Wow, another week and another interesting episode. Since there’s a dearth of plays that make sense to the viewers, it’s an absolute joy watching & reviewing Ishq Parast.

Well, Zohaib refuses to sign the khulla papers and decides to take it upon himself to free Dua of this relationship because that’s how Zohaib is- he loves Dua and genuinely cares for her and therefore, he doesn’t want any of his actions to affect Dua’s honour and reputation. However, I think many of us were not expecting Zohaib to take this decision just like that because considering how mature & levelheaded he is, he should’ve viewed the situation more practically. I think it would have been a little more realistic if he’d asked for some time to ponder over the whole situation or perhaps he could have asked Dua to give this marriage a chance because wasn’t Zohaib the one who had pointed out that Dua looked reluctant while handing over those khulla papers so where did the glimmer of hope disappear all of a sudden? I hope it’s not Muhabbat Khan’s words of wisdom that compelled Zohaib to let Dua go because no one trusts a random driver to this level LOL :p.

Its funny how Hamza keeps tabs on Dua 24/7 but he was totally oblivious of the fact that Zohaib and Dua have left for Karachi! Needless to say, Hamza feels cheated and he simply doesn’t believe in ‘moving on’. He needs some serious counseling and trust me, I don’t say that on a humorous note- I really do think that angry young men should consult good counselors so that they get an idea how to pour out their frustrations in a less destructive way.

The shopping mall scene went to show the stark contrast between Hamza and Zohaib. Unlike Zohaib, Hamza’s love for Dua is extremely selfish. He is a controlling and fervent lover who doesn’t care about Dua’s honour but Zohaib, on the other hand, won’t think of doing anything that poses threat to Dua’s reputation. Hamza’s love or ishq has different shades while Zohaib’s ishq has some entirely different shades to it and this is more of a proof that for a lifelong commitment like marriage, Hamza was never really a good choice. Dua’s flashbacks hinted that she too realizes who’s better for her and that scene was nicely done.

A different side of Arsala’s character was explored today. Behind the bubbly & carefree facade, there lurks a sensitive & caring sister who genuinely wants her brother to lead a happy & successful life with his wife. Right when I thought she’s about to throw a tantrum, I found her being considerate & thoughtful enough to sense that her brother’s upset about something and I found it so cute the way she forgot all about her narazgi and was more concerned about making things work between her bhai & bhabi. Zohaib is the only person she’s got and she is possessive of him too but isn’t it refreshing that Arsala’s character is a far cry from the usual overbearing nunds of our drama serials? I loved the way Arsala advised her bhai to spend more time with bhabi- I mean, all this time we have been watching plays that show conniving & scheming sisters in law. With a dream husband, sweet khala-saas and darling nund, Dua couldn’t have asked for a better family!

The confrontational scene between Dua and her father was spot on and I think for the first time in his life, Pasha Sahab had absolutely nothing to say. The decision Dua’s parents took for her may be for her own good but then again, the way this marriage took place has only spoiled the bond Dua once shared with her parents.

As usual, the performances were commendable. Jibran, Ahmed Ali and Arij Fatyma have been phenomenal since the beginning. I have a lot of questions in my mind as to what will be the next step of Dua, Hamza and Zohaib. What are your thoughts on the latest episode of Ishq Parast? Share your thoughts with us :D.

Maryam Mehdi

Sound direction, well-thought-out dialogues and commendable performances- Ishq Parast could’ve easily been a successful prime time play but then again, it seems like all the channels have lost their senses in this regard and the most ridiculous plays are receiving prime time & weekend spots.

I praise the writer for penning some simple yet beautiful dialogues and Zohaib’s character has been etched out impressively well. I was rooting for Hamza but after a change of heart, which doesn’t happen very frequently to me, :P I am all for Zohaib and Dua :D

The characterization has been spot-on and as surprising as it is, even Zohaib’s too-good-to-be-true nature makes some sense because I can totally understand how the death of his parents completely changed him as an individual. He dedicated his whole life to Arsala and in the process, he never pondered over what he wants from life and couldn’t pay attention to his personal life, dreams & desires. Mein ek achay bhai ko janta hun magar Zohaib kaun hai ussay nahe janta. Ya phir mujhay waqt hi nahe mila. It’s extremely pleasant to see that even though he is selfless & sacrificing, he is not a fool- he’s a level headed person who knows exactly what sort of approach is required to make this relationship work. He decides to extend the hand of friendship to Dua, ek aisa dost jo aap ko kisi baat par judge nahe karega. I really liked the short and sweet conversations between Zohaib and Dua, even though the latter didn’t say much. They don’t know each other much but in some strange way, they can connect to each other. Zohaib wants Dua to get to know him and then make up her mind about him because that’s the only way he can win Dua- mein insaanon ko dil say apnanay ka qail hoon.

Hamza is so faarigh and I am beginning to worry how on earth does he take care of his expenses! He’s like, constantly prowling around and his appearing-out-of-nowhere entries are still a mystery! Oh and by the way, any idea how does he have access to the keys to Dua’s hotel room? Alright, now that he knows that Dua was forced into this marriage, he is on Mission: Dua ki tala’aq karwao! This guy may be jobless but seems like he’s resourceful- he had the khulla papers ready within a day!

Hamza tells Dua the truth about her father’s fake angina attack, okay here comes my turn to react- it was a, say, 15-sec call and Rida didn’t even explain ‘how’ she came to know that Pasha Sahab was faking his bemaari. Dua put two and two together and realized that yes, her parents were lying to her all along. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I really wanted Dua to know the truth but I think there could’ve been a much better way to reveal the truth.

After realizing how her father was lying to her all this time, Dua found the courage to hand over the khulla papers to Zohaib. I must say that the whole scene was done beautifully and Armeena and Jibran acted really well. It’s evident that Dua is reluctant about this divorce thing and I think she is in a queer state of confusion because even though she loves Hamza, she has developed a liking for Zohaib. She knows how much of a gentleman Zohaib is and now that he has admitted it aloud that he has feelings for her, it’s difficult for Dua to make up her mind about leaving Zohaib. I do feel that a few more scenes could’ve been added to show Dua’s change of heart a little more clearly.

My heart cried out for Zohaib- he clearly is heartbroken but he knows only too well that Dua doesn’t wholeheartedly want a divorce so that means there’s a light at the end of our tunnel, right?

Haha, I actually thought that Muhabbat Khan (the driver)’s appearance was a one time thing but seems like he is a local marriage counselor with a PhD in love because he knows all about making relationships work LOL! He is over-chatty and all but the actor playing his role is effortless. Asal kamyaabi uss shakhs ko haasil karnay mein nahe balke uss ki muhabbat paanay mein hai! His dialogues are well-written & witty and I am so with him when he says, ”Yeh aap sheher kay loag har baat mein logic dhoondta hai!”

I have talked a lot about Asad in my earlier reviews and I will mention him again because I really like his character. It’s just that I feel our plays should show such level headed teenage guys more often. I liked how Asad proved to be a voice of reason and instead of fueling things up, he actually tried to convince Hamza to return so that things don’t get worse for Dua.

So, what do you think of the latest installment? How do you want things to turn out for Zohaib and Dua?

Maryam Mehdi

P.S: I apologize for the late review, fellas! Thank you so much for reading the reviews :) This means a lot!

Dekho mujhay, tumharay saamnay khara hun, bilkul akela. Bechara tou mein hun. Mein bhool gaya tha kay jab meray maa baap meray na hosakay tou mera dost aur meri muhabbat kis tarah hogi. Before saying anything else about the latest turn of events, I must acknowledge that Ahmed Ali has nailed it! Since I have only seen him playing the junooni guy, I can’t tell if he’s versatile but when it comes to Hamza-like roles, he knows how to pull it off big time! With Dua’s marriage to Zohaib, Hamza’s character has taken a dark turn but to be very honest, the best thing about this play has been the fact that I can feel for all the leads: Hamza, Dua and of course, Zohaib.
The circumstances in which Dua was, I feel that she had no other option but to succumb to her parents’ pressure but I would have to say that the events leading to Dua & Zohaib’s marriage have been unrealistic and lame beyond belief. First things first- Dua and Hamza’s communication gap has been the biggest loophole for me. Look, we all know that Dua’s mobile had been confiscated but if Dua had half the brains I was hoping she had, it would have dawned on her kay meray ghar mein ek adad landline bhi hai! Instead of searching for her mobile in the middle of the night, she could’ve called Hamza to let him know about the horrible turn of events. Moreover, Dua is considerably modern but she doesn’t have a computer? She doesn’t have access to the internet? I refuse to buy that! An e-mail to Hamza could’ve saved the day because he was more than willing to fly back to Karachi- all he needed was a signal from Dua! But khair, a few loopholes here and there have actually led to Dua and Zohaib’s marriage and there’s nothing we can do about it.

And I can’t even begin to describe how dramaybaaz Dua’s parents are! I mean, I can’t believe I actually fell for the angina ka attack story! Pasha resorted to the only thing parents in our plays go for when they want their children to accept their decisions- emotional blackmailing! The dialogues delivered by Dua, Khadija (Dua’s mom) and Pasha were simply pathetic and the fact that Pasha could stoop so low to force his daughter into marriage to someone of his choice was revolting. I think Dua remained persistent and strong for as long as she could and even though the lack of communication bit is difficult to relate to, I definitely don’t blame her for doing what her parents wanted her to do- she didn’t have a choice.

I don’t doubt Asad’s intentions one bit but I think it was extremely stupid of him to keep Hamza totally oblivious of the fact that Dua’s parents are pressurizing her to marry someone else because even though he’d been unable to contact Dua, he was very well-aware of the fact that Dua is worried about a certain proposal so he should’ve taken Hamza into confidence. Hamza feels betrayed by the two people he trusted the most: Dua and Asad. Muhabbat dagha derahi thi tou tu dosti ka bharam tou rakh sakta tha! Hamza’s reaction may seem very harsh and unfair because he has labeled Dua as, ‘bewafa’, despite knowing her for all these years but considering what Hamza’s been through and the sort of family background he comes from, it’s only natural for him to react this way- it’s revenge on his mind! On a side note, I really like the supporting characters, i.e. Hamza and Dua’s friends because they’ve always been very sincere to the duo. I liked the way Dua’s friend tried to make Hamza view things from Dua’s perspective and it was nice to see Asad stopping Hamza from creating a scene at Dua’s house. I love to see genuine friends on screen :)

Mein nay uss ka waada zaroor tora hai lekin usay bhulaya nahe hai. Dua is Zohaib’s wife but for now, she is definitely not ready to let go of her past. On their wedding night, Dua chooses to be honest with Zohaib and the latter accepts her without further questions. Bus yehi kharaabi hai mujh mein kay main kisi ka dil nahe tor sakta. If Syed Jibran wishes to shed off Numair’s negative image, he is doing a perfect job because Zohaib is a true gentleman- too good to be true! He  willing to give Dua the time and space she needs. I am soo excited to see how their relationship takes a sweet turn and whenever that happens, I’d give the whole credit to Zohaib :) I don’t know if it’s just me but for a girl suffering a major heartbreak, Dua looked strangely normal at the breakfast table the very next day. It’s refreshing to see a sister in law who wants to form an open & friendly relationship with her bhabi and to my pleasant surprise, Arsala and Dua are getting along very well.

Hey, call it deja vu or what, I saw Jibran in another ARY play, ‘Woh Ishq Tha Shayad’ and there again, the girl he gets married to confesses her love for someone else and cries while narrating her dukhi love story ;P

To be honest, the whole honeymoon scenario is full of flaws. As far as I can recall, Arsala wanted Zohaib and Dua to fly abroad for honeymoon but seems like that’s not the case anymore. Since it’s not a significant detail, I am willing to ignore that :P. Then there was this irritatingly chatty driver who went on an on about his honeymoon. And lastly, I get it, Hamza is stalking Dua but if you ask me, his sudden entry could have been a whole lot more natural & realistic, I mean he literally appeared out of nowhere!

As you guys must have guessed, I was rooting for Hamza all along and I sympathize with him too, however, Hamza has always been a fervent lover- he’s impulsive, over possessive and short-tempered and these traits don’t exactly make someone a good husband. While there’s no doubt that Hamza truly loved Dua, I think Zohaib makes a much better husband because he is definitely a better individual with a balanced personality- he is caring, compassionate & understanding so as sad as I am feeling for Hamza, I guess fate did have something better in store for Dua.

The pace of the show is simply perfect. I am enjoying the steady progress and all the actors are doing a great job but I expected Armeena Khan to perform better in the last couple of episodes because sometimes her expressions fail to hit the mark which is strange as I have never had a problem with her acting before now. I really like her wardrobe and she looked beautiful on the wedding day. Jibran & Armeena share nice on-screen chemistry and I want to know how things turn out for them. Ahmed Ali has raised the bar high and a few days ago I saw him in film Ho Mann Jahan’s trailer which goes to show that he has a successful career ahead of him.

I am so sorry for the late review, friends! What do you think of the latest developments? Share your thoughts with us!

Maryam Mehdi

And that was one pleasant and enjoyable episode of IshqParast. I like this show for the fact that when it starts, you just have to sit back and enjoy it because it doesn’t involve much heavy-duty developments- at least that’s how things are for the time being, baqi ka, you never know :P. There’s just one thing- while watching tonight’s episode, I had to ask myself over and over again: kia larkiyon kay rishtay waqai aisay hotay hain?

I am really enjoying Dua and Hamza’s track. The bond these two share is sweet and cute and I look forward to watching their scenes. Hamza finally flies to Islamabad but he doesn’t have a very good feeling about his decision, probably owing to the fact that while he was just a kid, his father left the country and never returned so that explains why he believes in the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ scenario. ”Jaisay hi do logon k beech faasla ajata hai, teesray ki jagah khudbakhud banjati hai.” I liked the way Dua didn’t allow her emotions to take over during the pre-departure time because had she done that, Hamza would have wavered from his decision to go to Islamabad. And the way she broke down after he left was sweet and relate-able too. I enjoyed Hamza’s friend, Asad’s scenes because it’s actually refreshing to see a friend who’s loyal to his ‘jigar’ in the true sense LOL :P

Turns out that Hamza’s departure was actually very unlucky for the duo because Zohaib’s proposal has marked its entry and Dua’s mother is pretty happy with the whole package. Umm, I think these two tracks could’ve entwined in a tad bit realistic manner because call it my lack of exposure to the rishta maamlaat or what, I haven’t really seen parents welcoming a bunch a people who just spotted their daughter in a shopping mall. Pasha (that’s exactly what we’ll be calling Dua’s father) kind of under-reacted when he saw this bin bulayi rishta brigade because given his aggressive nature, I was expecting him to have some doubts about the whole shopping mall scene and a man like him would have thought of something fishy going on between Zohaib & Dua but thankfully, he didn’t and to be honest,his approach towards this proposal makes a lot more sense that that of Dua’s mother. Also, I don’t get why Zohaib’s Khala was so okay with the idea of asking for Dua’s hand just like that and it was only Zohaib who could sense kay their position was very awkward! By the way, Armeena looked stunning when she entered the room and the change in Syed Jibran’s facial expressions & body language was commendable, haha!

About Arsala’s character, I guess we have no other option but to ignore her occasional OTT-ness. In contrast to the first two episodes, I have to admit that her scenes were a lot more enjoyable & lighthearted in tonight’s episode and Arij Fatyma looks ravishing. Jibran and Arij share great chemistry and the teary-eyed moment the two shared was well-directed.

The circumstances Dua finds herself have ‘been there seen that’ written all over them because we have witnessed it loads of times in our plays how the leading lady is in love with someone else but this picture perfect proposal swoops in and she finds herself trapped between her walid muhtarram ki naak par betha ghussa and the love she has for her aashiq. Dua’s mother is very much satisfied with Zohaib’s proposal and that’s when Dua decides to spill the news about her relationship with Hamza. Dua chooses not to reveal all the facts to Hamza because he is plain impulsive and when he loses his temper, he’s a force to reckon with!

I am actually thinking of writing a letter to Waseem Abbas, just to share a little something about: 101 reasons why anger can be disastrous for a) your personal health b) the mental health of those around you! Seriously, some of the taunting dialogues today could’ve easily been excluded and please do sympathize with me- I have tolerated him all the way through Main Bushra too! :'(

What are your thoughts on tonight’s episode? Are you enjoying this play?

Maryam Mehdi

Flashbacks, rona dhona, some more flashbacks, some more rona dhona, and that, folks, is what the latest installment was all about! And I can’t help mentioning that this week, the episode started at 10:20 p.m. but oh well, I have already given up on ARY so by now I should be familiar with the art of letting go, right?

I was able to sit through Arsala’s ‘rukhsati‘ and that, I tell you, is an achievement because with Khala crying hysterically and Rahat Fateh Ali’s ultra depressing alaap playing in the background, it took me everything to fight back the urge to switch off the TV and I am sure even the happiest person alive would have sunk into depression after watching that scene so those who actually made it through, Mubarak hoo!! On a very serious note, I strongly feel that our drama makers should give Ustaad Rahat and his voice a rest because the overplaying of his saregamapa does absolutely nothing to save the day!!

As much as I hate to say this but the last few episodes have convinced me of the fact that Zohaib doesn’t really care about his sister because had he been sincere, he wouldn’t have let her go. I think by now it’s no secret to Zohaib that Hamza can go to any lengths to destroy Dua and everyone attached to her and Zohaib is also perfectly aware of what Hamza is capable of doing and yet, he is okay with the idea of Arsala living all alone with no one but a rapist by her side? In the initial episodes, I was in awe of the relationship this rare pair of siblings share but now, with 21 episodes down, I hate to admit that I was wrong, wrong, wrong! I get that Zohaib is not in the right state of mind, he feels cheated, helpless, hopeless but I think it’s a high time he took charge of the situation because at this point, being the man of the house (really???) he needs to extend his support to Dua, Arsala and Khaala.

And it is with a heavy heart that I announce how this episode marked the end of Pasha Sahab’s character. As if the writer hadn’t given us enough reasons to despise Hamza, he is now responsible for Pasha Sahab’s heart attack too! Hamza doesn’t cease to disgust me and the latest developments have already been so disturbing- I am sure we could have done without a death! Aside from Zohaib, Pasha Sahab was the only person who knew about Hamza and with him around, Dua at least had someone to fall back on but the writer has left no stones unturned to present Dua as the mazloom-tareeeeen female character. Dua- once a headstrong and confident girl is now a rape victim and to exacerbate matters, yateem too!

To speak the truth, Hamza’s dialogues on ishq, junoon and what not are actually ticking me off big time because I think after 21 episodes, we now have a clear idea as to what kind of a person Hamza is- his sick mentality, his twisted sense of ‘ishq‘, his heinous motives, so do we really need the constant reminders? Nope!

So we are done with the first death of the show! Who’s next? Khaala? The note at which the episode ended gives me a strong feeling that it’s her turn to join Pasha Sahab, let’s seee…

What do you have to say about the latest episode of Ishq Parast? Voice your views!

Maryam Mehdi

I felt so bad after watching this episode because the sight of crumbling relationships greatly disturbed me and I couldn’t help but recall the time when Zohaib, Arsala, Dua and Khala were one big, happy family- too bad that’s ancient history now!

Needless to say, Hamza spells trouble for Zohaib’s business and we all saw that coming. As much as I am happy that Dua chose to raise her voice against Hamza’s involvement in Zohaib’s business, I have to say that the girl’s just wasting her breath and the time for objections is long gone because Hamza has made quite an impression on Arsala, Zohaib and Khala so what Dua says or does will make little to no difference. Arsala is obviously very sensitive about her husband because on the face of it, Hamza is more or less a perfect husband to her so if I view things from Arsala’s perspective, I think it’s pretty understandable why she can’t stand the fact that Dua is doubting Hamza’s intentions. Arsala and Dua’s once perfect relationship is now strained and as much as this saddens me, I’m afraid that Dua had it coming- she has to bear the brunt of not being honest to Zohaib right when Hamza sent his proposal. Had she been rational that instant, she would have saved herself a lot of trouble because at that time Arsala wasn’t in love with Hamza so the whole situation was not of much gravity but now, Arsala is Hamza’s wife so she obviously loves and cares about him and I don’t think she was being unreasonable today, in fact, I respect her and appreciate the fact that she didn’t insult Dua in front of Zohaib and chose to remain silent because she respects her brother and thus, she respects Dua too and that’s what I like about Arsala- yep, you’ll find her to be brusque but she is sensitive about the people she is close to and knows exactly when to contain herself. And I am soo happy that Arsala asked Hamza to leave Zohaib’s office- it turns out that Arsala’s not a complete airhead after all, lol!

So finally, Zohaib decided to confront Dua about what’s bothering her since so long and I liked his dialogues when he reassured her that she can feel free to voice anything she wants to because he is the last person who’d judge her. I wish Dua had kept that in mind before getting herself and her family into this mess. As sad as it is, Dua and Zohaib’s relationship is missing the spark it once had because after the rape, Dua has distanced herself from Zohaib and quite clearly, like everyone else in his family, Zohaib is also not pleased with the fact that Dua has an issue with Hamza.

I was expecting Pasha Sahab to confront Hamza and that happened in this episode but I actually found it foolish of Pasha Sahab to justify why he married his daughter off to Zohaib because how could he  possibly be thinking that a psychopath like Hamza would ‘understand’ the helplessness of a concerned father? Hosakta hai kay jahan mein khara hoon, wahan kal tum kharay ho aur tumhari jagah koi aur. Uss waqt tumhain andaza hoga kay ek baap ki takleef, usski majboori kia hoti hai. Well, this part of Hamza and Pasha Sahab’s conversation did confuse me a little because I know that karma will get back at Hamza in the last few minutes of the last episode but the situation Pasha Sahab’s hinting at doesn’t seem very likely, does it?

I have now decided that who’s my favourite character from this play- no, not Arsala, not Zohaib, in fact, no one from the leads, it’s actually Asad!! Yep, this guy has been the only voice of reason and I love the way he rebukes Hamza for toying with so many lives. I am pleased that he made an appearance in this episode.

So how many of you are still following the show? What do you think of it? Voice your views!

Maryam Mehdi

And this episode was all about HAMZA-NAAMA- yep, Hamza ghar ka damaad nahe, beta hai, Hamza hum sab ka sahara hai, Hamza kay liye tou har saans kay saath duayen nikalti hain and to tell you the truth, the person who infuriated me the most this time was Khaala because this woman just can’t get over how ‘angelic’ her damaad is! Along with Hamza-naama, the dominant feature of this episode was, needless to say, Dua’s rona dhona– the girl has clearly sunk into depression!

So our over efficient antagonist is all over the place- home, hospital, office and what’s strange is the fact that Hamza has started to show obvious signs of his creepiness but no one seems to take notice of that, in fact, everyone deems him an angel in disguise! The way he was ‘interrogating’ Zohaib in the first scene, asking him about ‘koi purani dushmani ya nayi dushmani’, it doesn’t take a psychic to guess that this guy is not as innocent as he seems. Also, the way Zohaib just handed over his phone to Hamza, like a four-year old afraid of his mommy’s scolding, was utterly unconvincing! ‘Aap donon mein say kaun sab say zyada roya hoga, mujhay lagraha hai Dua sab say zyada royi hogi’– who pens this rubbish?

For the first time ever, Arsala’s eccentricity died down for a while and we got to see a toned down Arsala, which goes to show how much this accident has moved her and needless to say, she has taken it very seriously. Alright, I get it, it’s the first time she has been this close to losing her guardian, protector, confidant and whatnot but I think they exaggerated the whole matter, I mean, I know I may sound harsh but Zohaib is not dead, OK?

We can only imagine the mental and emotional turmoil Dua is going through and Armeena’s acting was flawless today but this play has taken such a revolting turn that even her convincing performance did little to save the day. As much as my heart cries for Dua, I am reminded of the fact that she actually got herself into this. She wasn’t thinking straight when she chose to zip her lips about Hamza’s true intentions. She failed to sense the gravity of Hamza’s threats and look where’s she standing now. One look at Dua and you don’t have to be a genius to figure out that something far worse than Zohaib’s condition is bothering her, she is clearly not acting herself and this sudden change in her outlook suggests that she is coping with a trauma but like I said a couple of weeks back, people don’t read faces anymore!

I don’t think Pasha Sahab is helping in any way at all because all this time he has been lashing out at the wrong people- his daughter, his wife, but now when Hamza appeared in front of him, he couldn’t even give him a piece of his mind, I mean, ghar mein Turram Khan bannay ka faida?
I don’t think his hum-sirf-tumhara-bhala-chahtay-thay speech can help Dua in any way!

This is it for this week. What do you think of this episode? Please voice your views!

Maryam Mehdi

I have no idea what to say. I am absolutely speechless because I can’t even begin to describe how nauseating this episode was. What saddens me the most is the fact that this play was one of the very few plays I actually looked forward to. To be brutally honest, even watching Dusri Biwi didn’t repulse me to this extent because DB was a senseless play right from the get-go and I had no high expectations attached to it but to see Ishq Parast receiving this sort of treatment is downright shocking! It’s such a shame because this play started on a strong note and the story was progressing so well and after watching last week’s episode, I had a strong feeling that this Hamza-Dua-under-one-roof scenario will not be a complete disappointment but now that they’ve turned Hamza into a rapist, I am at a loss for words because I never could have imagined that they’d take his creepiness to that level. But thanks a lot, Big Bang Productions, it’s almost as if these people actually want their viewers to regret the day they tuned into their plays so yes, enjoy your moment of triumph because you’ve mastered the art of ruining a decent play- I hope you’re happy now!

So right now the play is all about a deranged madman who has his whole susraal wrapped around his little finger. The honeymoon period is over and Hamza has made it to Zohaib’s office and if you ask me, even Zohaib’s character is not as likeable as it used to be- so much for being the man of the house! Zohaib’s decisions lack foresight and are way too hasty for someone who assumed the responsibility of running the house at a young age. Hamza wants to destroy the whole family in every way possible and is getting every opportunity to do so. Dua tried to knock some sense into Zohaib but to no avail. I have been raving about Zohaib’s gentlemanly ways since the beginning but if he truly loves Dua, he should consider her views and give importance to what she has to say. Dua has been voicing her concerns ever since Hamza entered Arsala’s life but Zohaib has taken no notice of her apprehension.

Pasha Sahab is obviously very concerned about his daughter and I understand and feel for his helplessness- too bad there’s not much he can do to rescue his daughter!

I am finding it hard to buy the fact that Zohaib couldn’t even catch a glimpse of Hamza crashing the car into him. The whole scene just didn’t feel right to me and following that, whatever happened totally changed the course of the play and that too for the worse! It was just last week that I was appreciating the fact that they gave us a headstrong female character in the form of Dua but seems like tareef raas nahe ayi in ko! I can think of a million ways the story could’ve progressed in a decent yet engaging way but this latest obsession with molestation is totally beyond my comprehension. Armeena acted very well today and I felt a lot for Dua but needless to say, this is not how we wanted to see Dua- not so weak and vulnerable. I sincerely advise all drama makers to get over Chup Raho, or all the abuse-based plays for that matter.

The best twist would’ve been Hamza falling in love with Arsala and moving on in the true sense- my wishful thinking! I guess I should have known better than to expect a decent twist from a play produced by Big Bang.

Even though it was nearly impossible for me to spot something positive after the heinous development, I’d say that Arsala’s concern for her brother was very sweet.

I am greatly disturbed by the latest episode. What do you have to say about this episode? Please voice your views!

Maryam Mehdi

As expected, this episode had a lot to do with Hamza’s low life tactics to get back at Dua. But thankfully, I did find a few aspects of this episode quite pleasant so I am pleased that this episode wasn’t a total disappointment.

Even though I am not happy with the significant amount of screen time reserved for Pasha Sahab’s scenes, I would have to admit that I really felt for him in this episode. Now that he was finally content with his life, Hamza came in to ruin the chances of Pasha Sahab becoming a better person. I was very much taken aback when Hamza introduced himself to Pasha Sahab because I didn’t see that coming so soon.

The whole honeymoon scenario tonight made me cringe (excluding Dua-Zohaib scenes, of course). The way Hamza and Arsala easily convinced Zohaib to join them on their honeymoon didn’t convince me at all. The fact that this suggestion was brought forward by Hamza was very troubling and I was expecting Arsala to oppose to it. More so, I was expecting Zohaib to talk sense but no one even flinched at Hamza’s insistence, except for Dua of course. Why don’t these people find it weird that Hamza doesn’t care about his privacy at all?

If, for a fleeting moment, I ignore the fact that Hamza has no feelings for Arsala, I’d say that Hamza and Arsala make a cute and youthful couple. Some of their scenes are cute but if you ask me, the Pooh jokes are a little lame :P. I don’t know why but for some strange reason, I was expecting to see a different side of Arsala after her marriage but khair, Arsala will remain Arsala :). The wedding night scene was funny but I don’t think we could actually relate to it. I wish they take some time to establish their relationship  because I want to see if Hamza actually develops feelings for Arsala with the passage of time, I know, the chances are next to zero but if that happens, it’d be quite an interesting twist. I also want to see what Hamza means to Arsala because up till now, I haven’t had much of an idea as to how Arsala feels about him.

Mar mitana hai ya maar mitana hai, jo bhi karna hai do it fast because during this mar mitaana process, the threats and showdowns we are forced to watch are anything but ‘thrilling’. While watching Hamza blackmailing Dua, I was constantly reminded of Ahmed Ali’s scenes in Dusri Biwi where he was hell bent on destroying the life of his ex-fiance. I feel that there were a couple of scenes in which Zohaib should’ve sensed that Hamza is a creep but sadly, that didn’t happen.

Normally, in our plays, we see female leads sobbing and pleading their helplessness in front of obsessive stalkers but I have to admit that it’s indeed a pleasant surprise to see Dua emerging as quite a headstrong woman. I was dreading Dua’s rona dhona but to my pleasant surprise, we didn’t have to sit through any crying sequences. Dua’s dialogues were written very well and I commend the writer for penning quite some hard-hitting dialogues. I loved the scene in which Dua gave Hamza a piece of her mind in front of Zohaib and Arsala. ”Ishq parast aur ana parast mein bohat farq hota hai. Ana parast mein say shuru hota hai, aur ishq parast apni mein ko khatam kar kay shuru hota hai.” Dua’s love for Zohaib has strengthened her and I really like the way she kept bringing up Zohaib’s name in response to Hamza’s jali katti baatain. 

”Muhabbat sukoon hai, ishq junoon hai.” Hamza claims to know all about love! Despite the reality checks he gets from Dua, he continues to believe that his twisted sense of ‘ishq’ can justify all his actions.

Zohaib saw this as an opportunity to make up for lost time and even though I found it a bit absurd of him to agree to join Arsala and Hamza, I reallyyy enjoyed watching Dua and Zohaib’s sweet scenes- their scenes are always directed very well. It goes without saying that the chemistry the two share is beautiful! Muhabbat Khan gets irritating at times, especially when he receives undue screen time but his inclusion in tonight’s episode didn’t bother me at all. His concern for the duo is cute :)

Did you watch the latest episode? How do you find it? Do share your thoughts with us.

Maryam Mehdi

With ARY or Big Bang plays in particular, you have to be really careful because they don’t take very long to go from good to bad but I am so pleased that fourteen episodes have passed and Ishq Parast doesn’t cease to entertain me. Having said that, I do believe that the latest developments are not as interesting or plausible as the earlier ones.

Since I watched three episodes in a row, I had quite some developments to catch up with. The first half of this play revolved around Dua- her love life, her troubles, her marriage whereas Arsala’s character, despite receiving significant coverage, had little to do with the progress of the story. But the recent turn of events has a lot to do with Arsala because it is through Arsala that Hamza will get back at Dua. I wasn’t too excited about Hamza-Arsala love story to begin with because thanks to the revealing promotional teasers, this track was way too predictable and it really is sad to see Hamza stooping so  low for revenge. He has his whole life ahead of him but the tactics he is resorting to just to satisfy his ego are infuriating- he needs to see a shrink!

Arsala’s contact number, her likes and dislikes- I am still confused as to how Hamza gained access to these things but I choose to ignore that because I guess such kind of loopholes are more or less a part of every other drama. I have to admit that I really wanted to see how Arsala falls for Hamza because since day one, she has been a hard nut to crack :P. It took Hamza’s persistence or dhitai and one emotional speech in the rain to ‘convince’ Arsala. I still believe that they didn’t quite manage to establish what exactly made Arsala fall for Hamza. Also, the ‘role’ Arsala’s khala played in bringing the two close was little difficult to digest considering that she hadn’t even met Hamza but was keen on giving him hints to impress Arsala. I think she couldn’t tolerate her niece any longer and was prettyy desperatee to to marry her off :P.

Hamza gained Zohaib’s trust way too easily- there were a few things I was expecting Zohaib to object to. First of all, Hamza’s family background is the sort our society frowns upon and even though it’s extremely decent of Zohaib to not judge Hamza on the basis of his family background, I feel that he should have inquired about Hamza’s past, like Dua said, because that’s something people normally do when they are considering a proposal, right? Secondly, Hamza is jobless and the fact that he left his job of his own free will is also something troubling. Also, Hamza didn’t object to the ghar-damaad condition obviously because that way he’ll be able to torture Dua even more but I don’t know why Zohaib didn’t find Hamza’s willingness to become a ghar-damaad strange because normally a young guy like Hamza would have had an ego issue when it came to this demand. If you ask me, this actually makes me question Zohaib’s judgement- do we honestly trust people this much in Pakistan?

Coming to Arsala and Hamza’s wedding, I just can’t get over how gorgeous Arsala or I should say, Arij Fatyma looked <333. Her dress was absolutely beautiful and I wonder who was she wearing. Also, the makeup and jewellery did complete justice to her overall look. She looked simple and stunning in her Mayun too. Dua too looked ravishing in all of Arsala’s wedding functions and Armeena’s wardrobe has always been impressive.

Dua has all my sympathies because now that things were finally going well for her, Hamza marked his entry to cause trouble in paradise. I like how they reserved a few scenes to show Dua and Zohaib’s growing relationship but they were too few for my liking. I think Dua actually dug a hole for herself by staying silent during the time Zohaib was considering Hamza’s proposal. I know it was difficult for her to muster up the courage to tell Zohaib who Hamza really is but after all this time, she of all people should be well aware of the fact that Zohaib is the last person who’d judge her and if she was afraid that her being honest would have broken Arsala’s heart then I would just like to point out that Arsala is not in ‘love’ with Hamza. Yes, Arsala definitely likes Hamza better than the earlier 56 (seriouslyyy?) larkay that proposed her but from whatever we’ve seen up till now, I didn’t get the I-am-in-love vibe from Arsala and I think if Dua had been honest to Zohaib, he would have refused to Hamza’s proposal and Arsala wouldn’t have been heartbroken by his decision. But now that Arsala and Hamza have tied the knot, I’m afraid it’s too late to disclose the truth and yes, if Dua chooses to be honest now, it would definitely leave Arsala shattered.

I know I have said this a lot of times but I simply love Asad’s scenes because he is genuinely concerned about Dua and even the actor playing the role is doing a great job. I admire the way he reasons with Hamza and I’m sure if Hamza had told him about his ‘plan’, Asad would have made an effort to stop him from destroying Dua’s life. On a side note, Asad’s disbelief when Hamza broke the news about him getting married was on point!

Hamza’s sense of revenge is twisted beyond belief. He is toying with so many lives right now, not caring about the consequences. Ahmed Ali’s portrayal of a twisted guy with a nothing-to-lose and revenge-on-my-mind approach is so very convincing. Gone are the days I used to sympathize with Hamza!

On a funny note,  Hamza’s reply to Pasha Sahab, ”Mein tou pehlay bhi acha tha” had me in bits!

I have an issue with the coverage given to Dua’s parents because although their conversations sound real, there’s just too much of them in every episode. I am pleased that Dua finally reconciled with her parents because earlier on, I felt that she was being a bit too hard on them. The father-daughter scene was touching and I would have to say: it doesn’t rain in Karachi very often but when it does, it makes our people a little too jazbaati (referring to Arsala-Hamza and Dua-Pasha scenes). It turns out that Pasha Sahab is actually unwell now but he doesn’t want to go for surgery. I fail to see how not getting the surgery done can help his relationship with Dua in any way because how can going against the doctor’s advice make his daughter feel any better?

One look at Dua and you don’t have to be a psychic to guess that she is greatly disturbed by something very serious but it’s odd how Zohaib doesn’t question her sullenness. Even Dua’s mom didn’t find it strange that Dua was overly depressed in the Mayun. People don’t read faces anymore, I suppose!

I have always enjoyed this play because amidst the tense situations, some lighthearted scenes and developments always prove to be very refreshing so my only fear is that the succeeding episodes will have a lot to do with harassment, blackmailing, Hamza’s smirks and Dua’s rona dhona.
Let’s see!

Did you watch the latest installments of Ishq Parast? What do you think of this play? Voice your views!

Maryam Mehdi

Now that was one beautiful episode! Everything about it was so amazing- the direction, execution,  the powerful chemistry between the actors and best of all, what really sealed the deal for me today were the hard-hitting dialogues. I find Ishq Parast quite underrated because up till now, I haven’t had any problem with its story or execution but I guess it’s not gaining the viewership it deserves.

Dua finally mustered up the courage to declare it aloud what her relationship with Zohaib means to her and all this time she didn’t voice her feelings in front of Zohaib just because she was waiting for him to sense that she doesn’t want this relationship to end which, if you ask me, was a little demanding of her because Zohaib has already done so much to make this relationship work and therefore, I am very glad that this time around it was Dua who took the first step to save her marriage. The scene in which she tears the divorce papers was perfect! I really liked the way Dua apologized to Zohaib for wasting the most precious moments a couple can enjoy but what I liked even more was how Zohaib responded to it. The reenactment of the wedding night scene was so cute and I am in awe of the chemistry Armeena and Jibran share- they look absolutely beautiful together! I am happy for Dua because she has found a gentleman who loves her and gives her the respect she’s entitled to and now that she has finally made a decision, she doesn’t have anything to feel bad about. But more than that, I am happy for Zohaib because if there’s any one who deserves all the happiness in the world, it’s him! It’s wonderful to see one of your favourite characters enjoying the reward of their patience and it’s an absolute joy seeing Zohaib getting his fair share of happiness- he deserves every bit of it!

Mujhay tum pe bohat tars ata hai, Hamza. Tum nay apnay junoon ki wajah say sab kuch kho diya aur uss nay apnay sukoon ki wajah say sab kuch jeet liya. I loved this dialogue because Hamza was in dire need of that reality check and I think Dua said this not because she wanted to hurt Hamza but because she wanted him to realize that it’s a high time he lets go of his anger, frustration & junoon. This confrontation also showed that Dua’s a changed person now- being with Zohaib has changed her views about love and that of course, for the better. The scene in which Hamza burns the things associated with Dua’s memories was a heartrending one. It’s true- people come and go, but their memories stay with you for a long time. While watching this scene, I couldn’t help wondering how nice it would have been only if Hamza had burned the things that remind him of Dua to move on and start anew- my wishful thinking!

You know, Pasha Sahib’s outbursts are ticking me off big time! I hope Dua mends ties with her parents because this track is getting monotonous now, with the same old dialogues being repeated over and over again.

Zohaib, Dua, Arsala, Khala- they all make a perfect family! The showdown between Hamza and Dua suggests that there’s a lot to come because the former is on ‘MissionDestroyDua’ :P. The last scene involving Arsala’s conversation with her friend followed by Hamza pulling over his car in front of Dua’s house suggests that the next episode might show Hamza and Arsala’s first meeting! How many of you are waiting for it?

I’d have to say that the leading ladies of this play, Armeena Rana Khan and Arij Fatyma are soo beautiful :) This play is refreshing in every way! Please voice your thoughts on this installment :)

P.S: My exams are coming up so you’ll be reading the combined review of Episode 12, 13 & 14 on 22nd of May, Inshaa Allah. These are my finals so please wish me the best of luck :D. But for the Dusri Biwi followers, you’ll find the review of the last episode the day it goes on-air :)

Maryam Mehdi

The latest episode was a little slow-paced as compared to the preceding ones because a significant amount of screen time was reserved for showing the strain in Dua’s relationship with her parents.

Dua’s conversation with her friend, Rida went to show that as ironic as it is, amidst these troubled times the people Dua trusted the most have left her all alone but the person she has just met is the only one standing by her side. It’s crystal clear by now that Dua knows only too well how Zohaib can give her the love, respect and protection that Hamza simply can’t. She doesn’t want to part ways with Zohaib but it seems like she just can’t muster up the courage to admit it aloud. Pasha Sahab believes that when Dua fell in love with Hamza, she was too immature to judge what’s better for her future. Being a father, what he said did make sense but it’s a little insensitive of him to expect Dua to get back to normal so soon. Like I mentioned before, the whole emotional-blackmailing fiasco has received unnecessary screen time so I don’t want to see any more of this in the next episode. I’d have to say it this week that Armeena Rana Khan’s acting left much to be desired- she was delivering her dialogues in a deadpan tone.

”Rishtay sirf naam kay nahe hotay. Un kay haq bhi ada karnay hotay hain.” When I view what Hamza’s been through, I can’t help feeling sorry for the poor guy- haha OK, he’s not that much of a pour soul but considering how he has lost the most important people in his life, I understand that it’s actually his circumstances that have made him the way he is. It seems like he has a plan brewing up in his mind but it hasn’t been revealed yet so I guess that’s one of the many things that will unveil next week.

Coming to Dua and Zohaib, I must say that some of the developments relating to the two of them took me by surprise because this time around, Dua was the one avoiding the topic of divorce and we could see her warming up to Zohaib :D. Zohaib kept bringing up the divorce issue because I guess that was his deliberate attempt to pinch Dua and that’s exactly why he pointed out how this divorce will affect Arsala’s life. The final scene of the episode was yet another skilfully directed scene. Dua crying, Zohaib becoming teary-eyed and spilling chai on the divorce papers- everything went to show that ending this relationship just like that is NOT what they want because these two belong together- they’re too afraid to confront each other about it and declare it aloud. And of course, Jibran totally nailed it- he just gets better!

I am happy with the way they show how Arsala plays her part to make sure that things are smooth and steady between Zohaib and Dua. Arsala’s a perfect example of a modern & educated nund. I was looking forward to seeing more of Dua and Arsala’s scenes because they were perhaps the only lighthearted scenes of this episode. From her tantrums to demands, everything about Arsala goes to show how immature and childish she is and if Hamza’s plans have something to do with Arsala, then I am pretty sure she will fall for it big time :/. Let’s see what happens next. What do you think of the latest installment? Share your views, please!

Maryam Mehdi