actors deeply involved in their characters doing a marvellous job & I’m sure I’ll continue watching this drama.

Please share your opinions about the latest episode.
Keep supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.