Tag: Saba Qamar

TV series, Uncategorized

Mr. Khan’s Review on Digest Writer (2014)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama series, Digest Writer (2014). This TV series is directed by Ahmed Kamran and written by Madiha Shahid. Digest Writer stars Saba Qamar in the lead role and in 2014, was aired on Hum TV.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Ahmed Kamran
  • Written by Madiha Shahid
  • Produced by Larachi Entertainment

+ Note

The drama series dives into the bizarre, corrupt world of writing where egos play a key role in politics of the entertainment industry. Although the title of the show is Digest Writer, the show primarily focuses on the show business side of writing. The plot also indulges in the misogyny and family pressures that women have to face and eventually overcome those obstacles.

 + Main Cast

  1. Saba Qamar as Fareeda/Rashk-e-Hina
  2. Gohar Rasheed as Shaukat
  3. Maheen Khalid Rizvi as Jameela
  4. Khalid Ahmed as Mazhar Hayat
  5. Zhalay Sarhadi as Rida Anmol
  6. Farhan Ali Agha as Sikandar
  7. Aiman Khan as Shakeela
  8. Kashif Mehmood as Ayaan Junaid
  9. Agha Ali as Sheheryar

+ Plot

Fareeda comes from a lower, middle class part of society who loves to write stories but is too afraid to share her passion with her family due to their conservative values. Eventually, she gains enough courage to submit her story to a local Urdu Digest and becomes an overnight sensation. With success in her storytelling abilities, the opportunity of a lifetime comes knocking at Fareeda’s door…

+ High Points

i – The drama series has a very intriguing premise. It is a case study of a talented young woman who has a knack for great storytelling. Because of her success as a Digest Writer, she is elevated to writing TV series scripts and from there on, the show becomes meta commentary on show business itself. And of course, with quick success comes jealousy and sabotage. Digest Writer does a good introspection of how show business in Pakistan works and what lies beneath the facade of visual storytelling.

ii – Even when the drama is struggling to be coherent with its storytelling, Saba Qamar as Fareeda is always the highlight of the show. With each passing episode, you can notice the evolution of Fareeda growing more bitter and numb to the abuse she has to face from her family and her bosses. Saba Qamar was casted perfectly as the naive, wonder eyed writer and proved to be a memorable role for her career.

iii – For the most part, the show is bitter and pessimistic but it perfectly encapsulates the world of show business. Throughout the series, we see Fareeda’s naivety being destroyed in front of her eyes, where “you should never meet your heroes” rings true like never before. Fareeda finds herself in a situation where she is forced into making sacrifices for the sake of her loved ones in order to maintain stability within her family life. Success is not all glitz and glamour, it has a dark underbelly that we do not get to see often in Pakistani dramas and for the most part, Digest Writer encapsulates it quite well.

iv – What I really appreciate is the visual differences you see of Fareeda throughout the series. She starts off as a naive, wide eyed girl with pony tails but slowly evolves into a mature but hardened woman. Just the change in her makeup and hairstyling makes a massive difference to the viewers watching this story unfold. 

v – No matter how flawed the scripts are, Hum TV dramas are always well shot, directed and framed. Every scene defines the situation the characters find themselves in. Every tight framing from the window defines the claustrophobia our protagonist is experiencing at the time. Subtle visual elements like these keep the audience engaged with the show till the very end.

+ Low Points

i – Before I go any further into the critique of the show, the “copyright” elephant in the room needs to be addressed here. The entire drama series has been uploaded on Youtube for several years now and in every single episode, certain sections have been entirely muted due to “copyright issues”. Alright but then why is the dialogue muted as well? As most of us know, dialogue and music are two separate audio files and if HUM TV still holds the original editing files, would it not be possible just to mute certain copyrighted music sequences? My guess is either the original files do not exist anymore so they decided to just use the exported files to mute out entire audio sequences OR Hum TV was just too lazy to edit out from the original files. Either way, this is incredibly unprofessional and most of all, hurts the viewing of the show.

ii – This show did not deserve 24 episodes and clearly, should have ended 10 episodes ago. The creative team uses every dirty trick in the book to stretch and prolong the drama series and it became pretty stale half way through its run. There are countless scenes of Fareeda “meditating” her thoughts, repetition of the same dialogues we heard in the previous scene, long stretches of the soundtrack playing while absolutely nothing happens onscreen. This is absolutely no exaggeration that these “nothing happens” scenes take up at least five episode runtime for the entire show and that is just ludicrous! 

SPOILER!!! If you haven’t seen the show yet and do not want the plot twists to be spoiled, please skip to the ‘Overall’ section below:

iii – In the latter half of the series, the constant back and forth between Fareeda and Shaukat became so monotonous and predictable. Shaukat is a terrible husband and cheats on her, she snaps back at him and regrets her life choices. This dynamic is repeated one too many times and at least one expects a conclusion to all this but nope, nothing really happens. Fareeda accepts her misery while Shaukat somewhat (?) learns his lesson? What are we supposed to learn from all this? That success comes with a miserable private life? That people (including your own family) care for you only because of your wealth and success? Sure but where is the nuisance in all this? We know all of this. It’s not a big revelation that should make us sit through the entire 24 episode drama series.

iv – Digest Writer has another prominent side character which could have been a good “ally” for Fareeda but ends up being a disgruntled artist himself. And yes, I am talking about Khalid Ahmed as Mazhar Hayat. He starts off as a character who is being pushed around in the drama industry for being too “old fashioned” and a “has-been”. But when he finally gets a chance to show the industry what he can really do, Mazhar sahib takes his frustrations out on Fareeda instead. I do understand that there are a lot of veteran artists like Mazhar sahib who abuse upcoming artists to cement their ego but Fareeda already had numerous such characters in this show. Mazhar could have been a unique positive character in her life but ended up being exactly like the rest. This is not a knock for being “unrealistic” but lack of diversity within the show. 

v – Most of the cast of characters were unlikable. They are underwritten, shallow figures who are only there to either support or abuse Fareeda. They have no characteristics of their own. I cannot, for the life of me, explain what characteristics defined any of these people. The father starts off abusive but turns a new leaf once he learns that his daughter’s “hobby” can be profitable. Shaukat starts off as a lonely heart, desperate fool who wants to win the love of Fareeda but once accomplished, he immediately turns into an abusive psychopath. These sudden “character switch” moments are too jarring and make no real sense. We never get to see the world from their perspective, we never truly understand what makes Shaukat act the way he does. The entire cast of characters act the way they do is in service of the story and not the other way around.

vi – The original soundtrack is not bad per se but its overuse with every scene made me hate it when the show was over. Every meditative moment of Fareeda had the same soundtrack blasting in the background. It personally made me feel skipping such scenes entirely as I knew nothing will happen here and it’s not worth my time.

vii – And finally, we can talk about the “secret lover” of Fareeda; Agha Ali as Sheheryar. Even though her heart wanted to marry Sheheryar, her “obligations” to her family got the better of her. Later in the series, they coincidentally meet again and once again, confront their feelings for each other. But then, it turns out that Sheheryar also is not a “good person” to be with. So Fareeda calls it off once again. As a viewer, you are kind of left scratching your head as to why Sheheryar was reintroduced to the series just to cement the fact that he is “just like the rest of the men”. 

I like the fact that they bump into each other again but why not show him happily married with kids, quite possibly not in love with Fareeda anymore and that in turn, makes Fareeda realize the biggest mistake of her life. That perhaps, she should have defied her parents and went to the path of her personal happiness instead. I truly feel that Sheheryar’s character was mishandled in the end and ruined the show as well.

+ Overall

A great premise is wasted on repetitious storytelling and uninspired characterizations. Digest Writer could have been a unique show but ended up being a dud. 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Sar-e-Rah (2023)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

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

+ Crew

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

+ Note

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

 + Main Cast

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

+ Plot

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

+ High Points

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

+ Low Points

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

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

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

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

+ Overall

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

Rate: out of 5 stars 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Fraud – Last Episode (2022)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Fraud Last Episode (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saqib Khan and written by Zanjabeel Asim. Fraud is a story of love, innocence and treachery as our protagonist is manipulated into marrying a forged personality. Fraud is an iDream Entertainment and ARY Digital Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Saqib Khan
  • Written by Zanjabeel Asim
  • Produced by Abdullah Seja 
  • Production by iDream Entertainment

+ Note

Fraud is a case study of Pakistani families who always strive for betterment of their children. Obsession with wealth and power almost always ends up leading to unfavorable consequences. The director Saqib Khan is known for his numerous television projects and his upcoming cinematic film Ghabrana Nahi Hai (2022).

 + Main Cast

  1. Saba Qamar as Maya
  2. Ahsan Khan as Tabriaz
  3. Mikaal Zulfiqar as Shaan
  4. Rabia Kulsoom as Maila
  5. Adnan Samad Khan as Nael
  6. Mehmood Aslam as Nisar

+ Plot

Fraud is a story of Maya whose father wants her to marry into the richest family that he could find. But wealth does not equal character as she ends up marrying a wealthy man named Tabriaz who, through his trickery, makes life for Maya full of deceit and fraud.

+ High Points

i – So Fraud has finally wrapped up. All the loose ends neatly tied together, all the pieces of the puzzle in place. The women of Fraud finally have their sweet revenge over their ex-fraudulent husband, Tabriz (or Sharjeel or whatever he wanted to call himself these days). All is well. Honestly, all the positives I had from the show were fairly long gone by the end of it. Each episode tried to prolong the life of the show, squeezing and stretching each storyline to their limits. The conclusion that we all waited for finally came but was unfortunately dead on arrival due to the number of months that led to the finale.

But here lies a massive positive from me for Fraud; the show had a fantastic premise. The first several weeks of the show had some impeccable writing and a unique, eerie atmosphere. The movie set/ blurred reality sequence will forever be one the most brilliant scenes ever written for Pakistani television. The main cast had some fantastic scenes to display their wide range of performances, particularly Mehmood Aslam and Adnan Samad Khan. Regardless of how late the final curtain was pulled, Fraud will always be remembered to have a unique, uncharted storyline that addressed real life incidents that unfortunately occur on a semi-daily basis in Pakistan. And just for that, Fraud was well and truly ahead of the shows produced at the time in Pakistan.

ii – The earlier episodes of Fraud would not have been great, if it were not for its main cast of characters. Although reluctant at first, I did finally warm up to Tabriaz’s character once they started focusing on his back story, further developing the reasoning behind his heinous actions. Nael was yet another character I felt could have easily been a stand in as the main protagonist of the show. The rejection and the ultimate revenge he pulled off against Nisar sahib was a memorable episode for me and the scenes of it lingered on in my head weeks after the episode first aired on television.

+ Low Points

i –  Well, now that all the good stuff is out of the way, it’s time to address the bad. The (well and truly) bad of the show. Fraud should not have ever been 35 episodes long! According to the content of the script, it should have lasted no more than 15 episodes but given the reasoning of making the show financially viable, it went on and on, dragging each storyline to its bitter end. After the 30th episode, the show reached a point of no return. All the good will the show created from its earlier episodes was long gone and most of the viewers like myself betrayed for all the time that we invested into it. Ending before its time but on a high note is infinitely more praiseworthy than tedious, long stretches of any beloved show.

ii – There were some major inconsistencies throughout the show’s lifespan. Why did all the bad luck happen to knock on Nisar sahib’s doorstep? Why did Maya not immediately contact the police or her parents once she found out that Tabriaz had adopted yet another alias? How did the murder of Maila’s husband play any role in the story of Fraud? The list could endlessly go on but I digress. 

iii – Shaan is truly one of the worst written characters that I have ever come across on Pak TV. Each week, he whined and complained how his wife betrayed him and took his frustration out on people around him. Throughout the show’s lifespan, Shaan acted like a perpetual man child who complained to the world when things didn’t go his way. Writing 101; if you want a character to be liked by the audience, you should deliver hints of sympathetic character traits and even though Fraud tried, it failed miserably. But all of this might possibly have been avoided if Mikaal Zulfiqar’s performance made up for the shortcomings of the writing. Unfortunately it did not.

iv –  Characters acted dumb and elusive because the script required it. Nisar sahib and his family were constantly made a fool of time and time again till it became highly unrealistic and phony. Nael betrayed and embarrassed the family on the highest stage imaginable but still, he was not only forgiven by the end but managed to marry the younger sister instead!? Poor Shaan was blinded (by his own stupidity I suppose) that he could not look past the facade of his step mother and sister’s ulterior motives. Maya did not meet her sister in law’s husband Tabriaz till several episodes later. So is the show trying to tell us that Maya saw no pictures, no wedding videos of her sister-in-law?? All of this was Fraud’s writing was at its worst.

+ Overall

Judging from its fantastic premise, Fraud brought such high promises with itself but ended on a complete whimper. From one of the most creative shows on television to a show that most of its viewers likely stopped watching halfway through. A truly valuable lesson why TV shows should have tightly written scripts and always end on a high note.

Overall Series Rating: out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Fraud – Episode XXX (2022)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Fraud Episode 30 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saqib Khan and written by Zanjabeel Asim. Fraud is a story of love, innocence and treachery as our protagonist is manipulated into marrying a forged personality. Fraud is an iDream Entertainment and ARY Digital Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Saqib Khan
  • Written by Zanjabeel Asim
  • Produced by Abdullah Seja 
  • Production by iDream Entertainment

+ Note

Fraud is a case study of Pakistani families who always strive for betterment of their children. Obsession with wealth and power almost always ends up leading to unfavorable consequences. The director Saqib Khan is known for his numerous television projects and his upcoming cinematic film Ghabrana Nahi Hai (2022).

 + Main Cast

  1. Saba Qamar as Maya
  2. Ahsan Khan as Tabriaz
  3. Mikaal Zulfiqar as Shaan
  4. Rabia Kulsoom as Maila
  5. Adnan Samad Khan as Nael
  6. Mehmood Aslam as Nisar

+ Plot

Fraud is a story of Maya whose father wants her to marry into the richest family that he could find. But wealth does not equal character as she ends up marrying a wealthy man named Tabriaz who, through his trickery, makes life for Maya full of deceit and fraud.

+ High Points

i – At least throughout this whole ordeal, the core character of Tabriaz has always remained the same. Due to his troubled childhood, he can’t distinguish between hatching a scheme and earning something out of trust/ goodwill. One could almost pity his character as he has nothing really left going for him. Just broken bonds and lack of a coherent future.

+ Low Points

i – A disappointing episode to say the least. With the steady decline in quality for the show, it could not even capitalize on last week’s major cliffhanger. Tabriaz has yet again found another ingenious plan to gather the funds for his father’s life threatening operation and at the same time, get back at Maya. Even though it is evidently clear that the show should be ending by now, the writers have doubled down on their storyline and are going to continue beating a dead horse.  

ii – Recycling storylines within the same show! What a novel idea. Due to the well-being of Maila and recovering from her haunting past, Nael has now decided to ask for the other sister’s hand in marriage. And as expected, Nisar sahib is convinced that to be a great idea. Fraud does not have anything original to offer anymore. All the creative storytelling was utilized in the first 10 episodes and the show was never the same thereafter. 

iii –  Speaking of gullible characters, Shaan’s mother is now ready to give Tabriaz another chance to clear himself (and keep her wealth snatching secret in return). Now he has been somewhat welcomed back into the family. Apparently common sense has no place in the world of Fraud.

+ Overall

Just when you thought that the story of Fraud is finally coming to a close, it finds new ways to keep beating a dead horse.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Fraud – Episode XXIX (2022)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Fraud Episode 29 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saqib Khan and written by Zanjabeel Asim. Fraud is a story of love, innocence and treachery as our protagonist is manipulated into marrying a forged personality. Fraud is an iDream Entertainment and ARY Digital Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Saqib Khan
  • Written by Zanjabeel Asim
  • Produced by Abdullah Seja 
  • Production by iDream Entertainment

+ Note

Fraud is a case study of Pakistani families who always strive for betterment of their children. Obsession with wealth and power almost always ends up leading to unfavorable consequences. The director Saqib Khan is known for his numerous television projects and his upcoming cinematic film Ghabrana Nahi Hai (2022).

 + Main Cast

  1. Saba Qamar as Maya
  2. Ahsan Khan as Tabriaz
  3. Mikaal Zulfiqar as Shaan
  4. Rabia Kulsoom as Maila
  5. Adnan Samad Khan as Nael
  6. Mehmood Aslam as Nisar

+ Plot

Fraud is a story of Maya whose father wants her to marry into the richest family that he could find. But wealth does not equal character as she ends up marrying a wealthy man named Tabriaz who, through his trickery, makes life for Maya full of deceit and fraud.

+ High Points

i – Well, the cat is finally out of the bag. Tabriaz is revealed to be the fraudulent husband that he is (and it’s really about damn time!). While nothing spectacular, the reveal was undoubtedly a highlight moment for the show. And as a viewer, I am glad that this “lie” did not evolve in favor of Tabriaz yet again but rather unraveled the whole scheme once and for all. 

+ Low Points

i – Even with its revelation at the end, the show feels like it should have ended at least three episodes ago. This could be the reason why the climax felt a bit flat. Episode 29 just dwindles between Maila’s past haunting experience to Tabriaz trying to convince his ‘In Laws’ why Maya could have ulterior motives of getting her hands on her husband’s wealth. While not terrible subplots, they have long served their purpose to the show and don’t add much excitement to it anymore.

ii – Nael proposing for yet another marriage to the other sister… I can’t even begin to understand why Nisar sahib would even trust him with such a task at hand anymore. Well, considering how gullible Nisar sahib is, he might as well. After all, he agreed to hush Maya into not mentioning her past to her newly wedded husband.

iii –  Up till now, the Maila tragedy has served absolutely no purpose to the plot. Why did her husband die? Why did the show pile upon yet another tragedy to the Nisar family? Maila can hardly be classified as a character but rather a mysterious plot device that never came to fruition.

+ Overall

Even with its climatic end to the episode, Fraud is a shadow of its former self.

Rate: out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Fraud – Episode XXVIII (2022)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Fraud Episode 28 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saqib Khan and written by Zanjabeel Asim. Fraud is a story of love, innocence and treachery as our protagonist is manipulated into marrying a forged personality. Fraud is an iDream Entertainment and ARY Digital Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Saqib Khan
  • Written by Zanjabeel Asim
  • Produced by Abdullah Seja 
  • Production by iDream Entertainment

+ Note

Fraud is a case study of Pakistani families who always strive for betterment of their children. Obsession with wealth and power almost always ends up leading to unfavorable consequences. The director Saqib Khan is known for his numerous television projects and his upcoming cinematic film Ghabrana Nahi Hai (2022).

 + Main Cast

  1. Saba Qamar as Maya
  2. Ahsan Khan as Tabriaz
  3. Mikaal Zulfiqar as Shaan
  4. Rabia Kulsoom as Maila
  5. Adnan Samad Khan as Nael
  6. Mehmood Aslam as Nisar

+ Plot

Fraud is a story of Maya whose father wants her to marry into the richest family that he could find. But wealth does not equal character as she ends up marrying a wealthy man named Tabriaz who, through his trickery, makes life for Maya full of deceit and fraud.

+ High Points

i – I’ve struggled a bit to find a “high point” of the episode but miraculously, there is one. The relationship between Maya and Shaan versus Tabriaz and Tooba. One can see the first one now blossoming, growing in confidence with one another while the latter is solely based on manipulation. And as a viewer, it’s fun to see the contrast of the two. 

+ Low Points

i – Fraud has become incredibly depressing (and I just don’t mean the storyline). From the first scene till the last, the episode portrayed death and malicious beings who just want to ruin others for their own personal gain. Perhaps a little ray of light here and there would be nice? Just to recap; we have the death of Nisar’s sister, Maya’s hidden past, Maila’s tragic loss of her husband, Tabriaz and his dying father… need I say more? The show desperately needs balance of sorts.

ii – I still cannot conceive the fact why the show wanted to prolong the Nisar’s sister subplot. Oddly enough, we did not even get to see her in these last few episodes and now, she is gone. Why was all of this necessary? Their subplot ended months ago. Nisar forgave them both. Nael and his mother outlived their usefulness and have no place in the show anymore.

iii –  So a couple of episodes ago, Shaan’s mother confronted Tabriaz and his devious plan of taking over the family wealth. He even got her blessing of sorts! And since then, nothing has been mentioned of this. Tabriaz is given full confidence and liberty to enter family business and work side by side with Shaan. Apparently this subplot has been completely forgotten by the showrunners. Why? This could have been such a pivotal moment in the show as mother and son in Law work together to take over the family fortune and at the same time (perhaps) see who is the first one to betray the other. Unfortunately, we are continuously running around in circles where Tabriaz is trying to convince everyone how untrustworthy Maya is. This show needs to end soon. 

+ Overall

The show is growing irrelevant with each passing episode. 

Rate: out of 5 stars 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Fraud – Episode XXVII (2022)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Fraud Episode 27 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saqib Khan and written by Zanjabeel Asim. Fraud is a story of love, innocence and treachery as our protagonist is manipulated into marrying a forged personality. Fraud is an iDream Entertainment and ARY Digital Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Saqib Khan
  • Written by Zanjabeel Asim
  • Produced by Abdullah Seja 
  • Production by iDream Entertainment

+ Note

Fraud is a case study of Pakistani families who always strive for betterment of their children. Obsession with wealth and power almost always ends up leading to unfavorable consequences. The director Saqib Khan is known for his numerous television projects and his upcoming cinematic film Ghabrana Nahi Hai (2022).

 + Main Cast

  1. Saba Qamar as Maya
  2. Ahsan Khan as Tabriaz
  3. Mikaal Zulfiqar as Shaan
  4. Rabia Kulsoom as Maila
  5. Adnan Samad Khan as Nael
  6. Mehmood Aslam as Nisar

+ Plot

Fraud is a story of Maya whose father wants her to marry into the richest family that he could find. But wealth does not equal character as she ends up marrying a wealthy man named Tabriaz who, through his trickery, makes life for Maya full of deceit and fraud.

+ High Points

i – There seems to be some amount of irony in the back and forth between Maya and Shaan. They both have had difficult relationships in the past and have clearly become cold and distant towards any sort of intimacy. There are mostly bitter moments but once in a while, a sweeter one also slips in between them, leaving an impression that perhaps Maya and Shaan are not so different from one another after all.

+ Low Points

i – The show has rapidly become such a disappointment. It seems to have outlived its expiry date. The plot is forcefully being stretched to squeeze in a couple or so more episodes to artificially prolong its lifespan. Case in point, the Maya/ Tabriaz situation. This should have been the show’s big hurrah, the ultimate climactic moment where all the threads were to be undone and Tabriaz would finally be exposed for the fraud that he really is. But instead, Maya chooses silence for some reason. Not even tell her sister or her parents. Oh for God’s sake, why!? The show already created a flimsy reason for Shaan (her husband) not to find out because he is apparently unaware of Maya’s past. How can she even stand being with Tabriaz in the same house? It is beyond ridiculous at this point and it’s clearly hurting the credibility of this show.

ii – The subplot of Nisar and his sister was somewhat resolved in the last few episodes. Nisar finally forgave her and his nephew for the marriage debacle. So why are we still going back to it? This show genuinely seems to be creatively bankrupt and they keep going back to the old village well for fresh water. 

iii –  Even if one ignores the lackluster storytelling, Fraud as a show has been working on ‘auto pilot’ since the past few weeks. Episode 27 was just another hour filled with a barrage of dramatic lies and blackmails that are never going to go anywhere. Since it has become obvious that the plot has nothing new to offer, Fraud needs to end soon.

+ Overall

Repetitive, lackluster storytelling indicates the fact that this show has outlived its expiry date and needs to be put to sleep soon.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Fraud – Episode XXVI (2022)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Fraud Episode 26 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saqib Khan and written by Zanjabeel Asim. Fraud is a story of love, innocence and treachery as our protagonist is manipulated into marrying a forged personality. Fraud is an iDream Entertainment and ARY Digital Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Saqib Khan
  • Written by Zanjabeel Asim
  • Produced by Abdullah Seja 
  • Production by iDream Entertainment

+ Note

Fraud is a case study of Pakistani families who always strive for betterment of their children. Obsession with wealth and power almost always ends up leading to unfavorable consequences. The director Saqib Khan is known for his numerous television projects and his upcoming cinematic film Ghabrana Nahi Hai (2022).

 + Main Cast

  1. Saba Qamar as Maya
  2. Ahsan Khan as Tabriaz
  3. Mikaal Zulfiqar as Shaan
  4. Rabia Kulsoom as Maila
  5. Adnan Samad Khan as Nael
  6. Mehmood Aslam as Nisar

+ Plot

Fraud is a story of Maya whose father wants her to marry into the richest family that he could find. But wealth does not equal character as she ends up marrying a wealthy man named Tabriaz who, through his trickery, makes life for Maya full of deceit and fraud.

+ High Points

i – Unfortunately I can’t defend this week’s episode too much. There were hardly any high points throughout its runtime but at least the episode was coherent, the storyline moved along nicely and there were some dramatic twists and turns.  

+ Low Points

i – Since the past few weeks, the quality of writing from Fraud has really gone the drain. It is absolutely clear that the show is being forcefully pushed on to milk every dramatic scenario from their premise. And hence, the show has become stagnated and lackluster. It clearly lacks the charm and intensity that the earlier episodes had. In short; the show has reached its boiling point and its time to take it off the stove. 

ii – So finally… FINALLY, Maya meets Tabriaz after their fraudulent marriage and…. It wasn’t epic or dramatic as one would have hoped for. For some odd reason, this meeting wasn’t even used as an episode cliffhanger! Isn’t that basic 101 soap opera storytelling? And even though Maya instantly recognizes Tabriaz, she quickly flees the scene and does not even discuss this either with her husband nor her family! Why are characters in Pak dramas so devoid of logic? This should have been the climax of the show, how long are they going to prolong this?

iii –  The chemistry between Shaan and Maya is non-existent. I still cannot fathom why they are even together. Yes, their respective parents practically forced them together but was the situation so desperate for Shaan to agree to this marriage? Was the situation so worrisome for Maya and her parents that they agreed to hide her past from her fiance? The scenes between Shaan and Maya lack any sort of dramatic tension and are just there to prolong the life of the show. 

+ Overall

It is high time that the show should reach its natural conclusion and not overstay its welcome.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Fraud – Episode XXV (2022)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Fraud Episode 25 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saqib Khan and written by Zanjabeel Asim. Fraud is a story of love, innocence and treachery as our protagonist is manipulated into marrying a forged personality. Fraud is an iDream Entertainment and ARY Digital Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Saqib Khan
  • Written by Zanjabeel Asim
  • Produced by Abdullah Seja 
  • Production by iDream Entertainment

+ Note

Fraud is a case study of Pakistani families who always strive for betterment of their children. Obsession with wealth and power almost always ends up leading to unfavorable consequences. The director Saqib Khan is known for his numerous television projects and his upcoming cinematic film Ghabrana Nahi Hai (2022).

 + Main Cast

  1. Saba Qamar as Maya
  2. Ahsan Khan as Tabriaz
  3. Mikaal Zulfiqar as Shaan
  4. Rabia Kulsoom as Maila
  5. Adnan Samad Khan as Nael
  6. Mehmood Aslam as Nisar

+ Plot

Fraud is a story of Maya whose father wants her to marry into the richest family that he could find. But wealth does not equal character as she ends up marrying a wealthy man named Tabriaz who, through his trickery, makes life for Maya full of deceit and fraud.

+ High Points

i – Even though Tabriaz’s parents do not play a major part in the storyline, they still bring some sense of humanity to Tabriaz’s character. Perhaps a subtle explanation why Tabriaz ended up being the way that he is. It is indeed a clever way to shed some light into a character’s background without having an hour long exposition behind it.

+ Low Points

i – Episode 25 was pretty uneventful. Undoubtedly a filler episode for the show to complete its quota. We had Tabriaz’s fake court case failure which cemented his place in the Shaan family and speaking of Shaan, we had the (once again) forced marriage of Maya. And none of these storylines were even remotely interesting. There was no real storyline development and weaknesses of the writing of Fraud just became more apparent than ever. With a couple of good episodes beforehand, the show has unfortunately shifted back into its ‘zombie’ mode where the episode feels devoid of any sense of originality.

ii – How is it still possible that Maya and Tabriaz have not crossed paths!? This is beyond ridiculous now. They are both part of the same family now, living in the same city and perhaps the same location. The show is milking this catastrophe for all its worth but by now, the event seems more farcical than anything. Whenever Maya is at home, coincidentally Tabriaz is distracted with something else. A couple of episodes back, Maya was slightly suspicious of Tooba’s husband so why isn’t she eager to meet him? Did she not even look at her sister in law’s wedding pictures?? How is any of this logical!?

iii – Speaking of being devoid of logic, why did Maya agree to marry (yet again) under less than ideal pretenses? Is Nisar Sahib and his family greedy for punishment? Do they not realize by now that this could all end very badly for them once again? How did Maya even agree to this? As the show nears its final episode, the storyline makes less and less sense. Fraud started off with such fireworks and is now ending with such farcical storytelling. 

+ Overall

A filler episode which was devoid of any logical storytelling.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Fraud – Episode XXIV (2022)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Fraud Episode 24 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saqib Khan and written by Zanjabeel Asim. Fraud is a story of love, innocence and treachery as our protagonist is manipulated into marrying a forged personality. Fraud is an iDream Entertainment and ARY Digital Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Saqib Khan
  • Written by Zanjabeel Asim
  • Produced by Abdullah Seja 
  • Production by iDream Entertainment

+ Note

Fraud is a case study of Pakistani families who always strive for betterment of their children. Obsession with wealth and power almost always ends up leading to unfavorable consequences. The director Saqib Khan is known for his numerous television projects and his upcoming cinematic film Ghabrana Nahi Hai (2022).

 + Main Cast

  1. Saba Qamar as Maya
  2. Ahsan Khan as Tabriaz
  3. Mikaal Zulfiqar as Shaan
  4. Rabia Kulsoom as Maila
  5. Adnan Samad Khan as Nael
  6. Mehmood Aslam as Nisar

+ Plot

Fraud is a story of Maya whose father wants her to marry into the richest family that he could find. But wealth does not equal character as she ends up marrying a wealthy man named Tabriaz who, through his trickery, makes life for Maya full of deceit and fraud.

+ High Points

i – Episode 24 started off timid but ended on a high note. There was some high level of drama throughout its runtime but in terms of quality, the episode was a complete mixed bag. The Shaan/ Maya storyline moved along nicely but some character’s decision making (which I will elaborate in the low points section) is questionable to say the least. But overall, it was a somewhat entertaining hour of television.

ii – The fake assault on Tabriaz by unknown “goons” was a perfect setup/ alibi by Tabriaz to find his way into Shaan’s home and ultimately, his wealth. Although it’s a temporary solution, it was nonetheless smart writing by Zanjabeel Asim. Fraud may have its own set of mishaps, poor writing etc but when it comes to Tabriaz and his hustle towards the good life, the writing and performances have been excellent and undoubtedly carries the whole show forward. 

iii – And now for the crème de la crème of the episode; the confrontation between the mother in law and Tabriaz. Living on lies and deception her whole life, Asma Abbas as the mother in law plays the devil’s game as she recognizes Tabriaz for who he really is; a con artist. This was a fantastic and memorable scene from the episode and opened a whole new scenario of opportunity for the show. A strong ending to a somewhat mediocre episode.

+ Low Points

i – With all due respect, is Nisar sahib really that short sighted? Will he once again roll the dice on his daughter’s fate by agreeing to hide Maya’s past from her future husband? Did he learn absolutely nothing from his two life shattering experiences? Yes, he is desperate to see his daughter have a new home but no, this cannot be. Unless Nisar sahib has completely lost his marbles, this makes no sense. 

ii – The conclusion to the episode was great but one line of dialogue left me a bit perplexed. After the whole conversation of the mother in law understanding Tabriaz’s true motives, she ends up asking him “How is the situation moving along with the legal case regarding his family’s house?”. Was that supposed to be a sarcastic question? If not then how in the world can she still believe all the hogwash? 

+ Overall

A mixed bag of lethargic moments, accompanied by great storyline opportunities, Fraud still has some flair up its sleeves.

Rate: out of 5 stars