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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

We see new shows launching everyday but unfortunately most actors are doing similar kinds of roles and they fail to show their versatility. They choose or are offered similar kinds of scripts and the viewers are not able to see their full potential as an actor. I have stated a few actors who top the list as the most versatile actors.

When we hear the word versatility, the first actor that comes to everyone’s mind is Faisal Qureshi (currently seen in Mera Yaqeen and Mera Pehla Pyaar). He is one actor whose character you can fall in love with in serials like Maane Na Yeh Dil and Meri Unsuni Kahani, where he has played the lover boy or absolutely hate him in serials like Aik Hatheli Pe Hina Ek Hatheli Pe Laho, Umm-e-Kulsum and Man O Salwa where he has played negative roles to perfection. He can make you laugh by dressing up as a woman in Kis Din Mera Viyah Howega or make you cry by portraying a man drowned in guilt in Meri Zaat Zara e Benishan. From his dialogue delivery to his expressions, all is outstanding. His eyes alone can speak volumes and convey the deepest emotions. He is no doubt one of the best actors of our drama industry and is loved and respected by all viewers.
Furthermore, he is not only an actor but also a host in a morning show as well as a judge in a dance reality show. How he manages to be at so many places at once is something that boggles one’s mind.

The second in my list is Nouman Ijaz. He has proved again and again by his performance in a variety of roles that he is a versatile actor. He can be the all mighty and powerful Malik Wajahat in Mera Saeein; his performance in this drama leaves you in awe of him. At the same time, he can also be the timid man scared of his wife in Bari Apa. His performance leaves you spellbound and makes you wonder, ‘Is this the same man?’ He has the personality and the aura that helps him to portray each and every character to perfection. His performance in Jhumka Jan and Khamoshiyan is also commendable. His other popular serials include Man o Salwa, Lahasil, Dur e Shahwar and the list goes on.

The third in my list is Fahad Mustafa. If somebody had asked me a few years ago if Fahad was a versatile actor, I would have said no. But after his brilliant performance in Mein Abdul Qadir Hoon, he has left everyone speechless. His brilliant depiction of three opposite personalities of a single person was absolutely SUPERB! His performance has no doubt made everyone his hardcore fan. His negative character in Pul Sirat and Mera Saeein 2 was also appreciated by his fans. Although both these shows lacked a strong script and were not so successful, the main reason why I followed these shows was Fahad Mustafa’s splendid performance. His performance in his current show Ik Tamanna Lahasil Si, where he plays the obedient son again proves his versatility.

The fourth in my list is Humayun Saeed. He had been in the drama industry for a long time now and had given us shows such as Mehndi, Ijazat, Doraha who all have been a huge hit. However, his role in Kaafir had made me his fan all over again. His depiction of an egoistic man who considers himself god leaves one speechless. His grey shaded character in Ishq Junoon Deewangi leaves one spellbound. He has played the character of a person obsessed to a point of madness with a lot of finesse. His portrayal of a split personality disorder character in Uraan is definitely worth the applause.

The fifth in my list is Adnan Siddiqui. He has been in the drama industry for more than two decades now. He has shown his versatility in serials like Parsa, Meri Zaat Zara e Benishaan where he has played the character of a man who had lost his love. He had also played negative or grey shaded characters in dramas like Doraha and Vasl. His other shows include Mehndi, Amar Bail, Mulaqat. His current role in Muhabbat Jaye Bhar Mein may lack a good story and screenplay but I found Adnan Siddiqui’s acting superb.

These are the top male actors of our industry who have proved their versatility time and again.

Mariam Shafique.