Mehram Episode 6: Unexpected Twist!

On the night that episode 7 is airing, yes, I'm writing about episode 6.  Haha.  As always, delayed, but inspired.

Up until now, I've been rather on the fence about Mehram.  While shot beautifully and under the care of a director who generally churns out beautiful love stories, Siraj Ul Haq always manages to miscast, ruining those stories.  Haha.  Up until episode 5, Mehram didn't rank very high on my list of favorite dramas........

And then episode 6 happened.

In episode 6, we learn that Zubair's plane met with a severe accident.  The treatment of this scene deserves recognition - it's because of the way it's been shot that we are catapulted into Iqra, Hamzah and Hamah's mother's grief.  Instantly after hearing the news, Hamzah's mother falls into a coma due to the shock.  This leaves our childish Hamzah left to not only deal with the grief of his mother's illness and brother's death, but also to care for his now-silent-from-shock Bhabi.  After briefly opening her eyes to see Hamzah, we see Hamzah's mother pass away, turning Hamzah's world upside down, but also leaving Iqra and Hamzah left to care for each other - hence bringing up the issue of "mehram, na mehram."

While the anti-Moammar Rana viewer in me rejoiced at this turn of events, the drama lover and wife in me mourned deeply at this twist. Sudden loss is painful, because it's completely unexpected and watching this episode, it was hard not to put myself in Iqra's place and not feel her grief.  Ayesha Khan's portrayal of Iqra left me speechless in this episode, conveying Iqra's pain through her eyes.  I haven't been impressed with Ayesha's performances as of late, but this lady deserves a round of applause here.

On the other end, no grief was felt more than Hamzah's. The loss of his brother, mother and the silence of his Bhabi all at once was almost unbearable to watch.  Zahid Hamid, despite being a newcomer, has definitely won over my heart with this episode.  I have appreciated his cute acting since episode 1, but he's exceeded all expectations with his performance here.  His pain was what stood out most in this episode, literally putting it into the category of "No one should have to experience this much trauma at once."

With this episode, we lost two major characters:  Zubair (Moammar Rana) and Zubair & Hamzah's mother (Sajda Syed).  Despite Zubair missing in action for a couple of episodes, the loss of his presence is deeply felt and then his mother's passing only doubles that grief.

If there was ANY negative in this episode, I will be honest and say that the character of Maulvi Sahab.  If a character like Maulvi SubhanAllah (Pyaray Afzal) challenged and changed the stereotypes, the character of Maulvi Sahab here in Mehram again comes back to the stereotypical, mildly heartless portrayal of religious figures.  Not only is Maulvi Sahab incredibly restrictive and hard on his daughter, Iqra, he also seems heartless in this episode.  While Hamzah and Iqra are still dealing with their grief, he brings up the discussion of Iqra's "iddat" and their living situation.  It all had a feeling of "TOO SOON"!

That aside, I'm now intrigued and very curious to see how this story moves forward.  Kudos to Siraj Ul Haq for such a brilliant episode and credit to all the actors involved for making me cry like I haven't in a while.  Haha.

Happy watching!

A Rant on Bashar Momin - An Overly Glamorous Attrocity

Sick.

That's the only way to describe this drama and the poor writing behind a genuinely evil, twisted character.

Rudaba has decided to commit to her marriage.  Seriously?  We see her smiling to herself after sharing 1-2 nice conversations with Bashar.  Um, what?

The audience here is being taken for a fool - and given, some of the members of this audience are fools, because they are buying into it.  I am no fool.  I won't forget the cruel way Bashar separated Buland and Rudaba for Tayyaba's gain.  I won't forget how rude and verbally abusive Bashar was to Rudaba.  I won't forget how he forcibly had his nikkah done with Rudaba.   I won't forget that Bashar laughed to himself at Rudaba's helplessness, waiting for him to take her home and saying he would divorce her.  I won't forget that Bashar raped Rudaba the night of their Rukhsati and then threw her out of the room.  And we definitely will not forget all the pushing, shoving, throat grabbing and all sorts of other abusive behavior Bashar has shown Rudaba post marriage.

And I'm sorry - but anyone who finds anything about this "love story" endearing is clearly forgetting all this......OR thinks something about all this horrific mess is romantic.

I've seen Bashar Momin being compared to Beauty and The Beast.  This is not the story of beauty and the beast.  The beast roared.  The beast was stuck in his own misery.  BUT the Beast was never vicious.  The beast didn't have any HORRIBLE qualities.  He never physically hurt Belle.  Rather, he became a good human being because of her and discovered true love.  Let's not INSULT that beautiful story by comparing it to Bashar Momin.

I'm rather disgusted with the writers of this show, now trying to show Bashar becoming "soft."  However, after Bashar spills his guts to Rudaba about his past, his sister, mother and father......he then GRABS Rudaba by the THROAT and THREATENS her if Buland ever so much as looks her way.  UM......how.....romantic?  Well yes, only if "romantic" is a replacement word for "psychopath."

Friends, let's not glamorize abuse and mental illness.  That's what's being shown here.  And in the form of Rudaba, we're now seeing a smart, confident, sweet girl turning into the victim of a sick, abusive relationship....and she's clearly HAPPY about it.

This scenario is messed up on so many levels. But do you know what's the worst part?  I am POSITIVE the writing and production team actually think they're presenting a beautiful love story.  There's nothing beautiful about this.  This is just another way for our society to fill the minds of girls with crap and teach them that this is appropriate behavior.  Why?  Because Bashar has been through SO much.  AWWWWW.  Rudaba will get through his hard heart and soften him up.  SPARE US ALL.

Sadqay Tumhare and Digest Writer: Episodes 1 & 2 Thoughts

First of all, I want to apologize for the period I've gone without writing, which has been nearly 3 weeks.  Eid mubarak to everyone and hope everyone had a great Eid with their families.  I flew down to my parents house to spend Eid with my family (3 week vacation) and have been busy with them since, hence my absence.  But now that things have quieted down, let's get back to discussing dramas!  =)

While "Digest Writer" didn't bring forth as many expectations, as Saba Qamar's dramas of late have been slightly disappointing, "Sadqay Tumhare" held colossal expectations from my end.  So how did these two dramas fare entertainment wise?

Perfectly.

Digest Writer tells the story of Farida, alias Rashk-e-Hina, a girl who writes stories as a passion and her stories earn her recognition (albeit anonymously) once published in a digest.

To add to the story, we have one unsupportive, jealous sister (Maheen Rizvi), one supportive sister and brother and unsupportive parents.  Of course, we also can't forget Farida's admirer and cousin, played by Gohar Rasheed.

It's these supporting characters that add to the quality of the story.  At present, we've seen that Zhalay Sarhadi and Farhan Ali Agha's characters are that of a married couple in the drama industry who show an interest in signing Farida as the writer for their forthcoming drama.  What will Farida's parents say, namely her father?  Your guess is as good as mine, but my hunch is that the lure of money will entice Farida's father eventually!  

As of now, this show is definitely one that I wait for each week!

Moving on to Sadqay Tumhare:

Everything from the OST to the poster suggest a good, old-fashioned love story.  What you expect is what you get here - the love story seems to be set in the 70s and tells an incredibly cute tale of an engaged couple, Shano (Mahira Khan) and Khalil (Adnan), who have never actually met.  While Shano is blindly in love with her fiance without meeting him, Khalil is a little more hesitant in his thoughts towards Shano.  Not only that, but we also see that Khalil has a world of "nakhray," packaged with an attitude bigger than the entire village!

Mahira Khan and Adnan Malik share a world of chemistry despite not even sharing a single scene together yet!  Rather, it's the build-up, the writing and the treatment of this story that makes the audience want to see these two characters interact and move the story forward.  This show is not only written beautifully, the visuals transport you into Khalil and Shano's world.

What I sense for the future story, looking at Shano's mother's hesitation and demeanor, is that there's a secret between the two families - one that won't allow Shano's family to agree to the marriage.  What is confusing, however, is the enthusiasm with which Khalil's mother and father anticipate Khalil and Shano's impending marriage.

All will be revealed in due time, I'm sure!  Until then, let's enjoy the beauty and simplicity of this love story.  After a long time, I feel emotionally invested in two characters and their outcome.

Happy watching!

Mohabbat Ab Nahi Hogi: The Last Episode and Overall Review

Before even starting, I do want to point out that it seems that Hum TV's shows are getting shorter and shorter - I am not complaining AT ALL.  I was always a fan of the 13 to 20 episode format for each show and find myself getting exhausted once a show hits 24-25 episodes.  But I was surprised to see this show end on episode 17, as I felt it had much more potential.

Rather than a review, this is simply a rant of my thoughts.  The episode itself served its purpose as a "wrap up episode," tying up all loose strings and the predictable outcomes occurring.

There was a lot of room for these characters to grow.  A few more episodes to see Fiza realize her mistakes would've been refreshing.  A more gradual realization from Azhar's stance would've been great.  Arham having a proper discussion with Fiza and Azhar about boundaries would've been a scene I would've loved to see.  Urooj realizing and properly discussing the situation with Fiza would've been a very realistic scene.  And while this all may seem like my over-scrutinizing and simply a "wish list," all of these scenes would've been essential to realistically put this show to rest.

It can be argued that Arham and Fiza's marriage was possibly beyond repair.  Not only was Arham torn by the thought of Fiza and Azhar having a "rendezvous," but he was completely shattered by the betrayal.  On the other end, Fiza was aghast at the thought that her husband could suspect anything so terrible......yet not for one moment did Fiza stop talking to Azhar.  Not only did she not stop speaking to him, she wholeheartedly relied on him for everything. .And then let's come down to this miraculous pregnancy.  If anyone can fill in the details for me here or point out something I missed, please DO.  This is a huge flaw for me - how did Fiza have a 45 day pregnancy when she hadn't seen Arham in 2 months?  It absolutely did not make any sense.  Was this supposed to be a miracle?  If so, it was very poorly stressed (and very irritating).  Any man in his right mind in that frame of mind would instantly wonder what the hell happened there!

Then we come to Azhar and Urooj.  The mistakes made in Fiza and Arham's marriage directly affected Azhar and Urooj's marriage.  Why is it that it was never acknowledged that Fiza actually was the cause of Urooj's miscarriage?  How can the writers suddenly play her off as an innocent?  We saw it and saw what she did!  The character of Fiza was very hard to redeem, yet they tried desperately to do it by suddenly including absolute loopholes in the story.  While Azhar and Urooj solved their misunderstandings, it still doesn't erase the bad actions of Fiza in their life - and even more, it doesn't erase the bad actions of Azhar who tried his best to make Urooj change who she was!  These problems were not even acknowledged in the end, simply brushed under the rug.

In the end, we see Azhar and Urooj in Dubai, living separately from Arham and Fiza.  Arham and Fia are now happy, living with Arham's mother and with Fiza taking care of the family and the household.  Arham and Fiza are happy with their marriage and their life with Fiza reflectively saying "Arham, ek baat ka afsos hamesha rahega.  Zindagi  to thi hi khoobsurat magar afsos is baat ka hai ke mujhe yeh baat samajhne mein dair kyun lagi?"  While this is truly a beautiful thought......when did this happen, Fiza?  When did you come to this realization?  When did you mend your ways?  And WHY did you mend your ways?  

To the end, even on the phone call Arham overheard between Azhar and Fiza, Fiza maintained her stance of the "ghalti" being Arham's, never acknowledging her role to play in the entire situation.  We never see her apologetic for her behavior towards Auntie and Aapi.  We never see Fiza repent wholeheartedly for her terrible behavior towards Urooj.  We never see Fiza and Azhar acknowledge the indecency in their relationship.  We never see Fiza apologize for her hurtful words about Arham.

All of this combined together made for a rather unsatisfying ending to an otherwise horribly entertaining show.  I can't knock this drama for anything other than a lot of flaws and loopholes in the last episode.  The way this show was shot, directed and enacted deserves applause.  I found myself hooked every Monday and Tuesday, anxious to see the new twist the show would take.  For this, I think Mohabbat Ab Nahi Hogi deserves a lot of credit.

If you haven't seen this show, I would recommend it.  While not perfect, it was definitely something great to watch!  

Happy watching!

Aahista Aahista: GOOD. RIDDANCE.

I am currently at a loss for words.  I have no idea how to write a review for a show that ended so craptastically.   There's just no way for this review to be positive.

Let's just do a re-cap of this ENTIRE story.  No, not from the writer's point of view.  From MY point of view.  I just want us ALL to be on the same page so that there's no confusion.

Zawar (Adnan Siddiqui) is a cowardly liar who, instead of confessing to his mother in Pakistan that he's married an Indian woman, avoids discussions of marriage with his aging mother by.....not visiting her.....at all.  Zawar loves his mother a lot, but is too much of a coward to look into her eyes and tell her that he can't get married, because he's already married to a woman he would disapprove of.

On the other end, we have Zawar's wife Sophie (Sarwat Gillani).  Read:  "the villain."  Why is she a villain, you ask?  Because she's Indian, not Muslim and hey, guess what?  She's not a "legitimate wife" because Zawar hasn't confessed to his family about her.  The writers do their BEST to make this character thoroughly evil.  But to no avail:  All I was left with is that this character is a human being.  Given, a rude, witchy sort of human being, but who wouldn't react like her in this sort of situation?

Zawar FINALLY decides to go to Pakistan to visit his miserable mother who is sick with missing him.  While there, he marries Hayaa (Mawra Hocane).  Hayaa is much younger than him, a very innocent girl and is loved a lot by Bi Jaan (Saba Hameed) and the other family members (Hina Bayat, Behroze Sabwari, who are both wasted in roles not worthy of their acting capabilities).  Zawar just CANNOT say "No, I'm already married."  So he does the next logical thing:  He marries Hayaa.  OK?  Again.  COWARD.

Zawar leaves Hayaa in Pakistan and runs back to wife #1, Sophie.  But you know, that marriage, it's a tricky little thing!  Your wife USUALLY wants to LIVE WITH YOU.  So here comes Hayaa, courtesy Bi Jaan and Co., off to the USA to start her married life with Zawar!   But hey, Zawar can't tell Sophie that he's married.....again.  WOW.  COWARD.  So instead, Zawar keeps Hayaa in his house as "a friend's wife" and Sophie treats Hayaa like a servant.  Zawar defends her though of course?  Nope.  Wrong.  COWARD.  He just watches Sophie treat Hayaa like crap.

(Crazy) Sophie is something else.  She just assumes Hayaa is a guest, at least for a little while.  But she proceeds to treat Hayaa like complete garbage, because that's how we treat guests in America.  "Yeh America hai!  Yahan khud kaam karna padta hai!"  Yes.  This is how Pakistanis/Indians in the USA behave, we treat our guests like our personal cook, masseuse and cleaning lady.

Anyways, Hayaa deals with all this.  Finally, after many ridiculous scenarios, verbal abuse from Sophie and downright degrading behavior from all involved, Hayaa is THROWN out of the house by Sophie - because guess what?  That's right.  She caught Hayaa and Zawar cuddling.  At this point, Zawar MUST have said "Hey, she's my wife!"  Right?  Right.....rightttt?????  NO.  He just watches as Hayaa skulks away from the house and is taken in by Javed Sheikh and his wife, kindly Pakistani neighbors.

Zawar instantly repents and tries to rectify his mistake.  How?  Well you know, when Sophie has a miscarriage, he pays the hospital bill and just doesn't give a crap.  It's ALL Sophie's fault.  She should've just LET him cuddle with a random girl under her nose!  Meanwhile, Sophie in her grief calls Bi Jaan and introduces herself as Zawar's wife.  Bi Jaan has a severe attack and ends up in the hospital, with only enough time to disown Zawar entirely before dying.  Because Bi Jaan is EVIL and hates Indian people!  No.....it's actually because Zawar treated her beloved Hayaa as a servant and lied like the coward he is.

Bi Jaan is dead, Zawar is cut off from the family and he doesn't have Hayaa.  He has nothing left in life!!!!  Oh wait.....but he still has Sophie?  Oh that pesky girl!  Being in love with someone for 8 years doesn't mean anything!  Zawar has a new love, Hayaa!  And he will devote his entire life to her.  So Sophie does what any logical self-respecting woman would:  asks for a separation and leaves.

This is all perfect.  At this point, we're all thinking "Zawar is going to get what he deserves!  NOTHING!  YES!!!"

With the last episode, everything goes downhill.  The entire team brings us to such high hopes and then crushes those hopes with evil giggles as they present the final 30 seconds of the episode to us, leaving us wondering WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!

In this episode, we see the return of Shehroz Sabzwari's character, the cute, sweet, interested Pakistani boy who was so interested in Hayaa.  And guess what?  He's Javed Sheikh's nephew Mustafa.  What a nice coincidence!  I found myself smiling.  He strikes up a genuine friendship with Hayaa.  I was over the moon.  Hayaa asks for a divorce from Zawar.  YES!  Zawar reacts badly.  Who cares?  Hayaa sticks to her guns and more or less recognizes that Zawar is a terrible human being.  Bless Hayaa for being "normal."  Mustafa tells Hayaa he will be there for her, whatever she chooses to do, but she should think about what's best for herself.  AWWWW, the start of a new love story?

But wait........now it all goes downhill.

Zawar tells Sophie off, saying everything wrong in his life is her fault.  What a CLASS act!  He then writes Hayaa a letter, saying he's leaving the country and going back to Pakistan to Bi Jaan's house (uh fool, you were disowned!).  The letter is super cryptic and "emo," telling her that he wishes her all the happiness she deserves and that he now wants to die in peace (I don't know either.....).

We see Zawar, the coward, crying in the rain.  But wait!  He senses a presence behind him!  He turns around.......

HAYAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

They look at each other, share a glance and HUG.  THIS IS TRUE LOVE!!!!

The End.

Otherwise known as the crappiest show I've seen in a long time.

Can someone explain to me what the purpose of this story was?  You already know I think Zawar is a coward.  A jerk.  The worst sort of human being.  SO BASICALLY a man has every right to treat both his wives like complete and utter crap, but still deserves a happy ending?  How?  Why?  What sort of message is this sending to young girls out there?  I am completely on board with the message of compromise in marriage - but THIS is truly ridiculous.  I have felt the need to vomit for the last hour after watching this episode.  I can't stomach HOW anyone would think this would be a logical ending.

In THIS day and age where you have shows like "Pehchaan," where women are shown fighting for their right to live a fulfilling life, why are we still making shows like "Aahista Aahista" that are nothing short of regressive?  A woman starting a new life in the USA has no need to go back to her husband because of societal norms.  Why does she deserve to LIVE that life?  Why would she willingly go back to that sort of existence?  Love?  If that's love, then I clearly don't know what love is.

The bottom line is that this show has been a disappointment from episode 7 on-wards.  I have very little positive to say about this show.  Performances?  Mawra Hocane was pretty good, but I'm a fan of hers, so I may be biased.  I'll also say that her playing "timid" got old really fast.  The "bechaari" act started to grate on my nerves.  Sarwat Gillani should've avoided this role like the plague.  It was bad all around and only made her look foolish.  Adnan Siddiqui should be grateful for the fact that "Mere Humdum Mere Dost" aired alongside this mess with him in such a lovable roe, otherwise he could easily be considered the worst actor and character- chooser of the current actors.  What poor decisions from all involved!!!

RIP Aahista Aahista  Please let me forget that you ever existed.  I just want to forget.

Dramas I'm Currently Watching: September 2014 Edition!

It has officially been MONTHS since I've done this.  While I have been watching several dramas, I feel like my general interest in specific shows has been relegated to only 1-2 at a time, therefore I haven't felt the need to make a list in the last few months.  However, now with some exciting shows on air (Jackson Heights, Firaaq) and some exciting shows coming up (Goya, Sadqay Tumharay), I thought it was time!

So let's get right to it!  The shows are in order of best to slightly less interesting.

Jackson Heights

After only one episode, this show is currently ranking as my #1 favorite.  The first episode was interesting, had great dialogues and I really seemed to “connect” to it.  With great direction, writing and a great ensemble cast, I would urge everyone to watch this show.  Writing anything more on this show is unnecessary - so far, so perfect.

Firaaq

This show grabbed my attention after the first episode.  While our “lead” Paiman is a misfit (Sanam Saeed), we’re soon to see her transformation and her love story begin.  The storyline is interesting, focusing on the relationships between a mother and son, a brother and his sister, a husband and his wife, a couple and their friend and, eventually, Paiman and a psychiatrist (Mohib Mirza).  The relationships are so complex, yet so fascinating to watch that I look forward to the new episode each week.  This one is highly recommended.

Mohabbat Ab Nahi Hogi
While the basic premise of this show makes me queasy and the attitudes of the characters Azhar and Fiza make me want to slap someone, this show gets bonus points for keeping the viewer on their toes after each and every episode.  Saima Akram Chaudhry deserves special mention here for her writing.  While I haven't read the novel, I can imagine it must be good based on the content for the show.  The story revolves around Arham (Jibran) and Fiza's (Armeena Rana Khan) marriage.  Arham's brother Azhar (Ali Rehman Khan) has a close relationship with Fiza, treating her like a friend rather than a Bhabi.  This closeness of their relationship ultimately throws their lives into chaos, threatening not only Fiza and Arham's marriage but also Azhar's marriage with Urooj (Sundas Khan).  The story makes me want to hit my head against a wall at times due to frustration, but the pace is unmatched by any other drama.  And after this week's episode (episode 14) with Azhar now suspecting Fiza for all the confusion, the drama has taken an even more interesting twist.  If you aren't watching this one, I would recommend it.

Shanakht

While this is a drama I look forward to each week, after the recent episode (episode 7), I suddenly find myself on the fence about this.  I was very excited at the show bringing together Annie (Maya Ali) and Rohan (Fahad Mirza), feeling they were a perfect match for each other.  But the show has taken a weird turn after the marriage with Rohan consistently trying to please his terrible family, leaving Annie out in the cold.  Annie’s efforts to please Rohan’s mother and sisters is terrible to watch, because they dislike her for no reason at all!  On the other end, we see Kashaf’s marriage heading in a weird direction with her fiancé demanding music nights and a car.  The show’s overall feel is suddenly making me uncomfortable.  While I realize it’s a reality in society, the reactions of others on the show are highly over the top.  With slightly restrained performances, the effect may have been different.  Still, I am enjoying the show overall and I like the theme.

Soteli
When this show first started, I wasn't incredibly impressed, but was pulled in for Sabreen Hisbani.  When I realized how short her role was, I was mildly turned off.  However, this show has taken off to be one of the more interesting ones and I genuinely enjoy it.  The storyline is different and while it plays on the “soteli” stereotypes, I am enjoying seeing the story from the child’s point of view.   The performance of the child actor playing Milkoo is amazing.  Now that Milkoo has grown up (now played by Shehzad Sheikh), I am even more interested to see what direction the story takes.

Tum Meray He Rehna
Family drama and politics:  In a Pakistani family, who doesn't know what this is like?  Take family politics, enhance it with an easily influenced family member, throw in two cousins fighting over the same guy and you end up with a show like Tum Meray He Rehna. The character of Siraj (Waseem Abbas) is an easily gullible character, one who is easily influenced and this attitude used to the benefit of his interfering wife Shahana (Saba Hameed).  Siraj's sister Raheela (Huma Hamid) and her husband Naseer (Rashid Mehmood) are good people who get caught up in family politics without wanting to.  The effects are felt by Numail (Mekaal) and Rania (Urwa), cousins who want to get married but can't due to their feuding families.  Oh no, been there, done that you say?  Not exactly.  While this story may not be anything new, the treatment is.  The performances are great and the situations are very realistic.  The overall way the show has been handled is what makes it an entertaining watch.

 Main Bushra
While I'm having a hard time grasping the "point" of the drama, I do still look forward to tuning in each week.  Bushra's struggles are not something I can relate to, being one of three daughters (and no brothers).  While I find the story old-fashioned, I think it's important to bring light to a story like this in order to change mind-sets and the belief that only sons can help their parents.  It's nice to see a strong character like Bushra doing everything she can to support her family.  While Affan Waheed and Faisal Qureshi have yet to make an appearance in the story, the show is still moving at a good pace.

Chup Raho
Some mothers are their own daughters worst enemies.  Looking at the actions of Rameen's mother, one wonders how and why she thought staying quiet would be a good idea.  Yes, being quiet would save her elder daughter's marriage, but at what cost?  Staying married to a man that represents pure evil?  A man who admits to repeatedly cheating on his wife?  A man who raped his wife's sister?  A man who intends on continuing to rape his sister in law, despite Rameen being married to his Aazir, his cousin?  Numair's nature isn't unrealistic and Jibran is doing an amazing job of playing this twisted, sick character.  While the logic for Rameen not speaking up doesn't work for me and the lack of reasoning on Aazir's part confuses me (why doesn't he realize something is UP when his fiancee/wife does a 180 in personality?), the performances on this show are still good and the storyline is interesting.

Aahista Aahista

What started off as an interesting, promising show has slowly deteriorated into what can only be classified as an utter bore.  The character of Zawar (played by Adnan Siddiqui) is such a horrible human being that it’s hard to even understand what we’re rooting for.  While the writers have done everything in their power to make Sofia (Sarwat Gillani) look “evil,” the fact of the matter is that she FEELS that there’s something between Hayaa and Zawar and that her marriage is being infringed upon.  While she’s too rude and unlikable for her own good, the viewer still can’t BLAME her.  On top of that, her husband’s complete and lack of interest in her misery after her miscarriage was an even bigger blow for the poor girl.  On the other end, Hayaa (Mawra Hocane) is a young and sweet girl and deserves so much better than a man who can’t even tell his first wife that he remarried.  Not only that, but he was also unable to defend her even as a human being to his wife.  People don’t even treat their enemies the way Zawar treated Hayaa.  At this point, I don’t know where this show is going.  All I know is that I want nothing but unhappiness for Zawar.  I do hope to see Shehroze Sabzwari’s character return and possibly accept Hayaa into his life.  That’s what’s keeping me watching this show.  Also, I love Javed Sheikh and his wife on the show.  They play very positive characters.

Daraar

There’s something wrong with a show when you find yourself completely unable to sympathize with the lead character.  For the life of me, I can't even remember the character names on this show, so it's going to be their real names.  Haha.  Aijaz Aslam and Ahmed Hassan play your general, sweet brother types.  These characters are really endearing.  On the other end, we have Mansha Pasha playing the Bhabi from hell.  Why?  No, she's not a bad person.  She's just easily influenced by her greedy family.  With a family like this, who needs enemies?  Saniya Shamshad plays Aijaz and Ahmed's younger sister, spoiled by her brothers and "Bua."  But this is all to Mansha's disliking, as she wants Aijaz to favor her own family and run the house her own way.  

The selfish nature of Mansha Pasha's character is so realistic that it's painful to watch.  She's not a bad person.  She's just a victim of circumstance.  While this show is almost a trainwreck with Mansha's character trying to "out" Bua this week, it's still entertaining to watch - the credit for this goes to good writing.

Mere Meherbaan
Oh boy.  What to say about this show?  Overacting, overacting, overacting.  Over-the-top situations beyond belief.  Crazy family members that you want to punch.  BUT entertainment overload.  This is one of those terrible dramas that you just cannot stop watching, because it's actually really entertaining.  Plus it's your perfect example of "good vs. evil" and you just really want to see the "good" family win and see the "bad" family left with nothing.

Mausam

There is so much stupidity in this show that the show itself reeks of brainlessness.  That said, it’s a show of chaos that you can’t take your eyes off of.  I find myself drawn in, week after week, to see what new nonsense will happen this week.  I definitely do watch the show in fast-forward motion though.  Each and every character has a different level of “stupid”:  Whether it be Haashir’s ridiculous reason for marrying Shazia, Saman’s doormat like behavior, Faisal’s playing two cousins……it’s all just terrible.  But of course, I will stick with it to the end, if only in hopes to see Shazia and Faisal “get theirs.”

Jaanam

A promising cast, a nice OST….I was really looking forward to this show.  However, the ridiculous scenario presented in the show is unpalettable.  I'd written about this show last week and my feelings and thoughts about it are the same.  For a modern, loving couple with good principles and a great relationship with their children, this situation is almost unrealistic for a cousin of Taseer to come in and not only shed suspicion on Taseer and Fiza's relationship, but to cause problems in their life, especially considering Fiza has mentioned over and over that she is uncomfortable with said cousin in the house.  Only 3 episodes so far, so I won't over-criticize.  But this one does rank low on my list.

Mehram

I think I’ve already written my thoughts on this show in a previous blog post, but I’ll rehash it again anyway.  Moammar Rana is the biggest drawback of this drama, once again playing a “young bachelor” when he looks nothing short of an uncle ji.  On the other end, Aisha Khan looks like the furthest thing from a young, eligible girl attracting a man with simply her eyes (what on earth?).  If anyone is aptly cast in this drama, it’s the actor playing Hamzah, who is probably the only one playing a character his age.  It HAS only been one episode though and Siraj Ul Haq does have nice stories in his dramas, so I’m still willing to give it a chance.

Bashar Momin  

I was initially very upset when Geo went off air during the ban and was happy when I found out it was back.  Looking back, I don’t know why.  I watched a small handful of Geo shows and they are all pretty bad, the top of the list being Bashar Momin.  This show is all glamour, no substance.  The situations here are so unrealistic and so ridiculous that I can’t even stomach it.  Bashar & Rudaba’s marriage, Buland and Tayyaba’s forthcoming marriage, Adil and Saira’s dysfunctional relationship and Adil’s weak personality…..all of it makes close to zero sense.  These are what you call “forced situations.”  These are situations that would never happen in real life and seem inspired by the Star Plus genre of dramas.  I am highly unimpressed and this show overall is nothing short of irritating.  But for some reaosn, I just can’t stop watching.

Bikhra Mera Naseeb

I have very little to say about this show.  It aired for only 6 episodes before going off air due to the Geo ban.  Since then, it has just started airing new episodes again.  That said, the storyline was seriously OTT to begin with and I found the show pretty irritating.  The only thing holding my interest was the potential pairing of Sami Khan and Aiza Khan, a pairing which I love.  Episode 7 was OK.  What I do find refreshing is that despite Hina (Aiza Khan) being a completely spoiled, rich brat, her parents are not shown being “maghroor” or pampering towards her personality…though Saba Qamar’s character looks like she will play a hand in Hina’s further negativity in the future.  Let’s see.  I’m not impressed.

Sadqay Tumharay

This show is set to start in October and with such a promising cast, a great creative head, director and production house, this is one of my most awaited shows for the Fall season!  =)

Goya
Likewise as Sadqay Tumharay, this show has everything "exciting" going for it!  Also scheduled to start airing in October, this show has been gathering steam for months now and already has a fan following waiting with baited breath!

Alright, that's it for now!  Some exciting shows, some not-so-exciting - but that's generally the nature of these write-ups.  Haha.  Enjoy these shows - the first half are definitely worth watching!  =)

Happy watching!

Jackson Heights - Episode 1 Review

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Every once in a while, a drama comes along that captures the interest of nearly everyone.  Jackson Heights falls into that category.  With Vasay Chaudhary behind the writing, Mehreen Jabbar directing and an ensemble cast including Marina Khan, Noman Ejaz, Adeel, Aamina Sheikh and Ali Kazmi, there's very little about this drama that could deter viewership.

Did episode 1 meet my incredibly high expectations.  YES!

The episode starts off showing that Salma (Aamina Sheikh) is in high demand at the waxing-threading parlor she works at.  From the get-go, you realize that this drama focuses on the "labor class" of immigrants rather than the "professional class."  Aamina Sheikh plays the part with sincerity.

We also bear witness to a group of Desi taxi drivers (Indian, Pakistani and Bengali) visiting Jackson Diner, a place owned by "Madam," (Marina Khan), a tough woman with strong principles.  This scene is clearly to show Marina Khan's character's attitude - very no nonsense with little sympathy to the plight of immigrants (probably due to her own struggles in life).

A great portion of the episode focuses on Imran Bhatti (Nauman Ejaz), a taxi driver working hard to support his family back home.  Not only are his scenes heart-warming and doused with mild depression, but also highly comedic due to his personality.  Nauman Ejaz is a complete natural in this role!

Michele "Madam" and the Indian Muslim Rizwan (Adnan Jaffar) are shown having a close friendship, one that Rizwan would like to take forward, but is unable to, due to the hesitation on Michele's part.  Again, we assume Michele's story will unravel with time.  These two actors have done a great job with their parts.

And last, but not least, we are introduced to Jamshed (Adeel), Imran's nephew.  Jamshed is nothing short of a dreamer with few goals in life.  The only thing on his mind is to go to America and make money - how that will happen, who knows?  Adeel plays the role of your stereotypical, typical dreamer who imagines the grass will be greener on the other side, not realizing how much of a struggle comes along with those dreams.

All these characters have come together to make the first episode of Jackson Heights incredibly interesting and a great mish-mash of different personalities.  I am thoroughly impressed!

That being said, I'm not claiming everything about this episode was perfect.  The age-old concept of "America bad, Desis living in America bad, the USA so cruel" is featured here as well.  Lines like "Pardes mein kaisi Eid?" managed to rub me the wrong way.  People who have been living in the USA, regardless of whether they're immigrants or the children of immigrants, have formed their own traditions, ways to celebrate occassions and so forth.  No one here is sitting around remembering Eid in Pakistan/India/Bangladesh and not celebrating here.  YES, there's no Eid like Eid with your family and loved ones, but Muslims in the USA still celebrate Eid AND have their own sense of community among the other Desis they meet.  I just really wanted to hit the nail on the head with that one.  It happens too often in Pakistani dramas (Aahista Aahista) and Bollywood (Aa Ab Laut Chalen) that Desis living in the US are either "kameenay" or super "Lachaar, ghareeb and bechaaray."  Let's give those stereotypes a rest.

Moving away from the complaint, I DID love that Imran Bhatti (Nauman Ejaz) so frustratingly tries to explain to his family that Jamshed should be studying and working a good job in Pakistan, rather than running to America with the notion that money grows on trees.  It really hit home, especially seeing how hard Imran himself was working to earn a living and complete the "Farmaishein" of his family back home.  Stories like these are the heartbreaking reality for some immigrants.

In closing, I really loved all the performances in this first episode, along with the direction and the dialogues.  Everything seemed very "real."  I'm expecting great things from this drama and so far, it's off to a great start!

If you aren't on this bandwagon, hop on now!  =)

Happy watching!