The Academy Awards are one of the most coveted in the world. Films and creators from around the globe get recognised and appreciated on the auspicious night.
Best International Feature Film
Pakistan has submitted movies over the years for the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category but has never been nominated. By definition, an international film is defined as a feature-length motion picture, with a duration of over 40 minutes, created outside the United States and with predominantly non-English dialogues (over 50%). The category also permits animated and documentary feature films.
Previous Submissions And Wins
The country’s previous submissions were ‘Zinda Bhaag’ in 2013, ‘Dukhtar’ in 2014, ‘MOOR’ in 2015, ‘Mah-e-Mir’ in 2016, ‘Saawan’ in 2017, ‘Cake’ in 2018, ‘Lal Kabootar’ in 2019 and ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ in 2020.
In 2012, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy became the first Pakistani to win an Oscar. ‘Saving Face’ bagged her the ‘Best Short Subject Documentary’. She doubled this achievement in 2016 in the same category for ‘A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness’.
Submission For 2021
This year, The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee has invited filmmakers in Pakistan to submit films for the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category at the 94th Academy Awards. The deadline is September 20. This will be the 9th consecutive year the country will submit a film for the category.
The Oscar committee for 2021 includes Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (filmmaker), Humayun Saeed (actor, director and producer), Javed Sheikh (actor, producer and director), Samina Ahmad (actor, producer and director), Sania Saeed (actor), Bee Gul (screenwriter and director), Rafay Mahmood (film critic), Mo Azmi (cinematographer) Ali Azmat (musician) and Omar Shahid Hamid (author).
There will be one film chosen for Pakistan’s official submission for the ‘Best International Feature Film’ award. Stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood for further details.
Asma Nabeel was known to be a wonderful soul. She was not only an exceptional writer but also a woman of substance, who knew how to stand her ground and made sure the world agreed with her. Asma fought off breast cancer in its early stages and then actively campaigned to create awareness about it as well, making sure other women were well aware of its severity. Asma’s health, however, deteriorated after her cancer relapsed and she passed away in July this year, after bravely battling the disease for some time.
Asma’s Legacy
Asma Nabeel has penned down amazing stories, all tackling social issues plaguing our society. ‘Damsa‘, ‘Khuda Mera Bhi Hai,’ ‘Khaani’ and ‘Surkh Chandni’, all dealt with the tabooed topics of the society.
Asma Nabeel also created a romantic masterpiece of a drama with Geo Entertainment’s ‘Dil Kya Karay‘. The drama in itself was beautiful and very subtle, delivering a strong message.
Now, after her death, friend, Shazia Wajahat has once again started off with the production of one of Asma’s last scripts. Directed by Najaf Bilgrami, the upcoming drama will be produced by Shazia Wajahat under Showcase Productions. The news was shared by her on her social media.
Shazia Wajahat’s Instagram
In the past, Showcase Productions has delivered major dramas with soul-shattering realities. ‘Damsa’ with Nadia Jamil in the lead was one such heart-wrenching piece of work that targeted human trafficking. Written by Asma Nabeel and produced by Shazia Wajahat.
Asma Nabeel’s Last Projects
Wajahat Rauf and Shazia Wajahat were already working on one of Asma’s last scripts, a directorial by Wajahat Rauf. As Shazia stated in her post, it happened to be one of Asma’s last wishes that her friends were able to fulfil.
The second project written by Asma Nabeel has now gone on the floors as shared by Shazia Wajahat. Currently, in its pre-production stages, the drama will be directed by Najaf Bilgrami of ‘Dil Nawaz’ fame.
Over the span of her career, Asma Nabeel has given her audience some hit dramas with a very strong social message at their roots. This new production under Shazia Wajahat will certainly be a memorable one, definitely an ode to what a great writer Asma was.
Ayesha Sana has appeared in morning shows, films, television dramas and theatre performances. She is known for her roles in drama serials ‘De Ijazat’, ‘Yeh Raha Dil’ and ‘Saiqa’.
The actress managed to stay in the limelight for different reasons. The most popular one was a behind-the-scenes video of her show, in which she lost her temper over the crew staff. The video went viral and she became an internet sensation overnight.
In Hot Water Again
The Lahore court has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Ayesha Sana. The case has been filed by her ex-husband Yousaf Baig Mirza, who accused the defendant Ayesha of defaming his wife and daughter. He claimed that Ayesha uploaded private and inappropriate images of his wife and daughter, bringing disgrace upon his family.
Other legal issues
This isn’t the first time that Ayesha Sana has been in hot water for cases like this. Last year, the host was summoned by the court for charges of fraud. She borrowed an amount of two million Pakistani Rupees from a real estate agent, Ali Moeen, in the form of monthly committee funds. He filed the case after the actress gave him a cheque that bounced.
The case was lodged against Ayesha Sana at the Defence-B police station. Ali Moeen is not the only one who has been handed such cheques. There are reportedly several other businessmen, actors and fashion designers who fell victim to this allegedly fraudulent scheme.
One after the other, the actress seems to remain embroiled in controversies for the past few years now.
Web series are fast becoming a trend. Several leading actors are choosing to be a part of digital content. Adding to the slate of big names, Wahaj Ali and Zara Noor Abbas are pairing up for an upcoming web series. It is written by Umera Ahmed, directed and produced by Haseeb Hassan.
Cast
Wajah Ali is receiving incessant praise for his versatile acting in dramas like ‘Ehd-e-Wafa’, ‘Ishq Jalebi’, ‘Ghisi Piti Mohabbat’ and ‘Fitoor’. Zara Noor Abbas has been appreciated for her performances in various drama serials including ‘Khamoshi’, ‘Deewar-e-Shaab’, ‘Ehd-e-Wafa’, and ‘Phaans’.
The show also features Dur-e-Fishan, Yasra Rizvi, Meher Jaffri, Nayyer Ejaz, Hina Bayat and Javed Sheikh.
Creators
The Web series is helmed by Haseeb Hassan, who has recently been nominated in the category of best television director in the 20th Lux Style Awards. He is one of the most talented directors of our entertainment industry, with some exceptional work to his credit such as ‘Diyar-e- Dil’, ‘Mann Mayal’ and ‘Alif’. The Duo of Umaira Ahmed and Haseeb Hassan last paired up for the web series ‘Dhoop Ki Deewar’ for Zee5.
Story
Zara Noor Abbas spoke to Galaxy Lollywood and expressed her excitement about working on this project with Haseeb Hassan and with the stellar cast. She said: “Haseeb Hassan always does amazing projects. Also, I really wanted to work with Yasra Rizvi and she’s in it too.” However, she maintained that it is too early to talk about the story.
In a recent interview with Images, Wahaj Ali stated that he is extremely honoured to work on a project of Haseeb Hassan and Umera Ahmed. According to him, working with Haseeb Hassan is every actor’s dream.
Talking about Zara Noor Abbas, Wahaj stated that he is delighted to work with Zara and he is very happy to finally share the screen with her, as they both know each other from before but have never been paired up on the screen. Though they were part of the drama ‘Ehd-e-Wafa’. He will be seen romancing her in the drama for the first time.
Previously, Dur-e-Fishan revealed details about her character in the web series. She will be seen playing a negative role on screen for the very first time.
Other details such as the story and shooting of the web series have not yet been revealed. We hope that this project fulfils expectations and touches the audience’s heart.
‘Qissa Meherbano Ka’ is one of the most awaited dramas of this season. The audience was eagerly waiting to witness the onscreen chemistry of Mawra Hocane and Zaviyar Naumaan. The play is written by Fakhra Jabeen, directed by Iqbal Hussain and produced by Momina Duraid. The cast of this show includes Ahsan Khan, Mawra Hocane, Mashal Khan, Zaviyar Naumaan, Khushhal Khan, Areej Mohyudin, Mohammad Ahmad, Ghazala Kaifi, Zeb Rehman and Laila Zuberi.
Story
The first episode unfolds the intricate life of Meherbano, played by Mawra Hocane, who is a mature, sober and impeccable lady. Her Niece, Noor, played by Areej Mohyudin, is the exact opposite of her aunt; she is a blunt, outspoken and jaunty teenage girl. They both live in a humongous house with Meherbano’s father, Abba Miyaan, played by Muhamad Ahmed. Abba Miyan is a retired professor, his family is in a financial crunch and they barely make ends meet.
Mehran, played by Zaviyar Naumaan, is a young and sophisticated boy. He is a neighbour as well as a distant relative of Meherbano. Mehran is deeply in love with Meherbano, however, his mother, played by Ghazala Kaifi, is absolutely against it.
The latter half of the episode takes viewers in the flashback. It appears that Meherbano got married 10 years ago, in exchange for a vow that has something to do with her brother. The untold circumstances render her life completely appalling. Nonetheless, the first episode does not reveal much of the story. The opening episode is definitely gripping, in terms of the story, as it spawns curiosity in the viewer’s mind to know more about Meherbano’s past.
Performances
‘Qissa Meherbano ka’ is a debut project of Zaviyar Naumaan, son of the legendary actor Numaan Ijaz. As far as his performance is concerned, he appears extremely comfortable in front of the camera. His dialogue delivery, expressions and body language entail maturity and calmness. He looks quite promising in the role of Mehran. Needless to say, Mawra Hocane’s performance was outstanding as well. However, Noor’s character appears a little loud. The performance by Areej Mohyudin could have been a little refined and less exaggerated. Muhammad Ahmad is exceptional as usual. Likewise, Ghazal Kaifi does an excellent job in a negative role.
Direction
The direction of ‘Qissa Meherbano Ka’ is not critically astounding. There are some scenes in which the camera is not steady. Dubbing and lip-syncing of a few dialogues are not properly synchronized. The beautiful and scenic backdrop of Islamabad definitely provides aesthetic effects in the cinematography of this show. All the recent dramas of Hum TV have improved camera work in terms of wide angles and moving camera shots. Nonetheless, the direction and camera work of this play could have been improved.
Inappropriate Casting
The casting of this show seems a little inappropriate. Noor is shown to be at least 10 years younger than Meherbano, however, Areej Mohyudin does not look 10 years younger than Mawra Hocane. The aunt-niece duo appears odd on screen. It is often argued that senior female actors, who are in their late 30s or early 40s, are only cast as bhabhi, saas, elder sister or mother, the role could have been played by a senior actress, making the scenario more sensible. Mawra Hocane undoubtedly did her best to drench in the sobriety and maturity of this character, but she cannot look 10 years older than Areej Mohyudin. If the creators desired to cast Mawra as Meherbano, the choice for Noor’s character should have been more thoughtful.
Conclusion‘Qissa Meherbano ka’ is an interesting show as a whole. The drama has a different story that bears the shades of curiosity and intrigue. This play will definitely occupy a decent position in TRPs by the advent of other characters and the progression of the story.
The Mahira Khan and Sheheryar Munawar starrer ‘7 Din Mohabbat In’ was a fiasco. The film failed to do significant business at the box office even with directors Meenu and Farjad and writer Fasih Bari Khan at the helm. Although we couldn’t really blame the direction, because the actors on board did a pretty decent job with their characters, it only appeared that even names like Mahira and Sheheryar couldn’t save this ship destined for sinking with a weak story.
What Went Wrong According To The Writer?
Fasih Bari Khan, an ace writer known for creating satirical hits like ‘Quddusi Sahab Ki Bewah’ and the very recent, much-appreciated drama ‘Ghissi Pitti Mohabbat’, recently appeared in ‘Wo Wala Show’ and made shocking revelations about the film. The writer, who has a reputation for creating unusual hits with his knack for storytelling revealed that it was the miscasting in ‘7 Din Mohabbat In’ which spoiled the movie, making it turn into a flop fiasco.
According to Fasih, he always had a bubbly actor, especially Sajal Aly in mind for the role that landed into Mahira Khan’s lap. He said: “Mahira is a good actor but the character was not for her. I always had Sajal in mind while writing the character. For the male lead, I had someone like Mohib Mirza in my mind but then that couldn’t happen as well.” As per Fasih, since he had to change the script on demand, the story went haywire.
The Chaos
Fasih Bari Khan is known for his special style of humour and satire and since it was all deleted from the film, it didn’t turn out as he expected. The writer also stated that if he went on working on a film in the future, he would make sure he does it independently to save his film from tanking at the box office.
Fasih Bari Khan claimed it was the makers who brought Mahira and Sheheryar on board but considering the weak plot ‘7 Din Mohabbat In’ portrayed, we wonder if the situation would have changed had Sajal and Mohib been in the lead.
Saboor Aly is one of those performers who earned traction by virtue of persistent hard work and prodigious acting skills. The talented actor started her career in 2011 with the role of Rimsha in ‘Mehmoodabad Ki Malkain’. Since then, she has appeared in countless drama serials. Saboor Aly often tugs at viewer’s heartstrings with spectacular and poignant performances in each character by dint of her mesmerizing on-screen persona.
Saboor As Bubbly
The young actress is currently ruling the audience’s heart as Bubbly in the popular drama serial ‘Parizaad’. The play is a Hum TV project which is written by Hashim Nadeem, directed by Shehzad Kashmiri and produced by MD productions. The cast of this show includes Ahmed Ali Akbar, Nauman Ijaz, Yumna Zaidi, Saboor Aly, Urwa Hocane, Adnan Tipu Shah, Leyla Zuberi, Syed Muhammad Ahmed, Ushna Shah, Mashal Khan, Kiran Tabeer, Madiha Rizvi, and many more.
About Her Character
Saboor’s character as Bubbly is very different from her previous work. The majority of her noteworthy work is in negative lead. Such as Gul in ‘Gul-o-Gulzar’, Ujjala in ‘Mein Ishq Mein Kafir’ and Fariha in ‘Fitrat’.
Episode 4 of ‘Parizaad’ introduces the character of Bubbly. She is a young and rebellious tom-boyish girl, who is famous by the name of Bubbly Badmash. She is the only child of her parents, who wanted a son but on the birth of a daughter, they raised her like a boy.
Young Bubbly does not possess even a single attribute of femininity. Her parents are worried about her future. They want her to get married like every other girl. However, Bubbly is unable to fathom the reality. Her character is stranded in the rigid dichotomy between her inner self and society.
Parizaad is friends with Bubbly’s tenant, Nasaaz. In order to get rid of a marriage proposal, Bubbly becomes friends with Parizaad. On the other hand, Nasaaz suggests Parizaad to marry Bubbly in order to get some money as Parizaad is in dire need of money to help his sister. At last, the chasm between her inner self and the reality of life compelled her to leave the home in order to escape the marriage with Parizaad.
Saboor has beautifully projected the role of a young defiant tom-boy girl who is not ready to bow before the ethos of society. Her character is widely receiving critical plaudits. Netizens, as well as drama critics, are praising the young actress for her spontaneous acting, body language and even for her attire.
Her Experience
Saboor Aly spoke to Galaxy Lollywood about her experience in performing the character of Bubbly. When asked about her initial thoughts about Bubbly’s character, she revealed: “I found this character very unique and different from all of my previous characters, also this character is very disparate from all the present-time onscreen characters”.
Saboor Aly disclosed that she always wanted to work with Ahmed Ali Akbar. She stated: “I consider him one of the finest actors in the industry”. She further added that “the fascinating combination of an ensemble cast, a writer like Hashim Nadeem, acclaimed director Shehzad Kashmiri and Hum TV platform compelled me to opt for this role.”
While unveiling an interesting fact, Saboor Aly stated “Bubbly’s character is specially created for this drama serial as the novel, on which this drama is based, does not entail this character.”
The actor further revealed that she substantially resonates with Bubbly’s character. She said: “I believe there is a badmash in me and I’m as blunt as Bubbly”. ‘Parizaad’ actress shared that “when people are irrational on roads, I often glare at those people”. The young actor narrated an interesting and chuckle-some incident of her badmashi, she divulged “one of my friends, while leaving for America, took me to the corner of the airport and pleaded me not to showcase badmashi on roads while driving”, “So I’m like this”, she laughed.
Talking about the challenges and difficulties pertaining to the on-screen projection of this character, Saboor said: “the projection of this character was challenging. I feared that I might overdo this character. I always believe that underdoing a character is better than overacting”.
She further explained: “even in the execution of the negative roles, I remain very thoughtful of the fine line between acting and overacting”. She continued “Likewise, Bubbly’s character entailed a very thin line between overacting and the appropriate required acting”.
Saboor unveiled that “I had to face the camera without makeup for the very first time in my entire career therefore I found it a little challenging and difficult to be comfortable within my skin in front of the camera”.
Overwhelming Response
The actress herself is extremely elated by the positive response her character is receiving. While talking to Galaxy Lollywood, Saboor shared: “I’m extremely overwhelmed and glad”.
She added: “I was extremely scared of viewers’ response towards this unconventional character and my performance. However, after the positive response by the audience, I’m extremely happy”.
She further said: “In the presence of various acclaimed actors it is very difficult to stand out. Wherefore, I’m delighted on receiving all the appreciation”. Saboor Aly hopes that more characters like Bubbly be created, “audience must accept such on-screen characters more”, she added.
A change in roles
The versatility of actors is severely dependent upon the variety of scripts they are being offered. Dejectedly, typecasting is prevalent in our entertainment industry. When an individual actor becomes strongly known of a specific character, that actor tends to be typecast for such kinds of roles. It definitely limits the spectrum of performance for actors.
It can be hoped that we may witness more unconventional characters like Bubbly and actors be given the opportunity to showcase their acting versatility in diverse genres.
Put on the haute couture, roll out the red carpet, and get ready to pose in front of hundreds of camera flashes – the awards season is here. The oldest and the biggest award show of the Pakistani fashion and entertainment industry, Lux Style Awards, recently announced the nominations for excellent achievements in the fashion, music, and TV category.
With no movies releasing the past year as the cinemas have remained closed for more than a year due to the pandemic, the 20th edition of Lux Style Awards is missing any nominations in the Film category. What is not missing is the controversy that always follows whenever LSA nominations are revealed.
No ARY Dramas?
Pakistani drama fans were in for quite a shock as a quick look at the television nominations shows the clear absence of names from one of the biggest television networks of the country – ARY Digital.
Between February to December 2020, a total of 16 dramas started airing on ARY Digital out of which at least 13 shows were eligible to be nominated based on the dates they started airing. Some of these dramas were the year’s biggest ratings and critical hits so having none of them is a part of the nominations definitely made us curious. Not including the projects of one of the major shareholders of the Pakistani television industry in the biggest award show of the country is a snub of gigantic proportions. However, it appears that the award show itself is not to be blamed for this outrageous snubbing.
The Reason Behind It
Galaxy Lollywood reached out to the officials at ARY Digital to get their comments on why none of ARY Digital’s dramas are included in the nominations for any television category. And apparently, it is because the channel had decided to not submit any of its projects to the award show’s committee for consideration. An unprecedented move by the channel, indeed.
ARY Digital has concerns and reservations about how the television jury at LSA works and the transparency of the voting system. An ARY official gave their statement that based on the history of LSA, ARY has decided not to submit any of its drama projects to the award show until their reservations and concerns about the LSA jury and voting system are resolved.
This is definitely a huge move on the channel’s part and one that would reflect very poorly on LSA’s credibility. ARY Digital has delivered huge dramas like ‘Ishqiya’ and ‘Jalan’ in 2020, as well some of the critical hits of the year like ‘Dushman-e-Jaan’, ‘Ghisi Piti Mohabbat’, and ‘Prem Gali’. Pakistani drama fans were looking forward to watching these shows be celebrated and given their due recognition.
While shocking, it is not a move that came out of nowhere. Just last year, the Lux Style Awards had made a snub of gigantic proportions when the insanely popular OST of blockbuster ‘Mera Paas Tum Ho’ wasn’t even nominated for the Best Original Soundtrack. Moreover, quite a few other projects of the channel were not given the deserved nominations and wins
Celebrities’ Statements
It isn’t just the channel that is displeased by the nominations released by LSA. Keeping up with what has become a tradition of the industry, many Pakistani celebrities took to their social media and posted their thoughts about the snubs of the year.
Sonya Hussyn, who cave a career defining performance in ‘Saraab’, posted on her Instagram story criticizing the LSA for not nominating the drama serial ‘Saraab’ in any category. She talked about the audience wanting meaningful content and when it is made by a team, the award show, instead of encouraging it, doesn’t even nominate it. She even listed out some of her previous dramas that revolved around important societal issues that were snubbed by the award show in the past.
Yasra Rizvi threw shade at the award show by calling it just another business opportunity for a beauty soap to sell a product and make a profit. In her Instagram story, she said that art is being used for profit by a business and that promotion of art was never the purpose of the award show. She ended her short and succinct criticism of the award show by sarcastically calling it “fair enough.”
Zara Noor Abbas, whose performances in ‘Ehd e Wafa’ was unanimously approved and appreciated by the audience is also not a part of any category. She took to Instagram to calm down her fans by thanking them for their love and considering the audience’s acceptance as the only award that matters.
Kubra Khan, who gave her career-best performance in the critically acclaimed drama ‘Alif’, also tweeted a similar message to her fans and thanked them for the love they have showered on her ever since the nominations were announced with her name nowhere to be found on them. Kubra said that “the fight, the love, the support” she had seen by her fans was worth more than any trophy she could ever win and she was grateful for all of that.
Several other celebrities spoke about it as well, including Ali Abbas and Srha Asgr.
The GEO Factor
Ardent fans of Pakistani dramas who wish to see more quality content be made and appreciated by the TV channels were left baffled seeing some of the dramas nominated. GEO Entertainment dramas like ‘Raaz-e-Ulfat’, ‘Meherposh’, and ‘Deewangi’ hardly have any kind of quality content that one would expect a prestigious award show to recognize.
But rumours are rife that following ARY’s footsteps, Geo Entertainment too was considering not submitting their dramas for the awards which would have put the LSAs in an even tighter spot. So to avoid such a situation the LSAs went out of their way to get GEO content in the nomination list. Which really does make one wonder what actually is the jury’s role in all this.
We reached out to GEO, but they were unavilable for a comment.
However, a source close to Geo Entertainment, pointed out that the Lux Style Awards are popular awards and as Geo Entertainment has been in the top 3 spots for the past year, both in terms of TV ratings and YouTube views, it should come as no surprise to anyone that some of the channel’s biggest dramas have been acknowledged by the awarding committee.
The Future Of Lux Style Awards
The big three of the industry; ARY Digital, Geo Entertainment, and Hum TV have the lion’s share of the audience when it comes to Pakistani television content. This is why the award show hasn’t even acknowledged let alone nominated any drama that has aired on smaller channels for the past many years. In this situation, if one channel decides to disassociate from the award show due to concerns over its jury and voting system and another channel’s critically panned content gets nominated in the categories, just how much credibility can this award show retain?
Award shows reward excellence. There’s a reason why the western actors, directors, technicians etc. wear the tag of being nominated for Emmys and Oscars as a badge of honour. Because just getting a stamp of approval from these awarding bodies in the shape of nominations means the work that they have done is worth something.Projects which get noticed by these awarding bodies are then noticed by the audience who tune in to watch the Emmy nominated shows and Oscar-nominated movies in the hopes of watching content that is truly excellent and pathbreaking.
Award shows’ nominees and wins are meant to set standards. Can the same be said about the Lux Style Awards in the 20th year of its existence? The jury doesn’t seem to be out on it for long now.
Television plays a pivotal role in shaping the perception of the viewers, especially in the present information age. A huge chunk of human behaviour is impacted by the content aired in our dramas.
Over many decades, the drama industry of Pakistan has given us a wide range of genres to rejoice. However, in recent times, viewers have been annoyed by the excess of some trends. What if the writers and creators think of showing Kuch Naya? It’s high time that viewers should stop getting tortured by the same old narratives and over-the-top themes that result in misleading them.
We, at Galaxy Lollywood, have listed down some concepts that writers should get rid of ASAP:
Woman Against Woman
Since the advent of television, women are critical to almost every narrative but why are they pitted against each other? This mould never changes and is increasingly scripted in our dramas, such as ‘Sabaat’ and ‘Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay’.
They show female rivalry when a woman uses her power to pull another woman down. She just has one thing on her mind, Mein Uska Sukoon Barbad Kardo Gi. Showing the problem is easy but solutions go missing.
In a progressive and evolving society where women are standing up for one another, it would be more refreshing to see new stories with female characters encouraging each other.
Oppressed Bahus
Marriage and the plight of women have been a beloved subject for creators. However, its treatment has been insignificant. Women are constantly shown being oppressed by their evil in-laws.
The in-laws are the only decision-makers telling them what to do or what not to do. The titularcharacter from ‘Durr-e-Shehwar’, Zaira from ‘Ghalati’ and Zubeida from ‘Pardes’ are prime examples of being ill-treated.
What is extremely concerning about such regressive scenes is that the common public in general not only builds up such perceptions but also adapts such stereotypes as normal.
Infidelity
The concept of infidelity is prevalent in society, but a spouse, mostly men in the shows, is involved in an extramarital affair with an Islamic justification that ‘they can marry more than once’ is overdone.
This trend has been sold well in dramas like ‘Bewafa’, ‘Mere Pass Tum Ho’, ‘Khaas’, ‘Daasi’ and ‘Dil-e-Muztar’. Adding more to the horror is the fact that the cheating spouse is forgiven and accepted back with open arms. How bizarre.
Forced Marriages
Without a doubt, the Pakistani nation is obsessed with marriages but unfortunately, writers have used this ritual only to create controversial content. There is one particular track in every drama where someone is forced to get married. Resultantly, the narrative becomes predictable for the viewers, they know the consequences will lead the couple towards divorce. To name a few, ‘Muqaddar’, ‘Gul-e-Rana’, ‘Waada’, ‘Thora Sa Haq’ and ‘Zebaish’ normalized forced Nikkah.
Sister Rivalry
It first started in ‘Maat’ and the rest followed suit. A bond that is meant to be loving and caring towards each other was horrifically portrayed. Jealousy making siblings eyeing their brothers-in-law to seek revenge. The toxic concept is difficult to comprehend.
Introvert vs Extrovert
This formula seems to have picked up pace in the run-of-the-mill list. Aima – Aiza from ‘Miraat-ul-Uroos’, Samra – Ifrah from ‘Qayamat’ and Fajr – Noor from ‘Aakhir Kab Tak’ had this thought process in common.
The introverts are ready to go beyond the jurisdictions to keep their loved ones happy, even if they are asked to marry the wrong person. On the contrary, extroverts, who are deemed bold and blunt, often take advantage of introverts.
Black Magic
Another disturbing aspect of many dramas is the presence of black magic. It is undeniable but depicting it as an alternative to achieve personal gains and ruining the lives of others is awful.
‘Nazr-e-Bad’ and ‘Dareecha’ are some of the examples that shook us to the core. The adverse effects of practising black magic are concerning. One wonders how much inspiration it has given viewers at home through this depiction over many years. Let’s not forget viewers follow dramas and the characters religiously. Why not show them something positive?
Wrong Representation of Rich and Poor
Connected to society is the absurd representation of the rich and poor. In almost every serial, the implication of a rich woman is her lavish apparel and rude behaviour. The poor, on the other hand, is the one with ordinary clothes with dupatta constantly over her head.
An example would be the drama ‘Sabaat’, where Miraal, played by Sarah Khan, comes from an elite family, hence she only wears western clothes and Mawra Hocane’s character Anaya is from a middle-class family, therefore she always wears eastern clothes and a dupatta on her head.
Final Word
There is a need for constant watch by the scriptwriters, channels and producers to put a full stop to such regressive content. The creators should evaluate the right kind of content before a drama airs at prime time. In a way, they are giving values and ideas to the masses, especially the youth, that will take a practical shape in their lives.
HUM TV’s drama ‘Parizaad’ is an adaptation of Hashim Nadeem’s famous novel based on a social romantic story of a poor middle-class boy. It is directed by Shehzad Kashmiri and produced by MD productions. The cast of this show includes Ahmed Ali Akbar, Nauman Ijaz, Yumna Zaidi, Urwa Hocane, Saboor Aly, Adnan Tipu Shah, Leyla Zuberi, Syed Muhammad Ahmed, Ushna Shah, Mashal Khan, Nadia Afgan, Kiran Tabeer, Madiha Rizvi, Malik Hamid Raza, and many more.
The Writer’s Revelations
The writer of the novel and the show, Hashim Nadeem, recently revealed some details about the drama. Turns out that ‘Parizaad’ was actually written as an experiment, much like his previous show ‘Ishq Zahe Naseeb’.
Hashim Nadeem is a Pakistani-Urdu novelist, drama writer and poet. ‘Khuda aur Mohabbat’, ‘Dhaani’, ‘Raqs e Bismil’, ‘Visaal’ are some of his renowned works that we have already seen and appreciated.
The writer said that the “channel was again reluctant and afraid of showing an offbeat man-oriented plot” with ‘Parizaad’. “
Parizaad, the protagonist who is born and raised in an underprivileged family, is always mocked for his dark complexion. The drama has successfully shed light very artistically on a range of issues that are embedded in society.
Casting Choices
Hashim Nadeem also revealed that Ahmed Ali Akbar, who is now playing the main leading character of Parizaad, was not the first choice for this casting. However, according to him: “Ahmed Ali Akbar proved himself as the ultimate choice for the role of Parizaad.”
Ahmed Ali Akbar is previously known for his work in ‘Ehd-e-Wafa’ and ‘Tajdeed-e-Wafa’. He is now getting a lot of recognition because of his performance in ‘Parizaad’ and has been lauded for his method of acting.
‘Qayamat’ actress Neelam Munir was also supposed to play Naheed’s role that is played by Ushna Shah, who has been well received for her performance.
The drama ‘Parizaad‘ with a stellar cast is gaining popularity with each episode.
