A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Ishq Hai – Episode 13 & 14 (2021). The new TV series is directed by Aabis Raza and written by Rehana Aftab. Ishq Hai is an ARY Digital 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 Aabis Raza
- Written by Rehana Aftab
- DOP by Waqas Ali
- OST composed by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
- Editing by Zeeshan Ali Jokhio
- Produced by Fahad Mustafa & Dr. Ali Kazmi
+ Note
Ishq Hai is a tale of two lovers, a Shakespearean tragedy set in South Asia where the conflict between tradition and individual freedom comes into play. An age long question within our Pakistani culture; should the tradition of arranged marriage be questioned? How important is the right to choose your own life partner? The drama has a star studded cast of young and veteran actors and is an exclusive ARY Digital Production.
+ Main Cast
- Minal Khan as Isra
- Danish Taimoor as Shahzaib
- Hammad Farooqi as Hammad
- Babar Ali as Isra’s father
- Hammad Shoaib as Haris
- Saba Faisal as Nafisa
- Mahi Baloch as Sameera
- Sajjad Paul as Raza
- Mahenur Haider as Nimra
+ Plot
Isra and Shahzaib are the young lovers in conflict with their respective families. Their parents have already found a spouse for them. Arranged marriage has been a family tradition but against all odds, Isra and Shahzaib want to fight for their love. Will their pure love be able to conquer all?
+ High Points
i – The production crew on set does a good job in displaying emotions through soft lighting and shadows. While the Art Direction is nothing creative, it’s competent and well presented (unlike the rest of the show).
+ Low Points
i – This show is utterly meaningless. Nothing in the show makes sense, there is no rhyme or reason, characters act a certain way because the script wants them to, the core conflict of the show is illogical and baseless. Isra, just tell your mother that you were drugged and forcefully married by Shahzaib. Could you do that?
Even after 14 Episodes in, this show has not found its basis to exist. I have never seen a Pakistani drama so devoid of reasoning. This show is the epitome of how not to write a show.
ii – Apparently every secondary character is an evil mastermind. Now Raza’s fiance has decided to share her dastardly scheme of getting rid of Isra with her Mother in Law. A long term, years of emotional black mail mind you. First Hammad’s wife and now her? Do you people have nothing better to do with your lives?
iii – Good writing in storytelling is considered when the characters react according to the scenario presented to them. In Ishq Hai, each and every character has a single note personality. Throughout the 14 Episodes, Hammad Shoaib as Haris always proclaims that he wants to marry Isra… regardless of everything that has happened up till that point! Take a hint lad, move on! Its abhorrent writing of the show gives no space for its characters to develop. Every character is stuck from where they started from. And that unfortunately is not engaging storytelling.
iv – Just a quick reminder, Mahenur Haider as Nimra is still the worst actress on the show and to be honest, it’s not entirely her fault. The script gives her nothing to do other than having a Grrr pouty face throughout each scene. In episode 14, she literally does nothing other than stare at the wedding card of her sister and say “It should’ve been me!”. Whenever Nimra’s on screen, it’s incredibly cringeworthy.
v – With that being said, each and every one of the characters in Ishq Hai are unlikable to the highest level. Even Isra has decided to act like a lunatic. As a viewer, who am I supposed to root for?
vi – The show fills in a quarter of its runtime with prolonged “despair” scenes where the show goes in slow motion (with terrible frame rate!) and we get to admire the Visage of our actor while Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s Soundtrack is blasting over our ears in desperation to make its audience feel sympathy.
vii – In Episode 13, Saba Faisal’s microphone went ballistic with lack of Audio level control as her shouting scenes were not adjusted neither on set nor in post production. It’s another example of the creators of the show just not caring about the quality of their product.
+ Overall
With each passing episode, Ishq Hai hits a new low. It’s a prime example of Trash TV that should never be consumed by mainstream audiences.
Rate: 0.5 out of 5 stars
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