A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Parizaad Episode 23 (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 – I have to admit, initially I was a bit wary of yet another love interest for Parizaad to obsess over but since the last few episodes, the relationship between him and Annie has developed into something a lot more concrete and substantial for the character growth of Parizaad. A perfect metaphor for our society’s “beauty standards” where the partner (literally) sees beyond the dark skin of our protagonist.
ii – The return of Nasaaz was great and can prove to be an asset to the final, inevitable destination of Parizaad. Nasaaz was the person who (arguably) saved Parizaad from taking his own life, gave him unbridled courage to move forward to fight against this unjust world. Now perhaps Parizaad can return the favor? Something tells me things will end up on a tragic note.
iii – There is some fun back and forth dialogue between Parizaad and Lubna which hints at the fact that they are still college kids at heart. The writer Hashim Nadeem has a great sense of writing and a clear distinction when he is writing dialogue between friends or lovers. Clearly Parizaad and Lubna share a platonic bond between them that indulges deep within the depths of Art and poetry.
+ Low Points
i – Unfortunately, Episode 23 brought nothing substantial to the story and neither did it shed any new light to the character development of Parizaad. Lately, there have been way too many “Parizaad; such a kind soul that he finances your dreams” scenes. In the grand scheme of things, the scene with the song auditioning was pointless and served only as a pathway for Parizaad to be reunited with Nasaaz. Serviceable but not a great episode.
ii – This unfortunately needs to be addressed; While maintaining a business empire, where in the world does Parizaad get the time to meet characters and visit events that have really nothing to do with his work? Wealth always comes at a price but the show depicts a ludicrous, carefree version of an euterpenur’s lifestyle where he manages to commit to his work and visit all his friends and family around Pakistan. This (I’m afraid) is far from reality.
iii – Since the last few weeks, the episodes of Parizaad have not had much substance to add to the journey of our protagonist. The events seem unnaturally prolonged and the show should be wrapping up with its conclusion by now. Not a major criticism but prolonging the life of a show with no real storytelling can prove to be a major deficit for Parizaad.
+ Overall
Even though the show still maintains its quality writing and performances, this week’s episode proved to be inconsequential when it comes to the show’s plot and character development.
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