Category: TV series

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Raqeeb Se – Episode III (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Raqeeb Se – Episode 3 (2021). The new TV series is directed by Kashif Nisar and is a production of Momina Duraid Productions. Raqeeb Se is a HUM TV 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 Kashif Nisar
  • Written by Beegul
  • DOP by Hassam Mairaj
  • Music Composed by Hadiqa Kiani
  • Produced by Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

Raqeeb Se is the newest HUM TV Production and is once again the collaboration of the award winning Writer/ Director duo of Bee Gul and Kashif Nisar. 

The title of the show is heavily inspired by a poem from the legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz when the young poet fell in love with a girl next door in Sialkot. But alas, as luck would have it, she one day unexpectedly left the city, only to be reunited years later when Faiz was already an established poet in the circles of Urdu literature. This encounter inspired Faiz to write a poem “Raqib Se!”. The backstory of this poem plays a crucial role in the premise of the show.

 + Main Cast

  1. Hadiqa Kiani as Sakina
  2. Noman Ijaz as Maqsood
  3. Sania Saeed as Hajra
  4. Faryal Mehmood as Insha
  5. Iqra Aziz as Ameera
  6. Saqib Sameer as Rafiq

+ Plot

Raqeeb Se is a call of Maqsood’s dark past that could potentially destroy his present life. In order to escape her abusive husband, Sakina, along with her daughter Ameera, flees from her village to find shelter at her former lover’s place, Maqsood. Unfortunately Maqsood, who still holds a grudge against Sakina’s past actions, refuses to aid her in her most dire situation. But his wife, Hajra, seems much more sympathetic to the situation and lets Sakina stay at their home till things are figured out for the future.

But can Sakina be trusted to stay out of Maqsood’s life or will they be tempted to rekindle their lost love and in the process, destroy what Maqsood and his wife Hajra have built together?

+ High Points

i – This episode was the debut of Saqib Sameer as Raqib Ali who is quite entertaining as the husband of Sakina from the village. His thick Punjabi accent and over the top performance is enjoyable and most certainly the key highlight of the episode.

ii – Most of the episode’s runtime takes place in the countryside where the gorgeous view of the fields and grass was a much needed change of scenery from the constant claustrophobia of the bungalow back in the city. 

iii – Since the last episode, Ameera’s character has been much more fleshed out and compassionate. Iqra Aziz’s performance is consistent and is always the bright side of each scene.

 + Low Points

i – Repetition is the name of the game. And certainly, also for this TV series. The recyclable themes and dialogue of why Sakina should’ve been thrown out the moment she arrived at Maqsood’s house is becoming fast tiresome and cumbersome.

ii – While episode 3 took a further leap into the storyline in comparison to the last episode, Raqeeb Se is still lingering and stretching its plotlines to its limit. Not necessarily bad but many viewers can grow tired of this slow approach and perhaps this long burn needs a spark somewhere to wake its audience up a bit.

iii – There seems to be major conflict between the dialogues and the music accompanying the scene. Each scene starts with a flow of dialogue that indicates the viewer to take it seriously but then light hearted strings play in the background to make you think otherwise and vice versa. The tone of the dialogue and the music seems to be at complete odds with one another. Should I sense the vibe of the scene by listening to the dialogue or the music? This seems to be a recurring problem that doesn’t seem to fix itself in the foreseeable episodes.

iv – Faryal Mehmood’s scenes outside her family STILL serve no purpose to the overall plot of the drama. Why should we be emotionally invested in her love life when no stakes are even introduced up till now to the plot?

v – Sania Saeed’s character seems less and less believable with each passing episode. She seems a bit too generous in providing sympathy for Sakina’s character. Not giving any spoilers away, there was a throwaway dialogue which hinted at why Hajira is so much in Maqsood’s debt. Perhaps it will be more clear in the next few episodes and her characterization will make more sense.

 + Overall

While the introduction of Saqib Sameer’s character brings something new to the table and Iqra Aziz’s performance shines throughout the series, Raqeeb Se is still struggling to keep its viewer’s attention because of the lethargic plotting, slow burn drama. Will it pay off in the end? One cannot assume anything at the moment but with all its interesting characters, Raqeeb Se can be a whole lot more engaging than it currently is.

 Rate: 2.5 out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Raqeeb Se – Episode II (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Raqeeb Se – Episode 2 (2021). The new TV series is directed by Kashif Nisar and is a production of Momina Duraid Productions. Raqeeb Se is a HUM TV 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 Kashif Nisar
  • Written by Beegul
  • DOP by Hassam Mairaj
  • Music Composed by Hadiqa Kiani
  • Produced by Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

Raqeeb Se is the newest HUM TV Production and is once again the collaboration of the award winning Writer/ Director duo of Bee Gul and Kashif Nisar. 

The title of the show is heavily inspired by a poem from the legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz when the young poet fell in love with a girl next door in Sialkot. But alas, as luck would have it, she one day unexpectedly left the city, only to be reunited years later when Faiz was already an established poet in the circles of Urdu literature. This encounter inspired Faiz to write a poem “Raqib Se!”. The backstory of this poem plays a crucial role in the premise of the show.

 + Main Cast

  1. Hadiqa Kiani as Sakina
  2. Noman Ijaz as Maqsood
  3. Sania Saeed as Hajra
  4. Faryal Mehmood as Insha
  5. Iqra Aziz as Ameera
  6. Saqib Sameer as Rafiq

+ Plot

Raqeeb Se is a call of Maqsood’s dark past that could potentially destroy his present life. In order to escape her abusive husband, Sakina, along with her daughter Ameera, flees from her village to find shelter at her former lover’s place, Maqsood. Unfortunately Maqsood, who still holds a grudge against Sakina’s past actions, refuses to aid her in her most dire situation. But his wife, Hajra, seems much more sympathetic to the situation and lets Sakina stay at their home till things are figured out for the future.

But can Sakina be trusted to stay out of Maqsood’s life or will they be tempted to rekindle their lost love and in the process, destroy what Maqsood and his wife Hajra have built together?

+ High Points

i – While the first episode was busy in setting up the plot, the second episode had the time to flesh out its characters and make them resonate more with its audience. There is much depth into Ameera’s character as to why she lets out these sudden bursts of anger or even if Hajira is sympathetic to Sakina’s plight, she also has her fears of her seeping back into Maqsood’s life. This episode also had much more interactions of characters with opposite personalities which creates a certain sense of awe and excitement for the viewers.

ii – The cinematography was much more creative this time around. The camera floats around the huge bungalow, giving a sense of beauty but loneliness inside the mansion, the shot through the netting of a back of a chair to reveal Insha’s angst of entrapment in her world. Good stuff.

iii – What is also great about Raqeeb Se is the costume design of each character. Just by looking at the clothes, one could tell what kind of personality they possess. 

iv – The cliffhanger for episode 02 was great and much more impactful than last time. This will definitely make the viewers wait impatiently for episode 03 to come around.

 + Low Points

i – In terms of plot, episode 02 comes to a screening halt. Even though the episode obviously focused much more on character development, there is almost no sense in watching this episode IF you watch TV dramas for the sole purpose of plot progression (with exception to the last scene of the episode). The dialogue which jumps back and forth with:

“Mujhe tum ko usi Raat bahar phek dena chahiye tha!”

“Tuo mai kiya karta? Un ko usi Raat bahar phek deta!?”

And it does become tiresome after the first three times.

ii – The scenes between Insha and Raqib are only there for the sole purpose of expository dialogue, change of scenery and characters reflecting back on the current plot of the show. One can easily switch channels, come back to it after and wouldn’t miss a thing.

iii – The show depicts mother and daughter sleeping in one bed while Maqsood sahib sleeping alone in his massive, luxurious bed. Why? Will there be an explanation in the next episodes? I hope so because this seems extremely odd and unrealistic. Perhaps Maqsood sahib’s snoring is too extreme for Hajira’s tolerance…

iv – There are at times issues with how music is being used in the show. There plays a scene of high voltage dialogue between two characters; as a viewer, you could at times assume that it’s a tense moment but then light hearted music starts playing in the background to ease the tension out. Each scene is at times too reliant on the music to make the audience understand the mood of the scene, rather than just by dialogue and performances. A bit less reliant on the music please.

 + Overall

Although Raqeeb Se – Episode 02 is an improvement with its character interactions, it unfortunately has nothing to offer with its plot development. But the episode is never dull because the performances once again keep you engaged throughout the show. There might be one or two repetitive scenes but can easily be forgiven due to the cliffhanger of the episode.

I am still interested where the tale of Maqsood sahib’s mysterious past will lead us to. No real change in the rating for me since its premiere episode unfortunately but can very well potentially go much higher if Raqeeb Se plays its cards right and takes its audience in a direction where no other Pakistani TV drama dares to.

 Rate: 2.5 out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Raqeeb Se – Episode I (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Raqeeb Se – Episode 1 (2021). The new TV series is directed by Kashif Nisar and is a production of Momina Duraid Productions. Raqeeb Se is a HUM TV Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Kashif Nisar
  • Written by Beegul
  • DOP by Hassam Mairaj
  • Music Composed by Hadiqa Kiani
  • Produced by Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

Raqeeb Se is the newest HUM TV Production and is once again the collaboration of the award winning Writer/ Director duo of Bee Gul and Kashif Nisar. 

The title of the show is heavily inspired by a poem from the legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz when the young poet fell in love with a girl next door in Sialkot. But alas, as luck would have it, she one day unexpectedly left the city, only to be reunited years later when Faiz was already an established poet in the circles of Urdu literature. This encounter inspired Faiz to write a poem “Raqib Se!”. The backstory of this poem plays a crucial role in the premise of the show.

 + Main Cast

  1. Hadiqa Kiani as Sakina
  2. Noman Ijaz as Maqsood
  3. Sania Saeed as Hajra
  4. Faryal Mehmood as Insha
  5. Iqra Aziz as Ameera
  6. Saqib Sameer as Rafiq

+ Plot

Raqeeb Se is a call of Maqsood’s dark past that could potentially destroy his present life. In order to escape her abusive husband, Sakina, along with her daughter Ameera, flees from her village to find shelter at her former lover’s place, Maqsood. Unfortunately Maqsood, who still holds a grudge against Sakina’s past actions, refuses to aid her in her most dire situation. But his wife, Hajra, seems much more sympathetic to the situation and lets Sakina stay at their home till things are figured out for the future.

But can Sakina be trusted to stay out of Maqsood’s life or will they be tempted to rekindle their lost love and in the process, destroy what Maqsood and his wife Hajra have built together?

+ High Points

i – The performances from the leads are great and is what makes this TV drama compelling to watch. The family relationships in the show seem effortlessly natural and are undoubtedly the heart of the show. Hadiqa Kiani is fantastic in portraying the hardships of an abused housewife and even without any dialogue, her face tells a thousand stories.

ii – Speaking of dialogue, Beegul’s writing is poetic and plays a vital role for the audience to create sympathy for the characters on screen.

iii – The Production design of the bungalow is a visual maze of objects that creates an atmosphere of tension and claustrophobia for the three main leads.

iv – The makeup department (especially of Sakina’s wounds) are believable and quite well executed. 

v – The soundtrack by Hadiqa Kiani ‘Raqeeb Say’ is great and melancholic. It perfectly encapsulates the longing of past love which is the overarching narrative of the show.

 + Low Points

i – While the show is captivating to watch, it really takes it time to get its point across each scene. This might leave some viewers changing channels quickly if they do not possess the patience for it.  

ii – Even though most performances are great, Faryal Mehmood for me, falls a bit short. Her dialogues do not seem convincing to the character she is supposed to be portraying. It’s almost as if she isn’t comfortable enough to read the dialogues out loud.

iii – As we all know, stories about past lovers/ unsolicited affairs always play a key role in soap operas all over the world. But a show like Raqeeb Se is also a reminder that women on TV cannot be portrayed in any other way than bickering against one another for their ‘man’. I hope the show takes itself to an unknown territory and not tread similar waters of narrative that countless other HUM TV dramas have done before.

iv – By just judging from the first episode, the characters of Insha and Rafiq have really nothing to add to the overall narrative. They seem like mindless filler just to extend the length of an episode. Let’s hope that the characters end up contributing a lot more in the next coming episodes.

v – The outburst of a certain character near the end was unearned and not really a great cliffhanger to end the first episode. The show just unceremoniously ends and leaves a perplexed thought in a viewer’s head as to what to make of it.

 + Overall

Raqeeb Se follows a safe, coherent structure that even with its bold subject matter, refuses to take risks with its presentation. But it is the performances of Kiani, Noman and Sania that makes the show riveting to watch. If you like slow but gripping dramas with a plot that moves at its own pace, you will enjoy what Bee Gul and Kashif Nisar have brought onto the TV screens.

 Rate: 2.75 out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on WandaVision (Ep 1-3) (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on American Television miniseries, WandaVision (2021). The miniseries is directed by Matt Shakman and stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda/ Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany as Vision. The show is a continuance of the saga from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is a Disney Plus Original series.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Matt Shakman
  • Cinematography by Jess Hall
  • Music by Christophe Beck
  • Produced by Chuck Hayward
  • Created by Jac Schaeffer
  • Production by Marvel Studios
  • Distributed by Disney Platform Distribution 

+ Note

WandaVision is continuation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Phase 4) where we get to explore more the relationship between the two popular Marvel characters; Scarlet Witch and Vision. The series is cleverly disguised as an American vintage comedy sitcom with multi camera setup and canned laughter from the audience in a (supposedly) TV Studio. WandaVision is clearly inspired from 50s-60s sitcoms like ‘I Love Lucy’, ‘Bewitched’ and later in color, ‘The Brady Bunch’, where situational comedy plays a key role to the show’s premise. Since Disney Plus has only released three episodes up till now, it is still unclear where they are heading with this but one can safely assume, WandaVision is unlike anything MCU has produced up till now.

+ Main Cast

  1. Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch
  2. Paul Bettany as Vision
  3. Debra Jo Rupp as Mrs. Hart
  4. Fred Melamed as Arthur Hart
  5. Kathryn Hahn as Agnes
  6. Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau
  7. Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis
  8. Randall Park as Jimmy Woo

+ Plot

WandaVision starts off in 1950s suburban America. A husband and a loving wife have just moved in a house next door but unbeknownst to the neighbourhood, they are no ordinary couple. In fact, they are the famous Avengers; Scarlet Witch and Vision who hide their super powers in order to live a happy, wholesome life. But something doesn’t seem right about this scenario. It’s almost too… perfect? How did present day Avengers end up in decades old American TV sitcoms? Where or how did they enter this delightful comedy of errors? What is exactly wrong with WandaVision?

+ High Points

i – The “I Love Lucy” meets “Bewitched” 50s situational comedy is perfectly replicated to a tee. The dialogue, costume design, make up, Production design; it perfectly fits to the vision (no pun intended) of what Marvel Studios were going for.

ii – Since working together in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany have really grown accustomed to each other’s performances and are just picture perfect. For this show to work, their onscreen chemistry is undeniably vital and it’s always a treat to see them together onscreen.

iii – Ever since the trailer for the show came out, WandaVision felt unique and bold to what MCU fans were, for many years, accustomed to. After the end of the Thanos and the Infinity stones saga, MCU needed to move into a fresh new direction as the lack of innovative ideas made MCU films (for the most part) extremely predictable. And WandaVision does exactly that.

iv – The dialogues and humor of the show is witty, charming and at times, also very dark. The show does have a slight “David Lynch” surrealist vibe to it. One minute, you are witnessing a cute sing and dance number, the next you see someone on the dinner table, choking himself on a piece of meat. I loved it!

v – The multiple opening theme songs/ jingles are memorable and composed wonderfully by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez and Christophe Beck.

vi – The “Hand drawn” animations in between live action set-pieces play wonderfully to the overall vibe and atmosphere of the show. Love these little but essential touches that they’ve given to it!

vii – The “advertisements” in between the show are the “Bees knees!”. ‘Nuff said!

viii – Although only 3 episodes are out at the moment, the show has me hooked! The story and pacing takes its time but is extremely rewarding in the grand scheme of things. Let’s see where it all leads us to.

+ Low Points

i – The length of each episode is inconsistent. Not a huge drawback by any stretch of the imagination but old vintage TV shows had very strict time limitations. So if the show is going for that, might as well stick to a consistent 3 Act structure and the time constraints that come with making a TV broadcast episode.

ii – Although it’s hinted that the show doesn’t actually take place in decades old American history (or does it?), the racial diversity in the show seems too modern for the 1950s sequences and takes you out of the show time and time again. Segregation was unfortunately very prevalent in the US in the 50s so to see the characters mention contempt for the “Bolsheviks/ Communists” but are fine and dandy with a colored person sitting next to them at the dinner table, it’s just odd and the show seems a bit confused as to what it really wants to be. Even in a ‘make believe’ reality, the horrors of history should never be ignored (the perfect example could be the highly underrated 1998 film Pleasantville).

iii – Even after 3 episodes, the mystery of “what reality they are living in” might be a tad bit obvious to loyal MCU fans. Perhaps we all might be rightfully swerved by the end of the season. 

iv – Among all the episodes available, episode 3 was the weakest due to its lack of focus to the overall narrative and the situational comedy slightly overstaying its welcome. But cliffhanger at the end did make up for it I suppose.

+ Overall

WandaVision is fun, eerie and exactly what MCU needed to kick start their ‘Phase 4’ list of films and TV shows. The performances are wonderful by the two main leads and the show proves that Superheroes are not all about “Good Guy vs Bad Guy”. Comics is a medium explored to such vast lengths of ideas and it’s tremendous to see a commercial, crowd pleasing Disney corporation try something very different. Of course, this could all change for better or worst in the review for the next episodes so stay tuned! 

Rate: 4 (subject to change) out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Taleem-e-Balighan (1956/66 and 1973)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani Classic Comedy Drama TV series, Taleem-e-Balighan aka Education for Adults (1956/66 and 1973). In 1966, it’s Production House and its Distributor is PTV Network (Lahore Studio) and PTV Network (Karachi Studio) in 1973.

 

 

 

 

+ Crew

  • Directed by Agha Nasir
  • Written by Khawaja Moinuddin
  • Lighting by M. Sabir and Javid Iqbal
  • Makeup by Afzal Ahmed & Zahid Sheikh
  • Production Design by Badar-Ul-Islam Syed

 

 

 

 

 

+ Note

Taleem-e-Balighan aired on PTV Network in 1966. In total, it consists of 02 episodes. This limited TV series was originally written for the Radio Pakistan in 1956 before the introduction of TV broadcasts in Pakistan in November 1964. This classic TV series is a social satire theatre play shot for TV as a mini-series.

It is based on Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s or Quaid-e-Azam’s three principles of ‘unity, faith and discipline’, which became an inspiring and effective slogan for the Muslim masses during the Pakistan Movement days around 1947.

Taleem-e-Balighan’s remake was directed & produced in 1973*. The late actor, Qazi Wajid is the only returning star who plays the role of the Maulvi Sahab in it. It was telecasted as one-episode TV serial.

This two-episode mini-series is considered a classic by some of the critics. 

 

 

*The given year is not confirmed.

 

  

 

+ Main Cast

  1. Mahmood Ali as Maulvi Sahib
  2. Qazi Wajid as Hajab (Barber)
  3. Subhani Ba Yunus as Qasab (Butcher)

 

 

 

xxxxxxx

 

 

 

+ Supporting Cast

  1. Qasim Jalali as Dhobi (Student) #3
  2. Bakhtiar Ahmad as Victoria Wala (Student) #4
  3. Sheikh Mahmood as Malwari (Student) #5
  4. Sheikh Ali Ahmed as Doodh Wala (Student) #6
  5. Razia Sultana as Maulvi Sahib’s Wife (Voice)

 

 

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

+ Crew (Remake)

  • Directed & Produced by Tasneem Aslam
  • Written by Khawaja Moinuddin
  • Title Graphics by PTV Studio (KHI)
  • Makeup by Aijaz Khan, Shakir Ahmed & Imran Ahmed
  • Production Design by Munza Ejaz

 

xxxxxxx

 

 

+ Main Cast (Remake)

  1. Qazi Wajid as Maulvi Sahib
  2. Behroze Sabzwari as Hajab (Barber)
  3. Shahzad Raza as Qasab (Butcher)

 

 

 

xxxxxxx

 

 

+ Supporting Cast (Remake)

  1. Ayaz Khan as Shagird (Hot Tempered Student) #3
  2. Sajid Shah as Victoria Wala (Student) #4
  3. Ayum as Malwari (Student) #5
  4. Famid Ahmed Khan as Doodh Wala (Student) #6
  5. N/A as Maulvi Sahib’s Wife (Voice)

 

 

 

 

+ Plot

It focuses around a Madrassa (school) where adults are provided an education in a satirical and humorous environment.

 

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – The writing highlights Quaid-e-Azam’s three principles of ‘Faith, Unity and Discipline’. These three principles are shown through their respectable POV for the audience to understand of bringing the betterment of our educational system and social welfare from their current weak status to a successful rank of the country’s establishment. Its mild humor keeps the interest level of the audience at bay.  

ii – A careful direction of photography is required for which scenes to be shot up close or from a medium angle. This helped in understanding that certain scene’s crucial moment or defining the features of a character, being described as untidy. The original TV series work is much superior.

iii – Subhani Ba Yunus as Butcher, plays as one of the best roles of a grown-up student. The number of times he is hit by the broom of his headmaster, no student is. His character’s realistic performance of agonizing in pain, laying out his dagger on being threatened and singing scenes, will definitely glue the attention of the viewers to their screens till the very end of this classic TV mini-series.  

iv – Mahmood Ali as Maulvi Sahib, who is the teacher of these aged students. He plays as the most remarkable and the most memorable role of his career. Mahmood brings smiles on the viewers’ faces with his uncanny timing humor and utter nonsense examples on the unheard idioms that the Maulvi Sahib is unfamiliar of. Other Honorable Mentions: Qazi Wajid (as Barber).

v – The three lead stars for the original as well as the remake, attracts the viewers to watch this TV series in the first place.

vi – The songs are mesmerizing and good to listen to. 

 

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – Honestly, I had my expectations really high from this limited TV series. I read the praises a lot and wanted to know its specialty by finally watching it.  

ii – The remake comes nowhere close to the original release’s success in almost every department, whether it is the cinematography or the performances.  

 

 

 

 

 

+ Overall
Khawaja Moinuddin’s Taleem-e-Balighan, is one of the important works that is ever written for the silver screen.

 

 

 

 

Rate: 2.75 out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Jutt and Bond (2001-4)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani thriller sitcom TV series, Jutt and Bond (2001-4). Its Production House is WZ Studios (Lahore) while its Distribution is done by Indus Vision.

 

 

 

 

+ Crew

  • Directed by Zain Ahmed
  • Written by Vasay Chaudhry
  • DOP by Shahbaz Malik
  • Graphics & Edited by Rana Farooq and Rana Furqaan
  • Produced by Samina Ahmed

 

 

 

+ Note

Jutt and Bond aired on Indus Vision from 2001 –2004. In total, it consists of 81 episodes. It is a satire TV series based of multiple detective TV series and films. The song is Kahan Hai Tu, is the soundtrack of this sitcom. The two lead stars / former lead singers, Fawad Afzal Khan and Ahmed Ali Butt featured in its music video. It is also directed by Zain Ahmed.  

This is Fawad Khan and Ahmed Butt’s debut TV series. Originally, Fawad was the lead singer of Paradigm, a metal music band while his co-lead star, of Entity. Afterwards, they merged their band into one as Entity Paradigm (EP). They both have left their previous professions, to focus on their acting careers. Yasser Hashmi, who portrays his character as Dr. Evil’s Assistant, in real life, he happens to be one of the lecturers of Lahore based leading university, LUMS.  

Jutt and Bond is also Vasay Chaudhry’s first writing venture for the television and Zain Ahmed’s debutal TV series.

 

 

Warning: There are SPOILERS ahead!

 

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

  1. Fawad Afzal Khan as Bond
  2. Ahmed Ali Butt as Jutt
  3. Bilal Sami as Dr. Evil
  4. Samina Ahmed as Madam C

 

 

 

xxxxxxx

 

 

+ Supportive Cast

  1. Vasay Chaudhry as Sooda
  2. Yasser Hashmi as Assistant
  3. Zain Ahmed as Puppy
  4. Farah Tufail as Jutti
  5. Mehvish as Amma
  6. Hajrah Mumtaz as Emily
  7. Haseeb Khan as Police SHO
  8. Danyal as Police ASI

 

 

xxxxxxx

 

 

+ Minor Cast (Cameo)

  1. Mustafa Ali as Noori Nath
  2. Ahmad Shah Tipu as Co-Detective
  3. Jawad Bashir as Detective #2
  4. Nadia Afghan as Girl Next Door
  5. Shoaib Hashmi as Chief
  6. Vanessa Ahmed as Femme Fatale

 

 

 

 

 

+ Plot

Two unlike duo, Jutt and Bond have the responsibility to save the world from the clutches of Dr. Evil and his minions.

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – The opening theme song, Kahan Hai Tu sung by Fawad Khan is a good song.

ii – A number of well-known celebrities to see them, making supporting or cameo appearances.

 

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – Vasay Chaudhry may have become a great writer today. But this debut work of his is a complete disaster. I can not believe that this same fame writer/actor have wrote its script. The viewer will have no idea, to what exactly is going on in their episodes. Everything is happening in this sitcom is just random.

No characters are properly introduced, no backstory of the lead characters are properly defined… it’s a wonder, why our TV industry ignores well-versed writers over these referenced based writers. After a decade later, Vasay finally came up with a brilliant work to pen Jackson Heights (2013-14), a TV series based on Pakistani immigrants living at US block, Jackson Heights. Now, that work is note worthy. But this… this work can only be approved through personal contacts only.    

ii – Zain Ahmed is one of the best directors of the theatre world. He has directed and produced great theatre plays, one after the other. Similar to him, everyone do start from the scratch. Still, this sitcom would surely be one of those few projects of his that he must not be proud of.

iii – Miraculously, reaching till 81 episodes is one of the signs of the judgement day. This sitcom one-episode story doesn’t make any ‘Head or Tail’. How the hell this TV series was permitted to telecast it to the public? 

iv – The kind of writing you have here, perhaps this sitcom was meant for ‘Kindergarten’ target audience. This is the level of humor that you will face here. There is more sense in the children cartoon, ‘Inspector Gadget’ than this sitcom.

v – Almost the entire TV series is shot on ‘Open Air Location’. It starts to get irritating to see no-closed doors environment after a while.   

vi – The performances of the entire cast is just rubbish. Honestly, I had no expectations from this sitcom. I mean, this is after all a debut work of Fawad Khan and Ahmed Butt. So, what really would anyone expect? It took many years for Fawad to become one of the highest paid Pakistani star. However, Jutt and Bond is something which is easily forgettable.

vii – Boy! What a stupid finale. Yes, I’m aware and fully understand that this is a sitcom. But still, good comedies are well written and creative. Its not an easy job to write a comedy. A popular quote by anonymous is, ‘A bad comedy is no comedy’. 

viii – Every episode consists of a song, with a brief dance steps between the two different main / supporting characters of the sitcom. I dare you to like even one.  

 

 

 

 

 

+ Overall
The only recognition Jutt and Bond has that its the launching platform for the solid names of our media industry such as of Fawad Khan, Ahmed Butt and Vasay Chaudhry who started their successful careers, for what they are today.

 

 

 

Rate: 0.50 out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Aunn Zara (2013)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani Rom-Com TV series, Aunn Zara (2013). Its Production House is Oriental Films while its Distribution is done by A Plus Entertainment.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Haissam Hussain
  • Written by Faiza Iftikhar
  • Cinematography by Ilyas Kashmiri
  • Edited by Iftikhar Manzoor
  • Produced by Shahzad Chaudhry

+ Note

Aunn Zara is based on Faiza Iftikhar’s novel, Hisaar-e-Mohabbat aka Fort of Love. It aired on A Plus Entertainment from 18th Jun 2013 – 31st Oct 2013. In total, it consists of 22 episodes. It revolves around a married couple spoilt by their respective families and are desperate to escape this attention.

The theme song (original soundtrack) & background music of is composed by MAD Music with the lyrics by Awais Sohail. Its singers are Athar and Ragini.

 Aunn Zara was aired in India on Zindagi in 2014, including on Zee TV USA and Lamhe TV. Since Jul 2020, it is available for streaming online at ZEE5 app.

Warning: There are SPOILERS ahead!

 

  

 

+ Main Cast

  1. Osman Khalid Butt as Aunn
  2. Maya Ali as Zara
  3. Sabreen Hisbani as Nighat
  4. Adnan Jaffar as Jamshed

xxxxxxx

+ Supportive Cast

  1. Hina Khawaja Bayat as Husna
  2. Nasreen Qureshi as Aunn’s Grandmother
  3. Yasir Masher as Aunn’s Uncle
  4. Saima Saleem as Aunn’s Aunt
  5. Mukarram Kaleem as Manzar
  6. Mahira Bhatti as Shehna

 

 

xxxxxxx

+ Minor Cast

  1. Irfan Khoosat as Zara’s Grandfather
  2. N/A as Jamshed’s Friend

+ Plot

Aunn & Zara are two spoilt and only children of their families. After their marriage, they desperately try to escape their controlled environment set by their parents.

+ High Points

i – It is a family oriented humor, that can be easily be watched and find the jokes amusing. Such as the big arguments over a small issue between the couple, family relatives beating the hell out of Aunn and his friend’s lover, the close-friendship chemistry of Nighat and Jamshed, all points towards a light humor TV drama.

ii – Not only the chemistry of Osman Khalid & Maya Ali works well on-screen, even the supporting couple, Adnan Jaffar’s and Sabreen Hisbani’s chemistry is praise worthy. I find both their chemistry really interesting to watch.

iii – Sabreen Hisbani portrays as Nighat, as Aunn’s phupo, a caring aunt. Similar to Aunn’s close relatives, she too has a great affection towards her nephew and intends to look after his well being. One of the attention seeking performances is of Sabreen, who has managed to keep her performance as per her character’s demand up to the mark. I have watched her previous performance in a sitcom, Nadaaniyan (2009 – 13) which she acted in it very comical.

iv – Nasreen Qureshi portrays as Aunn’s grandmother. Her good performance comes to me as a surprise. She is a veteran actress, who is known to depict her characters very realistic on-screen.

+ Low Points

i – The first 10 episodes show cased ‘Over The Top’ performances by almost everyone. Gradually do the performances comes to a level, where the audience starts to appreciate them .

ii – My interest level gained only after 15 – 16th episode. The reason is that I found this TV series as a very overrated one. The plot is simple, didn’t find anything new to watch, the fights / arguments between the lead couple is too girlish, the sub plots are very basic, the list goes on…

iii – I really don’t know what to make of the finale. There are no consequence or confrontation to the actions taken by Aunn’s mischiefs. You can’t just assume that everything is just okay now, can you?

+ Overall
Aunn Zara is a cute rom-com TV series where the female audience mainly, would love to watch.

Rate: 1.75 out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Ankahi (1982)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani Classic Comedy Drama TV serial, Ankahi aka Untold (1982). It’s Production House and its Distributor is PTV Network (Lahore Studio).

+ Crew

  • Directed by Shoaib Mansoor & Mohsin Ali
  • Written by Hasina Moin
  • Music by Arshad Mehmood

+ Note

Ankahi aired on PTV Network was released on March – May 1982. In total, it consists of 14 episodes. The story revolves around a young girl, Sana Murad who has strong ambitions to become big. With a mere luck, she is hired at an office as a secretary to a business man, Taimoor Ahmad. The relationship between the two is shown while Faraz, her best friend’s fiancée’s friend falls in love with Sana. This is Shehnaz Sheikh’s 2nd TV series to appear in.

Ankahi was one of the most popular drama serial in the early 1980s in Pakistan. Most of the cast then went on to work in a similar Pakistani TV drama serial, Tanhaiyaan (1986). This TV series is remembered for its witty dialogue and the candid role of Sana, played by Shehnaz Sheikh.

The theatre adaption of this classic TV series, Ankahi is shortened the 14-episode drama to 90 minutes. Model-actress, Amna Ilyas will play Sana Murad, originally played by Shehnaz Sheikh. This will be Amna’s theatre debut. The director, Dawar Mehmood of Kopykats Production, veteran actor, Sajid Hasan and theatre actor, Saqib Sameer are producing the musical adaptation. It is all set to hit the stage on 20th Oct 2020.

+ Main Cast

  1. Shehnaz Sheikh as Sana Murad
  2. Shakeel as Taimoor Ahmad
  3. Javed Sheikh as Faraz Afreedi

xxxxxxx

+ Supporting Cast

  1. Saleem Nasir as Shehryar / Mamoo
  2. Jamshed Ansari as Tameez-u-ddin / Timmy
  3. Faisal Bilal as Jibran Murad
  4. Badar Khalil as Zakia Begum
  5. Behroze Sabzwari as Moby
  6. Qazi Wajid as Siddiqui Sahib
  7. Tabassum Farooqi as Marium
  8. Rehana Saigol as Dr. Fouzia
  9. Azra Mansoor as Apaa Bii
  10. N/A as Timmy’s Mother
  11. Misbah Ishaaq / Khalid as Saara
  12. Arshad Mehmood as Sajjad
  13. Siraj-Farooq Nizami as ‘Thoii’ Guy

xxxxxxxx

+ Minor Cast

  1. N/A as Abeer / Mrs. Taimoor
  2. N/A as Office Attendant
  3. N/A as Police Inspector
  4. N/A as Drugs Smuggler
  5. N/A as Peon
  6. N/A as Mr. Javed (Cameo)
  7. N/A as Insurance Guy (Cameo)
  8. N/A as Marium’s Father
  9. N/A as Marium’s Step-Mother
  10. N/A as Marium’s Fiancée
  11. N/A as Marium’s Father-in-Law

+ Plot

In the early death of her father, Sana Murad starts working as secretary at Taimoor Ahmad’s office. There, the two’s relationship of Secretary and Boss is shown. Faraz Afreedi, who later becomes her office colleague, falls in love with her.

+ High Points

i – This is a very well written story and script by one of the most well-famed TV writers, Hasina Moin. We all know and familiar of her other great works such as Tanhaiyaan (1986), Kiran Kahani (1973), Dhoop Kinaray (1987) and Parchaiyan (1976). She has won one of the most prestigious awards including the Pride of Performance Award in 1987.

ii – The level of humor is not only very amusing but also very unique and brilliant thinking of the early 1980s. Several TV series including Bollywood film, Chal Mere Bhai (2000) tried to capture same level of humor through the lead heroine as did Shehnaz Sheikh did as Sana Murad in this classic TV series, Ankahi.  

iii – A great round of applause to Shoaib Mansoor and Mohsin Ali who did a great work behind its direction. The dynamic duo bought a greatly written TV series to life, as one of the best TV dramas of our time.

Best scenes that I consider are:

  • When Timmy gets to know that he has just been sold out by Mamoo, his quick earning neighbor and best friend. This makes Timmy furious and then he starts to blunt out and show his neighbors’ true faces to Zakia Begum.
  • The over excited Moby visits the beach, to cool himself in the sea shore. But to his ‘Bad’ luck, he is attacked by a Red Indian.

iv – Top starswere chosen in this TV series, to be part of the cast. Celebrities such as Salim Nasir, Jamshed Ansari, Shakeel, Behroze Sabzwari, Badar Khalil, Qazi Wajid are the best listed stars still considered today.

v – Shehnaz Sheikh as Sana Murad, plays as one of the main leading roles of this TV series. In the starting of the episodes, she is shown as a strong-headed, ambitious and clumsy type of young woman with no prior work experience.

With passage of time, she greatly improves and builds a solid relationship with her strict, aged boss. Shehnaz has given an excellent performance in this iconic role and is often recognized as Sana Murad instead. She is one of those rare stars who a very short-time TV career and has appeared in as one of the main characters in two classic TV series.  

vi – Salim Nasir plays as Shehryar / Mamoo, plays as an uncle to Sana Murad and is unemployed. He tries to find clever ways to earn quick money, even if he has to ‘Sell’ his long-time friend to his relative or give ill-fated advices, random predictions in exchange for some cash. Still, with all that attributes, Shehryar is shown as a very loving, caring character to his loved ones and friends.

This is one of the two classic TV series Salim Nasir will always be remembered by. His unfortunate, untimely death shook his fans, celebrities and the rest of the world. Salim Nasir is one of the precious gems of our TV industry, who is still greatly missed to this very day.  

vii – Late Jamshed Ansari plays as Tameez-u-ddin / Timmy, a dear neighbor and friend to Mamoo. He plays a significant role as a ‘Butler’ to Badar Khalil’s character, Zakia Begum. Jamshed was a fine artist, who often played drama theme characters. Here too, the viewers witness him sacrificing his love for the greater good. Other Honorable Mentions: Behroze Sabzwari.

viii – Faisal Bilal’s character, Jibran is written as one of the strongest supporting character. At his young age, the viewers can see how well this non-professional actor played his part. And to everyone’s surprise, Ankahi is first and only TV drama that he starred in.  

ix – The performances of the entire cast is very enjoyable. Everyone did a great job in playing their respected roles. 

x – Having total 14 episodes, it winds up the story properly.

+ Low Points

i – Once Dr. Fouzia is introduced, the excitement to watch this TV series starts to decline. Her character was shown in the later episodes, to show a love building relationship with Shehryar / Mamoo character. I can’t say that I enjoyed watching her scenes.  

ii – The ‘Romantic’ relationship between the secretary and her boss is indirectly implicated. However, there is more than that. Due to the viewer censorship in Pakistan, the affair between the two is vastly downplayed. One might say that this is very cleverly shown. However, I disagree.   

iii – The first 8 episodes are wonderful, full of comedy. You will find memorable comic scenes in them. But after that, slowly and gradually, Ankahi starts to become serious. It will no longer have similar kind of laughs as it did in the starting of the episodes.

iv – Siraj-Farooq Nizami plays the character of Thoii Guy, who is a great miser and stubborn in leaving the rented place. His character doesn’t help with the story progress. His presence is only available to be one of the comic relief character. The value to his character linked with the story is useless and unworthy.

v – Barely do we see anyone except for Sana Murad and Faraz Afreedi at the office, as co-workers.

+ Overall
Though, the later episodes, takes a dark turn towards seriousness, Ankahi still manages to gives us a few good laughs before coming to a decent end.

Rate: 3.75 out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Neeyat (2011)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani Drama TV series, Neeyat aka Intention (2011). Its Production House is Six Sigma Plus while its Distribution is done by ARY Television Network.

+ Crew

  • Edited & Directed by Mehreen Jabbar
  • Written by Larry Pontius
  • Cinematography by Stephen Lang
  • Music by Waqar Ali
  • Produced by Samina Humayun Saeed & Shahzad Nasib

+ Note

Neeyat aired on ARY Digital from 24th Jun – 21st Nov 2011. In total, it consists of 20 episodes. It is about emotions that still exist within few inhabitants of an emotionless society of New York, as they have their roots back to the socially bonded society of Pakistan. Almost the entire shooting took place at Manhattan; NYC.

Mehreen Jabbar is the daughter of the fame former director, Javed Jabbar and niece of Beo Zafar. The opening theme song, ‘Kaise Bataaoon Saathiya’ sung by the popular singer, Sajjad Ali. The wardrobe used throughout the TV series is of winter clothes… which tell us to how much the weather must be freezing at the time of the shoot.

Neeyat happens to be the first TV project of the highest paid Pakistani actress, Mahira Khan. The writer, Larry Pontius debuts his wife & actress, Deepti Gupta in her first Pakistani TV series as one of the leading roles.

Warning: There are SPOILERS ahead!

+ Main Cast

  1. Humayun Saeed as Sikandar
  2. Mahira Khan as Ayla
  3. Ahsan Khan as Ismail
  4. Deepti Gupta as Mariam

xxxxxxx

+ Supportive Cast

  1. Gulfam Ramay as Gul G
  2. Ismat Zaidi as Sikandar’s Mother
  3. Shehryar Zaidi as Sikandar’s Father

xxxxxxx

+ Minor Cast

  1. Omar Rahim as Ayla’s Brother
  2. Farah Bala as Mariam’s Friend
  3. Arooj Majid as Mariam’s Mother*

*Not confirmed

+ Plot

Ayla proposes a plan of having her long-time boyfriend, Sikandar to marry to a US citizen, Mariam. This will get his hands-on green card to live and work in USA. However, Mariam has plans of her own.

+ High Points

i – Mahira Khan portrays as Ayla, one of the main lead characters of this TV series. Even though, this is her first performance as an actress, yet, she has done a good job in playing her role as loving, caring girlfriend of Sikandar who gets the wrong impression of her boyfriend, having illicit relationship with Mariam, who was hired to play a tag-along wife as Paper-Marriage for the sake of green card. This may not be one of her best performances. Still, her performance turns out to be the best one from the lot.

ii – Humayun plays one of the leads and has his production house is behind Neeyat. Only Deepti turns out to be a new actress. So was Mahira Khan, at the time of this TV series release. Ahsan Khan is a good addition to the cast.

iii – In the last few episodes, the chemistry between Ayla and Sikandar gets a bit of interesting when they start meeting again.

iv – Deepti Gupta as Mariam, has nicely performed. Her character is shown as shrewd, cunning one who wants a Live, successful relationship with a man who is willing to make her his bride. And, Sikandar happens to be the one for it. This is the debut performance for Deepti Gupta for a Pakistani TV series.

+ Low Points

i – Neeyat is plays out in an extraordinary ‘Snail’ pace speed.

ii –There is a huge problem of having lack of sub plots. The ones which are available are good enough to sleep through.

iii – There is almost nothing to watch. I bet that you already have much interesting things to do in life.

iv – The makeup & hair styling department should have given a much needed makeover for Mariam’s bad hairdo. I can’t really say why but throughout the episodes, her hairstyle kept bugging me.

v – Calling Ayla’s boyfriend with his full first name as ‘Sikandar’ is much better than calling by his nickname as ‘Sikki’. You may think that I’m exaggerating but I’m not. To hear this nickname all the time from his parents to Ayla, to every person he knows, soon, would make you get very annoyed as well.

vi – No real effort behind the production design. Plain white walls with some props, will you make you bore easily.

vii – As if having almost no chemistry between Sikandar and Ayla wasn’t enough… there is also absolute no chemistry between Mariam and Sikandar or Ayla and Ismail or even Mariam and Ismail.

viii – It would have been a much better decision if the roles of the parents were excluded from this TV series. There is no story of their own but to always see them having arguments over their son / daughter’s decision over this green card.  

ix – After get to know of Mariam’s past life,didn’t left us viewers astonished or thrilled as it was hinted in the starting of the episodes.

x – After watching this TV series, I’m really glad that Larry (writer) didn’t write another Pakistani TV series again. I owe you one!

xi – Having 20 episodes for a Pakistani TV series, is normally considered less nowadays. However, Neeyat having such a limited 4-characters story going back and forth tells us that a total of 12 episodes would have been most suitable.

+ Overall
Even after having a good director and strong lead cast, Neeyat could not be saved from its ultimate doom.

Rate: 0.75 out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Jackson Heights (2014 – 15)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani Rom-Drama TV series, Jackson Heights (2014 – 15). Its Production House is Six Sigma Plus while its Distribution is done by Urdu 1 Television.

 

 

 

+ Crew

  • Directed by Mehreen Jabbar
  • Written by Vasay Chaudhry
  • Cinematography by Nausheen Dadabhoy
  • Creative Directed by Wajahatullah Khan
  • Produced by Humayun Saeed and Shahzad Nasib

 

 

 

 

 

+ Note

Jackson Heights aired on Urdu 1 from 19th Sep 2014 – 20th Mar 2015. In total, it consists of 27 episodes. The story revolves around six Pakistanis living in Jackson Heights a suburb in Queens, New York. The shooting locations is mainly Jackson Heights, Queens and Karachi; Pakistan.

Mehar Jaffri is the younger sister of the actress, Ainy Jaffri. The opening theme song, “Laiyaan, Laiyaan” is sung by Saad Sultan.

 Jackson Heights was aired in India on Zindagi on 1st Sept till 24th Oct 2015. It was an instant hit.

 

 

Warning: There are SPOILERS ahead!

 

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

  1. Noman Ejaz as Imran Bhatti
  2. Aamina Sheikh as Salma
  3. Adeel Hussain as Jamshed
  4. Marina Khan as Michelle
  5. Adnan Jaffar as Rizwan
  6. Ali Kazmi as Sikandar

 

 

 

xxxxxxx

 

 

+ Supportive Cast

  1. Mehar Jaffri as Aliya
  2. Neelofar Abbasi as Sikandar’s Mother
  3. Naghma Begum as Bhatti’s Mother
  4. Monsoon Bissell as Kathy
  5. Almaas Hussain as Emaan
  6. Ahmad Razvi as Javed
  7. Taimur Syed as Kash
  8. N/A as Bhatti’s Brother
  9. Zareen* as Bhatti’s Sister-in-Law
  10. Taimoor Qureshi as Adnan
  11. Alma Moos Nunez as Isabella
  12. Theo Van Golen as Mark
  13. Rida Asfahani as Jamshed’s GF
  14. Fahad Ahmad as Jamshed’s Friend

 

 

 

xxxxxxx

 

 

+ Minor Cast

  1. Tara Mehmood as Jamshed’s Friend’s Mom
  2. Nausheen Masood as Maria
  3. Shehzaad Ali Khan as Jamshed’s Friend’s Boss
  4. Imran Mirza as Office Colleague*
  5. Zain Masood as Neighbor*
  6. Ahtesham Khanira as Stranger*
  7. Ali Murawat as Cabbie#1*
  8. Usman Mir as Passer By*
  9. Moin Ahmad as Man in Restaurant#1*
  10. Qazim Raza as Man in Restaurant#2*
  11. Muhammad Arshad as Cabbie#2*
  12. Shehryar Khan as Lawyer*
  13. Asim Rajput as Co-Worker*
  14. Aslam Mughal* as Bhatti’s Nephew
  15. Mehreen Jabbar as Customer (Cameo)

 

 

 

*Not confirmed

 

 

 

+ Plot

It follows the lives of overseas Pakistanis and Indian living in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of New York City in Queens.

 

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – Nauman Ejaz portrays as Imran Bhatti, the main lead character of this TV series. Nauman has ever given a performance which is less than great. His kind personality and to help others out of his way, have made Bhatti sb as an instant hit for the viewers to fall in love with his character.

ii – Aamina Sheikh as Salma, who is stuck with an abusive marriage within her relatives. She is tormented by her ugly hearted mother-in-law and ex-convict con-man husband. The only reason she stays behind is because of under 18 years of age step-daughter. Her daughter is the only ally of this ill-fated marriage. I have watched several works of Aamina Sheikh. But in JH, she has given an extraordinary performance as a responsible wife, a loving mother and a caring close friend to Bhatti sb. Thumbs up!

iii – Adeel Hussain portrays as Jamshed, as one of the antagonists of JH. Adeel has given a really convincing performance as a shrewd, cunning and selfish character. A person who will do anything to achieve his goal. As a reviewer, this is rare but I have never watched his TV work before. And his film work isn’t really great either. But this role of his, would always be the memorable one of his career. Other Honorable Mentions: Adnan Jaffar, Mehar Jaffri and Naghma Begum.

iv – Finally, after Ramchand Pakistani, I would like to give a high five to Mehreen Jabbar on her awesome direction. Her team work with the writer turns out to be a great decision.

v – The writing has played a great role to this TV series success. Vasay Chaudhry has able to write a perfect script which focuses on six expatriates working in New York City.

vi – The opening theme song, Laiyan, Laiyan sung by Saad Sultan is very well verse, good song to listen to. Soon, it was on the tip of my tongue. I was singing in each episode’s start and in its end during the credits roll.

vii – As far as the characters are concerned, they are well-written and given a meatier roles for their performers to play them. Such as:

  1. Imran Bhatti’s personality is shown as down to earth, simple and friendly nature. He is shown as good nature husband to his highly unattractive & rude foreign wife. Bhatti sb is shown as a very concerned & forgiving step-father to her children. He even intentionally keeps the dark secret to Salma’s husband’s illegal activities to himself and confronts her abusive husband very bravely. His ultimate decision to visit Pakistan in the exchange of the green card, to meet his dying beloved mother is something which leaves the viewers very emotionally attached towards him.
  2. The antagonist characters of Jamshed and Imran Bhatti’s Brother are kept it very true and closer to the reality. In their negativity, we were still able to see their genuine sadness and tears for their loved one. This is something very rare to see and acknowledge in our TV dramas.

viii – I am very satisfied with JH’s finale. Good job, I must say. Bringing such a wonderful TV series to a proper, respectable end.

ix – There are two best scenes in terms that I considered them most intriguing to watch. Such as:

  1. Where Jamshed fools Rizwan to spill out his anger and hatred towards him while Michelle is secretly listening.
  2. Almost, all of Imran Bhatti’s major scenes are interesting. Scenes such as his emotional scene with his bed ridden mother, his friendly chats with Salma and many more. But, I will go for his vital decision of losing his of green card for permanent basis and return back to his gravely ill mother.

x – It’s a good decision to see that an Indian origin character is not shown in bad light but rather, one of the Pakistani origin characters is. It shows that the writer is not biasis to admit that not all our people have a good heart.

 

 

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – JH starts real’ slow. It will take approximately first 5 – 6 episodes at least to gain some interest.

ii – The small roles of Rida Asfahani and Fahad Ahmad is almost useless. In the starting of the episodes, they have some strong lead. After that, they almost make cameo appearances.

iii – Whenever I tell someone that JH consists of total, 27 episodes, believe me, they make a face. Honestly, 20 – 22 episodes for any TV drama is enough. Though, JH does justice with the number of total episodes. Still, I think that 3 – 4 episodes can easily be cut down.

iv – There are some continuity issues in the mid episodes. Such as, two characters interacting with each other. At one camera angle, they are standing only mere inches apart while at a different camera angle they are 2 – 3 feet apart. Other example if of the character Michelle. In one scene, she has old greyish hair. In the same episode, she suddenly has light brown dye hair. It keeps changing in the same 2 – 3 episodes.

 

 

 

 

+ Overall
Jackson Heights is a perfect example of a great team work between the director, writer, producer and star cast.

 

 

 

 

Rate: 4.25 out of 5 stars