A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Parizaad Episode 5 (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 – Its great to see that with each progressing episode, Parizaad is evolving from a shy timid character to someone who is learning how to take responsibility and charge head on into problems to find solutions for. With all the new side stories introduced to the show, its a bit of a relief that the writer still has not forgotten developing Parizaad’s character.
ii – The direction of the show has mostly been great. Shehzad Kashmiri is great at directing his actors through the canvas of the screen and brings a sense of “naturality” to the scene. For example, near the end of Episode 5, Nasaaz is seen doing his own laundry while having a discussion with Parizaad about his marital future. Although this scene could have been just shot with Nasaaz and Parizaad just sitting somewhere together, the act of doing laundry made the scene much more real and authentic for the viewers!
+ Low Points
i – It has been very disappointing that after Episode 3, the show Parizaad took a definite change in narrative direction. The first three episodes were solely focused on Parizaad and his interactions with the outside world. The drama was a character study of our protagonist and how society treats him for being different. But now, Parizaad has become a mere pawn to the overall narrative of the show. There’s the problem of “Bubbly’s” marriage, his brother-in-law being wrongfully accused, it’s as if Parizaad has suddenly become a side character in his own show! Although potential future events indicate that Parizaad will have new experiences, it’s still has been a very sudden change in direction for the show that I am not very fond of. What Parizaad started off as a unique, character study of a show (a bold narrative technique in the Pak TV landscape of today) is now being treated as “just another show” with useless gag scenes and evil motives between In-Laws.
ii – Saboor Ali as Bubbly just doesn’t work. Her performance is never convincing enough to get the viewers onboard with her plight to find her direction in Life. Although Saboor works better in dramatic moments, the comedy scenes just feel tacky with laziness from the writer to bring some levity to the show. And speaking of comedy….
iii – The last two episodes have also brought some forced “comedy” scenes into the show. Even though a bit of light hearted banter is always welcomed, most of the “Bubbly” story is played off as a writing tactic for her to “become a REAL woman” and for Parizaad to find the love of his life. The writer of the show Hashim Nadeem is very poignant when it comes to dramatic moments but comedy does not prove to be his forte. And thus, the quality of the overall show suffers from it.
+ Overall
The sudden shift in narrative for Parizaad has brought some unwarranted changes to the show. Parizaad has become a mere side character in his own show and thus, the quality of the show has deteriorated since its past two episodes. Hopefully, this trend wouldn’t last for long.
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