Author: Mr. Khan's Reviews

Mr. Khan has completed his 1st Masters in Business Administration (Marketing) from Bahria University and 2nd Masters in TV Production from SZABIST. He has also done short course in Film Direction from SAAMPT (South Asian Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Television) and worked previously in many short, thesis films as an actor and writer.
TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Dhoop Kinare (1987)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani Classic Drama TV Series, Dhoop Kinare aka At the Edge of the Sunshine (1987). It’s Production and Distribution is done by PTV (Karachi).

 

 

+ Crew

  • Directed & Produced by Sahira Kazmi
  • Written & Created by Haseena Moin
  • Songs by Nayyara Noor

 

 

+ Note

Dhoop Kinare aired on PTV in 1987. In total it consists of 17 episodes. It centers on a team of doctors in a hospital in Karachi and revolves around their routines at the hospital and their private lives at home.

Three songs were written and sung by Nayyara Noor. This drama is considered as classic and one of the most popular Pakistani TV dramas. Due to its success, it gave prominent start for both the lead stars’ careers.

Some of the shooting locations of Karachi are of Marriot and PC Hotel. On 3rd Oct 2011, an Indian soap opera in Hindi was launched by Sony Entertainment Television India. It was titled as Kuch Toh Log Kahenge and is loosely based on Dhoop Kinare.

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

  1. Rahat Kazmi as Dr. Ahmer Ansari
  2. Marina Khan as Dr. Zoya Ali Khan
  3. Arshad Mehmood as Ahmer’s Foster Father
  4. Qazi Wajid as Zoya’s Father
  5. Sajid Hassan as Dr. Irfan
  6. Latif Kapadia as Dr. Ahmer’s Friend

 

 

xxxxxxx

 

 

+ Supportive Cast

  1. Azra Sherwani as Fazeelat Bibi
  2. Kehkishan Awan as Anji
  3. Hameed Wayne as Anji’s Father
  4. Ishrat Hashmi as Anji’s Mother
  5. Badar Khalil as Dr. Sheena Karamat
  6. Saeed Munawar as N/A

 

 

 

+ Plot

A foster father gives away all his wealth to his son, Dr. Ahmer Ansari before he expires. Everything but except of the house he lives in. Shocking for Dr. Ahmer, he finds that his late father has a granddaughter to whom he has gifted his home to in his will. Unknown to both of them, the granddaughter happens to be Dr. Zoya Ali Khan who works under Dr. Ahmer’s supervision and has mutual love interest.

 

 

+ High Points

i – Rahat Kazmi as Dr. Ahmer Ansari gave a very good performance as reserved, strict, but a nice person who always cherished his father to have himself the only loved one in his eyes until his will reveals something else. His hatred for that unknown granddaughter to whom his former house belongs to, where his childhood had spent on which is now been taken away as a gift by his late father was understandable well indeed. A veteran actor as respected Rahat Kazmi could have pulled it off easily and which he did. He gained a huge publicity and fast forwards his career towards bigger projects after this famous classic drama.

ii – Marina Khan as Dr. Zoya Ali Khan performance as a careless but a good-hearted character who wins her respect and love from her boss, Dr. Ahmer Ansari. Marina is naturally a very good actress, who has won people hearts in her time with more of classic dramas. Other Honorable Mentions: Azra Sherwani and Sajid Hassan.

iii – Although the drama becomes very serious afterwards but the essence of having light humor helped to gain more viewers as fan following.

iv – A convincing drama is shown with the help of good direction by Sahira Kazmi. She needed two most suitable and great performers for these two lead roles, which she did get. The hospital scenes plus those scenes where Dr. Ahmer and Dr. Zoya spend time in to understand each other were very nicely executed.

v – The screenplay was good in the sense of realism. The importance of no mistakes can be carried out in a hospital, as the patients’ lives are depended on you if they are in stable condition that is. That is what was shown to Dr. Zoya, made her realize where exactly she is working at and how serious this work is. Then the mature love interest and respect are shown growing for each other. This is the glimpse of magic by respected former writer, Mrs. Haseena Moin.

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – Though drama is good and everything but honestly I didn’t enjoyed as much as I thought I would. Maybe perhaps I had heard too much buzz of this classic and had much higher expectations before watching it.

ii – Subplots were so-so really. It’s just the main plot the viewers would love to watch.

 

 

 

+ Overall
Haseena Moin’s Dhoop Kinare is a sympathetic, likable drama, with solid performances by the lead stars.

 

 

 

Rate: 3.0 out of 5 stars

 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Ishq Mein Teray (2013)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani Drama TV Serial, Ishq Mein Teray (2013) aka In Your Love. Its Production House & its Distributor is Hum Entertainment.

 

 

+ Crew

  • Directed by Fahim Barni
  • Written by Sadia Akhtar
  • Title Song by Sohail Haider & Dua Malik
  • Produced by Syed Afzal Ali

 

 

 

+ Note
Ishq Mein Teray aired on Hum TV from 27th Nov 2013 – 26th Mar 2014. It consists of total 18 episodes. This drama was also aired on Indian channel Zee Zindagi from 27th Jan 2016 every Monday to Saturday 6:10 pm (IST) under the same title.

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

  1. Mehwish Hayat as Aiza
  2. Azfar Rehman as Saad Hamdani
  3. Madiha Imam as Laiba
  4. Shahzad Nawaz as Sheharyar Hamdani

 

 

xxxxxxx

 

 

+ Supportive Cast

  1. Shazia Naz as Cucko
  2. Atif Rathore as Bakhtiar
  3. Ayesha Gul as Fozia
  4. Shaheen Khan as Saleha

 

 

 

+ Plot

Aiza is a beautiful, down to earth young female who is the head in looking after household responsibilities including of her lazy brother & his family. Good fortune strikes her and she gets hired by Sheharyar Hamdani, whose daughter Laiba is Aiza’s friend and student. Laiba is in love with her cousin, Saad Hamdani, while Aiza’s intellect draws both Saad and Sheharyar towards her.

 

 

+ High Points
i – Mehwish Hayat performance was very good in the protagonist role. She clearly showed that she earned her lead role as the better performer.

ii – Shaheen Khan is a respectable actress and played her part as Saad’s mother really well.

iii – Plot twists of Aiza’s sudden marriage and Saad’s severe illness were good move.

iv – Both Mehwish Hayat & Shaheen Khan looked very attractive on-screen.

 

 

+ Low Points
i – The consequences of the plot twists were lame and poorly handled. I thought that after Aiza’s sudden marriage, its consequences would bring a HUGE turnaround for the drama but I was wrong. Nothing happened as such to be proud of. Perhaps I had high expectations from it. And to show someone with a dangerous illness in the start, there is at least 90% chances that that person would not survive till the end.

ii – Too many cliffhangers happened by the end of each episode (almost) but in the very next episode we are shown that nothing has happened as the character/s are too naïve to understand.

iii – Ayesha Gul’s character was very annoying and hateful. I understand that her character was written as selfish and arrogant but it was very difficult to watch her scenes due to consistent nagging and fighting with husband.

iv – After Aiza’s marriage, the existence of Bakhtiar & his family did not carry any weight nor had any significance on their scenes. The reason is that their sub plot linked with the main story was weak from the very start.

v – Madiha Imam character as Laiba seemed senseless enough to believe anything (after an effort) against anyone. She had suspicions against Aiza at least 3 – 4 times then she stopped talking to her father and Saad too. Her character was weak and can be defined as damsel in distress. She was always on the verge of either ending all her relations with her close ones or committing suicide.

vi – Cucko was only written to play it as a vamp without any her side of the story. Why would anyone keep her in their house when everyone knows of her ill personality and habit of eavesdropping? Till the end of this drama series she remains the same, no final verdict to what happened to her, her unfulfilled promises and threats?

vii – When Laiba tells her dad of the affair suspicion, not only Sheharyar believes her without any proof but also that he goes home and tells this to everyone at home. I mean this is a very personal thing and directly related with his honor. Why would he share this unconfirmed truth to Cucko for? It was unconcerned with her. If he really believed it as a fact then he should had discussed this with Saleha only.

I was shocked by the writer’s move as Sheharyar’s character throughout the drama was shown as a mature with great intellect and nice person. Regardless that the claim was made by her only daughter, even then the least he could had done was talked to his wife and nephew before making his final decision.

At same time, why didn’t his wife tell him of Saad’s love confession before or after her marriage? It’s not like he would had hated Aiza or hated Saad for rest of his life?

viii – The first experience of Aiza traveling on an airplane with Sheharyar by her side. This scene could be well written / directed while showing in detail her nervousness and fear of flying. However, this scene only lasted for hardly 2 minutes. What a bummer!

ix – The cinematography in many scenes were shot by a hand-held cam which literally did not make any sense as to why this move was used? Most of its time the camera was held in such shaky position that it did not go with the flow at all.

x – When the first time, Saad see the girl of his dreams and then decides to take a picture of her without her consent. He does this while standing on higher ground / 1st floor while the girl is downstairs unknowing of his presence. After he takes her picture from his mobile, it shows that the picture is in mid close up. This could be only possible if Saad was directly facing the person on same height.

xi – There were several scenes which were too predictable such as Laiba finding out the old sketch that Saad drew and still kept with his personal remarks for his former love.

xii – Since the news of Saad’s illness was informed to him when it was still very much curable then why let his health deteriorate for one sided love who is now happily married? But most importantly ignoring the fact that what would become of his mother who is already a widow and all she has in this world is her son?

 

 

 

+ Overall
Ishq Mein Teray’s weak writing, dull characters and shaky cinematography were the final nails that were hammered in the coffin.

 

 

Rate: 1.0 out of 5 stars

 

Theatre Plays

Mr. Khan’s Review on Heer Ranjha (2016)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani Rom-Drama theatre play, Heer Ranjha (2016). It was performed at NAPA.

 

 

+ Crew

  • Directed by Naz
  • Sound Designed by Alooha
  • Lighting by Ubaid Iqbal

 

 

 

+ Note

Heer Ranjha is originally written by Waris Shah. It is one of several popular tragic romances of Punjab. The others are Mirza Sahiba and Sohni Mahiwal. There are several poetic narrations of the story, the most famous being ‘Heer’ by Waris Shah written in 1766.

This play tells the story of the love of Heer and her lover Ranjha. Some historians say that the story was the original work of Shah, written after he had fallen in love with a girl named Bhag Bhari. Others say that Heer and Ranjha were real personalities who lived under the Lodi dynasty and that Waris Shah later utilized these personalities for his story. Shah states that the story has a deeper meaning, referring to the unrelenting quest that man has towards God.

Since Heer Ranjha’s plot involves a romance opposed by family members and ends, the story is often compared to the Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet.

 

 

+ Full Cast

1) Marya Saad Fareedi as Heer

2) Saad Zameer Fareedi as Ranjha

3) Samhan Ghazi as Qazi

4) Aamir Naqvi as Sarpanj

5) Muntazir Mehdi as Seida

6) Damyanti Gosai as Sehti

7) Tehreem Shafiq & Fajir Sheikh as Village Girls

8) Akbar Aftab Ladhani as Ravi

9) Saddam Hussain as Qeedu

10) Aisha Iqbal as Ranjha’s Bhabhi

11) Roohi Ahmed as Heer’s Friend

12) Naz as Chaudhrain

13) Abdullah Alnoor as Chaudhry

 

 

+ Plot

Heer is an extremely beautiful woman, born into a wealthy family of the Sial (tribe) Jatt in Jhang, with Pakistan setting. Ranjha also a Jat of the Ranjha tribe is the youngest of four brothers and lives in the village of Takht Hazara, by the river Chenab.

Eventually, Ranjha arrives in Heer’s village and falls in love with her. But their families including the village people highly oppose them.

 

 

+ High Points

i – Show’s stealer is none other than Saddam Hussain, who performed as Qeedu. It was really a creative way to show him as handicapped. His one recurring quote that he delivered throughout his scenes was amusing to hear.

ii – Samhan Ghazi as Qazi played the supporting role superbly. He played his villainous role very nicely. Other Honorable Mentions: Naz.

iii – The costumes were in bright colors and cultural as the story required it to be.

iv – Tehreem Shafiq & Fajir Sheikh as Village Girls looked glamorous on stage.

v – The set design was sound according to the settings of the play.

 

 

+ Low Points

i – What happens when in a romantic play there is no passionate love shown between the two lovers? If this is the case here of ‘Heer Ranjha’ then this flaw would be consider as blunder.

ii – There was immense lack of chemistry between Saad Fareedi and Marya Saad. Nowhere did they look like lovers especially of first sight. What they actually looked like were couple of actors who were told to perform on stage and here are your lines that they need to be delivered in front of the audience.

iii – The love story between Heer & Ranjha was hardly shown to the audience and the play was quickly forward to the next scenes.

iv – There were no proper character development of the main characters including of Heer & Ranjha which would had made an essential emotional link with the audience. Then whatever conflicts would fall on these two lead actors, we as audience would feel their pain of hurting or losing them.

v – The responsibility of the bad performances by most of the cast is of the director as well. Since the director is head of the team then she needed to make sure that the performances least by the two lead stars need to be perfect as their roles were but did not fulfilled the basic requirement.

 

 

+ Overall

Though hearty, Naz’s vehicle Heer Ranjha is also weak and tasteless.

 

 

 

Rate: 2.0 out of 5 stars

 

Feature Length Films

Mr. Khan’s Review on Shah (2015)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani biographical feature length film, Shah (2015). The Production House is Logos Films & Media while its Distributors are ARY Films and Footprint Entertainment.

 

 

 

+ Crew

  • Directed, Written & Music by Adnan Sarwar
  • Cinematography by Omar Daraz & Hassan Zaidi
  • Edited by Tahir Ali
  • Co-Music by Farhan Albert

 

 

 

 

+ Note

Shah is based on a biography of great Pakistani former boxer, Syed Hussain Shah portrayed by Adnan Sarwar. Hussain Shah is a bronze medal winner at the 1988 Summer Olympics who became the only boxer in Pakistan’s history to secure an Olympic medal. Adnan Sarwar underwent one year of boxing training to portray Hussain Shah.

The film production took place in Pakistan where the production team claimed that they raised $20,000, saying “We’ve raised that $20,000 and are going to give it to him because that’s a debt we owe him as a nation.” Adnan Sarwar has also set up a boxing scholarship for Lyari’s street kids, who are part of the film’s cast.

 

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

  1. Adnan Sarwar as Hussain Shah
  2. Sardar Baloch as Hussain Shah (Child)
  3. Gulab Chandio as Chacha
  4. Kiran Chaudhry as Noor (Journalist)
  5. Faiz Chohan as Director of Sports Federation
  6. Miraal Sara Intesar as Saba Faisal
  7. Adeel Raees as Shamsher Baloch (Friend)

 

 

 

 

+ Plot

A journey of a homeless child in the streets of Layari who become an Olympian for his country Pakistan at the 1988 Seoul Olympics but was later forgotten by public and media alike.

 

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – Adnan Sarwar’s performance is admirable. He not only appeared as protagonist but also contributed in its direction, writing and even composing the music for this film. Other Honorable Mentions: Faiz Chohan.

ii – After such a long time, a good Pakistani film is produced which is based on a great sportsman.

iii – It’s not just a biographical boxer-based film but a film with very strong message in it which to some it is an eye opener to what happens to retired sports personalities with poor, uneducated background. However what is more haunting to know is that this very issue still happens today.

iv – The cinematography and its color balance helped this film to be more memorable.

v – The film editing is very effective.

 

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – There were hardly any scenes regarding to his personal life shown except for his childhood days.

ii – In the starting of the scenes, we are shown a journalist who is covering this story on a national legendary retired boxer. We were made to believe she might have an important supportive (if not of the main lead) role in this film. However, that was not the case.

 

 

 

+ Overall

Its magical to watch Adnan Sarwar on-screen with such enthusiasm and passion in his multiple contributions to Shah. It leaves behind its mark, in ever-lasting love and support in the viewers’ hearts for our retired national sportsmen… to help them more.

 

 

 

Rate: 3.50 out of 5 stars

 

Feature Length Films

Mr. Khan’s Review on Dekh Magar Pyaar Say (2015)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani Rom-Com feature length film, Dekh Magar Pyaar Say (2015). The Production House is Shiny Toy Guns while its Distributor is HKC Entertainment.

 

 

 

+ Crew

  • Directed by Asad Ul Haq
  • Written by Saba Imtiaz
  • Cinematography by Nicholas D. Knowland
  • Edited by Eng Yong Teh
  • Produced by Ali Murtuza

 

 

 

+ Note

Dekh Magar Pyaar Say is the directorial debut by Haq and first film for Sikander. The hair styling is done by Saima Rashid Bargfrede, Beenish Umer is the production designer. Shehryar Yasin is the brains behind its creative & fashion design direction. The music & OST is composed by Abbas Ali Khan and Mooro.

The shooting locations are of Lahore and London. Stars such as Humayun Saeed and Hasan Shehryar have their cameos.

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

  1. Humaima Malick as Annie
  2. Sikander Rizvi as Sikandar
  3. Irfan Khoosat as Chachu
  4. Hashim Ali Chaudhry as Patient

 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

 

+ Supporting Cast

  1. Aqdas Waseem as N/A
  2. Zohaib Hassan as N/A (Cameo)
  3. Amna Ilyas as Item Number in “Kaala Doriya”

 

 

 

+ Plot

Sikandar comes across by Annie by a ‘mere chance’ in his auto rickshaw to meet a friend.

 

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – Remarkable work behind its production design; a major plus point of this film.

ii – Beautiful cinematography and its lighting, blending in the multiple colors to give a rich, visual treat.

iii – A couple of the songs are pleasant to listen to.

iv – Mild performances by the main cast.

v – Good effort on its makeup & hair styling, made the lead stars to shine out on the big screen.

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – A typical story regarding con-artists. I was really looking forward to watch this film… Nah! Not a fan of Humaima Malik but least expected to have a decent picture here but it appears that all the effort was given behind its technicalities.

ii – The lack of strong supporting characters and sub plots. All the time, we were glued with the main cast especially of Sikandar’s character.

iii – Throughout the picture as there wasn’t anything new to watch here, therefore the interest level was quite low.

 

 

 

+ Overall

Asad Ul Haq’s Dekh Magar Pyaar Say is a lush, old-fashioned melodrama of attractive, colorful packaging but filled with too much simplicity.

 

 

 

Rate: 2.0 out of 5 stars

 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Dumpukht – Aatish-E-Ishq (2017)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani Drama TV series, Dumpukht – Aatish-E-Ishq (2017) aka Slowly Burned – Love in Fire. The Production House is Momal Productions whereas its Distributor is A-Plus Entertainment.

 

 

 

+ Crew

  • Directed by Kashif Nisaar
  • Written by Zafar Mairaj

 

 

 

 

+ Note
Dumpukht – Aatish-E-Ishq aired on A-Plus TV from 13th Jul 2016 – 18th Jan 2017. It consists of total 27 episodes.

It is an upbeat and mesmerizing story about a young girl enchanted by the allure of a charismatic spiritual peer sahib. The story highlights the orthodox point of view concerning the norms and traditions in the villages in Pakistan.

“Everything is fair in love and War” is a famous quote is almost fit for that story. It shows the strength of culture, blind faith that families have on their Peer and his wife, Bibi Sahiba while they are the inheritors of that area. All important decisions, starting from household matters to business deals, are taken with the blessings of the Peer Sahib.

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

  1. Sonia Mishal as Kulsoom
  2. Noman Ijaz as Peer Habib Ullah
  3. Bilal Abbas as Biloo
  4. Saba Faisal as Mehr Nigar (Khala)
  5. Saqib Sameer as Haroon
  6. Saman Ansari as Bibi Sahiba
  7. Asma Abbas as Tahira

 

 

xxxxxxx

 

 

+ Supportive Cast

  1. Noor Ul Hassan as Molvi
  2. Anjum Habibi as Kulsoom’s Father
  3. Haseeb Khan as Kulsoom’s Uncle
  4. Amna Malick as Nimmo
  5. Munazza Arif as Kulsoom’s Aunt
  6. Sara Baloch as Kulsoom’s Cousin
  7. Ibtisam Musa as N/A

 

 

 

 

+ Plot

Peer Sahab who is highly influential and famous in his area. Although Kulsoom loves Biloo but she belongs to a conservative family that they will not allow her to marry him. However, Peer Sahab has set his eyes on her.

 

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – Noman Ijaz performance is yet again very good, this time as Peer Sahib.

ii – Sonia Mishal as Kulsoom played out nicely. Other Honorable Mentions: Saqib Sameer, Bilal Abbas, Saman Ansari, Amna Malick and Asma Abbas.

iii – It shows how some people go with blind beliefs while following their Peers, even if it’s against the beliefs and sayings of the religion.

iv – The last three episodes were interesting to watch, especially the finale.

 

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – This TV drama series is the most drag, slowest and snoozed off one I have ever watched up till now in my life. It’s much slower than a snail’s speed.

ii – After the 4th episode, the writer must have realized ‘Damn! I don’t have a story to tell which is stretched out till 27th episode. What to do? What to do? Uh… um, Okay fine! What I would do is drag the decision of Kulsoom’s marriage and her suffering with 20 episodes alone — that way I could save myself from embarrassment in front of producers’.

iii – If I was not watching this TV drama series for reviewing basis, I would surely had given up watching after the 7th episode.

iv – I would have preferred to see Kulsoom gets married off to Peer Sahib than the other guy and watch its consequence with interest. I know that this was not the message the writer was trying to show but anyways!

 

 

 

 

+ Overall
Dumpukht – Aatish-E-Ishq one of those rare TV series so unfathomably upsetting, you could write a better one while sitting through its endless episodes.

 

 

 

Rate: 2.0 out of 5 stars

 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Gul-e-Rana (2015 – 16)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani Drama TV serial, Gul-e-Rana (2015 – 16). Its Production Houses are Six Sigma Plus Productions and MD Productions while its Distributor is Hum Entertainment.

 

 

+ Crew

  • Directed by Farooq Rind
  • Written by Samra Bukhari
  • Created & Produced by Shehzad Naseeb, Humayun Saeed & Momina Duraid

 

 

 

+ Note

Gul-e-Rana aired on Hum TV from 07th Nov 2015 – 02nd Apr 2016. It consists of total 21 episodes. It is a story of emotions, trust, relations, sympathy and forgiveness.

This TV drama series is based on a novel titled, Hasti Ke Ahang.

In the last episode, people tweeted about ‘Gul-e-Rana’ so much, that it ranked on #1 spot within an hour. This TV series is known as one of the best dramas of Hum TV.

 

 

+ Main Cast

1) Sajal Ali as Gul-e-Rana

2) Feroze Khan as Adeel

3) Mehmood Akhtar as Kamal Ahmed

4) Sundas Tariq as Maria

 

 

xxxxxxx

 

 

+ Supportive Cast

5) Samina Ahmad as Jazba Aapi

6) Saleem Mairaj as Zaffri

7) Imran Ashraf as Ashar

8) Behroze Sabzwari as Abdul Aziz

 

 

 

+ Plot

A young girl, Gul-e-Rana is struck with a bad luck to lose her loving father too soon. She is left with her mom and younger sister who start living at her Kamal uncle’s home. There she meets his wealth inherited son, Adeel.

Unlike his father Adeel’s views on women, how to treat them goes against every belief and equality for women rights Gul-e-Rana trust in. Once Adeel enters her life, all her dreams and goals now seem to be shattered for eternity.

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – I would rate Feroze Khan’s performance higher than Sajal primarily because he took a very risky role of antagonist. The lead actors who often do protagonist roles, they usually reject those roles where they have to appear as villains. You see, if the role is too dark, the viewers would have very difficult time to like the actor who is performing it but also that afterwards, that actor might lose the image of being ‘Hero’ for the viewers and may start getting ‘Villain’ roles instead.

One should have guts to accept a role like that and performed magnificently. Over here, Feroze Khan proved it.

ii – The exceptional performances given by the two main lead actors i.e. Feroze Khan & Sajal Ali, they have performed to the core of their characters. Other Honorable Mentions: Saleem Mairaj, Sundas Tariq and Mehmood Akhtar.

iii – I was very pleased to know that Saleem Mairaj was part of the supportive cast. He is a wonderful actor and should be given much meatier roles of TV & films.

iv – The supportive role of Imran Ashraf was mild, not too over dramatic.

v – The story one of the main themes was the cruelty on women. It was really hard to watch. But this choice stands out due to daring move by the team of this drama series.

vi – The locations were chosen to shoot are very beautiful scenic especially of Muree.

vii – The theme music composed by Waqar Ali while all the lyrics written by Sabir Zafar and the opening theme song “Man Maane Na” is nicely composed.

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – The silent behavior of Gul-e-Rana was totally unacceptable the cruelty against her by Adeel. She could have done so many things including at least had complained to her mom or his dad who is very caring person to her. She does not say a single word on many occasions. Though she does give a very lame reason in the end but it does not carry any weight.

I would like to tell you the real reason why she did not complain to anyone of it. It is because if she did, this drama series would have ended so soon. It would not even reach to its 10th episode even. Now the producers cannot have that, can they?

ii – The supportive story of Ashar and his family is dull and boring. However, in the much later episodes due to some reason, his father becomes nice to him. From that moment on wards it does become interesting. However, it’s too late as the drama series is about to be over soon.

iii – I have noted that in last three drama series of Hum TV (Mann Mayal, Humsafar and Gul-e-Rana) there is always the inclusion of Karachi and Hyderabad. The people of Hyderabad are shown common, middle class and loving people whereas the people of Karachi (majority of them) are rich, higher status, mean and selfish.

iv – In all these three dramas that I mentioned above including of ARY recent drama ‘Beshahram’ and A Plus drama ‘Takkabur’, they all have one thing in common. The marriage is done forcefully. Um, don’t we have happy arranged or love marriages anymore?

 

 

 

+ Overall

Honestly, I am not fond of Gul-e-Rana’s finale. Yet, it is safe to admit that I am pleased that they avoided a cliché ending. Both the lead stars are really good actors who gave a mind-blowing chemistry to watch.

 

 

 

Rate: 3.0 out of 5 stars

Theatre Plays

Mr. Khan’s Review on Mere Samne Wali Khirki Mein (2016)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani Rom-Com theatre play, Mere Samne Wali Khirki Mein aka A Window in Front of Me (2016). It was performed at NAPA.

 

 

 

+ Crew

  • Directed by Uzma Sabeen
  • Written by Babar Jamal

 

 

 

 

+ Note
Mere Samne Wali Khirki Mein is one the first comic plays by the dynamic duo of Uzma and Babar’s combined team works.

Uzma has completed her masters in English Literature after which she joined NAPA for direction. She has worked as a lighting designer for such esteemed directors and personally directed a number of hit plays for the Academic and commercial reasons. Uzma Sabeen is an award winner of Pakistan Media Award in 2013 for Best Theatre Category. Presently, she is actively involved with NAPA in teaching and management capacities. As for the writer, Babar at first began his theatre career as an actor. Over the years, he has written such plays ‘Men Adakara Banu Gee’, ‘Sau Din Chor Kay’ and ‘Jungle Men Mangle Bazaar’.

I have attended Erum’s several plays before whereas Ahmer and Owais were new to me for their on-stage performance. Mere Samne Wali Khirki Mein is a family entertainment play where most the audience were laughing & clapping so loudly as though we were attending a ‘Laughing Competition’ instead.

Mere Samne Wali Khirki Mein is my first review that I had written under the pen name of Mr. Khan.

 

 
+ Full Cast

  1. Erum Bashir as Sophie
  2. Owais Mubashir as Qutbuddin
  3. Ahmer Hussain as Tameezuddin

 

 

 

 

+ Plot
Two guys living and working in one flat of an apartment. Qutbuddin owns the business of a gossiping magazine Gup-Shup while Tameezuddin works for him. Sophie is the new neighbor which can be seen walking by from their window. Tameezuddin falls in love with Sophie at first sight but she doesn’t share his feelings for her.

 

 

+ High Points
i – Brilliant direction by our dear Uzma Sabeen. Its no wonder why the hall was jam packed with vast number of audiences attending, desperately waiting for the play to get started.

ii – Babar did a fantastic job in writing such a wonderful comic play. This play is filled horrendous amount of laughter and almost infinite number of hilarious punchlines. Its no wonder why people were laughing like crazies in the auditorium.

iii – Erum played as ‘Sophie’, as usual performed really well on stage. She is truly a ‘Star Light’ when she is in her performance (no matter a drama or a comic role). Mostly people eyes are usually fixed on her (young or old generation) when she is performing.
iv – Ahmer was the main comic relief character which he played as ‘Tameezuddin’. Watching his performance reminded me of a resemblance of NAPA’s former ‘Star Actor’ Saqib Khan. Other Honorable Mentions: Owais Mubashir.

v – Some daring, bold moves were kept concealed, only to be executed by the director when the time is right. This was the wild trump card, Uzma had hidden up in her sleeve.

vi – Owais played as ‘Qutbuddin’, is surprisingly the new comer to the theatre world. It was difficult to intake, since his firm confidence level and sudden daring exposure of being left in just a bath towel during the Live performance on stage had shocked many people.

vii – The designing of the set was well constructed with a lot of room of space provided for the performers to extend their level of blocking.

 

 

 

+ Low Points
i – The inclusion of vocal songs / musical performers during the play can further improve its quality.

ii – This play can be performed at least 10 – 15 minutes longer.

iii – Some improvement towards handling of lighting certainly needed.

 

 

+ Overall
Mere Samne Wali Khirki Mein is certainly one of best comic plays ever written and directed at NAPA.

 
Rate: 3.50 out of 5

 

Theatre Plays

Mr. Khan’s Review on Horan Deke Paas Karo (2016)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani Drama Comic theatre play, Horan Deke Paas Karo (2016). It was performed at NAPA.

 

 

 

+ Crew

  • Directed by Ir Omar
  • Written by Neil Simon

 

 

 

+ Note

Horan Deke Paas Karo is an earlier work of theatre actor, Ir Omar.

 

 

 

+ Full Cast

  1. Ahmer Hussain as Ali
  2. Haris Khan as Tipu
  3. Najma Kifayat as Soni
  4. Irma Ali as Rani
  5. Owais Mubbashir as Abba
  6. Naz as Amma

 

 

 
+ Plot

Tipu, a young lad who is fed up living with his parents. His father wants him to look after the plastic factory as his successor. But Tipu wants to fulfill his dreams, be with beautiful girls just like the macho man / his older brother Ali. But Ali is himself having problems with his girlfriend Rani who wants to settle down with him but he is not taking marriage into consideration.

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – The performances by everyone except Irma’s were greatly executed. Haris Khan was easily being judged as the best performer for this play. He showed everyone that he has the chops to do a brilliant performance. Haris Khan, you proved me right in front of my friends.

ii – As for Ahmer Hussain, it seems that he was born to do comical roles. Such a confidence level by this actor when he is performing; there is saying for him ‘Acting to os k nus, nus meh behri hai’ (Acting is filled deep into his veins). He is the ‘Akshay Kumar of the Stage’.

iii – The characters of Najma Kifayat and Owais Mubbashir were not as interesting as their performances. Both of them performed very well and due to their performance, the audience attention was magically fixed on them. Even as the play had ended and curtains were closing in, Owais refused to come out from his character.

iv – Naz is a wonderful actress and I must say she is gem of the new comers. It’s really hard to ignore those plays when she is performing in them. Although all the plays that I have attended of hers, she has played an older aged character. I personally refuse to believe that she is unable to play younger roles. I would prefer if in next upcoming plays she takes a role which is not only challenging for her but of a younger age character. I as well as the audience would be very interested to see her in a new kind of role.

v – The director did a good job in directing this play. With restricted comical moments, he still able to bring smiles and laughter on audience faces.

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – This play had light touch of humor. The comical performances especially by Haris Khan took this play towards the success otherwise there were hilarious moments in some parts of the play.

ii – It is a mystery for me whether Irma Ali is unlucky for getting dull roles or that she is an under performed actress.

iii – The character written of Owais Mubbashir could have improved; written it as interesting as Amma character played by Zarqa Naz. His character was too serious for a play like this.

iv – The set design was mild yet could be improvised as it did not look like a house of a bachelor and playboy type personality.

v – The transformation of Haris Khan did not create the level of interest as everyone was waiting for and was for short time only.

 

 
+ Overall

Horan Deke Paas Karo created such hype but did not meet its high expectations. Although, it is a good play but felt short of humor. Most of the characters were not as interesting as it promised it to be. The writing definitely needs improvisation while the performances by many were almost perfect.

 

 

Rate: 3.0 out of 5 stars

 

Feature Length Films

Mr. Khan’s Review on Oye Kuch Kar Guzar (2016)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani Online Comedy feature length film, Oye Kuch Kar Guzar (2016). The Production House is Djuice Pakistan while its Distributor is iD creations.

 

 

+ Crew

  1. Written & Directed by Harris Rasheed
  2. Edited by Imran Mushtaq
  3. Music by Jamal Rahman
  4. Produced by Syed Zaheer Uddin and Emad Ishaq Khan

 

 

 

+ Note

Oye Kuch Kar Guzar is the first Pakistani online film. It consists of 5 episodes where every episode (except the last) has 2 options to select online for the next episode. It was released on YouTube on 3rd Dec 2016.

This film was shot in Kallar Kahar (Chakwal), Katas Fort, Haveli Sardar Jawala Singh Sandu Padhana (Lahore) and Lahore Railway Station.

 

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

  1. Ali Safina as Shamsher Iqbaldin / Sherry
  2. Uzair Jaswal as Junaid Hafeez Sarhadi / Jango
  3. Ushna Shah as Zara Hayat Khan (Xara)
  4. Mahjabeen Habib as Shabnam Mushtaq Chaudary

 

 

 

 

+ Plot

Two guys randomly meet two young females at their train cabinet, where a number of mishaps take place.

 

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – Well, this is new… to see an online film with option provided to the viewer of selecting which outcome to choose for the story to progress.

ii – Then the main characters can interact with the narrator throughout the film by breaking the fourth wall to help them to ease up the situations.

iii – It is a mix reaction by the audience regarding the time length of the film. It’s less than 120 minutes which I believe is good for this film.

iv – The film edited is by Imran Mushtaq, who has done a decent job for such type of film.

v – Ushna Shah is the only star, the viewer might remember in this film. The main reason is that she is the only well-known celebrity in the main cast.

 

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – The film is rushed quickly towards the next scene where the writer / director hardly gave any importance in first establishing the emotional link of the main characters with the viewers.

ii – Since the film is comic thus the viewer hardly felt any fear of losing them or to find them in a conflicting situation; knowingly nothing serious would happen to them anyway. Basically, I just didn’t care.

iii – No song is worth listening.

iv – Nor anyone’s performance was enjoyable or pleasant to watch.

 

 

 

+ Overall

Other than great concept, a little is done with Oye Kuch Kar Guzar, adding yet another film to the pile of forgettable comedies.

 

 

 

Rate: 1.75 out of 5 stars