Friday, November 21, 2014

A Batch of New Shows: Goya, Dil Nahin Manta, Khata, Day Ijaazat Jo Tu and Nazdeekiyan

While "Goya" and "Dil Nahin Manta" are essentially the only "new" shows this week, with the end of Bashar Momin, Soteli and Mere Meherban, my drama schedule opened up and left room for new additions.  Therefore, I added on a few already-running shows that I'd been neglecting - and I'm so glad!


The wait is over, the wait is over, the wait is over!  I can't even pin down how long I've been following the updates for this show, reading the cast changes, waiting for the air-date announcement and now here we are!  Osmaan's long-awaited release since Aunn Zara, Sana Javed finally front-and-center and a drama that looks refreshingly different, Did the show live up to the hype?  

Definitely!  The story focuses on Omar (Osmaan Khalid Butt), the son of tycoon Rahat Hashmi (Usmaan Peerzada).  Omar can be classified as nothing short of the rebelliously obedient son.  While Omar is heavily controlled by his father, he is always hoping to one day muster up the courage to escape his life.  Rahat closely monitors every aspect of Omar's life, hoping that this will curb any onset of bad habits.  Omar also has a stepmother (Tara Mehmood), who is not the stereotypical stepmother.  Rather, though she doesn't share much of a relationship with Omar herself, she is consistently pushing Rahat to stop treating his own son like a stepson and show him affection and leniency.  Omar also has an aayah in the form of Mrs. Imtiyaaz (Shamim Hilaali), a woman who not only loves him (and fears his father) but someone he loves like a mother.  Along with a close friend, Ali (Furqan Qureshi), this sums up Omar's restricted world.

So we are not surprised when Omar has a run-in with journalist and carefree-soul, Mohini (Sana Javed).  Sana's background is entirely different than Omar's.  Mohini lives with her single-parent, Asma (Farah Shah) and calls her mother by name.  The two are less like mother and daughter and more like friends.  They understand each other and care for each other while not interfering too much in each others lives.  This is a woman-oriented household and these women are not helpless or dependent on any man.  

When Omar meets Mohini at an art exhibit she's covering, they instantly feel the friction - and not necessarily in a positive way.  Mohini calls Omar out on his uptight nature, which leads to an argument.  It doesn't, however, come as a surprise when Omar confesses to Ali that he is attracted to Mohini.  

The acting, so far, is fairly natural and believable.  Osmaan is perfect as Omar and one always believes that his roles are written with him in mind.  Sana's role as Mohini is different from her other roles, though her chatter is reminiscent of Lubna in Pyaaray Afzal.  So far, so good!  The supporting cast is good as well.  Time will show the roles Mrs. Inaayat, Rahat and Mrs. Rahat will play.  

How Omar and Mohini end up together will be interesting to see!  Let's wait and watch!


While I am not a fan of either of the cast members, the positive reviews after the first episode encouraged me to give this show a try.  So far, so good!  Huzaifa (Emaad Irfani) and Shanzey (Sara Khan) are cousins and seem to have feelings for each other, something his mother and Khala encourage and support..  However, Huzaifa's Phupo hopes for her own niece Sohena (Amna Ilyas) to marry Huzaifa.  Sohena herself seems to be a very arrogant, over-confident girl who genuinely believes Huzaifa couldn't have eyes for anyone other than her.

The story, after watching the first episode, looks to be a tussle between Huzaifa's mother and father, a story of egos and the decision as to who's niece Huzaifa will marry.

While Huzaifa seems to be the obedient son to his mother in the hopes of making her happy by marrying Shanzey, it'll be interesting to see what twists and turns will come about to turn the story on its head!



Honestly speaking, I am not sure what the overall premise of this show is actually about.  What I can tell you is that "Day Ijaazat Jo Tu" is a light-hearted show with endearing characters and a good pace.  While I was hesitant about seeing Farhan Saeed as an actor, he's proved to be a natural in this role, complimenting Sohai Ali Abro well!

The story revolves around the love story of Sarmad (Farhan) and Ayla (Sohai).  While Ayla comes from a middle-class background with a doting family, Sarmad comes from a rich background but is distant from his father, stepmother and stepbrother.

Ayla's entry into Sarmad's life is a blessing for him and he feels his loneliness disappearing.  Sarmad and Ayla get married, much to the dismay of his stepmother and are forced to move into their own home due to her disapproval (despite having support from her family and his father).

At present, Ayla and Sarmad have a baby girl, but Sarmad's father (Javed Sheikh) has gone missing after boarding a flight and is assumed to be dead.  The show took an 8 year leap.......and has now left me wondering where the show is headed from this point onward?

Despite being confused about the show's direction, I'm happily watching this show, which is a refreshing change from the heavier shows on air these days.  Plus, Farhan and Sohai share great chemistry.


"Ek pal ki khataa umar bhar ki sazaa" sings Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in the OST and aptly so.

10 episodes in and I had very little interest in watching this show simply based on how depressing it looked from the on-set.  But when I suddenly found myself with a chunk of free time, I decided to play catch-up.  I'm glad I did, because while overall a depressing subject, the story actually pulls you in and makes you feel emotionally invested in the character of Rabia.

The story of Khataa revolves around Rumi (Shehroz Sabzwari) and Rabia (Sanam Chaudhry).  While Rumi is infatuated with Rabia, she often openly rejects his advances.  The two live next door to each other and Rumi often tries to meet Rabia on the terrace.  Rabia is highly focused on her education and making her family proud.  Rabia's father is a well-respected man in the "mohalla" and often serves as adviser on the problems of his neighbors.  While preparations for Rumi's sister's wedding are in full-swing, one day Rumi jumps over to Rabia's terrace and grabs her hand - right as Rabia's Phupo comes up in search of Rabia.  When Phupo sees the two together, she furiously goes to inform Rabia's father, but accidentally trips and hits her head, falling unconscious.  Worried, Rumi drags Rabia with him, scared that both will be murdered by Rabia's father.  Rabia protests, wanting to go back home, but is held back by Rumi.  

In a "khataa" that is entirely Rumi's fault and in which Rabia is innocent, Rabia's entire life is ruined.  Rabia is forced to marry Rumi and is labeled "bhagori" (run-away bride), something she has to hear every day from her mother-in-law and sister-in-law (who holds her responsible for her own marriage being called off).  Rabia's family shuns Rabia (despite Rabia's mother trying to reach out to her) and move away to avoid the "mohalla" talk.  Rabia is forced to endure pitiful behavior from her in-laws, despite having a loving husband (who is forever trying to make up for his mistake).

Howver, in recent episodes, Rabia began tutoring some neighborhood children, finding solace and a confidant in their mother and a friend in their chaachu.  This twist has made the show even more interesting.  

While Shehroz Sabzwari is doing a good job as Rumi, Sanam Chaudhry is phenomenal as Rabia.

Looking forward to seeing where the show is headed!



I love Vasay Chaudhary.  A lot.  I also have a soft spot for Affan Waheed.  Maheen Rizvi is a good actress.  OK, so the only not-so-strong selling point of this show for me personally is Maria Wasti.  When she wants to be good, she's GREAT.  And when she wants to be bad, she can be the most irritating thing about a show.

As soon as this show started and I heard Maria Wasti's screeching, I knew where this was headed.  I was filled with deja vu of her performance in Qarz.  I was overcome with the feeling of "Oh no, she's going to ruin this show."  And 4 episodes later, I feel I have already, more or less, abandoned this show.

The story of watta-satta is interesting, but unfortunately, it has rarely translated into something interesting to watch on-screen.  Rather, we are confronted with overly evil characters (the case of Phupo here), insulting husbands (Vasay's character here), spoiled, unlikable girls (Maria Wasti's character here) and a feeling of "Please remind me why these nice people married into this family again?" (the case of Affan and Maheen's characters here).

If a show doesn't bring about interest, but rather complete irritation, I think it's best to put it on the backburner.  Despite Maheen Rizvi's adorable performance and Vasay's on-point zameendaar act, the show has very little else going for it.

It may simply be that this show is not the sort that you can watch 4 episodes back-to-back, but I'll wait and see if I actually want to continue with this one.  

Verdict:

4/5 shows are great and I'd highly recommend them!  Goya is off to a great start, as is Dil Nahin Mnata.  Khataa is taking an interesting turn and Day Ijaazat Jo Tu is a sweet, breezy watch.  Nazdeekiyan is currently a wait-and-watch situation, so we'll see how that ends up.

Happy watching!!

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