Tag: Mustafa Afridi

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Last Episode (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saife Hassan and written by Mustafa Afridi. Sang-e-Mah is the spiritual continuation of the saga introduced in the Hum TV drama Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016). Sang-e-Mah is the acting debut of the famous Pakistani pop star Atif Aslam and the drama is a Momina Duraid Production.

+ Crew

• Directed by Saife Hassan
• Written by Mustafa Afridi
• Produced by Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

The drama Sang-e-Mah serves as a spiritual sequel to the show Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016) with Noman Ejaz, Sania Saeed and many others returning to the same cast and crew. The drama deals with life in the Pakhtoon region of Pakistan and explores such hard hitting topics like forced marriages and integral family relationships. According to the director, Sang-e-Mah serves under similar themes as its predecessor, in a three part trilogy, ending it with the next planned show, Sang-e-Siyah.

 + Main Cast

1. Atif Aslam as Hilmand Khan
2. Nauman Ijaz as Haji Marjaan Khan
3. Kubra Khan as Sheherzaad
4. Hania Amir as Gul Meena
5. Zaviyar Nauman Ijaz as Hikmat Khan
6. Sania Saeed as Zarghuna
7. Samiya Mumtaz as Zarsanga
8. Omair Rana as Mastaan Singh
9. Najiba Faiz as Harshaali Kaur
10. Hassan Noman as Badam Gul

+ Plot

Sang-e-Mah is a story of a dysfunctional Pakhtoon family in the tribal regions of Pakistan where pride and honour mostly triumphs over empathy and forgiveness. The show deals with issues such as young love and opposing families who are engaged in a tribal battle with one another.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!! Please read with caution:

+ High Points

i – A credible, thought-provoking and at the end of the day, entertaining finale to the Khan family saga from Laspiran. The final episode certainly delivered, bringing this tale of love and revenge to a close. Was it a satisfying conclusion? It solely depends on what you wanted from the show. Even in my previous reviews, I always compared Sang-e-Mah to a Shakespearan tragedy and that is exactly how the curtains were closed at the end. Props to the writer of the show Mustafa Afridi who brought a creative twist ending to the tale. Although I was aware that Haji Marjaan Khan’s days were numbered, the ending did take me by surprise and left me pondering well after the last image of the episode left my tv screen. The show was far from being a masterpiece as it had its share of problems but I can safely say, the conclusion to the show was immensely satisfying.

ii – This was the final time we got to see Marjaan Khan and his wife Zarsanga together and without a doubt, their performances were just on another level throughout the show. Both veteran actors have such beautiful on screen chemistry that they can literally end each other’s sentences. The terrible secret that they shared made their love all the more stronger and perhaps passing away together was the only way they would have liked to depart from this sinful world.

iii – The climatic scene at the Jirga was brilliantly presented and directed by Saife Hassan. The dialogues were mostly pitch perfect, including the “little white lie” by Hilmand to drive Masha’allah Khan out of Laspiran once and for all. Even though it was not entirely realistic, I did immensely enjoy the proceedings and thankfully, the women’s revolt was played with a certain realistic restraint and never went overboard.  

iv – In a sea of “Saas/ Bahoo” dramas with poor, cliched writing and production, Sang-e-Mah had the guts to leave its viewers with a tragic ending that would leave anyone cold with a lingering, haunting image of the two aged lovers, found leaning on one another and waiting for their reunion in the afterlife. But was the tragic ending warranted? I can see arguments to both sides of the spectrum but regardless, I’m sure it took a lot of courage from the creative team to stick to their guns and go with the ending that I’m sure left half of their viewers dissatisfied (mostly because they wanted a happy end to the show).  

+ Low Points

i – There’s not much I can criticize about the finale, apart from the fact that the Jirga and the impending problem of Gak. The issue was certainly oversimplified and the solution came rather quickly with no real thought behind it. I wish the show would have put in a bit more effort into it, making it more realistic and believable. 

ii – Masa’allah Khan should have been used more in the show. He was barely in a couple of episodes and even then, he showed more grit and tenacity than any antagonist in Sang-e-Mah. This character was unfortunately introduced too late into the show and was immensely underutilized. 

+ Overall and Final thoughts on Sang-e-Mah

Sang-e-Mah was engaging and at times, thought provoking but with such a stellar cast of actors like Nauman Ijaz, Sania Saeed, Atif Aslam, Kubra Khan; it never reached the level of quality that it had every right to be. And most of the blame lies solely on the writing. First of all, Sang-e-Mah should never have been 26 episodes long as some felt an incredibly forced hour of content with no real substance. Even though characters like Marjaan Khan, Zarguna, Zarsanga, Mastaan Singh were great to witness on screen, main characters like Hilmand and Sherherzad felt underdeveloped and under performed (including their forced romance). Unfortunately, this show did no favors to the amateur actor Atif Aslam who is too much of a novice to pull off such a complex character of Hilmand. The never ending pseudo philosophy and constant sulking in each scene left an undesirable taste in my mouth. Sherherzad on the other hand, had a back story that no one asked for. Instead of exploring her “fish out of water” character (a city reporter who was forced to deal with the male chauvinist society of Pakhtoon), we got a tired, recycled childhood abuse story that only made the show feel tacky and unrealistic.

The production of the show was yet another home run for Momina Duraid productions as they prove time and time again that you do not need constant overbearing music in the background to provoke emotions out of your audience. Great framing, excellent cinematography made Sang-e-Mah such a pleasant viewing. 

In conclusion, Sang-e-Mah was a show that had the potential to be a modern classic but sadly, settled to being just better than most current Pakistani shows. Lesser episodes, more sharper writing could have done wonders but that is not the show that we got to witness. What worked for the show, worked to its highest potential; what did not, left a permanent stain on its legacy.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

Overall Series Rating: out of 5 stars

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 25 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saife Hassan and written by Mustafa Afridi. Sang-e-Mah is the spiritual continuation of the saga introduced in the Hum TV drama Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016). Sang-e-Mah is the acting debut of the famous Pakistani pop star Atif Aslam and the drama is a Momina Duraid Production.

+ Crew

• Directed by Saife Hassan
• Written by Mustafa Afridi
• Produced by Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

The drama Sang-e-Mah serves as a spiritual sequel to the show Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016) with Noman Ejaz, Sania Saeed and many others returning to the same cast and crew. The drama deals with life in the Pakhtoon region of Pakistan and explores such hard hitting topics like forced marriages and integral family relationships. According to the director, Sang-e-Mah serves under similar themes as its predecessor, in a three part trilogy, ending it with the next planned show, Sang-e-Siyah.

 + Main Cast

1. Atif Aslam as Hilmand Khan
2. Nauman Ijaz as Haji Marjaan Khan
3. Kubra Khan as Sheherzaad
4. Hania Amir as Gul Meena
5. Zaviyar Nauman Ijaz as Hikmat Khan
6. Sania Saeed as Zarghuna
7. Samiya Mumtaz as Zarsanga
8. Omair Rana as Mastaan Singh
9. Najiba Faiz as Harshaali Kaur
10. Hassan Noman as Badam Gul

+ Plot

Sang-e-Mah is a story of a dysfunctional Pakhtoon family in the tribal regions of Pakistan where pride and honour mostly triumphs over empathy and forgiveness. The show deals with issues such as young love and opposing families who are engaged in a tribal battle with one another.

+ High Points

i – This was apparently the second last episode of Sang-e-Mah and from the looks of it, this is probably the right time to end the show. While nothing spectacular, the episode did have some worthy highlights such as the passing of the torch from father to son, a heartfelt moment between the sisters of Laspiran and a great cliffhanger to end it. 

ii – This week’s episode showcased their female talent to the fullest and honestly, it was great. We got to see some final character building moments from every main cast member but as usual, Samiya Mumtaz was outstanding with her performance. We also had great interaction between mother and daughter as Jirga rages on upon their very existence. Regardless of its varying writing quality, character development has always been one of the key highlights of Sang-e-Mah. 

+ Low Points

i – It’s a shame that we did not get to see more of Masha’allah Khan as he is by far the best and most effective antagonist of the show. In this episode, he was completely sidelined till the last scene. Now I can understand why since there are only two episodes left and the show wants to solely focus on its main cast but whether that’s a criticism or a compliment, Masha’allah Khan seems to be much more vigilant and interesting than most of the characters that we got to witness since the beginning of the show.

ii – I don’t like Atif Aslam in this show. His performance is mono-tone, his obnoxious, pseudo philosophical dialogues are ridiculous and clearly, he lacks the talent to pull such a pivotal character off. And he was insufferable this week as well. When Sang-e-Mah concludes next week, I know what I won’t miss about this show…

+ Overall

Episode 25 did manage to do one pivotal thing right, it will make you excited for the next week’s show finale.

Rate: out of 5 stars

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 24 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saife Hassan and written by Mustafa Afridi. Sang-e-Mah is the spiritual continuation of the saga introduced in the Hum TV drama Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016). Sang-e-Mah is the acting debut of the famous Pakistani pop star Atif Aslam and the drama is a Momina Duraid Production.

+ Crew

• Directed by Saife Hassan
• Written by Mustafa Afridi
• Produced by Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

The drama Sang-e-Mah serves as a spiritual sequel to the show Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016) with Noman Ejaz, Sania Saeed and many others returning to the same cast and crew. The drama deals with life in the Pakhtoon region of Pakistan and explores such hard hitting topics like forced marriages and integral family relationships. According to the director, Sang-e-Mah serves under similar themes as its predecessor, in a three part trilogy, ending it with the next planned show, Sang-e-Siyah.

 + Main Cast

1. Atif Aslam as Hilmand Khan
2. Nauman Ijaz as Haji Marjaan Khan
3. Kubra Khan as Sheherzaad
4. Hania Amir as Gul Meena
5. Zaviyar Nauman Ijaz as Hikmat Khan
6. Sania Saeed as Zarghuna
7. Samiya Mumtaz as Zarsanga
8. Omair Rana as Mastaan Singh
9. Najiba Faiz as Harshaali Kaur
10. Hassan Noman as Badam Gul

+ Plot

Sang-e-Mah is a story of a dysfunctional Pakhtoon family in the tribal regions of Pakistan where pride and honour mostly triumphs over empathy and forgiveness. The show deals with issues such as young love and opposing families who are engaged in a tribal battle with one another.

+ High Points

i – Episode 24 continued on with the Marjaan/ Hilmand storyline but this time, we have a new antagonist; Masha’allah Khan (aka the grandfather of Hilmand). And I have to say, the authenticity of this character is what was sorely missing from this show this entire time! The character looks and feels like a genuine Pashtoon. His mannerisms and dialectic bring a great sense of credibility to the show and plus, the performance is outstanding. His threats feel like a game changer, someone who can single handedly disrupt the life of Marjaan Khan. Normally I am not a fan of introducing new characters so late into the show’s run but this seems like a clear exception. Masha’allah Khan has breathed a new life into this show and I am all for it.

ii – The broken dua scene between Awwal Khan and Sherherzad was charming and brought some levity to the show. While not exactly comedic, the scene worked fantastically in bringing a sense of hope in times of utter despair.

iii – Hilmand’s character has been written with great level of detail and attention in this episode as his sense of good/evil is shattered forever. His biological father turned out to be aggressor while his angelic mother was revealed to be the murderer. It’s brilliant that we get to see Hilmand not only question himself but also visit his family roots to find out the truth. Perhaps lesser shows would have left the story at the revelation but I’m all for exploring Hilmand’s character further to bring some depth into his psyche.

+ Low Points

i – It does seem odd that since the past 10 episodes, Hikmat has almost vanished from the picture. He  started off as one of the key characters to the show and is now being relegated to silently standing in the background. 

ii – With the episode’s conclusion, it seems like we are going to have a build up to yet another “Jirga” scene. Although this is the ‘legal’ way to handle situations in the villages of North Waziristan, we as an audience just went through that. It just makes the upcoming episodes seem a bit less exciting but the writer has a twist in the story planned, then I could be all for it.

+ Overall

Even with a satisfying conclusion to the main plot of the show, Sang-e-Mah still found a viable way to continue the show with a brand new antagonist.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 23 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saife Hassan and written by Mustafa Afridi. Sang-e-Mah is the spiritual continuation of the saga introduced in the Hum TV drama Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016). Sang-e-Mah is the acting debut of the famous Pakistani pop star Atif Aslam and the drama is a Momina Duraid Production.

+ Crew

• Directed by Saife Hassan
• Written by Mustafa Afridi
• Produced by Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

The drama Sang-e-Mah serves as a spiritual sequel to the show Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016) with Noman Ejaz, Sania Saeed and many others returning to the same cast and crew. The drama deals with life in the Pakhtoon region of Pakistan and explores such hard hitting topics like forced marriages and integral family relationships. According to the director, Sang-e-Mah serves under similar themes as its predecessor, in a three part trilogy, ending it with the next planned show, Sang-e-Siyah.

 + Main Cast

1. Atif Aslam as Hilmand Khan
2. Nauman Ijaz as Haji Marjaan Khan
3. Kubra Khan as Sheherzaad
4. Hania Amir as Gul Meena
5. Zaviyar Nauman Ijaz as Hikmat Khan
6. Sania Saeed as Zarghuna
7. Samiya Mumtaz as Zarsanga
8. Omair Rana as Mastaan Singh
9. Najiba Faiz as Harshaali Kaur
10. Hassan Noman as Badam Gul

+ Plot

Sang-e-Mah is a story of a dysfunctional Pakhtoon family in the tribal regions of Pakistan where pride and honour mostly triumphs over empathy and forgiveness. The show deals with issues such as young love and opposing families who are engaged in a tribal battle with one another.

+ High Points

i – A great opening for the episode. A BIG revelation that undoubtedly changed the dynamics of the show. And it was all executed with certain precision by the writer Mustafa Afridi. We got to see some great performances by Samiya Mumtaz and Nauman Ijaz who share such a special bond and are arguably the best thing about the show. All-around, a good episode.

SPOILERS AHEAD! If you would like to avoid it, please skip to the Overall section below:

ii – There were many heartfelt moments throughout episode 23; namely the Marjaan/ Zarsanga and the touching moment between the two sisters; Zarsanga and Zarghuna. The dialogue was great, especially the part where Zarsanga asks if she still stands by her even after she admitted to murdering her previous husband. To which Zarghuna replies that she would not even be next to her if she didn’t. This back and forth between the two sisters spoke volumes about their relationship without overwhelming their audience with too many exposition scenes. Great moment in the episode.

iii – This episode most probably concluded Mastaan Singh’s story arc. In one of the most unusual ways, Mastaan found a chance to redeem himself from his past evils, marry the love of his life and finally move on. Although there are still some glaring question marks left on how his actions were handled by the show, I am at least certain that the character suffered enough to finally reach the destination that he most likely deserves.

+ Low Points

i – Episode 23 was good but it did have its share of problems. Why in the world is murder or attempted murder not taken seriously in this show!? Zarsanga walked in the Jirga and openly admitted to murdering her previous husband. And…. nothing happens. It’s utterly ridiculous. This makes the audience feel like there are in fact, no consequences to anyone’s actions. Regardless that the crime took place 30 odd years ago, it was still murder. The elders of the village are the most useless, spineless characters that I have ever come across. But I guess nothing matters anymore. Just attempt to kill whoever crossed your path and you won’t even get a slap on the wrist. I sincerely hope that I am proven wrong in the next episodes where Zarsanga is placed under arrest or something because this is all just ludicrous. 

ii – This episode was supposed to be the big pivotal point (earth shattering if you will) in Hilmand’s life and unfortunately, Atif Aslam’s performance was not up to the mark. The only default emotion he can display is scroun and wallowing into his self pity. 

iii – So the big climatic scene has happened. And I am now a bit perplexed where the show will go from here. I guess Hilmand can finally make up with his step dad but the end of the episode indicated that there is somehow more to come. And honestly, this might be the opportunity that Sang-e-Mah should end on a high note and not drag on its already concluded storyline.

+ Overall

Episode 23 had some good emotional moments but certain storyline inconsistencies bring this episode down a notch or two.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 22 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saife Hassan and written by Mustafa Afridi. Sang-e-Mah is the spiritual continuation of the saga introduced in the Hum TV drama Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016). Sang-e-Mah is the acting debut of the famous Pakistani pop star Atif Aslam and the drama is a Momina Duraid Production.

+ Crew

• Directed by Saife Hassan
• Written by Mustafa Afridi
• Produced by Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

The drama Sang-e-Mah serves as a spiritual sequel to the show Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016) with Noman Ejaz, Sania Saeed and many others returning to the same cast and crew. The drama deals with life in the Pakhtoon region of Pakistan and explores such hard hitting topics like forced marriages and integral family relationships. According to the director, Sang-e-Mah serves under similar themes as its predecessor, in a three part trilogy, ending it with the next planned show, Sang-e-Siyah.

 + Main Cast

1. Atif Aslam as Hilmand Khan
2. Nauman Ijaz as Haji Marjaan Khan
3. Kubra Khan as Sheherzaad
4. Hania Amir as Gul Meena
5. Zaviyar Nauman Ijaz as Hikmat Khan
6. Sania Saeed as Zarghuna
7. Samiya Mumtaz as Zarsanga
8. Omair Rana as Mastaan Singh
9. Najiba Faiz as Harshaali Kaur
10. Hassan Noman as Badam Gul

+ Plot

Sang-e-Mah is a story of a dysfunctional Pakhtoon family in the tribal regions of Pakistan where pride and honour mostly triumphs over empathy and forgiveness. The show deals with issues such as young love and opposing families who are engaged in a tribal battle with one another.

+ High Points

i – This week Sang-e-Mah provided yet another great episode. The scenes flowed well with one another, leading up to the Jirga and of course, the trial itself had some twists hiding within the proceedings. All the cast members played their parts well, there was a lot of emotion involved within each and every scene. I also loved the contrast between the two scenes; the Jirga and the bride waiting for her groom to return safely so they can finally tie the knot. All in all, this show has been in the best of forms since the past four to five weeks and it’s just great, engaging television. 

ii – Atif Aslam was great in this episode. His stern demeanor, threatening voice accompanied by unhealthy obsession with revenge was perfectly utilized by this episode. Although Hilmand is a very one note character, his stronger assets can be cleverly utilized for the main plot of the show for some heightened dramatization of events. 

iii – The Jirga scene was undoubtedly some of the best, well directed/ acted scenes in the show’s history. The accusations back and forth along with some false confessions brought a fantastic level of excitement and made the climax well worth the wait. Mustafa Afridi wrote that scene to near perfection and the show will definitely be remembered by it long after the show has concluded.

iv – With all that said, the Jirga has still not reached its conclusion as the cliffhanger suggests that there still might be some surprise witnesses left unattended. Can’t wait for next week!

+ Low Points

i – A minor complaint but I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that Mastaan Singh’s fiance seems unphased with his confession that he in fact did try to murder yet again. Is this normal? Although I understand that she is madly in love with him so she refuses to see his massive character flaws but doesn’t that even scare her off just a bit? Or even reconsider if she even wants to marry a man who already took a person’s life and now he attempted to replicate it again? This also doesn’t really replicate the Sikh community in a positive light as the “hot headed” Sikh stereotype remains prevalent with this show. 

+ Overall

Episode 22 promised a great payoff to the father/ son rivalry and it did not disappoint. Yet another fantastic episode!

Rate: out of 5 stars 

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 21 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saife Hassan and written by Mustafa Afridi. Sang-e-Mah is the spiritual continuation of the saga introduced in the Hum TV drama Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016). Sang-e-Mah is the acting debut of the famous Pakistani pop star Atif Aslam and the drama is a Momina Duraid Production.

+ Crew

• Directed by Saife Hassan
• Written by Mustafa Afridi
• Produced by Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

The drama Sang-e-Mah serves as a spiritual sequel to the show Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016) with Noman Ejaz, Sania Saeed and many others returning to the same cast and crew. The drama deals with life in the Pakhtoon region of Pakistan and explores such hard hitting topics like forced marriages and integral family relationships. According to the director, Sang-e-Mah serves under similar themes as its predecessor, in a three part trilogy, ending it with the next planned show, Sang-e-Siyah.

 + Main Cast

1. Atif Aslam as Hilmand Khan
2. Nauman Ijaz as Haji Marjaan Khan
3. Kubra Khan as Sheherzaad
4. Hania Amir as Gul Meena
5. Zaviyar Nauman Ijaz as Hikmat Khan
6. Sania Saeed as Zarghuna
7. Samiya Mumtaz as Zarsanga
8. Omair Rana as Mastaan Singh
9. Najiba Faiz as Harshaali Kaur
10. Hassan Noman as Badam Gul

+ Plot

Sang-e-Mah is a story of a dysfunctional Pakhtoon family in the tribal regions of Pakistan where pride and honour mostly triumphs over empathy and forgiveness. The show deals with issues such as young love and opposing families who are engaged in a tribal battle with one another.

+ High Points

i – Episode 21 was heavily centered around Haji Marjaan Khan as we get to know his childhood through a flashback right up to the present day as he is on the brink of his own Jirga. Throughout the series, Marjaan has evolved into a more sympathetic character even though one might not agree with his past actions. Under the facade of a leader, lies a character who has genuine regrets and unfulfilled promises which haunt every single day of his existence. Sang-e-Mah has some underdeveloped characters (and some overdeveloped) but with each passing episode, Marjaan has truly shined not only through some impeccable writing but also great performance by Nauman Ijaz as he is, without a doubt, one of the finest actors in the business.

ii – And when it comes to Marjaan Khan, you cannot leave out Samiya Mumtaz’s heartfelt performance as Zarsanga. Her and Nauman Ijaz share some truly emotional scenes together. Without even uttering the words, one could see how much they love each other. The closing scene of episode 21 was undoubtedly the highlight of this week as we witness the two reminiscing about their past selves and how times have changed since then. As a viewer, I would now hate to see any harm done to either of these two characters but it is unfortunately inevitable. 

iii – For the most part, episode 21 had some great scenes and none felt time consuming or out of place. We get an emotional yet fun interaction between the two young lovers Gul Meena and Hikmat as they shed their indifferences and finally come together. On the other end of the spectrum, we witness Mastaan Singh confess his attempted murder to his fiance. Through fantastic writing and poignantly well crafted scenes, Sang-e-Mah has really elevated itself back on top to retain its position as one of the best shows currently out there.

iv – Great cliffhanger! I am now genuinely interested in how the Jirga proceedings will follow. Will Marjaan finally be pronounced guilty? We shall find out soon enough.

+ Low Points

i – Not much to complain about this time but one of my few big gripes with Sang-e-Mah has always been the portrayal of the elders of the village. They have been depicted as nobodies, a group who everyone in the village disobeys or talks back to. They seem to have no authority and yet, they are supposed to be the judge, jury and executioners of this village. Apart from that, the attempted murder case of Hilmand has been so quickly swept under the carpet as if it was a daily occurrence. This just goes to show that any major decision and event will always be met with no real consequences.

ii – The chemistry/ romance between Hilmand and Sherherzaad has been pretty much non-existent. They have shared some poorly written scenes, accompanied by lackluster performances. To put it simply, it was the complete opposite to Marjaan and Zarsanga. I guess this major flaw in the show cannot be rectified now as we are now soon reaching the conclusion of the show.

+ Overall

Another week, another great Sang-e-Mah episode. And with a tremendous cliffhanger, I am cautiously looking forward to how this could all end.

Rate: out of 5 stars

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 20 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saife Hassan and written by Mustafa Afridi. Sang-e-Mah is the spiritual continuation of the saga introduced in the Hum TV drama Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016). Sang-e-Mah is the acting debut of the famous Pakistani pop star Atif Aslam and the drama is a Momina Duraid Production.

+ Crew

• Directed by Saife Hassan
• Written by Mustafa Afridi
• Produced by Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

The drama Sang-e-Mah serves as a spiritual sequel to the show Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016) with Noman Ejaz, Sania Saeed and many others returning to the same cast and crew. The drama deals with life in the Pakhtoon region of Pakistan and explores such hard hitting topics like forced marriages and integral family relationships. According to the director, Sang-e-Mah serves under similar themes as its predecessor, in a three part trilogy, ending it with the next planned show, Sang-e-Siyah.

 + Main Cast

1. Atif Aslam as Hilmand Khan
2. Nauman Ijaz as Haji Marjaan Khan
3. Kubra Khan as Sheherzaad
4. Hania Amir as Gul Meena
5. Zaviyar Nauman Ijaz as Hikmat Khan
6. Sania Saeed as Zarghuna
7. Samiya Mumtaz as Zarsanga
8. Omair Rana as Mastaan Singh
9. Najiba Faiz as Harshaali Kaur
10. Hassan Noman as Badam Gul

+ Plot

Sang-e-Mah is a story of a dysfunctional Pakhtoon family in the tribal regions of Pakistan where pride and honour mostly triumphs over empathy and forgiveness. The show deals with issues such as young love and opposing families who are engaged in a tribal battle with one another.

+ High Points

i – Episode 20 was a massive improvement from its predecessors as it solely focused on the core plot of the show and less on the useless subplots. The episode was largely dominated by Hilmand, Mastaan Singh and Marjaan Khan and all of them gave noteworthy performances. We finally are led into Hilmand’s plan of getting a confession out of his step father and it makes perfect sense how he set up his carefully plotted trap for him. It was somewhat perplexing why, just a few episodes ago, did Hilmand blame his brother for his attempted murder but episode 20 does a great job in clearing Hilmand’s motivations and obsession towards justice (even if that frames his brother for a crime he never commited!). Good writing, fantastic pacing, episode 20 brought the best of Sang-e-Mah.

ii – Atif Aslam’s performance in this episode worked perfectly because:

1. He had much better written dialogue which didn’t devolve into nonsense philosophy that went nowhere.
2. He shared his scenes with much more seasoned actors like Nauman Ijaz and Omair Rana who played along with Atif’s strengths as an amateur actor.

As I mentioned previously, Atif Aslam has screen presence but he needs experience and support from his fellow actors on screen who can play along with his revenge filled schemes. With that being said…

iii – Hilmand and Mastaan Singh shared an intense scene as he closed in on him like a leopard closes in on its victim for consumption. But of course, Hilmand is not there just to get a confession out of him but rather, utilize him further into his grand scheme of vengence. His obsession, his white whale, the trial and punishment of his step father Marjaan Khan supasses everything he loves and holds dear to his heart. I admire this Shakepearen revenge story that will most probably end in tragedy.

iv – Another impactful scene in the episode was the yet another confrontation of Marjaan Khan and his step son. But this time, Hilmand clearly had the upper hand in this duel as he (inadvertently) got a confession out of Marjaan for the murder he (allegedly) commited thirty odd years ago. The pacing, the performances, everything worked here and I am now genuinely curious how the Jirga will proceed in the next coming episodes.

+ Low Points

i – Episode 20 was a welcome change in form for the show but it did have a few hiccups, namely the scene where Badam Gul accidentally lets out the terrible secret of Mastaan Singh. It felt a bit too rushed and not set up properly for such a pivotal moment in the show. This can be a total game changer in the plot of Sang-e-Mah and it needed a better structure and payoff. 

ii – The Zarghuna scenes, while well acted, felt short in quality as compared to the rest of the episode. It is also becoming a bit tedious with Mastaan Singh who still refused to marry his love even though there is no reason for him not to. Mastaan serving as Zarghuna’s “slave” has long been resolved. This was the perfect chance to show the more “humane” side of him but instead, the show just went along with him as if nothing ever happened. I still believe that Mastaan Singh was one of the best characters in the show who unfortunately got sidelined pretty fast for no good reason. Bring him back and conclude his story arc please.

+ Overall

Episode 20 had intense scenes, great dialogue and was engaging from start to finish.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 19 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saife Hassan and written by Mustafa Afridi. Sang-e-Mah is the spiritual continuation of the saga introduced in the Hum TV drama Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016). Sang-e-Mah is the acting debut of the famous Pakistani pop star Atif Aslam and the drama is a Momina Duraid Production.

+ Crew

• Directed by Saife Hassan
• Written by Mustafa Afridi
• Produced by Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

The drama Sang-e-Mah serves as a spiritual sequel to the show Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016) with Noman Ejaz, Sania Saeed and many others returning to the same cast and crew. The drama deals with life in the Pakhtoon region of Pakistan and explores such hard hitting topics like forced marriages and integral family relationships. According to the director, Sang-e-Mah serves under similar themes as its predecessor, in a three part trilogy, ending it with the next planned show, Sang-e-Siyah.

 + Main Cast

1. Atif Aslam as Hilmand Khan
2. Nauman Ijaz as Haji Marjaan Khan
3. Kubra Khan as Sheherzaad
4. Hania Amir as Gul Meena
5. Zaviyar Nauman Ijaz as Hikmat Khan
6. Sania Saeed as Zarghuna
7. Samiya Mumtaz as Zarsanga
8. Omair Rana as Mastaan Singh
9. Najiba Faiz as Harshaali Kaur
10. Hassan Noman as Badam Gul

+ Plot

Sang-e-Mah is a story of a dysfunctional Pakhtoon family in the tribal regions of Pakistan where pride and honour mostly triumphs over empathy and forgiveness. The show deals with issues such as young love and opposing families who are engaged in a tribal battle with one another.

+ High Points

i – Episode 19 was a noticeable improvement from the previous two weeks. There were some well directed, dialogue heavy set pieces throughout the episode which were engaging and brought a new light to some of the characters and their motives. As always, the best part was Nauman Ijaz and Samiya Mumtaz sharing the screen together. 

ii – With the new “revelation” from Hilmand as to who really tried to murder him, the plot thickens yet again. Is this a deliberate attempt to take Hikmat out of the picture or was Hilmand completely blindsided by the incident? Probably the latter rings more towards the truth but after such a long time, the main plot of the show is taking center stage once again.

+ Low Points

i – Although it was courageous from the creative team to go for a dialogue heavy episode but with that move, the acting range of each performer became clear to us as viewers (for better or for worse). It is fairly obvious by now that Atif Aslam and Kubra Khan have absolutely no on screen chemistry together. Their performances also felt clunky and unconvincing as they tattled through their inner emotions and expectations. Since it’s his first major role as an actor, Atif Aslam cannot emote much with his limited acting skill set. He is desperately in need of sharing scenes with more veteran actors who can guide and support him. The scenes shared by Kubra Khan and Atif Aslam could have been great with some well known veteran actors but as of now, the scenes felt long, tedious and single note.

ii – Sigh, can we please never revisit Hilmand’s friends ever again? One can find more comedic, entertaining moments in Pakistani politics these days. It was absolutely unnecessary to reveal how Hilmand’s lackey escaped his prison sentence. It plays no part in the main plot of the show and neither was it even a tad bit hilarious.

+ Overall

A better outing this week around but it is fairly obvious now where Sang-e-Mah is lacking when it comes to storytelling and performances.

Rate: out of 5 stars

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 18 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saife Hassan and written by Mustafa Afridi. Sang-e-Mah is the spiritual continuation of the saga introduced in the Hum TV drama Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016). Sang-e-Mah is the acting debut of the famous Pakistani pop star Atif Aslam and the drama is a Momina Duraid Production.

+ Crew

• Directed by Saife Hassan
• Written by Mustafa Afridi
• Produced by Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

The drama Sang-e-Mah serves as a spiritual sequel to the show Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016) with Noman Ejaz, Sania Saeed and many others returning to the same cast and crew. The drama deals with life in the Pakhtoon region of Pakistan and explores such hard hitting topics like forced marriages and integral family relationships. According to the director, Sang-e-Mah serves under similar themes as its predecessor, in a three part trilogy, ending it with the next planned show, Sang-e-Siyah.

 + Main Cast

1. Atif Aslam as Hilmand Khan
2. Nauman Ijaz as Haji Marjaan Khan
3. Kubra Khan as Sheherzaad
4. Hania Amir as Gul Meena
5. Zaviyar Nauman Ijaz as Hikmat Khan
6. Sania Saeed as Zarghuna
7. Samiya Mumtaz as Zarsanga
8. Omair Rana as Mastaan Singh
9. Najiba Faiz as Harshaali Kaur
10. Hassan Noman as Badam Gul

+ Plot

Sang-e-Mah is a story of a dysfunctional Pakhtoon family in the tribal regions of Pakistan where pride and honour mostly triumphs over empathy and forgiveness. The show deals with issues such as young love and opposing families who are engaged in a tribal battle with one another.

+ High Points

i – If one could get past all the illogical scenes involving Sherherzad, there were some strong performances by the main cast especially from Nauman Ijaz and Samiya Mumtaz. Regardless of the declining quality of the show, these two actors are always enigmatic onscreen together. But with that said, Zaviyar Ijaz also gave a short yet memorable performance. 

+ Low Points

i – Half of the episode was dedicated to wrapping up the Sherherzad childhood abuse subplot and by God, was it just awful to sit through! With each progressive dialogue, it was equivalent to nails scratching profusely on a chalkboard. Horrible set pieces, unrealistic power fantasies and undoubtedly some of the worst scenes this show has ever produced. Cheesy, hokey writing that did harm to not only the integrity of the show but the cast as well. I don’t think it needs to be pointed out why such immediate resolutions to a decades long psychological and physical torture are harmful to be depicted on television. We, as a Pakistani society, need to go a long, long way in order to understand female representation and how physical abuse victims are spat upon by our own society before they ever have the chance to receive some form of justice. Such quick, one or two scene resolutions are nothing less than an insult to the very social problem the show is trying to address. One simple rule to producers of Sang-e-Mah, if you cannot maturely, realistically address a social issue, don’t bother addressing it at all. At least we can now thank our lucky stars that this subplot is finally done with (fingers crossed)!

ii – It is incredibly perplexing to me how Mastaan Singh’s attempted murder is being treated so lightly by others who know his secret. Not only that but it was an attempted murder of a son from a respected leader of the village. Nobody seems to really care and vice a versa, neither do we as an audience. Within a span of a few episodes, the show destroyed one of its best written characters Mastaan Singh with nonsensical writing.  

iii – At this point one could care less about the whole Khan family drama as the main plot of the show has not progressed since the previous 4-5 episodes! Solely because the show was too focused on its subplots which contributed pretty much nothing to the overall narrative. This included such “engaging” storylines like Sherherzad’s past abuse, a side character learning about religious tolerance, other characters debating if Mastaan Singh should confess to his crime or not and so on. With each and every week, Sang-e-Mah is not the show as it started off as, losing its focus with each and every episode, making it abundantly clear that the show has been searching for random subplots to prolong the show to its 25 episodes mark.

+ Overall

Sang-e-Mah’s take on child abuse has been awful and unrealistic to say the least. If you cannot approach such serious subject matters with the level of respect that it deserves then you are just insulting the victims more than representing them on screen.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 17 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saife Hassan and written by Mustafa Afridi. Sang-e-Mah is the spiritual continuation of the saga introduced in the Hum TV drama Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016). Sang-e-Mah is the acting debut of the famous Pakistani pop star Atif Aslam and the drama is a Momina Duraid Production.

+ Crew

• Directed by Saife Hassan
• Written by Mustafa Afridi
• Produced by Momina Duraid Productions

+ Note

The drama Sang-e-Mah serves as a spiritual sequel to the show Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016) with Noman Ejaz, Sania Saeed and many others returning to the same cast and crew. The drama deals with life in the Pakhtoon region of Pakistan and explores such hard hitting topics like forced marriages and integral family relationships. According to the director, Sang-e-Mah serves under similar themes as its predecessor, in a three part trilogy, ending it with the next planned show, Sang-e-Siyah.

 + Main Cast

1. Atif Aslam as Hilmand Khan
2. Nauman Ijaz as Haji Marjaan Khan
3. Kubra Khan as Sheherzaad
4. Hania Amir as Gul Meena
5. Zaviyar Nauman Ijaz as Hikmat Khan
6. Sania Saeed as Zarghuna
7. Samiya Mumtaz as Zarsanga
8. Omair Rana as Mastaan Singh
9. Najiba Faiz as Harshaali Kaur
10. Hassan Noman as Badam Gul

+ Plot

Sang-e-Mah is a story of a dysfunctional Pakhtoon family in the tribal regions of Pakistan where pride and honour mostly triumphs over empathy and forgiveness. The show deals with issues such as young love and opposing families who are engaged in a tribal battle with one another.

+ High Points

i – No real highlights this week. Just unoriginal family melodrama that does not require much thought. If some mindless television is what you are searching for then Episode 17 was completely serviceable.

+ Low Points

i – Episode 17 was arguably one of the worst episodes that Sang-e-Mah has ever produced. Apparently the show is still pushing on with the tragic Sherherzad backstory and it was bad writing at its finest. The dialogues were generic, the acting was subpar and lacked any sort of conviction. I have been very local about the Sherherzad subplot being forcefully integrated into the narrative when there were already enough stories to be unfolded from the main plot. Why is Sherherzad being given the spotlight in the MIDDLE of the Khan family/ murder drama? Why is Marjaan Khan so eager to get revenge on her behalf? How does he even have the time to personally track down the doctor and not just send one of his minions to do the job for him? Not only is it unoriginal in its take on child abuse but due to bad writing, this subplot is terribly forced into the show. And judging from the end of the episode, I think we are far from done with this subplot… 

ii – The actress who played Dr. Haider’s wife… It has been a while since I have seen such stiff acting on a Momina Duraid production but by God, she somehow accomplished it. Given such a pivotal role in the Sherherzad subplot, she ends up demolishing whatever credibility this story might have had with her performance.  

iii – What is even worse is that even if you exclude all the Sherherzad subplot storyline, this episode has no real redeeming qualities at all. Each and every scene involving Hilmand was repetitive from the previous few episodes. And it is still confusing to me that even though Hikmat is the prime suspect in the case of attempted murder of Hilmand, there apparently is no uproar from the village for an investigation or anything of the sort. Seems as if it was just a slap on the face. Ridiculous. At the moment, I have no idea where this show is heading but most probably not somewhere intriguing.

+ Overall

Episode 17 was a bore to sit through. Not worth your time.

Rate: out of 5 stars