Times have changed a great deal in every context, even when you look at the whole drama watching experience, it has undergone big changes. Now the drama watching experience is not restricted to our own selves or how we feel about plays. It is not just that we discuss dramas with a few family members or friends who are watching a particular play but there are so many online forums nowadays where we can watch dramas online, they review dramas as well and so many viewers come and share how they feel about the plays there and how can I forget all the facebook pages, actively promoting different dramas. Not only this the drama discussions under the video threads of sites like dramasonline are so interactive and active that it seems like one is a part of the drama world for real. I remember when I used to watch dramas before , there were so many things that I wanted to discuss with others but many times it was not possible because everyone around me was busy and there were most often other things to talk about. This latest trend of discussions on dramas would quench the thirst of any drama lover who wants to analyze and talk about every little detail about dramas but I also think that like everything else this latest trend has its positive and negative points. Here I will discuss both good and bad points based on my own personal experience, particularly while engaging on three different very active drama forums.

Good Points:

1. The viewers get a chance to share their thoughts and observations about drama and by watching dramas only you automatically become a part of an online community.

2. The discussions help you understand things and aspects of a drama that you may not be able to understand otherwise and by reading analysis and comments on these forums you learn many things about how people around you look at things.

3. You make friends online and have a strong bond with them and when you discuss dramas with them, it is like discussing it with a close friend.

4. The drama discussions help directors, writers and actors in getting an immediate, honest feedback which could not have been possible in any other way.

5. Many of the writers and actors also come to these forums and interact directly with people who watch their plays. If it wasn’t for these forums we could not have talked so easily with our favorite writers, directors or actors. We have seen people linked with a certain drama answering people’s questions and even explaining things to the viewers. There have been times when I had a totally different perspective or impression of a story or character but a few lines from the writer changed how I thought about it. When people are upset over something, it is very easy for the writers and directors to convey their point of view to people. Lately it happened in the case of the ‘little miss jihad’ controversy and after the dialogues in Zindagi Gulzar Hai.

6. Online discussions and Forums help us find out which dramas we should be looking forward to next and provide all the details about them. Every drama nowadays has a facebook page and even if you miss something related to an upcoming play on air, you are sure to catch it on the facebook page.

7. Most importantly if you miss a play or even the promo, which we very often do then all we have to do is to visit one of these online forums and everything is easily available there. We can see our favorite dramas and the promos to our heart’s content.

Bad Points:

The good news is that the good points outweigh the bad ones but sometimes it is because of these few bad aspects that I do not log in to the drama forums for weeks.

1. I think the biggest negative influence these forums had on my drama watching experience is that before watching dramas was a very personal experience, my likes and dislikes were based on what I thought about a character or the story but now it is greatly affected by the reviews and also by the different comments that people give about a play. There were many flaws that used to go unnoticed before but when so many people are watching something, there are a hundred opinions and I have to say that sometimes some of them maybe totally different from what I think but they do change my mind and that is not always good.
Let me explain, there are times when I watch an episode and I am so happy with it and think it was perfect but then all it takes is one critical review, pointing out all the small mistakes, a few comments to support the review and all I am left with is bad taste in the mouth, thinking if I was wrong in liking that particular episode or are these people more intelligent than me! Consider me a person who is easily convinced or is not very opinionated and for people like me these drama discussions can really be the deciding factor in what I watch and I am not completely okay with that.

2. Because of these forums and the discussions that are done on them, the drama watching experience has become somewhat complicated since very little detail about a play can create havoc.

3. Some people use facebook pages in particular to promote certain celebrities and I am guessing they get paid for it too because they do it with such devotion. A dramas page should only promote dramas and not continuously promote a certain celebrity or their page.

4. The attitude of the people who are discussing dramas can be very disappointing at times. Some of the people do not understand that there is a difference between sharing your thoughts in a decent manner and starting a fight. There are also viewers who use abusive language and get personal; the admins of such pages should moderate the comments on regular basis in order to avoid such things because people come to these forums to have a healthy discussion and not to engage in ugly fights. The drama discussions should be limited to the drama and getting personal with other viewers or even leaving personal remarks about the actors should be strictly prohibited even though I am sure many people will not agree with this point since that would hinder the concept of freedom of speech but I personally feel that people take undue advantage of this freedom. If people are being given the right to engage in these discussions, it is their duty to be more responsible and not leave comments that will hurt anyone’s feelings.

5. Some of the admins and even the people writing reviews and articles can be so defensive about what they write that they do not even want to hear a word against their wishes; this would be another extreme and some thing that can put a reader/fan off.

You can tell by reading the article that the advantages of these drama forums are much more than the disadvantages and all I can say is that where would we be without them! Although, I have to say that reading reviews, engaging in discussions, checking out the facebook pages for updates etc is proving to be fairly addictive but it is an addiction that can’t possibly be bad for a drama addict such as me. Please share with us how you feel about these drama forums. Which are the good and bad points based on your own experience?

Ayesha Ahmed

Time can be considered as the biggest enemy for the female celebrities who enjoy a great fan following and admiration for their looks and beauty when it comes to the Pakistan entertainment industry. Although we have actresses like Rubina Ashraf, Shagufta Ejaz, Sania Saeed and many more who have made a jump from the lead roles to the supporting ones, realizing the requirement of time and generation. Ayesha Khan is one of those actresses who have been ruling the entertainment industry for years, making her debut as Sajjal in Mehdi, starring against Humayun Saeed back in 2003. Ayesha, no doubt, is a capable actress who knows how to adapt any role to be performed on screen.

There was a time when we had to wait for an entire week or even a month to look at the photographs of our favorite celebrities because only the weekly or monthly magazines had the best photo shoots. Well, gone are those days and now all we have to do is Google images and there you have it, all the pictures you want to see and more. In my spare time I like to Google images of my favorite celebrities and I save the ones that I really like. Here are a few pictures which I have not seen on too many web pages and are also very nice, so I decided to share them with you. This is NOT an article but just a fun post. Hope you like the pictures.

 Aimen and Minaal twin sisters.

Alishba and Palwasha on Shehroz and Syra’s wedding. I was so happy to see a picture of them since no other pictures of the wedding had Syra’s sisters in them.

Ibrar-ul-Haq with his wife.

A beautiful click of Nazia Hassan with her son, May her soul rest in peace.

 Neelam Munir with her mother.

 Shehryaar Munawar with his mother on his graduation.

Resham, Nadia Jamil and Juggan Kazim.

Ali Haider with wife on their wedding day.

Anita Ayub, do you rememeber her?

Kanwar Arsalan and Fatima Effindi, cute click.

Hira and Mani with son.

Meera Ansari (daughter of Bushra Ansari) with husband.

Freiha Altaf and Bushra Ansari on Syra and Shehroz wedding.

Hira and Mani on their wedding.

Nazia Hassan and Zoheb, blast from the past.

Sana Bucha and Nimra Bucha – sisters.

Nida Yasir with her daughter.

Sunita Marshal on her wedding.

Fairytale wedding?

Shaista Wahidi with her daughter.

Nazia and Zoheb.

Sanam Baloch and Imran Abbass.

Nimra Bucha with her husband and son.

Yusef sisters with Shehroz Sabzwari.

Shehroz Sabzwari and Moomal Sheikh – cousins.

Sanam Baloch with her sisters.

Fawad Khan in Q Mobile commercial.

Waqar Younus with his family.

 A sketch of Fwad Khan drawn by Syeda Sara Haider.

Saba Qamar and Adnan Siddiqui on the set of Maat.

Imran Khan’s sons – adorable.

Hamza Ali Abbasi

Mahira Khan with her husband.

There was a time when Geo TV was ruling the Pakistani Drama industry, giving consecutive hits that are still cherished by the audience, However, the end of 2012 brought never ending controversies to this channel where it was targeted for the airing of Turkish shows, its morning Show with Shaista and much more. Taking no serious notice of the protests and requests of productions houses, audience and celebrities, Geo TV followed its own strategy and it was lately that the channel started to repeat its hit dramas again on Screen.

Here are the three hit dramas of Geo that are been repeated on the channel, have a look!

 Time surely flies and undoubtedly, 2012 is a good example of it. It was recently that the world welcomed one of the most controversial years of calender, assuming that it might be the end of the world, however, it is only few hours back that we have paid a farewell to it, hugging the new year -2013 with a hope to see betterment in the surroundings in every way possible. It has been seen that new years are always started with celebrations. It is also a good practice to choose a new year resolution for yourself that might help you out in becoming a better person. contributing to the world, and especially your immediate friends and family.

Pakistani Dramas are improving each day where you can see a better project than the previous, leaving you in an utter confusion when it comes to deciding which one had an upper hand on the other. The success of every drama depends on its TRPs, which totally depends on the the viewership the serial was able to earn. Although Pakistan’s drama industry has had been a significant one since the day it came into being, the last three years, that is, 2010-2012 can be declared important. This year is about to reach its end and this is the right time to share the latest rankings that are been leaked by wikipedia. According to the statistics been revealed by the authorities, the following 10 dramas were able to drag viewers’ attention, the most. Have a look!

 Learning about people we love to watch is always an interesting experience. There was a time when celebrities preferred to keep their personal lives separate from the showbiz industry but now, thanks to the advancement in the social media, we can see our favorite actors with their loved ones. While I was searching about Mahira’s family for my latest project, I got a hold on some worth watching snaps of the celebrities of our industry.

Have a look!

Pakistani dramas have been able to attract a huge audience which loves to follow the dramas that relate to the lives and culture of the country.While many people find it difficult to figure out the realities behind the success of the serials, it becomes easier to judge the ratings of dramas through their TRPs.  According to the authentic figures, been released by the channels, here are the top 20 latest dramas on the basis of their TRPs. Have a look!

The topic seems controversial enough to drag your attention, isn’t it? What has been seen in the showbiz industry is the fact that money goes where there is popularity and celebrities love to become popular, If not through their work then for the things that are not a part of the industry. If you take a look few years back, it seemed like a tradition where many singers and actors gave a farewell to their showbiz career, proclaiming to return to Islam and its teachings. The move did bring them limelight where they became a subject for few months, or perhaps few days probably. We saw them conducting Islamic shows on different channels and then they disappeared again.

It seems that their planning to be a true Muslim was for temporary and many of them are now coming back to their previous career, relaunching themselves. Although there are celebrities like Junaid Jamshed who are steadfast on their decision,  most of them found their showbiz career more satisfactory. Here is a small list of them that are in my knowledge. Have a look!