Leading cricketer Sarfaraz Ahmed has appreciated actress Hania Aamir for her performance in blockbuster drama serial, Ishqiya costarring Feroze Khan.
In a recent interview in which the Pakistani athletes had to comment on local celebrities, Sarfraz stated that the Anaa star impressed him with her performance in the romantic drama.
Whereas Shaheen Shah Afridi didn’t recognise her and said that maybe she is Mahira Khan.
Actor Hania Aamir took to her Instagram handle to share her feelings on the hatred that she recives from the netizens. The talented star added an extensive caption with her post.
Ayesha Omar and Aashir Wajahat commented under her post and expressed their support to her. Superstar Mahira Khan also liked her post extending her support to her.
Earlier this year, Hania received severe backlash from netizens on posting a video with Wajahat brothers. She later deleted the video due to extreme hate comments by social media users.
The Ishqiya star posted a video on her Instagram, in which she was seen laying on Aashir, son of Shazia Wajahat and Wajahat Rauf. Within a few minutes, the post got flooded with criticism by the netizens.
In June 2020, Hania received a lot of backlash from her fans on posting a video with Wajahat brothers. She later deleted the video due to extreme hate comments by social media users..
The Parwaaz Hai Junoon actress also shared a post on her social media, saying: “I share my personal life in little bits and pieces here. Some appreciate. Some think I shouldn’t,” adding, “I do it to connect with the people who love me on this platform. I am here spreading laughs and smiles.”
On the work front, she will be seen next in Pardey Mein Rehne Do opposite Ali Rehman Khan and drama serial, Sang-e-Mah co-starring Atif Aslam.
2020 has been an interesting year for Pakistani dramas with several controversial dramas hitting our screens this year. In terms of popularity, there is no denying that Meray Paas Tum Ho was television’s highest-watched dramas with a cult following. As we look back on this year, here’s a list of dramas which had the maximum number of views on YouTube till the filing of this story.
Note – We are only including episodes that aired in 2020 in this list. Views have been indicated in brackets.
Nand Episode 1 (12M)
Despite having close to 100 episodes, Nand continues to trend on YouTube and social media. The first episode of the show was fast-paced and thrilling. Not only are we introduced to nand Gohar (Faiza Hassan) and the rest of the family, we dive straight into the story, which is about a woman who likes to control everything and everyone around her. Apart from being very masalaydar and spicy, the drama also boasts solid performances by the lead cast.
Deewangi Last Episode (13M)
Danish Taimoor and Hiba Bukhari’s Deewangi ends with Nageen (Hiba) killing Sultan (Taimoor) and getting her happily ever after with Haroon (Ali Abbas), who first divorced her. Audiences loved the drama for its depiction of love that reached a point of madness and continued to root for Sultan till the very end, even though he commits several mistakes along the way because of his mad love for Nageen. The last episode of the drama was thrilling, intense and fast-paced with viewers hooked to it.
Ishqiya Episode 1 (15M)
The first episode of this intense romance involving two sisters featuring Feroze Khan, Hania Aamir and Ramsha Khan opens with a scene which will instantly remind you of Rahul and Anjali’s basketball matches in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. The rest of the episode introduces us to the different characters and their relationship dynamics. Its ends with Azeem’s (Gohar Rasheed) family asking for Hamna’s (Ramsha) hand in marriage, who is in love with Hamza (Feroze).
The last bumper episode of Ehd e Wafa was initially scheduled to hit theatres but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the plan couldn’t fall through. The grand finale, which included a special appearance by Humayun Saeed, saw Captain Saad (Ahad Raza Mir) get injured in tensions on the Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir, following which all four friends gather at the hospital to be on his side as he battles between life and death. The final episode was emotionally charged but ended on a happy note leaving viewers satisfied.
Though the second-last episode of the immensely popular Meray Paas Tum Ho was a slow one, it is one of the highest-viewed ones. The episode saw Mehwish (Ayeza Khan) shift back into her old house and use a wazeefa to try and win Danish back. She regrets the decisions she made and is wallowing in misery. On the other hand, Danish (Humayun Saeed) agreed to marry Hania (Hira Mani) and wore the ring she bought for him after Roomi proposed to her on behalf of his father. Meanwhile, Maham (Savera Nadeem) made sure she reminded Shehwar (Adnan Siddiqui) of his aukaat.
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.
پیمرا کی اے آر وائی ڈیجیٹل اور ہم ٹی وی کے ڈرامہ سیریل “عشقیہ” اور “پیار کے صدقے” کی نشرِ مکرر پر پابندی pic.twitter.com/ZEarENCEU7
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.
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.
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.
Hania Aamir, Feroze Khan, Ramsha Khan and Gohar Rasheed’s painstaking romantic saga Ishqiya came to a close Monday night with a finale that left viewers torn. While some thought the ending was fitting, others were rooting for a happy ending for Rumi (Hania) and Hamza (Feroze). But alas that did not happen, even though Hamna (Ramsha) and Azeem (Gohar) got their happy ending. If you ask me, I’m just glad that no one died or lost their sanity.
To be honest, I really was not a big fan of Ishqiya given its ridiculous storyline and I made that pretty clear at several instances (Here and here). But given the nature of my job and the fact that the drama trended every week on YouTube (the last episode is trending at number two on YouTube Pakistan) and social media, I had no choice but to follow it and try to figure out what exactly made it a hit. After much thought and going through audience comments, I came to the conclusion that strong performances by the lead and supporting cast, Rumi (Hania) and Azeem’s (Gohar) characters and the chemistry between Hania and Feroze is what attracted audiences and made them tune in every Monday.
To sum up the plot in a few lines, Ishqiya was the story of two sisters Rumi and Hamna (Ramsha Khan) who have conservative, yet loving parents. Hamna is in a relationship with her class fellow Hamza but her father Siddiqui sahib (Shabbir Jan) gets her married to Azeem. Being an obedient daughter and a weak person, Hamna does not protest and goes ahead with her father’s wishes. This is when the problem begins. Hamza is heartbroken over Hamna’s marriage and thinks she betrayed him so he sets out to seek revenge from her by marrying her sister so he can be close to her and mentally torture her. In the process, he ends up falling for his wife but as they say, you reap what you sow. Pretty convoluted if you ask me.
While the actors did complete justice to their roles and delivered above-average performances – Hania was great as the bubbly, chirpy Rumi, while Ramsha fit perfectly as the sober and introverted Hamna; Gohar was wonderful as the soft-spoken Azeem and as for Feroze, he seems to have perfected the role of the ‘bad boy’ – they were let down by a weak script, bizarre plot and poorly written characters. The drama relied heavily on flashbacks, greatly testing our patience because while the present featured someone crying, the flashback saw the person crying even more. Basically, there is lots of crying in the drama, except a few moments of comic relief by Hania. Gohar and Hamna became monotonous in a few episodes because they maintained the same expressions. But then again that was more of the script’s fault than their own.
Similarly, Hania and Feroze’s chemistry was crackling and straight out of a Mills and Boons novel but again it was neither explored nor developed properly. The two complimented each other well and were one of the highlights of the drama.
Badar Mehmood has given us many memorable dramas including Cheekh and Balaa and I’m still trying to figure out why he opted for a project like this. But given the drama’s success, I’m scared that our directors and producers will continue to churn out such senseless and nonsensical stories. Written by Mohsin Ali Shah, Ishqiya was produced by Fahad Mustafa and Dr Ali Kazmi under their production house Big Bang Entertainment.
Pakistani dramas generally are far from reality – even though they do pretend to be realistic. But more often than not you come across dramas that are so far-fetched from reality that they begin to test your patience. And Hania Aamir, Feroze Khan, Gohar Rasheed and Ramsha Khan’s Ishqiya is one of those.
To begin with, the plot doesn’t make any sense. Hamna (Ramsha Khan) and Romaisa (Rumi) are two sisters who have typical Pakistani drama parents: old-school and simple. While Hamna is the sober and serious one, Rumi (Hania Aamir) is the lively and playful one. Hania in this drama is no different than Daneen, her character in Anaa and from the first 10 episodes, I think it is fair to say that her fate will somewhat be the same. Rumi’s over-the-top energy is a bit annoying and her dialogues are borderline cringe.
On the other hand, Hamna is in a relationship with her class fellow Hamza (Feroze Khan). The two love each other passionately to the point that Hamza is a bit obsessive about Hamna. In the first few episodes, Hamza gives major Kabir Singh vibes: the public possessiveness, the self-destructive nature etc. In a typical twist of fate, the girls’ father Siddiqui Sahab (as Rumi calls him) has ill health and wants to get his daughters settled (in other words married) as soon as possible. When his colleague approaches them with a rishta of his son Azeem (Gohar Rasheed) for Hamna, Siddiqui Sahab does not hesitate to say yes and Hamna is soon married to Azeem. When Hamza finds out, he throws a major tantrum and in the process ends up getting involved in a car accident. After he recovers, Hamza decides that the best way to get back at Hamna is by marrying her sister Rumi and soon the two also end up getting married with the reception of both the sisters scheduled on the same day.
I’m pretty sure by now, after reading the plot of the drama, you must also be thinking keh yaar yeh kya drama hai? My sentiments exactly. The plot makes zero sense to me – how can a someone not tell their sister that ‘Dude the boy who is approaching you for a rishta is my ex-boyfriend and that he is only doing this to get back at me?’
Not only that, ever since Hamna got married to Azeem, she has a long face, barely eats and is always teary-eyed. That is literally visible to everyone except her own family who are oblivious to her tears.
After mentally torturing Hamna through four episodes and making her uncomfortable at every opportunity, the latest episode saw Hamza finally take his new bride, Roomi home. Hamna also moved to her husband Azeem’s house. It appears that now that the basic matters have been settled and the two former lovers have married other people, we’re in for a major plot twist and a whole lot of drama, which I’m thinking I will skip given how the plot of Ishqiya isn’t the most original. The Pakistani drama scene has seen plenty of such dramas before: one I can remember on top of my head is Yaariyan featuring Ayeza Khan, Moomal Sheikh, Junaid Khan and Muneeb Butt. It also had a similar premise involving two sisters.
Written by Mohsin Ali Shah and directed by Badar Mehmood (Cheekh, Balaa), Ishqiya airs every Monday at 8pm on ARY Digital.
