Tag: Sania Saeed

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 08 (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 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 – Now with the narrative clarification regarding the case of Mastaan Singh, the show has taken a step towards an intriguing direction. By taking the life of an innocent man, Mastaan Singh has forsaken himself to spend the rest of his life in eternal, self-inflicted prison. Its good characterization because we are now perhaps witnessing Mastaan Singh’s redemption arc. Since he is a man of his word, Mastaan admitted to the crime and has allowed Zarghuna (the widow of the victim) to play the role of the judge, the jury and the executioner. And with Episode 8 in the bag, I am keenly interested as to which direction will Mastaan Singh end up.

ii – This probably comes off as a surprise to myself but Nauman Ijaz as Haji Marjaan Khan has been developed in the past couple of episodes splendidly. And I am glad that he is not playing “just another role in his long acting career” but rather a conniving, devious one who has more than his share of skeletons in his closet. Although he tries hard to convince those around him to be wise and all knowing, Marjaan knows deep down that his past actions will catch up to him sooner rather than later. His sleepless nights, his manipulation of those under him, it will all come crashing down soon enough.

+ Low Points

i – The story of Hilmand Khan just feels stagnated and refuses to budge forward under any circumstances. Since the premiere of the show, the character has been one note, devoid of any other emotion other than sulking in the background. Such lack of diverse characterization makes the protagonist unsympathetic and distant to the viewers. And I feel bad for Atif Aslam who in his first acting role ever, needs to overcome such blatant flaws in screenwriting. 

ii – Not only is the character of Hilmand Khan one of the most underwritten characters of the show but the onscreen chemistry between him and Sheherzaad comes completely out of left field and unearned. I guess one could say that they both had a terrible childhood to bond over but in this show, who didn’t!? It’s just lazy screenwriting with minimal effort in its exposition and character development scenes.

iii – The dream sequence involving Zarghuna and her late husband was supposed to be a tragic moment of the show but due to lack of proper emotional beats and faulty editing, it came off more awkward than anything else. The fatal flaw being that it went on just a tad bit too long, crossing the line of tragedy to trying too hard to gather our sympathy. Also the performance of Sania Saeed in the scene seemed off and forced. As a viewer, I could not grasp the pain and solitude that her character felt at that moment but rather waited impatiently for the scene to end.

+ Overall

When Sang-e-Mah does right, its highly engaging but when it does wrong, its cringeworthy. So was Episode 8 this week…

Rate: out of 5 stars 

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 07 (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 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 – The scenes involving Mastaan Singh and his tragic past are brilliantly realized. The acting is top notch, the backdrop is dark and gloomy with an intensive look into the lives of Sikh Pakistani families. Omair Rana and Najiba Faiz’s onscreen chemistry is outstanding, delivering emotional beats with such poiancy and heartfelt moments. Seven episodes in, one can now fully understand the regret and remorse that Mastaan Singh feels everyday; an action, a thought of Evil that he can never take back. Harshaali, on the other hand, tries her best to bring out the man out of Mastaan that she fell in love with. It’s a brilliant set up and I eagerly await the inevitable payoff.

ii – This week, the storyline flowed at a much brisker pace, moving forward each and every subplot, inch by inch. There hides a lot of lies and deception from Marjaan Khan as his wife seems to be naive and oblivious to all of his previous mischief. Last week’s episode felt lethargic and stuck within its own tangled webs but episode 7 brought a certain amount of clarity and tension to the storyline including the interconnected subplots of the main cast.

iii – The dynamic between Zarghuna and her daughter also worked quite well, with both actresses delivering some worthy performances. With the current injustice in this world, Zarghuna learned long ago how to face the world with an iron fist. But unfortunately, that also meant that the absent emotional part of her also started losing the faith of her daughter in the process. By focusing solely on avenging her husband’s death, her daughter’s urgency of having a parental figure also started fading away with it. Honestly, it was refreshing to see a “softer” side to the stereotypical “toughness” of the Pakhtoon community.

+ Low Points

i – Now for something completely on the other side of the spectrum. An episode where we got wonderful performances from the main cast, Zaviyar Nauman Ijaz as Hikmat Khan was a total bust. In the most emotional scene of his character to date, Zaviyar Ijaz was emotionless and disinterested at the same time. He talks about killing his brother but his emotionless face might have not even conveyed that he wanted to put down his beloved pet. While not great by any stretch of the imagination, Zaviyar Nauman Ijaz has been serviceable up till now but this episode’s performance brought absolutely nothing to the table. His flat acting ended up hurting even Hania Amir’s performance and a scene that should have been the pivotal moment of the episode just did not work.

ii – Episode 7 brought yet another “tragic” past story to the table. Sheherzaad also suffered from lack of parental figures growing up and was emotionally abused by her relatives and cousins. Sheesh, does anyone have a happy childhood in this show!? This felt somewhat out of left field and unnecessary. Even the exposition felt so tacked on at a wrong stage of the show, it’s as if the show just wanted to be done with this scene asap.

+ Overall

A definite improvement from the previous week but the emotional beats still lack proper timing to make the show more impactful for the audience.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 06 (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 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 – The death of Lala Guru Baksh was brilliantly portrayed and realized by the creative team of the show. It had a high intensity of tragedy and regret dispersed across the images and dialogues. Although there are still some secrets that need to be uncovered by the audience, the pain one could witness in the eyes of Mastaan Singh was one of the best performances Sang-e-Mah has ever depicted onscreen up till now. Even though I have criticized the show for its stereotypical performances, this scene was heavily drenched in reality (mixed with slight melodrama) in every possible way. A lot of credit goes to the director, Cinematographer and the costume/ makeup artists in making this scene so close to the harsh reality of what death by old age actually means.

ii – Six Episodes in and its good to see that the show is finally revealing various pieces of the puzzle. And it would not be a mistake if the plot structure was to be compared with yet another Hum TV/ Momina Duraid production ‘Raqeeb Se’ (2021) which also starred Nauman Ijaz and Sania Saeed. Sang-e-Mah’s slow burning melodrama is very reminiscent of Raqeeb Se for which you either can gain patience for or drop off at any given episode. But overall, Sang-e-Mah has intrigued the attention of its viewers and it would not be a mistake to give this one a chance till the very end.

iii – And in conjunction to the point above; when it comes to melodrama and individual relationships, Sang-e-Mah excels far beyond any other show out there but the moment it tries to be comedic or too cute with its characters, it fails miserably. Since there was no hint of comedy in this episode, it proved to be an enjoyable and memorable hour of the show.

+ Low Points

i – I have to admit, with each passing episode, the back stories are turning out a tad bit too convoluted and a narrative mess. Who killed whose husband in the past, why is she after justice, who was poisoned by whom, who is not the real father, who was kept in the dark all this time and … you get the idea. While I hope all of these questions will be answered by the end of the series, it is unfortunately far too many lingering questions left by the showrunners for its audience which could end up not intriguing but rather a homework assignment for each passing week.

ii – The murder depicted in the episode was not justified at all. Sure, Mastaan Singh was insulted by the religious bigot but the scene did not leave the audience sympathizing with Mastaan Singh for his incredibly reckless behavior. One could argue that the landowner would have vilified his fiance in front of the whole village as ‘immoral’ and Singh just wanted to avoid that for her sake. But by the looks of the scene, clearly it was Singh himself who took the insults to heart and acted accordingly. I’m not sure if you can really make a ‘redemption’ story out of this as the writer clearly is on the side of Mastaan Singh.

iii – While Atif Aslam does fairly well with his performance, it has been noted that (apart from the Sikh community) he is the only one without a Pakhtoon accent. And yes, there are some hidden secrets between him and the Sikh community but did he not grow up in a Pakhtoon family and society? Surely he should also possess the same stereotypical Pakhtoon accent as his family! Clearly since this is Atif Aslam’s first ever acting role, the director gave him the comfort of delivering his lines according to what he saw fit. Sadly, in the context of the show, this makes as much sense as adding raisins to a biryani.

+ Overall

A satisfactory episode but too many unsolved narrative threads tend brought the show down a notch.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 05 (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 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 – While there was not much development in the storyline department, Episode 5 largely dedicated itself to character interactions and character building moments. The journalist Sheherzaad finally makes it into the Khan family’s home/ sanctuary and gets to interact with the elders, understanding but yet also imposing some of her “modern” perceptions onto the traditional Pakhtoon society. 

ii – Since Episode 5 was largely devoted to the investigative journalist Sheherzaad (played by Kubra Khan) and it was refreshing as a viewer to look into Pakhtoon land and culture through the eyes of an outsider. As she tries to wrap her head around the concept of ‘Ghaag’, the proud nature of the Pakhtoon closes in on her and her perception of how society functions. By and large, Kubra Khan’s performance seems very natural which can prove to be a vital asset later for the show.

iii – Needless to say, Sang-e-Mar possesses some of the most beautiful outdoor scenery in any show on television and plays a character of its own. In such heavenly landscapes, the Pakhtoon family rivalries spoil the atmosphere, devoted to gaining revenge upon one another. Even when scenes lack engaging characters or dialogues, the gorgeous landscape makes it worthy of continuing on with the episode. 

+ Low Points

i – This episode was a bore. There is unfortunately no way around it. With no new plot revelations or climatic moments, the show primarily depended on its characters but sadly, since the character developments are still in their infancy, none of them have proven to be interesting enough to carry an hour long episode. Undoubtedly the journalist Sheherzaad is a great addition and a perfect way to understand the Pakhtoon as an outsider, it still was not enough to compel the viewer to have unbridled attention throughout its runtime. 

ii – Sigh… the comedy just does not work. What is this fascination with sunglasses?? Is it such an anomaly for the Pakhtoons that they need to impress others with it? It is beyond ridiculous to even assume that Pakhtoons are completely enticed with such minor, everyday objects.

iii – On that note, the more I listen every week to these utterly stereotypical Pakhtoon accents from the cast, the more I am taken out of this world created by Sang-e-Mar. It is wishful to assume that the main cast could have devoted a bit more time and energy into getting the Pakhtoon dialect right but unfortunately, they just opted for the most generic accent they could get their hands on. And the results are far removed from reality.

+ Overall

Satisfactory development for Kubra Khan’s character but apart from that, the episode was a dull outing for Sang-e-Mah. 

Rate: out of 5 stars 

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 04 (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 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 – The plot thickens. Episode 4 provided a bit more clarity with the main plot and individual storylines. This week, we got a lot more exposure towards the Hikmat Khan and Gul Meena’s Romeo and Juliet situation. We also got to see some more investigative journalism from Sheherzaad (aka Kubra Khan). So in spite of some minor flaws, the episode was well paced, engaging throughout and ended with an interesting twist at the end. 

ii – What Sang-e-Mar does better than most shows is the slow teasing each week of the entire plot which in turn, keeps the viewers coming back every week. And the individual subplots are also fascinating in their own right. Although we already know just the glimpses of the plot, exactly what sin did Marjaan Khan commit in his past that has left his “son” to disown him altogether? Essentially it is all just family drama but the twist that Sang-e-Mar presents is the Pakhtoon cultural backdrop (for which many Pakistani viewers are not too familiar with). This one quintessential factor makes the show stand out from everything else on Television right now and if you include a star studded cast with it, you can potentially have a hit show on your hands. 

iii – Speaking of Star studded cast, everyone is out there playing their A game to bring some levity into the dramatic storyline. Although probably none of the cast members do a convincing Pakhtoon accent, their onscreen presence is strong enough for the viewers to go along with its storyline and have an entertaining time dealing with the woes of the Khan family.

iv – The twist at the end was great with Hilmand intentionally taking the place of his brother in order to anger and further humiliate his ” father’s” name. A splendid setup and would be interesting to see where the show goes from here.

+ Low Points

i – As mentioned previously, the actors are giving it their all in the performances but none of them ever feel like they have enveloped the Pakhtoon culture. The accents and mannerisms are still not convincing enough. It seems like each of them are there to be ‘Nauman Ijaz’ or ‘Sania Saeed’ but with some stereotypical Pakhtoon accents. And it’s a bit of a shame cause I genuinely feel they are all great actors who can do better than this.

ii – While we had some progress with the Hikmat/ Gul Meera storyline, Mastaan Singh was completely ignored and four episodes in, we still do not know what major role he plays in the main plot of the show. Probably just a minor complaint but love if each episode can continue giving glimpses of each subplot without sacrificing the other.

+ Overall

Episode 4 was an obvious improvement from the previous week as it had better pacing and none of the “comedy” nonsense. 

Rate: out of 5 stars 

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 03 (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 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 – With Episode 3, Sang-e-Mah’s storyline progresses further and the roles of the main cast are better defined for the audience. We get to witness a flashback scene and a dream sequence as indirect expositions to the plot (which is a predictable but nonetheless enjoyable way to get your viewers up to speed with the premise). The locations are gorgeous and the cast has dramatic interactions with one another. Even though it was the least engaging of all the three episodes up till now, Sang-e-Mah looks promising each and every week.

ii – What really excels the show is that each and every character has a certain quirk to themselves. Hilmand Khan (aka Atif Aslam) is bitter about his mysterious past and is out for revenge against his “father”, Marjaan Khan (aka Noman Ijaz) acts tough but deep down, knows that he wronged some people in his life, Mastaan Singh (aka Omair Rana) is struggling with his current situation but has nonetheless a humble, loving personality to him. These characterizations are great as they give the audience a reason to latch onto them and compel them to tune in each and every week. 

iii – The dream sequence was a fantastic way to convey the inner demons that Marjaan Khan has to live with. Although we just got a glimpse of the backstory between the two families, it is certain that Marjaan made some selfish decisions in the past that destroyed the lives of others. And now, these demons are coming back to haunt him. This is a brilliant way to create some complexity within the storyline itself and a perfect way to evolve some drama out of this plot.

iv – In terms of production, Sang-e-Mah is arguably one of the best looking shows on Television at the moment. Not only the locations and set designs are gorgeous, the cinematography and editing also compliments the rather timid pace and slow building tension of the show. Sang-e-Mah is not only enjoyable to watch due to its stellar cast and premise but also due to the creative team behind the camera. Its a rare occurrence with it comes to Pakistani dramas these days but one that makes it stand out from the rest.

+ Low Points

i – As mentioned above, the plot has been in parts revealed to the audience but some of it still remain shrouded in mystery. As expected, these mysteries will be revealed sooner rather than later but it will end up frustrating some of the viewers who might just bail out beforehand. What is the story behind Mastaan Singh? How does he know Zarghuna? Just who was Hilmand Khan’s real father? It also needs to be mentioned that there is at times way too much exposition dumped into some unnecessary scenes (usually involving two characters explaining the situation to one another for no real plot reason behind it). The exposition became so tiresome in fact that my brain just phased out for a couple of minutes and had to rewatch the scenes again for better understanding.

I am certain that each and every question mentioned here will soon be answered in the next coming weeks but some viewers might not possess such patience and the show might lose a chunk of viewership in the next coming episodes.

ii – The “comedy” was just badly written. None of the scenes with the sunglasses worked and I find it utterly ridiculous that in the year 2022, anyone would be fascinated wearing a pair of sunglasses as if it were Virtual Reality goggles. It also indirectly depicts Pashtoons as a backwards group of people who cannot keep with the basic modern day accessories. This were just some unnecessary “comedic” scenes that I hope are avoided in the next coming episodes.

+ Overall

Episode 3 provided some exposition regarding the premise of the show but the slow revelation of the complete plot might frustrate some viewers into quitting the show altogether.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 02 (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 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 – The narrative flows at a brisk pace, each and every scene is made essential viewing through poignant writing and noteworthy performances. There are three essential storylines running parallel at the moment; the deteriorating relationship between Father (Marjaan Khan) and Son (Hilmand Khan), the young lovers caught in between two rival families and the case of Mastaan Singh. The second episode slightly elaborates further the conflicts taking place in these set pieces and for the most part, ends up leaving a lasting impression on the viewers. Sang-e-Mah ticks a lot of boxes which brings the audience back each and every week. From the looks of it, the show provides snippets of the plot each week, just enough so it peaks the viewer’s interest and keeps coming back for more. 

ii – While the Pashtoon accents may be somewhat generic from the cast, the themes visited in the show are very real and regionally specific. The concept of Ghaag is a Pashtoon ritual that is extensively explored in the first two episodes of the show. It is a ritual perhaps unbeknownst to many non-Pashtoon Pakistanis across the country but is devastating to the young girls in the region. This clearly shows that the writer Mustafa Afridi has written the different plot set pieces around the customs and rituals of where the show is taking place in and thus, Sang-e-Mah sounds, looks and feels different from many shows on Television at the moment. And speaking of looks…

iii – The view is admirable, the setting is breathtaking and the production design is one of the key highlights of the show. The costumes, the make up, the colourful props; everything visual brings out this wonderful vibe of authenticity and fantastical viewing experience. 

iv – And of course, this show would be lacking if not for good performances from the main and supporting cast and thankfully, this show has plenty! Being veteran actors for decades now, Nauman Ijaz and Sania Saeed can play almost any type of role in a heartbeat. But what really fascinates me is the seamless mixture of the old and the new. Newcomers like Atif Aslam bring a sense of presence onscreen and although he plays well as a stoic, heartbroken son who wants to be loved, I hope the coming episodes make him display his wide range of emotion on screen which is always a real test for any actor. Whether Atif Aslam could have a new career as an actor remains to be seen but for now, he fits in seamlessly with the rest of the talented cast of actors.

+ Low Points

i – The only major flaw at the moment is the plot mystery itself. Although it is commendable that the show is taking its time in revealing the backstories of each character, some set pieces are still shrouded in the dark like the ordeal of Mastaan Singh. Not much screen time has been devoted to the character so it is hard to emotionally invest ourselves into his storyline. Maybe the next coming episodes will rectify that but for now, his story is what intrigues me the least.

ii – Two episodes in, and the dialogues still sound very exaggerated and lofty for their own good. The writing doesn’t sound natural but rather what a non-Pashtoon person would think a Pashtoon sounds like. I am certain that Pashtoons of this particular region do not always walk around in anger and constantly make epic, sweeping statements at every chance they get. Let the characters display some more wide range of emotions, let them be a tad bit more human, let them stutter, make errors in their speech. There is such a thing as writing dialogues a bit too perfect which make the characters appear too stoic and not real on screen.

+ Overall

Sang-e-Mah reveals the converging storylines a bit more and provides yet another engaging and entertaining episode.

Rate: out of 5 stars 

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Sang-e-Mah Episode 01 (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 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 honor 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 – Admittedly, I have yet to watch Sang-e-Mar Mar, which visited similar themes of another Pakhtoon family saga. But suffice to say, the premiere episode was a breeze and enjoyable to sit through. Beautiful scenery, accompanied by traditional Pakhtoon music was visual serenity at its finest. The performances from the main cast were satisfactory and the plot moved along at a brisk pace to keep the viewer engaged throughout its runtime. What was especially exceptional from the writing of Mustafa Afridi was the fact that I could follow the plot and characters with such ease and did not necessarily needed to have any prior knowledge of the show beforehand. So if there are any readers out there who feel at unease of this show being integrally linked to the previous one, your fears will prove unjustified due to clever, easy to follow writing of the show.

ii – Speaking of great performances, the show consists of a mixture of veteran, seasoned TV actors such as Noman Ejaz and Sania Saeed accompanied by young and newcomers such as Atif Aslam. This makes for an interesting viewing for the audience as we get a diverse group of acting talents, all together at the center of the stage. 

iii – So a lot of the viewers would be curious to know how Atif Aslam played out in his first ever on screen acting performance. Since he was hardly five odd minutes in the first episode, it is not easy to judge how much acting talent he possesses but for now, he seems right at home. His character has a strong presence, Atif delivers his dialogue with a certain weight and tenacity that is vital to any main cast performer. So far so good and I am excited to see more of him in the upcoming episodes.

iv – I also enjoyed the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ plot that took the centerstage of the premiere episode. Hania Amir is especially good in her loving but yet vulnerable character who is torn between sticking to her family’s principles or following her heart. 

v – Apart from cultural diversity, it is also fantastic to see the show shed some light on the religious diversity that Pakistan has. Granted, it is nowhere near as diverse as India for example, but characters such as Mastaan Singh (played by Omair Rana) taking semi-center stage to the show is something that many Pakistani TV dramas should be encouraged to do.  

+ Low Points

i – Even though I praised the performances above, I do have to admit, the Pashto accents from all the actors seem much more stereotypical than authentic ones from the actual region. Now granted, it is not distracting enough to derail the viewer’s sense of concentration but still, a little more depth and research into the actual dialects would have been appreciated.

ii – The dialogues do sound at times, lofty and pretentious as they should. It is obvious that the writer opts for an epic, dramatic vibe (Shakespearean even) to the spoken dialogues but they come off at times unnatural. Which makes it hard as a viewer to relate to these characters and their problems. Perhaps it would have been a bit more compelling viewing if we got to witness the ‘day-to-day’ aspects of a Pakhtoon (man or woman) in the tribal regions. But since the show has a lot of episodes to go, let’s see how it all plays out in the end.

+ Overall

A solid premiere episode of the show. Even though Sang-e-Mah serves as a spiritual sequel, the writing is inviting to all potentially new viewers in the saga of the Khan Pakhtoon family.

Rating: out of 5 stars