Underrated Drama Alert: Meri Beti on ARY

Samina Peerzada, Sabreen Hisbani and Arij Fatima come together in this drama, putting forth a great representation of different generations of actresses in the Pakistani television industry.  This drama is by Big Bang Entertainment, which is Fahad Mustafa's production house.  It's nice to see a prominent actor putting his talent in different baskets.

Meri Beti is 3 episodes in and has, so far, told an emotionally heart-wrenching story of a divorcee (Sabreen) with a young daughter, Iraj, who is living with her mother (Samina).  The mother wants her daughter to get remarried, which becomes increasingly unlikely with the mention of a daughter.  Samina emotionally blackmails her daughter into posing Iraj as her much younger sister and arranges Sabreen's marriage to a windower.

What is great about this drama is that there are no "negative" characters.  The audience may see Samina's actions as horrible, but she comes from a good place and just wants the happiness of her daughter.  She loves her granddaughter and is wiling to raise her on her own, posing as a late mother.  Sabreen's character brings you to tears, because she wants to do right by her own mother, but can't cope with leaving her daughter behind.  And the real star of this drama is the cutie pie Maryam who plays little Iraj.  It's rare that child stars are this talented and this adorable, but this little girl has won my heart.  She's a star.

I'd recommend this drama.  So far, it's interesting and fast-paced.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Directed by: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Starring: Farhan Akhtar, Divya Dutta, Sonam Kapoor

Released: 2013

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

A biopic and a sportsfilm – two genres that do not count among my favourites. Yet Bhaag Milkha Bhaag crosses the borders of both and becomes, above all else, a complete emotional ride – without a trace of emotional blackmail that often plagues biopics (and Bollywood movies in general). Based on the life of famous Indian athlete Milkha Singh the movie tells a story of much more than just amazing achievements in sport. It is, in its heart, a story of a person, of a character development and growth, that is influenced by trying times, big challenges and inner conflicts.

Touching on India/Pakistna partition, an issue quite sensitive even today, even drawing from it as the foundation stone of the whole plot, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag manages not to feel political at all (not to me at least). The struggle and tragedy which we learn about as the film progresses, is of a very deep personal nature. There is no propaganda for either side, just an attempt to convey the harsh reality of the time and event, a reality that thousands and millions have not yet made peace with. Milkha in the film doesn´t hold a grudge. He holds a pain. Some may think I cannot have emotional connection (being neither Indian nor Pakistani) with the story, but frankly a family being drawn away from their homes and even murdered is a concept that, unfortunately, my own country and even relatives are familiar with. Horrors brought upon population because of big political decisions, no matter whose and for what, are a daily occurrence since the dawn of time. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is not putting blame, is not pointing fingers. Tragedy simply happens because of circumstances of its time, and the film is not about taking a revenge, but about facing the past – and ultimately forgiving and moving on.

Farhan Akhtar was really good and he deserves all the praise for all the immensely HARD work he put into the role. It is definitely his best so far and may be also the one with which he will go down to history. There was not a single second in which he wouldn´t be thoroughly believable. He owns the movie. As a case of exception confirming the rule the child actor playing young Milkha was extremely good too, carrying some of the most important scenes on his shoulders and breaking your heart. Divya Dutta as his doting, devoted elder sister is also perfect. Their on-screen relationship is by far the most intense and moving one. Sonam Kapoor may be the most „starry“ name among the cast, her screentime is extremely limited though. Being associated with the film still helped her position in the industry, previously rather questionable. She is back on the map for now and hopefully will continue to do good work. As a simple village girl Biro she is really sweet and looks very pretty, She is so easy to look at one doesn´t want her to open her mouth and ruin the effect, but to be fair she did well overal in this. Her bits and the ending are the best parts of the movie in fact.

If there is a flaw, then it is only a teensee complaint that it is too damn long. If it was at least 30 minutes shorter it would be more gripping. Then again when I think about it, I cannot really think of any scene as useless, waste of time, and if I was handed the editorial scissors I would end up in a complete dilemma. Everything has its place in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, everything seems essential to the story and character development. Perhaps the songs could have been done without, or be only incorporated into the background – the one in Australian bar was actually kinda awkward. So basically I was a bit bored during the first hour, but cannot think of much the film could have done without.

The story of „the Flying Sikh“ is inspiring both on professional and personal level. Sometimes facing ones pain is much harder then breaking records. But it should be done.  Because without forgiving there can be no healing.

Policegiri

Directed by: K. S. Ravikumar

Starring: Sanjay Dutt, Prachi Desai, Prakash Raj

Released: 2013

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

This film is just absurd.

I am not even going to try to describe the story, because Vigil Idiot has done that in his absolutely hilarious and painfully honest way HERE.

Yes, Sanjay Dutt is a kind of a man who looks convincing as a macho policeman with ability to beat the goondas on his own and not even break into a sweat while doing it. However I´ve had enough of films with Dabangg hang-over and the presentation of the main character in this is completely boring, in spite of unending explosions and dramatic shots to show us that SANJU IZ DA SUPAHMAAAAN. Like geez! Move on, we get it!!! Not only he is unstoppable and un-destroyable, but even his bloody CAR doesn´t get a scratch when it crashes down an iron gate.... Hell yeah! Watta ride!!!! Except The whole character of DCP Rudra made no sense. A policeman who lets the criminals do whatever they want "as long as they don´t harass or harm public"? WTF? Does not every crime harass or harm someone?

At the same time we are given a Sanjay Dutt breaking into a dream-sequence song while trying to pull off some Shahrukh-ness with some unconvincing CGI projection of mountains and waterfalls in the background and with voice that is painfully apparently not his. And lovely to watch, but annoying to listen to Prachi Desai (I would say "who deserves better", but every actress would deserve better than this) being head over heels with him. A word has not yet been invented to describe how incredibly they look together. At times it feels pedophilic. Either they should have abandoned the "romantic" part altogether and make Prachi his sister (if making her his daughter would make him look "old") or they should have searched for some actress closer to his age and desperate enough to be a part of this rubbish.

Excuse me while I go and throw up.

Prakash Raj has lost his touch it would seem. He has become a caricature of himself on the screen. That his villain is at the same time trying for some comic relief makes it all the more confusing and difficult to imagine he might actually be dangerous. The whole comic side-track thing (with Prachi´s potential beau) is really something that cinema has moved on from and while it belongs to the films of the past, it feels extremely regressive today. Not to mention - it is not funny.

All there is to dialogues are several un-endingly repeated punch lines that are not punchy, rest of the time the characters are threatening each other. Blah blah blah blah..... it´s like listening to a broken record. Villain to hero, hero to villain, they just repeat the same things to one another. I really hope that script writer asked for just half the cash, because he obviously did just half the work. And frankly for a pearl like „You have the voice like Osama, I have the power like Obama“ they didn´t deserve two rotis even..... The only good line from the whole film, one that actually had me laughing, was uttered at the beginning. "Beauty is in the eye of a beer holder!" Goes down to my book of favourite quotes. Question is: is it original?

I just hope that while in jail Sanjay Dutt will have enough time to think of his terrible film choices and when he comes out he will be back to making classics like Munnabhai or at least films that would be bearable.

Adhoori Aurat - Satisfying Ending? Not Exactly.....

As a whole, this drama was infuriating, frustrating and just downright irritating.  I longed to see Maryam slap Zayan across the face several times.  I longed to see Zayan's sister and mother drown in the ocean for their bad deeds.  I longed to see Faiza suffer incredibly.  This was what held me down to watching this drama:  I needed to see retribution!

Unfortunately, only one of the above happened.  Faiza did end up suffering, due to her child's illness and an unhappy marriage.  However, everyone else got off so easy!

I have mixed feelings about the ending, because I think the audience straight-up agreed with Maryam that she suffered a lot to raise Arshiya.  She lost her father, her brother, her mother and sent her sister off with her husband before preparing to handle the heavy task of raising Arshiya alone (OK, fine, along with Ajji).  She found a job and worked hard to raise her daughter, even if that meant sacrificing precious time with her daughter.  She suffered a lot in her marriage and it took real strength to break away from that horrific situation and take control of her life (and her right to her daughter).  

On the other hand, you have Zayan who was a Mama's boy throughout, listened only to his mother and sister grip about his (angelic) wife, was not there for Maryam during her fight against cancer, but rather was cheating on her with the MAID - and let's NOT forget that he was ALSO ragingly flirting with Faiza....who he then married while Maryam was in the hospital, having a serious procedure.  WHAT. A. PRIZE.

Don't get me started on that horrible mother and sister duo.  Despite the years of torture that Faiza put them through, not allowing Afshan to see her son and turning Afshan's husband against her, Afshan still hasn't learned her lesson.  Same goes for bechaari "Ammi jaan," who sits and moans in bed all day, but simply can't rid herself of her scheming, evil habits.  I guess the saying is true that a leopard can't change its spots.  There was never any display of their mourning their actions either, which made me pretty irritated.

The "wrap up" for this drama was as such:  Faiza comes home to see Arshiya with Ammi Jaan.  She's unhappy with this situation, so when she sees Arshiya and Zayan sitting together, she proceeds to yell at Arshiya all of her father's misdeeds towards Maryam (thank God SOMEONE did this!), including his affair with the servant.  Fabulous confrontational scene and I couldn't hold back from applauding, especially when Arshiya left the house in anger.  Good.

But from there on, it turned into a big fat what?  Suddenly, Zayan goes to Maryam to ask for forgiveness and repent.  Maryam......FORGIVES HIM?  Not only does she forgive him, but she sits Arshiya down with him and proceeds to allow them to bond.  .......The end?

I don't know what I expected from the ending.  I really don't.  But that probably wasn't it.  I expected Zayan to get a lifelong quota of suffering rather than this neatly packaged forgiveness that Maryam and Arshiya both gave him.  "He's her father."  So?  Rather, Maryam should have gotten remarried to give Arshiya the proper  role model she deserves, not this intensely flawed, unashamed man who even blames and divorces his second wife for all his troubles.  No, sir.  However messed up Faiza was, the only person responsible for your actions is YOU.

All in all, Adhoori Aurat was an excruciatingly painful viewing experience, because your heart cries for Maryam and in the end, she still doesn't get the true happiness she deserved.  Let's put this one to rest.

Aasmanon Pe Likha

First off, I'm going to apologize for not writing regular reviews over the last few days.  Eid definitely threw me off - #1, because I was busy, but ALSO because I was under the impression that most shows were not being shown this week, namely because Kankar was not shown, therefore forgetting about Kabhi Kabhi, Meri Zindagi Hai Tu and Numm.  So I have NOT seen these shows yet, but we'll play catch up.  :)

Because I recently moved to a new city away from loved ones and was unable to visit, Eid was slightly uneventful this time around.  Therefore, I finally had a chance to catch up on Aasmanon Pe Likha.  The last time I watched this show (completed episode 2), I was unimpressed and left wondering why I was even watching this show.  I hated Qudsia's in-laws and really wanted to pull out my hair and slap Qudsia's parents for putting her (and themselves) through this horrible ordeal called her "shaadi."

Obviously since I'm now writing about it, my opinion has changed.  Episode 3, 4 and 5 made for a very interesting viewing experience.  YES, I will definitely say that the characters in this show are over-the-top.  There are some situations that make you LAUGH OUT LOUD due to the insanity, but also the reactions of the characters.

Sajal & Sheharyar Munawar are doing a really good job.  I'm glad the character of Qudsia isn't necessarily a doormat.  She's silent, because she's uncomfortable, but I like how she openly says what she needs to when talking to Aaliyan.  This is what makes the show different from others.

I have to mention that the actress who plays Natasha is God-AWFUL.  I really can't stand her and it makes the entire viewing experience a little aggravating, because you can't sympathize with her.  Also, Aaliyan's over-the-top parents, especially his crazy father, deserve special mention.....for being unlikable.

All of this aside, this show is really entertaining and I'm enjoying it!  I'd recommend it.  Happy watching!

Nagina

Directed by: Harmesh Malhotra

Starring: Rishi Kapoor, Sridevi, Amrish Puri, Prem Chopra

Released: 1986

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

I HATE snakes. And this movie reminded me why. They are quick, noiseless and the way they move freaks me out. Usually I cannot even stand the sight of them. But I´m willing to watch this film again and again! Yes, it is good, one of the actual classics among the 80s pile of average crap. And let´s not play games: it is so because of Sridevi and Amrish Puri. While the movies would still be good with Jayapradha, the original choice for the film, Sridevi gave it something special and to be honest I think this is my favourite performance of hers. But more on that later.

Sweater-wala Rajeev (Rishi) returns home from abroad after 15 years, to his loving mother (who probably had him when she was 11) in India ready to take over family business, till now managed by an unusually friendly Prem Chopra, who is hoping that in return for a good service Rajeev would marry his beloved daughter. It may all have just gone according to plan, but „Raju“ falls in love with a mysterious young woman he encounters in the misty-veiled ruins of an ancient mahal. Rajni (Sridevi) introduces herself as a poor orphan, and Raju is happy enough to accept that and prance around the trees with her. But breaking manager daughter´s heart may just yet prove costly....

Nagina starts as a typical romance against all odds movie, but as it progresses it turns more to an action and family drama (with saas-bahu conflict) with distinct horror features. Those are rather subtle – for Bollywood at least - which makes them all the more effective. It is a great reminder that you don´t need super computer effects to create an illusion of supernatural and mysterious being real. From the haunting hide-and-seek song in the ruins of an old building to ever-present snakes following the protagonists everywhere, it gives hints but is never „in your face“. It is not predictable – another considerable plus.

Rishi Kapoor was already beginning to look very much out of shape at the time. There can be no questioning his acting abilities, but as a jawaan chokra for whom the girls are vying for after one glance he was not suitable anymore. Though yes, the charm he excludes makes his pairing with Sridevi quite nice (something which cannot be said for any actress younger than her, whom he romanced in the decade that followed). His character is not too endearing either. Raju comes off as somebody who cannot deal with anything himself and is constantly in need of help and guidance, be it from the manager, his mother of Rajni. He is actually just a pawn moving from one stronger persona to the next.

The film belongs to Sridevi, as I have already mentioned. Though dubbed by someone else in several scenes, she did just absolutely wonderful in the role. The highlight has to be her interaction with Amrish Puri. The fierceness she projects while threatening him can only be matched by his own thundering dialogues of the dark and the supernatural. Indeed, it is these two performers who steal the show and others just do not match. The legendary Main Teri Dushman dance number is a crowning jewel of Sridevi´s performance – and film. A song that actually sounds rather unpleasant was made into a fabulous spectacle by the dancer and choreographer (it is, to my knowledge, the song that put Saroj Khan on the map.)

One thing I could have done without was the (un)neccesary comic track. Apart from the usual loud people who talk but don´t think it was full of fat people and nasty wives jokes, that everyone in the film seemed to find hilarious, while I kept rolling my eyes and cringe. Ironically the funniest moment has to be the very end: „they lived happily ever after“ title plastered over an image of Raju sobbing over his mother´s corpse was just too unexpected and too much of a temptation for the cynic in me.

Drama Flashback: Maseeha (2012)

There are some dramas that you love instantly.  You can't wait to watch each episode.  You are amazed at the complex characters or the realistic characters.  You can relate to this drama completely OR you can't relate to it at all (which makes it more fun).  There are three aspects that are most important to a successful drama:  the writer, the actors and the director.  The job of the screenplay writer is to build characters that are lovable OR detestable, give them a solid background so the audience understands them and to put these characters in situations that intrigue the viewer.  The job of the actors is to put forth their best effort, playing their characters to the best of their ability.  And the job of a director is to mold the screenplay and the characters into one concise package that is well presented and entertaining.

When only one of these aspects has done their job to the best of their ability, the drama falls flat on its face.  That's what has happened with Maseeha.  The actors, namely Ayesha Khan, Affan Waheed and Nauman Masood, have put forth their best effort, drawing the viewer to their characters.  But how far can they take a show when their characters no longer make sense?  If I, as a viewer, suddenly find myself saying "WHAT?  Why did that just happen?" then what is the point of watching a show?  Despite the shortcomings, I continued watching this drama due to my love for Affan Waheed.  What a mistake.  This show was a brain-screw in all aspects.

The direction was all over the place.  At times, I felt like I was watching the same episode over and over again.  The character of "Basit" could have been a really powerful one with a strong impact, but instead, he tethered on the line of "scary" and "moron."  His actions, at times, made absolutely no sense (especially in the later episodes).  Most of the characters in this drama did complete 180s in relation to their characters.  A brat one second - the next, the perfect daughter in law.  A sincere young man with morals - the next, a skeezy man with no morals.  What on EARTH?

With that, let's come to performances.  Nauman Masood did an amazing job with his nonsensical character.  Regardless of all the flaws in the script, he gave it his all.  Ayesha Khan was good in her role - you felt for her and related to her.  That said, the weird flip-flop in her character after 3 episodes made no sense.  What happened to being a brat?  Affan Waheed was great in the first half.  He's obviously one of my favorites.  But once his character disappears (and also does a 180), we not only don't see him much, we don't get ANY justification for his actions.  It didn't make any sense.

I also would like to say that the title of this drama "Maseeha"......it doesn't work.  Why?  Because the way the story has been shot just doesn't bring out that kind of a vibe.  We don't even find out WHO the Maseeha is for......FOREVER?  The "Maseeha" is revealed literally in the last two episodes.  And he doesn't even make sense in the story.  Absolutely RIDICULOUS.

Anyways.  This drama had potential, but unfortunately, it fell flat on its face.

Eid Mubarak!!

Eid mubarak, everyone!  =)  Hope everyone is having a great day with their family and friends!  There are very few days I love as much as I love Eid!  It's a quiet one for me (and my husband) in a new city, away from my family and friends.  Trying to make the most of it and keep the Eid spirit alive.  Considering making kheer.....

Dramas can wait until tomorrow.  =D

Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday In One!

This is just a quick jotting down of my thoughts on the shows I've watched so far this week!

Halki Si Khalish - Episode 15 : How quickly Shehzad Sheikh's character (I can't remember his name) went from sweet but immature to complete and utter JERK!  WOWZA.  We don't like the cute, criminally insane child anymore.  No thank you.

Qarz - Episode 15:  Oh Goddddd.  Make it stopppppp.  Please, just make it stopppp.  Some dramas are destined to have a short run.  This is one of them.  Only 15 episodes and I feel like I've been watching this show for a YEAR.  There's so LITTLE story left that they're just DRAGGING the issue of Aiza's marriage.  Sufiyan randomly suspecting her because of crazy Bhabi makes NO sense.  Aiza pretending like she has a boyfriend because Sufiyan should trust her (WTH?) makes NO sense.  Nothing makes sense.  Give this show a cheezy, happy ending and wrap it up.  GOOD GRIEF.......That said, I actually do look forward to this show every week.  God help me, I don't know why.

Adhoori Aurat - Episode 25:  Stop dragging.  End this madness.  Also, it's pretty HILARIOUS (and that's sarcasm, of course) that after EVERYTHING Nusrat and Afshan have been through because of Faiza's evil behavior, they're still.......EVIL?  The plotting display put on by these two to brainwash Arshiya in episode 25 was INCREDULOUS.  I could not believe it.  No change.  14 years later and these women haven't learned a damn thing.  Brilliant.  That entire family is nuts.  And you know who is the NUTTIEST?  That would be Maryam herself.  If you want to be a strong, independent woman rid of your past, how about you actually TELL your daughter what really happened?  Perfect.  Now she's been set up for the ultimate brain-washing against you.  Good job, Maryam.  There's something called honestly.  Try it.

Saari Bhool Humari Thi - Episode 15 & 16:  Yeah buddy!  Finally!  Get lost Subhan and now let's focus on Abrar and Areesha!  Haha, sorry to Danish Taimoor fans.  I love him too.  Unfortunately, he's playing the villain in this one and I've waited TOO long for the focus to shift onto Affan Waheed.  Now hopefully he'll actually get some screen time!  Episode 15 was a good head in the right direction with Subhan marrying his boss' daughter and moving.  Episode 16 was EXCELLENT.  This was the moment I was waiting for the entire time - for Areesha to mourn Subhan and then set out for revenge!  I cannot WAIT until next week when we see her taking back all her property.  I assume Khala will get her married to Abrar to save her from Nauman Bhai.  Let's hope........!

Mujhe Khuda Pe Yakeen Hai - Episode 9:  FINALLY, we find out what the big "raaz" is and what happened on the WORST NIGHT of Arham's life.  Alright.  So......incredible acting from Ahsan Khan in this episode.  Really.  He's proven himself ten times over.  This was a must-watch episode.  There are some issues I have with this show - we see Shakeel going apey over Arham shaving his beard.  This whole thing came off as super hypocritcal to me, unfortunately.  This man and woman have THREE children - not one....THREE.  One is Mr. "I'm modern from Amreeka" and the daughter is your normal, let's be fashionable, typical Pakistani girl.  So why did they pick and choose this ONE child to pass religion on to?  And then when he acts like the other two, rip him and his "Imaan" to shreds?  SO WARPED.  Anyways, that's a big peeve with me when I watch this show, but maybe that's just me.  SECOND.....that HORRIBLE night could've been so easily cleared up if the servant's daughter would've opened her mouth and SAID how she got into that room, how she got onto the bed, how she fell asleep and WHY she randomly woke up and came OUT of the room at that time?  Also, if Arham is saying it's all JHOOT, then WAS he in the same room?  If so, WHAT was he doing in there?  When did he notice she was in there?  OR was she NOT in there?  WHY didn't these two open their mouths?  And who on earth raped that girl?  She woke up......and didn't realize she'd had intercourse?  Really confusing....But good episode.

Darmiyan - Episode 9:  Aleena (Syra Yousuf) pouring salt into food and ruining it.  Aleena burning food and ruining it.  Aleena standing in a corner smiling creepily at Raheel (Adnan Siddiqui).  Aleena standing in front of Nida's face and smiling creepily at Raheel.  Does anything else ever happen on this show?  We're slowing down into repetitive boredom......

Khoya Khoya Chand - Episode 8:  Can Beena get a grip already?  I get the sinking feeling that in the next few episodes, this drama is going to take a very sour turn towards Ahmereen and Farooq being married and happy.....and Beena will then have to face this HORRIBLE outcome of her behavior towards Aarib!  We're already seeing Aarib getting flustered by Beena's distant behavior and now his parents are slowly turning against her as well.  She won't have much left if she keeps this up - and considering next week, Aarib overhears Farooq and Beena's conversation.....I am expecting fireworks!  This show continues to move in a good direction, but the character of Beena needs to wisen up before she loses everything.  How can a person sulk THAT much about a past love that she can't even communicate properly with her family and husband?  It's frustrating.  And Beena & Ahmereen's mother needs to mind her own business.  Easily my least favorite character at the moment.

Aunn Zara - Episode 17:  WHAT. THE. HELL. AUNN!!!  This is becoming so painful to watch!  Aunn's plan has worked and HOW.  Everyone is miserable and everyone hates Zara!  This is the pits!!!  I can't wait for Zara's friend to spill the beans next week and wake Zara up to this nightmare plan of her husband's.  *sigh*  Another week of waiting!  But yes, I am hooked.  This show is all sorts of amazing.

Alright!  That's all for now!  Happy watching!  =)

Drama Flashback: Mastana Mahi

Writing an out-and-out review for this is going to be hard for me, because I can't hold on to one constrained thought - it's all fleeting.  So instead, I'm just going to jot some thoughts down about this drama overall.

I started this drama back in November of 2011.  It's been a long time.  I made it into episode two and then, for some reason, I never had the time to finish it.  Yesterday, I picked it up again and stayed up late into the night (until 4:00 AM to be exact) and finished it.  Overall, I was hooked.

When the drama starts off, Aleena (Mehreen Raheel) meets a young photographer Adil (Fahad Mustafa) while out with her elderly boyfriend Mike (Imran Aslam).  The scenario is unusual but the character of Aleena has been so well-developed that it makes sense (especially when you hear it from her parents' mouth).  Sure, you feel she's being foolish, because who would fall in love with an old zombie like "Mike" without any real personality?  But that aside, they seem to have an OK relationship.

From there onwards, the relationship between Aleena and Adil is developed - and so NATURALLY so!  From the first second, the chemistry between Fahad and Mehreen is in your face.  You believe that they are friends, slowly getting to know each other, sharing feelings and secrets, gradually falling in love.  Adil is Aleena's biggest supporter and accepts her (and helps her) for who she is.  Their friendship is endearing, which makes you root for them.  Adil helps Aleena achieve her goal of marrying Mike.

Adil takes a week-long trip to Pakistan, where it's revealed that he comes from a political family and is expected to be a politician.  At a rally, the men of the family are killed barring Adil.  Adil is asked to take over the position, which includes marrying Sohai, a young 10 year old child.  Horrified by the turn of events, Adil takes off to Europe again for a month.

Here, he meets Aleena again, now broken and hurt from her divorce.  Their friendship is rekindled and grows into much more.  But how will they face Adil's present situation?

Performances

Fahad Mustafa as Adil was good.  He was so light-hearted, loving and really a great partner as Adil.  His inner-turmoil with his obligations was presented so well by Fahad.

Mehreen Raheel as Aleena was the heart and soul of this show.  You felt for her.  Her growth from young girl to divorcee to supportive wife and then to jealous wife was so natural.  You believed it.  And even in her weakest, worst moments, you were still rooting for her.

Sajjal Ali as Sohai:  Half baked, weak and really annoying character.  There were moments where I wished I could reach into my screen and slap her.  This character was poorly written.  She didn't make any sense.  It was like something out of an Ekta Kapoor show.

Pros:

*  So many beautiful scenes between Fahad Mustafa & Mehreen Raheel.  You believed in their love.
*  AMAZING chemistry between Fahad & Mehreen.  The scene when he sleeps in her bed after his rukhsati night was really powerful.
*  Gorgeous locations in the first half.

Cons:
*  What on earth was the need of that entire track with the hotel, Julie and the prostitute?  It was so completely useless and "filler."  Who would've thought a 16 episode drama would be capable of having filler episodes?

*  Sohai is depicted as this angelic, sweet girl and is always trying to "do right," especially in the last few episodes.  This is a case of terrible writing, because this girl was EVIL in the first few days of her rukhsati when her crazy friend filled her head with ideas against Aleena and told her to demand her "haq."  Up until that point, Aleena was suffering, but still holding it together and trying to do the right thing.  This girl OPENLY challenged Aleena's position in the house and then pretended as if everything was her fault.  In "Women War" lingo, this witch brought it on!

*  What was with Adil randomly stealing looks at Sohai and then agreeing to the marriage?  It was so......seedy and perverted.  It almost killed me inside, because does that mean men can't be loyal to their wives?  I don't know what it was about that whole situation that bothered me so much.

*  The scene where Adil finds out about Aleena's motives, slaps her and then throws these horrible taunts about Mike in her direction - given, he didn't lie, but to hear stuff like that out of the mouth of the person you love.....LOW BLOW.

*  The scene when Aleena says she's leaving.....this whole sequence bothered me a LOT.  It really diminished Adil & Aleena's love.  Adil had almost no reaction and put down the phone  Sohai was ultimately the one who stopped her (with.....social work?  WTH?) and THEN Adil stepped in again.  What made it worse was that while he was hugging her, he was staring at Sohai.  EW.  Messed up!!!

Ending Verdict

I think the chemistry and love story between Fahad & Mehreen's characters made this show worth a watch.  Everything else kind of ate away at the story.  It's worth watching in boredom, I guess.

Numm: Episode 6 & 7

Yes, I played a little something I like to call "fast-forward catch-up" on the episodes I was behind on.  It's rare for me to fall behind on current dramas, because I watch 2-3 a day in order to keep up.  However....."Numm" is a special case.

This drama is so redundant and so boring and so repetitive that I just can't help falling behind.  Because let's just be honest:  Who wants to put themselves through 30 minutes of this voluntarily?  

God help me, if I were not a loyal Fawad Khan fan since 2003, I would not continue putting myself through this.  But who am I kidding?  I watched that horrendous "Ashk" from beginning to end as well.  I'll have to endure this one as well.  Alright!  So let's begin!

Episode 6

50% of the episode saw Mehjabeen walking in misery, lying on her bed in misery, staring at herself in the mirror in misery.  And any scene that involved anyone other than Mehjabeen was simply not an important scene.  Heck, even Mehjabeen's scenes were not important scenes.  With the exception of hearing that beautiful OST, I don't think this episode contributed anything of value to the storyline.

So basically, in episode 6, we saw Mehjabeen doing a whole lot of this:

And Wali doing a lot of this:

And Neelum doing a lot of this:

You know.  The usual.

Episode 7 

The important updates:  Mehjabeen got sick.  Wali suddenly remembered to act like a human being and took care of her.  Neelum is back at school and apparently now willing to make her marriage work.

More important than the important updates:  This show is still as boring as dirt and as zany as ravers on ecstasy.  Neither one of those analogies were heading towards paying this show a compliment.  The craziness makes me feel as though I need to check myself into an institution and the slow pace, brooding dialogues and dark cinematography make me want to take a nap.  This is not a good combination.

Add Kanza Wayne's terrifying acting into the mix and I must look like a deranged maniac after viewing with the amount of frying she puts my brain through.  I don't understand who did the casting for the show....or why they thought this would be a good show at all.....

Anyways.  Clearly this drama is not high on my "recommended" list.  I'm not even sure why I'm watching this.  Oh wait.  Yes, I do.  Fawad.  I blame Fawad for this.  

Late in the Game - Reviewing "Uraan"

Every once in a while, a drama comes along that touches you down to your very core.  "Uraan" is one such drama.  Despite my large bulk of dramas I'm watching lately, I've been searching for "the" show with the power of Humsafar, Maat, Dastaan, Durr-e-Shahwar, Daam, etc.  Nothing has managed to create that strong of an impact on me lately, the last one being "Durr-e-Shahwar."

I had free time, so on the recommendation of a fellow Tumblr blogger, I downloaded and watched "Uraan."  I can't believe I overlooked this drama for so long.  To say this show was powerful would be an understatement.

The story focuses on the lives of three women who come from different professional backgrounds.  However, these woman come together to face the one shocking thing they have in common.  I won't ruin the storyline any more than that for those who haven't watched it, but I will say that the storyline is about domestic violence presented in different ways.

What's the best thing about this drama?  It's realistic.   It deals with people from middle to upper class families.  I could actually relate to this drama, because I could see anyone I know fall into the role of Aisha, Savera or Sana.  This was a drama based on the educated class.

There weren't any over-the-top characters in this drama.  There weren't any over-the-top situations in this drama.  Every person could be your next door neighbor and every situation could happen to anyone.  That's what made this drama so powerful.

I have to give special mention to the performances.  Starting with the main 4 leads:  Saba Qamar as Aisha was perfect in her role - innocent, meek, unable to realize that she needed to stand up for herself.  She didn't realize how to deal with her situation.  You felt for her.  Zhalay Sarhadi as Sawera was perfect.  She was strong, vocal, carefree and knew her worth.  That didn't make her situation any easier, as she was presented with different obstacles.  You wanted to be her friend.  Aamina Sheikh as Sana was probably the "strongest" character, the one who fought taboo topics head-on and dealt with society's hypocrisy without batting an eyelash.  But at her core, she was hurt by her own broken family and landed into her own trap of being a victim.  This trio makes up the very heart and soul of this drama.  These girls aside, Hamayun Saeed as Dr. Faraz is spellbinding.  You can see how charming and terrifying he is all at once, while seeing the injured child inside.  This is one of his best performances, hands-down.

The actors who played Sawera's brother and bhabi deserve notice - their storyline of how a good marriage needs work was an important story to show and they effectively played their characters and the misunderstandings in their marriage in a way that any couple could relate to.  Hina Khawaja Bayat is impeccable as Sana's mother, graceful, modern, confident and yet carrying her own burden.  And Shamim Hilali, last but definitely not least, deserves a standing ovation as not only the mother, but also the mother-in-law from hell.  This woman played the realistic face of society.  No one shows their inner demons to the world and can come off as sweet, social and all-around great human beings.  It's only when you get to know a person that you see what their true nature is.

Some scenes were truly notable, regardless of how subtle.

• The scene when Aisha gets Sawera and Faraz's wedding pictures.  The pain in Aisha/Saba's eyes was heart-wrenching.
• When Dr. Saira's real nature is revealed after the 2nd episode.  It was shocking to see the double-face.
• Sana's mother's reaction when Zubair came to apologize to her after 20 years.  This scene brought me to tears, because the emotions were so genuine.
• The scene when Aisha's father asks his younger daughter's to-be-in-laws to put off the wedding until she completes her education.  I had tears of happiness in my eyes after this scene, because it truly showed what he learned from Aisha's experience and that he learned from it.
• The scene when Sawera finds the voodoo dolls.  I think the viewer gets as shocked as she does!

I have to say, it was refreshing to see that all three female characters had such incredibly supportive families.  Without the support of her family, a girl has to face a lot.  But this showed that these girls had strength regardless of their situations, because they had their family's support.  This is in stark contrast to Umera Ahmed's current drama on a similar situation, Kankar.

I also have to give this drama credit for NOT moving in circles.  The drama is clear and to the point.  The proceedings happen in a timely fashion and there aren't any "filler" episodes.  Also, the female characters are smart, which is a great change.  There aren't any moments where you think "What's wrong with this girl?" which has become so common in dramas.  The actions of each character make sense. 

Also, the ending was perfect in every way.

In closing, I think this drama deserves to go down on the list of all-time classics in Pakistan.  It sends out a great message to Pakistani society about how to treat your daughters, wives and loved ones. 

Wonky Wednesday - A Whole Lot of Icky

My Wednesday schedule is fairly light with only "Sari Bhool Humari Thi" and "Darmiyan" on my watch list.  I have to make it clear that these are two of my favorite shows currently on air and I wait all week for Wednesday to arrive (though not as much as Thursday!), so I can see these two episodes.  But this week was some kind of....it can only be described as icky.

Sari Bhool Humari Thi - Episode 13

Let the games begin.  The plot is finally getting murkier.  So now we realize that Subhan's family is not only "laalchi" (greedy), they also seem to possess a complete and utter lack of morals and decency.  Subhan overhears Nauman Bhai talking about his upcoming "marriage" to Areesha and confronts him - thus erupts this amazingly ridiculous fight where the initially "good boy" Subhan chides Nauman Bhai on his indecent behavior and lack of shame.  Of course, when the fight gets heavier, it ends with both brothers declaring their real intentions.  What is that?  Oh OF COURSE.  Areesha's MONIESSSSS.  But Subhan already emptied out Areesha's bank account!  Oh yaar, what's her mother's HOUSE for?  You know, it's not like she could ever need that in the future or anything.  How silly!  So of course Areesha and Subhan get into their usual fight, only this time, Subhan thinks Areesha has been leading Nauman Bhai on for him to think this way.  So what does our amazing Areesha do?  How else can she prove her love?  She already stole a necklace for Subhan.  The next blunder was just waiting for Subhan to ASK:  Well, if you haven't guessed it already, the PERFECT price for LOVE is signing over her mother's house in his name!  How romantic.  Unless you're Subhan and you're really just trying to find a way to stick it to Nauman Bhai.  This was really.....well.....icky.

The icing on top of the cake in today's episode was that there was only one scene with Abrar in it, which consisted of Areesha and Subhan arguing in front of him....I'm pretty sure the only line he uttered was "Kya hua?" before he was left bewildered, standing in his room alone again.  Fabulous.

On the other hand, I AM looking forward to tomorrow's episode, if only to see the incredible dhoka Subhan is going to throw at Areesha.

Darmiyan - Episode 8

So what did we learn in today's episode, class?  Well, we have Nida, who is the perfect wife, daughter-in-law, mother, friend, boss....you name it.  We love Nida.  What's not to love?  We also have Raheel, who is the best husband (albeit a little forgetful of anniversaries), best father, best son, a hard worker....you name it.  What a great guy!  We'll even cut him some slack for being a shakki fiance to Farishtay.  OK, it's still pretty bad, but he has clearly cleaned up his life nicely.  We have cute kids and Raheel's sweet mother thrown into the mix.  Who doesn't love a nice, loving family?  Who?  WHO?  I'll tell you who:  Aaliyah.

Yes, we have Aaliyah who absolutely does not love Nida, Raheel, the kids or Ammi Jaan.  Aaliyah wants revenge.  Revenge is sweet.  But in Aaliyah's case, revenge is also....yup....here comes that word again......icky.  REVENGE IS ICKY.  I wasn't really aware of what Aaliyah's intentions were until the last episode where a sinking feeling began to seep in.  With episode 8, that sinking feeling turned into skin crawling.  The fact that the family is oblivious to Aaliyah's weird stares towards Raheel, cute smirks when everyone else looks shocked and forced excuses to touch Raheel is actually mind-boggling and infuriating.

At this point, Raheel is furious....but at what point will he break and will this turn into an affair?  I'm not sure.  All I know is that he was engaged to Farishtay before and is the man Farishtay still loves, so he's Aaliyah's almost-brother-in-law.  EW.  EW, Aaliyah, stop this!  Obviously, she will not, so we will all have to continue watching in horror and, I won't even lie, complete interest.

That's all for today!  Happy watching!  =)

Rude Shock - Namak Parey

Of course, it was a horrifying experience for me when I decided it was time to catch up on "Namak Parey," which I'd fallen behind on.  What horror it was when I saw Sana Askari sitting pretty (or not) in Urwa's place, screeching "Mitthoo!"

For those who don't know, Sana Askari is like repellent for me - if you don't want me to watch a show, please put Sana Askari in it.  Sometimes I "bardaasht" the allergy for the sake of the greater good (Re: Kabhi Kabhi, where she plays a side role), but having Sana Askari front and center?  NO THANK YOU!

RIP Namak Parey (at least for me).  You were fun while you had Urwa Hocane.  You're annoying now that you've replaced her with Sana Askari.  Too bad, because I really love Ahmed Zaib.  *sigh*

Also, what was with that weird "Pathan" joke in the beginning of episode 16?  Seriously?  Is this a "united" Pakistan?

Can we bring back Coke Kahani Season 2 now?