Tag: drama review

  • Drama serial Umm-e-Ayesha is normalising girls driving scooty

    Drama serial Umm-e-Ayesha is normalising girls driving scooty

    ‘Umm-e-Ayesha’ is a TV show made by 7th Sky Entertainment for Ramzan. It’s on Geo channel every evening at 6 pm, starting on the first day of Ramzan. The show tells a story meant to inspire young girls who want to follow their faith and also achieve their dreams in real life.

    The story is about a girl named Ayesha, played by Nimra Khan. Saleem Ghanchi directed the serial, and Hina Huma Nafees wrote it. The cast includes Omer Shahzad, Mehmood Akhtar, Nida Mumtaz, Tara Mahmood, and others.

    The drama serial focuses on the teachings of Islam while keeping the dreams, lifestyle and challenges of the new generation in perspective. No doubt Umm-e-Ayesha is a notable effort in that direction.

    Here’s why you should watch the show:

    Normalising girls wearing hijab driving scooters

    Ayesha wears a hijab and drives a scooter. Seeing a young girl do both might seem unusual in shows, but this drama aims to make it normal. While we’ve seen girls driving scooters in dramas before, seeing a girl in a hijab do it is refreshing.

    Breaking old tropes

    When Ayesha’s father gives her a scooter for her birthday, her mother doesn’t like it. She thinks it would’ve been better if he gave her gold jewelry instead. This happens a lot in our communities. People often think it’s better to invest in property or gold for a girl’s future, rather than giving her the chance to get an education or live independently.

    Father standing up for his daughters

    It’s heartwarming to see the show portray the bond between fathers and daughters without the usual restrictions we often see. Ayesha’s father is her biggest supporter. Even though their relationship is made up, it reflects the real-life stories of many women who have succeeded with the help of a supportive male family member. ‘Umm-e-Ayesha’ shows these kinds of relationships and changes the way father-daughter relationships are usually shown on TV.

    Girls working while wearing hijab

    Ayesha gets treated unfairly because of her hijab. She almost doesn’t get a job because of it, and later, she faces criticism for it too. Ayesha represents many girls who struggle to keep wearing their hijab despite facing bias at work or pressure to look modern. But Ayesha doesn’t give up. She shows that girls can wear hijab and still do well at work. She dresses neatly and professionally, proving that her hijab doesn’t stop her from fitting in or doing her job well.

    In ‘Umm-e-Ayesha,’ we see a girl who has to prove herself not just outside her family, but also within it. Her mother wishes she was married and wants her to dress up nicely when there’s a potential match visiting. There’s also pressure on her to send pictures without her hijab to impress potential husbands’ families.

    What’s interesting is that her sister doesn’t wear hijab, which many families can relate to. Despite their differences, they have a good relationship and don’t force each other to change.

    In summary, ‘Umm-e-Ayesha’ is worth watching during Ramzan, especially if you’re tired of regular Ramzan dramas. Its messages are relevant to both young and old viewers.Top of Form

  • Breaking News is a new-age take on media and companionship with a desi tarka

    Breaking News is a new-age take on media and companionship with a desi tarka

    Green TV’s new serial ‘Breaking News’ is a rather fresh concept among the current lot of dramas currently running on television. True to the Green track record, the serial promises an out-of-the-box story. Two episodes have been released till the time this review is being written.

    The story revolves around Mishaal and Hussain, a pair in love (but not madly so), equally focused on their respective careers. The boy brought up in an urban and slightly privileged background, shows restraint in his countenance. Mishal, on the other hand, is a small-town girl, ambitious and a lot more expressive. She lives in a rented place where her landlady’s teenage son has an eye for her but she is traditional enough to not share it with Hussain even though he asks the reason for her discomfort multiple times.

    Mishal is played by Amar Khan and Hussain is played by ‘Fairytale’ star Hamza Sohail. They both look the part and the styling is on point for the strata they represent.

    There is a parallel story of Naveed Khan played by Ali Safina, the corrupt television anchor born to a journalist father who died a terrible death after reporting against a local politician. As a kid, he was beaten for the same crime his father committed. He is a masochist- inflicting pain on himself- and conducts a completely staged show against ethical norms, only to get the ratings. He is also lenient towards his content director Hussain’s idealism which in most instances is in clash with his desire to get views and ratings.

    Like other Kashif Nisar’s ventures, the drama is real and relatable but less bleak. That may prove to be wrong in the future as the teaser for the coming episode promises things turning topsy-turvy for the lead characters. The negative side of media and the risk journalists put themselves through has been shown in multiple projects including the recent ‘Ishq e Laa’, but a dedicated project to the modus operandi of media, the rat race of ratings and the rhetoric of “screen ki sage par jab sach lutta hai wo bikta hai”.

    Airing twice a week, the show is a window into the optics of news medium, the 24/7 media feed culture, and the dirty politics of breaking news keeping morality at bay. The tug-of-war that goes between anchors in this industry will provide insight into how they contribute to the industry with this crisply written script.

  • In a world full of Aswads, be a Safwan, ‘HKKST’ got the hero wrong

    In a world full of Aswads, be a Safwan, ‘HKKST’ got the hero wrong

    As of late, Sunday nights seem to be incomplete without a dose of drama and emotion courtesy Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay (HKKST). The drama has captivated audiences becoming perhaps one of the most discussed dramas of the year – scroll through any social media platform and you are bound to see at least a few posts on it. Besides bringing together a string of phenomenal actors including Mahira Khan, Kubra Khan, Usman Mukhtar, Huma Nawab, Ali Tahir, Laila Wasti and Zainab Qayyum among others, the drama’s script has been penned by the legendary Umera Ahmed with Farooq Rind behind the camera and Nina Kashif and Momina Duraid on the producers’ seat – in short, a dream team.

    Read More – ‘You didn’t get the girl’: Haroon Shahid reveals latest messages by fans

    Ten episodes of the drama have aired so far, and we are fully immersed into the story. The creators fortunately did not spend too many episodes setting the stage and killed one of the leads and sent another to jail in just the ninth episode leaving shocked audiences with the question: was Mashal’s death a suicide or accidental?

    For the unacquainted, HKKST revolves around three cousins Mehreen (Mahira Khan), Mashal (Kubra Khan) and Aswad (Usman Mukhtar). Mehreen, despite her troubled childhood, is a star child always on top of everything, getting good grades and engaging in extracurriculars. Mashal, on the other hand, is an average student and is pushed by her mother Shagufta (Zainab Qayyum) to become more like Mehreen. As a result, the two cousins grow up hating each other and their rivalry intensifies when Mashal decides that she wants to marry Aswad, whose mother Saleha wants him to marry Mehreen. Eventually after a whole lot of drama, Aswad and Mehreen get engaged and are set to marry when Mashal mysteriously dies and Mehreen is accused of killing her. The creators have not yet revealed whether Mashal died by suicide or if she was killed.

    The latest episode sees Mehreen still behind bars in her kaala jora though interestingly her hair is fresh as ever. Initially, no one from her family comes to visit her yet, including her mother (Laila Wasti), Khala and fiancé. The first person to come to Mehreen’s rescue is Safwan (Haroon Shahid) who not only arranged a lawyer but also helped Mehreen secure bail. Meanwhile, Aswad later turns up only to berate Mehreen and tell her that their engagement is off. It is understandable to an extent, that Aswad is also battling a turmoil of emotions, there is still no reason for him to be so insufferable towards Mehreen.

    Episode ten did not move so much in terms of the story but there were a series of emotionally charged scenes which did make you shed a tear or two including the one of Safwan and Mehreen, Saleha Khala and Mehreen and Shagufta remembering her late daughter. Safwan and Mehreen’s scene was perhaps the most endearing of the three and all I want to say at this point is that in a world full of Aswads, be a Safwan. “Main tum say poochnay aaya hoon keh main kya kar sakta hoon?” was without a doubt the highlight of the entire episode. Sigh! The background music has been beautifully weaved into the scenes adding more depth to them.

    Moreso, they have been beautifully enacted by the lead and supporting cast who have given phenomenal performances from day one – whether it was Kubra as the slightly psychotic Mashal or Mahira as Mehreen, each actor has brought forward their A-game making the drama such a treat to watch. A huge shoutout to Usman, who has wonderfully portrayed Aswad making everyone, and their mother hate him.

    Read More – Mahira, Usman and Kubra shine in the character posters of ‘Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay’

    Meanwhile, what is missing from the drama is basic logic. I understand that at the end of the day HKKST is a drama, and everything is fictious, but is it too much to ask for from the creators to sprinkle in a bit of realism? Considering that Mehreen has been jailed for murder, there seems to be no court involved or even a charge sheet. Investigation into the incident seems to be limited to the police officer (Khalid Malik) either listening to Mehreen repeatedly say “Mainay Mashal ko nahi maara (I did not kill Mashal)” or eavesdropping on her conversations with those who visit her in prison. Mehreen’s uncle (Mamu) is pushing him to hang his niece for killing his daughter without any a shroud of evidence. The legal system is completely absent, and all characters appear to be doing everything at their own discretion. The one person who exactly knows what went down is Shabo and we all now have to wait for her to spill the truth. Till then, it’s going to be a whole lotta drama and rona dhona.

  • ‘Pehli Si Muhabbat’ brilliantly discusses the importance of consent in marriage

    ‘Pehli Si Muhabbat’ brilliantly discusses the importance of consent in marriage

    Pehli Si Muhabbat may not be high on masala and is developing slowly, rather at a snail’s pace, but it certainly comes with a strong message. The latest episode of the drama (Episode 9) sheds light on a topic often overlooked in Pakistani dramas – the importance of a woman’s consent in marriage.

    Aslam (Sheheryar Munawar) and Rakshi (Maya Ali) have finally started telling family members about their love for each other and their desire to marry. Aslam has broken off his engagement with Bushra (Hina Afridi) and has let his Mamu know that he cannot marry her. On the other hand, Rakshi’s father Faizullah (Shabbir Jan) has decided to finalise Rakshi’s rishta with his friend’s son. When he tells his wife Nargis (Rabia Butt) of this, the conversation that follows needs to be broadcast everywhere loud and clear.

    Read more – Maya Ali reveals the reason behind her television comeback

    When Faizullah tells his wife that in their riwaj and culture, girls are not consulted before their own marriage, Nargis says: “Allah nay auraton kay baaray main jo ahkamat diye hain na, unkay baaray main bhi thora sa jaan lo. Waisay tum mard bhi na baray theek ho. Deen bhi sirf mardon ka rakhtay ho. Nikkah say pehlay Allah nay beti ki marzi janana zaruri kiya hai.”

    In response, Faizullah dismisses Nargis’ comments, saying that she doesn’t know anything.

    “Allah ki kitaab na humain bhi parhayi jaati hai Faizullah. Bismillah aur Ameen toh humari bhi hoti hai,” adds Nargis before leaving Faizullah to reflect on her words.

    In a country where women are often overlooked in the rishta process and told that the elders (read: men) in their family decide their future, such scenes and conversations give the audiences food for thought and can enable the wheels of change. It is also refreshing to watch this on-screen because most dramas paint those women wanting to marry of their choice as besharam (shameless) and wanton with their end also usually terrible.

    Kudos to Faiza Iftikhar for these brilliant dialogues and to Anjum Shehzad for wonderfully executing the scene. Butt has been a powerhouse of talent throughout the episode, conversing through her eyes and body language and delivering one blazing scene after another – whether it was her conversation with Faizullah, confrontation with Niggi Apa or the way she handled Rakshi.

    Another person who is really standing out in the drama is Munawar. Sheheryar has owned Aslam to the very core and the scene in which he gives Niggi Apa a taste of her own medicine makes you cheer on him.

    Now that Aslam and Rakshi’s secret is out in the open, it will interesting to see what happens next. All I hope is that the drama starts moving faster else audiences will lose interest.

  • Upcoming Pakistani dramas on our radar

    Upcoming Pakistani dramas on our radar

    With several Pakistani dramas coming to an end soon, TV channels have started dropping teasers and promos of their upcoming releases. Four new dramas with brilliant casts and directors are expected to hit our screens in the coming weeks and we are looking forward to them.

    Read more – ‘Jalan’ continues to be a cringefest

    Dunk

    Starring Bilal Abbas Khan, Sana Javed and Naumaan Ejaz in the lead, Dunk is about sexual harassment in universities and colleges. The first promo of the drama dropped to a mixed response but we’re going to hold our thoughts and opinions till we watch the first few episodes.

    Pehli Si Mohabbat

    The drama will mark Maya Ali and Sheheryar Munawar’s return to the small screen after a long break. From the BTS and first looks, the drama promises to be an intense love story and I am definitely looking forward to this. It has been written by Faiza Iftikhar and directed by Anjum Shehzad of Khaani fame.

    Maya, in a recent interview, revealed that the drama will not have “typical saas-bahu fights and affairs in it”.

    “You will feel that you have heard or seen this story, because there’s a love story as evident from the title Pehli Si Muhabbat, and everyone has experienced their first love story. Some people find their first love and some people live with keeping it in their hearts,” she shared.

    Raqs-e-Bismil

    Raqs-e-Bismil will see Sarah Khan and Imran Ashraf share the screen together for the first time. A fresh pairing is always intriguing and given that both are brilliant actors, I am sure this drama will be a treat. From the teasers, the drama appears to be intense and uncomfortable. According to the makers, the drama “follows the soulful story of a conservative and conformist family who adhere to strict family values”. Raqs-e-Bismil will also see Hadiqa Kiani make her television debut.

    It is expected to air on Hum TV by the end of the month.

    Amanat

    A multi-starrer drama, Amanat will feature Imran Abbas, Urwa Hocane, Saboor Aly, Haroon Shahid, Saba Hamid, Sheheryar Zaidi, Babar Ali, Asad Siddiqui and Gohar Rasheed.

    According to Imran, Amanat is a “circumstances-based love story”, while producer Sana Shahnawaz says it is “a family drama with love, romance and all other elements audiences wish to see in our dramas.”

    Which drama are you looking forward to the most?

  • ‘Sabaat’ will have you hooked

    ‘Sabaat’ will have you hooked

    Six episodes in, Sabaat has managed to capture the audiences with its compelling and entertaining storyline and strong performances. The drama had intrigued viewers before it even aired thanks to one of the main leads Mawra Hocane, who is an ace at the social media game – but a few episodes in, it has everyone, myself included, hooked.

    Sabaat is centred on two families: Hasan Fareed (Ameer Gillani) and Anaya Aziz’s (Mawra). Anaya belongs to an average middle-class family. She has big dreams and wants to make a difference in society. She actively campaigns for harassment against women in workplaces and is a class topper. Hasan, on the other hand, is from an affluent and well-off family. He and Anaya are class fellows and start off as fierce competitors but an incident changes that and the two become acquaintances following which Hasan develops feelings for Anaya and wants to marry her. Though Hasan’s character development is a little weak, given how the swiftly the drama is progressing and how sparkling the chemistry is between him and Anaya, we are willing to overlook this.

    While these two are in their own little university bubble, Hasan’s elder sister Miraal (Sarah Khan) is the real devil of the show. She is a spoilt brat who cannot take no for an answer. Miraal is rude, arrogant and selfish and thinks she can get away with anything because she is rich to the point that she goes to her brother’s university and slaps Anaya for no reason. She generously uses the dialogue “Tumhari aukaat kya hai” and is enabled by her father who is also a snob.

    While Mawra’s character, for now, is one-dimensional, it is Sarah who steals the show with her bratty act. Her facial expressions, body language and moods are on point and she delivers a convincing performance making you hate Miraal. Nonetheless, it is refreshing to see both women essay strong and confident characters. At this point, I’d like to add here that Sarah’s wardrobe, hair and makeup are brilliantly done and she looks super chic in all of her scenes.

    Sarah Khan Sabaat

    Usman Mukhtar is yet to make an entry and fans are waiting with bated breath for it. While the theme of the drama is still unclear, Mawra in an interview had shared it is primarily a love story which is meant to entertain audiences and not deliver sermons or lessons. However, she added that the drama will highlight several issues including classism in our society.

    Read more – We take it back; ‘Ghalti’ is ARY’s best running drama

    Sabaat has been penned by Kashif Anwar and directed by Shehzad Kashmiri of Anaa fame. Apart from the four leads, the drama also starres Simi Raheel, Laila Zuberi and Mohammad Ahmed.

    It aires every Sunday at 8 pm on Hum TV.

  • ‘Kaheen Deep Jalay’ keeps getting worse

    ‘Kaheen Deep Jalay’ keeps getting worse

    Saach baat bataoon toh Neelum Munir and Imran Ashraf’s Kaheen Deep Jalay on Geo was my guilty pleasure. The drama was full of well, drama, and it had a heavy dose of masala complete with over-the-top twists and turns which were oh-so-fun to watch. But the last couple of episodes have turned the serial into a painful watch.

    Let’s take a quick run through the plot. Rida (Neelum Munir) is the only sister of three brothers: Hatim (Hammad Farooqui), Fahaam (Ali Abbas) and Asim (Syed Arez). The brothers dote on their sister and pamper her to no extent. Rida’s maternal cousin Shamila (Nazish Jahangir) gets married to her eldest brother Fahaam. Shamila is a conniving and manipulative girl who is jealous of Rida because of the attention she gets from her brothers. Shamila’s only brother doesn’t pamper her much and seeing Rida get so much attention from her brothers irks Shamila who then uses every opportunity to mentally torture her sister-in-law.

    Meanwhile, Rida gets married to Zeeshan (Imran Ashraf). Zeeshan, who was Hatim’s colleague had fallen in love with Rida from the moment he saw her. The two get married and are happy but soon Zeeshan’s insecurities coupled with Shamila’s manipulation cost them their marriage.

    Read more – ‘Kahin Deep Jalay’ is terribly typical but full of masala

    The recent episodes have seen the plot spiral completely out of control. A misunderstanding on Zeeshan’s part leads him to believe that Rida cheated on him. This gives Shamila a chance to lash out on Rida even more and Rida’s brothers who doted on her through the course of the drama now refuse to even acknowledge her to the point that they wish that she was dead. It is impossible to understand how Rida’s brothers just suddenly turned their back on their sister and refuse to believe her innocence. This plot twist is beyond my understanding.

    Hatim, Asim and Rida’s mother

    Though Zeeshan later realises his mistake and asks Rida for forgiveness, she refuses to forgive him (and rightly so) and the two spend their days crying. Zeeshan, in particular, is very annoying. He cries all the time (not that I’m against men crying) and feels sorry for himself and doesn’t really make much of an effort to make amends. He just hopes that Rida will come around.

    On the other hand, Shamila, whose husband Fahaam is shot dead, manipulates her brother-in-law Hatim into marrying her so that she can once again become the bahu of the house. Another over-the-top and absolutely unnecessary plot twist. It’s so annoying to see how the men in the family are so oblivious to Shamila’s actions.

    Shamila and Hatim

    Despite the frustrations, I don’t want to overlook the positive which is Rida’s relationship with her mother-in-law (Saba Faisal). It is refreshing to see a mother-in-law stand up for her daughter-in-law and criticise her son for being unfair to her. Her character is probably the only balanced one in the entire drama – the rest of them are an emotional mess.

    Rida and her mother-in-law

    While Kaheen Deep Jalay continues to test my patience, the only reason I will continue to watch the drama is because I’m curious to know Shamila’s end. And I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be a pleasant one. So that should make up for the frustrations. In my opinion, things could have been accelerated and the drama should have wrapped up by now.

    Another thing that has been bothering me is how Geo repeats the last ten minutes of the previous episode in the new episode.

    Nonetheless, if you’re looking for a masalaydaar drama which does not require too much of your brain cells, give Kaheen Deep Jalay a go. Otherwise given how it’s progressing, or regressing, you can skip it.

  • 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.

  • ‘Ruswai’ gets frustrating with each passing episode

    ‘Ruswai’ gets frustrating with each passing episode

    Seventeen episodes of Sana Javed and Mikaal Zulfiqar’s Ruswai, based on the story of a rape victim, have been aired so far and recent episodes just make you want to pull your hair out. What irks you further is the fact that the drama has been written and directed by women – namely Naila Ansari and Rubina Ashraf.

    The premise of the drama is fairly simple – Sameera (Sana) and Salman (Mikaal) are family friends and are in love. Their parents are also well-acquainted though Salman’s mother looks down upon Sameera’s family because she considers herself to be above them. At the same time, Sameera’s brother, Hamza is hitched to Salman’s sister, Wardah. Its a perfectly normal case of watta satta. Though Salman’s mother is okay with Wardah marrying Hamza, she doesn’t want Sameera as her bahu. But Salman is insistent about marrying Sameera. So she is left with no choice.

    However, one evening when the family is walking out of a restaurant after dinner, a group of men abduct Sameera and rape her before dumping her back on the road. The intentions behind their actions are not yet known. Sameera’s father ends up saving his bahu, Wardah instead of his daughter. After the incident, life goes on and the weddings take place as planned though Salman is now disgusted with his wife because she is no longer the pure virgin he wanted to marry. Soon after the wedding while Hamza and his wife enjoy marital bliss, Sameera is miserable at Salman’s house. He starts mistreating her and with each passing episode his actions get worse. He also starts having an affair with another girl who his mother had wanted him to marry. Meanwhile his parents especially his mother doesn’t care about Sameera and in the latest episode even commented that she deserves to die.

    This is where the drama starts getting frustrating. Sameera is a qualified, well-educated doctor who has been working in the hospital well before her marriage. However, she chooses to give into her husband’s demands while her parents encourage her to stay in an abusive marriage just for the sake of marriage and because Salman “nay usko apna naam aur izzat di“. She doesn’t pursue a case against her rapists because of her husband and father who want the matter brushed under the carpet and erased from their memories. On the other hand, Hamza who initially appeared to be a level-headed character chooses to ignore his sister’s misery and focus on his own marriage.

    Hamza & Wardah

    Why are we time and time again shown miserable women? Showing Sameera’s miseries were fine in one or two episodes but extending it is making the whole drama, which was probably an honest attempt to depict the ordeal of a rape victim, a drag. The only glimmer of hope appears to be Sameera’s senior at the hospital Dr Feroze. He seems to genuinely care about Sameera and is trying to ensure that she does not go down the rabbit hole which she is going.

    At the same time, what sends a chill down your spine is the fact that the drama, if not 100 percent, does depict reality. Rape victims are often ostracised and shunned for something that is not even their fault. Instead of being handled with care and dealt with gently, they are shunned and seen as impure.

    Salman’s mother and Sameera

    Sana has done a great job as Sameera. Osama Tahir as Hamza and Irsa Ghazal as Salman’s mother stand out among the rest of the cast with their brilliant performances. However, Mikaal falls short as Salman – his body language is too stiff and his expressions wooden.

    While Ruswai does a decent job in sensitising us towards the plight of a rape survivor, it also chooses to lean on the typical saas-bahu drama and meek, helpless larki to garner ratings.

  • ‘Alif’ Episode 7: Ahsan Khan makes a fleeting appearance

    ‘Alif’ Episode 7: Ahsan Khan makes a fleeting appearance

    Seven episodes later, in, we’re still waiting for Alif to pick up. The drama boasts a brilliant cast, direction and story but because of its slow pace, it is unable to captivate the audiences the way it should have given its unique storyline.

    One of the lead characters of the show, played by Ahsan Khan, has finally made an appearance. But that too lasted for less than ten seconds. Till now the only thing we know about his character is that he is Momin’s (Hamza Ali Abbasi) father and left him and his mother for reasons unknown.

    The seventh episode mostly explored the relationship between Momin and his grandfather. Their relationship has been wonderfully portrayed and Manzar Sehbai as Abdul Aalaa has given a phenomenal performance.

    Meanwhile, Neha (Sadaf Kanwal) is out to get her revenge from Momin and is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that.

    Momina is still coping with the death of her brother. However, she fulfils her commitements and returns to work even though her mother told her that she doesn’t really need to. Her former love interest Faisal (Osman Khalid Butt) has also returned from America and there is friction between the two characters. As always, Sajal’s expressions are on point – is there any character she can’t do flawlessly?

    Towards the end of the episode, we’re shown that the drama is heading towards a twist. Hoping that this twist finally leads to Momin and Momina meeting again – the wait is getting a bit too long now. I probably sound like a broken record by now but I hope the drama starts moving a little faster. The pace kinda kills the buzz.