Category: TV series

A review on Pakistani TV Drama Serial, Pani Jaisa Piyar (2011) aka [Love Like Water]. Its Production House is Momal Production while its Distributor is Hum TV.

 

 

+ Crew

• Directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat.
• Created by Salma Kanwal
• Produced by Momina Duraid
• Written by Moomal Shunaid
• Theme Music Composed by Waqar Ali.

 

+ Note
Pani Jaisa Piyar aired on Hum TV from 27^th Jan 2011 – 19^th May 2011. It consists of total 17 episodes. The Title Song “Paani Jaisa Piyar Hai Tera” is performed by Sanam Marvi and Abu Mohammad.

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Saba Qamar as Sana
2. Mikaal Zulfiqar as Adarsh
3. Samina Ahmad as Nuzhat
4. Samina Peerzada as Arfa (Adarsh’s mother)

 
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+ Supportive Cast

1. Juggan Kazim as Sasha
2. Ahsan Khan as Saad
3. Nausheen Shah as Dua
4. Firdous Jamal as (Adarsh’s father)

 

 

 

+ Plot
It centers around Sana, who lives in a very conservative society with her small family. After getting involved in terrible incidents (separately) with Sana and her brother, yet she does come clean with her future in-laws of her past but would they are willing to accept her as their daughter-in-law or would Adarsh ever truly love her when he is already committed to Sasha, his childhood sweet heart?

 

+ High Points
I – The performances by Ahsan Khan, Firdous Jamal and Samina Ahmad were mild whereas Saba Qamer did a bold role of Sana.

ii – Good thing that there were total only 17 episodes which is a welcome for the viewers. Trust me, the less there is the better for this plot.

+ Low Points
i – How the character of Adarsh was portrayed on screen? It seemed very unrealistic as how he was behaving throughout with Sana. If the character has a spoiled personality or he always had quick temperament or a lay person then yes, his behavior with Sana would be logical and understandable. His manner with her appeared ‘Forced’.

ii – I find the story just okay as it was not as exciting to watch as the plot might seemed to be. It was really hard to think of high points for this drama. Either it was mild or not good to refer here. Yes, I am aware that this TV drama was very popular among viewers, which is a mystery for me. To be honest, I did not enjoy watching it.

iii – Adarsh’s lie to Sasha does not make any head or tail as she would have eventually found it out. So WHY LIE? The reason he gave in the end was so LAME, God please! Make it STOP ALREADY!

iv – Sasha is portrayed by Juggan Kazim who shouts so much that viewers would consider Sana over Adarsh’s wife at any time. …who would want Sasha as anyone’s wife if she is shouting all the time? Yikes!

v – The supporting character of Dua and her lover was so boring; hardly any interest that one would take in her side of the story. And to make the matter worse, we get to know who is her real mom is which was absolutely UNNECESSARY inserted in this story. I mean, REALLY?! The writer just did not know how to fill the gaps!

vi – Typically what we see that whenever there is an evil or devilish scheme of a person, there is a score played accordingly of that character to give a hint to the viewers that something really bad is about to happen. Yes, very, very BAD! OOOOOOOO!

vii – Although Samina Peerzada’s performance was alright but her continuous crying only reminded me of Julianne Moore’s crying.

viii – The number of times Sana fallen ill and was took to the (same) hospital repeatedly made the viewers’ wonder perhaps soon the management of the hospital would ask Sana’s in-laws to make their membership card so that the next time Sana falls ill and bought here, she would definitely get a good discount.

ix – There were few shock treatments shown (off-screen mostly) of violent assault is a good turning point of Sana, the domestic abuse and the outcome of her brother but their consequences did not grab the audience as it should have been. I was really looking forward to see its result but it left me completely unsatisfied. In its end, everything is just forgotten and forgiven! Huh? No confrontation of your sins with justice?? Forgive just like that! Wha… Are you KIDDING me??

x –The finale was better than its expectations but didn’t quite reach its mark of acceptance. The thing is that Pakistani TV drama serials have this habit of playing it safe. It is very rare that they would ever go to the length of being controversial or use the RISK factor. Here too they did the same thing.

 

 

+ Overall
While Pani Jaisa Pyar looks curious and conveys its portion of firm performances, it also suffers from bumpy storytelling and rarely unfathomable plotting and characterization.

 
Rate: 2.25 out of 5 stars

 

 

A review on Pakistani TV Drama Serial, Pyarey Afzal (2013), [Dear Afzal]. The Production House is Six Sigma Entertainment while its Distributor is ARY Digital.

 

 

+ Crew
I. Directed by Nadeem Baig
II. Written by Khalil-Ur-Rehman Qamar

 

 

+ Note

Pyarey Afzal aired on ARY from 26th Nov 2013 – 12th Aug 2014. It consists of total 37 episodes. The Opening theme “Pyar Ko Pyar Mila” Sung by Waqar Ali. The show was a major critical and commercial success and the last episode was aired in various cinema screens within the country and became first one to do so.

This drama serial was also highly trended on social networking sites and became a “cult” in Pakistan.

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Hamza Ali Abbasi as Afzal Subanullah
2. Aiza Khan as Farah Ibrahim
3. Sana Javed as Lubna Ibrahim
4. Sohai Ali Abro as Yasmeen
5. Firdous Jamal as Maulvi Subanullah
6. Saba Hameed as Ruqayya Subanullah
7. Anoushey Abbasi as Arfa Subanullah

 

 

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+ Supportive Cast

8. Saba Faisal as Irsa Ibrahim
9. Shehryar Zaidi as Sheikh Ibrahim
10. Farah Nadeem as Yasmeen’s mother
11. Vasay Chaudhry as Dr. Sibtain
12. Umer Naru as Mehtab
13. Malik Raza as Wali
14. Ali Sheikh as Babu Hameed

 

 

 

+ Plot

It surrounds Afzal, son of Maulvi Subanullah. Afzal does not take his life seriously but loves to play cricket and gamble on it. When his father threats to leave home forever, Afzal swears to work hard and live honest life instead. Meanwhile it is a mystery to all, if Farah the elder daughter of Sheikh Ibrahim is not the same ‘Farah’ who has send love letters to Afzal all those years then who did?

  

 

+ High Points
i – Hamza Ali Abbasi is truly a charismatic, remarkable performer. He played the lead role ‘Afzal’ the misguided but kind heart son of Maulvi Subanullah very splendidly.

ii – Firdous Jamal as Maulvi Subanullah played his role admirably and still remains a wonderful actor for the viewers.

iii – Sohai Ali Abro as Yasmeen played a strong, brave woman role. It was exciting to watch her performance and was a very important character of this drama series. Honorable Mentions are: Aiza Khan and Sana Javed.

iv – Even though this drama series reached till 25^th episode, even then I was watching it very keenly. Not once did I felt that they were dragging the story. This is the first time ever since I started watching Pakistani TV drama series.

v – I am very happy how the complete story was written. It is really tough mechanism to do is to present a simple story in most attention-grabbing manner.

 

 

 

+ Low Points
i – When Afzal imagines that Farah have paid a personal visit to him at hospital, she is wearing exact same dress in his imagination as she is wearing it the same day (in reality). BTW why do we so many imaginations in almost every drama series for? All the time playing with viewers’ expectations…

ii – When Farah openly refuses to get engaged to Afzal, further degrades him in front of both parents — her parents do not say anything to her or scold her instead just quietly accepts whatever she is saying to Afzal.

iii – When Mehtab again makes his appearance in this series, he requests Lubna (disguise as Farah) to reconsider his wedding proposal. Afterwards, we don’t hear from him again although we as viewers know well that he was (and still is) head over heels in love with Farah and cannot take ‘No’ for an answer.

iv – All was going well till we came across the episode where Afzal needs to take blood revenge from Wali. At that moment I realized, how this great drama series would come to its miserable end. Rather than keeping the story down to earth, as simple as possible; they just could not help it and forced a crime, murder element into it.

v – In the finale, we see that Afzal drops Yasmeen at her home in a grey car but when he returns his home town (same night), his car is different and in white color. Yes, from grey it is now white car. The question is how it is possible that this fame drama series would do such a Blunder?

Well, the most logical explanation is that perhaps that the BTS team after shooting the grey car shot with Hamza & Sohai, they must have realized that the blood would look better and visible on a white car instead. Without giving a logical reason to the viewers, we have a white car and said ‘No one would actually notice it on such an emotional scene’.

 

+ Overall
It’s hard not to admire its simplicity rom-drama, but Pyarey Afzal is also too clumsily manipulative to rise above its melodramatic clichés.

 

 

Rate: 3.25 out of 5 stars

 

A review on Pakistani TV Drama Series, ‘Sammi’ (2017); its Production Houses are MD Productions and Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs while Distribution is done by Hum TV.

 

 

+ Crew

• Directed by Saife Hassan
• Written by Noor-ul-Huda Shah
• Edited by Saad Bin Jawed & Jamil Iqbal
• Music by Sahir Ali Bagga
• Produced by Momina Duraid

 

 

+ Note

Sammi aired on Hum TV from 29^th Jan 2017 to 25^th Jun 2017. In total it consists of 21 episodes. It centers social issues on the rural society revolving around the concept of Vanni, the series shows moral lessons against common issues such as gender discrimination.

The Opening theme Jag Khed’da Phire sung by Zeb Bangash and Zaheer Abbas while its lyrics written by Maj. Imran Raza.

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Mawra Hocane as Sammi Jutt
2. Adnan Siddiqui as Rashid
3. Rehan Sheikh as Chaudhry Rab Nawaz Raja
4. Sania Saeed as Chandi
5. Haris Waheed as Waqas Jutt
6. Saman Ansari as Salima
7. Bilal Khan as Aaliyan

 

 

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+ Supportive Cast

1. Nadia Afgan as Naheed
2. Ahad Raza Mir as Salar
3. Seemi Raheel as Zarina
4. Madiha Rizvi as Zulekha Chaudhry
5. Irfan Khoosat as Riaz Jutt
6. Humera Ali as Nargis Jutt
7. Nazar Hassan as Ghulam Mustafa

  

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+ Minor Cast

1. Noor-ul-Hassan as Fazal-ud-din Jamaluddin (Ba Fazal)
2. Kinza Malik as Bilquis
3. Beena Chaudhry as Naheed’s sister-in-law
4. Malik Raza as Naheed’s brother
5. Zain Mirza Baig as Pervaiz (Cameo)
6. Saife Hassan as Zulekha’s Relative (Cameo)

 

 

 

+ Plot

With the deal of being Vanni, it revolves around the journey of Sammi, a young girl who was sold off by her family to the Chaudhry family where her brother had killed her fiancée.

 

 

+ High Points

i – Saman Ansari as Salima gave a very strong performance as helpless mother of 4 – 5 daughters and a very concerned wife. She played a vital role as a supportive character to co-star Adnan Siddique who played as her husband. Salima’s desperate desire for a son with a belief who would bring long lasting happiness and great strength by the side of his father was very well convinced on-screen. This is definitely a memorable character Saman has performed. Thumbs up!

ii – Sania Saeed as Chandi played out a solid performance as emotional, overprotective mother. She plays really well this kind of role and usually is landed with a similar character to play. Other Honorable Mentions: Humera Ali, Haris Waheed, Rehan Sheikh, Seemi Raheel and Adnan Siddique.

iii – A different plot with a different and interesting story to tell. The tribal legacy, coming up with their personal rules and regulations at their territory was the edge here.

iv – A good and satisfying finale.

v – Some of the characters were very well written, such as Aaliyan portrayed by Bilal Khan and Adnan Siddique’s character as Rashid.

vi – For such a small story, 21 episodes were enough. It’s a good call by the director, for not producing unnecessary episodes.

 

 

+ Low Points

i – Mawra Hocane acting is… fair at best. It’s a wonder, how she was landed with the lead role?

ii – The drama series had huge lack of interest for me, hard to say that I enjoyed watching it.

iii – Type caste roles are given to most of the cast members. Fresh & talented faces needed!

iv – It seems that TV industry has made their habit to give emotional scenes to Sania Saeed to do. I mean, can’t she be given something comic to do?

v – It’s possible that Chaudhry Rab Nawaz’s power was shown much lessened than the usual cruel waderas that we watch or see in real life, only to differentiate him from others. This story is however based on a novel. Talking about his abuse of power, I always felt that he could do much more than this but holding himself back; though one reason was shown much later due to his son’s change of heart.

 

 

 

+ Overall
Sammi is ambitious drama series and succeeds on a number of levels but it has some flaws especially in the department of gaining interest level and consisting of the weak lead performer.

 

 

Rate: 2.75 out of 5 stars

 

A review on Pakistani TV Drama Series, Bholi Bano aka Innocent Bano (2017). Its Production is Mastermind Production while Distribution is done by Geo Entertainment.

 

 

+ Crew

• Directed by Furqan Adam
• Written by Samra Bukhari
• Director of Photography by Sunny Shah
• Makeup by Saima
• Produced by Hassan Zia

 

 

+ Note

Bholi Bano aired on Geo Entertainment from 27^th Feb 2017 to 11^th Sep 2017. In total it consists of 48 episodes. It was shot in various areas of Sindh, including Mirpur Khas, Hyderabad, some internal villages and Karachi.

The song OST is sung by K.S Chithra, music composed by Awais Masood and lyrics by Sabir Zafar. The Makeup is done by Saima & Ali Raza.

Bholi Bano ran twice a week. It was one of the top rated and most watched serials of 2017.

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Hiba Bukhari as Bano
2. Syed Jibran as Tajdaar
3. Syed Arez as Soban
4. Namrah Shahid as Zeenia
5. Humaira Bano as Zeenia’s Mom
6. Sajida Syed as Kulsoom / Tajdaar’s Mom

 

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+ Supportive Cast

1. Samina Ahmed as Nani
2. Imran Bukhari as Abid
3. Hajra Yamin as Shela
4. Erum Bashir as Hura
5. Jawed Jamal as Soban’s Father
6. Waseem Abbas as Asghar

 

 

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+ Minor Cast

1. Kanwar Arsalan as Kaif / Shela’s Friend
2. Shabana Hasan as Suka
3. Zuhab Khan as Tipu
4. Sara Umair as Abid’s Friend
5. N/A as Pak Bhari
6. Waqar Nadeem as Allah-uddin

 

 

 

+ Plot

A beautiful innocent girl, Bano who is an orphan lives with her Nani & Mamo. During this time, Tajdaar (a wealthy interior Sindh landlord) falls in love with her secretly. After her marriage, her in-laws turn her life into a living hell. Meanwhile Tajdaar is desperate but helpless to watch Bano being suffered like this and refuses his help or interference.

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – Hiba Bukhari as Bholi Bano gave a very strong performance as cute, caring loving wife and daughter-in-law. This is the first performance I have watched of Hiba and undoubtedly thrilled with her role’s execution. This character would certainly be marked as iconic and memorable for her acting career.

ii – Humaira Bano as Zeenia’s Mom has played out a very shrewd and ill hearted character on screen. It is difficult for any performer to be loved by the viewers’ when you are playing a negative character even if you have given an amazing performance. Other Honorable Mentions: Syed Arez, Namrah Shahid, Samina Ahmed, Syed Jibran and Erum Bashir.

iii – Characters such as Bano, Soban and Tajdaar were well written and exciting to watch.

iv – It is a delight to see several good theatre stars such as Shabana Hassan, Erum Bashir, Hajra Yamin and Waqar Nadeem.

v – Nice job done with makeup & hair styling.

vi – I liked how Abid was treated by his father-in-law in early time of his marriage knowingly why he tied the knot out of greed and luxury lifestyle.

vii – As a whole, everyone performances have been superb.

viii – I believe that the 18^th episode was the most interesting to watch. It was the turning point for the drama series.

 

 

+ Low Points

i – Forty-eight episodes are way too much for any drama series. If you have a good, interesting story to tell then yes! You are most welcome to produce more episodes otherwise the last 18 episodes were absolute useless and unnecessary.

ii – Tajdaar mostly popping up in private situations out of nowhere such as in other’s kitchen, lounge and even their bedroom!

iii – Those scenes where Kaif and Asghar try to manipulate Shela to create differences, hatred for including where Kaif shared moments together with her are so mind-numbing that I literally wanted to avoid / fast forward them.

iv – Sudden big change of character of Zeenia’s mother and the decision of living abroad doesn’t make any head or tails.

v – I didn’t like how Hura’s character was written. The actress who played the character is such a wonderful performer but what can she do if the character is weakly handled?

vi – This got to be the worst finale I have ever watched in Pakistani TV dramas till now. You would certainly be left highly disappointed and unsatisfied.

 

 

+ Overall
Bholi Bano is entertaining at times with terrific performances, but it never reaches the surreal heights of adequate storytelling and its long-waiting deserving end.

 

 

Rate: 2.75 out of 5 stars

A review on Pakistani TV Sit-Com, Biwi Se Biwi Tak (2018 – 19). It’s Production House and Distributor is Aaj Entertainment.

 

 

+ Crew

• Directed & Produced by Sabir Ghani
• Written by Babar Jamal and Yasir Mustafa
• Director of Photography by Hajat Ali
• Music by Jazaib Patafi
• Co-Producer by Zafar Zaidi and Hunain Maniar

 

 

+ Note

Biwi Se Biwi Tak has aired on Aaj Entertainment from 23^rd Jan 2018 – till date. In total its 55 episodes are currently been played. Roomi’s life is mysterious and full of challenges. And the best part is that how he cope-up with all these situations. This sitcom is closely related to a very popular Indian sitcom, Kabhi Idhar, Kabhi Udhar (1996 – 1997) starring Shehkar Suman. The main concept was the same likewise this Pakistani sitcom.

Other crew members are… the production designer is Noman Mujeeb Khan, for Post & VFX are Mudasir Shah, Waseem Qasim & M. Suffiyan and Edited by Mohammad Hasnain.

There have been guest appearances by a number of celebrities such as Mathira, Nasir Jan, Sana Askari, Rida Isfahani and many more.

 

  

+ Main Cast

1. Aadi Adeal as Roomi
2. Sundas Tariq as Zoya
3. N/A as Channo
4. Hunain Maniar as Roomi’s Friend
5. Adil Wadia as Roomi’s Father

 

 

 + Plot

Roomi, a guy with polygamy marriage, stuck between two different mind sets wives, Zoya & Channo who are unaware of being married to same person.

 

 

+ High Points

i – I think I laughed at one joke in episode 3.

 

 

+ Low Points

i – If you have really bad script, weak story, plot structure before the project has started its production then it is wrong to blame the director for it. The writing whether it be of characterization of its main & supporting roles or their back story is done poorly. This is something you might write in your first draft.

ii – The jokes are so lame that you might want to cry for help.

iii – Low level of DOP been done here. Some of its camera shots should have been taken of medium close-up shots especially during the conversation scenes but what were gifted with as if the camera guy was taking a ride at a See-Saw.

iv – The production design of Roomi’s office and house shows that Biwi Se Biwi Tak were really low on budget.

v – As far as the makeup & hair styling is concerned, in the first 10 episodes, we get to watch an unrealistic wig that the lead actor, Aadi Adeal wears as if they are ‘Real Hair’. Anyone who takes a good look at his weird wig, one would like to burn it to ashes.

vi – The least favorite celebrities / people that you know on viral videos, have made guest appearances in their episodes.

vii – Nowhere did Roomi look like a married person.

 

 

+ Overall
Biwi Se Biwi Tak is filled with dull humor, outdated concept and for many, it is unwatchable.

 

Rate: 0 out of 5 stars

 

A review on Pakistani TV Drama Series, ‘Yakeen Ka Safar’ aka The Journey of Faith (2017). Its Production House is MD Productions and Distribution is done by Hum TV.

 

 

+ Crew

• Directed by Shahzad Kashmiri
• Written by Farhat Ishtiaq
• Cinematography by Tameen Nazami and Safdar Hussain Rind
• Music by Waqar Ali and Syed Sohail Haider
• Produced by Momina Duraid

 

 

 

+ Note
Yakeen Ka Safar aired on Hum TV in 19^th Apr 2017 – 1^st Nov 2017. In total it consists of 29 episodes. This TV serial is based on a novel as ‘Woh Yaqeen Ka Naya Safar’ by Farhat Ishtiaq. The shooting locations are Neelum Valley; Azad Kashmir and Karachi; Pakistan. The Opening and Ending Songs are sung by “Yaqeen Ka Safar” by Hadiqa Kiani and “O Matti Kay Parinday” by Richa Sharma.

Hum TV hired the director Shahzad Kashmiri who previously directed Bin Roye for the same channel. Sajal Ali made her television comeback two years after her 2015 Hum TV series Gul-e-Rana. Ahad Raza Mir’s performance was praised and the drama was appreciated by the audience because of its unique story line.

Yakeen Ka Safar was channel’s biggest hit of 2017 after Alif Allah Aur Insaan. Series is penned on their journey which changes their life overtime.

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Ahad Raza Mir as Dr. Asfandyar Usman Ali Khan
2. Sajal Ali as Dr. Zubia Khalil
3. Hira Salman as Gaiti Daniyal Usman Ali Khan
4. Shaz Khan as Barrister, Daniyal Usman Ali Khan
5. Farhan Ali Agha as Barrister, Usman Ali Khan
6. Mohammed Ehteshamuddin as Khalil
7. Beenish Raja as Sheema Rehan
8. Afraz Rasool as Rehan Khalil
9. Sabeena Syed as Faryal
10. Aisha Ali Khan as Urooj Nisar

 

 

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+ Supportive Cast

1. Shamayel Tareen as Dr. Asifa Shahroze
2. Shamyl Khan as Dr. Shahroze
3. Salman Saqib Shaikh as Dr. Haroon
4. Nasreen Naz as Noorie’s mother
5. Ismail Chandio as Noorie’s father
6. Ali Gul Malah as Rab Nawaz’s assistant
7. Suhaee Abro as Noorie
8. Sabiha Somar as Lubna
9. Huma Nawab as Mahjabeen (Zubia’s aunt)
10. Ainy Zaidi as Gaiti’s mother
11. Munza Arif as Faryal’s mother

 

 

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+ Minor Cast

1. Agha Talal as Mohsin (Mahjabeen’s son)
2. Nabeel Zuberi as Ramiz (Zubia’s boyfriend)
3. Zia Gurchani as Gaiti’s father
4. Javed Iqbal as Faryal’s father
5. Akbar Islam as SSP Shehzad Ahmed
6. Naima Khan as Jehangir’s mother
7. Fazila Qazi as Maah-e-Talat (Zubia’s Mother)
8. Zainab Qayyum as Rumana (Women activist)
9. Jahanzeb Gurchani as Rab Nawaz
10. Mariyam Nafees as Khajista
11. Hassan Noman as Bahadur (Khajista’s husband)
12. Ismat Zaidi as Zubia’s grandmother
13. Ibrahim Salman (son of Salman Shaikh and Hira Salman) as Saim

 

 

 

+ Plot

It depicts the journey of a young Dr. Zubia Khalil and how she meets Dr. Asfandyar; both faced equal challenges in their environment and have dark history of the past kept hidden from each other.

 

 

+ High Points

i – Sajal Ali’s performance as Dr. Zubia Khalil, is very strong. She is already ranked in the A-list category of actresses where everyone whether audience or critics expect her to do her best.

ii – Ahad Raza Mir as Dr. Asfandyar Khan, has performed impressive as mature, strict and discipline doctor. Unlike to his singing move, as an actor, Ahad has proven to the audience several times with his charming, convincing performance that he has often given in TV as well as in film, similar to his father, respected Asif Raza Mir still does. Other Honorable Mentions: Mohammed Ehteshamuddin and rest of the cast.

iii – The writing in terms of character development is well written. Such as Dr. Zubia, Dr. Asfandyar, Dr. Haroon and Barrister: Usman Khan. The story itself is interesting as the solution to the crisis comes with passage of time and bad experience. This is something which many TV series fail to achieve.

iv – Shahzad Kashmiri’s direction have able to pull this off quite nicely indeed. I would say that the later episodes were more interesting than the ones showed in first 10 episodes. Naturally, good writing is the key for it. But if the direction was dull, perhaps, we wouldn’t be discussing this TV series with appraisal.

v – There are a number of well performed scenes, such as when one of the main characters gets killed and how the loved ones are dealing with the sudden loss of life. Other scenes include, when one of the lead characters is told of incoming visit by a close relative after so many years and they deal with that relative. Finally, that scene where one of the doctors tries to convince his love interest for marriage proposal. These scenes are very believable and are moving.

vi – The chemistry between Dr. Asfandyar and Dr. Zubia worked well, as per their characters written.

vii –The shooting location of Neelum Valley is a beautiful choice, as we viewers enjoy its scenery, ambiance and local people life style.

viii – The music, the songs have able to capture the moment and the attachment that viewers have with this TV series and their characters, is something to give utter value to.

ix – The last 6 to 8 episodes are very interesting and heartwarming to watch.

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – Starting of the episodes failed to give an impressive start. At that time, I was thinking perhaps it was not a good idea to give review on this TV series.

ii – Rehan Khalil, elder brother of Dr. Zubia is so loving and have a good understanding with her at first. But all is suddenly changed after an infamous incident regarding his sister’s decision. His hatred for her was understandable if it had lasted for few weeks or months. Now, some people might say in support that it was his wife’s ill intentions due to which Rehan’s behavior with his sister gets worse, which is btw only partially correct. Even till the end, he tries to redeem himself but that too doesn’t add up much as he is left with disgust with himself without ever truly knowing of his wife’s intentions and decisions she had taken ever since the accident of his father.

iii – There were times where logical writing was absent from some scenes that were shot. Fo example: being a barrister, how can Daniyal Khan can make such silly mistakes in hiring a girl as his secretary without doing proper background research on her. Even when the time comes in handling the culprit, instead of being quiet and let the police force handle the issue, he tries to interrogate the girl himself and as expected gets tangled up with a wrongly imposed crime. Absolute shocking! Another example is when the former secretary realizes who the doctor is, she suddenly makes an honest and bold decision to appear in media and reveal her past illegal activities including in clearing up someone’s name where she herself is directly involved in and could face some serious consequences. She reveals all this at a press conference without taking anyone or a lawyer into confidence before facing the unlimited tough questions from the media / journalists. Such mistakes as these, were keep reminding us that this is fiction, not a reality.

iv – Fazila Qazi happens to be well established, great actress of the past TV series. However, here her performance was dull, almost as if ‘Without a heart’. Regardless if the role is big or small, one needs to do their best.

 

 

 

+ Overall
Yakeen Ka Safar is a smooth romantic drama, with Sajal and Ahad at their most charming.

 

 

 

Rate: 3.75 out of 5 stars

 

A review on Pakistani Classic TV Drama Series, ‘Tanhaiyaan’ aka Loneliness (1985-6). Its Production House is Shalimar Recording Company (SRC) while its Distribution is done by PTV Centre (Lahore).

 

 

+ Crew

• Directed by Shahzad Khalil
• Written by Haseena Moin
• Music by Arshad Mehmood

 

 

+ Note
Tanhaiyaan aired on PTV in 1985-6. In total it consists of only 11 episodes. Over the time span, this classic TV series is also considered as cult favorites.

Shehnaz have acted in few TV series of her career whereas Tanhaiyaan and Ankahi is considered as Pakistan’s one of the best TV series.  Unfortunately, she took early retirement in mid 1990s and since have kept herself away from limelight until her debut directorial play in 2010. The director could not live long and was expired in 1989, due to cardiac arrest only at the age of 45.

Tanhaiyaan has re-run several times on PTV and other TV channels, due to its popularity. In 2012, there was a sequel to this TV serial as ‘Tanhaiyaan Naye Silsilay’ which was directed by Marina Khan and out of 12 main cast members, only 6 of them reprise their roles.

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Shehnaz Sheikh as Zara
2. Marina Khan as Sanya
3. Asif Raza Mir as Zain
4. Aamir Hatmi as Fiancée / Syed Salman
5. Behroze Sabzwari as Qutbutdin / Qabacha
6. Badar Khalil as Zubi Khala / Aani
7. Qazi Wajid as Farhan

 

 

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+ Supportive Cast

1. Azra Sherwani as Aapa Begum
2. Durdana Butt as Bibi
3. Yasmeen Ismail as Vida
4. Jamshed Ansari as Buqrat
5. Muhammad Yousuf as Zain’s Father
6. Mushtaq Royaish as Servant / Salamet
7. Subhaniba Yunus as Zara and Sanya’s father
8. Sultana Zafar as Zara and Sanya’s mother

 

 

 

+ Plot

Zara & Sanya, two sisters start living with their aunt after the sudden loss of their parents. One of their efforts to buy back their parents’ house leads them to realize what makes a house a ‘Home’.

 

 

+ High Points

i – The main reason behind this classic TV series’ success is its direction. Shahzad Khalil who happens to be the brains behind it, have able to do a very splendid job. At many places, this TV series is executed in the world of realism.

ii – The writing especially the first few episodes and this TV series characters’ such as Zara, Sanya, Zain… is very effectively written by respected fame writer, Haseena Moin. The combined efforts with the director, have able to come up with a classic TV series.

iii – This serial featured an ensemble star cast of veterans such as Shenaz Sheikh, Marina Khan, Badar Khalil, Azra Sherwani, Asif Raza Mir, Behroze Sabzwari, Qazi Wajid, Jamshed Ansari, Yasmeen Ismail, Durdana Butt, Mohammad Yusuf, Sultana Zafar and Subhaniba Yunus.

iv – The comic relief character, ‘Qabacha’ played by Behroze Sabzwari have able to bring a hilarious moment for the viewers to enjoy. I remember watching this TV series back in early 90s during reruns, where I (at that time) did not know the names of celebrities, especially of Pakistani artists. But the character name, ‘Qabacha’ been given to Behroze Sabzwari’s role as ‘Qutbutdin’ was actually very catchy and often identified him as. Some people to this day often calls him as ‘Qabacha’ due to his iconic role that he played.

v – Good performance by Shehnaz Sheikh as she plays the elder, responsible sister Zara, who makes her ultimate goal to buy back the house where once lived with her late parents.

vi – Marina Khan as Sanya have performed nicely as the younger, immature sister who often plays gags and teases on Qutbutdin aka Qabacha. Other Honorable Mentions:  Rest of the cast.

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – Talking about the first few episodes, they are very interesting to watch as we are shown new characters with the story gradually unfolding and been revealed to us. However, that doesn’t last long as the last four episodes (at least) were too serious, lacking the potential for the story to go any further. To make the TV series interesting again, the writer kept bringing in Qabacha with his silly misadventures to watch and enjoy. But it was already too late, as this TV serial had already fallen down the steep of no return.

ii – Jamshed Ansari’s character is totally wasted. Although he is a wonderful actor but the writer didn’t develop the character strong enough for him to make us feel his being importance. In first 3 – 4 episodes, Buqrat has some interesting scenes and lines to deliver. But then as this TV series starts to fall, so does his character.

iii – The time span passed too soon in these 11 episodes. Zara is already earning so well in her young age where she able to buy back the house of her late father and has able to expand her business to have a partnership. Let’s just say that with just 11 episodes and the characters’ still remaining young, it was very unlikely to believe all that. And speaking of some writing issues here, we are made to believe that after the sudden loss of Zara’s parents, she is able to find job easily and quickly. Not once, we are shown her co-workers or her boss who she is working for in the start of the episodes. As later on, she has her own business to start, where the character, Syed Salman as her business partner comes into view. This issue is regarding lack of details been shown in able to convince the viewers with the surrounding of realism.

 

 

 

 

+ Overall
Though hilarious and emotionally embodied at first, even with winning performances from the main cast, Tanhaiyaan suffers from taking itself way too seriously than intended to.

 

 

 

Rate: 3.25 out of 5 stars

A review on Pakistani Classic Drama TV Series, ‘Zindagi Gulzar Hai’ (2012-13) aka Life is Blossomed Garden. The Production House is MD Productions while its Distributor is Hum TV.

 

 

+ Crew

• Directed by Sultana Siddiqqui
• Written by Umera Ahmed
• Opening & Ending Title Songs by Ali Zafaro & Hadiqa Kiani
• Produced by Momina Duraid

 

 

+ Note
Zindagi Gulzar Hai was aired on Hum TV from 30^th Nov 2012 – 24^th May 2013. In total it consists of 26 episodes. It is based on the novel of the same name by Umera Ahmad.

 The story revolves around two persons, opposite in thoughts and financial status. This serial has a strong female lead protagonist and was very popular among the female audience. Netflix recently launched Pakistani dramas and Zindagi Gulzar Hai was added to Netflix on December 15, 2015. Currently it holds 4-star rating.

 This drama got 9 awards at the 2nd Hum Awards, 3 awards at the 4th Pakistan Media Awards and 2 awards at the 13th Lux Style Awards. The role of Sanam Saeed was appreciated by critics. As for Fawad Khan it was the third blockbuster drama for him after Dastaan and Humsafar.

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Sanam Saeed as Kashaf Murtaza
2. Fawad Khan as Zaroon Junaid
3. Mehreen Raheel as Asmara Tariq
4. Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui as Osama
5. Samina Peerzada as Rafiya Murtaza/ Kashaf’s mother
6. Behroze Sabzwari as Abrar/ Teacher and Zaroon’s Uncle
7. Mansha Pasha as Sidra Murtaza/ Kashaf’s elder sister
8. Waseem Abbas as Murtaza/ Kashaf’s father
9. Ayesha Omer as Sara Junaid/ Zaroon’s sister

 

 

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+ Supportive Cast

1. Hina Khawaja Bayat as Ghazala Junaid/ Zaroon’s & Sara’s mother
2. Javed Shaikh as Junaid
3. Sana Sarfaraz as Shehnila Murtaza/ Kashaf’s younger sister
4. Maheen Rizvi as Maria Khan/ Kashaf’s University friend
5. Shazia Afgan as Nigar Murtaza / 2nd wife of Murtaza
6. Muhammad Asad as Hammad Murtaza / Step Brother of Kashaf
7. Kanwar Nafees as Farhan Zaid
8. Khalid Ahmed as Wahab / Murtaza’s elder brother

 

 

 

+ Plot

After the absence of father’s support and his love for son only, Kashaf and her other two sisters have made themselves into strong, healthy individuals; to live a much better life on their own. At such time, Zaroon and Kashaf have gain strong differences for each other after an infamous feud occurred in the university’s library.

 

 

+ High Points

i – The writing regarding actors’ characteristics and screenplay especially of the conversation between the lead stars is very beautifully written. I loved how an upper social class husband, easily adapts, adjusts him with lower middle class in-laws. His maturity makes him accept it all the simplicity way of living his in-laws have. On the other hand, Kashaf’s father realization of his 1^st wife’s proper upbringing of daughters is shown and asks to do the same with her step-son as well. But all was too late now.

ii – I don’t remember watching this director’s any previous work. But here, Sultana Siddiqqui’s directorial skills have made a difference in our TV industry. This TV drama is surely to be remembered by many people for times to come.

iii – Another awesome TV drama and performance by handsome, young actor, Fawad Khan as Zaroon. It’s hard to imagine of having ‘Just Okay’ TV drama when he is on-board. The chemistry with Sanam and Mehreen was exciting and fun to watch.

iv – Sanam Saeed as Kashaf, shown as strong headed feminist who always felt the lack of her father’s support to her & her siblings which ultimately turned herself into a independent lady. Other Honorable Mentions: Mehreen Raheel, Behroze Sabzwari, Samina Peerzada and Waseem Abbas.

v – It was nice to see small issues that the married couples often make them and highlight them as huge problems, although already living a happy life.

vi – The humor level was light but at times very amusing.

vii – The performances by everyone is superb and well-casted to play their roles.

viii – Good work behind its production design, able to bring the realism of social classes differences and props.

 

 

+ Low Points

i – The drama kept mentioning of other two daughters of Kashaf’s father and of his 2^nd wife that we were never able to see them on-screen. Why it was so? If they didn’t exist, it would not have made any difference to the story whatsoever.

ii – I believe that according to how his character was written, Javed Sheikh’s acting skills were wasted. Any other low profile actor could have done the same job with same result.

iii – His only choices were either Asmara who was his childhood friend and had a causal affair at the university; Or Kashaf, where Zaroon himself had some strong differences for each other. In actual world, you naturally have many other choices to wed off to.

 

 

+ Overall
Zindagi Gulzar Hai offers intelligent, powerfully acted angles on love, marriage, and long-term commitment.

 

 

Rate: 4.50 out of 5 stars

A review on Pakistani TV Drama Series, ‘Baaghi’ aka Rebel (2017 – 18). Its Production House is Paragon Productions while Distribution is done by Urdu 1.

 

 

+ Crew

• Directed by Farooq Rind
• Written by Shazia Khan
• Cinematography by Khaleel Ahmed (KAKA)
• Theme Music by Shuja Haider
• Produced by Nina Kashif

 

 

+ Note

Baaghi aired on Urdu 1 from 27^th Jul 2017 – 1^st Feb 2018. In total it consists of 28 episodes. It is a biographical based TV show on the famous, controversial Pakistani figure, Qandeel Baloch who was murdered by her brother in the name of honor in July 2016. The screenplay of this drama has been done by Umera Ahmed.

Within a week of its launch, Baaghi became the most watched serial being viewed by Pakistanis on YouTube and has also been the limelight of controversies, as expected. The drama is one of the most hyped TV serials ever produced in Pakistan.

Since then this drama series has won many Pakistani TV awards.

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Saba Qamar as Fauzia Batool/Kanwal Baloch
2. Osman Khalid Butt as Shehryar
3. Khalid Malik as Rehan
4. Ali Kazmi as Abid
5. Imran Ali Sheikh as CEO of Modeling Talent Agency
6. Sarmad Khoosat as Raheem
7. Irfan Khoosat as Fauzia’s father
8. Saba Faisal as Fauzia’s mother
9. Nadia Afgan as Asma
10. Syed Babrik Shah as Asma’s brother
11. Farhana Maqsood as Abid’s second wife
12. Syed Tabrez Ali Shah as Munna
13. Nimra Khan as Munni
14. Seemi Raheel as Abid’s mother

 

 

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+ Supportive Cast

1. Laila Zuberi as Shehreyar’s mother
2. Muskan Jay as Abid’s sister
3. Sophia Mirza as N/A
4. Nishoo as N/A
5. Farah Tufail as N/A
6. Rabia Abid Ali (Noreen) as N/A
7. Raja Matloob as N/A
8. Fahad Sherwani as N/A
9. Usman Mazhar as N/A
10. Ali Deswali as N/A
11. Amna Karim as N/A
12. Mehboob Sultan as Police DSP

 

 

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+ Cameo Cast

1. Yasir Hussain as Sohail Warraich
2. Yasir Nawaz as N/A
3. Hareem Farooq as a Pakistan Idol Judge#1
4. Goher Mumtaz as a Pakistan Idol Judge#2
5. Nomi Ansari as a Pakistan Idol Judge#3
6. Salman Saqib Sheikh (Mani) as N/A
7. Hira Tareen as N/A
8. Naeem Tahir as N/A
9. Ismat Zaidi as Chaudhrani Ji
10. Ahmed Godil as N/A
11. Hasan Soomro as N/A
12. Farooq Rind as N/A
13. Amna Karim as N/A

 

 

+ Plot

Fauzia Batool is trapped in love with Abid only to find him different to what he seems. Still hanging onto her dream of becoming famous, she manages to escape her home town and adapts a new name with personality in the glamour world. But is this enough to fulfill her dreams? Or does she has to what it takes to survive in this hypocrisy world of media?

 

 

+ High Points

i – Saba Qamar as Fauzia Batool/Kanwal Baloch gave an outstanding performance as real life, controversial public figure. To be honest, we all did expected her to perform with this much intensity and hard work in able to give a realistic portrayal of ‘Qandeel Baloch’, which this TV drama is inspired from. It is no wonder to see her winning many awards for her performance and the BTS team’s combined efforts in making this TV drama series possible. Her strong performance is one of the main reasons why you should watch this TV drama series.

ii – Khalid Malik as Rehan played out a strong, supporting character for the lead character, especially at times of her need. His solid performance has definitely him grab attention for many other directors and producers to approach Khalid with new and bigger projects. Bravo! Other Honorable Mentions: Ali Kazmi, Imran Ali Sheikh, Sarmad Khoosat and Irfan Khoosat.

iii – Brilliant efforts in writing this script, main ingredient to find in a successful TV drama series. All thanks to Umera Ahmed and Shazia Khan.

iv – Farooq Rind’s direction have made this drama series very interesting to watch.

v – Many cameo appearances had surprised the viewers but their special appearances were pleasant.

vi – Most of the cast gave a very satisfying performance.

vii – The transformation of Fauzia Batool into Kanwal (Qandeel) Baloch was made possible through effective makeup & hair styling and elegant costume designing.

 

 

+ Low Points

i – At one place they say that this TV series is based on actual events and at the same time, they say that it is inspired from real life events. Personally, I would vote for ‘Inspired from real events’ as many of the things, incidents were not shown or changed it entirely or replaced it totally for legal reasons basically. There were many things they did not show as it happened in real life, especially where the real-life figure had flaws or made many wrong, shameful decisions and public comments. They were either tone down or didn’t bother to show. This move helped them to keep the character in positive light. It is usually done by those who don’t want their characters to be disliked by the viewers or to gain sympathy in its stead. Anyone who knows the actual story to what really happened… then only, you would know to how much extend of fiction was used to dramatize this TV series to portray such a debatable person such as ‘Qandeel Baloch’.

ii – The ending turned out to be… so-so. The reason given for the crime was not as much intuiting as the one known in real life. His brother’s temper was raised several times during the mid of the episodes for other issues but never to this extend. The decision was made all of a sudden and acted upon. Some people may disagree with me but this is how I lack of reasoning behind such gruesome action.

iii – Now, I am well aware that the ‘Extras’ roles and their performances are not given much importance to. But still they are part of the drama series and help further to make the fictional world shown in it as real. Here we have some mediocre acting from their side, although the entire drama series is really convincingly performed.

 

 

+ Overall
Surprisingly, Farooq’s Baaghi is intelligent, smooth, engaging, polished, and well-acted by all involved, especially Saba Qamar who proves her critics that she can handle any part, including of controversial figure.

 

 

Rate: 4.25 out of 5 stars

A review on Pakistani Drama TV Serial, ‘Beshahram’ aka Shameless (2016). Its Production House is Six Sigma Plus while its Distributor is ARY Digital Entertainment.

 

 

 

+ Crew

1. Directed by Farooq Rind
2. Written by Sarwat Nazir
3. Produced by Humayun Saeed & Shehzad Nasib

 

 
+ Note

Beshahram aired on ARY Digital from 10^th May 2016 to 1^st Nov 2016. In total it consists of 24 episodes. The name ‘Beshahram’ of the TV drama serial is based on modeling profession of Mishi which is not considered a respected occupation in the society and secondly because her sudden marriage on LIVE talk show with an aspiring politician Haider, have created a new gossiping talk in the social media and in the press.

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

1) Saba Qamar as Mishal Tahir Malik / Mishi

2) Zahid Ahmed as Haider Bakht

3) Atiqa Odho as Sara

4) Mehmood Akhtar as Sikandar

 

 

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+ Supportive Cast

5) Fia Khan as Sofia

6) Malik Raza as Wahab

7) Sundas Tariq as Humna

8) Shaista Jabeen as Khadija

9) Farah Nadeem as Shakira

10) Ghana Ali as Saba

11) Faisal Rehman as Jamal

12) Jahanzaib Khan as Daniyal

13) Rehan Sheikh as Tahir Malik

 

 

 
+ Plot

One day, two different occupational persons Mishi & Haider get into a bad argument and on the basis of ‘Dare’ get married LIVE on a talk show only to fulfill a challenge. However, this is just beginning of their problems. Since the families of the couple belong to two different social classes with huge difference of their life styles and upbringing, it brings both of them in great pressure where they start to think, to at least to give a chance to their marriage.

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – We have a strong, bold female lead character ‘Mishi’ played by Saba Qamar who has guts to face the harsh environment / situations, solving up issues in her as well as her loved ones’ lives.

ii – The two lead characters of Saba Qamar and Zain Ahmed are not only well written but greatly performed as well. Honorable Mentions: Fia Khan, Malik Raza and Ghana Ali.

iii – The story gets better and interesting as it progresses further.

iv – The direction is good.

v – The script is well written. The humor in some scenes is mild yet laughable to listen to.

vi – Malik Raza character as Wahab is a rich Punjabi paindu (redneck) person and a husband of Sofia. In the start, felt his performance as ‘Over the Top’ acting. But he cleared up the misconceptions from the viewers by making his character more likable to watch in later episodes due to his clumsy, goofy yet funny manner of talk and behavior.

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – Although the female lead character Mishi is a strong, daring person but her straight forward, rude behavior, her anger and getting herself in unnecessary arguments would make the viewers’ very hard to like in the first few episodes. However, I do understand that this was intentionally done by the writer so that if her character shifts towards softer personality [in the later episodes] then the viewers as well as the people connected in her life including the society would gradually accept her… and perhaps would consider her as a role model.

ii – Easiest and quickest way to write a character is to make that character as a stereotype. Here we have the makeup artist character who is a dear friend of Mishi. Yes, I am aware that there are gay personality people also in this profession but the way his character is written and portrayed is very shameful. Although the writer has done a wonderful job in writing other characters but (unfortunately) here the writer’s creativity is totally lost.

iii – The photographer Kabir who starts to blackmail Saba; to show him as a bad person / villain, the director preferred the actor having his eyes wide open as if he is performing LIVE on-stage.

iv – There are several plot holes left behind in some of the episodes. For instance, when Haider is first time hospitalized; Sikander (Haider’s parental uncle) insists his wife & daughter to pay a visit at the hospital with him. After that scene, no mention of Sikander / his family visiting Haider at the hospital or shown in that / further episodes.

Second example is when Sikander informs Haider of the shop’s partial share (hefty amount) of being stolen from his house, we see Haider making a threat to register FIR against him for giving a false reason for not giving up his (Haider) share which is due on Sikander. Then even after several episodes, no complain to police or demand for his share is asked by Haider to his uncle. It seems Haider has lost interest of his father’s (deceased) partial share of the shop.

v – There are few mistakes in shooting up the scenes. Such as Qadeer tells his parents that he and his fiancée would dine out instead. Just as soon as they have walked out of the screen’s frame, his parents start to back bite of their son’s fiancée behavior and attitude. In real life, the couple would have taken only a step forward from their presence where Qadeer’s parents were back biting loudly and clearly.

vi – The character of Sikander is too loud. I believe that it can be tone down to make more believable and striking for the viewers. Even the ‘Want’ of this character is bit confused. Sometimes, he is working selfishly in able to get bigger share of the shop while in other times, he just feels that Haider is dear to him.

 

 

 

+ Overall

Beshahram’s lead performances, to cope up with acceptance of different social classes struggle to make marriage work is well handled.

 

 

Rate: 3.0 out of 5 stars