Tag: ary digital

  • PEMRA directs ARY to review ‘Jalan’s’ content after multiple complaints

    PEMRA directs ARY to review ‘Jalan’s’ content after multiple complaints

    The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has directed ARY Digital and the makers of Jalan to review its content and script and modify it in accordance with Pakistani values.

    In a press release, the media regulatory body said that it has been getting multiple complaints regarding the drama, its content and script through the Pakistan Citizens Portal, PEMRA social media accounts, and PEMRA call centres. It added that the content of the drama, especially the main storyline, is being strongly criticised by audiences on social media.

    “Audiences have strongly criticised the drama saying that it has made a mockery of sacred relationships,” said the press release.

    Jalan is about two sisters Nisha (Minal Khan) and Misha (Areeba Habib). While Misha is the sweet and obedient sister, Nisha is a spoiled brat and wants to be better than her sister, so she sets her sights on her brother-in-law Asfandyar (Emmad Irfani) because he’s rich and good-looking. Ignoring the fact that her sister is married to Asfandyar, Nisha openly flirts with him and urges him to divorce his pregnant wife. Despite, it’s convoluted and twisted storyline, the drama trends on TV and social media every week.

    Similarly, PEMRA also banned the repeat telecast of Ishqiya and Hum TV’s Pyar Ke Sadqay saying that the content of the dramas is against the “morals” of society. Though both dramas have completed their prime time run, they are being re-aired at different times. The notification added that the dramas cannot have a repeat telecast on the ARY Zindagi or HUM Sitaray sub-channels either.

    Read more – ‘Pyar Ke Sadkay’: All’s well that ends well

    Furthermore, the regulatory body warned drama makers that if they do not oblige with their recommendations, PEMRA will take strict action under Section 27 of the PEMRA Ordinance and stop the drama from being aired without any prior notice.

    Section 27 of the PEMRA Ordinance prohibits the broadcasting or re-broadcasting or distributing of any programme that PEMRA deems is against society values. The section states: “The Authority shall by order in writing, giving reasons, therefore, prohibit any broadcast media or distribution service operator from broadcasting or re-broadcasting or distributing any programme or advertisement if it is of the opinion that such particular programme or advertisement is against the ideology of Pakistan or is likely to create hatred among the people or is prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order or is likely to disturb public peace and tranquility or endangers national security or is pornographic, obscene or vulgar or is offensive to the commonly accepted standards of decency.”

    PEMRA said that the channels have been repeatedly informed about viewers’ concerns regarding the content and have been directed to produce content according to Pakistan’s social, religious, social and moral values. It is pertinent to mention here that in June Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a video meeting with renowned writers across the country, urged them to promote family values and national identity through their writings and dramas.

    “As there was no improvement in the script of the dramas by the channels, a final instruction was given to the channels on August 18 to produce the content of the dramas in accordance with the values ​​of Pakistan,” read the press release.

    Read more – ‘Ishqiya’ ends on a bittersweet note

    PEMRA has also requested all stakeholders, including TV channels and production houses, to immediately review the content of their future dramas.

    “Regardless of the cost and time invested in the drama, if the content of a play is against national values and expectations of the audience, the play will be banned without any warning,” stated the press release.

    Watch The Current’s review on Jalan here:

  • Aijaz Aslam reveals he got hurt while shooting the suicide scene for ‘Log Kya Kahengay’

    Aijaz Aslam reveals he got hurt while shooting the suicide scene for ‘Log Kya Kahengay’

    Aijaz Aslam has shared that he got hurt while shooting for Log Kya Kahengay‘s suicide scene.

    Read more – ‘Meray phone kay darwazay hamesha khulay hain,’ Yasir Hussain tells colleagues

    Sharing the scene on social media, Aslam said that he got hurt while performing the scene because the harness broke and his neck “got stuck in the rope”.

    “Those few seconds were devastating,” said the actor. “My feet were numb and swollen, my throat was choked [while my head was] head spinning. I couldn’t swallow food for a few months.”

    He continued, “Those few seconds made me realise those who commit suicide go through such pain and agony and leave their families devastated forever.”

    The actor also appealed to his followers to take care of their loved ones “so they don’t reach the extreme point of no return”.

    The scene was not aired on television because of its sensitive content. However, it is part of the episode that has been uploaded on YouTube.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CD61xr-J8ca/

    Aslam in the drama plays Haseeb, a father of two, who loses his job and is buried under debt. He is unable to fulfill his family’s wishes and collapses under the pressure because of which he takes his own life.

    Read more – ‘Pyar Ke Sadkay’: All’s well that ends well

    Log Kya Kahengay also starres Faysal Quraishi, Saheefa Jabbar Khattak, Sakina Samo and Kinza Razzak. It airs every Saturday on ARY Digital at 8pm.

  • Three new drama serials are airing soon and here is everything you need to know about them

    As the season wraps up, so do many dramas and with the weather expected to change in the upcoming weeks, our TV screens will also witness the winds of change. Three new dramas –Mushk, Saraab and Prem Gali – are scheduled to air in the near future and their teasers have already dropped. Check them out below:

    Mushk

    Featuring Imran Ashraf, Urwa Hocane, Moomal Sheikh and Osama Tahir, Mushk is a layered love story. Speaking to a local media outlet, Ashraf said that “Mushk revolves around the concept of love, in all forms – good, bad and ugly. It presents a sharp contrast between good and evil.”

    He adds: “It is not a formula play, it has been created differently. The dialogues are very poetic.”

    The drama has been written by Ashraf himself and directed by Aehsun Talish (Suno Chanda, Ye Dil Mera). It also marks the return of Hocane to the small screen after a break of almost three years.

    https://youtu.be/8qyqg0zFv70

    Read more – ‘Family-friendly’ movies you should NOT be watching with your family

    Prem Gali

    Penned by Faiza Iftikhar (Akbari Asghari, Aunn Zara, Dil Lagi, Ranjha Ranjha Kardi) Prem Gali has been directed by Qasim Ali Mureed and features Farhan Saeed and Sohai Ali Abro in the lead. Not much is known about the drama except that it is a romantic comedy. From the teasers, it is also safe to say that Saeed is playing a similar character to that of Arsal in the superhit Suno Chanda.

    According to the director, the drama “will remind people of old school romance, where setting up a meeting with the beloved used to be a big task.”

    “It is a light-hearted project. We’ve tried to create something exceptional with major themes including love, family values, neighbourhood, etc,” he adds.

    It has been produced by Humayun Saeed under his production house Six Sigma Plus.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CDg7_XVpcDx/

    Read more – The ‘Churails’ are coming to shake things up on August 11

    Saraab

    As the conversation on mental health gains traction, it is also being explored in more depth on our drama screen. Sonya Hussayn and Sami Khan’s upcoming drama Saraab aims to highlight schizophrenia and the plight of those suffering from the illness. It has been written by Edison Idrees and directed by Mohsin Talat.

    In an interview, Sonya said that the makers of the drama did thorough research on the project, including visiting mental asylums and rehab centres to understand the conditions of these patients, before beginning work on the drama so that it could be as realistic as possible.

  • Neelam Muneer’s ‘Bikhray Moti’ is not for the faint-hearted

    Neelam Muneer’s ‘Bikhray Moti’ is not for the faint-hearted

    Every now and then Pakistani dramas touch upon topics of social issues which highlight societal ills. The latest to do so is Bikhray Moti starring Neelam Muneer, Wahaj Ali, Yasir Nawaz, Samina Ahmed and Nausheen Shah. The drama, which airs on ARY Digital aims to highlight domestic and child abuse and exploitation. It is raw, unfiltered in a few places and honest which is why it makes a depressing watch.

    Ayeza

    Bikhray Moti is centred on Ayeza (Neelam Munir), the daughter of an abusive and misogynistic father (Waseem Abbas) who believes daughters to be a burden. He is ruthless and egotistical and doesn’t appear to care much about the women of his house. Ayeza’s elder sister Faiza (Nausheen Shah) is married to Zulfi (Yasir Nawaz), who is lafanga (useless person). Faiza and Zulfi have three children together and are expecting a fourth but due to Faiza’s weakness and years of abuse, she is unable to give birth to the child and passes away in the process. Before dying, she entrusts Ayeza to take care of her children and save them from their father, who will also not hesitate to use them for his gains. Ayeza vows to become independent and financially stable so that she can take care of them and fulfil the promise she made to her sister.

    After Faiza’s death, Zulfi takes his children back home much to Ayeza’s protests and hands them over to his mother (Samina Ahmed) because he can’t be bothered to take care of them. The children’s grandmother sends her elder grandson Jaanu to Hyderabad to work at Zulfi’s brother’s shop and decides to sell her teenage granddaughter Shehzadi to an older man in marriage.

    Read more – Naumaan Ijaz slams Pakistani dramas for spreading negativity

    On the other hand, Ahad (Wahaj Ali) is Ayeza’s childhood friend and neighbour who she loves very much and wants to get married to. He is the son of a maulvi sahab and wants to become an actor much to his father’s disapproval. Ahad also loves Ayeza and is willing to go any length for her. Wahaj has done a fantastic job as Ahad: he is soft-spoken, warm and gives a very measured performance which deserves an applause.

    Ahad

    Ahad and Ayeza plan to run away and get married. However, before that can happen, Zulfi’s manipulative brother and Ayeza’s father plot to trick Ayeza into marrying Zulfi. While the earlier episodes have been slow-paced, the latest one (Episode 9) was packed with action, masala and a lot of slaps to get the momentum going. Ayeza’s father abhors her defiant and independent nature and despite knowing Zulfi is useless, insists on getting his daughter married to him to teach her a lesson. Over the course of his career, Waseem Abbas has perfected the role of a heartless father and his performance as Ayeza’s father is no less.

    Given that the central theme of the drama is domestic and child abuse, there is a lot of it in the drama, in graphic detail. The honesty with which it is presented is a true reflection of society and is bound to shake you up, especially given how cases of child abuse have been on the rise in the past couple of years.

    While the lead actors have given solid performances, it is the child actors who stand out in the drama especially Jaanu. They have delivered brilliant performances and are so convincing that you end up feeling every emotion with them.

    Jaanu

    Bikharay Moti is not everyone’s piece of cake and takes a lot of courage to watch. Written by Edison Idrees and directed by Shahid Shafaat, it every Tuesday at 8pm on ARY Digital.

  • Dushman-e-Jaan’s cast bid an emotional goodbye to the drama

    Dushman-e-Jaan’s cast bid an emotional goodbye to the drama

    The final episode of this summer’s sleeper hit Dushman-e-Jaan ended Thursday night with a happy ending leaving fans sighing and wishing for more.

    As the last episode of the drama aired, the lead cast of the drama including Madiha Imam and Tooba Siddiqui and director Amin Iqbal took to social media to bid the drama goodbye and thank the audiences for watching the show.

    “It’s you guys who made it so worthwhile,” wrote Tooba.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCsfPWFAu-t/

    “It was a rollercoaster ride and I could not be more grateful to be a part of a magnificent team,” said Madiha.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCtYTX0gWYu/

    Meanwhile, director Amin Iqbal said that the last episode made him sad and “gave him a feeling that I’m seeing someone close to me leaving”.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCrjDHaAszt/
  • ‘Jhooti’: Can Iqra Aziz’s acting save a lame storyline?

    ‘Jhooti’: Can Iqra Aziz’s acting save a lame storyline?

    There is no doubt that Iqra Aziz is a great actor. From her role in Suno Chanda to her portrayal of a greedy, selfish manipulator in Jhooti, she gets her roles down. But why she picked Jhooti is a question she might soon need to answer. 16 episodes in, the drama is going from lame to lamer and watching it makes it even more painful.

    Lovesick husband Nasir with classic manipulator Nirma, handing her money to save his marriage

    Maybe the pain comes from the fact that Yasir Hussain really can’t act or that the storyline is so typical that only an Indian soap opera miracle can help it. Nirma (Iqra Aziz) is a self-absorbed thief who manipulates sad, lovestruck Nasir (Ahmed Ali Butt) into giving her a lot of cash and property because he wants to marry her. They marry, get divorced and she meets Ali (Yasir Hussain) who she thinks is this loaded bachelor and is going to invest all her ill-gotten money in property.

    Read more – Jhooti: The drama that replaced ‘Meray Paas Tum Ho’

    She falls for him, marries him but turns out he’s just as big a manipulator as her. He’s using Nirma to get money so he can pay back his ex-wife who is threatening him if he doesn’t. So here he is, lying to Nirma, trying to get money out of her while she turns from manipulator to manipulated.

    Ali, played by Yasir Hussain, is probably the most important but the most mediocre character in the series

    Painful isn’t it? And so very typical. The running into your lying husband who says he is in Dubai but ends up at Park Towers Mall is so overdone. Bus kardo yaar, we all know she will find out that she got what she deserved and everyone was right about what a jhooti she was and oh ho, she totally deserved it.

    Read more – Iqra Aziz, Yasir Hussain’s ‘Jhooti’ sparks outrage for trivialising domestic abuse

    There is no doubt that Iqra Aziz is a fantastic actress as she fully takes on the role of Nirma

    The only saving grace is Iqra. Her acting as Nirma is on-point perfection. She seems like a greedy sister, a classic narcissist right down to her nails. Even Iqra’s height suits the role, this little innocent girl who is lying to everyone around her. But that’s just it. The drama doesn’t inspire anything else. It’s one that can be watched while you’re doing something else and it just plays in the background, or be seen because you have to write a review on it. Otherwise, it’s a dead bore and the only way it can be redeemed is if…well can’t really think of anything that can help this storyline.

  • We take it back; ‘Ghalti’ is ARY’s best running drama

    When ARY’s drama ‘Ghalti’ started, it seemed like a huge mistake. Typical saas bahu, beychari bahu and crazy saas. Husband is a complete disaster, giving talaaq after talaaq, which is so typical of Pakistani dramas.

    But after this week’s episode, we are happy to issue an apology and say, WOW, what happened? It’s turning out to be one of the best running dramas on ARY.

    Hina Mani delivers a stellar performance

    That being said, it’s not like it has much competition. The drama ‘Jhooti ‘ is probably Iqra Aziz’s biggest mistake and the high that Ayeza Khan got from ‘Meray Paas Tum Ho’ crashes in ‘Thora Sa Haq’.

    In this week’s episode, three massive twists made ‘Ghalti’ a fantastic watch. Zaira (Hira Mani) is married to her cousin Saad (Affan Waheed) and Saad’s mother Zaitoon (Saba Hamid) has it out for them. She tries her best to destroy their marriage and finally succeeds.

    The best part about this latest episode was Zaira. Hira Mani delivers a stellar performance, one in which you shockingly and immediately feel her pain. She acts perfectly. So perfect that you immediately are drawn to her. There is no overacting when her husband delivers the final blow and when she tells her mother. This is so realistic that you can imagine it happening in real life. And that is where the drama takes a turn.

    You can only be team Zaira then.

    At such important moments in this episode Hira Mani hits constant sixers.

    You feel her pain and she so elegantly takes on what what Zaitoon has handed her and the drama no longer becomes about divorce but actually becomes about a woman’s strength.

    Zaitoon is also not to be messed with and Saba Hamid does her total justice. She is perfect in her narcissism and her selfishness and Saba’s every expression reflects what Zaitoon is.

    Saba Hamid is full of expression and elegance, making a stellar villain

    The voice of reason is Shanzay (Mehr Bano). She is a strong, independent, working woman married to Saad’s brother. When her character was first introduced, you wondered: Ugh, here is another drama demonising the working woman. But wait. It didn’t.

    What’s going on? How is this drama getting so good?

    Shanzay tells off Zaitoon, Saad, the sisters, so well that you feel like clapping and feeling like wow, how is this possible that her husband is taking HER side? This isn’t typical at all. And it’s done so normally, matter of factly, simply. No dramatic angles, dialogues, music.

    Mehr Bano delivers a performance that rivals that of Saba Hamid

    The teaser for the next episode promises to be even better, filled with confrontation and dare we hope, a not dragged out end. We have our theories on what might happen but it isnt the time to speculate just yet. It’s almost the beginning of the week and we are already waiting for the next episode.

    So we take it back and apologise because this is one drama we wait for every Thursday and hope you guys have the time to catch up. This is the one to wait drama to look forward to during the lockdown.

  • PM Imran to raise funds for corona relief through live telethon today

    PM Imran to raise funds for corona relief through live telethon today

    Prime Minister Imran Khan will collect donations from the public for the PM’s Corona Relief Fund while appearing on different channels today at 4 pm.

    According to PTI Senator Faisal Javed, a large number of philanthropists and humanitarians would be part of the telethon. The donations would be made to an account in the Karachi branch of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP).

    He announced that religious scholar, Maulana Tariq Jameel will also be a part of the telethon today.

    Earlier, the senator has tweeted that every citizen can also contribute towards Prime Minister’s COVID Relief Fund by sending a text message “Fund” at 6677.

    PM Imran had announced the relief fund on April 1 to fight the pandemic in the country.

    “Prime Minister’s COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Fund-2020 has been set up to help us fight this pandemic. I want everyone to donate towards this fund which will be used to take care of all those who have been made destitute by the lockdown,” the premier said on Twitter.

    PM Imran asked the citizens to send their tax-deductible donation to account number 4162 786 786 set up at the main branch of National Bank of Pakistan in Karachi.

    The PM had said money from the fund will be used to buy essential items for their families.

  • Jhooti: The drama that replaced ‘Meray Paas Tum Ho’

    Jhooti: The drama that replaced ‘Meray Paas Tum Ho’

    Meray Paas Tum Ho left some big shoes to fill. The Humayun Saeed-Ayeza Khan starrer received unprecedented success and was reported to be television’s highest-rated drama of all time. The serial wrapped up on January 25 and the next week on February 1, Iqra Aziz, Ahmed Ali Butt and Yasir Hussain’s Jhooti took over.

    Much before its release, when the teasers of the drama were released, Jhooti had stirred up controversy for allegedly showing women in a bad light and portraying them as money-hungry, two-faced creatures and the first episode did nothing to change the perception.

    The drama opened with the same-old storyline. Nirma’s (Iqra) parents want their daughter to get married and settle down. But the rebel daughter wants a better life for herself and doesn’t want to settle for the “useless” boys in her “poor” neighbourhood. She spends her days shouting or passing snide remarks to her family members. There are a lot of screaming sessions as Nirma clashes with her family over the rishtas that come for her. The only person who supports her is her father.

    In comes Ahmed Ali Butt as Nasir, a simple man *yawn* madly in love with Nirma. He runs a small store in the neighbourhood and lives a fuss-free life. He comes over with his family with a rishta for Nirma. While Nirma herself rejects him by constantly calling him fat, her family thinks that he is a good choice for her. Eventually, Nirma’s partner in crime and equally vile friend advises her to marry Nasir only if he agrees to put his shop and house in her name. Interestingly Nasir’s parents agree to her condition and they come over to fix the date for the wedding when Nirma flips and tells them that she’s already rejected the proposal.

    While the drama doesn’t appear to have anything new to offer as yet and is as regressive as it can get – I mean Nirma’s mother tells her that she cannot go to university because she needs to get married – the only department in which it excels is acting. Iqra has given a solid performance and you absolutely hate her at the end of the episode. The rest of the actors including Butt and Asma Abbas as Nirma’s mother put up commendable performances.

    The drama has a bit of a negative vibe to it and reminds you of the over the top Star Plus sagas. But I’m going to watch a couple of more episodes before deciding whether the drama is worth watching or not.

    Jhooti has been directed by Syed Ramish Rizvi and penned by Ali Moeen. It airs every Saturday at 8pm.

  • What was that? The Finale of Meray Paas Tum Ho

    What was that? The Finale of Meray Paas Tum Ho

    Here we were thinking Meray Paas Tum Ho reflected the reality of our society, cheating, divorce, attempted suicide and forgiveness but it turned out to be an unbelievably bad episode of a cheap rate soap opera.

    Doctors should protest the incredibly bad portrayal of them in this drama. Which doctor and hospital in their right mind allows children in intensive care units? And that isn’t even the worst of it. Which doctor says ‘okay’ when a patient suffering a heart attack says , “I’m fine doctor” let me take my mask off and speak to my child as my heart flatlines. Ajeeb ending with the only goal being to make Danish (Humayun Saeed) into such a big martyr that koyi shaqh hi na ho that he could not live if he couldn’t be with Mehwish (Ayeza Khan). And apologies to Humayun Saeed. The man is a stellar actor but he cannot act in a death scene. His dying routine was so so bad that no wonder Mehwish didn’t come to help him. Who could believe a man could die like that?

    Sweet isnt it? The scene where Danish is dying and Mehwish is crying and it seems like dekho isko chor nahi sakta is liye isko marna hoga. Even if you are a hater on the acting (like us) the scene was moving because it reminded us of Danish’s bad times (when he was a good actor) and how much we truly felt his pain.

    The most infuriating part of the finale was, that in true Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar style, Shehwar (Adnan Siddiqui) delivers one of the most sexist and misogynistic dialogues of the whole series. “Aisi aurat ko mard barbad nahi karta, uske andar uska apna ghar tornay ki himmat bardbad karti hai. Aisi auratein yeh nahi dekhtein keh unko kya mila hai, woh yeh dekhti hain kay doosron ko kya mil gaya hai. Andhi hotein hai aisi auratein….lske liye kisi ka Shehwar Ahmed hona zaroori nahi hai.”

    WTH.

    Like seriously, this is a bit TOO much. The guy who started it all, the snake Shehwar gets a clean chit, with his wife wanting him back and he walks away with dignity and respect, putting all the sick blame on Mehwish. Not on. At all.

    Rumour has it, three endings were recorded for this drama and we really wish they had picked another one. the 15-20 minute recap was highly unnecessary as was the long-winded conversation between Rumi and Danish. For once, we would’ve liked a drama that ended with the man forgiving the woman but with biased writers and actors that oblige, that seems far from coming true.