Senior actor Shabbir Jan recently appeared as a guest on comedian Nadir Ali’s podcast where he spilled the beans on his live feud with morning show host Nida Yasir.
Jan said that it was a planned gimmick to garner television ratings. He said that yes the artists are paid for their appearances on these morning shows, but there has to be a limit for what they expect the guests to do on their show for ratings in return for the money.
The senior actor shared that Nida and other people from the ARY administration visited him and they were apologetic about what had transpired. He said that there should be a limit to what is happening in order to make people watch your show.
Shabbir Jan also refuted the rumours that ARY administration put a ban on calling him again after the whole incident. He also added that he generally gets angry quickly and it was his control that he only walked off the show.
Earlier on Nauman Ijaz’s show, G Sarkar, Jan revealed that Nida asked him a question about flirtation, and after his reply, she declared his answer was false.
Shabbir expressed his dislike and left the show. Talking about the show, he added “it was a stupid segment, you should know with whom you are talking and what exactly are you asking.”
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.
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.
Right from the beginning, Qayamat appeared to one of those dramas which follow a riwayati or typical storyline with domestic abuse, spoiled men and saas-bahu tensions sprinkled with lots of masala and sensationalism to shock audiences and keep them hooked. Fifteen episodes later, my initial assumptions were proven right because that is exactly what Qayamat is about.
Qayamat revolves around Rashid (Ahsan Khan), a spoiled overgrown man child who does not know how to walk or talk and is often spotted hanging out with an escort Pari (Sana Fakhar). Kudos to Ahsan for portraying him in the slimiest possible manner. Even Bollywood actor Zarina Wahab praised Ahsan for his performance in the drama.
When his parents Nargis (Saba Faisal) and Mukhtar (Shabbir Jan) are unable to find a match for him because of his attitude, they forcefully marry his cousin Samra (Amar Khan) to him. Nargis is not happy with the marriage because she wanted a ‘baray ghar ki larki‘ for Rashid and Samra is from a “low background” even though she is Mukhtar’s brother Fayyaz’s daughter. Basically, just the usual stuff.
Fifteen episodes of the drama have aired so far and in the latest episode, Samra passes away after Rashid pushes her, causing her to fall and go into early labour. Her death was a little rushed and unbelievable considering the drama’s timeline was messed up and we had no idea how many months had passed since she conceived. All we know is that the stage is now set for Rashid and Samra’s sister Ifrah (Neelam Muneer) to get married and look after the newborn, who they have named Sana. It seems that Neelam has decided to play similar characters considering her character in Bikhray Moti, her last release. In that, she also married her sister’s abusive husband to protect her nieces and nephews and give them motherly love.
Samra’s death has left Rashid stunned, though we don’t get to see much of his shock and emotions over his wife’s death. Like Samra’s demise, his reaction to his wife’s death is rushed, flawed and underdeveloped. It would have given audiences some relief to see him at least regret his actions and attitude towards Samra. But we get nothing.
In the meantime, Ifrah and Rashid’s brother Jawad (Haroon Shahid) have put their marriage on hold till things settle down. However, Rashid’s mother and khala hatch a plan to get Ifrah married to Rashid because one they don’t really like her and two so they can get a ‘heeray jaisi larki‘ for Jawad. As expected, Ifrah is going to end up getting married to Rashid and will spend her life caring for her niece and feeling miserable about her life. Moreso, her actions will also help redeem Rashid and make him a better human being.
If I am truly honest, Qayamat doesn’t have anything new to offer. It is a typical Pakistani drama repackaged differently. I’d be surprised if Rashid also doesn’t die at the end considering how much our dramas like to kill off the evil characters.
What makes the watch worthwhile is the performances. From Shabbir Jan to Neelam Muneer to Ahsan Khan, each actor has given a brilliant performance, adding life and layers to the characters. Saba Faisal, in particular, is phenomenal as Nargis, the family matriarch. Her expressions and body language are absolutely flawless and will have you glued to the screen.
Despite is predictability and run-of-the-mill storyline, Qayamat is gripping and makes for an entertaining watch. But what irks me is that the first ten minutes of every new episode is the last ten minutes of the previous episode. Geo does this with all its dramas, and frankly speaking, it’s pretty annoying.
Written by Sarwat Nazir and directed by Ali Faizan, Qayamat airs every Tuesday and Wednesday on Geo Entertainment.
