This episode marked the begining of another marriage that is bound to be a very complicated one! The actual marriage ceremony was completely skipped but the viewers were shown clearly how the nikkah took place in the beginning of the episode and the way Adeel managed to “convince” Gul-e-Rana to accept him as her husband only after he forced her into a nikkah. There was absolutely nothing new about the troubles Gul-e-Rana faced today. She was helpless just like any other girl who would go through something like this in any other drama. She probably thought of her Taya before anyone else therefore she did not talk to him about whatever transpired between her and Adeel. Asking him to get Adeel married to Maria and everything else that happened after that had been-there-seen-that written all over it too.

Once again we saw a “strong” girl who has enough common sense to know better fall prey to the evil designs of a man because she could not think of a way out. It didn’t take much to convince Adeel’s father or Rana’s mother that they were having an affair – another example of how men always are trusted more than the women because the women in our plays fail to plead their case. Rana’s conversation with Alia when she went to talk to Asher about her troubles reminded me of Rameen’s character. Rameen was also someone who had tons of advice for everyone around her but was completely helpless and clueless when it came to solving her own problems.

I completely understand though why Rana could not share anything that happened with her Taya or mother – she lives in her Taya’s house, she feels indebted to him and would probably not want to hurt him by telling him what a monster his son was. Munira is a weak woman who will not be able to do anything to help her daughter and she is already sick therefore Rana would not want to give her more to worry about. Adeel’s threats and intimidating behavior left Rana with no choice and therefore she decided to accept this relationship. The only problem I have is that if a heroine is going to be shown as someone who cannot muster up the courage to take all these chances then she should not be portrayed as someone who is capable of being very strong. Adeel promised Rana that he would change if she accepted him as her husband but at the same time he did not want to hurt Maria’s feeling either which obviously suggested that he had no intentions of changing. I am still unable to understand why Alia’s track and misery has been added to this drama. Watching one woman in the drama going through so many problems is enough, why show two such women and another man who likes to belittle women and has no respect for them. Perhaps the writer is trying to show that whether it is a affluent household or a poor one men always have the tendency to abuse women but I must say that I find Rana’s khaloo’s character terribly annoying!

This whole episode lacked consistency. We jumped from one scene to the other and it was not easy to figure out how much time had elapsed in between these scenes. The marriage was too sudden, one minute we saw Rana considering what Adeel had said and the other minute she was shown as a bride. If the director wanted to end the drama at a thrilling note to keep the viewers wondering if Rana had done something to herself, he shouldn’t have shown her well and alive having a conversation with Asher in the preview of the next episode!

This drama is full of clichés and has nothing new to offer and the overacting by few of the actors doesn’t help either. Dialogues like “tumhari khamoshi tumhara gunah sabit krne ke liye kafi hai” and many more which were a part of this episode should officially be banned from dramas because they have been done-to-death. Gul-e-Rana is the story of another “strong” girl who is not likely to do anything to help herself and like every such girl in our dramas, there is a helpless and mistrusting mother behind her who will only make matters worse for her.

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

Fatima Awan

This episode was far better than all the other episodes of Gul-e-Rana that have gone on air so far. Firstly because for a change we did not get to see a lot of Maria, Laila and all the extras who have been over crowding this drama and secondly because for the first time after the first 2 episodes I saw Gul-e-Rana as a strong girl who took a stand for herself. The worst part of this episode of course had to be the unnecessary and uncalled for physical contact between the leads. I must say that I am gradually getting used to watching Sajjal Ali get physically abused on television since she was abused in every other episode of Chup Raho and now we see Adeel treating Gul-e-Rana like she is his own personal property. Surely this message can and has been conveyed in many other dramas in more subtle ways but this is most definitely not the case in Gul-e-Rana. Having said that I must admit that the way the story progressed today was convincing for a change.

It became quite evident today that Adeel only wants to marry Gul-e-Rana so that he will be in a position to dictate his own terms and conditions to her. Love has nothing to do with this whole affair. Adeel cannot stand the fact that this girl does not listen to him. She does not submit herself to him the way all the other girls do and the only way she will have to do that would be if she is his wife. The reasons Adeel gave his step-mother for marrying Gul-e-Rana were all wrong and he knew it. He knows that Rana would not like to look after him and he is the last person she would want to marry. Rana’s sister made it quite clear to him how Rana felt about him. Gradually everything that was said and done made his decision final. Adeel wants to make Rana suffer for the rest of her life and that is the only reason why he wants to marry her.

Tonight it was great to see the Gul-e-Rana we saw in the first two episodes. The way she stood up for Adeel’s ex-girlfriend and later on for herself showed that she was strong enough to stand up for herself and others. It also made me wonder why she couldn’t talk to her mamoo about the way Adeel treated her since she was willing to talk to him for the secretary. And I am not exactly looking forward to this strong girl becoming a victim of circumstances like Ayesha of Sangat.

For the first time tonight Feroze Khan looked good playing this character and Sajjal Ali was at her best too. Things have taken a terrifying turn and tonight’s episode definitely gave me a reason to tune into the drama next week too. I really wish though that all this physical abuse was not part of the drama since Adeel and Rana’s relationship is going to be a rocky one (to say the least) therefore this abuse might just be a constant part of this serial. I saw a bit of Zaroon in Adeel today. Zaroon of course was toned down but he too was a flirt, he was rich, he did not respect women, he and Kashaf never got along, he slapped Kashaf and he started taking interest in Kashaf only after she showed absolutely no interest in him. The way Zaroon’s character was translated on screen of course was entirely different and Adeel is definitely a lot more aggressive and extreme than Zaroon. I really do think that the writer has taken inspiration from some very popular dramas of the past especially the ones starring Fawad Khan!

The preview of the next episode suggested that Adeel might get married to Rana on gun point, now the question is that is such a nikkah even valid? Will we see another victim like Rameen and Ayesha who will stay quite and suffer because she does not want to hurt her family? Will we see another man get away with it all?

Do share your thoughts about tonight’s episode.

Fatima Awan

Our hero has fallen in love with the girl of his dreams. Adeel is attracted to Gul-e-Rana because unlike all the other girls around him she does not want to marry him and now that Rana has openly told Adeel that she is not interested in him, she has become unattainable therefore even more desirable. Adeel believes in getting what he wants even if he has to resort to extreme tactics to get it. This episode showed how desperately Adeel wants Gul-e-Rana in his life. He managed to stop his phupo, was there every time Zafri tried to get close to Rana and in the end declared his love for her. Laila and Maria’s scenes remained the same as all the other episodes. You see them fighting over the remote or perhaps breakfast and they are always trying to score points with Adeel.

Just like all the previous episodes the scenes between Adeel and Rana were not very convincing or clear. The scene in which Adeel puts the necklace on his cousin and Gul-e-Rana watches him do that was utterly confusing. The looks Adeel and Rana exchanged made it look like Rana was disappointed in Adeel and he felt the need to explain himself to her. Rana had no reason to look at Adeel when her phupo announced the proposal, it suggested that Rana expected Adeel to get effected by this news. Rana does not like Adeel but we are led to believe that she is somewhat ‘fascinated’ by him too. She is very aware of his presence and his interest in her and is not doing a very good job of ignoring him! The way Sajjal Ali has translated this character on screen reminds me a lot of Rameen who always kept you confused about her personality and her relationship with Numair. Even when Gul-e-Rana tells Adeel off she does not come across as a strong person but as someone who has no idea when to take a stand and when to ignore something.

I don’t understand the obsession with chai at all! There is so much talk about chai in every episode. Last week we saw Zafri begging his sister to make tea and in this one Adeel wanted Rana to make tea for him and when she refused Munira aunty made the perfect tea. Later on we saw Maria trying to prove no one could make tea like her!! Surely an affluent household like that of Adeel’s can afford a better cook than Gulab Khan who can make decent chai! I won’t be surprised if Adeel is bent on getting married to Rana because he wants to drink good chai for the rest of his life!!

Gul-e-Rana’s script lacks depth, the characters are unappealing and the happenings quite predictable. It is the kind of drama which you can easily follow by watching the promos of every episode. I haven’t been able to connect to any of the characters in the play so far and the preview of the next episode also did not give much hope. The relationship between Adeel and Rana will get abusive which cannot possibly be something to look forward to. Sajjal Ali should stop playing these roles ASAP, somehow directors think she is the perfect candidate for playing characters in which the leading lady gets abused verbally and physically. None of the other actresses of Sajjal’s stature have ever been treated as abusively on television as Sajjal has been. She really needs to do something different. Sajjal Ali looked absolutely stunning in the birthday scene, I wish and hope that this delicate and beautiful actress will give her fans something new to watch soon! Until then we will just have to do with watching her play characters like Rameen and Rana.

Did you watch tonight’s episode of Gul-e-Rana? Do share your thoughts about it.

Fatima Awan

Adeel is the ultimate catch in this play and except for our heroine every other girl will do anything to have Adeel in her life. Adeel on the other hand has very different standards for the kind of wife he wants. He wants someone who will do everything he wants her to do. Which makes me wonder why he would end up falling for Gul-e-Rana because she is clearly not one of those girls. Adeel’s character and this whole play has a very filmy feel to it. To be honest most of the time Zafri manages to entertain me more than any other character. Adeel’s negative traits have definitely been highlighted more than the good ones. He is a bad boy who will do anything to get what he wants and he has a strong urge to control people whether it is Zafri or anyone else. He has a big ego which is only satisfied if he knows that people around him are doing things exactly the way he wants. He also does not believe in giving anyone much respect. He is obviously not a good judge of character either because if he was he would know that Maria and Laila were more likely to be the kind of wife he wants than Gul-e-Rana!

The first half of tonight’s episode made me wonder if Gul-e-Rana was still the ambitious and studious girl we were shown in the first 2 episodes because most of the time she was making tea and gossiping with her chachi. It was good to see her studying in the second half and I am glad that the viewers got to see that Gul-e-Rana is still focusing on her studies. Her attitude towards Adeel however could have been shown in a much better way. She could have shown him some respect instead of giving the impression that she was scared of him for some reason. All the interactions between Gul-e-Rana and Adeel have been shown in a very strange way. I wish we were shown that Gul-e-Rana had a little respect for this person who might not be perfect but he was her chacha’s son and so far he has been very nice to Gul-e-Rana. This strange tension that has been shown between the two doesn’t quite fit in and sets the ground for a relationship that is very difficult to relate to.

Adeel’s concern for Gul-e-Rana right from the get-go seems out of place because if he really can tell who is genuine and give that person the respect that he or she deserves then howcome we don’t see him giving the same respect and showing the same concern for his step-mother? If Adeel is fascinated by Gul-e-Rana even that impression is not being conveyed properly, the viewers can guess that based on their own intelligence and not because of the way it has been translated on screen.Everyone asked Zafri what he was doing in the living room in the middle of the night but it was okay for Gul-e-Rana to be found sleeping on the couch! It is almost as if just like Rameen, Gul-e-Rana keeps on putting herself in these situations and then she plays the victim!

Gul-e-Rana’s mother was completely missing from tonight’s episode which was definitely odd. Even if she is unwell, she should have been given some screen time. Why is every man in this play, including Zafri, in constant need of chai and they also insist that it should be made by one of the women in the house and not Gulab Khan!! Gul-e-Rana’s character lacks the spark it needed to impress the viewers. There are times when you see a strong girl in her and there are others when you feel like she is perfectly capable of being a door mat. Feroze Khan has managed to bring out the negativity in his character but he has failed to make this bad guy stand out in the crowd. He plays the lead but he does not have the screen presence needed to own this role. Both the leads in this drama have so far failed to leave an impression which convinces you that they were best suited for these characters. Sometimes an exceptional actor working under a good director can make an ordinary character stand out too and at other times even the most well written characters fall flat if the actors playing the roles appear to be misfits. Gul-e-Rana can be rated as a guilty pleasure at best – something you watch to pass time but it has nothing substantial to offer. Many of the scenes have a very unreal feel to them, you can’t really relate to them and they do give you the been there watched that feeling. I haven’t been able to connect to the lead characters and the side characters are either desperate or amusing with the exception of the Chacha/mamu. I wonder if we will always be watching Sajjal Ali and Feroze Khan sharing a dysfunctional relationship on screen. This is their second project together and something tells me that their relationship in this play is not going to be a ‘normal’ one!!

The preview of the next episode promised some more unrealistic drama! The whole theme of the drama is based on what happens when a spoiled brat falls for a nice girl, how appealing can that possibly be especially when the spoiled brat and the nice girl both fail to impress you!

How many of you watched this latest installment of Gul-e-Rana? Don’t forget to share your thoughts about it.

Fatima Awan

This episode of Gul-e-Rana focused more on Sajjal’s character and her interactions with Adeel. Gul-e-Rana is a strong girl who will raise her voice only when she feels like she needs to put her foot down but there were a few things in this episode that were not in line with her character. I must say that the flashbacks in which she remembers her father and her relationship with her Tayya Abu had to be the highlight of this episode. The kind of relationship she has with Adeel was somewhat predictable but I like the balance which the writer managed to keep. Adeel does not give Gul-e-Rana and her family much respect too; he orders them around like they are his personal servants, does not want them to talk back and they are definitely not allowed to make the slightest changes in the house. But at the same time we don’t see him passing the kind of remarks he passes when he is with his Phupos perhaps because he feels that they are ‘earning’ their stay in the house. Adeel is secretly fascinated by Gul-e-Rana already because he has never come across a girl who wouldn’t want to be with him or who has some self-respect!

I must admit that I was expecting the opening scene of tonight’s episode to be much worse therefore I was pleasantly surprised when the introduction of our hero and heroine ended quickly with Gul-e-Rana telling Adeel that she was his chacha zaad behan! The second scene on the breakfast table however seemed completely out of place. Why would Gul-e-Rana behave like that and why would someone like Adeel put up with such a behavior? Part of this episode reminded me of MSKSH and there were bits that reminded me of Hamsafar. The way Gul-e-Rana ended up in Adeel’s house is very similar to the way Khirad ended up in Asher’s house. Gul-e-Rana’s perfection and the way her family’s presence in the house has changed everything and not to mention the fact that there is only one servant in this affluent household therefore everyone has to ask Gul-e-Rana for tea reminded me of Romaissa. Also, all the men in the house are drooling over this girl already. Adeel’s phupo reminded me of Romaissa and Nabeel’s greedy family – the sort of people who you do not enjoy watching on screen at all, their scenes are highly repetitive, their characters have nothing going for them but they get a lot of screen time nevertheless.

There were few scenes in tonight’s episode that seemed out of place and the timeline was confusing as well. When Adeel asked Munira to call Gulab Khan to clean his room she said he had gone somewhere with his aunty and later on by the time he got downstairs he was informed that he was washing his car and he said that he asked him to do that when he came home!!! Is there really only one Gulab Khan in the house or many replicas of him;) Don’t rich people have drivers, cooks, people who clean for them, pick up after them as opposed to one person who does everything around the house? Sundas Tariq is a good actress but she is wasting herself playing these roles. Maria is not even tolerable. This drama is crowded with characters but unfortunately very few of them are appealing. Some are desperate and others not very impressive.

Our male actors really should stop white washing themselves. Feroze Khan needs to tone down his make-up especially the concealer because it was shining under his eyes. While Feroze Khan has tried his best to do justice to his character, he is not that convincing as the rich brat especially because he comes across only as a brat and the X-factor is missing. This character needed a certain class which is missing even with all the attention to dressing and styling. Sajjal Ali’s dressing and hairstyle remains unaltered as usual. I must say that the only actor who has truly impressed me with his acting and fits the role is Mehmood Akhter. Rubina Ashraf too has done complete justice to her role.

Did you watch tonight’s episode of Gul-e-Rana? Do share your thoughts about it.

Fatima Awan

This episode gave me few more reasons to hate Adeel’s ‘character’ – yes he doesn’t have much of a character but whatever character he has is not the least bit appealing at the moment. He is not just selfish, controlling, unfaithful, a compulsive liar and deceitful but he is also a hypocrite. On the other hand I definitely like the way Rana is sticking to her decision even though her mother is not willing to support her at all. The tables have turned now and my feelings about the leading characters in this play have definitely changed after watching the latest developments. Watching Asher Bhai take a stand for Rana was an interesting development, the change in his personality however was too sudden and difficult to relate to but he is much more likable in this avatar. He is more brave now perhaps because he is the one running the house and has the final authority. Even then I found it hard to believe that someone like him who could not even protect his own mother and sister from his father’s insulting attitude is now taking a stand for Rana. This was an unconvincing development but one that worked in Rana’s favour. Had Asher not taken a stand for her, she wouldn’t have been able to stay at his place.

Adeel’s conversations with Maria implied that he was using Rana as a ‘cover’ for all his ‘extra-curricular activities’. Now with Rana gone he doesn’t have that cover but it was good to see Maria doing exactly what she wanted. Although you feel nothing but pity for Maria’s character but Adeel deserves to be treated like that. The latest twist in the story however could have been far more appealing and convincing if it was shown in a better way. Maria told her Mamu first that Adeel asked her to marry her and was now backing out but her story changed completely by the time she reached Karachi . She acted ridiculously in front of her Mamu when the maid threw water on her; that particular scene made absolutely no sense. It was a comic scene that didn’t fit into an otherwise serious situation. There was absolutely no reason why Adeel’s father would have believed Maria since the maid told him too that she was living in Rana’s room with Adeel while Rana was in the house. Adeel’s father of course is in a very difficult situation but even then the way everything was shown was not the least bit convincing. Adeel’s dialogue about his reputation in the family was completely out of place too since so far the viewers were shown that Adeel was the most wanted bachelor and someone whose father trusted him blindly. If he really had such a reputation howcome his father knew nothing about it? And if he did know his son was that sort of a person why did he always believe Adeel and not Rana when he was in Murree?

Asher bhai is apparently not married yet therefore while the relationship between Asher and Rana is supposed to be that of a brother and sister but the viewers have been given enough reason to think that Asher might have feelings for Rana after all. For the first time I was really looking forward to an episode of this play but I must say that it was poorly scripted and executed. Except for Rana’s attitude everything else made very little sense. The latest twists in the story could have been translated on screen in a much better manner. Once again Laila and her mother’s character appeared on screen after so many episodes only when they were needed. I have said it before and I will say it again, this drama is over-crowded with characters but the writer and director both have failed to give all these characters proper screen time. Even Rana’s mother disappears when she is not needed.

I was expecting tonight’s episode to be very happening and exciting but unfortunately that was not the case. While it is good to see Adeel in a tight spot, it was nerve wracking to watch the way everything was shown. How many of you watched this latest episode of Gul-e-Rana? Do share your thoughts about it. If you missed this latest episode, you can watch it on http://dramaonline.com/

Fatima Awan

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OMG!! This drama really is going the Chup Raho way. There were so many situations in this episode which reminded me of the drama Chup Raho. Just like Rameen, Rana too is relying on God to help her, both these characters probably never heard the saying “God helps those who help themselves!” Is Rana mazloom or strong? Although Rana was supposed to be a strong character but now she is definitely a bechari who is absolutely helpless. She shouts at Adeel but is not doing anything which a truly strong woman would do to get out of this crisis. She is waiting for Allah to come to her aid, which is perfectly fine but that is what people who are majbur and mazloom do, not someone who is strong unless the writer is trying to redefine the term! If her faith in God is her strength than she should show some patience because people who have a very ‘strong’ faith in God are not so restless and depressed.

The only logical reason for Rana to hide everything from her Taya could be that her family is dependent on him. It would be impossible for someone like Munira and her daughters t o survive on her own therefore this is the only way they can continue enjoying a comfortable life. So much for ego and izzat! In Rana’s case I am reminded of the saying “actions speak louder than words” because Rana’s actions are so loud and clear that what she says has absolutely no impact. Yes Rana’s father died, we all get that but her mother is still alive but just like all the other mothers in our drama she is the last person on earth who will feel the pain of her daughter. There are a lot of women who hide their problems from their mothers because they do not want their mothers worrying for them but then Rana is just another one of those women therefore there is absolutely nothing special about her character.

There is one more reason why Gul-e-Rana is a lot like Chup Raho. In Chup Raho as well although Numair’s character was very negative but he always managed to leave more of an impact on the viewers than Rameen. In this case too, ever since Rana and Adeel got married Adeel’s character definitely has a more dominating screen presence than Rana. Feroze Khan appeared to be a complete misfit for this character in the beginning but ever since he and Sajjal have been getting more screen time together and other characters are not being given that much screen time Feroze Khan is standing out more than Sajjal Ali. There are some scenes in which Feroze Khan tends to overact but as a whole he has done justice to his character. Both the characters however lack maturity and it is very difficult to identify with these characters. Any normal couple would get tired of this never ending bickering but they can’t seem to get enough of it.

Taya Abu’s clichéd and bigoted speech was very disappointing to say the least. The speech of course was a result of everything Adeel had ‘convinced’ him of and he failed to see that his son might be lying. Later on when he decided to talk to Rana and Rana also poured her heart out to him, I couldn’t help but wish that the scene before that in which he gave Rana the lecture wasn’t shown at all because this last scene between them seemed completely out of place and both these characters seemed to be contradicting themselves. Rana did not trust her Taya abu enough that is why she stayed quiet but now again he is so important to her that nothing more than his ‘opinion’ about her matters.

We have heard Rana say that she is strong and nothing is more important to her than her self-respect now I would like to see her prove it too! Rana’s character is another run-of-the-mill characters which we see on screen all the time and Adeel needs to grow up! How does this man run a business? It seems like all he does is sit and think of ways to put Rana down! There is pressure on Rana from all sides to make this marriage work therefore it is even more unlikely that Rana will be able to break free from this relationship, not that she was trying very hard before too!

The preview of the next episode did not promise anything exciting. After watching this episode, all I can say is that an episode of Tom and Jerry is more exciting and well put together than that of Gul-e-Rana!

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

Fatima Awan

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Weird, clichéd and really really lame – that pretty much sums up tonight’s episode. Even after watching so many episodes I have not been able to relate to any of the characters. All I want to do while watching every episode is to knock some sense into all these characters. Watching Rana thinking about the conversations she had with her father in the past was long overdue! It was almost as if she had forgotten everything that she wanted to be and all that her father expected her to become. I definitely expected much more from someone who was raised by a father who gave her so much confidence but now Rana is just another one of those girls who have absolutely no choice but to put up with every ‘challenge’ life throws her way because she was forced to get married to someone like Adeel. The fact that Rana still wants to study and make something out of her life was good to see but the way she lectured Adeel’s friend when she went to rescue her was just plain disgusting! It was sad to see someone like Rana, who is supposedly very wise and who knows her husband so well blaming a girl in such a situation. In fact all those dialogues seemed completely out of place. The way ‘Islam’ was dragged into the whole scenario was even more lame! I must say that other than the hitting and useless confrontations between Rana and Adeel, this was the worst scene in this entire episode.

The episode opened with Rana trying to adjust to her new environment and very soon she realized that she would have to deal with much more than Adeel’s annoying presence in her new house. Munira once again was out of the picture but I am sure she will be back when someone is needed to plead Adeel’s case. Like every other episode ‘chai’ was a very important part of this episode as well! Someone or the other must fight over who will make chai or whether they will make it or not or like this time when Rana spilled Adeel’s tea on purpose it was equivalent to breaking Adeel’s heart. What surprises me is that although Rana hates Adeel and Adeel looks down upon Rana but somehow both of them still manage to disappoint each other! The reactions are very strange and definitely not something I have been able to relate to. Rana hates Adeel and expects the worst from him for obvious reasons but even then she seems disappointed and shocked when she hears Adeel talking to a girl on the phone. Adeel looks like he is really sorry after he is caught red handed but the next morning, he is back to being his old self! Rana yet again decided to talk to Asher bhai about her troubles because just like any other heroine she does not want to talk to someone who can actually do something about the situation. I found it funny when Asher volunteered to talk to Adeel about the problems Rana was facing since he is definitely not the kind of person who can plead anyone’s case.

This power struggle between Adeel and Rana is getting boring, monotonous and nothing ‘productive’ is coming out of it. The writer and the director have tried very hard to make the viewers feel for Rana by making her character holier than thou and adding the background score but personally I am finding it very hard to feel for her character since she seems to be creating situations which in no way help her but get her into even more trouble. Adeel’s character has absolutely nothing going for it, it keeps on turning from bad to worse. The direction of the drama and the script is extremely weak right from the get-go. The preview of the next episode showed that Rana will once again do something adventurous to get herself out of the situation she is in and that makes me wonder why she can’t just talk to her Taya abu instead of getting herself in these situations over and over again!

Did you watch this episode of Gul-e-Rana? Do share your thoughts about it.

Fatima Awan

Gul-e-Rana and Adeel continued trying to put each other down all through tonight’s episode like it was a competition and whoever won was going to get a special award in the end! The only award these two deserve is one for being extremely immature. This is not the first time in a drama that a very serious and sacred relationship like marriage has been turned into a child’s play. If the writer’s intent is to show a newly-wed couple who does not understand that relationships don’t last the way these two are taking things forward then he is spot on but since this drama has absolutely no depth therefore I doubt that the writer had some higher purpose in mind. While I was happy after watching the last episode because it looked like Gul-e-Rana was not going to let Adeel have his own way, I was extremely disappointed to see her playing games to displease Adeel in this episode. If she does not want to compromise or go out of her way to make this marriage work then that is her own choice but resorting to childish tactics to get Adeel ‘in trouble’ was extremely foolish of her.

If Adeel is at fault for not respecting his wife and for forcing this marriage on her then Gul-e-Rana is to be blamed for treating this relationship in an equally casual manner. While she never had the courage to talk to her Taya about the more important things in life, she had no problem telling Taya Abu about Adeel’s outing with Maria which she planned. She knows what Adeel is capable of doing terrible things therefore instigating him in this manner is nothing but foolishness. Every time Rana has tried to put Adeel down, he has done something even worse than before to make Rana’s life miserable therefore it would have been more realistic if we saw her trying to keep herself out of trouble. I understand that Rana is too young to deal with this man tactfully but she is smart enough to know that provoking him will only land her in more trouble. Rana got married to this man thinking she could continue living her life the way she wanted once Adeel got the satisfaction of marrying her but it was most certainly not an intelligent move. While I think that Rana’s character is very immature, I must say that I can relate to the way she feels about Adeel. It is very difficult to respect someone like him but then a girl should never get married to a man she hates! If this drama is sending out any message at all then it should be that marriage is not a joke and marrying someone like Adeel will make you miserable for the rest of your life but I wonder how many girls Rana’s age would look at the story with this perspective.

Munira made an appearance today to serve the purpose she is there to serve – making sure that her daughter does not get an ounce of understanding or support from her. It is really sad how the mothers in our dramas are ‘used’ to make matters worse for their daughters. Adeel openly flirts with his cousins, something Munira somehow fails to notice and thinks he is the ideal match for any girl.

I must say that Gul-e-Rana’s character did remind me of Rameen’s character in tonight’s episode. Firstly because just like Rameen she is helpless, no one will believe her even if she tells her mother or Taya something because Adeel is too clever, just like Numair. Secondly because Rameen too used to threaten Numair a lot verbally but in the end things used to happen the way Numair wanted them. And most importantly Rana too has a mother who could not care less about her daughter’s happiness.

It would have been great to see a story of a young couple struggling through the first few years of their married life if it did not involve a forced marriage and a husband like Adeel. I wish that the writer did not show Adeel as a womanizer but as a man with some serious weaknesses in his personality (stubbornness, ego) which he ultimately managed to overcome with time. It would also have been good to see Rana’s mother guiding her daughter through this phase of her life to make this marriage work! Well, as the preview of the next episode showed that is most certainly not the case here therefore we will have to do with watching another husband on screen who thinks he can get away with anything and a wife who really does not have a choice but to put up with it all!

Did you watch tonight’s episode? Do share your thoughts about it.

Fatima Awan

Channel and Timings: HUM TV, Saturday 8pm

Writer: Samra Bukhari

Director: Farooq Rind

Producer: Momina Duraid and Six Sigma Plus

I watched Gul-e-Rana particularly because many of the fans on our facebook page kept on requesting for a review and also because of the way many viewers have expressed their love for the drama on various pages. After watching all the three episodes of Gul-e-Rana that have gone on air so far I must say that I am not entirely blown away. The biggest strength of Gul-e-Rana for me was the relationship the main protagonist Gul-e-Rana (Sajjal Ali) had with her father Abdul Aziz (Behroze Sabzwari). Behroze Sabzwari has nailed every single character he has played lately. He completely won me over as Yousuf’s father in Mera Naam Yousuf Hai and now in Gul-e-Rana, the first episode in which he got a lot of screen time he totally overshadowed everyone else. He has an undeniable screen presence and a natural chemistry with all his co-stars.

Gul-e-Rana so far is the story of Gul-e-Rana’s family – her mother (Rubina Ashraf) and a sister who are left to fend for themselves after their very caring and loving husband and father dies in a car crash. Due to financial restraints Gul-e-Rana and her family are forced to live with Kamal Ahmed (Mehmood Akhtar), who is Gul-e-Rana’s father step-brother. Kamal Ahmed is a very kind man who feels that it is his duty to take care of the family of his dead brother. Kamal Ahmed’s sisters and their two daughters are however a completely different story! They have to be the most fairytale like characters in this drama. I am not saying that such people do not exist in real life but they did remind me of Cinderella’s step-mother and her daughters who would have done anything to get hold of the prince but it was Cinderella who got the prince in the end. This family also reminded me of Romaissa’s greedy in laws. The role of the prince charming has been played by Feroze Khan. Adeel (Feroze Khan) is Kamal Ahmed’s only son and he thoroughly enjoys all the attention he gets. Adeel knows that he owes a lot of this attention to his wealth but that is not something he is ashamed of! Adeel is the most eligible bachelor and watching all the girls fight over him wasn’t exactly entertaining! Adeel does not believe in giving anyone much respect and makes sure that his phupos know where they stand in his life. Gul-e-Rana’s first meeting with Adeel was just as clichéd as many of the characters in the play and the hand on mouth ending of the third episode reminded me of Chup Rahi *shivers*. The preview of the next episode also suggested that the viewers will most probably see Sajjal Ali and Feroze Khan having another abusive relationship in this drama. I must say that I am very bored with watching Sajjal Ali being abused on screen, the producers and directors really need to offer her roles that do not entail pointless physical contact and unnecessary shoving around!

In my opinion so far the veteran actors stand out in this play more than the young lead. Behroze Sabzwari, Mehmood Akhtar, Farah Shah and Samina Ahmed have done a brilliant job of portraying characters that have nothing new to offer. Sajjal Ali fails to change her look, the same short shirts and patiala shalwars remind you of all the characters she has ever played. Same is true for Sajjal’s acting which is natural but it lacks versatility. There was a time when I was very impressed by Sajjal Ali’s powerful portrayals in dramas like Nanhi but unfortunately Sajjal has not been able to change her outlook or expressions much in all these years. The story of the drama is predictable. Our hero will fall for Gul-e-Rana and imagine how all those women who are after the prince charming react to that! Since our prince charming doesn’t know the first thing about respecting women therefore this relationship won’t exactly be ‘normal’. So basically we have a lot of conspiracies to look forward to!

The production values of the play are great. The lighting, make-up and the visuals are very pleasing but so far the script has nothing extraordinary to offer. The hero fails to impress you and the heroine reminds you of many other you might have seen on-screen. Gul-e-Rana is sensitive and practical but there is nothing too appealing about the character. The most appealing aspect of Gul-e-Rana’s life was the relationship she had with her father which came to an end in the second episode. It is highly unlikely that Gul-e-Rana will be able to make her father’s dreams come true. Adeel’s phupos’ obsession with getting their daughters married to him already seems repetitive and annoying especially because he does not even give them an ounce of respect. The OST of the play is sweet and melodious but it has been overused in these three episodes. Overall, these 3 episodes were strictly okay, while there are no glaring flaws in the story there is nothing terrific about it either.

How many of you watched these first 3 episodes of Gul-e-Rana? Do share your thoughts about it.

Fatima Awan