A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Parizaad Episode 2 (2021). The new TV series is directed by Shehzad Kashmiri and written by Hashim Nadeem. Parizaad is a Momina Duraid Production.
(Note: If you’ve already read the review of the previous episode, you can skip directly ahead to the High points section).
+ Crew
- Directed by Shehzad Kashmiri
- Written by Hashim Nadeem
- Produced by Momina Duraid Productions
+ Note
Parizaad is based on a novel by Hashim Nadeem and is a case study of a protagonist who cannot seem to find his place in a world where illicit behaviour and exploitation is rewarded over truth and kindness. The show explores the lower middle class societal problems of Pakistan and how a wallflower like Parizaad is never appreciated by our society.
The director of the show Shehzad Kashmiri is a well respected cinematographer who then moved towards directing TV shows. He also directed a feature length film Bin Roye in 2015 which earned him a nomination for Best Film Director at 15th Lux Style Awards.
+ Main Cast
- Noman Ejaz
- Ahmed Ali Akbar
- Syed Muhammad Ahmed
- Urwa Hussain
- Ushna Shah
- Yumna Zaidi
- Saboor Ali
- Mashal Khan
- Tipu Shah
- Kiran Tabeer
+ Plot
Born in a world of neglect and hurt, Parizaad is an innocent soul that differs from everyone. He is kind, thoughtful and a gentle soul who due to his nature and appearance, does not fit the societal norms of Pakistani culture. Will the devious modern society engulf Parizaad into its darkness or will he remain a beacon of hope and all that is good in Life?
+ High Points
i – Parizaad starts off with a strong second episode that is engaging and emphasizes heavily on its core storyline. What I truly like about the writing is that in the midst of this big “misunderstanding” involving Parizaad, the side characters are not written as complete idiots and show some signs of personal judgement. Knowing Parizaad their whole lives, not all believe that he is guilty of invading the girl’s private space. It’s a touch of realism that is sadly missing from many dramas on Pak TV due to lazy writing.
ii – Since the whole episode was centered around this particular “misunderstanding”, every character has a chance to resonate in some ways with the audience and create a unique personality of their own. Be that Parizaad’s sister who wants to believe the best in people or his brothers whose primary focus is maintaining their family’s respect in the neighborhood. By writing with such vast layers of characterizations, it gives the audience a much better perspective on the current situation. Hashim Nadeem as the writer has created a fantastic start to the show.
iii – The local “lafanga” Shoukat (played by Raza Ali Abdi) has an interesting character moment in the episode that genuinely surprised me in a brilliant way. It shows that the protagonists of Parizaad are more multi-dimensional than one could imagine.
iv – As in the previous episode, the production work was nothing short of being exceptional. The low key lighting at night, the camera following the mob through the narrow streets of the neighborhood, it’s great to see such innovative and fluid camerawork on Pak television!
v – Episode 2 also pertains to a clever twist to the tale of Parizaad. Without revealing much, certain hints were presented in the first episode of a character which paid off masterfully during the last few scenes of the episode. Already looking forward to the next episode!
+ Low Points
i – Although the first two episodes of Parizaad have been noteworthy, there is notable absence of “Story B” in the show. Most TV dramas create Story A (the main plotline of the show) and Story B (the minor storyline of the show) so that if the first one (for some reason) bores them, they could certainly stick around for Story B of the show. So in that respect, Parizaad is very linear in its approach.
With the coming episodes, it’s perhaps certain that more new characters will be introduced and will create a labyrinth of moral judgement for Parizaad but for now, the drama has been very linear. If some viewers don’t find this main plotline interesting, they’ll most likely jump off the bandwagon before the plot really gets going!
ii – The show seems to be too focused on telling Parizaad’s tale (which of course there’s nothing wrong, that is the name of the show) but neglects exploring the characters around him. As I praised Episode 2 for shedding some light onto the supporting cast, the show can really benefit from focusing on them a bit more in the upcoming episodes. Some of the side characters seem genuinely interesting and are worth an exploration.
iii – There were some instances where Episode 2 could take you out of its reality; namely Parizaad sleeping with a nightlight shining bright on his face (how can anyone sleep like that?), also the lack of reaction from the crowd when a dramatic slap occurs. I suppose this could be served as a minor complaint but nonetheless, lack of small details does disturb the sense of immersion in the fictional world of the show.
+ Overall
A good follow up to the premiere episode, Parizaad looks promising and can prove very engaging once the plot really kicks into high gear.
Rate: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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