Wallah! Another disappointing result. I know that not all of them can win the title but what’s disppointing is the order in which they all are getting eliminated. I am gutted to see another deserving contestant going home this week.

When asked by the contestants about the best performances on the Friday night, their clear picks were Asad Raza Sonu with 4 votes & Mohammad Shoaib with 3, followed by Waqas Ali Vicky, Shahmir Quidwai & Zamad Baig with 1 vote each to their credit. Even the contestants knew who performed well in the Gala round but still the results were shocking.

The first duo that faced the result was of Ali Asad Zaidi & Mohammad Shoaib & as expected they both were safe which makes me happy because Ali Asad Zaidi is performing brilliantly with consistency & Mohammad Shoaib is improving & has a great voice.

After them the trio that came for the results was of Rosemary, Kashif Ali & Asad Raza Sonu. At this point I wasn’t too sure about who’d be safe & who wouldn’t be because Kashif & Asad are great singers & have been performing perfectly while Rosemary was good on the Friday night too. So, yes the first shock of the night came when Asad Raza Sonu was made to sit in the danger zone, leaving Rosemary & Kashif Ali safe from elimination.

The next duo that came in for the results was of Zamad Baig & Waqas Ali Vicky. I was hoping for Waqas Ali Vicky to be safe & yes he was making Zamad Baig the second person to go to the danger zone.

The last duo that came in for the results was of Abdul Rafay Khan & Shahmir Aziz Quidwai. It was a half lucky day for us all to see Shahmir being unsafe & obtaining the last seat of the danger zone, but the good phase came to an end pretty quickly.

It was now time for the final announcement when Zamad Baig, Shahmir Aziz Quidwai & Asad Raza Sonu were told to come on the stage. I hoped that it was Shahmir but to see him go to the safe zone before anyone else was a huge disappointment & sadly the shock didn’t end there because we had to go through another one in the form of an elimination of one of the best singers of the lot & yes, it was unfortunately Asad Raza Sonu.

I am glad he took it positively & the judges were supportive of him too. I have one thing to say here that Hadiqa looked clearly disappointed when Shahmir got safe, so, why don’t they use their energies in letting the whole Pakistan know how much of a weak singer this guy is. She seems to be degrading Waqas Ali Vicky & Mohammad Shoaib clearly may be because she wants to influence the voting trend against them, so why not do it against Shahmir Aziz Quidwai because sorry to say being just the viewers we can clearly pinpoint his weaknesses which they can’t seem to be doing being the judges. There you go people, I can clearly see the Baysura becoming the very first Pakistan Idol, congratulations to the judges for making the biggest mistake by selecting him. Job well done guys!

Anyways, I wish luck, power, success & a brighter future to Asad Raza Sonu.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

ps: Can someone wipe that smug look off his face? I think if Shahmir is a dignified person, he must leave his seat gracefully for any deserving contestant.

Another interesting episode with a lot of great performances to it. It was based on the songs that were related to the contestant’s memories. It’s good to know a lot more about the contestants & they all came across really honest in expressing them. Mostly the songs that we heard were slow but by all means melodious.

The commentary on the performances is as follows:

Waqas Ali Vicky (WV) of Mian Channu sang ‘Sapnon Se Bharay Naina’ from the Indian movie. At least he is trying to show his versatility by choosing different sort of songs every now & then & he was good though, but it did seem at times that he was struggling a bit. Hadiqa Kiyani said that the song had both the feels of rock & classic & he sang it well with great expressions. Bushra Ansari felt that his lower notes were weak but that was on a minor level. Ali Azmat felt that he didn’t project the notes with clarity & for that his lower notes had an issue but over all he got satisfactory remarks.

Zamad Baig (ZB) of Mandi Bahauddin sang Kailash Kher’s ‘Teri Deewani’. This was a song that suited his vocal tone the best & he chose it wisely, sang it great too because he can be perfect at these sort of songs. Ali Azmat also commented on his song selection & said he did it well. Bushra Ansari said he was flawless this time around. Hadiqa Kiyani also liked his performance a lot.

Shahmir Aziz Quidwai (SQ) of Islamabad sang Najam Shiraz’s ‘In Fizaon Se Aagay’. A great improvement I must say, the start was weak as usual but he sang it well considering the high notes the song had. Bushra Ansari mentioned the issues he always has at the lower notes & felt it was pretty audible in this performance too. Hadiqa Kiyani spoke about his low notes as well but said he has a very distinctive voice. Ali Azmat said this time had a lot of control on his notes meaning he has improved.

Sana Zulfikaar (SZ) of Lahore sang ‘Baabul’ from the Indian movie ‘Baabul’. I don’t know why but she sounds very boring to me, nothing in her performance every week which stands out & at times she gets inaudible as well. The judges most of the times use headphones for clarity & that’s why they have never mentioned how music always overlaps her voice. Bushra Ansari said technically speaking there were a little issues in her performance but over all it was good. Ali Azmat said it was an outstanding (???) performance. Hadiqa Kiyani said she sang it well over all but clearly had an issue at some places.

Abdul Rafay Khan (RK) of Karachi sang Lata Mangeshkar’s ‘Ma Mujhe Apne Anchal Mai Chuppa Le’. It was a very sweet performance & he sang it brilliantly. All the judges loved his performance & indeed it was a very emotional one as well.

Ali Asad Zaidi (AZ) of Karachi sang ‘Nadaan Parinday’ from the Indian movie ‘Rockstar’. I found this performance by him the best so far, it looked like he owned the song & sang it perfectly. Bushra Ansari said this was a difficult song which he sang with ease & he has a very strong voice. Hadiqa Kiyani said she exepcted something else from him but he chose a song wisely & he can be a real challenge for all the other contestants to overcome. Ali Azmat thought this performance of his was weak & something was missing, he thought nothing on the notes was questionable but over all he didn’t enjoy the performance (???).

Mohammad Shoaib (MS) of Peshawar sang ‘Albela Sajann’ from the Indian movie ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’. He has improved himself a lot & that is getting evident week by week. Bushra Ansari thought that the Pathan was totally impressive, she felt there were a little issues here & there but overall it was great & the Sargam was perfect too. Ali Azmat said he had a weak start but the Sargam was great. Hadiqa Kiyani said it was a difficult song & she didn’t like it at all, thought he was weak on the notes through out.

Asad Raza Sonu (RS) of Lahore sang Atif Aslam’s ‘Aadat’. He was good as usual & once again chose a different song to prove a point. Hadiqa Kiyani said he brought in the desi-ness in the song once again but she liked it. Bushra Ansari said he was flawless & she couldn’t pick any mistakes. Ali Azmat said he has done a complete justice to the song.

Rosemary (RM) of Karachi sang ‘Baba Ki Raani Hoon’ from the Indian movie ‘Appko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai’. She sounded good too & it was a difficult song selection. Bushra Ansari felt she was good at expressions & feel of the song but there were a little issues of breathing like always. Ali Azmat didn’t like her performance at all & thought the ending notes were weak every single time. Hadiqa Kiyani said she sang it smoothly but yes there was an issue in the tail notes.

Kashif Ali (KA) of Lahore sang ‘Naina Thagg Lainge’ from the Indian movie ‘Omkara’. He was great & as always got the raving feedback from the judges.

So, this was it. Overall it was a good episode with a lot of flawless performances. I must say Abdul Rafay Khan came across as a very very sweet boy & his little dedication & performance was overwhelming. Shahmir Quidwai did improve but once again it goes to show that he knows what people are thinking about him but still he chooses to stick to the show. I am sure he will win the title by looking at the voting trend for him so it’s useless to expect him to be eliminated. Luckily for us Sana Zulfikar wasn’t unwell & even danced in the intro-performance.

I am kind of getting bored by Kashif Ali’s song selection. He should now choose songs from the different genre to show his versatility. Hadiqa Kiyani mentioned the same thing to Asad Raza Sonu that he should show how much diverse he can be so she should now suggest that to Kashif as well. I think Hadiqa Kiyani is being biased towards Mohammad Shoaib completely. It’s like every single time he comes to perform she’d seem least interested & then without paying much attention she will straight away say ‘maza nahi aya’. She does judge honestly but at times also doesn’t pinpoint the clear mistakes of all the other contestants but when it comes to Shoaib she has set certain prejudice & she sides with it always.

At this point I think Abdul Rafay Khan & Ali Asad Zaidi should be in the top 2 as they have been consistently performing well. Let’s see who gets eliminated this time around.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

A sigh of relief after a much expected elimination. I am glad that the voting trends are shaping up henceforth & people are now paying extra attention as to who shall be voted & who shouldn’t.

I must say I loved Hadiqa’s get-up tonight. She looked really nice & elegant. I am glad that when asked by Ali Azmat he clearly mentioned how Shoaib has improved over the weeks & he actually appreciated him. Shahmir seems to be improving in Ali Azmat’s opinion, so, let’s see. Eliminations from now onwards will be getting tougher for sure.

A few names that clearly surfaced for the eliminations, when asked by the contestants were of Sana Zulfikaar with 4 votes, Shahmir Quidwai & Waqas Ali Vicky with 3 votes, Mohammad Shoaib with 2 & Rosemary with 1. I was kind of amazed to hear Waqas Ali Vicky’s performance being labeled as a weak one because he was obviously good. Anyways, moving onto the MOST awaited elimination, there you go:

The first trio that came to face their results was of Waqas Ali Vicky, Shahmir Aziz Quidwai & Kashif Ali. All this while I thought all three of them would be safe, then after Kashif’s results I was sure that Waqas Ali Vicky would make it to the red zone but I was caught off guard when Shahmir’s name was announced as a first contestant tonight to be making a debut to the danger zone.

After them, those who came for their results were Zamad Baig & Asad Raza Sonu. I was thinking may be Zamad won’t be safe this time but it was definitely a pleasant surprise to see both of them safe as they deserved it.

The next duo that came in for the results was of Mohammad Shoaib & Abdul Rafay Khan. At this point I wasn’t sure what might happen because both of them are my favorites & luckily for us all, they were safe too.

The last trio that had to face the results was of Ali Asad Zaidi, Rosemary & Sana Zulfikaar. After Mohib announced that two of the 3 were unsafe, I was pretty sure that Ali Asad Zaidi was safe & gladly he was.

Now, it was a time for the final announcement of Pakistan Idol’s week where Shahmir Aziz Quidwai, Rosemary & Sana Zulfikaar had to find out who was safe & who wasn’t. As expected, Shahmir was safe. When it came down to Rosemary & Sana, I wished to see Rosemary safe because definitely she has been performing well most of the time. So yes, the wishful thinking was materialized & Sana Zulfikaar was eliminated.

I am satisfied with the result this time because yes, it would’ve been unfair to the others, if any one of them would’ve gotten eliminated in her place. She survived so far & that’s more than good for her. I wish her luck & success. Share your opinion about tonight’s elimination!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

As expected & as usual – another week ended with a shocking result. Absolutely sad to see another such great singer getting eliminated.

When asked by all the contestants who they wanted to give the return ticket to, 2 names that got surfaced prominently were Shahmir Aziz Quidwai & Waqas Ali Vicky by 4 votes each, followed by Sana Zulfikaar with 1 vote & the fun vote of Mohammad Shoaib to his roommate Sajid Abbas & vice versa. Clearly it goes without saying that people have by now gotten hold of the weakling of the show but sadly the results have no effect on him whatsoever!

According to the judges Bushra Ansari stated that the best performance was by Asad Raza Sonu. But Hadiqa Kiyani was asked to pick the weakest performer & she selected 3 based on their singing solely. I am glad that Hadiqa Kiyani is the only judge who never ever sides with anyone & despite the fact that no matter how much she likes a contestant she will always stand by what’s right. So, for this she picked Abdul Rafay Khan, Zamad Baig & Mohammad Shoaib to have performed the weakest on a Friday night.

Now coming to the results, the first two contestants who came in to face the verdict were Zamad Baig & Rosemary. This was the FIRST time ever that we heard Zamad speak about his health & condition. This is how it should be that no matter what, you just don’t make excuses. If Zamad had wanted he would’ve also told how he was not feeling well but he just didn’t say a word. Anyways, from these two it was pretty obvious that Zamad Baig would be in the danger zone & that is what happened.

The next contestants who came in for results were Kashif Ali, Shahmir Aziz Quidwai & Abdul Rafay Khan. I thought that may be either Abdul Rafay or Shahmir will be in the bottom 3 but it wasn’t our lucky day & Shahmir was safe along with the other two well deserving contestants Kashif & Abdul Rafay.

After them the trio that had to face the results was of Asad Raza Sonu, Sana Zulfikaar & Ali Asad Zaidi. It was pretty much expected that Sana Zulfikar will make it to the red zone once again & that is what just happened & that is how it should’ve been.

The last trio to face the results was of Mohammad Shoaib, Syed Sajjid Abbas & Waqas Ali Vicky. For me, any one who had made it to the danger zone from this trio would be upsetting so from them sadly Syed Sajjid Abbas was chosen, which was nothing but a shocker.

When asked by the judges again that who were they shocked to see in the danger zone this time, Bushra Ansari picked Sana Zulfikar (???) & Hadiqa Kiyani was again logical & precise so she said she was sad to see Sajjid Abbas & Zamad Baig in the danger zone, leaving her first-ever favorite Sana behind.

Now it was the time for the final elimination & Zamad Baig, Sana Zulfikar & Syed Sajjid Abbas had to face their results. It was absolutely annoying to see Sana Zulfikaar safe again,  When it came between Zamad Baig & Syed Sajjid Abbas, I thought Zamad wouldn’t make it to the next round because yes, certainly his performance was weak but sadly Syed Sajjid Abbas was eliminated. I am not sure what was the reason but I feel his song selection was the major & in fact the only contributing factor. He chose a bad song which in the middle comes to a point where it sounds like the singer is just talking & not singing at all, so, for this Ali Zafar’s composition is to be blamed but yes if Sajjid Abbas had picked another song, may be the result would’ve been different.

Once again I am absolutely disturbed to see such a fine singer getting eliminated. I am not sure why but Shahmir always seems so confident in the elimination round, no wonder he knows what a backing he has. I am totally gutted to announce that with this voting trend I suss & congratulate all the viewers of Pakistan Idol that I can clearly see first two contestants who are going to make it to the TOP 3 & they are Shahmir Aziz Quidwai & Sana Zulfikaar. The 3rd one would be the bhoola bhatka bloke who will unexpectedly make it there but won’t be successful in winning the title even. Yes, looking at the prevailing trend we are unfortunately & definitely going to have these two non-singers as our Top finalists of the first ever season of Pakistan Idol.

Anyways, I wish luck, success, bright future & power to the guy who possesses the sweetest voice ever – Syed Sajjid Abbas!

What do you think about his elimination? Rather how much disappointed are you with this result? Share with us!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Oh My, Oh My! This has to be my favorite episode so far & no other upcoming episode will replace this one because the reason is obvious & it is Sajjad Ali. Another reason is that this episode was sort of a tribute to all the Pop Icons of Pakistani Music Industry & this focused on 90’s onward era of music when our music industry was at it’s peak & I was certainly waiting for this episode.

The episode began with Sajjad Ali’s performance, wasn’t sure about two figurines dancing behind him creating a total distraction & looking unnecessary. Anyways, Sajjad Ali’s appearance made it more clear as to why he should’ve been judging the show. This shows what a true star & a living legend is – knows his game yet is HUMBLE & down to earth. Loved the way he corrected the contestants & pointed out their mistakes but never did he make them feel they were doing something totally wrong, in fact he addressed their mistakes in order to correct & more importantly teach them. I so wish he was a judge because he truly deserves to be. Just one episode & look at the technical intricacy with which he speaks.

We have seen so many episodes & the only terminologies that I could hear our respected judges say were ‘jagahain acchi lagai hain’, ‘wo jagah thori kamzor parh gai’, ‘rooh se gaya hai’, ‘sur theek hain’. This is exactly what I pointed out in the beginning that none of the judges are passing technical judgments & Sajjad Ali proved it. The way he sang in order to explain things to the contestant, the technicalities he noted in each & every performance showed what a great & a perfect singer he is. I thank him for coming to Pakistan Idol & for making this a memorable episode for us.

So, the commentary on all the performances is as follows:

Abdul Rafay Khan (RK) of Karachi sang Fuzon’s ‘Akhiyaan’. It looked like he was putting in so much effort in his singing which could be heard easily. He definitely attempted a song other than his comfort zone & looked like he pushed himself hard on it. Bushra Ansari liked the over all performance but pointed out some mistakes on certain places. Hadiqa Kiyani said from start till the end of the performance she found his notes weak. Ali Azmat spoke on the same lines as the other judges & said his voice sounded strained. Sajjad Ali found his voice quality really nice & said he has a long way to go.

Ali Asad Zaidi (AZ) of Karachi sang String’s ‘Sar Kiye Ye Pahar’. This song looked like it was made to fit his voice & for this very reason it sounded almost perfect with his vocal tone. He was pretty good at it & Ali Azmat said he has been consistent in performing well till date. Hadiqa Kiyani said he is perfect for the stage because his aura is of that sort, she also commented on his vocal quality being strong & loved his performance. Bushra Ansari liked it as well & Sajjad Ali spoke on the technical terms saying that this is a simple song which doesn’t give away much about a singer’s singing prowess but Ali Asad gave in his 100% & sang it how he could.

Rosemary (RM) of Karachi sang Hadiqa Kiyani’s ‘Dupatta’. She sang it really well & it matched her vocal tone just perfectly. Hadiqa Kiyani loved the song but also told her to work on her accent a little. Sajjad Ali was all praises for her & said she sang it the way she deemed fit & conveyed it using her own style. Ali Azmat said she sang it nicely & was completely flawless. Bushra Ansari nicknamed her as ‘chiriya’?!?!?

Mohammad Shoaib (MS) of Peshawar sang Aamir Jamal’s ‘Kaho Na Kaho’ which is actually an adaptation of Amr Diab’s arabic song ‘Tamally Ma’ak’. Anyways, he has improved a lot, he sang it with full confidence but once again he experimented with those Arabic lyrics, sounded good at most of the places & flat sometimes too. Ali Azmat felt he fell flat during the chorus of the song. Bushra Ansari was happy that this song had no heavy sargam in it but also pointed out that he was weak in a couple of places. Hadiqa Kiyani commented that he focused more on his moves in stead of his singing & his notes were off. Sajjad Ali liked his voice but spoke about the technicalities saying he sang the Arabic part perfectly.

Waqas Ali Vicky (WV) of Miyan Channu sang Shafqat Amanat Ali’s ‘Khairiyaan De Naal’. It was a very very difficult song & he sang it half good half not so much. It was a slow song so for this all the mistakes were clearly audible. Bushra Ansari said the same thing that it was a difficult song but ending was a little weak. Hadiqa Kiyani said he is one of her favorite singers from the lot but she unfortnately & sadly didn’t enjoy the performance. Ali Azmat said if we ignore the minor problems, overall his performance was good & Sajjad Ali again went into the technical details but also complimented that he sounds sweeter than the famous Barfi of Miyan Channu.

Kashif Ali (KA) of Lahore sang Sajjad Ali’s ‘Sahil Pe Kharay Ho’. Amazing performance as always & what else can be said. Sajjad Ali said he sang it perfectly but pointed out some breathing issues he needs to work upon. Bushra Ansari said the way he conveys his notes is brilliant. Ali Azmat said he is gifted to have a quality of stirring emotional contact the moment he starts singing & it indeed is true, Ali Azmat also spoke about how at times he tends to get teary while listening to him & I once again agree to him. Hadiqa Kiyani seconded Ali Azmat but she also felt that today on his ending notes she felt a little vibration in his voice.

Shahmir Aziz Quidwai (SQ) of Islamabad sang String’s ‘Zinda Hoon’. The start was weak as always but luckily for him this song fell close to his comfort zone of rock genre. He also forgot where he had to sing again & committed a mistake in the middle of a song. Ali Azmat said after a long long time he got to hear his actual voice & felt this was a better performance. Bushra Ansari said this style suited his vocal tone a lot better. Hadiqa Kiyani said subliminally that if he can’t even perform rock songs than what more’s left? She also told him to show some diversity. But still he got a fine feedback. Sajjad Ali clearly said he is one of those singers who can not experiment in different genres & for this he needs to stick to a certain type of songs & work on them. Clearly shows how VERSATILE he is.

Asad Raza Sonu (RS) of Lahore sang Najam Shiraz’s ‘Inse Nain’. One of my favorite songs & he is obviously a good singer so he sung it well but I felt he changed the feel of the song & made it slow. This is what Hadiqa Kiyani pointed out that this song has a western feel to it but because of his way of singing he added a ‘desi’ touch to this song. Bushra Ansari whistled for him & said he was good. Ali Azmat was happy with his song selection & felt that he showed his versatility today. Sajjad Ali said he has everything it needs to be a good singer & the music industry needs him.

Zamad Baig (ZB) of Mandi Bahauddin sang Junoon’s ‘Khuwaab’. He picked a totally different song as compared to what he has been singing previously & because this was a slow song, all his mistakes were clearly audible. Ali Azmat said he couldn’t connect to him today & felt he struggled a lot. Bushra Ansari said the song didn’t suit him & selection wasn’t favorable to him. Hadiqa Kiyani didn’t find him comfortable at all & Sajjad Ali said it’s again one of those simple straight songs but he didn’t perform the way he should have.

Syed Sajid Abbas (SA) of Karachi sang Ali Zafar’s ‘Asmaan Ko Chutay Jayein Hum’. He has a sweetest voice & he sings effortlessly but his performance got weak in the middle. Hadiqa Kiyani enjoyed his performance but found his base notes a bit unclear. Sajjad Ali liked his performance & said that this was a song which didn’t match his tone but still he sang it well. Ali Azmat clarified what Hadiqa Kiyani stated & said he was clear on his notes.

Sana Zulfikaar (SZ) of Lahore sang Fariha Pervaiz’s ‘Haaniyaan’. I just didn’t get what she sang at all. The music completely overlapped her voice & she wasn’t audible throughout her performance. Ali Azmat liked it, Bushra Ansari liked it, Hadiqa Kiyani felt she was weak on her vocals & Sajjad Ali felt she is suitable for playback which she is already doing.

So, these were the performances. The best moment of the episode was when Kashif Ali asked Sajjad Ali to perform with him. He clearly got emotional & Hadiqa Kiyani got overwhelmed too. It was actually really sweet & this shows what a nice person Sajjad Ali is. All this while I couldn’t help but think how Waqas Ali would have performed in this round with the mentoring of Sajjad Ali because he was such a good singer.

I don’t actually get what’s the issue with Sana Zulfikaar. Clad in full makeup, she goes around saying she isn’t feeling well but all of a sudden walks just fine & sings this high energy song. Like Ali Azmat said that we thought she’d come on a wheelchair because she keeps on saying I am not feeling well & stuff. I am not too sure if she is actually not well or this is just an attempt to grab the votes. Why is it that everytime she is sick, she still manages to sing. Next time I would actually appreciate if I don’t get to see any of her issues.

Let’s see which one of the DESERVING contestants get eliminated because certainly those who don’t deserve to be here are going to be safe, sigh!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Right after such a shocking elimination I’d just move on to the results. I am stunned at what just happened & not sure what the public of Pakistan is looking for in their very first idol!

The first three contestants who came to get their results were Shahmir Aziz Quidwai, Mohammad Shoaib & Abdul Rafay Khan. At this point I was sure that Shahmir would be in the danger zone because it was what we all expected & it would’ve been justified considering his last performance but what shook me the most was that he didn’t even make it to the red seats & was completely safe with a considerable margin of votes. I was content with the results about Abdul Rafay Khan & Mohammad Shoaib because Abdul Rafay is a fine singer & Mohammad Shoaib is at least showing some improvement but sadly Shahmir is improving downwards & is still being saved. A BIG QUESTION MARK!

Next contestant to face the result was Zamad Baig, he came to get the decision of the public alone & like it was expected, he was safe. It was a good decision because he deserved the spot in the next round.

After him the contestants who came for their results were Kashif Ali, Waqas Ali & Ali Asad Zaidi. I was hoping that all three of them would be safe but it was sad to know that Waqas Ali was in the danger zone. Ali Asad Zaidi was good in the last episode & because he has a huge fan following, the result was in his favour. Kashif is Kashif & who doesn’t know what a phenomenal singer he is. So, at this point I was gutted to see Waqas Ali – such a mature singer to go to the danger zone AGAIN!

Next to face the results were Rosemary & Sana Zulfikar. I was happy to know that Sana Zulfikar was sent to the danger zone. I think she needed this close call to up her ante because in her comparison Rosemary has shown her versatility so far in the competition.

Last lot to get the result was of Syed Sajid Abbas, Waqas Ali Vicky & Asad Raza Sonu. All three of them were again brilliant in the Friday night’s episode but just because Waqas Ali Vicky’s song selection was a little tricky it was pretty evident that out of the three he would be the one in the danger zone & I was right.

Finally, the moment came when the final elimination had to be announced & not that the results weren’t shocking & none of the three deserved a spot in the danger zone but I hoped that IF the decision had to be made choosing one of them, it was against Sana Zulfikaar, because the other two are definitely better than her but sadly & unfortunately Waqas Ali of Rawalpindi was eliminated.

It was an extremely unfair decision & poor choice made by the public to vote out such a brilliant singer who was not only mature as a singer but sounded mature too. He was definitely ONE OF THE BEST singers of the lot & it literally felt like we lost one such contestant whose caliber was to make it to the TOP 3 because he deserved to be there.

I am shocked at the people who are liking Shahmir Aziz Quidwai, a guy who is clearly confused till date as to which genre to associate himself with. Calls himself a rock artist but sounds like a playback singer of the 80’s. Clearly the contestants in majority chose Shahmir to have performed the weakest this time around & even in the judges Hadiqa Kiyani & Bushra Ansari agreed to them but still we saw what happened. The rate with which this guy is getting the votes, I am dreading to see him win the title because his voters clearly do not have an ear to the detail.

I have to have a say about Sana Zulfikaar here, it’s not that she was facing the eliminations for the very first time that she nearly had a nervous break-down. Last week, when she actually should’ve been worried about going through the process of facing the results for the very first time, she was perfectly alright just because she was confident about her performance. This time when we clearly saw how she performed, she literally ran out of words because of her weakness. I think she knows the drill of the show & she knew what she was getting into, so to put forward an excuse about her health is the last thing we all need to know. I feel she should take a leave & rest if she is so physically & emotionally weak. I know this can happen to anyone but why only Sana is coming forward as the most sensitive & fragile contestant of the show? Sana dear, you aren’t going to earn the votes by telling us how emotionally weak you are, you should give us your 100% & the votes will automatically follow!

Anyways, coming to Waqas Ali – his last performance & all the reactions were heart-breaking. It was absolutely sweet of Waqas Ali Vicky to actually tell people who did they eliminate because yes, he was a very knowledgeable singer who had the insights & know-how of the singing which was visible through his singing. It was a very poor decision & his departure was sad.

I am sad at his elimination & I wish all the luck, success & power to him.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

So, matching the date. the theme of tonight’s episode was based on romantic songs or more like the dedicated to those songs that had some feelings of love etched in them. I enjoyed this episode as well & felt all the contestants have improved a lot. The judges seemed at ease today as well & their little bit of dance moves were worth a laugh (in a good note obviously).

So there we go:

Waqas Ali (WA) of Islamabad sang ‘Tumhe Jo Meinne Dekha’ from the Indian movie ‘Main Hoon Na’. As always he sang it really well but I found him weak at the beginning but from that moment onward he got a grip of the song & sang it beautifully. Ali Azmat said he must now focus more on the song selection seriously but Hadiqa Kiyani said song selection doesn’t matter, what does is the way a singer sings it. He still got great remarks from the judges as he is a good singer undoubtedly.

Zamad Baig (ZB) of Mandi Bahauddin sang ‘Mukhray Ton Nazran Hawatan’. I felt like a heard-before performance, no doubt he was great like always & seemed more confident on the stage now but yes a good performance but not worthy of leaving an impact on the listeners. Hadiqa Kiyani & Bushra Ansari both appreciated his singing & Ali Azmat felt he sang it from his heart & also commented on his confidence.

Asad Raza Sonu (RS) of Lahore sang ‘Kabhi Jo Badal Barsay’. It was a brilliant performance from start till the end. I found it the best performance of the episode because it was full of emotions & there was a feel to this performance. Hadiqa Kiyani commented on how soulfully he sang it & said he always instills the emotions in his singing. Ali Azmat liked his song selection & I appreciate Ali Azmat for emphasizing on the importance of song selections because it can make or break a mark that any contestant sets.

Sana Zulfikaar (SZ) of Lahore sang ‘Ye Mera Dil’ from the Indian movie ‘Don’. She was good but once again similar to Zamad Baig I think not a memorable performance. Hadiqa Kiyani felt she held back a little & didn’t perform with ease because this was not her genre. Ali Azmat gave her remarkable comments that she is making her place in the show by showing what she is capable of. Bushra Ansari also liked her performance & appreciated her a lot.

Kashif Ali (KA) of Karachi sang Sajjad Ali’s ‘Sohni Lagdi’. It was a power-packed performance, I enjoyed it thoroughly but did feel that he ran out of breath at times because the song was of high-energy & he only had one-take to sing it so this much was justified because he actually didn’t go off-beat or bad on notes at all. Hadiqa Kiyani liked it as always, Bushra Ansari commented on his breathing issue as well. Ali Azmat found his enthusiasm commendable & it indeed was a great performance.

Shahmir Aziz Quidwai (SQ) of Islamabad sang ‘Tum Hi Ho’ from the Indian movie ‘Ashiqui 2’. His performance was self-explanatory & I think it was the only weakest performance of the episode. Weak start & weak ending, he just couldn’t sing this song at all. Judges weren’t clearly impressed right from the moment his performance began. Ali Azmat thought he tackled the song by the end but Hadiqa Kiyani felt he was weak through out but liked his expression.

Mohammad Shoaib (MS) of Peshawar sang Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s ‘Afreen Afreen’. One of my favorite songs of NFAK & what an improvement I must say. I don’t know what that is but his performance has that essence to it which clicks for me. I absolutely enjoyed his performance & felt that he has improved a lot. I did hope that he would get good remarks from the judges so that if he secures a spot in the top 11, he won’t seem guilty & I am glad it happened that way. All the judges enjoyed his performance & said that he showed a great improvement. Hadiqa Kiyani said this was his the best performance so far & it was evident. Bushra Ansari told him to ignore or work more on the ‘sargam’ but over all he got a great feedback.

Abdul Rafay Khan (RK) of Karachi sang ‘Dil Sambhal Ja Zara’ from the Indian movie ‘Murder 2’. Like he said it was his favorite song so he selected it, he did complete justice to it & made his performance a treat to listen to. He is for sure a very very strong contender of the season & he has been consistent with the great performances. Hadiqa Kiyani loved his performance but said his ending was clearly weak. Ali Azmat spoke a lot about his age & looked like he was making a vote appeal for Abdul Rafay by telling the audience to keep in mind his young age. At this point Hadiqa said age is not a counting factor. Bushra Ansari found his performance flawless. Over all he got great remarks too.

Syed Sajjid Abbas (SA) of Karachi sang ‘Aj Kal Tere Mere’ from the Indian movie ‘Bhramchari’. Once again a very cute & sweet performance from him. It was enjoyable & amazing but I feel he should work a little bit to make his voice over-lap the loud music, he sounds too soft but he is obviously an amazing singer & one of my favorites. At this performance they showed the judges enjoy themselves by dancing to the beat, even to see Ali Azmat being laid-back yet shaking his head with those glasses on was really funny. Sajjid got amazing comments from the judges & Ali once again said that his song selection was great because it suited his vocal tone. Bushra Ansari found it soulful & Hadiqa also felt it was filled with emotions.

Rosemary (RM) of Karachi sang ‘Ye Ishq Haye’ from the Indian movie ‘Jab We Met’. I enjoyed her performance & felt she changed her voice to match the original song. She sang it with ease but got mixed comments from the judges. Ali Azmat once again spoke about her young age & said she did well considering her experience in the singing. Hadiqa Kiyani didn’t enjoy her performance much & even Ali Azmat agreed to a certain extent. Bushra Ansari as usual pointed out the mistake she feels Rosemary does & it was related to her breathing. But overall her performance was good too.

Waqas Ali Vicky (WV) of Mian Channu sang ‘Gustakh Dil’ from the Indian movie ‘Dil Maange More’. He sang it effortlessly & it showed that he can attempt & sing these type of songs as well. I enjoyed his performance a lot but Ali Azmat said his song selection wasn’t impressive. Hadiqa Kiyani disagreed & commented that the song selection is not an issue because he dealt with it properly. Bushra Ansari liked his performance as well but felt he fell weak in the middle of the performance.

Ali Asad Zaidi (AZ) of Karachi sang ‘Tera Hone Laga Hoon’ from the Indian movie ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’. He added his touch to the song but I felt he changed the feel of it. The song has a happy tone but looked like Ali turned it into a sad song. Ali Azmat said it was the most appropriate selection considering the theme of the episode & also commented on how he adds his bits to the song to make it his own. Hadiqa Kiyani thought that it was a soulful performance & he has improved a lot which was pretty evident as well. Bushra Ansari said he has shown his vocal range in this particular performance so yes, he succeeded in leaving an impact on the judges.

So, this was it from this episode. I think the strongest performances were from Asad Raza Sonu, Syed Sajjid Abbas, Kashif Ali, Abdul Rafay Khan & Mohammad Shoaib. The weakest goes without saying was from Shahmir Aziz Quidwai. I hope after this performance, all those who actually deserve make it to the next round.

Whose performance did you enjoy the most & who do you think should be eliminated? Share with me. :)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

So finally Gala round is here & the real competition has begun. I would’ve liked it a bit more if it didn’t start off with the performance that we saw. I wish being the actual singers – only Ali Azmat & Hadiqa Kiyani had performed but what I saw was something I wish I hadn’t.

It’s a known fact that artists once in their career do come up to a particular point where in sheer frustration or to prove a certain point they make wrong choices, I think this is exactly what Bushra Ansari’s been facing. I don’t know why she found this urge in her to re-establish herself as a playful teenaged singer which looks anything but decent. I also believe she should go easy on the acting she does while listening to the performances of the contestants because I feel she focuses more on lip syncing rather than judging the technicalities with intricacy. Go easy Bushra Aunty, it would suit you a lot. :)

Even though this was the very first Gala round & almost all the performances were good but in my personal opinion none of the contestants made a mark or raised the bar high. I know all of them must be nervous because from now on for the first time they have started to compete for the title of Pakistan Idol but I didn’t find any performance that touched me except a few. So, this week’s theme was sort of a tribute to all the classic songs that were a part of olden golden Pakistani films, songs choices were brilliant & we got to hear some real ethnic songs.

The commentary on all the contestants who performed is as follows:

Rosemary (RM) of Karachi sang Noor Jahan’s ‘Chandni Raatain’. She was good as usual but I feel she could’ve done better. Nevertheless I am sure she will be safe & through to the next round. Bushra Ansari liked her performance but pointed out once again that she was running out of breath, Ali Azmat appreciated her performance saying he couldn’t pick any mistake. Hadiqa Kiyani’s comment was perfect saying that no contestant should be compared with the actual singer who sang that song because none of those singers can be reborn so all the contestants should be judged based on their own capability, for which I agree with her completely.

Shahmir Aziz Quidwai (SQ) of Islamabad sang Ahmed Rushdi’s ‘Jaisay Jantay Nahi’. I don’t know why he calls himself a rock artist because he sounds too soft to be a rock singer. One of the main reasons for why I say that is because his voice can never overlap the music whereas the only main asset of a rock singer is the power, the throw & the loudness in a voice but the song which he attempted today was exactly what matched his vocal tone, so he should explore more genre’s that match his voice tone. Bushra Ansari & Ali Azmat appreciated him but Hadiqa Kiyani said she couldn’t enjoy his singing as he committed clear mistakes on the notes.

Waqas Ali (WA) of Rawalpindi sang Mehdi Hassan’s ‘Mere Dil Se Zindagi Bhar’. Just when I thought to myself that he sounded so mature as a singer, the next thing I heard Hadiqa Kiyani say was more or less the same. According to her he sang it just like a professional singer. Ali Azmat thought he was faking his voice but Bushra Ansari said she enjoyed his singing a lot.

Ali Asad Zaidi (AZ) of Karachi sang Mehdi Hassan’s ‘Dunya Kisi Ke Pyaar Mein’. I think he needs to open up a bit, it looks like he holds back a lot while singing & doesn’t open up his mouth to project the words with clarity. He clearly had some issues in low notes & Bushra Ansari mentioned it as well. Hadiqa Kiyani said she found certain mistakes in his high notes as well. But luckily for him, he already has a strong fan base & for that I am sure he will be safe too & he should be because he is a great singer, it just wasn’t one of his days.

Mohammad Shoaib (MS) of Peshawar sang Mehdi Hassan’s ‘Ranjish Hi Sahi’. It has to be one of the most difficult songs that were attempted in this round & he always makes such choices. He sounded so peaceful & soothing but the judges thought the opposite. Hadiqa Kiyani’s comment didn’t make any sense because she said his approach towards the song was shallow & both Ali Azmat & Bushra Ansari felt that he lacked the feel & expression, which didn’t sound like it anyways but I hope he gets the votes & is safe too.

Mehwish Maqsood (MM) of Lahore sang Noor Jahan’s ‘Banwari Chakori’. I wasn’t too impressed by this performance I don’t know why but she sounded like she had a sore throat. Bushra Ansari pointed out that she ran out of breath but Ali Azmat liked her performance, Hadiqa Kiyani was once again honest & said she sounded too forceful & harsh. Hadiya Kiyani also mentioned something important that the lyrics should be given special consideration & should be projected with clarity.

Zamad Baig (ZB) of Mandi Bahauddin sang Ahmed Rushdi’s ‘Keeya Hai Jo Pyaar To’. He was as usual flawless & confident. The best thing about his performance is that he sings with such an ease that he makes it a joy to listent to. All the judges appreciated him & Hadiqa Kiyani commended him on the rawness & husk of his voice which differentiates him from rest of the contestants. He no doubt is the most in-form singer of the lot.

Waqas Ali Vicky (WV) of Miyan Channu sang Mehdi Hassan’s ‘Abb Ke Hum Bichre’. I think he clearly had some issues in the lower notes which was quite audible but none of the judges picked out any of his mistakes & all of them liked his performance a lot. I hope he gets a lot of votes because no doubt he has a very soothing voice too & is one of my favorites.

Abdul Rafay Khan (RK) of Karachi sang Mehdi Hassan’s ‘Pyaar Bharay Do Sharmeelay Nain’. He was great but the judges pointed out quite a few mistakes. Hadiqa Kiyani wasn’t impressed at all & said he lost control of his notes many times. Ali Azmat agreed as well but also said that his singing had a certain feel to it. I liked his performance as well.

Syed Sajid Abbas (SA) of Karachi sang Ahmed Rushdi’s ‘Socha Tha Pyaar Na Karainge’. He was effortless & it was a very very sweet performance from him. All the judges loved it Bushra Ansari said she enjoyed it, Ali Azmat did pick a little mistake but said he enjoyed the performance over all. Hadiqa Kiyani was all praises for him as well.

Asad Raza Sonu (RS) of Lahore sang Mehdi Hassan’s ‘Jab Koi Pyaar Se’. He was good though but I don’t know I felt he was just good & nothing extra ordinary. Judges liked his performance a lot & Hadiqa Kiyani said he puts a certain feel to his song & portrays the emotions right. Ali Azmat & Bushra Ansari also praised him saying he justified the song.

Sana Zulfikaar (SZ) of Lahore sang Noor Jahan’s ‘Sada Ho Apne Pyaar Ki’. I thought she did sing well but without any emotion & she sang it in a hurry. The thing I love about Hadiya Kiyani is that no matter how much she likes a contestant, she would never sugar coat whenever she’d pointing out their mistakes. Hadiqa felt that she sounded too forceful & not at all smooth whereas Ali Azmat & Bushra Ansari liked her performance.

Kashif Ali (KA) of Lahore who was selected as a Wild Card Contestant sang Masood Rana’s ‘Bhool Jana Gham Dunya De’. What a brilliant performance once again I must say. Hadiqa Kiyani was as usual overwhelmed because of his singing & all the three judges praised him which he totally deserved. So, finally the moment that we all waited for was here & Kashif Ali made it as a 13th contestant. I hope we see him the top 3 because he certainly is a brilliant singer.

So, this was it from the very first Gala round. I liked the performances of Syed Sajjid Abbas, Waqas Ali Vicky, Kashif Ali, Mohammad Shoaib, Waqas Ali & Abdul Rafay Khan the most. Once again it would be a tough decision to make & let’s see who doesn’t make it through. Who did you like the most, which ones were your favorite performances & who are you voting for? Do share with us. :)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

So, this was finally the very first elimination of Pakistan Idol. I guess it was completely justified but yes to see some of the contestants being in the safe zone did come as a surprise.

In the beginning Mohib asked the judges about who did they like the most in the Friday night performances, I am glad the chosen contestants were actually the ones who deserved the recognition. Hadiqa Kiyani picked Waqas Ali, Waqas Ali Vicky & Kashif Ali. Ali Azmat said he liked Asad Raza Sonu, Waqas Ali & Kashif Ali. According to Bushra Ansari the best performances came from Waqas Ali, Waqas Ali Vicky & Kashif Ali. I am sure these three will go a long way in this journey of Pakistan Idol & I wish more power to them but I also hope that they choose the songs wisely & especially such sort of songs which get clicked with the audience as well.

So, the very first three contestants who came for the results were Waqas Ali, Sana Zulfikaar & Asad Raza Sonu. I thought that may be Asad Raza Sonu would be one of the bottom 3 among this lot but sadly & shockingly the result was unexpected. Waqas Ali was unsafe from the lot whereas he is the most in-form singer of the lot.

After them Zamad Baig & Kashif Ali came to face the results. I was hopeful & almost sure that both of them would be safe & especially for Kashif’s fans, fortunately he was safe. Hadiqa Kiyani also stated that she would leave her judge’s spot IF Kashif wasn’t safe & she meant it. I am sure she will extend all sorts of support to Kashif because he deserves it.

Next to face the results were Abdul Rafay Khan, Rosemary & Syed Sajid Abbas. All three of them were safe & I am really happy because no doubt their performances were amazing.

After them it was the turn of Mohammad Shoaib & Waqas Ali Vicky to face the results. I think it would’ve been unfair IF in comparison to Waqas Ali Vicky, Shoaib had gotten selected. So, at this point when it was announced that Shoaib was unsafe, I thought it was a right decision because Waqas Ali Vicky had all the reasons to be in the safe zone.

The last three contestants to face the results were Mehwish Maqsood, Ali Asad Zaidi & Shahmir Aziz Quidwai. At this point I thought any one of them except Ali Asad Zaidi really deserved to be in the bottom three because we clearly had some weak performances from those two & yes as expected Ali Asad Zaidi was safe, Mehwish went to the danger zone, which was justified.

In the end when Mohib asked the judges about who they think should make it to the top 12, their clear picks were Waqas Ali & Mehwish Maqsood. None of them thought Mohammad Shoaib should be given a chance once again but luckily for him, he was safe along with Waqas Ali. So, this came to our very first elimination of Pakistan Idol & it was of Mehwish Maqsood. The judges were teary, Ali Azmat & Bushra Ansari both declared all of the contestants & Mehwish Maqsood the winner. I am sure this is what we will hear by the end of every single elimination. Mehwish no doubt seemed promising during her audition & I thought she had a long way to go but sadly, her graph declined from there onwards.

So, yes I am not so disappointed at her elimination & I wish her good luck for the future.
What do you guys think, her elimination was expected & justified?

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Luckily, we had another amazing round of performances. I think this time around all the contestants gave their 100% & even were very very wise in the song selection. For this sole reason we got to see so many classical performances because the contestants wanted to show their versatility & their devotion towards singing.

I must say I was impressed by most of the performances & also amazed at the choice made by the judges too. I think Umar Aftab also deserved a chance to perform again but they gave chances to whom they deemed fit. No doubt almost all the contestants showed amazing improvement in their singing & the best part of this episode was saved for the last.

The commentary on the eliminated contestants who performed to battle for the last spot is as follows:

Waqar Ehsin (WE) of Islamabad performed ‘Laggan Lagi’, the song from an Indian movie ‘Tere Naam’. He started off weak but was great on high notes. I thought that he fell flat on the low notes & this is exactly what the judges pointed out as well. Hadiqa Kiyani was honest once again & without sugar coating it she said she was unsatisfied, Ali Azmat passed the comments on his notes too, I think he couldn’t redeem himself even after being pushed to an edge.

Ghazal Ali (GA) of Karachi sang Noor Jahan’s ‘Mein Tosay Naahi Boloon’. I think this was another one of her average performances, even though that the judges like it, she sounded bored & definitely inaudible at the lower notes. Judges surprisingly liked it & praised her because she chose a very difficult song of the legendary Noor Jahan, no doubt she tried to attempt it & succeeded to a certain extent but I couldn’t find the WOW factor, definitely not something that will push her in the next round.

Ali Rizwan (AR) of Faisalabad sang Amanat Ali Khan’s ‘Mora Jiya Na Lagay’. It was a pretty difficult song which he sang with ease but I don’t know I didn’t find him extra-ordinary. He sounded just right but wasn’t overly impressive just like his last performance in the Piano round. Judges appreciated his effort but I didn’t see them going gaga over his performance as well, so yeah, he was good but that’s it, maybe there’s some sort of a charm missing in his performances or what but yes, something is missing.

Mohammad Zeeshan (MZ) of Rawalpindi attempted Amanat Ali Khan’s ‘Teriyan We Teriyan’. I think of all those who had performed till this point, Zeeshan Ali was definitely better & impressive in comparison to them all. He has shown heaps of improvement & sounded like he took this particular performance seriously & gave his best shot. Luckily judges were impressed too & were happy at his song selection.

Fizza Javed (FJ) of Karachi sang ‘Sajna Ve Sajna’ sung by Sunidhi Chauhan for the Indian movie ‘Chameli’. I found her totally unimpressive & looks like she ruined my favorite song, no doubt it suited her vocal tone but she just couldn’t sing it like it should’ve been, plus she clearly ran out of breath & for that particular reason she couldn’t complete the last words of all the lines at all. Bushra Ansari surprisingly liked her performance but as usual Hadiqa Kiyani & Ali Azmat disagreed & were spot on, they pointed out the obvious mistakes & felt that she was flat, sounded tired & the performance had nothing much to offer.

Midhat Hidayat (MH) of Karachi sang ‘Ni Mai Samajh Gai’ from the Indian movie ‘Taal’. The song was more or less similar to her previous selection ‘Mahiya Mahiya’ but no doubt she performed really well, considering her age, she definitely is versatile & her voice quality is amazing too. It clearly looked like she pushed herself hard & showed a lot of improvement. Judges appreciated her effort & were clearly impressed.

Seemab Arshad (SR) of Gujrat sang Salamat Ali Khan’s ‘Sanwal Moar Mohaala’. It was undoubtedly the most difficult song attempted in this round & he was flawless, just perfect. From start to the finish he maintained the pace & had full control of what he was singing, not only high notes but he was equally flawless on the lower notes too. Judges were really impressed & no doubt, he called for all the appreciations himself. Bushra Ansari also told that he was suffering from a sore throat but considering the fact, I think he showed that he was in for serious business.

Kashif Ali (KA) of Karachi sang Kailash Kher’s ‘Saiyyan’. Last but definitely not the least. I was left speechless & overwhelmed after this particular performance. He sang it beautifully, soulfully, effortlessly, perfectly & what-not-ly :). I think he definitely deserves a spot in the Gala round after such a brilliant performance. No doubt the judges gave him a standing ovation & Hadiqa Kiyani got overwhelmed because definitely we could hear the feel with which he performed. I am still not sure why such a talented guy has to fight for the spot till the end where he is clearly an amazing singer & why Mehwish got selected from that lot. But no doubt, he fought for it with full force & he proved the point. So, yes he is clearly my favorite & I am rooting for him!!!

So, those who performed brilliantly in this round were Midhat Hidayat, Mohammad Zeeshan, Seemab Arshad & Kashif Ali. I think it’s going to be a tough call between Seemab Arshad & Kashif Ali but I hope that Kashif Ali qualifies, but by looking at both of them perform this time around, I think the judges & the producers should change the format of the show & give chance to both of them as they were equally good. Later they can have two eliminations in one week but I think both of them deserve to be in the Gala Round clearly. Share your thoughts about the performances of this lot.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so well, I was expecting the results in this episode but sadly nothing was revealed. It looks like we’ll have to wait for a whole week to find out who is the lucky 13th contestant, but on the other hand I do feel that IF unfortunately the selected contestant won’t be the one who everybody is rooting for, then it won’t be worth it. So, I think the best is to keep our fingers crossed that the most deserving; Kashif Ali gets selected.

Having said that, I did enjoy watching this episode because it shed a light on everybody’s story who made it to this level. Everyone had to share one thing or the other & no doubt those who reached to this level have gathered such an experience & made such memories that no one can imagine. The excitement on their faces, along with the happiness was a sight to see.

I enjoyed listening to what they had to tell because no doubt everyone has had their fair share of highs & lows in this whole journey. Everyone was worth listening to minus Sana Zulfikar – yes, I am clearly not interested. I liked how chirppy our down-to-earth Mohammad Shoaib sounded, laid back Asad Ali Zaidi had some points to share too. Waqas Ali actually gets more nervous than he actually sounds or looks. Sajjid Abbas looks more confident now. Rosemary is a sweetheart & luckily we got to know how she made to the auditions. I am happy that the Pakistan Idol team didn’t let her auditions pass & gave her a call to appear in the auditions for the last time, which was actually a beginning of her journey. These bits & bobs were great to listen to because it told us a bit more about the contestants of Pakistan Idol.

Once again, I would like to point out that they need to be wise in song selection. Most of the contestants said the same thing that they chose a song which they or their mothers like, which shouldn’t be the case. Only Waqas Ali made sense when he revealed why he chose Kishor Kumar’s song ‘Ek Hasina Thi’ to perform because looks like he considered many factors starting from impressing the audience to the intricacy of the notes in a song. Most of the others said that they chose songs of their favorite singers which they shouldn’t because I think they have come to such a point where they must keep in mind what song would suit their vocal tone & voice. Rosemary likes Lata Mangeshkar but her voice is really soft to be singing Lata’s songs, so I hope next time we get to hear those songs which the contestants can perform accordingly, not just because they like it or are a fan of the singer.

Well, I know most of us are disappointed because we didn’t get to know who made it through but nevermind, let’s wait for the Gala round because the actual competitions begins from there.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Another moment of half shocking half amazing results. I must say 2 out of the 3 contestants selected by the public voting were right & well deserving but the remaining one came as a shocker, but I am also pleasantly surprised by the selection made by the judges. Thankfully they didn’t discriminate on the basis of gender or just to fill the quota. This is the very first lot in which all the four boys were selected.

The very first duo that came for results was of Ghazal Ali & Zamad Baig. I thought Mohib would announce that none of them were selected but it became pretty evident when he said one of them was through to the next round & it definitely was & had to be Zamad Baig. I am glad at him being qualified because he was good in the Piano round.

The second duo that came to face the results was Umer Aftab & Fayeza Rashid. I hoped that Umer would be through seeing how Zamad got selected but none of them were selected by the public. It was sad to see such a nice voice like Umer’s not making it through to the next round.

The third duo to face the result was of Asad Raza Sonu & Seemab Arshad. This was a toughest duo to choose from because both of them were equally good & both of them deserved to be in the next round so it was a win win situation to see one of them getting through. It was Asad Raza Sonu, I did feel bad for Seemab but Asad Raza Sonu deserved the spot in the top 4 tonight for sure.

The fourth duo that came for the results was of Shahmir Aziz Quidwai & Ali Asad Zaidi. It was definitely a clear pick that Ali Asad would be selected but to see Shahmir Quidwait getting that spot was a shocker. I think he got lucky with the votes & that’s all there’s to it otherwise if it was solely based on the performance apart from Ali Asad, Umar Aftab was deserving too.

Anyways, it came down to the judges to pick two contestants for their second chance & they were Ali Asad Zaidi & Seemab Arshad. I am glad none of the girls got the unfair chance because no matter how good they were, guys in this round were definitely better. Ali Asad Zaidi sang ‘Bheegi Bheegi Si Hain Ratain’ from the Indian movie ‘Gangster’. It was again a safe choice made by him because he chose the genre which he knows would fit his vocal tone & he would be able to convey it with ease. He did sound a bit flat at times but given the circumstances I think he performed really well. Seemab Arshad performed Ahmed Jahanzeb’s ‘Kaho Aik Din’, I must say the resemblance of his voice to that of Ahmed Jahanzeb’s in this particular song was uncanny. He picked the song intelligently as well because it complemented his voice completely. Sad for Seemab & luckily for Ali Asad, Seemab sounded more nervous & a bit more flat. I think Seemab had this issue in the piano round as well because his body language showed how nervous he was, similarly even after getting the chance he couldn’t avail it properly & finally the deserving contestant Ali Asad Zaidi was selected. It was a sigh-of-relief moment for us; his fans.

The judges have announced that the next week would be dedicated to the Wild Card Entry, where 8 out of the eliminated 12 contestants would be selected & 1 out of them would be qualified on the basis of public voting. I think out of the eliminated contestants Kashif Ali,  Mohammad Zeeshan, Midhat Hidayat, Umar Aftab & Seemab Arshad would definitely get a chance & a few others who might fill the space would be Fizza Javed, Ghazal Ali & Yasir Khan. Let’s see who’d be selected by the judges to perform & fight for grabbing the last seat of the Top 13.

What did you think of today’s results, share with us! :)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Finally another one of those interesting episodes filled with some amazing performances. I must say this lot performed great too & had been the most versatile one when it came to the song selection, but the very first group remains my favorite till date.

I must say that I was really disappointed by some of the remarks that the judges made. One thing they need to understand is that these are just the contestants, out of which so many have never had any professional training in singing, so if they choose songs of a certain renowned singer, they shouldn’t judge the contestant based on how the actual song was sung by the professional singer. They shouldn’t compare a novice contestant who is still in a process of learning to the singer who has already made a mark in this field. Even though I was disappointed by the song choices some of the contestants made but they tried to do what they could so the judges should’ve judged them on the basis of their vocals & not on how the professional singers performed the songs.

The commentary on the contestants who performed today is as follows:

Ali Asad Zaidi (AZ) from Karachi performed the song ‘Meinnu Tere Naal’ of Najam Shiraz. He was flawless & probably he was the best one in this whole lot. He got 3 wows from Ali Azmat & he was all praises for this young boy, even Bushra Ansari enjoyed his singing but Hadiqa Kiyani wasn’t impressed at all, she wasn’t even seen applauding for him whereas the other two judges raved about how he sang the song. He was amazing & he chose the song wisely which he knew he could convey perfectly.

Umer Aftab (UA) from Lahore sang ‘Khamaaj’ of Shafqat Amanat Ali. I think he was flawless in his singing & sang such a difficult song with ease but all the three judges didn’t approve of his choice because they compared his singing to Shafqat Amanat Ali’s. I think he justified the song & sang it really well but it looked like the judges were trying to influence the audience against him whereas he was better than couple of other contestants.

Fayeza Rashid (FR) from Lahore sang Reshma’s song ‘Haye O Rabba’. She wasn’t impressive even though the song suited her tone but she couldn’t sing it well at all. She came up with a lot of explanations that almost sounded like an excuse but what hit me the most was that the judges didn’t even pinpoint a single mistake of hers & instead Hadiqa covered for her by saying she looked nervous & stuff. I think if that’s the case then all the contestants should get a leeway based on the nervousness they experience. She wasn’t good but judges were worst when it came to judging her because they didn’t point the obvious & rather hoped she gets the votes because she performed well in the PAST.

Asad Raza Soni (RS) from Lahore sang ‘Aye Khuda Jab Bana’ from the Indian movie ‘1920 Evil Returns’. His performance was once again a good one in fact he was great. All the judges were impressed & no doubt he was impressive, he chose a song that fitted his tone well plus the power with which he projected his voice was amazing too. I think this was the very first performance of the day which Hadiqa liked otherwise she wasn’t too impressed by the previous 3 performances.

Shahmir Aziz Quidwai (SQ) from Islamabad sang Ali Azmat’s ‘Garaj Baras’. What & why did he do this to himself? I think the biggest mistakes the contestants of Pakistan Idol have made so far is that they have picked the songs they LIKE, not the songs that they can PERFORM. This is exactly what happened with Shahmir. His voice is not at all suitable for rock songs because he sounded too soft for it even though he used enough force for the projection but his voice tone wasn’t complimenting the essence of the song. This is exactly what the judges said & rightly so. Not at all an impressive performance.

Seemab Arshad (SR) from Gujrat sang Shafqat Amanat Ali’s ‘Ye Hosla’ which was for a Hindi movie ‘Dor’. I must say he was very wise in a song selection becauseit suited the quality of his tone. All the judges were impressed but I agree with Bushra Ansari that it looked like he sang it in a hurry whereas the pace of the song is a bit slow as compared to the pace he picked. But nevertheless, he was impressive.

Ghazal Ali (GA) from Karachi chose the song ‘Namak Ishq Ka’ of the Indian movie ‘Omkara’. She once again was wise in a song selection because it matched her tone but I am not sure if it was a suitable choice especially to be heard & liked by the Pakistani audience because this is exactly what happened with Mehwish Maqsood, she may have chosen a song to show her range & versatility but it wasn’t liked by the people. Even though the judges liked Ghazal’s performance but we still have to see if she gets votes or not. I think she has declined ever since the auditions because I was actually rooting for her but right now I am not sure because others have performed way better than her.

Zamad Baig (ZB) from Mandi Bahauddin sang Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s ‘Kali Kali Zulfon’. I must commend him for again choosing a song which suited his tone & he justified it completely. The judges liked his performance too & no one had any mistake to pinpoint. No doubt his voice quality was unique & just because of the song he chose, it became self-explanatory.

So, this was it from tonight’s episode. I must say once again so many amazing performances & only 3 get to go through based on the votings. Looking at the results from the last week, I really am not sure what will happen & who will the judges give their vote to, so let’s wait but I do wish that Umer Aftab gets qualified because his singing was definitely great & he didn’t get the remarks he deserved. Other than him, Ali Asad Zaidi, Asad Raza Sonu, Seemab Arshad & Zamad Baig were great too, so the choice must be made from these 5 only, girls weren’t impressive so I hope they don’t get the chance just to fill the quota of girls in the Gala round like Mehwish Maqsood & Sana Zulfikar.

My favorite obviously from this lot has to be Ali Asad Zaidi & Umer Aftab. Who did you like, share you opinion. :)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Oh my, these were the most shocking results. This episode was nothing less than a roller coaster ride because all the selections & eliminations were totally unexpected.

It is definitely nice to see that the contestants are showing sportsman spirit & they are encouraging each other too. I am glad they have not gone out of the way to dig up the dirt & project any sorts of politics these contestants might be experiencing within. Over all they have provided with a decent entertainment & I hope it stays the same. Glad this time around Hadiqa Kiyani’s hairstyle was figurable, she didn’t opt for out-of-the-world – alien like hairstyle & for that reason she looked nice. Bushra Ansari has worked really hard on her appearance & thankfully her ensemble today wasn’t over the top too.

Well, speaking about the results, I am sure no one would be expecting to see such twists & turns but for sure this lot was the most difficult one to deal with. There were 6 great performances but only 3 had to be selected based on the votes. I am not sure what the judges were thinking  because at one point they praised someone & on the other they rejected them too.

The very first duo that came to face the results was of Mehwish Maqsood & Yasir Khan. In these two I thought Mehwish for sure shot qualified but to actually see them both getting lesser votes from the public was a shocker. I still knew Mehwish had a chance with the judges but was glad that Yasir Khan didn’t pass through this round because no doubt his performance was weak.

The second duo was of Sana Zulfikaar & Ali Rizwan that had to face the results. It was totally clear in this duo that Sana must’ve qualified so for that reason her announcement didn’t come as a surprise. No doubt she sang well but I am not a fan, not of her & neither of her singing. I think she sounds really shrill & has a typical playback singer sort of a voice. Didn’t even catch Hadiqa Kiyani’s reaction because I think others have performed better than her in the previous lot but Hadiqa Kiyani never showed such support to anyone else.

The third duo to face the fate was of Abdul Rafay Khan & Zeeshan Ali. Again based on the performance of the Friday night, Abdul Rafay Khan actually deserved to be selected & I am glad he did. He sang flawlessly whereas Zeeshan being a great singer couldn’t perform that well.

The fourth duo that came for their results was of Kashif Ali & Mohammad Shoaib. By this point I was pretty sure that Kashif Ali would be selected making Mehwish & Shoaib perform once again to fight for the 4th place but this selection came as a shocker. I am extremely glad that based on the voting Mohammad Shoaib got through but Kashif Ali deserved to be in the top 4 tonight as well.

Leaving us with top 3, judges had to give chance to two contestants for their last battle & they selected Mehwish which was justified because she is a good singer & even her performance on the Friday night was great too but I think her choice of song didn’t help her completely. The 2nd person who should’ve gotten a chance was Kashif Ali because Hadiqa did mention fighting for him as he is good but seems like Ali Azmat & Bushra Ansari won over & they gave the chance to Zeeshan Ali. It was rather a disappointing choice made by the judges because Kashif Ali is more refined as a singer than Zeeshan.

Mehwish Maqsood sang Abida Parveen’s song ‘Tere Ishq Nachaya’ which suits her voice & it surely showed how conveniently she sticked to the genre she is good at. Her performance wasn’t that impressive because just like Ali Azmat said, it looked like she sang under pressure & fell flat so many times. Zeeshan Ali sang ‘Meri Bheegi Bheegi Si’ from the old Hindi movie ‘Anamika’. In comparison to Mehwish he sang really really well. He had a control over the song but sounded a little off-beat, but I still believe she was better than Mehwish.

Results came in & Mehwish Maqsood got selected which was again a shocker because the contestants are made to sing again in this round so that the judges base their opinions on this particular performance but Ali Azmat came up with an excuse of looking at the previous performances too & hence, she got selected over Zeeshan which I think isn’t justified because looking at tonight’s performance Zeeshan was definitely better. Really sad that Kashif Ali didn’t get selected & neither did he get the chance. I would’ve been happier if Sana Zulfikaar wasn’t selected & her place was given to Kashif Ali.

The lot of last 8 contestants who will perform this week are Ali Asad, Umer Aftab, Faiza Rashid, Asad Raza Sonu, Shahmir, Seemab, Ghazal Ali & Zamad Baig. After the last 4 will be selected, making the count of 12, judges will then again decide & give a chance to the eliminated contestants & will select only one of them making the total of 13 contestants to compete in the Gala round for the title of Pakistan Idol. I think there are many deserving people left out but let’s see who will win that last chance.

I am looking forward to see how Ghazal, Umer & Zamad will perform from the last lot only as they are really good. If we look at it, the public has till now voted for those who were good in their song selections, singing matters no doubt but the contestants should pick the song that suits their voice & which they can convey easily. I think the contestants shouldn’t have only taken the songs that they like, they must broaden their choices & choose those songs which do make an impact when sung with their vocals.

Share your views about tonight’s result.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay, that was another interesting lot of a piano round that performed today. I am quite surprised that those who were lost somewhere in the auditions & the theater round came out with a bang & performed extremely well.

I must say the judges are not opening up too much in judging the contestants. I know they may not want to influence the public & their votings but where they have pinpointed some of the mistakes, they have clearly left some of the contestants untouched too. I think the judgements or their opinions should be honest & fair but to completely ignore someone’s mistake isn’t justified.

This lot of 8 people had a lot of power packed performances where a few were disappointing, a lot others were brilliant so I am guessing the people would have to vote it a hard way because only 4 get to qualify where 3 will be chosen by the people & we clearly had a lot more performers who deserve to be qualified – I guess a little more than 4 for sure. Almost all the contestants of this lot were from Lahore except for 3 & also most of them sang the Indian songs *sigh*.

The commentary on the contestants who performed today is as follows:

Kashif Ali (KA) from Lahore sang ‘Arziyaan’ from Hindi movie ‘Delhi 6’. I think undoubtedly his performance was the best amongst the whole lot. He was flawless, he was effortless & he was just perfect. He sang that song beautifully & judges were pretty much impressed too. I didn’t quite agree with what Bushra Ansari said about him running out of breath. This criticism would’ve been justified if she had pin pointed other’s mistakes too but if she didn’t intend to do it, she should’ve let this one pass too because he didn’t deserve any of the negative comments because his voice & singing was absolutely amazing.

Yasir Khan (YK) from Lahore sang ‘Pehla Nasha’ of the Indian movie ‘Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar’. I must say I wasn’t quite in fact I wasn’t at all impressed by his singing. He fell flat at so many moments & he literally changed the perfect song to an ordinary one but it was shocking to see the judges commend him for his amazing singing which wasn’t as amazing as the judges claimed it to be. I think they should’ve picked out the negative points too & shouldn’t have let him get away with such a flat singing so easily.

Mehwish Maqsood (MM) from Lahore sang ‘Dil Mera Muft Ka’ from Indian movie ‘Agent Vinod’. She was impressive & effortless too. The judges appreciated her & Ali Azmat rightly said that she proved herself to be versatile because in the earlier rounds she has sung some folk songs & now this one was of a completely different genre but over all her performance was definitely great.

Mohammad Shoaib (MS) the only contestant from Peshawar sang ‘Kise Da Yaar Na Wichre’ of his favorite idol ‘Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’. Sadly & unfortunately he couldn’t do justice to the song because this was definitely a difficult choice made by him. He was pretty effortless in his auditions but this time he was good & bad both. I still find his voice one of the best one amongst all. The judges picked a lot from his performance but I hope & I am keeping my fingers crossed that he gets a chance again because he is definitely better than many others.

Mohammad Zeeshan (MZ) from Rawalpindi sang ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ from the Indian movie ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’. He focused more on his performance & the gestures & sort of ignored his singing. He sounded really one dimensional even though he maintained his confidence but Ali Azmat was right in saying that his voice lacked power. That song really needed the right throw & emotion but Mohammad Zeeshan failed to convey it.

Ali Rizwan (AR) from Faisalabad sang ‘Zara Si Dil Mai De Jagah’ from the Indian movie ‘Jannat’. His performance wasn’t impressive rather it sounded weak. He sang nicely but still it wasn’t enough of a convincing performance to suit the Pakistan Idol stage. The judges didn’t point out any flaws & let him pass without any pointers from their side which I feel isn’t right. It was pretty evident that they weren’t so convinced by his singing.

Sana Zulfikaar (SZ) from Lahore attempted Noor Jahan’s song ‘Dil De Sheeshay’. I must say I had to lower the volume of my TV because she sounded just so shrilly. The judges were going gaga over her performance, no doubt she sang it appropriately but I don’t think she was that impressive. I mean she lacks that power in her voice & that aura to be on the stage.

Abdul Rafay Khan (RK) from Lahore sang ‘Abbhi Mujh Mai Kahin’ of the Indian Movie ‘Agneepath’. He was another one who was flawless. His voice had throw, his voice quality was great & over all his singing was brilliant. Hadiqa Kiyani seemed to be really impressed & so were the other two judges. I am glad that the Piano Round 2 started & ended with such such brilliant performances.

So, these were the performances. I am definitely hoping that Kashif Ali & Abdul Rafay Khan along with Mehwish Maqsood qualify & it would definitely be a surprise to see who fills the 4th place. There would be a tough competition between Sana Zulfikaar & Mohammad Zeeshan but I hope Mohammad Shoaib gets the chance too because he is definitely good.

Who did you like in tonight’s episode & who’s your favorite from the lot & who do you want to see qualify for the next round, do share it? :)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Oh my, what a nerve wrecking episode of Pakistan Idol. I wasn’t expecting myself to be so much involved in Pakistan Idol ever since it began, but I must confess I am definitely feeling the otherwise. I am absolutely enjoying how they have divided the contestants in groups & then their results are declared with a perfect format too. 3 of the contestants are selected by the public voting whereas judges get to choose 1 out of the four to qualify for the next round.

I must say that the way they have made the contestants sing once again to avail that last chance is a well thought process. Fortunately, they didn’t base their judgements on the previous perfomances & made them sing again to rest their final verdict forward. We have discussed everything about Pakistan Idol but I must say that the stage & the whole studio along with the Idol lounge is beyond words impressive. I am glad that they lived upto the name & the image of Pakistan Idol. Considering the fact that this is the very first season of Pakistan Idol, they for sure made it larger than life & I absolutely love the signature theme music of Pakistan Idol, it just gets you into the mood. The band is great too & by all means they are adding the wow factor to the performances.

I really don’t know if this is a coincidence or what but I couldn’t help noticing Hadiqa Kiyani’s freemasonic ‘All Seeing Eye’ earrings. I think they themselves are in the media & are close to understand the conspiracies that the media is getting involved into but to actually see her wearing a ‘Pyramid with an all-seeing eye’ earring, it was a shocker. It may be coincidence & if it is not, it speaks volumes about what their priorities are.

Well, now coming to the results, the very first duo that came up for results was of Waqas Ali & Midhat Hidayat. By all means it was evident that in comparison to Midhat, Waqas would be qualified & I am glad he did because no doubt his performance was flawless & all the three judges were impressed.

The second duo that came in for the results was of my two favorite contestants Waqas Ali Vicky & Rosemary. It was heart breaking to see Waqas Ali Vicky not being able to make it in the very first go. Even though I was glad for Rosemary but was equally sad for Waqas Ali Vicky.

The third duo was of Abdul Ahad & Waqar Ehsin. & based on their performances, it was an intelligent choice by the public to have not voted for them extraordinarily because their singing was definitely weak in comparison to the other contestants.

The fourth duo was of Sajid Abbas & Fizza Javed. I think it was one of the most neutral duo that surfaced because even though Sajid Abbas got selected & if in his place Fizza was qualified, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference because they both were good but definitely Fizza’s performance had a weak start but ended brilliantly.

The ending of the results round was absolutely amazing. Both the contestants selected by judges had to perform once again. Waqas Ali Vicky once again sang a slow melodious punjabi song ‘Kaddi Aa Mil Saajan/Savan (not sure)’ & Midhat tried to show her versatility by attempting a different genre & she sang a Hindi movie song ‘Mahiya Mahiya’. Even though Midhat tried her best & had a great start but definitely her flat singing was quite audible. At some moments it looked like a novice was singing a song on such a big stage so for that I am glad Waqas Ali Vicky got selected. PHEW, because he is definitely good.

& by this I feel I’ve become an ‘antar yaami’ (forture-teller) lol because the four contestants who got selected are the ones I picked in my Friday show review. LOL! But I am glad that both Waqas Ali Vicky & Rosemary got selected along with Waqas Ali & Sajid Abbas. 

The 8 contestants who will perform this week are Kashif Ali, Mohammad Yasir Khan, Mehwish Maqsood, Mohammad Shoaib, Ali Rizwan, Zeeshan Ali, Sana Zulfikaar & Abdul Rafay Khan. That is another interesting line-up & among these I am looking forward to the performances of Mehwish Maqsood, Mohammad Shoaib & Zeeshan Ali. I hope these three qualify too because I’m blessing them with my magic wand. :D

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

So, this was the final week of Auditions & the destination was Karachi. Both the episodes of this week were dedicated to the Karachi auditions where first episode focused more on the serious singers & the second episode had fun moments.

There were plenty of voices that were impressive but I am not quite sure of how much the judges can pass a statement on a contestant’s personality? I have seen other Idols too & there are a million people who are simple or don’t follow the latest trends but they never get the pointers by the judges for how they should look & what they must do because the judges just focus more on the singing but seems like Pakistani judges are focusing a lot more on the appearances & when not impressed by anyone, they do not hold back in giving out their verdicts on how one should act or react, be it on how much they weigh or how they look. The judges must understand that there are a million people out there who do not pay attention to artificialities so for that they should & they must be respected.

I must say that the Karachi girls were really impressive as far as the singing was concerned because so many of them got the golden tickets. A few of the boys performed really really well too. Those who got the golden tickets in Karachi Auditions were Midhat Hidayat, Sajid Abbas, Ghazal Ali, Fizza Javed, Ali Asad, Nazia Ashraf, Abdul Rafay, Shahid Ali Sonu, Arsalan Amin, Rosemary & Dr. Mohammad Usman.

Midhat Hidayat was the one who sang Runa Laila’s ‘Katay Na Katay Ray’, in comparison to her happy-go-lucky personality she sang absolutely brilliant but I was not a fan of Hadiqa’s comment on her which stated that she needs to look ‘sane’ to be on the stage. She was just being herself & considering the fact that she is just a matric student, I found her personality absolutely amazing. She was funny, witty & even if we forget the rest, she knew her game of singing so I don’t think being on the judges seat, you get the right to pass a judgement on how a person actually is. They should direct their criticism on the singing solely. Gazal Ali sounded really really versatile & she impressed the judges with two of the different songs that she sang but once again Hadiqa asked about why she had no makeup on, I liked when Ali Azmat supported her saying that it doesn’t matter because what does is her singing. Abdul Rafay who’s only 17 had a mature voice & was brilliant. Shahid Ali Sonu comes from a family that has a few stars who’ve excelled in the field of music & for that reason even though the judges judged him a bit too keenly, he didn’t fail to impress them with his effortless singing. All those who got the tickets were well deserving. I was glad to know that Dr. Mohammad Usman once again appeared in the auditions & earned himself a ticket this time because he was first rejected in Multan auditions.

A few other contestants came who thought they sang well but got the opposite remarks. Madiha Shah was one girl who looked really impressive & someone who took her singing seriously but the moment she began singing it was a clear No No. Shahab Hussain came from a singing group & he had already been performing but like the judges said he lacked a lot of expression & sounded one-dimensional. Jana Nazzreth came with a personality which made us believe that she would be a perfect singer but sadly she needed a lot of improvement. Mehek Rafique deserves a special mention here for her ‘tabla’ prowess. She was absolutely marvellous but sadly her singing wasn’t that impressive, even though she had a know how of the basics, she still couldn’t make it to the next round. So best of luck to her & I hope she does well in her genre.

I enjoyed Ali Azmat’s version of the old Hindi classic which he changed to ‘Chura liya hai tumne jo kukkar, kukri nahi chuarana sanam’. LOL! We even saw two wanna be Shahrukh Khans. Babu & Shahrukh Shahnoor who were ridiculously bad at singing but still had the guts to perform.

My favorites from Karachi auditions are Midhat Hidayat, Ghazal Ali & Abdul Rafay.

But the one who I found the best among all the other contestants & like they say ‘save the best for the last’, I am definitely rooting for 15 y/o Rosemary, I am glad that they put her part at the end of the whole audition round because she left a great great great impression. She was a trained singer & she tops all other favorites of mine. I am definitely eyeing her & wish her good luck because she was absolutely impressive, versatile & almost perfect at such a young age. I hope she makes it to the top 3.

Good luck to all the other contestants too & now let the real game begin!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

So, this week the judges covered Peshawar, Sukkhur & Islamabad. I liked the Islamabad auditions more but it was a bit of a disappointment to know that no one from Sukkhur made to the next round except ONE. Even the crowd there seemed less as compared to the other cities but the guy who qualified did have a nice voice.

One thing that I absolutely loved about Peshawar auditions was the Pushto songs that were sung & the typical Pukhtoon music that  was played in the background. It was an amazing feeling to know that the people of Peshawar loved their bit in the music & had originality when it comes to that too. It was like showing the essence of their vicinity through music. I wish that we could’ve seen the love of folk in the auditions of few other cities too, so for that Peshawar dwellers deserve an applause.

So the people who appeared in the Peshawar Auditions were Mohammad Ishaq Khan, Mohammad Shoaib, Asif Hussain, Moiz, Javeria Shoaib & Abdul Wasif. Of all these only Mohammad Shoaib, Asif Hussain & Javeria Shoaib got the golden tickets. Well I must say when Mohammad Ishaq Khan came & spoke about the compliment he got from Noor Jahan plus how he had been performing in his own city & abroad I thought we had found a star from Peshawar, but the moment he started singing I wasn’t sure if he was joking now or previously when he spoke of the compliments. It was sad to hear him sing that bad.

Moiz who came across as a fan of Justin Bieber through his sense of style sang a song from Indian movie ‘Kaminay’ & I really couldn’t understand why would he sing but at least he had the confidence, so it’s alright. Asif Hussain sang a classical piece so effortlessly that I hoped he got the golden ticket with 3 mutual yeses but it was kind of funny to see Bushra Ansari object on him because according to her he missed a lot of surs but what’s funniest was Ali Azmat saying the very next moment that his surs were perfect. I must say it takes sort sort of a practice on your own to pick up such intricacies in the vocals but Bushra Ansari forgot that she is an actor & not a singer at all. Mohammad Shoaib who sang Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s song ‘Kinna Sohna Tenu’ & Javeria Shoaib both did an amazing job & got the tickets right away.

Another one who came to try his luck in Peshawar Auditions was Abdul Wasif who looked like a model but sang really bad. He picked the song ‘Char Dino Da Pyaar O Rabba’ which Ali Azmat changed to ‘4 Rupay Da Naan O Rabba, 2 Rupay Di Roti Lawai’, what’s funny was that Abdul Wasif himself knew how bad he sang & he was pretty much prepared for the verdict so he said he came to have fun.

In Sukkhur auditions I was just not a fan of Hadiqa Kiyani’s hairdo but I thought the rest was good. Only three people made to the screen & they were Younten Masih who sang pretty well but it was kind of one dimensional singing & not appropriate for Pakistan Idol. Wajahat Ahmed Bhatti stated he disliked Ali Azmat but sad his singing was just as bad to make Ali Azmat laugh on his face, he sang ‘Pal Pal Pal’ where Bushra Ansari asked where he had lost his masculine voice. Ohkay, I know the judges might be getting nuts by listening to people left right & centre but to pass comments like these speak a lot more about them too. But it was funny on Wajahat’s part that when he came out from the judges room he said he got their blessings whereas all of them told him not to sing in the future. Niaz Mohammad Baloch was the only one who made it to the next round from Sukkhur & I am glad he did.

Islamabad Auditions focused a lot more on the people who qualified for the next round. There were also many girls who got the golden tickets but I just couldn’t understand Ali Azmat’s hesitation when it came to girls. Whenever Hadiqa Kiyani & Bushra Ansari liked any girl, Ali Azmat claimed they were being biased, he said it both in Peshawar & then Islamabad auditions. I am kind of confused at his mental state where he thought only guys were better but I think he needs to re-check what he says about girls. It looks like he only came to approve boys but whenever girls got a chance he seemed kind of skeptical. I hope he cuts down the discrimination because it is quite obvious & being a judge, he should’nt just side with the boys.

From Islamabad Zeeshan Ali, Tehmina Noor, Anzik Maajid, Reema Majeed, Bano Rehmat, Durr-e-Shahwaar, Asad Raza & Waqas Ali got the golden tickets. Zeeshan Ali was really confident & sang well too. Tehmina Noor was just 16 y/o & she had such a melodious voice, Waqas Ali came with his younger brother who also tried but he was far behind in singing as compared to his elder brother therefore he wasn’t qualified. I wasn’t too impressed with Anzik Maajid’s voice because it seemed that his voice in a transitional period where it would change & grow to be more mature but still he got the ticket as he sang both classical & some Indian song too.

Mohammad Murad claimed he could cover all genres in his singing but it looked like he was good at imitating & had no voice of his own. A guy named Abdul Haseeb Khan came all the way from Swabi & sang Ali Azmat’s songs but he totally lacked in vocals so I was wondering why did he put in so much of an effort? Syed Musa Kazim came as a fan of Kumar Sanu & tried to sing like him but like seriously?!?!?

Anyways, another week of Pakistan Idol got over & I must say that the judges are not coming across as humorous or funny rather at times they cross their lines & when I say them I am not speaking of Hadiqa Kiyani. Bushra Ansari & Ali Azmat are over-doing it. I wish they were actually funny in stead of being rude.

My favorites from this week’s auditions were Mohammad Shoaid, Asif Hussain from Peshawar & Zeeshan Ali from Islamabad. Let’s see what’s more left to be heard in Pakistan Idol.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Well another exciting week of Pakistan Idol ended with a few surprises & a few surprising eliminations. A lot of those contestants who seemed promising didn’t do well & were eliminated & sadly I was rooting for quite few of them too but never-mind.

Theater round was divided into 2 levels where in the first stage the contestants had to sing in a form of duos & trios but later as they qualified, they had to perform solo songs. It was amazing to see so many of them who sounded just fine in the auditions do extremely well with the band & then there were those as well who projected their vocals brilliantly but when asked to be singing along the other contestants & with the band, they were awful.

Those who were good but didn’t make through the theater rounds were Asif Hussain, Salman Cecil, Ramzan Ali, Shahid Ali Sonu. I actually thought that most of them would be qualified but may be they didn’t perform that well. Gopal Guddu Ram had strong vocals but I think he lacked concentration & for that he was out of the race. Even though he came up with a lot of excuses but they seemed really vague because given the concentration & the yearning he showed in the beginning, it completely looked like he took the chance for granted. At first he complained about not being able to read the lyrics but I think any one can put a song on the loop to memorize it because it goes without saying that he was participating in Pakistan Idol & then he came up with the say about his Father’s weak health. I think he had a lot of potential but God knows what got into him.

Round two was quite interesting because all the contestants had to sing solely. Sana, Yasir & Omar were all the best buddies & Sana even though her throat was giving her a hard time sang ‘Dil Dharkay’ appropriately. Yasir & Omar sang ‘Rangin Hai Tu’ & both of them weren’t as impressive but still they managed to qualify for the Piano Round along with their friend Sana Zulfikar.

Mehwish Maqsood sang ‘Ishq Sufiyana’ & she was as usual impressive. 4 of the girls Malaika, Ghazal Ali, Nadia Hashmi, Fizza Javed sang ‘Naina’ & all four of them disappointed the judges. I was sad when Ghazal couldn’t make it through because she had that quality in her.

The only contestant who did extremely well in solo round was Syed Ali Asad who sang ‘Pyaar Mujhse Nahi Hai’. Ali Azmat actually commended him for his performance & yeah, he nailed it. I found his performance the best because may be he picked every detail quickly whereas the others kept on struggling. Kashif Ali & Zamad Baig were again friends who sang the same song by Rabbi ‘Tere Bin’ but they did pretty well too & for that they both were through to the piano round.

Judgements session was interesting too but I was disappointed to see Ghazal Ali & Nadia Hashmi eliminated because they both were great. A few other contestants were selected in the top 24 but their names weren’t mentioned. Nazish got qualified but she withdrew from the show because of her personal issues at home & the moment she back out I hoped that the chance was given to Ghazal & it happened. It was a perfect decision made by the judges but I would’ve been more happy if she qualified on her own because she was unique in her own way. I am definitely rooting for Ghazal Ali & Rosemary as they both are amazing & in the guys Syed Ali Asad is definitely impressive.

Have your say at who is your favorite so far & whose elimination disappointed you!
Definitely looking forward to the Piano round this week.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Congratulations to Zamad Baig & his supporters on his win. :)

This is it from the very first & the very successful season of Pakistan Idol. They gave us an amazing finale episode packed with a lot of memorable performances & gracious guests who gratified the stage with their presence. Abida Parveen, Hamid Ali Khan, Sajjad Ali, Ali Zafar were invited to be a part of this memorable journey & it was a treat to see them all but the highlight of the whole episode for me has to be Sajjad Ali performing ‘Sohni Lagdi’.

Of all the performances, my least favorite were of Hadiqa Kiyani & Bushra Ansari. As much as I am sad that Pakistan Idol is ending, I am glad that I won’t get to see in fact tolerate Bushra Ansari on the weekly basis that too twice a week. I think she seriously needs some counselling because of the obvious reasons & like they say last but not the least, her last appreance on the stage of Pakistan Idol was not a least bit normal.

It was good to see all the eliminated contestants & I was actually really happy to see Syed Sajjid Abbas, Mehwish Maqsood, Rosemary, Asad Raza Sonu, Ali Asad Zaidi & Abdul Rafay Khan again on the stage. Their performances were pre-recorded but they were great because in a very short time they paid tribute to the Pakistani music & fulfilled the purpose of this stage because it belongs to Pakistani music.

So, this was it from the very first season of Pakistan Idol. No doubt being the very first launch of the franchise, they did justice to the whole format & made it larger than life but I hope in the next season we do get some other judges who not only judge but mentor the contestants along the way. I also hope that the team behind Pakistan Idol would pay more attention to explore more genres of music as a challenge to the contestants every week. This time around, no doubt they set different themes & moods but never really gave a room to the contestants to come out of their comfort zones in order to experiment with the different genres. More or less they let the contestants establish their styles & excel in them over & over again.

This would be an understatement to say that the episode which was based on the actual genre of the music like Qawwali has to be the most memorable episode of the whole season followed by the patriotic themed episode. The way they invited guest judges for the mentoring was definitely great & Sajjad Ali & Ali Zafar stood out the most but I hope next time they’d let the guest judges mentor the contestants on specific genres too.

So, with this & with Zamad Baig’s win, Pakistan Idol comes to an end. It’s a celebration time for his supporters because he did really well through out the season. The list of the songs he has performed that paved the way for his success is as follows:

Auditions: ‘Ye Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai’ – NFAK
Piano Round: ‘Kali Kali Zulfon’ – NFAK
Gala Round 01: ‘Kiya Hai Jo Pyaar To’ – Ahmed Rushdi
Gala Round 02: ‘Mukhray Ton Nazran Hawatan’ – NFAK
Gala Round 03: ‘Khuwaab’ – Ali Azmat
Gala Round 04: ‘Teri Deewani’ – Kailash Kher
Gala Round 05: ‘Mai Tera Hero’ – Mika Singh
Gala Round 06: ‘Sanu Ik Pal’ – NFAK
Gala Round 07: ‘Pakistan Pakistan’ – NFAK
Gala Round 08: ‘Jiya Dharak Dharak Jaye’ – RFAK
Gala Round 09: ‘Dastaan-e-Ishq’ – Ali Zafar
Gala Round 10: ‘Ye Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai’ – NFAK
Gala Round 11: ‘Jatt Charheya Kachehri’ – Abrar ul Haq
Gala Round 11: ‘Soona Soona’ – Ramez Khan
Gala Round 12: ‘Tere Ishq Nachaya’ & ‘Tere Ishq Mein Jo Doob Gaya’ – Saein Akhtar & Allan Faqeer
Gala Round 12: ‘Allah Hu’ – NFAK

I wish all the best to all the top 13 contestants & especially Mohammad Shoaib for standing out the most & proving a point that he is versatile. He has gained a lot of popularity & will be remembered. I wish luck, power & success to Zamad Baig, Mohammad Shoaib & the rest. :)

I thank all those who appreciated my effort & my take on Pakistan Idol & supported me on my reviews.
Till we meet again for the very next season. ;)

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.