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Muqaddar Episode 8 Story Review – Strong Performances

Ohkay so, this episode of Muqaddar covered the moment that changed Raima’s life. I think from now on, as much as the story will be about Raima’s sufferings, it will also show how she will be impacting Saif ur Rehman’s life. I can totally foresee the pace getting a little slower from this episode onward where Raima will take a lot of time in coming to terms with the fact that she is now married to Saif ur Rehman, but after she will eventually accept the reality, that is when the story will definitely become a lot more interesting.

Saif ur Rehman’s Authority

The beginning of the episode showed how Saad was ready to go to any extent to help Raima. No one so far has been able to solve the riddle that the girl who interviewed Saif ur Rehman has gone missing & not only that, her family & fiancee were threatened too. It goes to show that as much as Saad or even Farkhanda know Saif ur Rehman, this is something that is beyond their imagination that Saif ur Rehman can go to such an extent to win someone over, especially a girl who he only met once in his life.

Saif ur Rehman’s character for now seems to be pretty one-dimensional where he is so used to being in control & authority that he can not look beyond that wall where there can be emotions & feelings. For Saif ur Rehman, Raima is like a trophy that he wants to win no matter what price he is going to make her pay. Raima remained persistent that she loved Haris, but unfortunately, she couldn’t do anything. At this point, Saif ur Rehman remains the least favorite character but I am sure the writer is going to show how he is going to evolve & how Raima will transform him, which hopefully will be interesting to see. Saif ur Rehman used the final nail in the coffin to convince Raima & she caved in. It was ironic that Saif ur Rehman still chose not to see the love Raima had for Haris where only to save his life, she was accepting his proposal.

Muqaddar Episode 8 Story Review - Strong Performances

Madiha Imam has remained in her element as Raima & had made me feel for her every step of the way. Muqaddar so far is the kind of drama that hasn’t offered something new or out of the box, however the way it has been executed makes you look forward to it. The strong & powerful portrayal of emotions happens to be the strength of Muqaddar, be it from Raima or Haris & his family or even Saif ur Rehman. Abeera & Hassan’s track remains the least favorite so far & doesn’t offer much. They have been used as a filler & it is written all over them. However, the only reason I see of this track is to may be serve as an eye-opener to Saif ur Rehman because Abeera seems to be falling for the wrong guy & eventually, after Saif ur Rehman will see his daughter suffering, he will realize the pain he had caused to Raima & her family.

It is unfortunate that Raima’s uncle Arshad chose to stay aloof to the entire scenario. He thinks he has tried his best but the truth is, he did not & even now he seems to be preventing Haris from doing anything. Arshad probably knows that Saif ur Rehman is far too strong & influential to be fought with, therefore he is just trying to save his family unit because he understands that for Raima, there’s no turning back from Saif ur Rehman’s trap.

Muqaddar Episode 8 Story Review - Strong Performances

Raima & Saif ur Rehman got married & the entire time, I couldn’t help but feel for Raima. The entire ‘sharab haram hai’ was in bad taste & seemed totally unnecessary because it would’ve been realistic if they had shown Saif ur Rehman celebrating his union with being in his senses & rejoicing over it by just being happy. He obviously didn’t need alcohol to deal with the fact that he finally succeeded in making Raima his. Saif ur Rehman’s aggression is the part of his nature & personality but once again, to see him reacting to Raima’s confession of always loving Haris seemed uncalled for because what else was he expecting from a girl who has clearly stated it again & again that she doesn’t like him to begin with. What happens next remains to be seen.

Strong Performances

This episode of Muqaddar once again had amazing acting to its credit. Madiha Imam & Faysal Qureshi are making Muqaddar worthwhile. Ali Ansari has emerged to be a very strong performer in this drama & it seems he actually gave it all to Haris’s character because so far, I haven’t seen any such drama of his where he got to perform to his full potential. All the supporting actors like Ayesha Gul, Saife Hassan & Fazila Qazi are rightfully adding & contributing towards the story & drama. I am definitely looking forward to the next episode. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Muqaddar.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Muqaddar Episode 12 Story Review – Interesting Episode

Ohkay so, this episode of Muqaddar revealed some new aspects about most of the characters. Driven by selfishness, greed & dejection, how they tried to overcome all of it was quite interesting to watch. Whatever Muqaddar has offered till date is not something new but the way everything is being revealed and taken forward makes it worthwhile. However like it happens with all the typical stories, the pace should be steady & repetition is a no no, therefore they should move things forward before everything starts to seem monotonous.

The Reactions

Raima decided she had to put a closure to the relationship & feelings Haris & she had for one another. She knew this was the only way Haris will ever agree to move on, therefore she tried to hurt him where it hurt the most, by telling him that he was never good enough for her & the moment she found someone who was, she decided to get married. Haris’ reaction obviously was a result of his anger, but knowing Raima & been with her for his entire life, he should’ve known that whatever Raima was saying was clouded by an ulterior motive, otherwise she was never that kind of a person. In fury & agitation, Haris decided to cut all ties with her & even forced his parents to do the same, which means he will even get married to Maha now but later in life when he will analyze everything, he will realize that Raima was not wrong & in fact she herself was a victim to an influential man’s trap.

Abeera is being irrational, she has just met Hassan & she thinks he is the one. It is obvious that she doesn’t see herself compatible with Saad & he is not the kind of person she wants to be with, that’s fine but Hassan himself has not made any promises yet but Abeera is trying to make this relationship official. Abeera’s character is nice but she is someone who wants what she wants & will never settle for anything that she doesn’t have her heart into. Saad I feel should also be honest, he has loved Raima will all his heart but only for the sake of his family’s honor, he is persistent in being committed to Abeera. Yes, as a concerned cousin he should feel protective of her but when it comes to staying committed to her, he should let her go because she is not interested in him.

Farkhanda has been trying to take charge of the situation, she even contacted Hassan but she knows she can not do much because it’s Abeera she is dealing with. It was finally revealed that Saad happens to be the son of a househelp who used to work for their family when their grandfather was alive. This is where the humility & niceness in Saad comes from. It is obvious that Farkhanda’s entire family has looked down upon him but because she has raised him, she vouches for him, which is actually nice!

Muqaddar Episode 12 Story Review - Interesting Episode

The most interesting & in fact amusing scene of this episode was Haris & Farkhanda’s interaction. Farkhanda is someone who doesn’t believe in giving away what she is going through & she doesn’t let the emotions get the better of her – this is one aspect about her character that I actually really liked because so far I believed she didn’t have much going for her but it was nice to see that her character is layered & has quite a few shades. In fact, more than the main lead Saif ur Rehman, I find her character multi-faceted.

The way she embarrassed Haris was definitely what no one saw coming. All that Farkhanda heard from him was news for her too but she decided to own her husband’s decision at that moment & decided she shouldn’t do or say anything that will allow Haris to feel he succeeded in what he was trying to achieve. Haris himself didn’t expect that reaction from Saif ur Rehman’s first wife & this is probably what will eventually help him finally come to terms with the fact that Raima is a part of Saif ur Rehman’s life & family, therefore she doesn’t stand a chance. Farkhanda’s decision of containing herself & not getting rattled showed that all these years, she had learnt to subdue her emotions & for her entire life, she had done everything she could to be a supportive wife to Saif ur Rehman. It is not like she is oblivious to his activities & short-lived flings, but till now, she had this satisfaction that she was the only wife but now with Raima in the picture, it is yet to be seen what she will do. She is definitely the kind of character that has it in her to surprise & do the unexpected.

A Good Watch

This episode of Muqaddar was a good watch. The story is progressing slowly but I am interested to see the development in the track of main characters. So far they have had similar sorts of interactions & the only difference was Raima was trying to be nice to get the edge to at least meet her family. Her uncle & aunt are nice but they yet again are disappointed after hearing all that Haris had said to them about Raima. It won’t surprise me if they too will cut ties with Raima because of their dear son. Arshad should tell Haris that he tried to negotiate with Saif ur Rehman but he was not ready to let go of her. At times it feels Haris’ parents want Raima to be the bad cop so that their son can be safe & do what they expect him to do. His mother won’t have a hard time allowing Haris to harbor negative feelings for Raima because she will then see this as an opportunity to get him married to Maham. Also, when Haris went to Saif ur Rehman’s place, he could’ve easily seen Saad’s pictures because they were right there, to know or at least connect the dots that Saad was related to Saif ur Rehman but didn’t know much about his doings, maybe later he will find about it & do the same thing, let’s see. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Muqaddar.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Muqaddar Episode 11 Story Review – Well Directed

Ohkay so, this episode of Muqaddar was interesting. Although nothing much happened in the track of main leads but the supporting characters had something or the other going on for them, which made this episode engaging. The director and the writer are definitely taking it slow but the characters and their situations have been designed in such a manner that still makes Muqaddar an interesting watch.

The Developments

Raima continued to be stern but the changes that Saif ur Rehman and her relationship went through was that there was a bit of conversation happening between the two. Raima continued to pester her husband with the idea of her love for Haris & she running away with him which was hard for Saif ur Rehman to digest, however he knew that both Raima & Haris will not do anything of such sort because Raima will fear something happening to Haris & Haris himself has already understood the power & influence of Saif ur Rehman after a couple of interactions he had with him directly.

Abeera has pretty much fallen for Hassan. She is naive & immature, therefore she is enjoying the kind of attention she is getting from Hassan. Hassan’s personality is completely different to that of Saad’s; this is why it didn’t take Abeera much to get infatuated with Hassan. I have had this feeling for a while but in this episode in particular, it felt like maybe Hassan was trapping Abeera because of her being Saif ur Rehman’s daughter? I could be wrong but considering how Saif ur Rehman also has a dirty laundry, it is highly likely that he must’ve caused some harm to Hassan’s family & now he is trying to get back at him? Hassan was quite uncomfortable at the thought of meeting Abeera’s family & later when she asked him to propose to her officially by getting his family involved, Hassan drew a line & backed out.

Muqaddar Episode 11 Story Review - Well Directed

Saad continued his rescue mission, he even got in contact with Haris but even Haris didn’t tell him anything about Saif ur Rehman. On his own, Haris is shattered without Raima, all those scenes which showed him looking at Raima’s photos were nicely done. They had a perfect relationship & an ideal bonding, so for him to move on is almost impossible at this stage. Haris misses Raima but unfortunately he has no idea that even Raima herself is broken & longs to be with him. It was nice to know that at least Haris was thinking of Raima whereas the rest of the family members easily moved on, despite the love they had for her. Also, I see no reason for Haris to not tell the truth to Saad, maybe he thinks Saad won’t be able to do anything this is why he is not taking any names but to give him a complete picture won’t hurt Haris because he has already suffered from his fair share of misery.

Maham has now decided to propose to Haris herself & she is trying to get their families involved. Haris & Maham will eventually get married but they won’t lead a normal & happy life. It can already be foreseen but right now, Maham is unable to see how much Haris is involved in Raima & she believes she will be able to make him forget her. For Maham, this happens to be the perfect opportunity to get married to the love of her life but she is being irrational by completely ignoring the fact that Haris has loved Raima all his life.

Saad saw Abeera with Hassan & decided to tell the entire story to Farkhanda. Once again, as much as I would love to see Farkhanda having some say in the family matters or having some sort of authority, it seems she herself doesn’t want to take the charge of any situation because she has put Saif ur Rehman on such a high pedestal where she believes he should have the final say. It was wise of her to get Saif ur Rehman involved in the matters concerning their daughter, however she needs to step up.

Well Directed Drama

This episode of Muqaddar was interesting to watch, but the preview of the next episode was quite promising & dramatic – something that is required at this stage of the drama now. It was good to see Haris getting in touch with Farkhanda to let her know about Saif ur Rehman’s second marriage to Raima. I am sure all the things that Raima will say to Haris will only be to push him away from her so that he stops wasting his life & gives up on the idea of ever getting to be with her. I think this will also serve as a closure for Raima because when she will also give up on the hope, that is when she will get to concentrate on her new life & then take charge of her situation. Madiha Imam, Faysal Qureshi, Ali Ansari, Haris Waheed and all the other cast members have done a brilliant job. Muqaddar has also turned out to be a well-directed drama without any flaws. There’s a flow in every scene & every scenario makes sense so far. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Muqaddar.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Muqaddar Episode 1 – 7 – An Overview

Ohkay so, the writing of Iqbal Bano, direction of Shehrzade Sheikh & production of 7th Sky Entertainment; Muqaddar is a story of two head-strong individuals. Although 7 episodes of Muqaddar have been aired & the beginning phase of the drama shows that this is the kind of story that has been seen before, it won’t be wrong to say that the kind of treatment this drama has gotten makes it seem very promising. The initial 7 episodes have laid the foundation in an excellent manner & at this stage, Muqaddar happens to be the kind of drama that doesn’t disappoint the viewers who choose to tune to it.

Cast & Characters

The central character Raima (Madiha Imam) is a breath of fresh air. She is an orphan who lost her parents at a very young age but she was raised lovingly by her uncle Arshad Alvi (Saife Hassan) & aunt Bilqees (Fazila Qazi). Arshad has a son Haris (Ali Ansari) who loves Raima & they both get engaged. Raima may have lost her parents but she was raised in such an environment which she could call her own, she felt she belonged here & this beautiful home was her comfort zone. Although Arshad & his wife did everything to take care of Raima, she still became a strong & sorted individual who knew what she wanted from her life. Haris happens to be an ideal guy who Raima loves, because they both have lived together for years, they both have an undenying chemistry as well as a strong understanding of each other. The initial episodes which covered the dynamics of their relationship were a treat to watch.

Muqaddar Episode 1 - 7 - An Overview

Saif ur Rehman (Faysal Qureshi) being an influential feudal lord has made a name for himself. He possesses a very typical mentality, however because he knows he has to survive in a huge city like Karachi, he has eventually forged his image in such a way where people see him as a progressive & open-minded human being. Saif ur Rehman believes in making his own rules & doesn’t actually bother about the consequences because his wealth & power have enabled him to feel he is in control. Saif ur Rehman happens to be married to the widow of his elder brother Farkhanda (Ayesha Gul). She had a son from her previous marriage, Saad (Haroon Shahid) who also happens to be Raima’s batchmate in the university. Saad’s mother after getting married to Saif ur Rehman gives birth to a daughter Abeera (Sabeena Farooq). Abeera & Saad have been engaged but Saad is only continuing with this relationship because of family pressures otherwise he is very much in love with Raima. Abeera seems to be getting involved in Hassan (Haris Waheed) & she actually doesn’t see a future with Saad because they both are two different people with very different temperaments.

Muqaddar Episode 1 - 7 - An Overview

Story So Far

The story so far has covered how Raima’s interaction with Saif ur Rehman impresses him so much that he decides to take it to the next level. Saif ur Rehman sends a proposal for her but Arshad assumes he will be able to deal with this on his own without telling Haris or even his wife. Saif ur Rehman has kidnapped Raima & is making her stay at his farmhouse, he is now trying to pressurize her into getting married. Haris who tries hard to find a solution only returns home beaten & bruised.

The way the story of Muqaddar has been established & the kind of direction it has been given makes it an enjoyable drama to tune to. The scenarios & situations are realistic. The characters have been written in such a manner that makes you connect with them easily & also allows you to understand what they are going through. At first, it was hard to accept that Arshad being Raima’s uncle gave up so easily & didn’t do what it takes to get her back but then, it has also been shown that he was being practical & by the end of the day, he worried about the wellbeing & lives of his wife & son. Arshad was not selfish in his approach but he was practical to analyze that Saif ur Rehman was not going to give up on Raima no matter what he said. Haris also tried his best to get to Raima but Saif ur Rehman went to show him his power & gave him a clear answer that he stood no chance. Raima retaliated a lot but Saif ur Rehman dealt with her patiently. The way Madiha Imam has acted throughout this predicament shows her grip on this character & she actually makes you feel for Raima. The way she cries every single time, helplessly, hopefully, in agitation, in regret, she has given a very strong performance throughout. In the initial episodes, all those humorous scenes which included Maham (Shameen Khan) & her interest in Haris were an absolute treat to watch, the comic timing, dialogues & everyone’s expressions were spot on. All these little details make Muqaddar an interesting watch for sure.

Brilliantly Executed Story

Now the story seems to be moving to the next phase where Raima will succumb to the pressures of Saif ur Rehman only to save Haris’s life. She has finally taken the step to ensure the safety of the only people she called her family. Now it will be interesting to see how she will deal with Saif ur Rehman. At some point, the story of Muqaddar might remind the fans of Faysal Qureshi of his drama Bashar Momin, where him being a don got involved in a girl who wasn’t in love with him but later she brings out the best in him, so far Muqaddar seems to be headed the same direction but the viewers will have to wait & watch. Overall, this drama is enjoyable & the brilliant acting of Faysal Qureshi & Madiha Imam makes it worthwhile. The direction is brilliant without any loopholes & same goes for the story where everything has been explained without dwelling too much into details. I am definitely looking forward to the rest of the episodes of Muqaddar but yes, I can totally see the pace becoming a little slower from now on, let’s see. Please share your thoughts about the initial episodes of Muqaddar.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Muqaddar Complete Cast and OST

Muqaddar is a story of two head-strong individuals, who belong to two different worlds. An orphan Raima, who is sorted & has lived life on her own terms. A feudal lord Saif ur Rehman who believes in getting everything that he wants & treats human beings as a commodity. The story evolves when these two come across & have a clash of egos. Faysal Qureshi & Madiha Imam’s association with this project gives the viewers enough reasons to tune to Muqaddar.

Muqaddar Complete Cast and OST

Introductory Details

Writer: Iqbal Bano
Director: Shehrazade Sheikh
Production House: 7th Sky Entertainment
Producers: Abdullah Kadwani & Asad Qureshi
Channel: Geo Entertainment
Airing Date: February 17, 2020
Day: Every Monday
Time Slot: 8PM

Cast

Faysal Qureshi
Madiha Imam
Haroon Shahid
Ali Ansari
Saife Hassan
Fazila Qazi
Shameen
Ayesha Gul and others

Original Soundtrack

Singer & Composer: Sahir Ali Bagga & Sehar Gul
Lyrics: Asim Raza

Promo

Muqabil Last Episode Review – Poignant And Gratifying

Wow!! What an amazing finale this was, poignant and gratifying! It was definitely worth the wait and reminded me of the reasons why I fell in love with this drama in the first place. This ending was so good that I have even forgiven Zubeida for all the torture she put us through. Her dialogues in this episode were superb. Pareesa’s dialogues when she talked to the press about child abuse were soul-stirring and right on point.

Muqabil had to be one of the most entertaining and unpredictable dramas of this season. It was also one of those very few serials which keep you at the edge of your seats and keep you coming back for more. The story went off track a few times and the pace of the drama slowed down in between but overall Pareesa and Arman in particular always gave the viewers reason to tune into this drama every week. Both these characters were different in many ways, they were etched-out in a very interesting manner and the fact that Mohsin Abbas Haider and Kubra Khan gave phenomenal performances made them even more appealing. Mohsin Abbas Haider played this character so well that there were times when the viewers felt more for Arman than they did for Pareesa.

The only aspect of this drama which could be termed as a weakness was that there were very few scenes which showed Mahmood in a negative light, although these scenes were impactful but it would have been better if there were more such scenes. All those encounters Mahmood had with Pareesa in which he felt he was entitled to be forgiven were right on point, more such scenes would have given the right message about someone like him who thought he deserved to be forgiven so easily. Asif Raza Mir however was brilliant as Mahmood especially those expressions he gave when Pareesa was dressed up as a bride and every time she gave him a reality check were unforgettable. The good thing about the ending was that Mahmood was not forgiven in the end neither was he shot by someone else.

Muqabil also had a strong message for all the parents out there in particular and it was put forward in an intelligent manner without putting the viewers to sleep! This message was not repeated over and over again but the writer definitely let the viewers draw the conclusion from whatever they saw on screen in every episode. The last episode however put this particular message forward in a beautiful manner; there couldn’t have been a better way to end this story. Shehnaz took a big step forward by letting Pareesa talk about her past in a press conference. Her apology was sincere and her actions even more so. The support Pareesa’s family showed and most importantly the change in Pareesa’s personality was shown impeccably. There was a time when Pareesa could not even mention what happened to her even in front of her parents but now she had the courage to speak out against child abuse in front of millions of people. The whole message of the show was summed up in a very touching manner when Pareesa poured her heart out in front of the press. Although, the change in Arman’s behavior was sudden but it was convincing and most importantly satisfying! It was convincing because tonight we saw the Arman we were introduced to initially therefore what he did today was completely in line with his character. It was satisfying because all of us wanted Pareesa and Arman to have a happy ending.

Saba Hameed was brilliant as the cold and mechanical yet somewhat concerned Shehnaz and although there were times when you questioned her actions, her character got the perfect ending. Saife Hassan played the cool yet sensitive father flawlessly. Kubra Khan and Mohsin Abbas Haider definitely deserve tons of praise and an award for their performances. Mohsin Abbas Haider’s performance in particular was mind blowing throughout the show. Watching Asif Raza Mir play a role which was unlike any other he has ever played was definitely another plus.

A big thank you to the writer Zafar Mairaj for giving us a drama which was different and engaging. The director Ali Hassan deserves tons of praise for doing complete justice to every single scene and making this drama a visual treat. This drama gave the viewers hope that Big Bang Entertainment will be giving us quality entertainment in the future too.

I would highly recommend this drama to all those viewers who did not watch it while it was on air and I would like to thank all those wonderful readers who read the reviews and commented every week.

Do share your thoughts about this last episode and the drama as a whole.

Muqabil Episodes 1 & 2 Review – Interesting Plot

Writer: Zafar Mairaj
Director: Ali Hassan
Produced by: Big Bang Entertainment
Channel & Schedule: ARY – Every Tuesday 8pm

Although Muqabil comes with a big warning because it has been produced by Big Bang Production and written by the same writer who was behind Sangat but these first two episodes were interesting and gave me a reason to tune in to this drama next week. I felt an instant connection with Pareesa (Kubra Khan) and all the other characters in the story. Pareesa is someone who grew up with all the luxuries in the world but she was deprived of her parents’ (Saba Hameed and Saife Hassan) attention and protection which she needed more than anything else. Somehow she blames her mother more than her father perhaps because she feels that it was her duty to protect her.  At the end of the first episode, the viewers find out the reason behind Pareesa’s withdrawn behavior and her overprotective nature towards her flowers and her maid’s daughter. Pareesa protects her flowers the way she feels she should have been protected. She is constantly judging people’s motives and actions based on what might be going on in their mind while they are interacting with a little child or even her flowers. Pareesa’s mother Shehnaz is a businesswoman who also runs an NGO and she relies heavily on her assistant Mehmood (Asif Raza Mir). Pareesa’s parents try their best to understand their daughter but Pareesa no longer wants their time or attention because she feels that they were not able to protect her when she needed it the most. Pareesa lives in her own world which has been translated on screen in an interesting manner. Time and again everyone mentions how different Pareesa was as a child which goes to show that her personality changed completely after she was violated. Shehnaz even with all her modern ideas and outlook feels that marriage is the solution to all her daughter’s problems. Shehnaz is the only clichéd character in the drama so far.

Arman’s character proved to be a very interesting addition to the play. He is someone who knew Pareesa when she was a naughty and full of life little girl and even now when she is very different from who she was back then he is still the only person right now with whom Pareesa feels safe. She trusts him with her flowers and feels concerned about him. Mohsin Abbas plays the role of Arman with confidence and he is very well-suited for this role. The promos of the play however suggest that these two people won’t exactly have a “normal” life together.

Muqabil Episodes 1 & 2 Review - Interesting Plot

The only thing which did not quite fit in these two episodes was Kubra Khan’s loud make-up especially because Pareesa’s mother mentions twice how badly she needed to wear proper clothes and put on some make-up. Kubran Khan’s perfectly styled hair and cakey make-up wasn’t in line with her character at all. Other than that she did complete justice to her character by looking as distant, disturbed and awkward as Pareesa should have looked on screen. Pareesa and her parents’ frame of mind and their past and present relationship with each other was shown clearly through different conversations and their interactions with each other. Mehmood and Arman’s characters also got special attention in these two episodes.

So far the interesting cast and plot, a detailed introduction to the characters, the locations (Pareesa’s house and her flower garden) and the mystery surrounding these characters makes Muqabil an interesting play. It is definitely the kind of play which makes you look forward to the next episode and manages to transport you to the world of all the characters whose stories you see unfolding on screen.

How many of you watched these first two episodes? Do share your thoughts about it.

Muqabil Episode 9 Review – Engrossing

The fact that time literally flies whenever I watch Muqabil proves that this drama is not just impactful but it is engrossing as well. The director Ali Hassan has made sure that all the scenes keep the interest of the viewers intact and the writer Zafar Mairaj has written an extremely sensitive story in an intelligent manner without sensationalizing whatever happens between Mahmood and Pareesa in particular. My favorite scene from tonight’s episode was the one which covered the night of Pareesa and Arman’s wedding. The way Arman, Pareesa and Mahmood’s feelings were shown was beyond impressive. Pareesa’s expressions and body language changed with every door and window Arman closed and Arman’s reaction to what Pareesa told him was the most unexpected part of this scene. This scene was subtle but had great impact. The viewers saw just how messed up Pareesa was even though she pretended to be confident but she was still as effected by what happened to her so many years back as if it happened yesterday.

Although Pareesa chose Arman for different reasons but her intuition and her first impression of Arman was right. She trusted him with his flowers and knew that he was a good man, he is the kind of person who will stand by someone through thick and thin. I have always liked Arman’s character because we don’t see men like him in dramas very often. He is not perfect but his personality traits are different, appealing and very well defined. Mohsin Abbas Haider has owned this role completely right from the get-go. He is a natural who understands his character which is why he makes it come alive on screen almost effortlessly. Kubra Khan is another actress who gives perfect expressions every time and never goes over board. The look on her face every time she is close to the person who violated her shows how much she hates him.

Asif Raza Mir is a pro who knows his craft only too well. Mahmood is someone who thought he could move on and forget he did something so heinous if he continuously prayed. Now that the girl he raped is in his house as his bahu, he will be reminded of what he did every single day. The way Mahmood interacted with Pareesa however suggested that he wanted her to have a ‘normal’ relationship with him now that she was married to his son.

Muqabil Episode 9 Review - Engrossing

Pareesa’s parent’s guilt and everything their son told them was an important part of this episode and yet another aspect which was well-executed. I am glad Pareesa’s mother has not been shown as one of those mothers who are incapable of feeling anything for their children. Her guilt pangs make her character more realistic. Saba Hameed made her presence felt in both the scenes and made these scenes worthwhile even though the actor playing Pareesa’s brother isn’t a very polished actor.

Shaheen Khan’s scenes once again were the most annoying part of this episode. This episode would have been perfect if for once we did not have to hear her shouting again, not once or twice but a little too often and in every single scene! Anyone who hasn’t watched this episode yet should definitely forward her scenes because they can easily be skipped.

Muqabil is one of those dramas which I eagerly wait for every week. It is very well executed and has some remarkable performance to its credit. One of the best things about this play is that the story focuses on the main leads and even without any side tracks it keeps your interest alive.

How many of you watched this latest episode? Do share your thoughts about it.

Muqabil Episode 8 Review – The Plot Thickens!

Most of this episode covered the aftermath of Pareesa and Arman’s decision to stay in Arman’s house after marriage although they were provided with an alternative by Pareesa’s parents. The last few minutes of tonight’s episode however were far more powerful and enticing than the episode as a whole mainly due to the brilliant acting by all the actors involved and the manner in which all these expressions were captured on camera. Arman seemed quite happy with this marriage now that he knows that he did not have to make the kind of compromise which would have been unacceptable to him. Pareesa is filled with hatred and she would much rather destroy her life herself than letting her mother take that decision for her. Mehmood started dreading this marriage more than ever when he found out that Pareesa was going to move in with them and even when the nikkah was taking place, his expressions clearly indicated that he was still hoping that Pareesa might back out at the last minute. The way Pareesa looked at him said a great deal about how much she hated him. Kubra Khan and Asif Raza Mir in particular were beyond brilliant in this particular scene which was most definitely the highlight of this episode.

Mehmood tried to move out of the house but his daughter made it impossible for him to do so. Although this development was a little too dramatic but it needed to be shown because it would have been odd if he did not think about moving out of the house. Through Nasreen’s character and the role she played on the wedding, the writer showed the mentality which ruled in the circle Shehnaz moved in. Keeping faces it seemed was far more important than anything else. Watching Shehnaz blaming herself later on and remembering how Pareesa used to distance herself when she was a child gave a more human feel to this character. There are times when Shehnaz feels guilty for not being able to understand her daughter but she does not have the patience or the time to invest in her daughter. Also, she knows only too well that it is a little too late. Saba Hameed and Saife Hassan both have done complete justice to their characters.

Muqabil Episode 8 Review - The Plot Thickens!

The way Pareesa looked at her flowers when she entered Arman’s house was an interesting addition to that scene which went to show that the director has paid great attention to tiny details which makes every scene come to life on screen. Arman’s expressions and his reaction when his mother kept on insisting that he should go and find his father went to show that he was completely smitten by Pareesa now. Pareesa got a reality check only after few minutes of entering  that house but right from the beginning she has been shown as someone who is completely numb, nothing shocks her any more!

I am waiting to find out how the story is handled from her on since Pareesa and Mehmood will be living in the same house now. The preview of the next episode promised more drama. I am eagerly looking forward to the upcoming episode. The real story will start with the next episode and hopefully it will be just as interesting as everything we have seen so far.

How many of you watched this latest installment? Do share your thoughts about it.

Muqabil Episode 7 Review – Complicated Situations

This episode of Muqabil was gripping as usual and the most important aspect of this episode was watching Pareesa share exactly how she felt with a family member. The response she got went to show that she was the only sensitive person in her family! Mehmood’s “apology” and the way Pareesa was pushed by her mother to apologize to him was one of those scenes which give you goose bumps; this was a very disturbing scene. Although Mehmood told Pareesa that he was really “sorry” but at the same time he accused her of committing a bigger sin than he had committed! I must admit that this scene reminded me of Sangat but so far the writer has not tried to show that Mehmood truly is “sorry” for what he did. The manner in which he covered up for himself when Shehnaz came and had no qualms in mentioning the pool incident went to show that deep down he didn’t think he had done anything for which he had to pay a big price. He asked Pareesa to “move on” because he had already moved on! Pareesa’s conversation with her little friend after this scene showed for the first time that she wasn’t sure if this was the right thing to do. Until now Pareesa was very sure that this was what she wanted to do but now after this “encounter” with Mehmood she was seen wondering if she really wanted to do this. While Asif Raza Mir owns his character completely, Shaheen Khan continues to shout throughout. Her character could have been shown as loud and annoying even without all this screaming. I was tempted to fast forward her scenes tonight.

Pareesa shared how she felt that night with her brother but he could not care less. Salman is happy with his life because even if his parents were never around he probably learned to depend on things and money to give him comfort. The way Pareesa explained how alone she was that night was extremely touching. I had not trouble connecting to her character in this scene and I could imagine how a little girl in her position would have felt in such a situation. None of her family members were there for her when she needed them the most and that is when she decided to distance herself from everyone. Kubra Khan’s acting once again was absolutely superb in tonight’s episode. Even though the actor playing Pareesa’s brother’s role gave a below average performance but Kubra Khan managed to make this scene a complete success. Also, this scene was directed really well.

Muqabil Episode 7 Review - Complicated Situations

Arman and his father’s scenes together were a treat to watch too particularly because of the brilliant acting by both the actors involved and the sleek direction. Mohsin Abbas’ body language and expressions were beyond perfect in this particular scene. No matter how closely you observe him, you cannot find faults in his performance. His amazing and faultless performance has definitely added charm to his track and character.

It was interesting watching Mehmood blame his son and wife for everything when in fact he was the one who was truly responsible for the situation everyone was in. Arman seemed to be relatively more at ease with getting married to Pareesa after his meeting with her. I feel for him every step of the way because he has no clue what is going on and the only explanation he could come up with was that Pareesa needed someone reliable to look after her plants!

Apart from the acting, the unpredictable and enticing storyline and creative direction, the locations and picture quality of this play are amazing. After tonight’s episode I am however a bit worried about how Pareesa and Mehmood’s interactions might be covered in the future. Also, I am still wondering why Arman’s annoying mother gets way more scream time than she deserves especially because she isn’t really adding much to the story at this point. I also think that the story needs to move forward now.

How many of you watched this latest installment? Do share your thoughts about it.

Muqabil Episode 6 Review – Solid Performances

This episode laid the foundations for what is coming ahead. Arman is now completely trapped and he has no choice but to get married to someone he could never even consider marrying. I must say that Mohsin Abbas yet again was the star of the show tonight. His exceptional and mature performance has completely won me over. Asif Raza Mir and Kubra Khan are equally impressive. Shaheen Khan got way too much “scream” time in this episode. The preview of the next episode however suggested that there is a reason why her character is being given so much screen time. The conversation between Pareesa and Mehmood which most of us were looking forward to turned out to be a dream sequence or so it seemed. This conversation showed Mehmood telling Pareesa how his life completely changed after he violated her. He turned towards religion hoping that he will be forgiven but he still continued working in the same house and the way he talked to Pareesa in the previous episode went to show that he had not changed much.

Muqabil Episode 6 Review - Solid Performances

Arman turned towards his college friend Zara (Sundas Tariq) for help, which basically went to show that he was going to leave no stone unturned to ensure that this marriage did not take place. I cannot praise Arman’s character enough. He is extremely likable and you completely understand why he does not want to get married to Pareesa. I am however having a tough time relating to Pareesa’s mother’s fixation with her marriage. She was shown giving Pareesa other options a few times but now she has stopped trying to understand her daughter and thinks that marriage alone is the solution to her problems. It would have been nice if she also gave her the option of staying single for a few years and it was Pareesa who insisted that she wanted to get married since we know why she is so eager to get married to Arman.

Pareesa has been reliving what happened to her so many years back every single day and at the same time it seems like she was looking for a time and opportunity to channel all her anger and hatred towards something which would torment Mehmood. We don’t know yet what Pareesa has in mind but for now we do know that she thinks that living in Mehmood’s house and getting married to his son would be a punishment for him. Pareesa is emotionally disengaged from her surroundings all the time. Her only attachment is with her plants or with her maid’s daughter and that too because she feels she needs to protect them. Because of her frame of her mind, she does not care how her decisions are effecting the people around her. Also, deep down she feels that her parents were not there for her, they could not protect her therefore she owes them nothing. Pareesa’s character is complicated and so far it has been translated on screen quite well. Except for Kubran Khan’s outlook everything else about this character makes perfect sense. A simple look would have suited Pareesa’s character more than this made up look.

Muqabil Episode 6 Review - Solid Performances

Some of the scenes in Arman’s house were not very entertaining because of all the screaming but other than that the story took an interesting turn with this episode. Muqabil has some exceptionally impressive performances to its credit, the story is unpredictable and it keeps on giving me a reason to look forward to more.

How many of you watched this latest episode? Do share your thoughts about it.

Muqabil Episode 5 Review – Power-Packed Performances

Tonight’s episode was intense with some superbly executed scenes to its credit. The director has made the most of natural sunlight and he has also made sure that the different colors used in all the scenes make every scene more visually pleasing which definitely helps since otherwise the overall feel of the play could have been too dark and depressing. For the first time the viewers are watching a play in which the victim is all set to damage the person who violated her in a way we have never seen on television before. Now that Pareesa and Mehmood’s past has been revealed, it remains to be seen how the story will be handled from here on. For all these years Pareesa was waiting for an opportunity which would be perfect for making Mahmood’s life hell. Once she is married to his son, she will be a permanent part of his life. Pareesa has also been shown as someone who is so damaged because of her parents’ neglect and the way she was violated in her childhood that she just does not care any more. The way Pareesa takes care of her servant’s daughter clearly shows that this is how she feels every little girl should be taken care of.

Mohsin Abbas Haider yet again was beyond impressive in this episode. Arman’s character is also one of a kind. It isn’t very often that we see such grounded men his age in our dramas who know exactly what they want from life. Any other man would have jumped at the opportunity of getting married to a girl like Pareesa but Arman knows his “auqat” only too well. His dialogues about how he was brought up in that house and the way he was made to feel were excellent. Mohsin Abbas’ body language was simply amazing in all the scenes. His performance is just as impressive as that of Asif Raza Mir which is truly remarkable.

Muqabil Episode 5 Review - Power-Packed Performances

Mehmood’s conversation with Pareesa showed that even today he is not ashamed of what he did to her. He actually used his terrible actions to dissuade Pareesa and that too in a threatening manner. This scene showed that although he was shown as an upright man but he was the exact opposite. So far the viewers had seen a very calm and polished side of him but his expressions when he threatened Pareesa said a great deal about what kind of a person he really was. Asif Raza Mir completely nailed that scene with those expressions! Kubra Khan has also translated a difficult character on screen impeccably. The hatred which Pareesa has been living with all these years is quite evident from her expressions. The scene in the pool was daring and creative, it was one of the best scenes of this episode.

Pareesa’s mother continued to act like she was in competition with her daughter and watching her behave like this makes it easy to understand why Pareesa could never confide in her. Although Pareesa’s father has been shown as a caring person but he has little or no say. While watching tonight’s episode I felt for Arman just as much as I did for Pareesa. He is definitely collateral damage and he has no clue why Pareesa is putting him in this situation.

Just like every other episode of Muqabil this one too had a mysterious feel to it and it also had some amazing performances to its credit. Kubra Khan, Mohsin Abbas Haider and Asif Raza Mir’s brilliant performances coupled with skillful direction make Muqabil a must watch. I highly recommend it to all those people who haven’t watched it yet.

How many of you watched this latest installment? Do share your thoughts about it.

Muqabil Episode 4 Review – Must-Watch

Mohsin Abbas and Asif Raza Mir’s award-winning performances completely stole the show tonight. Mohsin Abbas has given an overwhelmingly solid performance especially for someone who is making his debut in dramas with a character which is not exactly conventional. Arman’s character is simple but Mohsin Abbas has made it so likeable that you feel an instant connection with Arman. The way this character has been translated on screen is a testimony to the fact that an outstanding performance can elevate the screen presence and value of a character. Asif Raza Mir is another actor who is simply flawless. He acts so naturally and effectively that you actually look forward to his scenes. The director Ali Hassan and the director of photography deserve tons of credit for shooting every single scene beautifully. My favorite scene in tonight’s episode was the one in which Mehmood sahab hits his son, I felt for Arman instantly and that slap was so real! Everything about this scene was perfect; acting and timing. Apart from Shaheen Khan who plays the role of Arman’s mother, all the other actors are giving performances which are subtle yet impactful. Kubra Khan’s expressions and body language were the best part of her performance especially in tonight’s episode but I felt like her dialogue delivery was somewhat rushed in few scenes. I am glad that Pareesa’s background story will be revealed in the next episode because the viewers need to know what happened to her.

Tonight’s episode opened with Mehmood sahab going back home. He confronted his son only after his wife went to sleep probably because his wife is already not very fond of Shehnaz therefore he did not want to give her another reason to hate her!! The chemistry between Mohsin Abbas and Asif Raza Mir and their impressive performances made all their scenes a treat to watch. Arman is a simple yet intelligent boy who right now needs a job and is focusing on starting a career more than anything else. He did not invite all this trouble and now that he is in this situation, he feels completely helpless. His conversation with his mother and sister about his proposals also indicated that he is not the kind of person who will be willing to play second fiddle to his wife. The situation which is being shown in Muqabil is unlike any other we have seen so far, apart from Dil-e-Muztar I don’t remember another drama in which a girl insisted on getting married to a man this openly. In this drama the case is completely different of course.

Muqabil Episode 4 Review - Must-Watch

The fact that Pareesa did not back off but made a move which was even more extreme than before when Arman told her what effect her actions had on his father and Shehnaz, went to show that she wants to make these people suffer and she isn’t really “sorry” for anything. This was a meaningful scene which showed that Pareesa was most certainly not following her mother but she wanted to hurt her. Also, Pareesa’s conversation with her father revealed the dynamics between Shehnaz and Aftab. Shehnaz married Aftab because she did not have a choice and she wanted to marry someone she could dictate to all her life. Shehnaz is a controlling woman and Aftab it seems does not really “respect” his wife but he is a prisoner in this relationship. I also liked the novelty in Shehnaz’s way of “investigating” Arman.

The preview of the next episode will reveal the reason behind Pareesa’s decision and will show another side of Mehmood sahab’s character. I am waiting to find out how this particular aspect of the story is covered. Tonight’s episode of Muqabil was a treat to watch. Muqabil is extremely enticing and has some outstanding performances to its credit. So far, the story, the circumstances, the conversations and the locations give the drama a different feel.

How many of you watched this episode? Do share your thoughts about it.

Sad Story of Mohsin Abbas Haider’s Wife Fatima

Muqabil Episode 3 Review – Interesting!

Muqabil is turning out to be an interesting play with a steady pace. Although these first three episodes focused primarily on Shehnaz’s obsession with getting her daughter married but what caught my attention more than her was Pareesa’s rebellious nature and her reaction to everything. Kubra Khan has played her part brilliantly and the way this drama has been directed gives it a different feel as well. Also, I love the bright colors and the locations. Pareesa had been shown trying to find a route through mazes in all these three episodes but she never reached the finish line. Most often she got distracted either by someone or by her own thought process but at the end of tonight’s episode after making up the biggest lie she has till date, she managed to get to the finishing point with ease. I liked how Pareesa’s state of mind has been portrayed through these scenes. When she was confused she wasn’t able to solve these mazes but now that she knows exactly what she wants, her problems have been solved or perhaps she has found a way out!

In the first two episodes it looked like Shehnaz was trying to get over her guilt of not being able to give proper time and attention but this episode showed a completely different side of her. She thinks Pareesa is “jealous” of her and unlike her husband does not have the patience or the time to understand what is going on in Pareesa’s mind especially because her daughter made sure that she does not let her in! Although Shehnaz claims to be modern but her thinking especially when it comes to solving Pareesa’s problem is quite backward. She is a self-centered person who will probably always look out for herself more than anyone else, even her own daughter.

Muqabil Episode 3 Review - Interesting!

Arman’s character is the opposite of Pareesa. He is positive and full of life, he has no idea what is going on in Pareesa’s mind and I am wondering how a simple person like him will deal with this situation. I felt an instant connection with his character mainly because of the way it has been translated on screen. Even though Arman and Pareesa are poles apart but Pareesa seems to be closer to him than she is with anyone else in her house. Also, there is definitely great on screen chemistry between Kubra Khan and Mohsin Ali. When Shehnaz confronted Mahmood sahab, he had more confidence in Pareesa than he did in his son.

Apart from Saba Hameed all the other actors are performing a role completely different from the characters they have played so far. Saba Hameed is a remarkable actress but so far her character doesn’t have a lot to offer. Also, the actor playing Pareesa’s brother lacks the “class” which this character needed. He should have been given minimum screen time. Asif Raza Mir is an all time favorite who manages to change his mannerism and acting style completely to give every character he plays a new feel. All of his scenes were a treat to watch in tonight’s episode. I am waiting to find out how Pareesa and Arman ultimately end up together.

So far, Muqabil has a strong script which has been directed skillfully. The preview of the next episode made me feel for Arman more than anyone else!

How many of you watched this latest installment? Do share your thoughts about it.

Muqabil Episode 24 Review – Headed Towards A Happy Ending?

I was expecting this episode of Muqabil to be the last one since it was announced that the previous one was the second last episode and honestly speaking, I did not feel that there was much left to show or discuss but apart from Sara’s track which is terribly forced, everything else about this episode was on point. The writer could have kept the viewer’s guessing how Pareesa and Arman’s track will end without bringing Sara in the picture. Sunbal’s encounter with that man in the graveyard and the way she explained everything to her mother had to be the highlight of this episode. Although she does not hate her father but she understands what Pareesa went through and why Shehnaz took such an extreme step. It is also logical that she wants to remember her father as the person she thought he was as opposed to someone who violated a girl his daughter’s age. This episode also gave hope for a happy ending for Arman and Pareesa as well.

Pareesa’s state of mind was shown brilliantly throughout. Her dialogues in the last scene in particular were very touching. Pareesa is once again lost and this time she is more lost than ever but even then she was shown as someone who is looking for a solution to this situation instead of blaming others. Kubra Khan acted brilliantly once again but her styling and make-up just like every other episode proved to be a major glitch in this entire scenario. Watching her console her brother even at this point and volunteering to leave the house went to show that Pareesa learned to take care of herself and also other people around her a long time back! It was also good to see Shehnaz feeling guilty but it would have been so much better if there was at least one scene in which she talked to Pareesa about this entire situation. She is still distant and like Aftab said she is feeling sorry for herself. I definitely liked Aftab’s approach better. He talked to Pareesa about everything and also tried to make Shehnaz understand that she was not the victim in this situation.

Arman once again was shown confused about the entire situation and it looked like he had given up. The reason for this is that he still loves Pareesa despite of everything that happened, in his heart he knows that Pareesa also loves him. Sara’s character and the role she is playing right now has to be the most annoying part of this track. Arman makes it only too obvious that he is marrying Sara as an escape, not sure from what now since Pareesa is already gone! Sara never loved him but all of a sudden she is so excited about getting married to him although there are other men who would like to marry her. This whole situation is only meant to confuse the viewers about Arman’s state of mind and to make them wonder whether he will marry Sara or not although it is quite apparent that this marriage will not take place. Since Sara and Arman have no “history” and her sudden interest in Arman is rather strange therefore I am guessing that this track was added later on after the drama gained popularity.

Sunbal and Zubeida understood Pareesa’s situation better in this episode but Arman still considers himself a bigger victim than Pareesa. After this episode, there is hope now that he might at some point realize that he can still put the past behind him and live a happy life with Pareesa. It will be difficult for them both but it is a possibility.

How many of you watched this episode? Don’t forget to share your thoughts about it.

Muqabil Episode 23 Review – Intense!

This episode was intense and disturbing but it also had a very strong message. When Pareesa explained to her parents what actually happened and especially told her mother how her cold and indifferent attitude towards her ruined not just her childhood but also her life, I couldn’t help but feel for her enormously and my heart went out to all such victims out there who are completely alone. The details were even more upsetting than everything else the viewers knew so far; everything Pareesa went through and said basically showed how important it was for parents to pay attention to their kids, to give them time and most importantly never to trust anyone with their kids. Children are usually either too scared or too shy to talk about these things therefore if a child wants to distance himself from someone they were once very close to, it means that there is something wrong.

Pareesa’s mother’s initial reaction was shown realistically but in the next scene she was once again shown trim and proper which did not make sense. Her conversation with Pareesa was too casual even though she asked Pareesa to punish her, I felt like she wasn’t sorry enough. I have noticed that ARY banks on make-up and styling a little too much, even when there is no need for it. All through this drama even when Pareesa was going through hell, her make-up and braid was always right on point and in this episode it stood out more than ever for all the wrong reasons too. It looked like it did not take Pareesa’s mother too long to move on which was very disappointing. She should have been shown feeling even more guilty and lost instead of passing verdicts once again! Pareesa’s father’s reaction even later on was much more realistic. Mahmood’s suicide did not change anything, he was no longer alive but that did not mean that Shehnaz had no reason to guilty.

Muqabil Episode 23 Review - Intense!

I am glad that Mahmood killed himself only after everyone knew the truth. His end was terrible not only because everyone found out the truth but also because even those relatives and friends who came to his funeral were questioning why he killed himself. He did not die an honorable death but I wish he wasn’t so apologetic and praying before he died. This was however far more logical than Sangat in which Adnan killed Shahwez.

This was the 2nd last episode of Muqabil, Mahmood’s story came to an end with this episode and what I concluded from it was that when you do something so dreadful, you cannot escape the consequences, no matter what! I am waiting to find out which way Arman and Pareesa’s track goes because this episode was dedicated solely to ending Mahmood’s track. This entire episode was filled with powerful performances, there was a major twist in the story and the direction was superb throughout. Apart from the loud make-up and perfect styling and Shehnaz’s reaction, everything else worked for me. The scene which covered the impending doom and after effects of whatever happened in Mahmood’s house after Pareesa left him was mind blowing. When Shehnaz came and was calling out for Mahmood, no one even moved a muscle because they were all in shock! This episode had a lot of scenes which were mind-blowing and the credit for that goes to the director.

Any predictions about how Pareesa and Arman’s track will end? Do share your thoughts.

Muqabil Episode 22 Review – Must-Watch!

I have to admit that the last scene of this episode made me forget every other development in this episode and I had to watch this episode again so that I could write the review! What a cliffhanger this ending was and I hope that this time around this last scene turns out to be exactly how the viewers would want to see it unfold otherwise it will be a major disappointment. Right now, I am thinking how will I be able to wait another week to find out what Zubeida actually heard especially after watching the preview of the next episode. When Arman was shouting and saying all those things, I was wondering how come no one ever hears them talking and then Zubeida was standing right there – best ending ever to ensure that all of us wait for the next episode impatiently.

Mohsin Abbas Haider and Kubra Khan stole the show yet again with their faultless performances and the amazing chemistry which makes all their scenes special. Their performances and chemistry are the reasons why they should have been given more screen time together in every episode. Arman’s dialogues about Pareesa entering his life like a khudkhush bambar and the way Pareesa tried to make him understand that she did not plan all this was the best part of this episode. Although as a whole there were some filler scenes in this episode as well but few conversations which were intense and performances which were truly mind blowing made this episode an interesting watch. This time around it was easier for me to connect to Arman’s character and I simply love how Pareesa has been shown as such a strong individual. Although Pareesa is shattered from inside but even then she always found a reason to continue loving people. She distanced herself from her parents because she blamed them more than anyone else for what happened to her but she still chose to love and protect Nadia and her flowers. Now too when she found out what a wonderful person Arman was and how much he loved her, she loved him back and is now being shown fighting for their relationship. I must say that there was a time when I felt for Arman way more than I did for Pareesa because I saw him as collateral damage but now Pareesa is definitely being put through a lot more. Mohsin Abbas Haider’s expressions were brilliant when Pareesa was walking out; Arman clearly did not want this, he was torn apart but he also could not let Pareesa go.

Muqabil Episode 22 Review - Must-Watch!

Apart from Arman and Pareesa’s scenes together, Zubeida’s conversation with Pareesa in the kitchen was another one which seemed to be going nowhere until Pareesa asked Zubeida if she practiced what she was preaching. Pareesa’s statement could be the reason why Zubeida got inquisitive and decided to find out what exactly was the problem between Arman and Pareesa. I can’t wait for Shehnaz to find out the truth especially after watching her showing so much support not only for Arman but also for Mahmood. She blamed Pareesa for her “attitude” and appreciated Mahmood and his family for putting up with her!

The only issue I have with the developments so far is that Mahmood cannot sense the hatred and disgust Arman feels for him even though it is quite apparent from the way he looks at him. Pareesa’s expressions in the preview of the next episode suggested something completely different! The next episode can be the game changer, let’s see. Muqabil is back on track and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Do share your thoughts about this episode.

Muqabil Episode 21 Review – More Complications

This episode just like the previous few had quite a few scenes which were stretched unnecessarily but it also had a few nice surprises in store. Arman’s character has taken a turn which is disappointing to say the least and I did not enjoy watching Mahmood plead Pareesa’s case. If the writer is trying to show that he can “redeem” himself by saving Pareesa’s marriage then it is absolutely wrong. Mahmood’s wife and daughter should know what he did and so should Pareesa’s mother. He should not be forgiven in the end. Pareesa’s mother in particular needs to know that the person she trusted with her daughter blindly for the longest time is actually a vulture.

The good thing about this episode was watching Zubeida play a positive role for a change. The best aspect of this drama so far is Pareesa’s character; the way it has been etched-out and the manner in which it is changing with every episode. Her dialogues are written in such a way that you feel an instant connection with her. You know exactly how she felt before she got to know Arman and how her feelings/state of mind changed after she got married to him. My favorite part of tonight’s episode had to be the conversation Pareesa had with Arman. She explained how her mother and Arman’s father destroyed her faith in people and the role Arman played in restoring her faith in relationships. Even with all her fears and inability to cope with some situations, Pareesa has ultimately turned out to be the strongest and also the most intelligent character in this play. Arman on the other hand cannot handle the truth, another visit to the psychiatrist would have helped at this point instead of adding a track which is forced. Instead of bringing Sara back in the picture, it would have been so much better if Pareesa asked her psychiatrist to help her out. I am having a very difficult time feeling for Arman although I understand his situation. Someone like him shouldn’t have relied on a woman to bail him out of this situation. Also, he is a victim too, his father is the real culprit and the viewers would have enjoyed it more if he was shown suffering instead of Arman.

Muqabil Episode 21 Review - More Complications

In this episode a lot of screen time was given to Arman’s decision to leave Pareesa. Watching Zubeida stand by Pareesa and asking Pareesa to fight for her man was a refreshing change. Mohsin Abbas Haider’s acting was flawless, like always, but these latest developments have turned out to be an unpleasant surprise. Pareesa and Arman’s scenes are still as intense as they always were, the acting and direction is brilliant but right now Pareesa is the hero and not Arman. At this point things should have been getting easier for Pareesa and not more complicated. I am waiting for the showdown and hoping that those characters who deserve to suffer in the end would be the ones who will be punished. Right now it seems highly unlikely that Pareesa and Arman’s track will have a happy ending.

Muqabil needs to pick up pace and deliver soon! Stretching all the tracks unnecessarily at a time when the drama should be concluding is unfair to the viewers who fell in love with this show.

How many of you watched this latest episode? Do share your thoughts about it.

Muqabil Episode 20 Review – Going Around In Circles

Muqabil set the bar really high in the first 15 weeks or so with its steady pace, well-executed scenes, an unpredictable story and of course phenomenal performances. Even the previous few episodes which were slow-paced and one which was somewhat ambiguous (the one in which Arman went to Sara’s office) had some important developments to their credit but this episode in my opinion was directed more towards keeping the viewers at the edge of their seats for absolutely no reason, more than anything else!! At least twice, the viewers got the impression that Arman was going to tell his father or mother the truth but both these scenes ended with him blaming Pareesa.

The viewers can only hope that there is a good surprise in store for them which will be worth the wait. Right now the story is all over the place and Arman’s reaction was definitely unexpected and disappointing. These episodes are the most crucial ones because they are going to cover which turn Arman and Pareesa’s story takes from here on but for the first time I felt like the writer was testing my patience. Even the past few episodes had quite a few scenes which could have been easily chopped down but this one had far too many of them. There were a lot of conversations which could have ended in a more dramatic manner, like the conversation which Arman had with his father. It would have been awesome if he confronted his father and continued to support Pareesa. Even if he told his mother the truth, her annoying existence could have been put to some good use.

Muqabil Episode 20 Review - Going Around In Circles

Shehnaz’s reaction to the whole scenario was another disappointment. It was good to see her going out of her way to make an effort to help her daughter and understand her in the previous few episodes. In this episode however she reminded me of the person she was in the first few episodes. Shehnaz was of course doing what she thought was in her daughter’s best interests but the way she did it wasn’t exactly pleasing. Shaheen Khan’s scenes once again had nothing new to offer, I actually kept on adjusting the volume every time she was on screen and I kept on wondering if all this pointless shouting was even needed!

The only good thing about this episode was the way Maulvi sahab gave Mahmood a reality check. Mahmood’s increased sense of guilt was the only important development in this episode. The performances once again were top-notch but I do feel like the viewers deserve more because they wait all week to find out what turn the story will take next. Having said that, I feel that Muqabil so far has done better overall than many other dramas. I hope that the makers do not spoil the whole experience by ruining the story in the end and give the viewers an ending which is both logical and satisfying.

For the first time, the preview of the next episode did not appeal to me. The story is going around in circles at this point which is just plain sad considering the fact that Muqabil has been such a brilliant play throughout.

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Muqabil Episode 19 Review – Spellbinding Performances

This episode was directed and acted out brilliantly. Kudos to the director and the actors in particular for making every episode of Muqabil a wonderful experience. Even when there is no obvious development in the story, the direction and the performances keep you hooked to your television screens. Also, the writer is gradually showing changes in different characters unlike some other writers who wait for the last few episodes to show a major change in the characters. Arman’s reaction was shown realistically and the timing of all the scenes covering Arman’s disgust towards his father was beyond impressive. Mahmood has no idea what is going on in Arman’s mind, Arman is not in a position to be away from his family therefore he is forced to be around his father. The scene in which he threw up while his father was reciting duas for him was right on point! Every time his father touched him, he cringed and thought about the things which Pareesa had said in the past. There is an intensity and precision about Mohsin Abbas Haider’s performance because of which just watching him act is a treat! He makes the most of every single scene by giving the perfect expressions even in the most complicated of situations. Asif Raza Mir is immensely talented and all his scenes make a strong  impression on the viewers. Watching these two stars in one frame in these complicated situations is truly spellbinding because they never go wrong.

Muqabil Episode 19 Review - Spellbinding Performances

Another character which is getting more interesting with every passing episode is that of Shehnaz. She has come a long way; Pareesa’s marriage proved to be a reality check for her and she decided to change her priorities in life. Watching Shehnaz make a conscious effort to make things easier for her daughter by putting her ego aside was a refreshing change. Saba Hameed is constantly experimenting with different roles and every time she appears on screen with a new role, she makes sure that she changes her get-up accordingly too. Pareesa decided to distance herself from Arman because she once again feels that he deserves better and perhaps to shelter herself from more emotional damage.

For a change Zuebida’s scenes in this episode were not only bearable but also showed a very caring side of her. Although she was loud as usual but her dialogues about Arman’s meeting with his mother in law were funny and her concern for Arman easy to connect to. For the first time I saw her as a mother who was truly concerned about her son and understood what her son was going through even though she had no clue why he was so terrified and sad. The scene in which she said that Arman had an accident before too but he never looked so scared and strange showed that she was the only one who had guessed that there was something wrong with Arman.

Muqabil Episode 19 Review - Spellbinding Performances

The preview of the next episode was exhilarating; I am waiting to see how Mahmood reacts when Arman tells him that he knows what Pareesa went through in her childhood. Will he cover up for himself or will it lead to a confrontation between him and Arman? Can’t wait to find out.

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Muqabil Episode 18 Review – Phenomenal Performances

This episode of Muqabil laid down the foundations for what is coming ahead. Although everything that the viewers were shown in this episode needed to be seen but it also had a lot of scenes which could have been chopped down. The pace of the drama has slowed down considerably but it is still unpredictable and has some phenomenal performances to its credit. Every episode has some new development which gives you a reason to tune into this drama the coming week. This play could have been a game changer if it maintained its fast pace and there weren’t a lot of filler scenes which are clearly meant to kill time. This episode however was not a filler episode overall because with this episode Pareesa learned a few things about her which she was not willing to accept before and the dynamics of Arman and Pareesa’s relationship also changed completely this week.

Half of this episode covered everyone’s mindset while they were desperately looking for Arman. In my opinion this could have been one of those episodes which keep you at the edge of your seat if the preview of the next episode did not reveal that Arman was in the hospital. The song covering Pareesa and Arman’s past scenes and the visit to Sara’s house did not serve any purpose at all. The only important aspect of Sara and Pareesa’s conversation was that for the first time the viewers watched Pareesa acknowledge the fact that she was in love with Arman. The biggest purpose that these recent developments served is that Pareesa has finally accepted her true feelings for Arman, she is not afraid to love him and she is not scared of admitting how much he means to her. Pareesa, Arman and Mahmood’s characters are the lifeline of this drama, no matter how meaningless an episode is as a whole, these three characters always add meaning to every episode and keep it from getting too dull.

Muqabil Episode 18 Review - Phenomenal Performances

My favorite scene in tonight’s episode was the one in which Arman looked at Pareesa and his father for the first time after his accident (suicide attempt?). It was brilliantly directed and Mohsin Abbas’ acting was beyond remarkable in this scene. It showed exactly how Arman felt at that moment but was unable to express his feelings in any way. Honestly speaking, I was expecting a lot more from this episode but it did not cover Pareesa and Arman’s scenes the way one would have hoped it would but on the contrary focused on showing the aftermath of Arman’s disappearance. I have always been a big fan of Asif Raza Mir but now I am completely sold. His expressions when he warned Pareesa that she should never share her secret with Arman were remarkable. He brings out all the shades of Mahmood’s personality effortlessly on screen. Shehnaz and Aftab’s scenes covered Aftab’s guilt and also a different side of Shehnaz’s personality. Saba Hameed is also an all time favorite and Saife Hassan is very convincing as Aftab. These people may run a big business but they have no clue how to handle their daughter, that is something they are still learning to do!

The preview of the next episode suggested that Arman will take his time coming into terms with the fact that his father was the one who violated the woman who is now his wife. So far Muqabil has picked up pace every time the viewers thought it had lost its momentum therefore I have high hopes that the next episode will deliver.

How many of you watched this latest episode? Do share your thoughts about it.

Muqabil Episode 17 Review – What A Twist!

The real surprise and the twist we had all been waiting for came in the later half of this episode and I have to say that Muqabil continues to be amazing in so many ways even after all these weeks. The scene in the pool was beyond exceptional not only because it covered the most important development in this episode but also because of the way it was shot. The acting, camera angles, the direction and not to mention the location was right on point. The director conveyed everything perfectly through the expressions and gestures of the actors involved. This scene proved what an exceptional director Ali Hassan is because if he wanted he could have shortened this scene but then it wouldn’t have the impact it had. The only thing which looked somewhat out of place was Mohsin Abbas Haider and Kubra Khan’s perfectly styled hair after the intense scene in the pool. Other than that Mohsin Abbas Haider and Kubra Khan nailed their scenes once again. Both of them deserve tons of appreciation for giving this drama their best. Arman’s reaction after he found out who had violated Pareesa when she was a kid was also shown brilliantly.

Muqabil Episode 17 Review - What A Twist!

This episode opened with Pareesa’s parents discussing how content they were with the way things turned out for their daughter thinking that she was finally happy. Everything was perfect in the first half, even Zubeida who is always complaining had few good things to say about madam for a change. The most important scenes were the ones in which Mahmood was shown content because he thought he had gotten away with what he had done to Pareesa! His conversation with the maulvi sahab was brief but it was very impactful. What maulvi sahab said to him was spot on and exactly what everyone wanted to hear. All this time Mahmood has been thinking about himself, how he can escape what he had done and whether he would be able to move on but he did not pause to think about Pareesa even once. He never thought about how he changed that little girl’s life for the worst forever which basically goes to show that he isn’t really “sorry” . That one line which maulvi sahab said should have been enough to make him reflect upon what he had done but that did not happen. He does not think he should be punished but he thinks he should be forgiven because he has been repenting for so long. Mahmood is another example of one of those people who twist religion to suit their needs. He has been asking Allah for forgiveness but he is not willing to pay for what he did! Asif Raza Mir has breathed life into a character which is not an easy one to translate on screen. He is at that stage of his career where he did not need to experiment with a role which was completely different from every other role he has played in his career therefore I am especially impressed that he made this choice.

Muqabil Episode 17 Review - What A Twist!

Pareesa’s reaction was also covered in a realistic manner. One of the main reasons why Muqabil is one of my most favorite plays is that it is not only thoroughly entertaining but the story has always been unpredictable and logical. Saife Hassan and Saba Hameed’s natural acting and the way their scenes were penned down and directed made their scenes enjoyable.

Everyone who gave up on Muqabil after watching the last two episodes, should tune into it this week and they will most certainly tune into it next week too! Can’t wait to find out how the story unfolds from here on. This episode had plenty of scenes which could have been chopped down, I hope that the pace of the drama doesn’t slow down now because so far Muqabil has been phenomenal.

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Muqabil Episode 16 Review – Getting Closer or Further Away?

Mohsin Abbas Haider and Kubra Khan’s on screen chemistry saved the day today because this episode as a whole did not have a lot to offer. The fact that these two stars can make all their scenes a treat to watch makes them one of the best on-screen couples of recent times. The ‘misunderstanding’ which got a lot of screen time tonight did not serve any purpose because it was quite apparent that Arman was only making up stories to make Pareesa jealous and the way Arman was introduced to the staff in the office was my least favorite part of this episode. Arman and Zara’s meeting made absolutely no sense, it was just as confusing in this episode as it was in the promo! The only reason why this track was slightly relevant was that Pareesa for the first time acknowledged that she needed Arman in her life and it wasn’t as easy for her to let him go as she pretended it would be. Had Arman and Zara’s scene not been shown it would have been easier to relate to what we saw today. Arman is after all human and he can’t always be understanding, there will be times when he will do things to upset Pareesa too or perhaps to get her attention but most of what we saw tonight wasn’t interesting because it looked too staged.

I truly appreciate a lot of aspects of the story but one aspect I appreciate more than anything else is that for a change someone who isn’t rich or accomplished is being shown in the lead role and in a good light. Usually the hero of our dramas have certain traits and being affluent passes as one of those traits because of which the leading man is more attractive or charming. Arman is not rich and he is more ordinary than anything else yet he is charming, something which has always been the most appealing aspect of this drama. When Pareesa mentioned the fact that money is not important and her father introduced Arman as the ghareeb naujawan who won the heart of his princess it killed the subtlety and beauty with which this message was being put forward through this drama for the past 13 weeks. The message that a knight in the shining armor can also be an ordinary man who is not perfect was a wonderful message and one which did not need to be spelled out!

Muqabil Episode 16 Review - Getting Closer or Further Away?

In this episode Arman yet again went against his wishes and did something he vowed he would never do only to please Pareesa. The change in Arman’s personality in these past few episodes especially ever since he found out the truth has been my most favorite part of the drama. Also, the gradual change in Shehnaz’s outlook towards life and what matters to her most has also been shown in a subtle manner in the past few episodes. There was a time when publicity meant more to her than anything else but now she does more to ensure that her daughter stays happy than she ever did before.

This episode like all the other episodes of Muqabil had some very interesting dialogues. The preview of the next episode suggested that Pareesa’s father finally managed to get Arman drunk! I must say I am not looking forward to Arman playing more mind games with Pareesa! Arman’s character is one of the best aspects of this drama therefore I hope he continues being sensitive and sensible. Muqabil has been right on point for the past 15 weeks, I hope that it continues to be equally interesting in the future too.

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Muqabil Episode 15 Review – Captivating Performances

This episode of Muqabil focused entirely on Arman and Pareesa’s track. The new OST of the drama compliments the new direction which the story has taken. This new start however is not free from complications and these tricky situations have been handled brilliantly by the writer, director and both the actors involved. The friendship between Arman and Pareesa coupled with their beautiful personalities makes their relationship one of a kind. For the first time we are watching a rape survivor trying her best to have a healthy relationship based on mutual trust and respect with a man not because she does not have a choice but due to the connection and love she feels for that man. Arman’s character is just plain adorable! He is the kind of man who believes in loving unconditionally and only such a man could have played the role he is playing in Pareesa’s life. I absolutely love the fact that Arman has been shown as a practical person who gradually ended up falling in love with Pareesa and not someone who fell in love with her the second he laid his eyes on her. There was a time when Arman’s career came before everything else and he did not even want to get married but tonight the viewers saw him focusing on his marriage alone because especially ever since he found out what happened with Pareesa his sole concern is his wife’s well being. He wants to make sure that he dedicates all his energy into making this marriage work even though right now Pareesa and Arman have a long way to go.

Pareesa’s character is also etched-out brilliantly. It has been a long time since she had a “normal” relationship with anyone around her. She was always closer to her plants than she was with people. Even though Pareesa and Arman have a long way to go but Pareesa has never been shown making this much effort to make a relationship work. Pareesa and Arman’s scenes together were very well put together in this episode; they were practical hence relatable. There weren’t a lot of cheesy dialogues which conveyed their feelings for each other but their actions showed that both of them wanted to make this relationship last. Pareesa wants Mahmood sahab out of her life for good although it is impossible. I am certain that I am not the only one who is wondering if Arman will ever find out who violated Pareesa. Mohsin Abbas Haider and Kubra Khan’s exceptional performances and their sizzling on screen chemistry has definitely taken this drama to the next level.

Muqabil Episode 15 Review - Captivating Performances

This episode just like this drama as a whole so far was exceptional and it ended too soon! My favorite scene from tonight’s episode was the one in which Arman tried to reason out with his mother and sister! The dialogues were right on point, the camera angles and everyone’s acting made this scene impactful. For the first time it seemed like Zubeida understood his son. The director Ali Hassan deserves special credit and appreciation for paying attention to every minute detail because of which not only are all the scenes convincing but also a treat to watch. Muqabil continues to be one of those very few dramas I look forward to watching all week and it always delivers.

The preview of the next episode was quite confusing. Personally, I like such previews which leave a lot to the viewer’s imagination and keep us guessing.

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Muqabil Episode 14 Review – Simply Amazing!!

This was another amazing episode of Muqabil which made me fall in love once again with Arman and Pareesa’s characters and the dynamics of their relationship. I cannot praise Zafar Mairaj enough for etching out these characters brilliantly and for penning down some of the most beautiful and emotional conversations between the leading pair. Pareesa hasn’t confessed her love for Arman just yet but when someone with Pareesa’s past learns to trust a man blindly and feels secure around him then it means that she feels something even more than love for him! Pareesa was shown showing the kind of respect for Arman which she has never shown for anyone else. She is still not ready to have a physical relationship with Arman but otherwise he is closer to her today than anyone ever was since the day she was violated. Once again every single conversation between Arman and Pareesa was spell-binding. These conversations have always been beautiful and meaningful right from the day these two met and Mohsin Abbas Haider’s acting in particular makes you fall in love with his character even more with every passing episode. He is one-of-a-kind hero, a trendsetter, in more ways than one. He emotes so well that you can’t help but feel every single thing that he is going through.

Muqabil Episode 14 Review - Simply Amazing!!

Pareesa’s character is especially appealing because of her honesty. Pareesa is complicated, she has some major issues but she does not know how to play games. She was always very honest with her parents about her feelings, she even told Zubeida that she was not the one who wanted to move out of the house, she told her mother that she was not going to exploit Arman’s love for her, she could not hold back when Arman told Nadia that he could spend time with her and most importantly she was quick to talk about her feelings after Nadia and her parents left. This aspect of Pareesa’s personality makes her strong even though she has so many insecurities and fears. I absolutely loved the argument between Arman and Pareesa after everyone left. Everything that they said made perfect sense; Arman hated that Pareesa did not trust her with Nadia and Pareesa in a very intelligent manner made him understand that she trusted him. Pareesa and Arman have made for each other written all over them, they are soul mates and I find myself rooting for them every step of the way. Kubra Khan and Mohsin Haider’s on screen chemistry makes their scenes faultless.

Muqabil Episode 14 Review - Simply Amazing!!

Zubeida’s scenes were actually funny today especially her conversations with Mahmood were hilarious!! The one about Arman and Pareesa sleeping in separate rooms was quite amusing. I am glad that Arman and Pareesa did not move in with Pareesa’s parents. It will be great watching them interact now without any “interruptions” or with people spying on them! Mahmood was shown relieved and happy now that Pareesa and Arman have moved out. He wants to see his son happy and he obviously thinks that he deserves to be forgiven because he has repented for his sins. I hope that the writer shows Mahmood paying for what he did although that will break Arman’s heart and right now I am certain that I am not the only one who wants to see Arman happy but it needs to be done. Kubra Khan, Mohsin Abbas Haider and Asif Raza Mir gave exceptional performances yet again in tonight’s episode. I must say that Mohsin Abbas Haider is especially gifted, I am completely in awe of his wonderful performance.

This was another beautifully written and brilliantly directed episode of Muqabil. The director Ali Hassan deserves tons of credit for paying attention to minor details and for making Muqabil one of the best dramas of this season. So far Muqabil has been picture-perfect. I highly recommend it to anyone who is not watching it already.

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Celebrities React on Mohsin Abbas Haider Wife Fatima’s News

Muqabil Episode 13 Review – Intense & Poignant

Pareesa and Arman stole the show yet again tonight. That one scene in which Arman cried while he poured his heart out was the sort of scene which truly moves you mainly because of the situation, expressions, dialogue delivery and the way those expressions were captured. This episode had quite a few scenes which moved and impressed me but there were also one scene in particular which didn’t work for me. We all know now why the viewers had to put up with Zubeida’s yelling all these weeks. It was because of Zubeida’s nosy and loud personality that Arman finally decided that he had to move out of the house. The poor guy has no idea that Shehnaz’s best friend who is always around could easily pass as Zubeida’s twin sister because of her personality traits!!

The highlight of this episode was the opening scene and the effect that session with the psychiatrist had on Arman. Everything that the psychiatrist said to Arman was put together perfectly and it showed that the right man who was willing to do everything in his power to restore a girl’s faith in relationships in general and men in particular could do so. I cannot praise the writer enough for covering this painful yet beautiful journey of this unusual couple in a very convincing manner. Arman’s character has been one of the most interesting characters we have seen in our dramas in recent times due to a lot of reasons. Arman never jumped at the opportunity of marrying a rich and beautiful girl, he fell in love with her simplicity and not her looks or money and although he is a simple guy but he also sensible and is committed to this relationship. His circumstances were such that he could easily choose to be the victim instead of the savior therefore watching him play the hero despite of his limited resources is endearing. I don’t have the words to praise Mohsin Abbas Haider’s brilliant performance. He impresses you more with his performance with every passing episode and just when you think his acting cannot get better, he proves you wrong! Kubra Khan and Mohsin Abbas Haider make the most amazing on screen couple especially given the fact that their characters and circumstances both are unusual to say the least.

Muqabil Episode 13 Review - Intense & Poignant

Another scene of this episode which truly impressed me was the one in which Arman announces that he was leaving the house. The way the director captured all the reactions was superb. Zubeida was shocked to hear the news, Arman was scared while announcing it and Mahmood couldn’t have been happier. Sometimes the treatment given to a certain scene can change the overall impact it has altogether. It is always a treat watching Asif Raza Mir perform but in this case it is extra special because in Muqabil he plays a role very different from all the roles he has played in his long career. His acting is always effortless and extraordinary. I must say though that showing Arman tell his parents that he was going to move out of the house before the commercial break killed the surprise.

The only part of this episode which didn’t work for me was the conversation between Shah Sahab and Mahmood. Can a victim really “forgive” the person who abused her? I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts about it.

Arman and Pareesa will move to Pareesa’s house in the next episode and I am waiting to see how their relationship evolves from here on. Muqabil has restored my faith in Big Bang Entertainment. I hope that this drama continues to be this intense and poignant in the future too.

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Muqabil Episode 12 Review – Mind-Blowing!

Muqabil is turning out to be one of those outstanding plays which keep you glued to your television screen right from the get-go. It is the kind of drama you look forward to watching all week and when it finally airs you feel like it ended too soon! I am beyond sold after watching these 12 amazing episodes of Muqabil which were not only meticulously creative but also extremely engaging. Tonight yet again Arman and Pareesa’s scenes alone were enough to bowl me over completely, Mohsin Abbas Haider in particular was faultless in all the scenes although all these scenes had completely different demands. All his interactions with his friend, his mother, his father and Pareesa gave him tons of room for performance and he made the most of all these opportunities. He was particularly impressive when Arman got upset and wanted to know who had abused Pareesa. This scene was also very well written and directed. The clarity with which all these characters have been written and translated on screen makes them few of the most interesting characters we have seen on screen in recent times.

Muqabil Episode 12 Review - Mind-Blowing!

The psychiatrist asked Pareesa to share her secret with Arman, a development which was definitely refreshing! Watching Pareesa trying to make this marriage work and the manner in which this big change in her personality has been handled is truly commendable. She is not doing this because she has no other choice but Arman’s love won her over and since she is a good person at heart she does not want Arman to get hurt over and over again. Pareesa got married because she did not have a choice and she could not think of any other way to punish Mahmood and her mother. Although she does not admit that it was the reason why she married Arman but it was quite evident that this was her main purpose. Her conversation with her mother however clearly showed that she knows better now. Everything that the viewers saw later on also showed that she wanted to make this marriage work and Arman’s feelings mattered to her. I also feel that she has fallen in love with Arman but she does not want to explore these feelings probably because she is too scared of loving anyone because everyone who she loved and trusted betrayed her whether it was her parent or Mahmood sahab. Kubra Khan is also a phenomenal actress who has breathed life into a very difficult character.

Mahmood found out about Pareesa and Arman’s conversation by the pool side from Shehnaz’s friend and that is when he decided to plead his case in front of Pareesa and also tried to create doubts in his son’s mind by saying that Pareesa might have psychological issues. Asif Raza Mir was the perfect choice for playing this character; he is brilliant and convincing in every single scene. Tonight, for a change I even enjoyed Arman’s mother’s scenes because of the way she changed her tone and attitude whenever Pareesa was around. I found her behavior realistic, although she does not like Pareesa at all but she knows she is madam’s beti and she cannot be rude to her.

Muqabil Episode 12 Review - Mind-Blowing!

Although Arman’s meeting with the psychiatrist was somewhat abrupt but whatever she said to him was right on point. Also, this episode couldn’t have ended on a higher note. This was my most favorite episode of Muqabil which I have already watched twice!! The director Ali Hassan deserves tons of credit and appreciation for making every scene count. The background music, the lighting and the camerawork couldn’t have been better. This episode was also one of the best episodes of Muqabil because every single scene added something important to the story. This drama never ceases to impress its viewers, now we have something completely new to look forward to. It was great watching a victim share the truth with her partner and it will be even more great watching her partner stand by her side.

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Muqabil Episode 11 Review – Engrossing & Unpredictable

Muqabil has it all; a strong script, performances which leave you in awe and skillful direction. Although this episode did not cover what Shah Sahab said to Mahmood after he confessed to him but even then the scenes which covered Pareesa and Arman’s track in particular were beyond exceptional. For the first time the viewers are watching a very realistic perspective of a rape survivor trying to have a normal married life not because of societal pressure or due to loneliness but because she found the ideal partner. Pareesa has been shown as a girl who lost a great deal when she was violated and she held on to this ugly experience for all these years but she was always capable of loving. She was shown showering Nadia with unconditional love and her relationship with her flowers also showed her sensitive and loving side. Pareesa tried to take a step to get close to Arman and this huge step forward was extremely convincing because Arman had done what it took to earn Pareesa’s trust and even love. Arman and Pareesa’s characters are etched-out brilliantly and their circumstances make their story even more enticing. Mohsin Abbas Haider deserves to be praised over and over again for an outstanding performance. He was the perfect choice for playing this role. Kubra Khan also owns her character and brings out the best in it. The scenes which show the sensitive and loving side of Pareesa have also been written and directed very well. Even though her brother wasn’t there for her when she needed him the most but even then she gave him all his money, which once again showed that she was quite capable of loving.

The change in Shehnaz’s personality and her attitude towards those around her was also the kind of character development which makes this drama even more interesting. Unlike many mothers we have seen on television very often who never realize that they need to change themselves in order to be there for their children, Shehnaz finally understands this and was shown playing with Nadia and going out of her way to be nice to Arman because she feels she needs to do it in order to please her daughter. Arman’s conversations with Pareesa’s father were also penned down perfectly and directed and acted out in such a way that they appeared quite realistic. One of the primary reasons why the viewers have no issue connecting to all the characters and happenings while watching this play is that everything is close to reality. The fact that people change with time is one of the most important aspects of real life but one which is ignored in many dramas. Character development which is convincing always makes a drama more interesting. The fact that it is impossible to predict what turn the story will take in the upcoming weeks makes Muqabil the kind of drama which keeps you at the edge of your seat.

Muqabil Episode 11 Review - Engrossing & Unpredictable

Shah Sahab apparently decided to help Mahmood out with his problem and watching him trying so desperately to make things easier for his son went to show how important it was for him to see his son happy. Mahmood’s children are his assets and if Pareesa tells them the truth then he will lose them forever. My favorite scene from tonight’s episode was when Arman reassured Pareesa that he was going to stand by her and he was not going to back out of this relationship. The best part about this scene was that Arman also shared with Pareesa just how used he felt but at the same time he vowed to make this relationship work. Arman’s mature character and Pareesa’s practical yet sensitive attitude made this scene phenomenal. Also, the dialogues were simply brilliant; deep and meaningful. This was the kind of conversation which you remember for a long time.

Overall, this episode was simply brilliant just like all the previous episodes of Muqabil. Muqabil is turning out to be one of my favorite dramas this season and I highly recommend it to all those people who are not watching it. Shaheen Khan also did not scream a lot in this episode, which was great! The preview of the next episode showed Pareesa telling Arman the truth. I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds from here on. Watching that scene in the preview gave me goose bumps!

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Muqabil Episode 10 Review – Strong Messages

Even after 10 weeks Muqabil continues to be thoroughly entertaining and unpredictable. Apart from some power-packed performances, this drama also has some exceptionally impactful characters to its credit which are also brand new. Muqabil is a must watch for all those viewers who are sick and tired of watching same old stories. This episode also had quite a few meaningful conversations and strong messages.

The conversation between Arman and Pareesa about why Arman didn’t go through her things was one of the most meaningful conversations of this episode which covered a great deal and gave the viewers more of an insight into what was going through Arman’s mind and how Pareesa was never like any other teenager her age. All those things which Arman said to Pareesa were perhaps an attempt to find out if the reason she did not want to have a bond other than that of friendship with him was that she was involved with someone else or had lost someone she had loved once. Arman thought that Pareesa was a romantic person by nature therefore she was fascinated with flowers, he had no idea why Pareesa was so attached to her flowers! Pareesa on the other hand could not even imagine feeling that way about any man at all because of the ugly experience she had at an early age with the man she trusted so much and the one she looked up to like a father figure.
The fact that there was no such concept in Pareesa’s life went to show yet again how deeply she was effected after she was violated by Mahmood. This was something which changed her completely and even though she is a strong person, she can never undo (even in her mind) what happened that day.

Muqabil Episode 10 Review - Strong Messages

Pareesa’s character is brilliantly etched-out, she is a fighter in her own way, she learned how to survive even with all her scars by using different means to make herself feel useful. She protected her flowers and her maid’s daughter and distanced herself completely from her mother in particular because she held her equally responsible for what happened to her. It is however good to see that for a change the victim’s mother is trying her best to understand her daughter and is shown feeling guilty a lot of times too. Pareesa has given her mother and Mahmood the perfect punishment, she definitely thought this through. Her life was always going to be the same no matter where she lived or who she got married to because so far Pareesa has been shown as someone who lives in her own world no matter who is around her and where she is.

Although Arman and Pareesa’s relationship and the circumstances in which this marriage took place is anything but normal but even then Kubra Khan and Mohsin Abbas make the perfect on screen couple. They share great on screen chemistry and their characters compliment each other. Arman is a sensible and caring person who will be willing to do a lot more for Pareesa than anyone would have. Mohsin Abbas’ performance was beyond brilliant throughout but in the last scene he completely stole the show.

Mahmood found out exactly what was going on between Arman and Pareesa and that was the first time that the viewers saw Mahmood regretting what he did in front of someone else. I am waiting to see what Shah Sahab says to Mahmood, I hope we get to hear his reply. Asif Raza Mir’s eloquent dialogue delivery and his natural acting make his scenes a treat to watch. Saba Hameed is another actress who pays attention to every little detail and makes sure that her expressions do the talking even when she does not have any dialogues.

Muqabil Episode 10 Review - Strong Messages

One of the best scenes of this episode was the one in which Pareesa told Safia off for leaving her daughter at home. Watching a girl who was raped as a child saying something like this in loud and clear words was a very strong message which needs to be heard by every parent out there. The significance and impact of what Pareesa said was more because of what she had gone through. She strongly believes that her parents could have protected her if they were not busy socializing. Mahmood’s expressions and the way Pareesa looked directly at him when she said all that to Safia added to the intensity of this scene.

Tonight it wasn’t just Arman’s mother who was screaming at the top of her lungs but her daughter joined in too!! A lot of the scream time Shaheen Khan got in this episode covered similar scenarios therefore her dialogues could have been easily chopped down. Her character and all the attention it is getting is the only part about this play which is annoying, otherwise Muqabil is picture perfect in terms of script, direction and acting.

The preview of the next episode was just as intense as everything else we have seen in Muqabil so far. Eagerly looking forward to the next episode.

How many of you watched this latest episode? Do share your thoughts about it.

Munna Lahori Who Played Zakoota Jin passed Away!

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One thing which has been constant for many Pakistanis from their childhood memories is Ainak Wala Jin. Each one of us has grown up while watching that show. Matloob ur Rehman commonly known as Munna Lahori is the actor who played Zakoota Jin in the famous series. After losing Nusrat Ara (Bil Batori) last year, now we have lost Matloob. He was suffering from paralysis and was getting dialysis for his kidneys.

Munna Lahori Who Played Zakoota Jin passed Away!

He faced a severe financial crisis in his last years and finally breathed his last in Lahore. He has left behind a wife and five children.

May Allah bless the deceased soul and grant peace to the family. RIP Zakoota!

Munna Lahori Upset Over Rumors Of His Death, Needs Your Help

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Munna Lahori who is well known for his role in famous children’s serial “Ainak Wali Jinn” was heart broken when he read the news of his death on social networking sites and in some newspapers. Munna Lahori has worked with television and theater for a long time but he does not live the house of a star at all. Nowadays he is doing cleaning job and serving tea at a tea stall in Alhamra Hall. Even after giving his best all these years he has been unable to make a house of his own. Munna Bhai suffered a sever attack of paralysis because of which he does not have the same energy any more. The government promised to help him financially but that promise was never fulfilled.

Sanam Baloch invited the actor who is famous as Zakoota Jinn in her show. She also invited other actors who are close to Munna Lahori to the show and his son in order to show the people involved in spreading such senseless rumors how these insensitive pieces of gossip affect those who love the person concerned. Everyone who knows Munna Bhai said that he is a very sensitive and loving person.  Munna Lahori requested anyone who could help him to help him buy his own house so that he could be at peace knowing that his children have a roof on their heads.

You can watch the video of the show here:

Munkir Episode 8 & 9 Review – Flawed Characters!

Ohkay so, these two episodes of Munkir took the story forward in a most unconvincing manner. It has been made clear that the writer was bent on not getting Runa & Zain married so he kept on throwing one situation after another, despite them not making much sense, to reach to his goal which is to bring Runa & Gulrez together. I think the story could’ve been portrayed properly if the writer hadn’t added such baseless & meaningless twists in it. The characters are either too exaggerated or too poorly etched out, like if you’re watching Munkir, please bear in mind that almost every other character that gets the coverage is going to make you cringe, however, there are a few sane characters too, so glad to have them in the drama!

So, Gulrez abducted Runa on her wedding day & took her somewhere. Gulrez took Runa to some apartment which showed that he had a place to stay on his own anyways, so not sure what made him go to Runa’s house in the first place because it was suggested that he had nowhere to go in Karachi, that is why while still being on a mission he was using Runa’s place as a hideout? I must say as much as I was interested to see a love story revolving around a terrorist, Gulrez’s character is rightfully mysterious but has been poorly etched out because you just can’t understand what he is thinking & most importantly why. Yes, I do understand that the writer tried to make Gulrez such a character which is hard to comprehend but I guess the writer forgot that the character has to be making some sense as well? Gulrez is shown to be on a mission, like he is still a terrorist at heart & then he has fallen in love with Runa & not only that, he has exposed her to his group of terrorist friends too who give him advises about heartbreaks which actually makes me laugh because I didn’t know that terrorists could be relationship experts as well. Also, whoever has hired a chicken like Gulrez is already doomed because this guy ain’t going to accomplish his mission as he is too busy holding Runa’s Teeka close to his heart.

The entire scene where Runa is questioning Gulrez to know his intentions was so poorly done because not sure why Gulrez was maintaining his silence at this stage because he has already confessed his love to her when they were in Murree, so why was he putting up a show now? Like if he abducted her, he should’ve told her all the reasons behind his move & also should’ve convinced her to be with him or discussed some future plans with her like telling her that he wants to leave all that he does for her sake? Just kidnapping her for a day & staying silent didn’t make any sense at all. Also, not sure how every single terrorist friend of Gulrez has found out about Runa & not only that, they are seen blaming her for fooling Gulrez? Like is he a toddler or an infant!?!?!

To be honest, if I speak about annoying characters, Anjum secures the top place in the list. I just don’t understand that while reporting the incident to Rania, Anjum kept on speaking against Gulrez & kept on calling him akhrot, because if she didn’t hold a high opinion about him then why did she keep on brain feeding Runa into believing that she has fallen in love with Gulrez & he is her Mr. Right? Talk about being stupid to the core!

Even though the writer has tried to make Zain’s religious family look bad but to be honest, I don’t find them at fault because Runa’s family has been acting shady & suspicious since day one, also I don’t really like Runa’s character because I find her weak & to me, she seems to be someone who has no brains of her own, so anything that Zain’s mother says about Runa’s family ends up looking justified because by the end of the day, they are at fault. I really would’ve liked if the writer hadn’t shown Zain’s family to be practicing Muslims because this way he is trying to show them in a bad light that just because they are religious, they are highly judgmental. To be honest, I find Zain’s mother as a concerned woman who only wants to see her son happy with the girl he likes. Zain’s mother might seem rigid but when it comes to Runa, she is quite a caring mother in law who walks an extra mile every single time to make sure Runa is doing alright & she is safe. So, yes, for me, the writer’s attempt of making practicing Muslim look bad is an epic fail. Yes, I will however say that I find Batool’s character quite annoying & sadly she gets so much of coverage that it isn’t even funny!

So, obviously, this cliché is the easiest & the quirkiest way to either move the story forward or to hinder something from happening. Daadi had to die, like she just had to so that Runa & Zain couldn’t get married, how convenient I must say! I wish Molvi Sahab’s speech about putting pressures on girl would’ve made much more impact if the girl he was sympathizing with wasn’t Runa because I find her too stupid & her character a bit too flawed. The only sane characters in this drama right now are Rania, Zain & Majid, even Ghulam Sughra looks like a human being with a heart & some emotions to her credit!

Overall, these two episodes were flawed & quite unconvincing. The characters are boring to say the least & all the situations are way too dramatic & unrealistic. Also, if Zain’s mother is acting irrationally, I guess she has all the reasons to because she has been pushed to the limit. Anyways, not that I am against fancy or dressy hijabs but I just couldn’t bring myself to like the weirdly shaped headbands that the actresses have worn beneath their scarves in this drama. Also, the camel hump actually makes them look odd & weird. I am saying that once again, I am not against fancy hijabs, it’s just that I wish they could’ve added some elegance to it because ladies who wear hijab know how to make it look elegant & they carry it gracefully, but sadly, that can’t be said about Zain’s mother & his sisters as they stand out from the crowd for all the wrong reasons because of their hijab choices being so poor & weird. Not sure why in our dramas they have to always dress up the hijabs because if done rightly, nicely & decently, simplest of hijabs can look beautiful too! Anyways, please share your thoughts about these two episodes of Munkir!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Munkir Episode 6 & 7 Review – Average!

Ohkay so, the last two episodes of Munkir were a bit better with some unconvincing developments to their credit. I think this is going to be the case with most of the episodes of Munkir where we will see a lot of unconvincing bits because the writer seems to have set his mind to something & now he is doing everything to reach his goal, which is to bring Runa & Gulrez together.

So, Runa left Murree & finally came back to her home, that too when Rania was about to get busted. The relationship that Rania & Runa share is probably the best thing about this drama, because the writer tried to at least show something unconventional & normal through Rania’s character that a step mother can be a friend & a well-wisher as well.

So, Runa’s in laws started feeling something fishy about the entire situation & just when they were already a little suspicious, their worst fears were confirmed by their relative were he told that he spotted Runa in Murree. I must say after Anjum, I find Batool’s character quite annoying too & what’s worst is that all these weird characters get so much of screen-time & dialogues. At first, to be honest, I wasn’t too happy with the fact that the writer showed Runa’s in laws as those kind of practicing Muslims who love to judge others, that is why every time I heard Batool pass generic verdicts about what Pakistani girls can do & what Pakistani girls are capable of, I found it quite distasteful. However, I hate to say this but the way both Runa & Anjum are behaving makes me feel that Batool has a valid point & everything that she says makes sense because it describes girls like Runa & Anjum to perfection.

Even though the writer has tried to use Zain’s family’s religiousness against them by showing them to be quite judgmental & he has tried to make them look the odd ones out here but in my opinion, they are far better than Runa who is coming across as a hypocrite for being in love with someone while getting married to someone else. At this point, it is so obvious that in order to justify Runa’s budding feelings towards Gulrez, the writer is making Zain’s family seem a bit unreasonable & irrational by showing that they are a bit too conservative but then again, it isn’t working because I find their concerns justified at this stage & to some extent their judgments accurate too since Runa is not behaving in such a way that would sit well with anyone even from a non-conservative mindset!

Gulrez showed up at Runa’s doorstep & it wasn’t only Runa or Anjum but seems like even Daadi & Rania were going gaga over Gulrez. This is exactly something that makes it worse that all of them have formed such a high opinion regarding Gulrez whereas they know nothing about him. The one who is worst in this situation is Anjum, who keeps on comparing Zain & Gulrez without even knowing about Gulrez & his background. Looks like Gulrez has come with a mission in his mind again & has only taken Runa’s home as a place for him to stay temporarily but since he loves her, I find it stupid of him to be putting Runa or her entire family into danger since his people would know about Runa & if he will ever run away, they’d make things difficult for Runa’s entire family. Also, Runa’s family knows that Zain’s family is not so broad-minded so to see them giving a place to Gulrez to stay was another unconvincing aspect, like Zain’s family can question them about Gulrez if word will ever spread that Gulrez & Runa were friends, but let’s see!

Overall, these two episodes were decent but a lot of things did seem off-putting. Zain’s character didn’t have much to offer at this stage & I found Anjum quite weird where she was being pally with Zain but on the other hand, she was constantly judging him & was trying to jeopardize Runa & Zain’s marriage. Runa really needs to snap out of the sympathy that she feels for Gulrez & needs to understand for once that sympathy & love are two different things. Anyways, please share your thoughts about these two episodes of Munkir.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Munkir Episode 4 & 5 Review – Not Too Convincing!

Ohkay so, honestly speaking, if you want to watch this drama considering it solely as a ‘drama’ then it might work for you because the developments in the last two episodes made the loopholes in the script stick out like a sore thumb. Everything in this drama is not making sense while still making sense, if that makes sense, lol, because it shows that the writer took a lot of chances & didn’t worry much about the fact that he needed to add some realistic touches to the scenarios to make them convincing, that is why the drama is just unfolding without much depth in the situations!

It was quite evident even before the drama began that the story is going to revolve around a love triangle & may be in the end, the heroine will win by getting the love of her life but then the way the writer is taking things to that part of the story is coming across quite unconvincing. I really think that they could’ve omitted Zain & his family’s role all together because now when I am getting to see Runa & her fluctuating thought process & feelings, I am left wondering what was the need of Zain & his family in this drama. They could’ve just shown that Runa went to see Sister Kathryn & planned on a small vacation & that’s when she met Gulrez only to fall in love with him because as much as I see her getting inclined towards Gulrez, I am forced to have some not so good opinion about Runa in general considering she is about to get married!

Runa & Gulrez have been spending a lot more time together, which again is a loophole because when the drama began, they suggested that Runa was just about to get married in a few days but now, ever since she has left for Murree, it seems that her wedding is not happening for another couple of months, which again brings me to my point that there was no need to show Mehandi function because we all know, Rukhsati usually happens a day or two after the Mehandi function is conducted. It is quite unrealistic that Runa is buying herself more & more time without even feeling the need to go back to Karachi as if she doesn’t have to attend her own wedding. Also, ever since Runa has come to Murree, it looks like Sister Kathryn has taken a back seat & Gulrez has become her priority where she is exploring more about his past & is investing all her time in getting to know him better, as if she has a future ahead of her to spend with him. If the writer wanted Runa to spend so much time in Murree, then he could’ve showed that Zain & Runa just got engaged & now there was a lot of time in their wedding because then it still would’ve made sense that Runa didn’t know Zain so she fell for Gulrez because to see her as practically someone else’s bride, falling for another guy doesn’t put her in a good light.

I really want to know which terrorist or suicide attackers are such chickens emotionally like Gulrez is because if all the suicide attackers were like that, then the terrorism would end even before commencing. Before the drama even began & I got to know that we’ll be seeing a love story between a girl & a terrorist, the entire idea did seem to work but ever since the drama has begun, it hasn’t been tackled in a way which would grab my interest as I am finding it a little unconvincing that Gulrez has forgotten all about his mission & is now taking tantrums from weird Anjum & is eyeing Runa every chance that he gets. Gulrez even took Runa to his sister’s house & made her attend her wedding. Does Gulrez not realize that there’s a huge & quite strong network which might be monitoring him so he is indirectly putting Runa in danger too?

Seriously, if they had shown that Runa developed & explored her feelings for Gulrez herself, then it would’ve made far more sense because it would’ve added weight to the situation that Runa realized that this is the guy that she wants to spend her life with because right now the way Anjum brain feeds her looks like Runa has no mind of hers & she is just falling under the influence of her weird friend who has nothing better to do in her life than to brain-feed her friend into believing some weird fantasy. At this moment it seems that Runa only thinks she is in love with Gulrez because Anjum has planted that seed in her mind. I find it quite amusing that Runa has started taking Anjum seriously who herself is a flirt & has zero patience when it comes to boys. To be honest, all the conversations that Runa & Anjum have about Gulrez & all the things that especially Anjum says about him make them both seem quite desperate & love deprived as if they only came to Murree to have an affair with the first guy they come in contact with. It is amusing that without even having any idea about who Gulrez is, where does he come from, what is standard is (standard not in the sense of financial background but education, upbringing & stuff), what his ideology & philosophy of life is, Anjum thinks she knows all about him & just because she has seen some sympathy in Runa’s eyes for him, she thinks this is ultimate LOVE that Runa was after & he is an ideal & perfect Mr. Right for Runa. I found myself laughing quite hard when I heard Anjum speaking so highly of Gulrez as if she knows him in & out because the truth is, he is a suicide attacker & a terrorist, so it makes Anjum seem so so so stupid & ignorant to the core because she thinks she knows so much whereas the truth is, she is just an immature ignorant spoiled brat who needs to learn a lot of lessons in her life!

To be honest, all the talks that were happening in Zain & Runa’s families about Runa being interested in someone else or stuff seemed quite out of the place because now when the wedding it at the verge, these are probably the last things that should be on someone’s mind as all these matters are spoken about & confirmed before finalizing the proposal. Like I have said before, things would’ve made much more sense if they had shown that Runa & Zain just got engaged & the wedding wasn’t just around the corner because then Runa’s feelings for Gulrez would’ve seemed justified that she had no idea who Zain was & what he was like, so she fell for the guy she got to know in person.

So, this is what Sister Kathryn had to say & do? LOL! I am disappointed. Yes, like they have shown & made a point that no one knows Runa better than Sister Kathryn that is why she immediately realized that Runa was in love with someone else & she was getting married to someone else but then again, if that’s the case then what’s the difference between Sister Kathryn & Anjum? To be honest, I have yet to see & meet such people in real lives who brain wash the brides-to-be into believing that the choice that they are making is wrong for them? What about sending your friend or your daughter-like student with bucket loads of duas before she steps into the new phase of her life? I found it quite amusing that Sister Kathryn had to say the exact same things that Anjum has been saying ever since Runa & Gulrez have come across each other, like is this what the fuss was all about & is this what Runa had to meet Sister Kathryn for? Duh!

Anyways, I think we can just watch Munkir as a time pass without expecting too much sense from the story as the writer has made up his mind that he is going to bring Runa & Gulrez together against all the odds & by defying the common sense, so there’s nothing that we can change so it’s just better to watch it without expecting much from it. I seriously can’t stand Maryam Nafees, I know she has those looks & that personality but she really needs to stop playing these kind of bratty roles because she has a prowess of taking things a bit too far, that is why my irritation level gets a bit too high every time I see her on screen. Rest of the actors are doing a pretty decent job & is it just me or Runa & Gulrez look more like siblings rather than adults who have fallen for each other? There is practically no chemistry between them but then what can we do! Please share your thoughts about these 2 episode of Munkir.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Munkir Episode 14 & 15 Review – Background Noise!

Ohkay so, I watched the last two episodes of background noise, oh sorry I mean Munkir & once again, they failed to grab my interest. However, I will say that the story made some progress in these two episodes but the pace was so slow that I dozed off in the middle of these episodes but they were still running.

So, Zain finally got engaged to Sonia, his uncle’s friend’s niece, whatever. It was amusing how the writer turned Sonia’s uncle into a negative character just to add more drama, like are there any characters in this drama who don’t have an agenda & are normal? Sonia’s uncle thinks just because Sonia will get married to Zain & move to France, she will process his immigration too, LOL! Another thing that I found amusing was how Sonia’s mother was singing a song about Sonia’s ‘jaagi hui roshan kismat’ & Sonia getting a ‘badla of all her mehroomis’ the moment she heard that Sonia will move to France? Like without even meeting the guy & his family, without even finalizing anything, it was such a cliché that the mother thought France’s visa will guarantee lifelong happiness of her daughter. Anyways, Sonia is another story, she is in love with her class fellow & just because he hasn’t done anything to commit to her, she couldn’t say no to Zain’s rishta because she can not make her mother unhappy, another cliché, where a girl is ready to become a sacrificial lamb that too while having someone else in her heart. Also, when the writer had already written the scenes of Zain & Runa’s reunion, then not sure what was the need to add this track & all these boring characters?

Majid once again opened up his thesis papers on Runa & convinced Zain to do something about it, as a result, Zain agreed to go to Murree with Majid because Anjum told him that Runa was in Murree with Sister Kathryn. Anyways, Runa met Gulrez’s sister too & kept on talking about Gulrez like an idiot while time & again asking Runa about why she was in Murree & not in France? Like Gulrez’s sister was aware of the fact that Runa was engaged & what if she was in Murree with her husband, did it make any sense for her to be talking about Gulrez to Runa? Anyways, why am I expecting basic sense from senseless characters? So, seems like Gulrez’s sister had a lot of sympathy for her baby brother, awww! Nope! Anyways, after hiding in a burrow for like 10 episodes, Gulrez finally came out from the ground to stretch his back & neck & while he was at it, he was seen thinking about Runa while his terrorist friend was brainwashing him against her? I find it amusing how all these terrorist friends of Gulrez actively participate in Gulrez’s half-baked love story & give advice & verdicts, in favor or against it? I am still not sure why did Gulrez abduct Runa on the day of her wedding, when he didn’t even confess his love & later all he had to do was go into deep slumber? Waste!

Zain met Runa & Runa had this sharmeeli si smile on her face, like I find it hard to understand what this girl wants & what she is trying to do? She called her marriage quits for no good reason, got drawn towards Gulrez for no good reason & now when she saw Zain, she smiled as if she was showing her acceptance once again for no reason? All this is very confusing. I found it funny how after travelling so much to meet Runa, Zain was still hich-kichaaing like a bechara, like seriously? What’s with the hesitation now? You traveled all the way to see the girl you love so what’s stopping you now from taking things a step further? Zain is far better but he still reminds me of Harib, like his bechargi, but anyways. Anjum is another piece of crap written by the writer, where she was yapping about how no one will get married to Runa & bla bla, like seriously, who gave her the right to pass verdicts on other’s characters & their destiny? (cue Sahir Lodhi’s voice here).

The preview of the next episode did seem interesting but I am sure, those bits would only make 2 – 3 minutes of the episode whereas the rest of the episode will be filled with never-ending, boring & meaningless conversations. Please share your thoughts about these two episodes of Munkir!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Munkir Episode 12 & 13 Reviews – Cringe-worthy!

Ohkay so, these two episodes of Munkir were boring & cringe worthy. All of a sudden the drama has taken the very typical turn where everything in it is about ‘Shaadi’ which didn’t happen after a lot of ‘Barbaadi’. The characters are hardly making any sense & the story is so pathetic that it can make you cringe, even if you ain’t paying attention to it. I watched these two episodes in less than 30 minutes & I am still cringing, so imagine the level of cringing of those who must’ve watched these two episodes from the beginning till end! Did I say these two episodes were cringe-worthy? Like seriously cringe-worthy?

All of a sudden, two grown up individuals Runa & Zain took a role of toddlers because that’s how their family members were treating them. Before this entire Daadi death fiasco, they both were treated as adults who knew the right & wrong & were capable of taking their own decisions but now, looks like their family members have deprived them of their decision making power because they believe they are incapable! The focus of these two episodes was on Zain’s marriage & how his mother & sisters blackmailed him, convinced him, pushed him & forced him to get married. Zain couldn’t keep up so he gave in. There was a lot of usage of taveez, wazaif & what not that made this possible, which left me baffled at the writer’s approach like what was he trying to sell here!?!

Rania is not on talking terms with Runa & I most certainly don’t get why, may be I didn’t pick that detail up because I am mostly forwarding the scenes that bore me, or may be they didn’t bother establishing the grounds for it. Runa was heard saying ‘apne hi ghar mai mujrim ban gai hoon’, which again I didn’t think made any sense because all of a sudden her father has become an overly protective father who is pampering Runa like she is an infant or an underweight newborn, so how has she become a mujrim? I don’t really understand why Jamshed has become this Jala Kata Jamshed who keeps on taunting Rania for behaving like Runa’s step mother, like that’s rich especially when it is coming from a father who had no idea if his only daughter Runa had her Nikkah the other night or not. Not sure what makes Jamshed think that Rania is responsible for everything that Runa is going through because if there was one person who supported Runa & stood by her through thick & thin, it was Rania & I don’t blame her because obviously she feels cheated for what Runa madam put her through!

Where is Gulrez by the way? May be the writer forgot to write some scenes for him or the director forgot to shoot those scenes that had him, like I find it ridiculous that Gulrez was used to call Runa & Zain’s marriage off where he abducted her & after that he is nowhere to be seen. Like this must be the 4th episode where he hasn’t made an appearance, so what was the fuss about & why did he abduct Runa in the first place when he didn’t even confess his love to her or didn’t even explain the reasons behind this move of his?

I find Majid’s character annoying, like even though he makes sense but the way he speaks about Runa as if he has done a thesis on her is so funny. He speaks about Runa as if she is some sweet, innocent Allah Ta’allah ki gaye, who has no idea why she came into this world. Majid keeps on brain-feeding Zain about her & he is making it hard for Zain to move on in his life, whereas when it comes to Runa, for her the entire engagement with Zain is like water under the bridge, that is why in a jiffy she decided to move to London, but Zain on the other hand is sulking really hard! Anjum continues to be annoying too where now she was forcing Runa to get back on talking terms with Zain, like seriously? Can someone please throw her out of my TV?

This drama isn’t making any sense whatsoever, not really sure what the writer was thinking (or not) while writing the script of this drama & what was his purpose behind showing a story like this? The preview made me cringe a bit more because Majid, who hardly has met Runa was now telling Zain that she was waiting for him? How does Majid know all this, like how well does he know Runa to be speaking with so much of surety about her? Please share your thoughts!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.