A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Parizaad Episode 17 (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 – Episode 17 was yet another feather in the cap for Parizaad. It brought forward a very constructive and reasonable story progression. This week also hinted at perhaps a slight dark turn in the character of Parizaad? The next few weeks will surely answer that question but for now, Parizaad is one of the very few shows on TV right now which are consistently outstanding.
Spoilers Alert!! If you would like to avoid it, please skip to the Overall section:
ii – It makes perfect sense that since the ex-crime lord had no real family, Behroze Karim left his empire to his most trusted companions. And since Ferozhe ended up on the noose, Parizaad became its sole successor. Now this brings a very fascinating twist to the tale of our Protagonist. For once in his life, Parizaad has the power to influence millions of lives around him. Will he continue doing the right thing and keep his sense of morality above everything else or will he succumb to the dark side like his master before him? Excellent story progression!
iii – It’s also commendable that after the demise of Behroze Karim, the show just did not automatically bring every character to their status quo. Although spared from Capital Punishment, Parizaad did nonetheless ended up spending six years in a jail cell and whether that experience made him humble or questioned his sense of morality, remains to be seen.
iv – The reunion of Shah Jahan and Parizaad was arguably one of the best scenes in the show.’s entirety Although the offer to stay in comfort of Parizaad’s new empire sounds enticing, it was evidently very reasonable for Shah Jahan to refuse the offer as his wife and child brought a new sense of responsibility in his life. When it comes to character development, the writer Hashim Nadeem has been so on point.
+ Low Points
i – The only gripe I could have with this week’s episode is the lack of attention towards the previous supporting cast ( aka the Parizaad family). Even though they did address them in the episode, it still feels as if they are being willingly ignored as if they can’t contribute anything else to the show. Perhaps some of this will be rectified in the next coming episodes.
+ Overall
For the most part, Parizaad has been excellent each and every week. The plot is unique, the characters are sympathetic and the story is engaging. A perfect recipe for a great TV show.
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