Tag: Mahira Khan

Feature Length Films

Mr. Khan’s Review on The Legend of Maula Jatt (2022)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani feature length film, The Legend of Maula Jatt (2022). The feature length epic is written and directed by Bilal Lashari. The film is an adaptation of a 1979 Punjabi cult classic ‘Maula Jatt’ starring the legendary Sultan Rahi. The film stars Fawad Khan as the protagonist with Hamza Ali Abbasi, Humaima Malik, Faris Shafi and Mahira Khan. The Legend of Maula Jatt is produced by Encyclomedia, Lashari Films and is distributed by AAA Motion Pictures, Geo Films and Mandiwala Entertainment.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Bilal Lashari
  • Written by Nasir Adeeb and Bilal Lashari
  • Cinematography by Bilal Lashari
  • Edited by Bilal Lashari
  • Music by Sarmad Ghafoor
  • Produced by Ammara Hikmat and Asad Jamil Khan 
  • Production by Encyclomedia and Lashari Films

+ Note

The development of a new adaptation of the Punjabi cult classic started around 2013 by the director Bilal Lashari and later on, Ammara Hikmat and Asad Jamil Khan came onboard as producers for the film.  In an effort to make the film grasped firmly into the roots of the original, Nasir Adeeb (the screenwriter of the original) was hired to co-write the script. With a hefty budget of PKR 45 crore, the adaptation was initially supposed to be released around 2018/19 but due to various copyright lawsuits and the pandemic, was pushed further back. The film was finally released on 13th October 2022 and quickly became the highest grossing Pakistani film of all time.

 + Main Cast

  1. Fawad Khan as Maula Jatt
  2. Rehan Fareed Hiraj as Young Maula
  3. Hamza Ali Abbasi as Noori Natt
  4. Mahira Khan as Mukhoo Jattni
  5. Humaima Malik as Daaro Nattni
  6. Gohar Rasheed as Maakha Natt
  7. Faris Shafi as Mooda
  8. Shafqat Cheema as Jeeva Natt
  9. Saima Baloch as Rajjo
  10. Nayyer Ejaz as Jagoo Natt
  11. Ali Azmat as Gogi

+ Plot

Born out of a tragic past, Maula Jatt grows up to take revenge against the Noori Natt clan and fights for the justice of his people.

+ High Points

i – So I just would like to get this out of the way, The Legend of Maula Jatt exceeded my expectations. Not only did Bilal Lashari create an engaging, three hour long Punjabi epic with fast paced action and breathtaking visuals but it also did not forget its humble roots of our low budget Punjabi cinema. From the interesting cast of characters to the final epic battle between Maula Jatt and Noori Natt, the film will undoubtedly keep you entertained throughout its runtime. Bilal Lashari and his crew have done a marvelous job in bringing Maula Jatt to mainstream pop culture without desecrating its source material. The film rapidly became the highest grossing Pakistani film of all time and with its continuous legal troubles behind the scenes, it was well worth the wait.

ii – Bilal Lashari is undoubtedly the genius behind the film. With just his second directorial film, Lashari is also credited as the writer, cinematographer and editor of the film. This is truly a herculean effort from the filmmaker who was hellbent on bringing Maula Jatt to the big screen once again and should rightfully be applauded for all his hard work. Since it was a singular vision in a lot of aspects, it is difficult for me to distinguish each individual aspect apart. The masterful cinematography truly complimented the emotional turmoil of the character, accompanied by numerous match cut edits, making the transition brilliant from one scene to the next. The Legend of Maula Jatt could truly be Bilal Lashari’s magnum opus.

 iii – The best decision that Bilal Lashrai ever made was that he recruited Nasir Adeeb to co-write the script with him. Adeeb served as the screenwriter of  the original Maula Jatt (1979) and dialogues have been written with uttermost perfection for each and every character. Never did any set of dialogue felt out of place or unnecessary to the story but in fact, some comedic ones also left me chuckling under my breath. Apart from Lashari, Nasir Adeeb has had a major role to play in the success of this film.

 iv – As far as the performances go, I have no complaints. The theatrical, exaggerated performance of each actor complimented the essence of the source material with its core. It is one of the few instances where the film required exaggerated expressions and played quite well in creating a unique world of love, murder and vengeance. Fawad Khan, Maria Khan, Gohar Rasheed; everyone played their roles brilliantly.  But all in all, it was Hamza Ali Abbasi’s Noori Natt who stole the show for me. His tragic past, deranged concept of justice and unfiltered violence made him such a unique figure in the history of Pakistani cinema. 

 

v – Some audience members might have been turned off by the gratuitous violence in the film but it is an essential part of the saga. Bilal Lashrai smarty utilized such horrific imagery in order to heighten the atmosphere of the film. Maula Jatt grows up in a world of injustice and he is not afraid to use his Ghandasa in order to fight for his people. Frankly, I would have been very disappointed if they didn’t abrasively use violence in the film.

 vi – Thankfully, the film is devoid of any song and dance numbers… except for this one instance.The ‘Chann Pichay’ was a wonderful melody that was strategically placed right in the middle of the film. It was as some might say “The calm before the storm”.

 vii – The music by Sarmad Ghafoor and sound mixing did a stupendous job in bringing Maula Jatt to life. From the galloping of the horses to the verbal defiance of Maula Jatt, each scene was made engaging through its wonderful music composition and brilliant sound mixing.

viii – Now this is how you pay an homage to the source material! None of the famous dialogues of Noori Natt or Maula Jatt were misused or felt out of place in order to nudge the viewers into loving the film. All the callbacks of scenes, dialogues and violence were appropriately used to pay homage but at the end, have an identity of its own.

+ Low Points

i – The three hour runtime was never an issue for me but lack of quieter scenes unfortunately were. By the end of the film, the gratuitous violent imagery did become tad overbearing and one would imagine a couple of more character building scenes here and there might have helped the film in the long run. Such as… 

ii – Mahira Khan as Mukhoo Jattni. Her character sadly feels shortchanged as she never developed beyond the characteristic that she loves Maula more than anything. Great but what is Mukhoo herself as a person? A few more scenes could have been utilized in developing her character, her back story, what role does she play in the story apart from being our main protagonist’s love interest.

iii – This is of course, a nitpick from my side but Fawad Khan is too handsome to play the role of Maula Jatt. His performance in the role was great but visually, his movie star looks hindered my attention towards believing in him as the vengeful protagonist. Before the original 1979 film, Sultan Rahi was never perceived as a star. He always played the role of an extra in numerous films, mainly because he looked like any other person you would meet on the street. Similarly, Maula Jatt represents the common man, anyone of us can take the mantle of him. Fawad Khan’s visual appearance never went beyond ‘a movie star playing a character on screen’. 

+ Overall

Brilliant storytelling, great performances and direction, The Legend of Maula Jatt might just be one of the best Pakistani films ever made.

Rate: out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay – Episode XXI (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay Episode 21 (2021). The new TV series is written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Farooq Rind. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a Momina Duraid Production and currently airs on HUM TV.

(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 Farooq Rind
  • Written by Umer Ahmed
  • Produced by Nina Kashif & Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay marks 5 years since Mahira Khan appeared in a TV drama and as was the case before, this drama was also originally a novel by Umera Ahmed where the childhood and upbringing play an important part in the main plot of the show. The show deals with dark topics such as drug addiction and its impact on a child’s upbringing. 

The show also focuses once again on a love triangle between three cousins who shared a childhood together; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is essentially a case study of internal flaws and unspoken guilts that makes us human and how we learn to cope up in a less than ideal society.

 + Main Cast

  1. Mahira Khan as Mehreen Mansoor
  2. Kubra Khan as Mashal Tahir
  3. Usman Mukhtar as Aswad Ayub
  4. Omair Rana as Mansoor
  5. Zainab Qayyum as Shagufta
  6. Haroon Shahid
  7. Laila Wasti
  8. Huma Nawab as Saliha
  9. Kaif Ghaznavi
  10. Shamim Hilali as Aswad’s Grandmother
  11. Khalid Malik

+ Plot

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a story of three cousins; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Their lives have coincided with each other since childhood. While Mashal and Aswad grew up in a stable, loving household, Mehreen had to live through the mistakes of her father for being a drug addict and financially unstable. As they grow older, it is obvious that they all share an unbroken bond between each other that will only culminate with certain unforeseeable events.

+ High Points

i – For an episode that takes place almost entirely in one room, it never got boring and was a breeze to sit through. Now, did the story development make any sense? No, but at least the viewers didn’t have to roll our eyes and check the time every 10 minutes. And I suppose it is somewhat ambitious of the show to dedicate a whole episode with primarily two actors and a single location but…

+ Low Points

i –  … it is all nonsensical in the end. None of the expositions make any logical sense to the plot development and the sudden change in character from Mashal just comes out of left field. Since it is time to warp up the show, characters are now acting out of their characterization to reach the conclusion.

All because Mashal got slapped in the face by Mehreen, they decided to bury the decade long rivalry over two sets of teas. The vital question being; why was none of this information shared by Mehreen to the police?? And also, nothing in their conversation indicates a pivotal moment where Mashal would have a strong change of heart towards Mehreen. So you’re telling me that all they both needed was to listen to each other for a few hours and Mashal would realize that she acted so cruel towards Mehreen? She literally was planning on murdering Mehreen that very night! Wow, that is some conversation! World politics should adopt this technique in the United Nations and bring world peace all across the globe! From planning on murdering someone to giving their blessing to marry the love of their life, that is some character development within a span of few hours!

ii – There is unfortunately nothing much to dissect here. Nothing of much value was said throughout their conversation. Mehreen recounts all the mischief Mashal created against her, they both discuss how they are in love with Aswad (for God knows what reason…) and Mashal makes the sacrifice of not standing in the way of Mehreen and Aswad anymore. Alright but this does not add any value to the plot progression of the show. Why was this even an episode? The only valuable point of contingency was that Mashal threw the cup of poisoned tea away from Mehreen. That could have been shown in a single flashback shot in any of the other episodes. This episode did not need to exist.

iii – It is such negligence from the writer’s part that the character of Saffan has always been treated as an ‘afterthought’ throughout the entire show. So someone who was kind, understanding and arguably a better human being than all of the three main cast characters, was treated like a wet cloth, hung out  to dry, only mentioned as an ‘alternative solution’ for Mehreen. So in the end; selfish, malicious behavior is rewarded in this show but empathy is punished. Let us hope that the final episode makes the right choice and should not end on Aswad redeeming himself in the eyes of Mehreen. 

+ Overall

Episode 21 was ambitious but nothing more than that. It is (for the most part) an entirely skippable episode.

 Rate: out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay – Episode XX (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay Episode 20 (2021). The new TV series is written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Farooq Rind. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a Momina Duraid Production and currently airs on HUM TV.

(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 Farooq Rind
  • Written by Umer Ahmed
  • Produced by Nina Kashif & Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay marks 5 years since Mahira Khan appeared in a TV drama and as was the case before, this drama was also originally a novel by Umera Ahmed where the childhood and upbringing play an important part in the main plot of the show. The show deals with dark topics such as drug addiction and its impact on a child’s upbringing. 

The show also focuses once again on a love triangle between three cousins who shared a childhood together; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is essentially a case study of internal flaws and unspoken guilts that makes us human and how we learn to cope up in a less than ideal society.

 + Main Cast

  1. Mahira Khan as Mehreen Mansoor
  2. Kubra Khan as Mashal Tahir
  3. Usman Mukhtar as Aswad Ayub
  4. Omair Rana as Mansoor
  5. Zainab Qayyum as Shagufta
  6. Haroon Shahid
  7. Laila Wasti
  8. Huma Nawab as Saliha
  9. Kaif Ghaznavi
  10. Shamim Hilali as Aswad’s Grandmother
  11. Khalid Malik

+ Plot

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a story of three cousins; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Their lives have coincided with each other since childhood. While Mashal and Aswad grew up in a stable, loving household, Mehreen had to live through the mistakes of her father for being a drug addict and financially unstable. As they grow older, it is obvious that they all share an unbroken bond between each other that will only culminate with certain unforeseeable events.

+ High Points

i – Although nothing integral happens throughout this week’s episode, the performances still made it worth it to sit through. And that has always been the saving grace of this show.

+ Low Points

i –  As mentioned above, (apart from one dialogue from Mehreen) this week had absolutely nothing new to offer. It is yet again retread of previous events and revelations, childhood scenes that (at this stage of the show) add nothing to the narrative. Episode 20 was nothing much than a filler, gearing up to the grand finale (perhaps next week?).

ii – It still boggles the mind how incompitent the police investigation was in the case of Mashal’s murder. Firstly, the “two sets of Tea” that night was never brought up in the investigation, neither the fact that their pet dog mysteriously also got poisoned that night nor the fact that Mashal had the keys to Mehreen’s room and worst of all, Mehreen’s room was not even thoroughly searched by the police. Otherwise, they would have found Mehreen’s daily diary. It is obvious that her diary would not serve as substantial evidence but at the very least, could have served as pieces to the grand puzzle of who murdered Mashal or was it inevertedly her own doing. This major inconsistency in the storytelling is too big of a plothole to be ignored!

iii – Unless Mashal had malicious intentions that night, it is unfathomable why Mashal that night would like to make amends with Mehreen. Even her dialogue delivery sounded sarcastic and not genuine (or maybe Kubra Khan is just not that good of an actress). The revelation from Mehreen that “Mashal wanted to save her” does not add up to the performances during the confrontation scene. And it seems highly unlikely that Mashal (in a second’s thought) would be ready to let go of her grudge towards Mehreen just because she thinks that they are “even” now. Another example of bad, inconsistent writing by Umera Ahmed.

iv – Apparently, the showrunners have promised a major revelation in the final episode of the show and one can only expect a conclusion which would make no sense in the grand scheme of things. The narrative has for the most part been completely inconsistent with the plot, each character has acted at times ‘out of character’ in order to compensate for the plot to move forward. And where is Saffan in all of this? Will he be the main antagonist at the end of the show or has he been pushed off the cliff, never to be mentioned again? Since its premiere, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay has struggled maintaining coherent storytelling and progressive characterizations. And unfortunately, I do not have high hopes that the show will conclude in a way that will answer all the inconsistencies of the plot.

+ Overall

Episode 20 was yet again another filler week to prolong the inevitable finale of the show. Apart from a single, vital dialogue by Mehreen, this episode had nothing new to offer to its viewers.

 Rate: out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay – Episode XIX (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay Episode 19 (2021). The new TV series is written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Farooq Rind. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a Momina Duraid Production and currently airs on HUM TV.

(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 Farooq Rind
  • Written by Umer Ahmed
  • Produced by Nina Kashif & Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay marks 5 years since Mahira Khan appeared in a TV drama and as was the case before, this drama was also originally a novel by Umera Ahmed where the childhood and upbringing play an important part in the main plot of the show. The show deals with dark topics such as drug addiction and its impact on a child’s upbringing. 

The show also focuses once again on a love triangle between three cousins who shared a childhood together; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is essentially a case study of internal flaws and unspoken guilts that makes us human and how we learn to cope up in a less than ideal society.

 + Main Cast

  1. Mahira Khan as Mehreen Mansoor
  2. Kubra Khan as Mashal Tahir
  3. Usman Mukhtar as Aswad Ayub
  4. Omair Rana as Mansoor
  5. Zainab Qayyum as Shagufta
  6. Haroon Shahid
  7. Laila Wasti
  8. Huma Nawab as Saliha
  9. Kaif Ghaznavi
  10. Shamim Hilali as Aswad’s Grandmother
  11. Khalid Malik

+ Plot

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a story of three cousins; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Their lives have coincided with each other since childhood. While Mashal and Aswad grew up in a stable, loving household, Mehreen had to live through the mistakes of her father for being a drug addict and financially unstable. As they grow older, it is obvious that they all share an unbroken bond between each other that will only culminate with certain unforeseeable events.

Spoilers Alert!! If you would like to avoid it, please skip to the Overall section:

+ High Points

i – Finally, the epic conclusion is coming to a close. Shabo accidentally killed Mashal (who wanted to murder her own cousin instead). Even though the conclusion and the motivations make absolutely no sense, the performances have been mostly stellar throughout the show. With exception to Usman Mukhtar as Aswad, everyone else played their respective roles well and with some level of finesse. 

+ Low Points

i –  Episode 19 simply continued on where the last episode left off. The revelation of the incident is further elaborated on with Shabo’s confession as to why she ended up mixing the “energy pills” in Mashal’s tea instead. As per my last review, I already explained how most of this conclusion makes absolutely no sense. The death of their dog (who was not even mentioned or seen in any episodes prior to the death of Mashal) was left uninvestigated by the police nor the fact that Shabo was never really interrogated about her role that night as well. Also the fact that Mehreen could’ve easily mentioned (or did mention) to the police that Mashal and her had in fact, two sets of tea that particular evening. So who made the second round of tea? Why, Shabo of course! Then why was she never properly interrogated? Why is the case now dropped without any conclusive evidence?

And also, good God, why did Mashal trust her servant to mix the “energy pills” in the right cup? Did a thought not cross her mind that she is depending her whole life on Shabo? And time and time again, Mashal had criticized Shabo for being clumsy and not competent enough. Why would she trust her with her life on this “special” occasion? Why didn’t she made her mix the pills right in front of her just for safekeeping?

 Every aspect of this revelation feels unearned as the set up was poorly conducted for a satisfying payoff. And the worst part is that as a viewer, its hard to feel sympathy for any of these characters because they are either too evil or too dumb to garner any affection from the audience.

ii – Aswad still continues to be the most bewildering character in TV history. Due to lies from Mashal, he was (for some idiotic reason) fully convinced that Mehreen is capable of committing murder just because she has some sort of cousin rivalry going on. But what lacks is a substantial reasoning to do so. In Aswad’s mind, what was the crucial reason that Mehreen decided to murder her own cousin? Because of mere jealousy? Unfortunately there is no conclusive reason but due to the fact that the script dictated it, Aswad was supposed to hate Mehreen now, accuse her of murder for no substantial reason. The plot of Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay always felt half-baked. The series of events mostly make no sense but only exist to further the plot. Aswad is by far, the worst character in all of this nonsense.

iii – The great cliffhanger of the episode was that Mehreen now finally wants a divorce from Aswad. And…. is that a surprise for anyone? The woman was on the brink of suicide and had a massive nervous breakdown (mostly cause of him)! Of course she would want a divorce now! And if they still ended up being together in the next episode, I would be extremely displeased with the show’s conclusion.

+ Overall

As Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is finally reaching its conclusion, its safe to say that the promise and talent that this show had in the beginning did not pay off and has been a convoluted mess.

 Rate: out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay – Episode XVIII (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay Episode 18 (2021). The new TV series is written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Farooq Rind. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a Momina Duraid Production and currently airs on HUM TV.

(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 Farooq Rind
  • Written by Umer Ahmed
  • Produced by Nina Kashif & Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay marks 5 years since Mahira Khan appeared in a TV drama and as was the case before, this drama was also originally a novel by Umera Ahmed where the childhood and upbringing play an important part in the main plot of the show. The show deals with dark topics such as drug addiction and its impact on a child’s upbringing. 

The show also focuses once again on a love triangle between three cousins who shared a childhood together; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is essentially a case study of internal flaws and unspoken guilts that makes us human and how we learn to cope up in a less than ideal society.

 + Main Cast

  1. Mahira Khan as Mehreen Mansoor
  2. Kubra Khan as Mashal Tahir
  3. Usman Mukhtar as Aswad Ayub
  4. Omair Rana as Mansoor
  5. Zainab Qayyum as Shagufta
  6. Haroon Shahid
  7. Laila Wasti
  8. Huma Nawab as Saliha
  9. Kaif Ghaznavi
  10. Shamim Hilali as Aswad’s Grandmother
  11. Khalid Malik

+ Plot

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a story of three cousins; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Their lives have coincided with each other since childhood. While Mashal and Aswad grew up in a stable, loving household, Mehreen had to live through the mistakes of her father for being a drug addict and financially unstable. As they grow older, it is obvious that they all share an unbroken bond between each other that will only culminate with certain unforeseeable events.

+ High Points

i – The opening scene of Episode 18, leading up to the climax of Mehreen’s vision of her late father was well executed. The longing of Mehreen for her father has always been one of key elements of the show and thematically, it made perfect sense why he might be the sole reason that could encourage Mehreen to go on living. The set piece was also performed excellently by the actors and is always a constant reminder that with a good script, these actors can potentially knock it out of the park. 

+ Low Points

i –  Finally, Episode 18 had some significant plot revelations. Revelations that made absolutely no sense. (Sigh) Where do we even begin? The unnecessary dumping of the food segment, the tea which was made twice in one night, the fact that the police had no clue that Mashal had the keys to Mehreen’s room and worst of all, Mashal blatantly commanding Shabo to dump unhealthy amount of sleeping pills in Mehreen’s cup and thus, making her an accomplice to a murder for no apparent reason! The plot is unnecessarily convoluted and is dragging the whole show to one of the most unsatisfying conclusions to a show in recent history.

ii – Oh my dear Aswad, the man who planned this whole time that he will psychologically torutre Mehreen for the alleged murder of Mashal and now that Mehreen ends up with a nervous breakdown, he truly realizes how horrible of a person he has been. But wait, there’s more! He now also found out that Mashal had lied to him about Mehreen this entire time like… how she secretly smokes (gasp!), how she has a boyfriend (oh my!) but fret no more, cause all of this and more were just lies, all lies. Which means Mehreen has always been the non-smoking, God’s perfect maiden that Aswad envisioned in head. So are we supposed to feel sorry for this misogynist? Since the beginning of this show, Aswad had been by far one of the worst characteristics that one could have for a male protagonist of a TV show. For him, Mehreen is only worthy of him if she was a non-smoker and is strictly only madly in love with him. Are we sure if he’s actually not the antagonist of the show? Cause that’s a twist which would make perfect sense.

iii – Just this whole depiction of mental torture and suicide from the show leaves a bad taste at the end. I do not believe in condemning such themes in TV shows but they should be done responsibly, not sensationalized and dramatized to a point that it just feels exploitative. It is not enjoyable (nor educational for that matter) to see our female protagonist getting man handled, psychological tortured to the brink of suicide. Why is this being used for prime time TV entertainment purposes? The writing tackling such serious issues is not up to the standards that it should be. Depression and suicide are unfortunately very prevalent in our Pakistani society and should be addressed in the most mature way possible. To say that Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay does not do these themes justice is an understatement.

iv – Apparently Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is now reaching its conclusion and yet, the viewers are still left scratching their heads with what it all means. Why did this show have filler episodes which added absolutely nothing to the overall plot. Since the death of Mashal around ep 8-10 till ep 18, there was next to zero plot development. The producers might have prolonged this show’s life to 20 episodes but in the process, left it completely lifeless with viewers each week complaining about the negative thematic elements of the show.

+ Overall

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is finally reaching its conclusion and unfortunately, the only satisfaction we, the viewers will get is when the final curtain will drop.

 Rate: out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay – Episode XVII (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay Episode 17 (2021). The new TV series is written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Farooq Rind. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a Momina Duraid Production and currently airs on HUM TV.

(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 Farooq Rind
  • Written by Umer Ahmed
  • Produced by Nina Kashif & Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay marks 5 years since Mahira Khan appeared in a TV drama and as was the case before, this drama was also originally a novel by Umera Ahmed where the childhood and upbringing play an important part in the main plot of the show. The show deals with dark topics such as drug addiction and its impact on a child’s upbringing. 

The show also focuses once again on a love triangle between three cousins who shared a childhood together; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is essentially a case study of internal flaws and unspoken guilts that makes us human and how we learn to cope up in a less than ideal society.

 + Main Cast

  1. Mahira Khan as Mehreen Mansoor
  2. Kubra Khan as Mashal Tahir
  3. Usman Mukhtar as Aswad Ayub
  4. Omair Rana as Mansoor
  5. Zainab Qayyum as Shagufta
  6. Haroon Shahid
  7. Laila Wasti
  8. Huma Nawab as Saliha
  9. Kaif Ghaznavi
  10. Shamim Hilali as Aswad’s Grandmother
  11. Khalid Malik

+ Plot

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a story of three cousins; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Their lives have coincided with each other since childhood. While Mashal and Aswad grew up in a stable, loving household, Mehreen had to live through the mistakes of her father for being a drug addict and financially unstable. As they grow older, it is obvious that they all share an unbroken bond between each other that will only culminate with certain unforeseeable events.

+ High Points

i – Its clearly obvious that the main cast of Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay are trying their level best to make this show an exciting watch. Even though the script is devoid of any creativity and the plot refuses to move on, I have to give the cast all the credit they deserve for reading out those repetitive, awful dialogue for every single episode with little to no reward.

+ Low Points

i –  The episode starts off with Aswad shouting at Mehreen, demanding her to explain how much she hated Mashal. Oh boy… this show does not understand the meaning of the word ‘tiresome’. Seventeen episodes in and Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay feels creatively bankrupt since the past five weeks. The plot is stagnated between Aswad’s non-existent revenge, Mehreen’s visions of Mashal and for some reason, Saffan who has nothing better to do but be involved in this complete mess. As I watch an episode each and every week, I truly ask myself what this show is trying to accomplish. As a diligent viewer, who am I supposed to root for? This whole facade of a tragedy is now becoming a parody of itself. Episode 17 was once again nothing more than crude characterizations, shouting contests and endless self-pity sequences. And frankly put, I don’t believe any brilliant conclusion could justify the torture that the show is making us sit through.

ii – So we finally got our answer. Why was Mehreen reluctant to sign those divorce papers even though Aswad has been nothing short of a terrible spouse. Its because she loves him! Yes, the same Aswad who is convinced that his wife poisoned her cousin, the same man who has been manhandling and humiliating his wife publicly without any repercussions. What a great representation of an on screen relationship, a perfect composite of the word “Stockholm Syndrome”. This is just so forced and ridiculous that its unfathomable to even comprehend all of this with an open mind. Sadly, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay finally proves itself to be yet another poster child for glorifying abusive relationships. Not even from the story standpoint, does this make any sense. It’s a reason that a writer comes up with when they have no other intelligent storytelling to fall back to. The Mashal murder mystery has become so convoluted at this point that the show refuses progress even an inch out of its place. Its the lamest and most illogical reasoning to this whole fiasco.

iii – Speaking of abusive relationships, the whole physical and mental torturing of the maid Shabo was an incredibly distasteful scene, almost made me shut off my television set. It’s not a complaint of being ‘unrealistic’, far from it. Its all that the show promotes; abusive relationships, mental and physical torturing the people close to you and worst of all, none of these actions have had any repercussions to them. Its 40 minutes of non-stop debasement of characters on screen each and every week. And if that is what some enjoy in their TV dramas then they really need to seek help.

iv – The restaurant scene was just hilariously bad! Coincidentally, all main cast members of the show dine in the same restaurant. Aswad and his “friend”, Mehreen and her mother in law and Saffan and his newly wedded wife (or fiance, not sure). Of all the millions of people that live in Pakistan, they all ended up in a random place together! Talk about lazy writing by Umera Ahmed. And Aswad gets frustrated because… Mehreen is having lunch in a restaurant and she bumped into Saffan and his fiance/ wife? Is the show trying to find random reasons for the story to have conflict? Which leads me to my next point argument…

v – What is Aswad’s problem? Is he just jealous of Saffan because Mehreen (apparently) likes him? But now that he is getting married to someone else, that still does not satisfy our dear Aswad. He is too busy acting like a manchild in every single episode to realise what his actual motivations in the show are. He hates Mehreen because allegedly, she killed Mashal and seeks revenge. And thus, Aswad ended up marrying Mehreen so he could torture her day and night and also keep her away from the clutches of Saffen. But at the same time, he demands Mehreen as to why she doesn’t sign the divorce papers? But if she does, he thinks that she will end up in the arms of Saffan which is why he refuses to sign the divorce papers..? What kind of nonsense characterization is that? Aswad is, by far, one of the worst main cast characters I’ve ever come across on Pakistani TV. And why does Mehreen still “love” him? This is a mystery perhaps best remains unsolved.

+ Overall

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay failed to improve even a single aspect of its plot structure and arguably, episode 17 has only made it worse. Not worth a watch, folks!

 Rate: out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay – Episode XVI (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay Episode 16 (2021). The new TV series is written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Farooq Rind. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a Momina Duraid Production and currently airs on HUM TV.

(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 Farooq Rind
  • Written by Umer Ahmed
  • Produced by Nina Kashif & Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay marks 5 years since Mahira Khan appeared in a TV drama and as was the case before, this drama was also originally a novel by Umera Ahmed where the childhood and upbringing play an important part in the main plot of the show. The show deals with dark topics such as drug addiction and its impact on a child’s upbringing. 

The show also focuses once again on a love triangle between three cousins who shared a childhood together; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is essentially a case study of internal flaws and unspoken guilts that makes us human and how we learn to cope up in a less than ideal society.

 + Main Cast

  1. Mahira Khan as Mehreen Mansoor
  2. Kubra Khan as Mashal Tahir
  3. Usman Mukhtar as Aswad Ayub
  4. Omair Rana as Mansoor
  5. Zainab Qayyum as Shagufta
  6. Haroon Shahid
  7. Laila Wasti
  8. Huma Nawab as Saliha
  9. Kaif Ghaznavi
  10. Shamim Hilali as Aswad’s Grandmother
  11. Khalid Malik

+ Plot

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a story of three cousins; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Their lives have coincided with each other since childhood. While Mashal and Aswad grew up in a stable, loving household, Mehreen had to live through the mistakes of her father for being a drug addict and financially unstable. As they grow older, it is obvious that they all share an unbroken bond between each other that will only culminate with certain unforeseeable events.

+ High Points

i – With all the chaos that surrounds Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay, the performances of the leading cast is the only salvageable factor left of the show. Even with its massive flaws, the actors still manage to make the fictional scenario believable with their acting chops.

+ Low Points

i –  I have to be honest, it is becoming increasingly difficult to sit through each and every week for this show. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay has lost all its curiosity factor and has almost nothing to offer to its viewers. Every week, each episode now revolves around Mehreen’s visions of Mashal (which have become tiresome by this point), the continuing saga of whether Aswad will divorce Mehreen or not and the anguish of Mashal’s death on her parents. I really don’t mind if the show is opting for a darker path in conveying the storyline but at least follow a clear path of storyline. 

Since the past five / six weeks, no story progression has occurred. The conflict of Aswad and Mehreen is farcical at this stage of the show and it is becoming increasingly clear that the writer Umera Ahmed has no real clue which direction her characters should follow. As of now, they are all stuck in Purgatory, continuing mental torture each and every week with no real storyline behind it.   

ii – What really grinds my gears is the unnecessary conflict in Pakistani dramas. This mental anguish could all be resolved if Mehreen just signs the divorce papers. Even if her husband does not accept it (which he did in this episode), Mehreen’s Mother in Law is on her side, so why is this point being unnecessarily dragged on through countless episodes? 

iii – And once again, I have to forcefully ask myself; why did Aswad want to marry Mehreen in the first place? What was his revenge plan? What did he accomplish? This is all so ridiculous and nonsensical to the main plot and was a massive waste of time for the audience to sit through.

iv – Since Episode 1, the visual presentation of the show has always been a contingent of criticism. The ‘over-lit look’ of each scene directly contradicts the tone of what the show is going for. The story conveys dark, gloom and melancholy but the visuals represent a commercial for a new sunflower cooking oil.

+ Overall

Each week, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay seems to be falling apart. The storyline has dried up, the characters are now directionless in their private limbo and quite frankly, if not for the performances, the show has nothing interesting left to offer to its viewers.

 Rate: out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay – Episode XV (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay Episode 15 (2021). The new TV series is written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Farooq Rind. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a Momina Duraid Production and currently airs on HUM TV.

(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 Farooq Rind
  • Written by Umer Ahmed
  • Produced by Nina Kashif & Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay marks 5 years since Mahira Khan appeared in a TV drama and as was the case before, this drama was also originally a novel by Umera Ahmed where the childhood and upbringing play an important part in the main plot of the show. The show deals with dark topics such as drug addiction and its impact on a child’s upbringing. 

The show also focuses once again on a love triangle between three cousins who shared a childhood together; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is essentially a case study of internal flaws and unspoken guilts that makes us human and how we learn to cope up in a less than ideal society.

 + Main Cast

  1. Mahira Khan as Mehreen Mansoor
  2. Kubra Khan as Mashal Tahir
  3. Usman Mukhtar as Aswad Ayub
  4. Omair Rana as Mansoor
  5. Zainab Qayyum as Shagufta
  6. Haroon Shahid
  7. Laila Wasti
  8. Huma Nawab as Saliha
  9. Kaif Ghaznavi
  10. Shamim Hilali as Aswad’s Grandmother
  11. Khalid Malik

+ Plot

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a story of three cousins; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Their lives have coincided with each other since childhood. While Mashal and Aswad grew up in a stable, loving household, Mehreen had to live through the mistakes of her father for being a drug addict and financially unstable. As they grow older, it is obvious that they all share an unbroken bond between each other that will only culminate with certain unforeseeable events.

+ High Points

i – The best scenes of every episode are usually the continual dream sequences involving Mashal. They are atmospheric, haunting and fun to watch. It also gives a great insight into the psyche of Mehreen; is she overplaying her guilt or is she really feeling guilty of murdering Mashal?

ii – Even though the flashback childhood scenes are one too many each and every week, it is commendable how they tie in the actual scenario of the present. For example, Adult Aswad getting physically aggressive towards Mehreen leads to the flashback scene where the young Aswad claims that he would never hit a girl. It’s good foreshadowing of the negating acts towards his future self. A reminder of how bad things have become between them.

+ Low Points

i –  Aswad’s idea of “revenge” against Mehreen is completely baffling. So first, he faked his way into a marriage with Mehreen, then he threatened to keep her trapped and miserable in the house for all eternity, then (without any real reasoning to the plot of the show), he disappeared to the US without informing anyone. And now, he suddenly came back and wanted Mehreen to “apologize” to Mashal’s parents… for what exactly, I have no idea. This show makes no sense. Each episode is a loose thread of a plot that never seems to tie in together. Is Aswad playing “damage control” or does he really want to extract revenge from Mehreen? For some weeks, the plot of this show has not developed at all and makes it seem as if the writer Umera Ahmed is having trouble keeping this show relevant.

ii – The breakfast scene in Episode 15 was also silly and repetitive. And this always begs the question; why doesn’t Mehreen just divorce him? I’m sure there are laws that protect women in case an abusive husband refuses a divorce. At least give it a chance! As of now, the plot feels contrived and at times, outright ridiculous.

iii – As expected, the whole “apologize” routine turned out to be a total bust. Who in the right mind would have thought that would work? If Aswad really blames Mehreen for the murder of Mashal, why would he want play “damage control” in this situation? And even if this was all a rouse just to humiliate Mehreen further, it still feels contrived and doesn’t add much to the whole drama of the situation. As you can imagine, the plot is complete nonsense at this point, no new development has been made since the past weeks, none of this feels satisfying and is an obvious attempt to prolong the life of the show.

+ Overall

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay seems like a show in search of a direction. The plot has now stagnated to a point where nothing matters anymore and needs some defilbiration shots to revive it back to life.

 Rate: out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay – Episode XIV (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay Episode 14 (2021). The new TV series is written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Farooq Rind. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a Momina Duraid Production and currently airs on HUM TV.

(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 Farooq Rind
  • Written by Umer Ahmed
  • Produced by Nina Kashif & Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay marks 5 years since Mahira Khan appeared in a TV drama and as was the case before, this drama was also originally a novel by Umera Ahmed where the childhood and upbringing play an important part in the main plot of the show. The show deals with dark topics such as drug addiction and its impact on a child’s upbringing. 

The show also focuses once again on a love triangle between three cousins who shared a childhood together; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is essentially a case study of internal flaws and unspoken guilts that makes us human and how we learn to cope up in a less than ideal society.

 + Main Cast

  1. Mahira Khan as Mehreen Mansoor
  2. Kubra Khan as Mashal Tahir
  3. Usman Mukhtar as Aswad Ayub
  4. Omair Rana as Mansoor
  5. Zainab Qayyum as Shagufta
  6. Haroon Shahid
  7. Laila Wasti
  8. Huma Nawab as Saliha
  9. Kaif Ghaznavi
  10. Shamim Hilali as Aswad’s Grandmother
  11. Khalid Malik

+ Plot

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a story of three cousins; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Their lives have coincided with each other since childhood. While Mashal and Aswad grew up in a stable, loving household, Mehreen had to live through the mistakes of her father for being a drug addict and financially unstable. As they grow older, it is obvious that they all share an unbroken bond between each other that will only culminate with certain unforeseeable events.

+ High Points

i – Although Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is devolving each week into obscurity, at least the performances are still with some level of quality and finesse. Mahira Khan, Kubra, Usman and all the supporting actors give it their all in making the show as authentic as possible.

ii – The dream sequences are well directed and presented on screen. Its a nice touch that brings us closer to Mehreen’s psyche of mental torture that Mashal accomplishes even beyond her grave.

+ Low Points

i –  I have no idea what this show is trying to accomplish with its ludicrous storyline and frankly, I’ve lost all interest within the last five episodes. Episode 14 was yet another monotonous spree of accusations, regret and illogical scenarios. Why has Aswad gone back to the US? Didn’t he threaten Mehreen that he will take revenge against her by keeping her caged in the house? What is it with this constant charade of revolving plot twists? Did Mehreen poison her or …. Did Shaboo make a mistake? This murder mystery is really becoming nonsensical now and the plotline just going in circles to no end. 

ii – And the worst part is that; 14 episodes in, and this show has already become stale. The character developments have come to a complete halt, its as if the writer Umera Ahmed has no real clue how to progress the story further. Even though there will be a dramatic end to all this, the journey itself also needs to be interesting in the process as well. Otherwise the show will see a dramatic audience drop off each and every week.

iii – Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay has quickly become devoid of all logic. If Mehreen is feeling threatened by Aswad, should she not just divorce him? Even her mother in law agrees to it so there is in fact no societal pressure on her. On the other hand, the whole case against Mehreen seems shaky at best. It’s been at least weeks (if not months) to Mashal’s death. Is there a case against Mehreen anymore? And once again, why is Aswad staying in the US during this crucial moment if he wants to take revenge against Mehreen? 

iv – I have mentioned this before and I will criticize this again; the police inspector feels like he belongs in a screwball comedy rather than a serious dramatic storyline. His goofy performance seems so out of place that it baffles me how the director even approved of this!

+ Overall

With no real character development or engaging storyline, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay feels stagnated, devoid of logic and just plain uninteresting.

 Rate: out of 5 stars