Ohkay so, this episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan was phenomenal. I loved how everything has been unfolding in this drama at every stage, like they are making us feel for the characters every step of the way & are revealing the true colors of some of the characters as well, which makes it such an interesting watch because you are forced to decipher everything as it comes as not everything is explained in detail but just a few hints here & there make you understand and think about the entire scenario, which is amazing. The director has shown what an amazing grip he had on the script & that is why he succeeded in getting the best out of all these actors & making all the situations insightful, which has turned Alif Allah Aur Insaan into a complete package.

So, Raani now known as Reena Begum’s dreams came crumbling down when she had to face such dire consequences only because someone else praised her for the talent she had which she was oblivious of. Nigaar Begum made sure to draw a line that too in a very harsh manner to kind of teach Raani a lesson that she shouldn’t cross that territory which Nigaar designed for her. I loved how for a brief moment they showed Raani’s mother thinking about her daughter even when she wasn’t feeling well & the next moment they showed Raani terrified, thinking about the one person who is all about comfort – her mother. For that brief moment Raani looked like a little girl in the park who gets scared if she loses her mother’s sight & this is what Raani was going through, she knew that she burnt all the bridges when she made the choice of moving to Nigaar’s realm, but now she was realizing that it wasn’t going to be easy, it wasn’t easy not being able to see or speak to her mother of all the people.

The conversation that the rest of the courtesans had about Nigaar, Raani & their own fate was heart wrenching as it described how helpless they were & how empty they felt from inside. The fact that they all felt bad for Raani showed that they knew Nigaar in & out & they were very well aware of what Nigaar’s colorful past where she stepped on others to come to this position that she was now enjoying the bounties of. I loved how each & every other conversation, be it the one that the courtesans were having or Raani’s notes to herself, revolved around the comparisons of what life was like inside or could be like outside this brothel. As harsh as it may be, but the reality check has struck Raani & she now knows that she didn’t make a right choice. I loved how there was a scene showing Raani standing behind iron window bars, it depicted that a free bird was now caged and she was restless because she isn’t used to this kind of life. I can’t wait to see what life has in store for Raani, how she will pave her way out of this golden cage. I want to see that if Raani will assure Nigaar that she won’t be taking her place ever, will Nigaar grow a little courteous towards her? I know Nigaar has made some very bizarre choices in the past to get where she is at this stage but I want to see if she will make any exceptions for Raani?

So, Nazneen has all of a sudden started showing interest in Basit. I think I would’ve found it a bit convincing if Nazneen had paid attention to Basit without anyone’s suggestions, like then her feelings would’ve seemed genuine but now it’s like just because she is under the influence of her friends, she is seeing Basit through a different perspective. Nazneen was introduced as someone who does what she deems right & doesn’t listen to anyone, so to see her following her friends’ instructions wasn’t in line with her character. Yes, this happens, like usually its the friends who push you into something that you have never paid attention to all your life but the sudden switch in Nazneen’s attitude was a little hard to digest. In the preview, when I saw the scene where Nazneen complimented Basit, I thought that would be just the beginning & she will take things slow that too after she will genuinely develop feelings for him but I was taken aback when I saw her openly hitting on him every chance she got while completely ignoring the fact that Basit was uncomfortable. I understand, Nazneen is quite self-absorbed & she is immature like spoiled to think about anyone else but to see her being completely oblivious of Basit’s discomfort was once again displeasing. This entire scenario as much as I thought would be interesting has had a shaky start, I do however feel that Shammo’s curse that he blurted for Nazneen will come to haunt her & may be that will be her undoing & we will see a change in her attitude, her nature & her overall personality but right now, things are still not as appealing as I thought they would be.

Even though things were awkward for Basit but I liked seeing his take on this entire scenario where Nazneen was getting a bit too frank with him & he was drawing a line. Not sure how long Basit will be able to ignore Nazneen’s advances but it was actually quite mature of him to remind her that she was engaged & that they had parallel paths. The way Basit’s attitude changed after Malik Hashmat’s call did suggest that for a moment he actually forgot about the differences between Nazneen & him & he also forgot that Hashmat has entrusted his daughter to him, but all of a sudden his phone call served as a reality check & Basit was forced to face the reality. I also enjoyed the conversation that Malik Hashmat had with his wife, it was interesting how he had so much of confidence on Basit & wasn’t actually bothered about the fact that his daughter could do something to displease him, whereas his wife on the other hand was far more practical & realistic as she could feel that so much of freedom & independence might push Nazneen to focus on other things in her life, which she can not afford to.

I loved the note at which the episode ended, I am glad they didn’t drag things & made it happen a bit too quickly, which was Shammi’s encounter with Raani at Nigaar’s brothel. I so want to see if Nigaar will now grow jealous of this little detail too that Shammi knows Raani or she will ignore it because if that happens, then Shammi will definitely be able to help Raani in getting out of this jail. Shahzeb’s scene was strictly alright, like even he has now realized that he is not Nazneen’s priority & even though he is hurt, he is trying to hide it from his mother but Zaitoon can see that Nazneen is becoming an emotional burden for Shahzeb.

Overall, I loved this episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan, I enjoyed the direction of this episode the most, like the director has executed this drama with so much of perfection that a few little praises just aren’t enough. Ushna Shah once again stole the show, it was absolutely heart-wrenching seeing Raani crying out loud in fear & then shedding a few tears because she was saddened by the turn her life has taken. All of Raani’s thoughts are so easy to understand & the credit goes to Ushna for making this possible. Shehzad sheikh definitely shone in this episode, I feel no other actor could’ve given this sort of treatment to Basit’s character which Shehzad has. The preview of the next episode seemed interesting however, I will say that I am not looking forward to Shahzeb & Baba Jee’s conversation, lol. Basit will be sharing his feelings with his friend, which means he will get affected by Nazneen’s sudden interest in him. Things are looking promising & I can’t wait to watch the next episode. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so, this episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan was interesting but slow at the same time. It did have some developments to its credit & for the first time I enjoyed watching Nazneen’s track too because it offered something new other than her tantrums. I feel the direction is the strongest point of this drama & the way everything has been laid out really makes Alif Allah Aur Insaan an enjoyable experience to tune to.

Rani, a free bird has been locked down in a golden cage & unexpectedly she learnt the bitter truth a bit too early. Just when Rani assumed that she was learning to fly on her own, she got a reality check that she wasn’t as free as she thought she was because this cage belonged to Nigaar Begum. I think this realization was sudden but somehow still quite convincing because Rani might be innocent but she is not dumb or naive to not understand the intricacies of life because the background that she comes from has taught her a lot already. For the first time Rani regretted choosing this path as now she knows she has no turning back but I am sure the fighter that she is, she will pave her way out of this cage. I enjoyed the conversation that Nigaar had with Rani, like I already see Nigaar getting a bit uncomfortable with Rani & her persona, may be she is already feeling insecure as based on her experience, she can see the heights Rani can go to & this is something that Nigaar won’t tolerate, that too in her realm which she rules, because other than that, she has nothing to hold onto. Nigaar can sense a change in Rani’s attitude & that is why she has already started drawing a few lines.

So, now that Nazneen’s out in the city, living her dream, she feels she has nothing to do with Shahzeb & that is why she didn’t reciprocate the feelings that he was constantly reminding her of from his side. Nazneen got what she wanted & now she has nothing to do with Shahzeb, even though she didn’t make it too obvious in the past but now she gave a loud & clear message to him which obviously hurt him. Shahzeb’s mother Zaitoon could see that the reason behind Shahzeb’s bad mood was Nazneen & her attitude, like she could sense that Nazneen might not be in love with Shahzeb but I liked the fact that in stead of saying any such thing in front of her son, she tried to make him understand Nazneen’s perspective where she asked him to give her some space to allow her to concentrate on her education. On the other hand Zaitoon felt the need to speak to Nazneen & remind her of a certain responsibility that she as a fiancée had towards Shahzeb, which again wasn’t well-received by Nazneen as she is too self-absorbed & immature to understand.

Just when I thought that may be Nazneen’s friends will exploit her I found it interesting how they tried to shape up her character & tried to show her the bigger picture. I think these friends will help Nazneen a great deal & will teach her to not judge everyone based on their status & social standing. Nazneen’s outing with her friends & their comments about Basit were the least impressive scenes of this episode, however I liked Shehzad sheikh‘s limited performance. I think it is actually quite sweet that Basit is taking his job quite seriously & is quite responsible when it comes to Nazneen. I can already see Nazneen getting interested in Basit, but I am actually more interested in seeing what Basit will have to say when he will find that out.

So, Rani showcased another talent that she had, which wasn’t well-received by Chaman Begum. I think Chaman has read Nigaar in detail, that is why she ignited the spark & warned Nigaar that may be Rani was trying to take her place. Chaman knows about Nigaar’s insecurities a bit too well, that is why she made sure to convey the matter in such a tone that would get a reaction out of her. I am sure Rani is going to get herself into a lot of trouble but I want to see her fighting back & not succumbing to any of the pressures.

Overall, this episode covered some little details which were conveyed nicely. At this stage I can say I am looking forward to Nazneen & Basit’s track. I wish Kubra Khan had relied a little less on the makeup, yes I know she is carrying a look of a girl from an affluent family but her neat curls & silk dresses would’ve done the job perfectly, as seeing her waking up from sleep with her makeup on-fleek did seem a bit unrealistic. We all have seen her looking absolutely pretty with no makeup look in Sang e Marmar, so she could’ve brought that in again, in some of these scenes, also she had a great example in the form of Ushna Shah in front of her, who has given a perfect treatment to Rani’s character in terms of makeup & overall get up, so yes, Kubra could’ve done that too. Shehzad sheikh is another actor who has really been impressive acting wise in the limited coverage that he gets. Rani’s outburst was conveyed beautifully by Ushna. Also, Nargis Rasheed has portrayed the worries of a loving mother to perfection. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so, this episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan was pretty good & pretty straight forward. It came with a lot of developments in almost all the tracks & the best ones got the most coverage which was the best part about it. I like the fact how the director has balanced out the screen-time between all the characters & makes sure to keep the focus on all of their stories.

So, Raani became Reena Begum. Even though the flower vendor warned her about the pit she was going to step into but Raani being Raani didn’t bother listening to him as she was ecstatic for the new opportunity that she thought was awaiting her. I am sure if Raani had the slightest of idea about what she was going to get into, she would’ve thought things through, but I guess this turn was needed because otherwise she wouldn’t have learned about the intricacies of life. I feel Raani will now get to experience a very different life which will definitely shape up her perspective & priorities.

So, finally Shammo became Shammi & it was such an amazing moment. I loved that after Jamal, Shammo finally met another good human being who accepted Shammo for who he was & told him to explore new territories. I think the writer here deserves full points in showing how people can help others in their walks of life & how one suggestion is enough to change someone’s entire journey.

Even though for now Nigaar & Raani aren’t at the same page but I kind of liked this disconnect between the two. Raani thinks Nigaar has scored everything whereas when it comes to Nigaar, she is suffocated with the life that she is living. Nigaar has so much of emptiness inside her which Raani is unable to understand or relate to because in her perspective, just because Nigar has money, she has everything. I am definitely interested to see how Raani will start understanding Nigaar’s thought process & what she will deduce from it because it was kind of amusing how absorbed Raani was in her own philosophies while Nigaar was sharing her burdens with her.

So, Nazneen has moved to her hostel & as expected, she made quite an impression on her roommate. It was interesting how Sarwat told Nazneen to have some respect for those who love her but Nazneen wouldn’t understand since she is so self-absorbed & doesn’t take her relationship with Shahzeb seriously. Even though Shahzeb’s connection with Baba Jee is something special & a delight to watch but seeing the similar kind of conversations happening on the same lines in the preview of the next episode made me feel that it will lose the charm if they will keep repeating the same ‘falsafa’ over & over again because this is what usually happens with philosophies, they can force you to snap out of them pretty quickly. However, in this episode, Baba Jee’s perspective about Love for Almighty was conveyed nicely, also it was good to see how Shahzeb also was on the same track as him where he didn’t seem clueless, but in stead had a clear cut idea of what Baba Jee was trying to teach him. I feel Shahzeb’s heart-break will bring him closer to his Creator, may be that’s going to be the crux of the love that he has for Nazneen.

Oh well, Shammi & his transformation. It was so good to see him as a successful makeup artist & hair stylist that was in demand. I loved seeing this new Shammi who was confident & free from all the baggage that he was carrying before. I think Salma deserves credit for this because he allowed Shammi to explore things, to experiment & to find himself. Salma’s connection with Nigaar definitely forced me to think that this is exactly how Shammi will come across Raani now, where he will replace Salma as Nigaar’s makeup artist & will get to see Raani in the brothel.

I must say it was interesting to see how Raani got bored of taking care of Nigaar, like this shows that she is someone who won’t settle for something similar for a long time. Raani wanted to get into Nigaar’s realm & now when she got into it, she wanted to touch new boundaries. The note at which this episode ended was interesting like it took Raani from being happy & inquisitive to scared & confused because she got introduced to the dark side of the picture which she had never imagined, but since Raani is a fighter & she is someone who believes in making her own ways, she will find a way out of this too if Nigaar & her dictatorship will become overbearing for her.

Overall, this episode was interesting & offered a lot of new things. I loved watching the transformation of Shammi especially & then Raani even though life has become a bit stagnant for Raani but she will surely do something good for herself in the future. I must say Saife Hassan & Nargis Rasheed deserve a special mention for adding so much of life & charm in their very limited scenes. It was good to see Raani’s mother supporting her daughter & telling her husband that he was responsible for pushing Raani to the limit, not many mothers do that in our dramas where they stand by their daughters. Nargis Rasheed’s expressions when Saife Hassan threw the slipper towards her were priceless. Imran Ashraf was the star of the show tonight, he made Shammo’s transition into Shammi a treat to watch. Also, can we just take a moment to praise what an artist Hassan Noman is, like we have seen him as Ilyas Kashmiri (Preet Na Kariyo Koi) then Bulbul Khan (Sang e Marmar) & now Salma, like is there any role that he can’t play that too with perfection? I thoroughly enjoyed his bits too & hope his character stays in the story for long a time. Sana Fakhar has done a great job in conveying Nigaar’s burdens & void clearly & so has Ushna in conveying Raani’s inquisitive nature. Mikaal & Kubra seem to be least impressive so far but I am hoping something better in their tracks in the future. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so, it was such an engaging episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan. I love the fact that the director has given equal coverage to all the characters. Apart from one of the tracks, rest of them are so interesting that you can not keep a track of time while watching their stories unfold. What I love about Alif Allah Aur Insaan‘s theme is that even though it is based on quite a lot of dire situations & showcases difficulties that people go through but the way they all have desires & hopes, it gives this drama a very positive feel.

So, we got to know about the very first interaction that Nigaar had with Shahzeb. It was a case of love at first sight & this might’ve been possible because out of all the men sitting as spectators, Shahzeb was the only one who didn’t see or treat Nigaar as a commodity. Nigaar is used to the idea of turning the heads around & she is so used to the attention, that when she didn’t get it from someone, she deemed it as a challenge to make it happen while still having this massive amount of respect for the one who didn’t look at her the way others did. I think it showed a very vulnerable side of Nigaar where she opened up to Shahzeb thinking he will understand her feelings because for the first time in her life, she experienced an emotion of love. Obviously, Shahzeb had to draw a line & glad that he did because it also showed Nigaar that not everyone believes in her way of expression of love. Shahzeb hurt Nigaar & the time will tell how the same emotion of love will become a reason for Shahzeb’s heart break too. Nigaar finally put a closure to this chapter & decided to move on but the love of Shahzeb still lingers in her heart but she definitely has promised to not hurt herself more & more by thinking about him.

Nazneen finally got an admission into the university & she is all set to pursue her dreams. It wouldn’t have been possible without Shahzeb’s support but since she got what she wanted, that’s all that matters to her. Nazneen obviously didn’t jump up with joy at the news of her sudden engagement with Shahzeb because she is clearly not into him. Till this point, Nazneen & Shahzeb’s track is the only one that I don’t really enjoy watching but now that she will step outside her village & will be around Basit, I will definitely be looking forward to their story as I am sure it will be a bit more interesting than the current situation that is happening. Still not too sure about Shahzeb’s character too like he is the only one who seems to be lacking a personality because apart from him being in love with Nazneen, we don’t really know much about him. Basit on the other hand didn’t get as much coverage but his character still seems appealing. I also like how despite being a son of a loyal servant, Basit doesn’t hold back in sharing what’s on his mind in front of Nazneen’s parents & I like how confident he generally is.

So, Raani finally got to meet Nigaar, her ideal. It was quite interesting how at that very moment, Nigaar, the courtesan spoke about living her life as a beggar while they showed how a beggar herself came to the brothel only to experience what life was like in there. Raani knows that the money that she will earn will keep her parents satisfied but she also knows that her parents will never approve of her choices, that is why she kept it as a secret but only handed over the money to her mother to give her a little idea of how much money she’ll be bringing home. I think it was quite sweet of Raani where she took her time & went back to her home after meeting Nigaar for the first time, like she didn’t want to make a hasty decision & needed some time to think things through because she was still a little concerned about her parents & their opinions. Raani still doesn’t actually know who Nigaar is & what does she do but its just that she is so fascinated by what she has heard or seen till date that she can’t get it out of her head.

After Raani’s track & character, I love Shammo’s story too. I feel this sort of warmth every time I see someone treating Shammo with utmost respect & affection. Shammo surely met a good human being who didn’t judge him for who he was but treated him as an equal & respected him based on his talent. Shammo showed that he has a knack for hair-styling & he believes in hard work, that is why his master recommended him to one of his students who now owns a big salon in the city. This will definitely open up more opportunities for Shammo & he will get to learn so much more. Even though Shammo has received so much of appreciation, his life so far has been so tough that he still hasn’t gained a lot of confidence, that is why the moment he senses that he will have to step out of his comfort zone, he gets scared & uncomfortable. I think this aspect also makes Shammo’s character & journey quite realistic & relate-able where they have shown how hard he is struggling to make a name for himself & is trying to earn a living with respect while still struggling emotionally. I find it quite endearing how Shammo acts almost like a child who gets uncomfortable at the thought of exploring new boundaries. The preview of Shammo’s interaction with his new boss has already gotten me excited plus the fact that Hassan Noman will be playing that character is definitely a treat in itself.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this episode. I must give credit to Sana Fakhar for playing the role of a courtesan & portraying Nigaar’s character with as much decency as possible, like not even for once I felt uncomfortable watching her on screen & she didn’t overdo anything. In fact in the scene where she interacted with Raani, I loved how respectful she was, like Nigaar has a lot of class & Sana Fakhar has elaborated that flawlessly. I am glad that Raani’s hair in this episode did looked washed & a little silky, even though they were untamed but still. Ushna Shah really has shown what she is capable of by portraying Raani’s character to perfection like no one could’ve imagined that Ushna Shah could do something like this, it sure is going to be remembered as one of her best performances. Imran Ashraf as Shammo has done a brilliant job, like I love how his personality has changed but his mannerisms are still the same & even he hasn’t overdone anything. I think what makes all these characters seem so real is the fact that the actors put a lot of hard work in perfecting the characters that were assigned to them, plus the director put in a lot of effort as well to make everything seem as realistic & as closer to reality as possible. Mikaal Zulfikar so far hasn’t really impressed much with his performance as Shahzeb but I think he couldn’t do much as there’s nothing more or shall I say interesting to Shahzeb’s character or personality. Definitely looking forward to the next episode. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so, it was such an interesting episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan that I just couldn’t keep a track of where the time went when I was watching it. I love how all the tracks are unfolding & the developments that were made in this episode. I can already see how all these tracks will get linked in the future episodes but the way the director is taking the story to that stage is quite amazing. I will say that the director has extracted the best acting out of all the actors, like it doesn’t matter if their scenes are long or short, if they are getting less or more coverage, each & every single actor has done such a convincing job that it just elevates the level of the drama. This episode was truly impressive & I can’t wait to see more.

Before anything, I’d like to speak about the conversation that took place between Shahzeb & Baba Jee where he stated ‘mohabbat ki azmaish mai kisi ka zarf mat azmana, sirf apna zarf dikhana, insaan ban kar sochna, Khuda ban kar faisla kabhi na karna’ – beautiful! This entire conversation was so profound & important because this was a lesson that Baba Jee taught Shahzeb about love & being judgmental in general, but did Shahzeb actually get the hold of it? That was the real question that the writer very tactfully made us think about & in the later stages of the episode highlighted it very thoroughly. I loved how Baba Jee emphasized the importance of loving the Almighty & how he tried to make Shahzeb understand that the actual form of love is the one that you have towards your Creator, because it makes you complete & it empowers you like nothing else. Shahzeb surely will endure a lot because of the one-sided love that he has for Nazneen & even though he has been warned, this is just the beginning!

I must say, I love how all the women in this drama are go-getters; they all are strong & they don’t budge, which is something that was elaborated perfectly in all the tracks in this episode especially, which I absolutely loved. Nazneen, despite knowing that her parents weren’t in a mood to send her to the city for further studies decided to eradicate the cause that was stopping them from doing so, which was her life-long commitment with Shahzeb. Even though Nazneen is spoiled but she is also someone who knows how to pave a way towards something that she desires. It would obviously take a lot of guts for a girl in such a setting to take such a bold step where she was putting her father’s image & pride on the line to meet her fiancé, but she didn’t hold herself back. Even though everything turned out to be in Nazneen’s favor but the one who decided to do this for her has no idea what this chapter will bring to him. Shahzeb thought he was respecting Nazneen’s choices & by doing so, he was proving his love for her, which obviously was a genuine gesture but he doesn’t know that this means nothing to Nazneen. For Nazneen, all she wanted was to go to the city which was her wish that was granted & after that she really didn’t pay much attention to what Shahzeb did for her because she is neither in love with Shahzeb nor does she think much about him to respect his feelings. I am sure Nazneen’s move to the city will open up new chapters in her life where there will be no place for Shahzeb & then he will be reminded of what he was taught about how love will test him.

So, Raani’s father decided to marry her off for Rs. 20,000, like this was a custom which wasn’t alien to them because even her father paid money to get married to Raani’s mother. Even though it was for a brief moment but I loved the interaction Raani’s mother had with her, like for a moment it made me think that it doesn’t matter if someone is rich or poor, every single mother is the same, like the way Raani’s mother speaks to her with so much of love & kindness, it is something that I love the most. Well, Raani obviously doesn’t want to get married because she now has a bigger purpose in life, which is to make a lot of money just like Nigaar. I must say I loved how she earned herself a job at Nigaar’s place by telling her that she wants to serve her. Another example of an enthusiast go-getter who paved a way for herself.

Finally, Nigaar went to meet Shahzeb. I must say, the way Shahzeb grew uncomfortable at Nigaar’s mention definitely suggested that they both shared a history. Even though Chaman Begum did mention that Nigaar only met Shahzeb once & she fell in love with him after just one interaction but that still doesn’t give Shahzeb a clean chit because he has a colorful past which definitely was unveiled this time. Shahzeb definitely said a lot of hurtful things to Nigaar & the way he compared her love to Nazneen’s love made him sound a bit delusional because that is purely his assumption to believe that Nazneen loves him, which is not true & he will obviously find out the truth sooner or later. Shahzeb’s criteria of a life partner is to have someone who only has him in her heart & who only thinks about him, but little does he know that more than Nazneen, it is Nigaar who fulfills all those conditions but sadly, just because Shahzeb got a bit too judgmental, he failed to see that. I did feel for Nigaar though because she loves Shahzeb & may be she is only looking for one chance to leave everything behind but sadly, Shahzeb turned a blind eye.

So, Shammo got a little transformation, even though that scene was quite short & I missed Shammo in this episode but it showed that he was taking one step at a time. Also, his boss did speak about female hair styling in which Shammo could make a lot of money so I am sure he will gravitate towards that path too as he is focused & wants to stabilize himself financially as soon as possible.

I loved this episode & I loved the dialogues. It is actually quite refreshing to hear accurate Urdu & all the actors have definitely worked hard on their dialogue delivery which is commendable. I am glad we’re getting to see strong women in this drama as well, like they all are completely different from one another but they are strong in their own unique way. I love how fierce Raani is, her body language, her mannerisms, my goodness, I truly believe if there’s one actress who deserves an award for such a phenomenal portrayal of any character, it is Ushna Shah, like she just uplifts my mood even though I consider myself a germophobe but the fact that I have a smile on my face when I see this unkempt messy Raani on my screen is her win as an actor, also the little dance move that she did when she was parting ways from the flower vendor was flawless. Sana Fakhar has definitely made Nigaar’s character quite appreciable, like she is classy, poised & elegant, which is exactly the treatment the character like Nigaar deserved. It was good to see more of Shahzeb though but Mikaal Zulfikar didn’t really do something outstanding in terms of acting there. Yes, I will say that Shehzad sheikh has improved a lot & even though he didn’t have much scenes but the performed perfectly in the ones that he had, like his body language & his overall personality as Basit is perfect & in sync with his character. Two other actors who definitely deserve a mention here for their perfect performances as Raani’s parents are Nargis Rasheed & Saife Hassan. The director surely has worked hard & that is why he has achieved this level of perfection, it is amazing how the he has tackled all these diverse tracks & so many characters with so much of perfection. It is quite evident that all the actors have given their 100% because of which they made Alif Allah Aur Insaan what it is today. I love it & I can’t wait to watch it again next week. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so, what a gripping episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan, that I thoroughly enjoyed watching. What I am enjoying the most about this drama at the moment is that it has so many stories & so many characters, that the moment a scenario changes, it immediately shifts the focus onto completely different situation, which once again grabs your attention. However, I feel, at the moment only the situations are unfolding & apart from a few characters, we haven’t really gotten much insight into the rest of the characters, which I hope will change & we will get to know all the characters in great detail. The writing & the direction is spot on & I am definitely looking forward to what the rest of the story is about.

I love Raani’s character, like I remember saying that before but I will say that again, I love her character & I enjoy watching her on-screen. The credit definitely goes to Ushna Shah for giving Raani’s character such a perfect treatment that she has become a treat to watch. I love the fact that where Raani is quite mature for her age, she still has this naivety about her, which makes her character very balanced & admirable for some reason. Considering the situation that she has faced all her life & the sort of experiences she has had because of the nature of her work, she still doesn’t have much exposure to know what happens in the world which is beyond her comprehension.

I loved the scene where Shammo came to bid his final good bye to Raani, like it was so sweet & heart-warming & can I just say how innocent that flying kiss of farewell was. Shammo really thinks highly of Raani & he has a high regard of her because of which, he actually took her advice to heart. Shammo was obviously having issues with the life that he was leading but Raani’s advice gave him the courage to step out of his comfort zone because it was Raani who told him to have some faith in himself that he can do anything that he wants & his life wasn’t only designed for singing & dancing. I know in real life, we may not see or feel for people like Shammo but I am sure, the portrayal in Alif Allah Aur Insaan especially through the character of Shammo will help us in changing our perspective & way we look at them, because this drama is surely going to highlight everything that they go through, be it harassment or violence. I like the fact that the writer had this unconventional approach where she brought a character like Shammo to life who despite not having much exposure still has the idea of self-respect & dignity in him, where he believes he can earn a decent living for himself, which is something so refreshing & new. I would love to see the transition & the transformation the character of Shammo will go through & I must say, the way Imran Ashraf has portrayed this character with so much of honesty & truthfulness, it warms my heart & I am looking forward to Shammo’s journey the most.

So, Shahzeb’s mother approached Malik Hashmat to ask for Nazneen’s proposal. I wish they had given us a little more insight into Shahzeb’s character because so far, all I know about him is that he comes from an affluent background & has fallen in love with Nazneen, but when it comes to his personality or his nature, I have no idea about him. So, Nazneen being Nazneen, didn’t really bother much about Shahzeb & his mother as she was more interested in going out with her friends. What I liked about the entire scenario was the way Nazneen shared her concerns with her father, like if you see Malik Hashmat, you’ll get an idea that despite being a loving father, he wouldn’t give much freedom to his daughters to voice their opinions, but it came as a pleasant surprise that Nazneen not only disapproved of Shahzeb in front of her father, but clearly said that she didn’t want to get married at the moment. It was good seeing Malik Hashmat being such an accommodating & easy going father, considering the social setup & environment he hails from. Well, yes, what also came as a surprise to me was how despite knowing about his daughter’s disapproval, he went ahead & fixed her marriage with Shahzeb, like even though Malik Hashmat did give Nazneen enough edge to be frank with him, in the end he made a point that he is going to be the one who will make the final decision.

So, the character that got introduced was of Nigar Begum (Sana Fakhar), a courtesan who is madly in love with Shahzeb. I am interested to know how & when Shahzeb & Nigar came across each other for her to fall so much in love with him to such an extent where she prays to see him, to be with him & has a man tailing him. The description that the flower vendor gave to Raani about Nigar was quite interesting & just when I was hoping that Raani doesn’t pay heed to everything that she has heard, I was proven wrong because it was all that Raani could think of as for her, the idea of a woman walking on money was something so alien & fascinating at the same time. Well, I don’t really blame Raani, like she spends hours asking people for money & she has never raised Rs. 500, that is why she wanted to know more about Nigar Begum who according to her makes money easily. I must say I love the fact that Raani’s character has so many shades, like she is mature for her age yet she is naive but she still has so much of confidence in herself, where she can look in the mirror, apply some kajal & praise herself for her beauty. All this makes her character so interesting & unique.

Just when I thought that we will get to see Shammo being subjected to harrassment & his journey won’t have an easy kick-start, I was pleasantly surprised that Shammo met two decent men who treated him as human being & showed some faith in him. The fact that Shammo accepted the tip only because he was told that it was an advance payment for his work goes to show that he has left everything behind & he seriously wants to make money based on his hard-work.

Overall, this episode was quite interesting & I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. I must say, even though I don’t agree with the concept of Dargah, they perfectly used it to add mystical touch to the entire aspect of love. Sana Fakhar has surely played the character of a courtesan with a lot of grace & elegance, like not even for a second she crossed the line or looked OTT. Sana Fakhar has given Nigar Begum’s character a lot of charm & personality, so well done Sana! Imran Ashraf made me feel Shammo’s pain, which goes to show how much emotionally invested he himself was in this character, which again is his success as an actor. Now coming to the star of the episode & for me that was hands down Ushna Shah, like Raani is messy & unattractive but she still has so much of sass & innocence that she actually made me fall in love with her character, lol. I am loving this drama at the moment & I can’t wait to see more. The direction of this drama has been top-notch & I love the locations. I love the poetry too that they have used in the background to describe the theme of this story & also the concept of love. Hope we’ll get an insight into the rest of the characters too, especially Shahzeb’s. Thoroughly impressed with the theme & the characters of the drama. Please share your thoughts about this beautiful episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so, based on the novel with the same title Alif Allah Aur Insaan, the script of the drama is written by Qasira Hayat, it is directed by Ahson Talish & is produced by Momina Duraid Productions. Alif Allah Aur Insaan commenced tonight & will be airing at 8PM every Tuesday on Hum TV. The very first episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan introduced us to 5 families with completely different backgrounds, with extremely different situations, lifestyles & struggles of their own. The first episode was directed perfectly & it surely set the ground for the viewers to look forward to what is yet to come.

The story of Alif Allah Aur Insaan is set in Rural Punjab, with almost all the characters linked to each other. The very first family that got introduced was of Raani (Ushna Shah), who has a father (Safie Hassan), a mother (Nargis Rashid) & a brother. Raani’s family lives in a dire condition & the only means of earning money for them is begging. Despite not wanting to Raani is pushed by her father to go & make some money because that’s the only way he is able to fend for their basic needs.

Another character that got a detailed introduction was of Shammo (Imran Ashraf), a eunuch who is tired of the life that has been prescribed for him. His master Nargis actually brought him as a male in the house when he was just an infant thinking that he will become her support system but sadly, Shammo ended up following Nargis’ lifestyle & adapted everything that he saw happening in his surroundings. However, Shammo feels burdened because he fails to accept that this is the only option that is left for him to lead a life, which actually was something nice to see. The person who helped him restore this faith in himself was Raani, who was probably the first & the last person who treated him as a human being. Shammo’s one-sided short-lived love for Raani was quite sweet, because he immediately mistook Raani’s sympathy & courtesy as something else & assumed that she will reciprocate his feelings, which actually didn’t happen!

The third family that got an introduction was of Malik Sahab (Usman Peerzada), his wife (Aini Zaidi) & his two daughters Yasmin & Nazneen (Kubra Khan). Yasmin is getting married & the entire family is busy arranging this family affair. Yasmin is getting married to Suhail, who happens to be a friend of Shahzeb (Mikaal Zulfikar). Shahzeb’s mother believes that he should get married as well, but Shahzeb tells her that he hasn’t found his ideal partner yet. The last family that got a little coverage was of Qadir Ali (Noor Ul Hassan) who basically manages household affairs of Malik Sahab’s family. Qadir Ali is very loyal & sincere to Malik Sahab, that is why without even being asked for such a any such favor, Qadir tells his son Basit (Shehzad sheikh), who is an art student studying in the city, to come to the village & take part in the arrangements of Yasmin’s wedding.

So, this episode had a lot of meaningful, deep, interesting & heart-warming conversations which helped us in understanding the characters better. The first such conversation that actually set the base for what the writer was going to show through this story was the lecture that the teacher was giving to his students, where he spoke about the difference between Allah & Insaan (human beings). In very easy words & by coming to the level of his students, he explained how Allah was Different, how He was Complete, how He was Perfect & how He was Infallible, whereas when it comes to Insaan, us human beings, everyone is a slave to their emotions & these emotions force us to commit mistakes & sins. Even though this entire conversation was covered in the form of the lecture, but it definitely highlighted the theme of this drama in a very effortless manner.

I must say, I enjoyed quite a lot of characters in the first episode but the one character that actually left a mark was of Raani. Raani is pretty straight forward, she is also least judgmental but she knows her rights & wrongs. Even though if we consider the background that she hails from, it makes her character quite unique that she has a very different perspective when it comes to life & people in general, that is why she not only protected Shammo, but treated him as an equal, despite being completely aware of her & his differences. Raani knows what is right & what is wrong, that is why just after getting comfortable with Shammo, she honestly told her that what Shammo was doing to make a living for himself wasn’t right, but she also knows that being helpless can push you to certain boundaries that you might not deem suitable for yourself!

Nazneen, like her name suggests, is a pampered child who hails from a financially stable background, therefore just because her parents have raised her with such comforts, she is oblivious of the intricacies of life. Nazneen came across as someone who has a tunnel vision & believes in seeing things through her perspective which isn’t based on much exposure. At this stage, one thing that can be assumed about her is that she is a spoiled youngest daughter of the family, that is why she believes in having things her way, be it her jewelry or the sort of entertainment she wants at her sister’s wedding. Nazneen’s interaction with Shammo & her fellows shattered them all because she not only insulted them but reminded them of their shortcomings. It took just a few seconds for Nazneen to degrade them & treat them as sub-humans because she believed they couldn’t match her level as she was complete & they weren’t. Obviously, Shammo left quietly but her curse won’t leave Nazneen alone & she will end up facing the brunt of what she said. Nazneen has a lot to discover & she will learn such lessons in life which will teach her that every single human being is equal, irrespective of what they have & what they don’t! So, Shahzeb grew interested in Nazneen because he found her unique & that was the only introduction that Shahzeb had so far. Yes, he shares a very special bond with the Molvi Sahab (Qavi Khan) & I am sure their relationship will have a lot to offer in the episodes to come.

The way Nazneen hurt Shammo’s pride will definitely shape up his life. Shammo was looking for a reason to escape the life that he was living, but he always found himself bound because of Nargis, who emotionally weakened & blackmailed him, but the way Nazneen insulted Shammo, that was the final nail in the coffin & it pushed him to walk away & pursue his dreams. Shammo dreams of having a life where people will treat him with respect & he also dreams of making money after doing a lot of hard-work. It was good to see a person living in such grave situations aiming for such standards in life, it showed that all you need is a perspective & a go-getter attitude because by the end of the day, that’s all that matters. What made Shammo stand out from her colleagues was his attitude because where they all sounded defeated, where they all gave up & where all of them accepted this mistreatment as their fate, Shammo chose to stand up for himself & say no to this life.

Overall, the first episode was quite interesting & it seemed like such a long episode with such in-depth scenarios that introduced the characters a great deal. At first I found the characters a little caricaturish but as the episode progressed, the mood was set & it made everything work. All the actors stood out & brought out their A-game to breathe life into their characters. Imran Asraf & Ushna Shah deserve a special mention because of their effortless & flawless performances. The OST sounds interesting too, I am glad they didn’t overuse it & it was just played in the initial scenes which was enough to introduce us to the idea behind this story & the vision of the writer. The meaningful dialogues definitely elevated the level of this episode. I must say, spot on direction made this episode perfect, the usage of different locations, the choice of the sets & the right aesthetics gave this drama a very unique feel. The preview got me excited because looks like there’s a new character that is going to be introduced. Even though Shehzad sheikh & Mikaal Zulfikar got limited coverage but I felt Shehzad sheikh stood out more as Basit Ali. Kubra Khan seemed to be in her element & without overdoing Nazneen’s character she gave her the personality that her character required. I am quite pleased with the first episode & I can’t wait to see more. Please share your thoughts about the first episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan.

PS: The reviews of Alif Allah Aur Insaan also have the no spoiler alert policy, so please respect that, thanks!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.