Category: TV series

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Tan Man Neel o Neel (2024)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Tan Man Neel o Neel (2024). The eleven episode TV mini-series is directed by Saife Hassan and written by Mustafa Afridi. Tan Man Neel o Neel is a story of the Pakistani dance entertainment industry along with the politics and corruption that surrounds it.  Tan Man Neel o Neel was aired on HUM TV late 2024.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Saife Hassan
  • Written by Mustafa Afridi
  • Produced by Sultana Siddiqui

+ Note

Tan Man Neel o Neel might have a deceivingly simple narrative on paper but it pertains dark complexity within its plot dealing with controversial issues like sexual abuse, corruption, torture and blasphemy.

 + Main Cast

  1. Shuja Asad as Sonu
  2. Seher Khan as Rabi
  3. Sammiya Mumtaz
  4. Saleem Mairaj
  5. Nadia Afgan
  6. Nauman Masood
  7. Muhammad Usman Javed
  8. Haseeb Khan

+ Plot

The story takes place in a city of dreams where Sonu (played by Shuja Asad) wants to become a professional dancer in the Entertainment Industry. After his performance in a small gig, he comes across Rabi (played by Seher Khan), a social media video blogger, who takes a shine at Sonu and forms a professional business partnership with him. After Sonu’s dancing partner becomes a victim of an unspeakable incident, Sonu and Rabi fight to find justice in a society where corruption runs the entire system.

+ High Points

i – This drama serial takes a massive chance with its highly controversial subject matter. Tan Man Neel o Neel is inadvertently a throwback to a time in the 90s where Pakistani dramas did not shy away from dealing with subjects that were detrimental to our society. Unfortunately I cannot discuss this “controversial subject matter” for readers who have not seen the show but will discuss it below in the spoiler section.

ii – Although I was not fully convinced in the beginning with the performances of our two young main leads, they did kind of grow on me as the series progressed. The naivety and lack of experience actually proved to be vital in their characterizations. Sonu grew up with a single parent while Rabi’s parents are loving and at times, lenient with her adventures into a dangerous, rogue world of online entertainment. Seher Khan’s interpretation of Rabi is a bold faced sweetheart who is never shy to speak her mind whereas Shuja Asad’s Sonu thinks perhaps a bit too much, before he speaks. In the world of Television, they are made for one another.

iii – The very first episode itself has a gut punch prepared for its audience with one, very controversial scene. It is very subtle in its visual and spoken presentation but for most viewers, it is obvious what has just happened to Sonu’s close friend. Without spoiling any plot point, let’s just say I did not expect a Pakistani TV drama to tackle such a taboo subject on public television. Kudos to the creative team for going through this.

iv – I always love watching Sammiya Mumtaz on screen. Her calm yet emotional performances always bring out the best in any TV show she is a part of. She plays a retired singer who is haunted by her past. As the show progresses, we get to learn more and more about it which involves her, her fiance and a jealous lover. This side story is well written and honestly, could have been a separate show in itself.

v – The surroundings of old city Punjab plays a vital role in creating an atmosphere for the show. I love the small, narrow streets, filled with deteriorating rows and rows of apartment buildings, wet clothes hanging on wires, rooftops, kite flying and so on. 

vi – The cinematography and framing at times, is so brilliant. The interior architecture is perfectly utilized in capturing the essence of the scene. Take for example this picture below, Rabi’s father had just revealed a terrible secret to his wife and the framing conveys the emotional claustrophobia that they feel now within the situation. Such visual storytelling adds so much to the entire atmosphere of the show.

SPOILER!!! If you haven’t seen the show yet, please skip to the ‘Low Points’ section below:

vii – The crescendo to the show, the plot that was leading up to the final confrontation; the blasphemy law. This law that has been shoved into Pakistan’s Penal Code since the early 90s, has been responsible for countless deaths of innocent muslims and non-muslims. This modern day witch hunt destroys the vision of Quaid’s Pakistan to its very founding principles. Salman Taseer, a Pakistani PPP politician was assassinated just for tackling this highly controversial topic and since then, no serious opposition was ever brought up against it due to backlash or worse, death. 

I genuinely applaud the creative team behind Tan Man Neel o Neel for actually tackling this topic head on and making it very clear where they stand on this issue. And the ending itself is not just used for mere shock value. If we listen closely to the dialogue with each episode, the topic was hinted at beforehand and is cleverly executed. 

+ Low Points

i – With all its strong characterization and brilliant pacing, the plot can get slightly repetitive and convoluted at times. With each episode, the revenge scenario between different factions started dominating the show a bit too much and as a viewer, one can easily be confused where our sympathies are supposed to lie.

ii – The “singing” sequences were badly synchronized with the actors. The show did not even attempt to make them believable. Obviously they had a professional singer singing on behalf of Seher Khan but the audio mixing was utter nonsense and laughable. Thankfully these scenes were very few but nonetheless, took me out of the scene every single time.

iii – When it comes to the antagonists of the show, nothing really stood out for me. Nauman Masood’s performance was commendable but the characterization and motivation was quite two dimensional. He is a terrible person because the script requires it. There was no nuance, no hint of what shaped his character in such a way. He’s just a troublemaker who wants to control Rabi.

+ Overall

Tan Man Neel o Neel is unapologetically a controversial show and it lives by that reputation. 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Nadaan – Episode V-VIII (2024)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Nadaan Episode 5-8 (2024). The new TV series is directed by Mehreen Jabbar and written by Saji Gul. Nadaan is a story of an honest police officer, trapped in a world of corruption and deception. Can he defy all odds and stand up for justice? Nadaan is a Moomal Productions and HUM TV Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Mehreen Jabbar
  • Written by Saji Gul
  • Produced by Sultana Siddiqui 
  • Production by Moomal Productions

+ Note

‘Nadaan’ plot tackles the complexity of a police officer in search of justice from a corrupt system driven by outerior forces of religion, money and power. The plot displays how naivety can lead citizens into believing myths of miracle cure as opposed to medicine and doctors.

 + Main Cast

  1. Ahmed Ali Akbar       as Officer Haider
  2. Ramsha Khan           as Dr. Tabeer
  3. Hammad Shoaib
  4. Ahmed Ali Akbar
  5. Kashif Hussain
  6. Ahmed Randhawa
  7. Ali Gul Mallah

+ Plot

In search of justice, a police officer Haider ends up entrenched in the world of corruption, drug addiction and societal follies. Along the way, he is befriended by a young Dr. Tabeer who is willing to join him in the battle to protect the vulnerable and expose the wrongdoers.

+ High Points

i –  Episode 5 started off with a bang! The plot takes a major turn and all hell breaks loose. Now the lives of Dr. Tabeer and the medical staff are in severe danger as the radical mob tries to overthrow and burn down the hospital itself. But could Officer Haider save the day? Episode 5 was truly intense and the most engaging episode of the entire series.

Major SPOILERS ahead. If you would like to avoid it, please skip to Overall section:

ii – As I have previously mentioned before Kashif Hussain’s performance as the devious second in command is truly remarkable. He is perfectly casted and lives up to his role quite magnificently. His performance entails various sets of emotions; from his disturbing devotion to his Peer to utter insanity at the end, Kashif Hussain proves his wide range of acting masterclass throughout the series.

iii – I also found the plot redirection of Peer’s wife taking over the empire quite an interesting take with such great opportunity for further plot development. From the meek, obedient wife to powerhouse overlord; her sudden character development had great potential to bring something new and unpredictable to the show.

iv – The romance between Officer Haider and Dr. Tabeer is much better handled in the last four episodes as the dangerous circumstances naturally bring them closer to each other. This, I believe, is a much more convincing way of creating chemistry between the two protagonists as in comparison to some forced conversations and dialogues in the earlier episodes.

v – I love this shot (pictured below). The bars of prison visually divide the two protagonists but as they talk through their past trauma, it threatens to break the walls that divide them and bring them closer together.

vi – The last shot and the wrapping up of the plot from past to present is well executed and nicely brings the story to a close. 

+ Low Points

i – I was not a fan of the last episode. The overall conclusion felt abrupt and rushed as too many plot threads were quickly resolved because the story needed to end at this point. It also felt very unrealistic how quickly the wife of the late Peer was convinced of the innocence of Dr. Tabeer and quick turnaround of the mob against Tayeeb. The series could have used an extra episode to wrap things up in a proper and natural way.

ii – Also I felt there were way too many instances where Dr. Tabeer was arrested and then set free but then once again arrested. This whole plotline felt a bit convoluted and repetitive. 

iii – The plot twist with the wife of the late Peer, taking over the empire was a completely wasted opportunity. It was such an interesting move by the writer but was way too quickly resolved. The sudden loss of her husband could have had some severe consequences and made her into the new villain of the show. And perhaps she did not even need to turn “good” by the end. The corruption of power could have left her in a state of agony. Nonetheless, it was disappointing that the show did not follow through with this plotline.

+ Overall

Nadaan was a short but exciting TV series with some good performances and an engaging plotline but due to its not following through its plot into bold new directions, I cannot claim it to be one of Mehreen Jabbar’s best works to date.

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Nadaan – Episode I-IV (2024)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Nadaan Episode 1-4 (2024). The new TV series is directed by Mehreen Jabbar and written by Saji Gul. Nadaan is a story of an honest police officer, trapped in a world of corruption and deception. Can he defy all odds and stand up for justice? Nadaan is a Moomal Productions and HUM TV Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Mehreen Jabbar
  • Written by Saji Gul
  • Produced by Sultana Siddiqui 
  • Production by Moomal Productions

+ Note

‘Nadaan’ plot tackles the complexity of a police officer in search of justice from a corrupt system driven by outerior forces of religion, money and power. The plot displays how naivety can lead citizens into believing myths of miracle cure as opposed to medicine and doctors.

 + Main Cast

  1. Ahmed Ali Akbar       as Officer Haider
  2. Ramsha Khan           as Dr. Tabeer
  3. Hammad Shoaib
  4. Ahmed Ali Akbar
  5. Kashif Hussain
  6. Ahmed Randhawa
  7. Ali Gul Mallah

+ Plot

In search of justice, police officer Haider ends up entrenched in a world of corruption, drug addiction and societal follies. Along the way, he is befriended by a young Dr. Tabeer who is willing to join him in the battle to protect the vulnerable and expose the wrongdoers.

+ High Points

i –  Mehreen Jabbar is always known for her unique storytelling and fantastic backdrops of the underbelly of Pakistani society. And ‘Nadaan’ is thankfully no different. Director Jabbar always brings the ‘realism’ to the table; not just the grittiness and despair but also human interaction, the kindness that a good samaritan displays in need of help. And thus, her shows feel so much more authentic and ‘lived in’ as compared to many tv shows distracted with displaying only wealth and power as a background for a melodramatic storyline. In short, Mehreen Jabar’s shows are always a breath of fresh air for Pakistani television.

ii – The casting of the show is one of the main reasons for its success. Ahmed Ali Akbar as the guilt ridden police officer along with Ramsha Khan as the kind hearted doctor is a good dynamic for some interesting chemistry. Kashif Hussain as the devious antagonist along with other supporting cast makes each scene of the show lively and there’s hardly a dull moment.

iii – The central plot of the show is by far, the best aspect of the show. Writer Saji Gul does not shy away from the dangers of ‘personality worship’ as many locals tend to follow their ‘pirs’ for miracle cures rather than qualified doctors. The misuse of religion, the dangers of drug addiction and abuse of power play pivotal roles in bringing this show to light. Although it is heavily dramatized, the plot itself feels realistic and believable. 

iv – As mentioned above, the locations, set design and costumes all blend well into the gritty atmosphere the show is trying to create. 

v – Love the fact that the show starts off with a flashback of a ‘crossroads’ moment in the life of our protagonist and then it cuts back to the beginning of the story. This keeps the viewers engaged into the storyline and ultimately root for the redemption of our protagonist.

vi – The main theme of the show is melodic and fits perfectly to the show’s atmosphere. The soundtrack itself is well orchestrated and enhances the emotion of each and every scene of the show. 

+ Low Points

i – With all the right moves to have yet another classic Mehreen Jabbar show, it doesn’t hit its mark as well as it should have. The plot seems to be mostly predictable and by the numbers. One can almost anticipate each scene that will drive the narrative forward. The predictable romance between the police officer and the doctor seems out of place and plays no role in adding any depth to the narrative. ‘Nadaan’ is not a bad show by any stretch of imagination and it’s miles better than most shows we currently watch on our television but for some reason, Mehreen Jabbar chose to play safe with this show (even if the plot is quite an interesting one). The twist and turns of the show are entirely predictable and never left me at the edge of my sofa.  

ii – Even with a predictable show, perhaps the performances of the actors can make the show worth watching, right? Well, it is worth a watch but the actors are not at their “A” game. For one reason or another, the performances feel at times, lifeless and formulaic. And it is utterly surprising that even Ahmed Ali Akbar falls into this trap. The only performance that left me wanting for more was Kashif Hussain as his character is by far, the most fascinating of all.

iii – In the first episode , there were some audio issues with the microphone of Ramsha Khan. Perhaps the microphone was not attached properly but nonetheless was very noticeable and distracting throughout.

iv – I also felt that the romance of the show was way too quickly developed between the police officer and the doctor. They hardly shared a single emotional scene together and for some reason, that was enough. Frankly, I would have preferred without any romance angle as it adds nothing to the main plot of the show. 

+ Overall

Four episodes in, ‘Nadaan’ is still an interesting watch but not to the levels of what one would expect from the talent of Mehreen Jabar. 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Sar-e-Rah (2023)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sar-e-Rah (2023). The six episode TV mini-series is directed by Ahmed Bhatti and written by Adeel Razzaq & Abdullah Seja. Sar-e-Rah is a collection of short visual stories, perceived through the eyes of a female Taxi Driver, Rania (played by Saba Qamar). Known for its tackling of challenging subject matters, Sar-e-Rah was aired on ARY Digital in early 2023.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Ahmed Bhatti
  • Written by Adeel Razzaq & Abdullah Seja
  • Cinematography by Luqman Khan
  • Editing by Arsalan Waheed
  • Music by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Mohsin Allah Dittah and Naveed Nashad
  • Production by ARY Digital

+ Note

Sar-e-Rah is a six episode mini-series which is solely focused on the tribulations that a woman (and minorities) have to face in a Pakistani society. Whether it is being harassed at work, being a single parent, having a viral video taken out of context or having a different sexual orientation; Sar-e-Rah highlights all those topics through short television episodes through the eyes of a female cab driver, Rania.

 + Main Cast

  1. Saba Qamar as Rania
  2. Sunita Marshall as Dr. Muzna
  3. Saboor Ali as  Rameen
  4. Muneeb Butt as  Sarang
  5. Hareem Farooq as  Maryam
  6. Mirza Zain Baig as Shozaib
  7. Mikaal Zulfiqar as Amir

+ Plot

After tragedy strikes the family, Rania has no choice but to continue the family business on behalf of her ailing father i.e. working as a cab driver. While on the road, she encounters four brave individuals who share their life experiences with her. 

+ High Points

i – In terms of its conception, Sar-e-Rah is brilliant, well throughout the mini series. By dividing each story into its separate episode, Sar-e-Rah gives a wonderful insight into the lives of individuals who suffer from taking a path which revolts against the misogynist norms of our society. Where Sar-e-Rah truly excels for me is the simple storytelling. Each episode ends with an introduction to a new character and the next episode then elaborates and builds up this individual’s backstory through a lengthy flashback. Not only is this a great concept for storytelling but also quite an engaging one as this strategy makes certain that the audience will most likely tune in for the next episode. Granted, this technique would get old fast in a longer TV series but for a six episode mini-series, works perfectly fine.

ii – Saba Qamar’s character is a perfect vessel for the audience to peep into the lives of the four individuals that she meets along her journey of self-emancipation. The questioning of her character to her clients are impeccably written as they ask the same question that the audience of the show might have in regards to their life stories. Her character Rania is a smart, confident woman who is open to learning from other life experiences around her.

iii – Not all episodes are a homerun but the ones that do shine are the most effective ones. Case in point, Dr. Munza and her struggle to adopt a child. The episode brilliantly exposes the hypocrisy from the society between a husband and wife. The couple cannot conceive a child so naturally it is the woman at fault. Dr. Munza is perplexed and heartbroken as her husband is comfortable with shoving the blame on her when he, in fact, is the one that cannot conceive a child. Along the way, Dr. Munza comes across an abandoned baby in her clinic and promises to protect and adopt the child at all costs. And as one would expect, her husband and mother in law disown her completely and she has no choice but to become a single mother.

Sunita Marshall is perfect casting for the role as she has the ability to play a tortured yet brave woman who can stand up against her so-called authority figures.

iv – Perhaps the most difficult topic to tackle for the show was (unsurprisingly) Episode 4; the boy who was different from others. Just for attempting to bring the topic of homosexuality and transsexual on Pak TV screens is enough to set the internet on fire. Whether you are for individual rights or not, these people exist in our society and are part of our daily lives. And it is important that they are represented as part of us on national television. 

While personally not a fan of the network, ARY Digital should be praised for its “controversial” Karachi beach chat between the father and son. I can imagine how much pressure and anticipation for backlash the network prepared for before releasing this episode. All because the father told his son that he will love him no matter what sexual orientation he chooses in the future.  

v – The original soundtrack of the show is splendid. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s magnificent voice captures the struggle and intensity of the characters. The music accompanying each scene provides an additional touch to its emotional drama and never overstays its welcome.

+ Low Points

i – Sar-e-Rah had a great concept but faltered mostly in its execution. The illustrious cast of characters have great, individual personalities with serious, real life issues but the supporting cast of “villains” are depicted as cartoonishly evil with unrealistic dialogue and personalities. The show never went to the next level because the writing of the show never allowed it. There is no doubt that Sar-e-Rah is a show with a bold premise but if the problems are real, the world that it is set in also needs to feel realistic. The show is too busy depicting ‘Good vs Evil’ when in fact, the world is mostly consisting of gray areas.

ii – With all the good that Sar-e-Rah brought onto our television screens, not every episode worked to its strength (namely Episode 3 and 5). The Tik-Tok star episode really had genuine emotions behind its storytelling but the performances and cookie-cutter antagonists just ended up making the episode mediocre at best.

Episode 5 with Maryam (the career oriented woman) felt like it missed its mark by a long shot. Unlike the other protagonists in the show, Maryam felt very unlikable with her mannerisms as she felt that the society “owed” her success in her career rather than her talent earning that success. Her male colleagues are cartoonish scumbags but Maryam’s overconfidence also made her so unsympathetic that as a viewer, I couldn’t care less who wins the pitch with the client in the end. They were all fairly unlikable.

iii – The last episode was massively disappointing as each of the stories were forced into a “wholesome” conclusion from the show. Either all the antagonists were embarrassed or they suddenly gained a new perception in life which narratively made no sense. Sar-e-Rah started off with a bang and ended in a whimper.

+ Overall

Sar-e-Rah is a show with bold writing and a strong cast of characters but ultimately fails to capture the realism of the world that it sets itself in.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Meri Shehzadi – Episode XXIII (2022)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Meri Shehzadi Episode 23 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Qasim Ali Mureed and written by Zanjbeel Asim Shah. Meri Shehzadi is a story of a girl with a tragic past but is destined to become Royalty. Can she handle the responsibilities that come with it? Meri Shehzadi is an MD Productions and HUM TV Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Qasim Ali Mureed
  • Written by Zanjbeel Asim Shah
  • Produced by Momina Duraid 
  • Production by MD Productions

+ Note

The story of Meri Shehzadi is inspired by the real life story of the late Princess Diana from the United Kingdom. The show explores the expectations that corrupts the innocent and discourages empathy towards the common man.

 + Main Cast

  1. Urwa Hocane as Dania
  2. Ali Rehman as Shehroz
  3. Sabeen Farooq as Bisma
  4. Muazzam Ali Khan
  5. Sonia Mishal
  6. Najiba Faiz
  7. Atiqa Odho
  8. Shabbir Jan
  9. Nauman Maqsood
  10. Qavi Khan as Dania’s Nana
  11. Shamim Hilaly as Dania’s Nani

+ Plot

Raised by her loving Grandparents, Dania is born in a royal family who is destined for greatness in life. After meeting her future husband and entering the political monarchy of Pakistan, Dania must face the trials and tribulations that come along with the life of royalty.

+ High Points

i –  The story progressed to a minimal degree (and I am being extremely generous here).

+ Low Points

i – Episode 23 was just ridiculous. Meri Shehzadi has now entered the “trashy” section of Pakistani television (or as I would like to call it, Geo TV programs). Slaps galore! It has now become a staple that whenever a husband physically abuses his wife, the wife returns the favor. Our main protagonist is being constantly drugged and her pseudo doctor boyfriend also can’t figure this mystery out. Scheming maids, evil Mother in Laws and more! 

Last week, I was being overly optimistic for the show’s future but this episode proved me wrong. This might be the lowest point of this show’s lifespan.

ii – The show runners clearly have no idea how drugs work since Urwa Hocane’s performance is unnecessarily exaggerated. All of a sudden, her entire character has changed as she is snapping at people who supported her left and right, smashing kebab plates (off screen) and whatnot. One could understand if such behavior came in phases but not as a constant entity. Comical writing accompanied by outlandish performance. Terrible!

iii – Look at this screenshot from the episode. The video on the phone apparently leaped out of its screen and overlapped the spoon. Is this the standard of Hum TV productions now??

iv – This show has currently no sense of direction. The character growth that we thought we witnessed has evaporated into thin air so the script can make room for some nonsense, trashy back and forth between the characters.This has to be one of the worst episodes that this show has put out. And we, as an audience, deserve better quality writing from Hum TV productions.

+ Overall

Unapologetic, trashy television that should have no place on national television.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Meri Shehzadi – Episode XXII (2022)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Meri Shehzadi Episode 22 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Qasim Ali Mureed and written by Zanjbeel Asim Shah. Meri Shehzadi is a story of a girl with a tragic past but is destined to become Royalty. Can she handle the responsibilities that come with it? Meri Shehzadi is an MD Productions and HUM TV Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Qasim Ali Mureed
  • Written by Zanjbeel Asim Shah
  • Produced by Momina Duraid 
  • Production by MD Productions

+ Note

The story of Meri Shehzadi is inspired by the real life story of the late Princess Diana from the United Kingdom. The show explores the expectations that corrupts the innocent and discourages empathy towards the common man.

 + Main Cast

  1. Urwa Hocane as Dania
  2. Ali Rehman as Shehroz
  3. Sabeen Farooq as Bisma
  4. Muazzam Ali Khan
  5. Sonia Mishal
  6. Najiba Faiz
  7. Atiqa Odho
  8. Shabbir Jan
  9. Nauman Maqsood
  10. Qavi Khan as Dania’s Nana
  11. Shamim Hilaly as Dania’s Nani

+ Plot

Raised by her loving Grandparents, Dania is born in a royal family who is destined for greatness in life. After meeting her future husband and entering the political monarchy of Pakistan, Dania must face the trials and tribulations that come along with the life of royalty.

+ High Points

i –  Episode 22 starts off with Shahana Bajhi a.k.a Dania’s Mother in Law as she wants to retaliate and take everything away from Dania. With each passing meal, Dania is being secretly drugged to deteriorate her health and present her as a mother who is incapable of taking care of her children. With each scene, we can see Dania growing irritable and incapacitated. On the other hand, the Mother in Law is also trying to manipulate her other daughter in law, Cam. Brought up in her “western culture”, Cam has a hard time adjusting to the requirements presented by her Mother in Law. Episode 22 was good because it presented storyprogression from both ends and each character played its role with significance to the overall plot of the show.

ii – It’s fairly interesting that even though Cam craves for her husband’s approval, she is still unwilling to sacrifice her character in the process. She likes to wear western clothing, hug her male friends and dance into the night. Even with immense pressure from Shahana Baji, she is unwilling to conform to the “norms” of a Pakistani housewife. It is also intriguing to notice that the show does not really take sides but rather, let the viewers decide who is right in this situation; the overbearing mother in law or the stubborn daughter in law?

+ Low Points

i – The “party” scene was so utterly ridiculous. For some reason, the footage was sped up to make the scene “chaotic”, the camera was entirely focused on hors d’oeuvres and not the guests mingling with one another. The scene felt flat for what the show was trying to accomplish.

ii – Dr. Hasan has been a very disappointing character for me. Even though he has mellowed out since the last few episodes, his romance with Dania feels non-existent at this point. Aren’t we supposed to root for them to be together? And speaking of ignored characters, Shehroz has become non-existent at this point which is such a shame.

iii – Drugged or not, I cannot imagine that a character like Dania would throw the kebabs plate onto the wall because they were “too spicy”. From what we have been accustomed to, it is not in Dania’s character.

+ Overall

With devious plans and the clash of polar opposite characters, Episode 22 was an entertaining one.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Meri Shehzadi – Episode XXI (2022)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Meri Shehzadi Episode 21 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Qasim Ali Mureed and written by Zanjbeel Asim Shah. Meri Shehzadi is a story of a girl with a tragic past but is destined to become Royalty. Can she handle the responsibilities that come with it? Meri Shehzadi is an MD Productions and HUM TV Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Qasim Ali Mureed
  • Written by Zanjbeel Asim Shah
  • Produced by Momina Duraid 
  • Production by MD Productions

+ Note

The story of Meri Shehzadi is inspired by the real life story of the late Princess Diana from the United Kingdom. The show explores the expectations that corrupts the innocent and discourages empathy towards the common man.

 + Main Cast

  1. Urwa Hocane as Dania
  2. Ali Rehman as Shehroz
  3. Sabeen Farooq as Bisma
  4. Muazzam Ali Khan
  5. Sonia Mishal
  6. Najiba Faiz
  7. Atiqa Odho
  8. Shabbir Jan
  9. Nauman Maqsood
  10. Qavi Khan as Dania’s Nana
  11. Shamim Hilaly as Dania’s Nani

+ Plot

Raised by her loving Grandparents, Dania is born in a royal family who is destined for greatness in life. After meeting her future husband and entering the political monarchy of Pakistan, Dania must face the trials and tribulations that come along with the life of royalty.

+ High Points

i –  Unlike the previous episode, this week had better plot development. Dr. Hasan is now trying to convince Dania to reconsider a second marriage with him in order to maintain her public image. The mother in law of course wants to destroy everything around Dania and take her place once again as the head of the table. Meri Shehzadi suffers from plot structure and bad writing but the events of each scene are communicated with clarity to the viewers which makes it easy to follow and revisit each and every week for the next plot development.

+ Low Points

i – Meri Shehzadi has just drizzled down to mediocrity. All characters have just become cartoonish caricatures of themselves, plot development from previous episodes are ignored or incomplete, the individual personas of the main cast do not matter anymore as the plot has finally gone into auto pilot. Events need to happen not because they had been carefully developed throughout the show but rather to the requirement of the script. Case in point; Dania’s marriage to Dr. Hasan. In the last episode, the doctor indirectly insulted Dania and let out his frustration towards his mother for not agreeing to his previous love interest. And now, he just wants to “save” Dania. Not only is this plot point so far removed from the real Princess Diana’s affair with the Pakistani doctor but it also makes no sense to the plot of this show. If Dania ends up marrying the doctor, would that not make the rumors true that she did indeed have an affair with him behind her husband’s back? 

ii – The chemistry and romance between Dania and Dr. Hasan is surprisingly one of the weaker parts of the show. And the fault not only lies in the performances but the script itself. The written dialogues try so hard to sound deep and meaningful but end up being cliche and uninteresting. The scenes shared between the two could have made or break the show but unfortunately for Meri Shehzadi, the romance feels forced and unmotivated. 

iii – There were a couple of times in episode 21 where I openly groaned while watching the show. The writing has drastically become incredibly lame and the scenes like the mother in law using the chess board to hammer down the game of politics. Yes, politics is like a game of chess. Thank you for that visual reminder! And later on, the doctor and the grandpa also find some time to play a game of chess. Just a word of advice from the viewer; Symbolism only works if it’s subtle. Otherwise, it just comes off as contrived.

iv – It’s a pity that Shehroz has been almost entirely removed from the plot. He was always one of the few interesting characters of the show and Dr. Hasan unfortunately does not possess the complexity that Shehroz had.

+ Overall

The chemistry and romance between Dania and Dr. Hasan is surprisingly one of the weaker parts of the show.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Meri Shehzadi – Episode XX (2022)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Meri Shehzadi Episode 20 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Qasim Ali Mureed and written by Zanjbeel Asim Shah. Meri Shehzadi is a story of a girl with a tragic past but is destined to become Royalty. Can she handle the responsibilities that come with it? Meri Shehzadi is an MD Productions and HUM TV Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Qasim Ali Mureed
  • Written by Zanjbeel Asim Shah
  • Produced by Momina Duraid 
  • Production by MD Productions

+ Note

The story of Meri Shehzadi is inspired by the real life story of the late Princess Diana from the United Kingdom. The show explores the expectations that corrupts the innocent and discourages empathy towards the common man.

 + Main Cast

  1. Urwa Hocane as Dania
  2. Ali Rehman as Shehroz
  3. Sabeen Farooq as Bisma
  4. Muazzam Ali Khan
  5. Sonia Mishal
  6. Najiba Faiz
  7. Atiqa Odho
  8. Shabbir Jan
  9. Nauman Maqsood
  10. Qavi Khan as Dania’s Nana
  11. Shamim Hilaly as Dania’s Nani

+ Plot

Raised by her loving Grandparents, Dania is born in a royal family who is destined for greatness in life. After meeting her future husband and entering the political monarchy of Pakistan, Dania must face the trials and tribulations that come along with the life of royalty.

+ High Points

i –  Even though the confrontation scene between Dania and her mother in law was abysmal, at least we (as the viewers) got to see character development from our protagonist. From the meek, impressionable girl to the strong, independent woman; Dania has grown massively as a character in these past 15 to 20 episodes. It is a reward that the viewer feels when they chose to stick by the show since its premiere episode and it has finally somewhat paid off.

+ Low Points

i – Episode 20 was lame and inconsequential at best. Nothing of note ever took place in this hour’s time. Dr. Hasan’s mother is forcing him to create a romance with Dania but to no avail. The confrontation between the Mother in law and our protagonist was as cliche as you could have imagined and the narrative felt nothing more than padding for the next coming weeks of the show. Entirely skippable of an episode.

ii – You know when the show has run out of its creative juices when you see a slap and a blocking of the slap routine. The Saas/ Bahoo storyline has come to a dead end by now. The confrontation between Dania and her mother in law is beyond its expiry date and apart from being treated with line after line of pure repetition and nonsensical dialogue, Dania has finally taken her kids away and I hope that is the end of that storyline.

iii – It is still astonishing to me that the real life married couple of Farhan Saeed and Urwa Hocane can be so devoid of onscreen chemistry. None of the scenes that they share feel exciting and engaging in any shape or form. The scenes feel rushed and a practice recitation of dialogues so they can end the day’s shoot as quickly as possible. And on top of it all, Dr. Hasan is now arguably turning into an unlikeable character. 

iv – It is obvious that Dr.Hasan makes intrusive remarks towards Dania in the episode just to push her further away but I am not really sure why. If Hasan is not interested in Dania then these actions could make sense but if it is just for spite since his mother refused the last girl he brought home then that is just ludicrous. In episode 20, Dr. Hasan just comes off bitter and unapproachable to the viewers and I am sure that is not what the show wants us to feel about him. 

+ Overall

An inconsequential episode, riddled with cliche scenes and dialogues, Meri Shehzadi can do much better than this.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Meri Shehzadi – Episode XVIII & XIX (2022)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Meri Shehzadi Episode 18 and 19 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Qasim Ali Mureed and written by Zanjbeel Asim Shah. Meri Shehzadi is a story of a girl with a tragic past but is destined to become Royalty. Can she handle the responsibilities that come with it? Meri Shehzadi is an MD Productions and HUM TV Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Qasim Ali Mureed
  • Written by Zanjbeel Asim Shah
  • Produced by Momina Duraid 
  • Production by MD Productions

+ Note

The story of Meri Shehzadi is inspired by the real life story of the late Princess Diana from the United Kingdom. The show explores the expectations that corrupts the innocent and discourages empathy towards the common man.

 + Main Cast

  1. Urwa Hocane as Dania
  2. Ali Rehman as Shehroz
  3. Sabeen Farooq as Bisma
  4. Muazzam Ali Khan
  5. Sonia Mishal
  6. Najiba Faiz
  7. Atiqa Odho
  8. Shabbir Jan
  9. Nauman Maqsood
  10. Qavi Khan as Dania’s Nana
  11. Shamim Hilaly as Dania’s Nani

+ Plot

Raised by her loving Grandparents, Dania is born in a royal family who is destined for greatness in life. After meeting her future husband and entering the political monarchy of Pakistan, Dania must face the trials and tribulations that come along with the life of royalty.

+ High Points

i –  Episode 18 starts a new phase in Dania’s life. Her political career looks uncertain, her family life is in shambles, the only thing she has going for her is her grandfather who is currently in the hospital. Enter; Dr. Hasan. Inspired by the real life lover of Princess Dania, Dr. Hasan is played by the real life husband of Urwa Hocane, Farhan Saeed. And immediately, one could see why this was such an ideal casting. Farhan’s performance possesses a certain arrogance with a hint of empathy to create a character for Dania whom she could eventually fall in love with. A total 180 if in comparison to her husband. Initially, Dr. Hasan comes off harsh and unsympathetic but as you get to know him, he eventually warms up and reveals his inner thoughts and emotions. All in all, Farhan Saeed as Dr. Hasan is perfect casting the show.

ii –  With everything imploding around Dania (her marriage, her career), it’s nice to see some good fortune bestowed upon her. The romance with her husband was doomed right from the start. Since then, Dania has faced countless hardships with no silver linings in between so Dr. Hasan is undoubtedly a sigh of relief for the show. 

+ Low Points

i – Even though casting Farhan Saeed as Dania’s eventual lover was a no brainer, one would have expected a much better chemistry from the real life married duo. Urwa Hocane’s one note dialogue delivery seems like a bad mix with Farhan’s calculated performance. 

ii – So this move left me somewhat perplexed. After the grandfather’s heart attack scene, Qavi Khan as the ‘Nana’ just retired from the role and was handed over to a new actor who physically looks nothing alike! The subtitle underneath claims no real reason behind it so why was this decision made? Did Qavi Khan have other commitments or was he physically not well? Such decisions break the immersion of the viewers and unless there is a vital reason behind it, these actor swaps should be avoided.

iii – We are two-thirds way into the life of the show and Meri Shehzadi has been a poor (loose) adaptation of the life of Princess Diana. Urwa Hocane has been very disappointing with her performance in the lead role, the plot has strictly focused on uninspired family drama that has been depicted countless times on every Pak TV show and the show hardly gives you any reason to re-visit it each and every week. I would wish the show to end on a high note, develop the romance between Dania and Dr. Hasan, make the audience root for them to be together. With such an interesting narrative platform, Meri Shehzadi should have been a much better show than it is. 

+ Overall

A silver lining in the form of Dr. Hasan but Meri Shehzadi continues to walk on familiar territories and never challenge itself with originality.

Rate: out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Meri Shehzadi – Episode XVII (2022)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Meri Shehzadi Episode 17 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Qasim Ali Mureed and written by Zanjbeel Asim Shah. Meri Shehzadi is a story of a girl with a tragic past but is destined to become Royalty. Can she handle the responsibilities that come with it? Meri Shehzadi is an MD Productions and HUM TV Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Qasim Ali Mureed
  • Written by Zanjbeel Asim Shah
  • Produced by Momina Duraid 
  • Production by MD Productions

+ Note

The story of Meri Shehzadi is inspired by the real life story of the late Princess Diana from the United Kingdom. The show explores the expectations that corrupts the innocent and discourages empathy towards the common man.

 + Main Cast

  1. Urwa Hocane as Dania
  2. Ali Rehman as Shehroz
  3. Sabeen Farooq as Bisma
  4. Muazzam Ali Khan
  5. Sonia Mishal
  6. Najiba Faiz
  7. Atiqa Odho
  8. Shabbir Jan
  9. Nauman Maqsood
  10. Qavi Khan as Dania’s Nana
  11. Shamim Hilaly as Dania’s Nani

+ Plot

Raised by her loving Grandparents, Dania is born in a royal family who is destined for greatness in life. After meeting her future husband and entering the political monarchy of Pakistan, Dania must face the trials and tribulations that come along with the life of royalty.

+ High Points

i –  Even with all its flaws, Meri Shehzadi always has at least one scene per episode which combines all the best elements of the show. And for episode 17, it was the confrontation between Shehroz and his mother in the garden. The tension and frustration on Shehroz’s face was quite evident as he contemplated the future scenario where he will have to officially announce his relationship with Cam to the general public. What follows is the talk that his mother gives him through her life long experience working as a politician. “Allow your loved one to die and you will finally be free of having anyone close to you again”. This is the sort of mentality I could expect from her character and plays a perfect role in morphing and corrupting Shehroz’s way of thinking. 

ii – Unlike Dania, Cam’s character has always been on point. Bringing up the son on her own, she is desperate for Shehroz’s love and attention, and wants him all for herself. Dania will always be a major threat to her because to the general public, Dania will always be Shehroz’s one and only wife. Cam’s treatment by the family as an imposter is taking a toll on her mind and Cam finally want to break the shackles and achieve the goal of finally being Shehroz’s one and only love.

+ Low Points

i – Its very disappointing to see Meri Shehzadi doubledown on the narrative path towards a more “family melodrama” approach and less focused towards the “political aspect” of the plot. We now get to see Dania and Cam constantly fight one another for the affection of Shehroz and quite frankly, it’s very demeaning to the women of the show. By this point, Dania should be moving on with her life and focusing on her political career instead. Shehroz has made it very clear that he will never love her the way he does Cam so it all makes Dania seem desperate for attention. Wasn’t the real life Princess Diana also stuck in a loveless marriage? But she made something of her career as a philanthropist and a public figure instead. And so should Dania.  

ii – Oh, the dialogue! “Please do not go to the event because I fear if you see Dania there, you will instantly fall in love with her!”. This is clearly how people do not talk in real life.

iii – Dania has been very poorly presented in the show. She pretends to be strong but cannot stand to leave her husband’s side. It has been proven time and time again that Shehroz’s approval is all that she needs to make her feel special and I feel it is a total disservice to how the show wants to portray Dania to the viewers. She should be smart enough to let go of this loveless marriage and pursue helping those in need.

+ Overall

Decent but tad disappointing that the show continues to focus on the family melodrama and Dania refuses to mature as a character.

Rate: out of 5 stars