Is ‘Fitrat’ just a package of flashbacks?

January 29, 2021

We discovered a drama serial playing on Geo Entertainment that makes for a rather interesting case study of viewing preferences and how easily the Pakistani audience can be misled. A 7th Sky Production, as almost all Geo Entertainment dramas are, Fitrat started airing on the channel on 2nd November 2020. The show airs new episodes every day which means by this very moment we write this piece, Fitrat has crossed over 90 episodes since it premiered almost three months ago.

A very quick search of the drama’s title on Youtube brings up the list of episodes officially uploaded on Geo Entertainment’s Youtube channel. We noticed that every single episode of the drama averages around four million views. For a daily show that uploads a new episode seven days a week, having four million people tune in on Youtube to watch the drama’s new episode regularly and diligently every day is a feat worth boasting about.

Daily dose of flashbacks

So, what makes Fitrat a drama worth making a case study out of? It is just another drama that fetches high online views and ratings for the channel as do many of its other dramas. But here’s the catch: Fitrat is objectively not a good drama and this is something that its own audience has been complaining about for quite some time now.

Being a daily drama, it is no surprise that Fitrat tends to rely on gimmicks like lengthy episode recaps and extensive flashbacks to stretch out 40-minute-long episodes every day. However, after stretching a story that could’ve easily been wrapped in 25-30 episodes to 90+ episodes, it is quite clear that the show no longer has enough content to be able to give us new episodes every day. Hence, the drama now solely relies on the flashbacks and soundtrack montages and gives very little content in the episode that could actually push the story forward. And this has not gone unnoticed by the drama’s loyal viewers.

Audience views

The comment section on Youtube under the drama’s episodes are full of annoyed viewers complaining about how Fitrat’s episodes are just 10 minutes of recap + 15 minutes worth of flashbacks and soundtrack montages and 12-15 minutes worth of actual episode. Viewers also leave comments saying how they finish the 40-minute-long episode within 10 minutes because that’s just how long the new content in the new episode is. The viewers’ displeasure with the drama could not be more evident than this and yet, the stability of the drama’s online views hasn’t been threatened. In fact, Fitrat’s new episode gets 1+ million views within 4-6 hours of it being uploaded. By contrast, dramas like Dunk and Raqeeb Se aren’t as fast getting those views.

Fitrat started on a decent enough note. It is a story about this beautiful and desirable woman who is basically a selfish “gold-digger” who thinks about no one in the world but herself. She schemes her way into the heart and lives of rich men, marries them for money, and then unable to control her restless “fitrat” (nature), she loses interest in them and goes in search of a partner. The plot of the drama revolves around this one character, the people connected to her, and how their lives are affected because of her.

This storyline seems to really interest the Pakistani audience, especially how the leading actress Saboor Aly plays her role. With her flawless depiction of such a strong character, she manages to grab on to the viewers and make them yearn to know what her next move will be. She shows the characters’ ambitious yet evil side to the best of her talent and she has surely done so right. The increasing views with each episode are proof enough.

Regardless, Fitrat seems to be approaching its end but we are not completely sure because the drama tends to introduce new tracks and resolve them either too quickly or not fast enough. However, we are sure of one thing and that is that Fitrat has discovered a new way of hooking the audience to it with this new formula of having a daily episode drama airing at prime-time. The promise of “new content” every day will get the viewers tuning in daily to consume their daily dose of entertainment. Fitrat is very close to hitting a century; a hundred episodes and we’re wondering how much more we will continue seeing this drama on our screens.

Here’s what we think of ‘Raqeeb Se’ so far

Ozair Majeed

January 28, 2021

New year, new dramas; the year 2021 has started on a positive note as far as the entertainment quotient is concerned. Raqeeb Se is HUM Television’s latest offering that features an interesting mix of actors. From bigwigs like Noman Ijaz and Sania Saeed to new age sensations Iqra Aziz and Faryal Mehmood. The play also marks the acting debut of the singing sensation Hadiqa Kiani. Appearing to be a unique tale of romance, conflict, and domestic violence, Raqeeb Se is an enthralling ride that transports viewers to an era that they have read about in novels.

Premise

The premise opens with Sakina (Hadiqa Kiani) along with her daughter Ameera (Iqra Aziz) who checks in with her ex-lover Maqsood (Noman Ijaz) to seek shelter from her husband . As the story progresses, we learn that Sakina left her husband because of domestic violence and doesn’t want Ameera to face the same torture as she did. Interestingly, Maqsood’s current wife Hajra (Sania Saeed) and daughter (Insha) Faryal Mehmood were well aware of Sakina and Maqsood’s love story and didn’t seem to be troubled by it. Will Maqsood allow Sakina to stay at his place or send her back to her village? This situation develops the rest of the story.

Directions and story

Kashif Nisar (the director) introduces his lead character very soon after the first episode just started, though done with simplicity so that viewers can understand the unsaid background of the story effortlessly. Watch out for sequences in which Hajra help Sakina take care of her wounds, and when Insha convinced her mother to send Sakina back to her village, or Ameera’s confrontation with Maqsood. Each scene acted as a grenade and left a lasting impact. The women-centric narrative by Bee Gul moves with poise; the characters exuberate elegance and dignity that is a rare thing to witness on television these days.

Great performances

Talking about the performance, Sania Saeed plays her character Hajra brilliantly. She’s a woman of strength and courage, never complaining about her husband’s past marriage. Noman Ijaz holds well as the only man surrounded by this many women. Faryal Mehmood is effortless as the tomboy girl; her scenes with Sania Saeed were simply outstanding. Iqra Aziz is back with a bang, post the debacle of her last outing ‘Jhooti‘. She brings soul to Ameera, shedding her inhibitions to look the part.

The surprise we got from Raqeeb Se is indeed Hadiqa Kiani and how talented she is. Playing such a strong character in her first attempt, Hadiqa managed to deliver gestures, dialogues and adapt a dialect certain to the village she belongs to, with such dedication and so well. We almost forgot this is her debut as an actor.

Verdict

To sum up, Raqeeb Se is poetry in motion; a drama that will get interesting and intriguing with each passing episode. The moving performances by the lead cast are certainly the main hook of the play. Raqeeb Se airs every Wednesday at 8pm on HUM TV.

Homecoming: Your favourite stars are coming back to television!

Maisooma Batool

January 27, 2021

Pakistani television continues to thrive and reach new heights of success. There is no better proof of this statement than the year 2020. When almost the entire entertainment industry of the country had to temporarily stop functioning as they did their best to effectively adapt to the “new normal”, Pakistani dramas continued to entertain the audiences with new content.

This durable functionality of the Pakistani television industry even during a global pandemic has once again put the focus back on this industry as being the safest representation of Pakistani entertainment as a whole. TV is where the work, and the subsequent fame and safety it brings, truly lies. Perhaps this is why some of the biggest names in the Pakistani entertainment industry who had seemingly graduated from the small screen to the big, are now looking to come back to work on TV.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Pakistani television has showcased its reliability through the past few years, not that it needed to present any significant proof of its position as the reigning branch of the Pakistani entertainment industry. However, considering the upward trending graph of views and ratings that Pakistani dramas have been generating in the past couple of years alongside the critical success and the quantifiable data that backs up the claim, the wise ones realise where exactly the real power of the Pakistani entertainment industry actually lies.

Who’s coming back

For example, Mahira Khan. The “superstar” of the industry who hasn’t done a drama ever since Bin Roye back in 2016; although one can argue that since Bin Roye was a film turned into a drama her last actual drama is Sadqay Tumhare which aired in 2014, recently confessed at Hum TV’s 16th Anniversary Celebrations that she was ready to come back to dramas. For someone like Mahira Khan who has been doing back-to-back films for the past five years, this is both a surprising and yet the most obvious decision to make. No one really knows when the film industry will be fully functioning again. In the meantime, television isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it just continues to get bigger and bigger. Why wouldn’t Mahira Khan want to come back to the medium that shot her to fame in the first place?

Another example is Humayun Saeed who plans on acting in two dramas this year. Granted Humayun has managed to squeeze in dramas as he delivered one blockbuster movie after another. But for Humayun, films were a priority as he tried to release one major Eid blockbuster every year. This is the first time Humayun plans on concentrating more on dramas in the year instead of jumping from one film set to another. Considering the kind of rage that Humayun’s last drama Mere Paas Tum Ho was, this decision doesn’t come as a surprise.

Sheheryar Munawar and Maya Ali have also been absent from television screens for the past few years and are now back as leading roles in the drama serial Pehli Si Muhabbat which has already started airing on ARY Digital. The drama has received generally decent to positive reviews. Interestingly, Pehli Si Muhabbat’s director of photography is Shayan Latif, the man who has been the camera operator for the yet-unreleased and highly anticipated Bilal Lashari directorial The Legend of Maula Jatt. So, it’s not just the actors making their way back to television but the behind-the-scenes crew as well. A rumor about Fawad Khan coming back on television in a drama also floated around some time back. Nothing of that was ever confirmed but in case if it does come true, don’t be surprised.

Trending plots and OST’s

Pakistani drama soundtracks have been faring better than most original music being made in the country. Weekly trends on social media and Youtube are dominated by episodes of Pakistani dramas. The audience loves watching dramas; they love having detailed discussions on the dramas and actually building up a possible outcome of the story in their heads. The popularity of drama reviewing shows like Amma TV Aur Mein only goes on to prove that Pakistani dramas have enough content in them to warrant proper discussions and in the world of the entertainment industry, one is only as popular as the amount of conversation they are generating.

The currently reigning and the rising stars of the industry have all gained the majority of their fame and popularity from doing dramas only. Take Yumna Zaidi’s example. Being generally considered as the most talented out of the recent and active actors, Yumna has not done a single film yet. But that doesn’t seem to matter considering how in-demand and loved Yumna is by the Pakistani audience. Her dramas alone have given her enough credibility and popularity to secure her position in the industry. The same can be said for Imran Ashraf whose debut film might or might not release this year but his dramas continue to dominate and keep him at the top of the heap.

TV over films

Times have changed. A few years back Pakistani television seemed like a stepping stone for aspiring stars to get into movies. Remember the time when every other television actor was busy signing film projects and happily announcing them only for the said projects to never materialise? Now, television in Pakistan has turned the tables. Who can forget the way audiences flocked to the cinema screens to watch Mere Paas Tum Ho’s finale on the big screen? This immense power of Pakistani dramas; this power to dictate the medium on which they will air is very attractive. Spotlights tend to not stay on one person for long if they don’t give the audience new content to safely watch. Why would our A-listers continue to pass on television projects and risk losing their popularity and maybe even relevance?

Big writers, big directors, big producers, and big actors – they are all making their way back to television which started the global popularity of the Pakistani entertainment industry in the 21^st century. And it continues to be the most favoured medium of the global audience for consuming Pakistani content. Actors that solely stuck to dramas have become stars in their own right as the dramas they do rake in views in millions on weekly basis. The steadfastly growing drama reviewing channels on the internet is giving the drama actors, directors, and writers the attention they hadn’t previously received. New stories are being explored. Better characters are being written. Career defining performances are all happening in Pakistani dramas. Stardom hasn’t left television. In fact, it has latched itself more securely here than ever. It is an even playing field for everyone around here.

To conclude

Our movie stars who had really gotten too big for the small screen have realised this as well. The smart ones will make their return to television sooner than later. And the ones who miss out? Well, we hope this can serve as a reminder for them that the game has now changed and unless they adapt to the changes in the industry and audience, they might just find themselves being pushed back to the shadows.

‘Chaudhry’ teaser – A primordial ocean?

Hassan Hassan

January 25, 2021

There has been a severe scarcity of activity at the global cinematic front since the onset of the Covid-19 and Pakistani cinema bears no exception. The release of Chaudhry’s teaser trailer seems to be the only activity during this lull period. The film is based on the life events of Mohammad Aslam Khan, better known as Chaudhry Aslam. Tagged as Karachi’s toughest cop during his 30 years of service and regarded as a symbol of fear for terrorists and criminals, Chaudhry was assassinated in January 2014 in a terrorist attack.

As far as the teaser is concerned, a glamorous and brave cop who was martyred surely provides an excellent premise for some quality commercial cinema and the makers would have wanted to bank on it. Instead, the quality and editing of the minute-long promotional video leaves much to be desired.

The teaser trailer gives a sneak peek at the content of the film and hints at a product that aims to cater to the masses of Pakistani cinema. It features pretty much the entire cast of the film with a heavy dose of action and not so ornately choreographed dance sequences picturised on rather unknown faces. We see glimpses of Tariq Islam, who plays the lead and also happened to be a real-life cop and brother to the martyr Chaudhry Aslam. Joining him are Shamoon Abbasi, Yasir Hussain, Tariq Meraj, Amir Qureshi, and a host of new faces as the supporting cast. There is a shot featuring Lollywood diva Sana Fakhar too if you watch it in slow motion.

As stated earlier, the production values of the film from what’s evident from the teaser may not be the best of what Pakistani cinema has produced in recent years. The graphics and the editing of the teaser themselves look very primordial, to say the least. The treatment of the teaser is very raw and is heavily (and unnecessarily) peppered with dance sequences, probably to attract a certain niche. Azeem Sajjad’s forgettable directorial debut ‘8969’ had somewhat similar treatment in its trailers, albeit the canvas encases of Chaudhry seems better if not broader. Perhaps better editing of the teaser could have added a certain value to the film but for now, it fails to impress even a diehard Lollywood film buff.

The only saving grace visible from the teaser is the faces of talented actors like Amir Qureshi, Saleem Meraj, Yasir Hussain and Shamoon Abbasi.

The makers really have to prove through further promotional content that ‘Chaudhry’ as a film caries substance and is an apt tribute to one of the most beloved sons of Karachi. Here is hoping they live up to the requirements of this important task.

‘Pehli Si Muhabbat’ opens on a decent note

Ozair Majeed

January 25, 2021

The much-awaited drama Pehli Si Muhabbat premiered over the weekend after drawing tremendous hype for various reasons. One, Sheheryar Munawar and Maya Ali’s comeback on television after a long time. Two, one of Pakistan’s leading fashion designers Hassan Sheheryar Yasin (HSY) making his acting debut. Three, high expectations because of Anjum Shehzad helming the director’s hat. From its packaging, it’s all gloss but that may be just what the doctor prescribed.

The premise

The plot unfolds with two households in Hyderabad, Sindh. Rakshi (Maya Ali) is raised by her father Faizullah (Shabbir Jaan). A parallel track features Yasmeen (Saba Faisal) who has two sons Akram (HSY) and Aslam (Sheheryar Munawar). Aslam has been living with his grandmother in Karachi for some time. Yasmeen forces him to come back to his hometown Hyderabad as she fixes his engagement with her niece who also lives in Karachi in the same house as Aslam.

Rakshi gets the biggest shock of her life when Faizullah introduces her to his young new wife Nargis (Rabia Butt). Things go sour when Akram and the neighbourhood get suspicious of Faizullah’s marriage. They raise their concerns and ask him to prove the innocence of his wife, who we assume, was once a prostitute. After getting a befitting reply, Akram, along with his group of colony mates, attacks and stones Faizullah’s home in his absence. Aslam intervenes in the situation and asks them to stop or it would turn out to be a police case. Finally, in a filmy yet dreamy sequence, Aslam and Rakshi meet in the weirdest of situations.

Performance

Sheheryar Munawar comes up with a good performance. He is natural and effortless and carries out his part with conviction. Maya Ali does well; she is at ease with her character. Her clothes, hair, eyeliner, dupatta, kolhapuri shoes, jewelry, and bangles were on point irrespective of any situation. The duo has natural chemistry that translates well on the screen and makes for a promising start of a blooming romance, which is one of the major highlights of the drama.

Hassan Sheheryar Yasin, for a first-timer, does exceedingly well as an actor, however, it does seem like he’s trying a bit too hard to do justice to the character. But these are things one works on with experience which we are sure HSY will. Rabia Butt is the highlight of the episode! She gives an outstanding performance and plays her character so effortlessly, not to forget how expressive she is with her eyes which just brings more life to the character. We are really looking forward to her acting in the upcoming episodes. Veterans Shabbir Jan and Saba Faisal play their roles as well as they always have; true to the character with great delivery and expressions. Nausheen Shah was also there.

The hitch

The initial few minutes set the tempo and establish the characters. But things go downhill because of a cliché plot that doesn’t have much to offer. We have been subjected to such stories in the past numerous times. Also, the episode doesn’t really have a lot of ‘wow’ moments. Lastly, there were a couple of things that came across as strange.

When the entire neighbourhood questions and protests outside Faizullah’s house, that was pointless. He has legally married a woman and no matter what her background may be, no matter how close-knit the colony may be, nobody can really question a “sharai nikkah” but then we can’t ignore how much we generally love to poke our nose in someone else’s business.

The scene in which Aslam asks Akram to let him stay in Karachi and complete his studies here, his request is denied just because he can’t stay at his to-be in-law’s house anymore? That’s a little strange since it is also his nani’s house.

In another scene why was Nargis being interviewed by the women of the community “mohallay ki aunties” who have no right to do so? Yes, this might still be a norm in some areas of our country but to such extremes? Doesn’t seem right. Also, the execution of this particular scene had StarPlus vibes to it; exaggerated and sensationalised.

To conclude

The USP of Pehli Si Mohabbat is the performances by the lead actors and the scintillating chemistry they share. As for the first episode, it’s a lackluster start. Nonetheless, we hope that the upcoming episodes will offer enough substance to keep the viewers hooked. The drama airs every Saturday at 8pm on ARY Digital.

Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar to host his own current affairs show

Maisooma Batool

January 23, 2021

It is no secret that Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar is a man of many opinions. He has used both his writing skills as well as his position as a well-known media personality to broadcast his opinions on many topics; the most prominent being feminism. If the successful dramas written by the playwright offer the audience a glimpse of the philosophy he lives by; he uses the time offered to him on different talk-shows hosted on national television to unabashedly explain his philosophy in detail.

This no holds barred attitude of his often lands him into trouble with his large number of critics. The man has been “cancelled” by a wide section of society over his views. However, there is another wider section of audience who faithfully follow and agree with Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar’s views. It is this section of audience that gives Khalil Ur Rehman all his power and confidence. And now he is using that power to become even more prominent on television but this time not as a guest. As a host.

Public with Khalil Ur Rehman

Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar is all set to host his own current affairs show, namely “Public with Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar” on a private news channel, Public News. The show has released its first teaser which shows Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar using his signature loftiness. Judging by the teaser, the show is going to revolve around various political topics and how they concern and impact the “public” of the country.

Adnan Siddiqui lent his support to the writers’ new venture by posting the teaser of the upcoming show on his Instagram stories and encouraged Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar.

“Expect him to speak the truth as it is. Ruffle a few feathers politically and socially and shoot from the lip!” read Adnan Siddiqui’s caption.

Ace director Nadeem Baig, who has directed many Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar scripts, had also endorsed and supported this venture with a now deleted tweet.

It is quite interesting how despite being known for his problematic statements as well as a hard-to-work personality, Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar has been offered to head and host a show by an entity as serious as a news channel. Will Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar use this platform productively by being a genuine voice of reason representing the public against the various murky politics that runs rampant within the country? Or will he use it to yet again to force his strictly personal views by wrapping them in the cloak of objective truth on the audience? Only time will tell.

According to Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar’s social media post the show is set to air later this month on Public News.

Nabila’s classist comment leads to an Instagram feud with Eman Suleman

Vanessa Alam

January 22, 2021

Social media trolling is quite a norm these days, where “Insta followers” think it’s their birth right to leave nasty comments below anything posted by a public account where they can ridicule and misbehave; practicing their right of freedom of expression as they will. But what we do not understand is where my nose begins, your freedom ends.

It comes as no surprise to us, keeping in mind how noticeably vocal and unconventional the model/actress Eman Suleman is, that she too fell victim to such comments. However, we were indeed surprised to learn that it was none other than ace makeup artist Nabila herself.

Here’s what happened

Eman Suleman, known for her versatility, posted a picture on her Instagram donning a fabulous regale lehnga choli by one of Pakistan’s renowned fashion designers, complimented with perfect makeup, fitting jewellery and hairpiece giving a very “Miss Lollywood” vibe to her look. Nabila showed up guns blazing, bashing the hairstylist and makeup artist Fatima Nasir with classist comments for what she felt was a poorly executed hairdo, claiming it looked synthetic and took away from its regale styling.

“Great idea, executed badly”, Nabila criticised while adding, “specially the ‘ichra’ looking hairpiece. When the subject is so beautiful, it’s a sin to not up our game.”

Eman commented in Fatima’s defence and expressed how she felt it’s a job well done, something no “parlour” could’ve done – this being directed to Nabila having beauty salon aka “parlour” of her own.

Nabila continued by adding that she agrees but then went on explaining how Eman’s hair could be done better. We honestly feel she was trying to sound politically correct throughout but ended up sounding quite condescending. Keep reading.

Then jumped in Fatima herself, justifying her styling skills, and exclaimed how it’s easy to criticise someone’s work.

Nabila came back saying, “I see you choose to react and defend. All the best”. Like, what? We all have the right to defend ourselves and our work and Fatima did so with utmost respect for her senior.

Many followers and friends jumped in to add their two scents to this feud; some criticising Eman and Fatima for being disrespectful to their senior, Nabila, others to show support for the unjustly bashed makeup artist and model. Fatima, however, highlighted Nabila’s classist comment and how it seemed like the makeup mogul used the word “ichra” in a derogatory way, using it as an insult to undermine Fatima and her work. She also added that people forget what you say but not how you make them feel, which is quite true. Nabila fired back with a dishonest apology and asking to end the conversation. Eman politely asked Nabila to stop being bitter.

How it ended

Nabila left the feud after her apology but that’s not where it ended. Eman and Fatima’s friends Farwa Kazmi and Rehmat Ajmal jumped in, calling Nabila out on her arrogance and condescending comments and showed disappointment towards Nabila while keeping in mind her senior status in the industry.

Eman Suleman has now deleted Nabila’s comment while adding one of her own where she tells her followers she has deleted Nabila’s comment because she does not want to entertain such negative comments.

It’s a shame to see such established names of the industry give such distasteful comments on new artists’ work. Nabila’s dislike towards the hairdo could’ve been expressed in a healthy and polite manner but instead she chose unpleasant tones and clearly used the word “ichra” in a demeaning way. But honestly, so many renowned designers actually get their kapra from Ichra and other such markets. Some of our best finds are from Ichhra and Anarkali bazzars.

Was Nabila threatened by Fatima’s success or was she just simply expressing how she didn’t like the execution but unfortunately chose the wrong words? What’s your verdict?

‘Ghisi Piti Mohabbat’ ends its run with an empowering message

Hammad Akbar

January 22, 2021

At a time when our TV channels were filled with dreadful and monotonous storylines, Ghisi Piti Mohabbat was the respite that the audience was desperately looking for. Unlike its name, there was nothing ‘ghisa pita’ about the drama. It explored an unusual topic but thanks to the excellent writing, skilled direction and realistic performances, the audience could not help but fall in love with the way things were shown in the drama. The drama ended its run last night and needless to say, it was a fantastic conclusion that delivered a strong message.

A fresh storyline

The drama explored the unusual topic of a woman marrying more than once, which is still considered a taboo in our society. It revolved around the character Samia, a young woman who gets married three times. She was even ready to marry for the fourth time but she backed out after learning that her potential fourth husband had fallen for someone else. When he gets ditched, he comes back to Samia, hoping to woo her again.

If this were any other drama, Samia would have welcomed him back with open arms. But make no mistake, this isn’t an ordinary drama. Samia shuts him out and decides to start her own food stall which she later turns into a full-fledged restaurant. All three of Samia’s ex’s made an appearance in a flashback in the episode. It showed how much she suffered and what all she went through to reach her present point. But that was all in the past and she had a bright future to look forward to.

The final scene of the drama was especially important and empowering. It showed that women do not need to lean on someone to touch the sky. If they set their mind to something, they can do it on their own.

Another highlight of the last episode was that Samia hires transgenders to help with her food stall. In a society where transgenders are still ridiculed, this little message had a tremendous impact.

Strong female characters

Writer Fasih Bari Khan deserves a round of applause for writing such interesting female characters. Throughout the drama, the audience saw Samia going through various situations but she never relied on someone else to help her pave her way out. She faced those problems on her own unflinchingly. For instance, when she found out that her first husband Rizwan was in love with another woman, she didn’t stick around. Instead, she asked for a divorce and separated herself from a toxic relationship.

Similarly, whenever she was being harassed, whether on the streets or at her workplace, she showed everyone that she was not to be messed with. Ghisi Piti Mohabbat’s response to harassment is by far the most powerful amongst all other dramas that have highlighted the issue.

Both of Samia’s younger sisters, Asmara and Tashi, were equally headstrong. That one scene where Tashi was being harassed by an old man and she thrashes him with her bag was very powerful. Asmara also had to deal with her husband’s unexpected problem after getting married but she didn’t back out. Instead, she helped her husband every step of the way.

Splendid performances

One of the reasons why the drama resonated so well with the audience was because some of the actors appeared in never-seen-before roles. Ramsha Khan, who was criticised for playing a wooden character like Hamna in her previous drama Ishqiya, delivered her career-best performance as Samia in Ghisi Piti Mohabbat. Samia was a complex character but Ramsha translated that complexity onto the screen with such finesse that it would be hard to see her as anyone but Samia.

Most of the cast members in the drama appeared for only a few episodes but they definitely left their mark. Wahaj Ali, Ali Abbas, Shahood Alvi and Danial Afzal deserve an honorable mention here. All three of them are usually seen in ‘nice guy’ roles but in Ghisi Pitti Mohabbat, the audience loved to hate them. Saba Hameed and Sana Askari were perfectly annoying in their roles. Saba Faisal, Sajeer Uddin, Sameena Ahmed, Arshea Akbar, Aliha Chauhdary, Saife Hassan, Abul Hasan, Javeria Abbasi – all of them were in the supporting cast but gave their absolute best.

Ghisi Pitti Muhabbat will be remembered as one of the greatest dark comedy-dramas of Pakistan. The drama highlighted societal norms in a funny yet informative manner. It also set the example that given the right scripts to perform, our actors can knock it out of the park. If channels started creating more dramas like Ghisi Piti Mohabbat, then we are surely on the right path.

The trailer of ‘Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3’ builds up high expectations

Atiqa Ali

January 21, 2021

Ever since pictures of Feroze Khan and Iqra Aziz together on sets started circulating the internet, fans went into a frenzy. News of their upcoming drama Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3 excited fans even further as both the actors were to be seen in a new avatar. The trailer finally dropped today and it was worth the wait.

Storyline

At first glance, the trailer carries hints of another star-crossed lovers story where it all begins with Iqra extending a hand of friendship towards Feroze. The narrative quickly takes some dramatic twists and turns with Iqra becoming a distraught bride and Feroze turning to God, nursing his heartache at a mazaar. Iqra is seen visiting the mazaar multiple times after her marriage and fearing Feroze’s “bad-dua”. Feroze’s family is also seen mourning the loss of a son to the whims of “ishq”.

Cinematography

From the first shot, one of the most notable aspects of the trailer is the cinematography. While Geo TV is often criticised for always having over-saturated or too warm colour themes in their dramas, this time the same editing actually worked in their favour, adding an extra hint of drama to the trailer. Beautifully captured shots, dramatic entrances and the warm hues perfectly aid the narrative the makers were trying to build and bring us a finished product that has us anticipating the first episode of the drama. The very flow of the trailer is fast paced in a way as it teases us into the story without giving away any spoilers and leaving us on edge.

Performances

While the story, cinematography and general flow of the trailer was well done, the performances took center stage. In only three and a half minutes, Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3 has already established itself as one drama we must watch. From Feroze’s costumes to his whole majnu vibe, he is a jilted lover through and through. Every tear and every glance conveys the longing he holds for his beloved who is just out of reach. Iqra, on the other hand, has two apparent avatars.

At first, the happy-go-lucky girl and later, the daughter-in-law of a house with the kind of expectations she does not want to meet. From her bridal avatar to the burqa-clad appearances at the same mazaar Feroze is at, Iqra portrays her painful existence in what seems to be an extremely unhappy life with sheer brilliance. Junaid Khan, Tooba Siddiqui, Usman Peerzada, Asma Abbas and Hina Khwaja Bayat are also seen in glimpses playing their part in heightening the impact of the trailer.

Final Word

The trailer for Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3 has given us just the right amount of content to lure us in and it is safe to say that we will be tuning in for the first episode with a big bucket of popcorn and some pretty.

Here’s why Kubra Khan has been missing from our screens

Vanessa Alam

January 21, 2021

Kubra Khan has been missing from the entertainment scene for quite some time now. Last seen playing the role of ‘Husn e Jahan’ in Geo Entertainments drama Alif back in 2019, many rumours floated regarding the actresses disappearance; the biggest being about Kubra Khan leaving the industry after getting in touch with her spiritual side.

What’s next for Kubra

But worry not, as the talented actress is just on a short break and is ready to bounce back and has a quite a few interesting projects in her kitty. In a brief conversation with Galaxy Lollywood Kubra revealed that she is on a short break due to some personal circumstances, but you will be seeing me more of her this year.

While there is no confirmation on what new projects the actress will be signing, it is likely that there is an interesting drama in the pipeline, something Kubra herself hinted at when she appeared on ‘The Munshi Show’. But while there may be no confirmations on the drama end , Kubra certainly will be shining bright on the silver screen with her two films, albeit the fate of these films depends on the corona situation.

Two films in the pipeline

First up is the magnum opus London Nahi Jaunga which has almost completed shooting and one last London spell remains, which as per producer Humayun Saeed will resume super soon and if all goes well the film will be hitting cinema screens sometime in 2021.

Then there is Abhee where Kubra will be starring opposite Goher Mumtaz where she is not only going to act but will also be lending her voice to one of the songs for the movie as a vocalist.

But will we get to see her on television again? That only time will tell. However, one thing remains certain, fans will definitely get to see more of Kubra this year. For more updates stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood.

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