Tania:

Tania takes Shakeel to the guard's residence while dressing him up as a police officer. They interogated the guard about what happened with Mona, he responded that he didn't know anything and that the engineer would be after his job if he opens his mouth. They later meet a professor at the university whom they refer to as an engineer for their Taxila documentary, which they intended to present at international film festivals, and went to appeal for money.

The Engineer was appreciative of their work on the documentary, but when he heard the name Mona was mentioned, he became a little perplexed and curious as to whether she was attending university. He declined when Tania asked if he knew Mona, claiming that he had never heard of her. Tania began receiving threatening and abusive calls after she posted on social media about Mona.

Alia and Asfar:

As a benefit of her job, Alia receives a car and phone. When Alia refused to take it, Asfar reassured her that it wasn't some special favor offered to her; anyone in her position would have received it and it had been stipulated in her employment contract.

Agha Ji’s House:

Samia brings gifts for everyone at home. Agha Ji and Shammo were a little relieved to see Samia finally settling down at her house when she told them she also got things for her house when she received her first paycheck. Additionally, she assured them that Zareena's attitude towards her had entirely changed.

Everyone is a little taken aback to find Alia driving a brand-new car when she brings it home. But when she clarified that this is merely a perk of the job and they all seem convinced except Salman.

Agha Ji receives a call threatening to abduct Alia and Tania from an unidentified number. When Agha Ji confronts Tania about it, Salman defends her and asks Agha Ji if they were comfortable with supporting Deepak, how is it possible for Tania to not stand up for what is right just because the opponent is now a little more powerful. He requests that Agha Ji keep supporting his daughters, and he will take care of everything else.

Also, Agha Ji asked Thanvi to track down the phone number that was making the calls. They are reassured by Thanvi that he has identified the phone number and reported it to the police.

Saif and Samia:

Saif is asked by Zareena to take some time off from work so that he is able to take Samia for an outing. When Saif noticed of her changed attitude for Samia, he questions her If Shagufta had been in Samia's place, would she have said the same? He was disciplined by Zareena and told to stop speaking to that vile woman. Saif grinned and said he likes seeing fear on her face. He complains that she has always hit and punished him for the tiniest things since he was a child.

Samia decided to talk to him after becoming a little irate when he did not come to pick her up from her mother's house. She asked for his phone and the fact that why is he so stressed? She asks him, whether it has not gotten a little easier to breathe in this house, can't he see the change in his home and his mother's attitude? Saif, however, argued that he had grown used to of living his old life and would not accept the change.

At this time, Samia loses her patience. She goes to Zareena, who makes an effort to convince her and grants her ownership of her home and the freedom to make any decisions she pleases. Samia has likely had enough by now because she knows that nothing she does will make a difference. She told Zareena that she will finally decide what she wants to do, tomorrow.

Alia and Salman:

Salman feels a little insecure when he learns that Alia has received a brand-new car from her workplace. When he and Alia meet at the rooftop, he shares his concerns that Asfar is going to propose to Alia. Alia, however, made it clear to him that whatever he was thinking was baseless and that he shouldn't worry because she isn't even thinking about it as she already has a lot on her plate.

What We Think?

The biggest question we had about Alia having feelings for Salman was answered in the episode. We love how Salman stood up for Tania as if he were a member of the family, supporting her in her fight for Mona. It appears that Thanvi is finally winning Sofia over, and she may even decide to marry him.

However, Samia's marriage falling apart is quite heartbreaking, especially considering how much she has done to make things right. We wish Saif will realize his mistake and stop Samia from leaving. We adore the conversations between all the characters and how the most serious of subjects are handled in such an enlightening and practical way. We felt Asfar's feelings for Alia as well, which may cause some conflict between him and Salman.

What do you think will happen with Samia, Alia, and Tania? let us know in the comments section.

Written by Arieb Azhar and directed by Kulsoom Aftab, The River's Daughter is a project by All4One in collaboration with Insaan Culture Club in partnership with British Council Pakistan. Developed under the "Gender Ecologies" grant of the British Council, it highlights the plight of modern-day villagers no matter which province they reside in. It tells the story of a village community struggling to survive in the face of a mega-real estate project while implementing traditional methods of permaculture.

The relationship between Marui the charismatic leader of the village, and Umar the director of the real-estate project is a modern-day twist to the folk tale Umar Marui and makes you understand that not everything done as development can be termed as a positive step. The role of Marui is essayed by Amna Ilyas while Umar is being played by the versatile theatre actor Fawad Khan and together they recreate the magic on stage. If you want to know how they and the rest of the cast and crew were instrumental in making The River’s Daughter something worth your time and money, read along to find out:

1. A chance to watch Amna Ilyas in a whole new avatar

Those who had seen hit films like Zinda Bhaag and Baaji know very well that Amna Ilyas is one actress who can carry a project on her shoulders alone. However, theatre is not just a one-person job and here one has to take into account her co-stars, writer, and director in order to shine. The Good Morning Karachi was lucky in that regard since she got to make her debut alongside a celebrated cast as well as under the direction of a theatre veteran. She used those points to her advantage and owned the character of Marui who came, who acted, and who dominated the proceedings throughout the two-hour play.

She not only looked like Marui but spoke like the character; she not only seemed to be the most intelligent person in the room but was always ready for a challenge. Not for one second did it seem that she was delivering written dialogues when she spoke about Sindhu (the land) or nature because it felt as if she was speaking whatever was in her heart. Her Sindhi accent was spot on as well and if you fall in love with her character after the play, then trust me, you are not alone. The folk character has that effect on anyone who comes in contact with her and Amna Ilyas just performed it so well that she ended up mesmerising the audience with her new avatar.

2. Theatre veteran Sheema Kirmani, and Fawad Khan make their presence felt

The River’s Daughter benefitted from the presence of veteran theatre actress and director Sheema Kermani who played the role of the village oracle perfectly. She cared about Marui’s well-being as well as the villagers’ and that’s what made her important to all those around her. It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that her character was as important as Marui’s in the play because it was she who gave strength to the leading lady and helped her fight for what was right.

We all know that Sheema Kirmani is one of the most celebrated dancers produced by Pakistan but that somehow lessens her impact as an actress; one of the scenes of the play is worth mentioning here where she notices Umar and Marui’s interaction and gets alarmed, even though that interaction was harmless and in the presence of others.

The play would have not been this successful had it not been for of Umar, played by Fawad Khan, another theatre legend. The development of his character from someone who believes in his real estate project to a person who understands the impact of his dream project is the biggest transformation of the play.

Add to that his excellent performance as the arrogant, foreign-educated developer and you will leave the hall thinking of many such individuals who you might have met during your life who have nothing else on their mind, but their work. His speech on the launch of his dream project was something only an actor who has garnered experience over time would have been able to pull off, and he does that in an excellent manner. He was aided in his quest by versatile co-actors Vajdaan Shah, Samhan Ghazi, Umeza Irfan and Arieb Azhar, the playwright.

3. Arieb Azhar shines on his theatre comeback, debut as a playwright

The play also marks the return of Arieb Azhar to theatre who makes a successful comeback to the stage after 30 years. Not only did the play reunite him with his roots in the Dastak theatre group of Karachi but also gave the theatre a new playwright, one who could make his legendary father Aslam Azhar proud. His performance as the powerful landlord Tota Sain reminded one of the Bollywood actor Raza Murad which is nothing short of a compliment for someone who has spent years producing music.

Arieb passed the test both as an actor and a playwright and one must commend his ability to switch from music to theatre without any difficulty. Penning a thought-provoking original script instead of going for an adaptation was an intelligent step on his part and although a couple of his dialogues seemed cringy, without them, the impact of his villainy would have been less. (He was helped in this regard by Nasir Mehmood who translated the English script into Urdu).

4. Kulsoom Aftab is on top of her game as the director

Kulsoom Aftab is no stranger to direction and has been doing quality work for a number of years. Not only did she direct the play but was also involved with the development of the script which tackled a very serious subject in an interesting manner. It was commendable the way she handled the double-storey set or carried the musicians who doubled as actors while the credit for improving the actor’s mannerisms, dialogue delivery, and postures must also be given to her.

In the fast-paced modern world, a play with a message is sometimes considered boring but kudos to Kulsoom Aftab and her team, they borrowed the romance from the Umar Marui folktale and incorporated it well without going overboard. The moment where Umar and Marui both fall in love with each other reminded me of the scene from Subhash Ghai’s Karz where the romantic pair of Rishi Kapoor and Tina Munim felt alone in a room full of people because, for them, there was no one else around. To pull that kind of a scene on stage is only something a visually alert person could do and Kulsoom Aftab and her team deserve applause for that.

5. Live folk music is as important as a character in this thought-provoking play

Arieb Azhar might not have done a lot of work in theatre but when it comes to music, he hardly has any competition. He uses his musical prowess to insert folk music in the play which acts as a bridge between scenes and serves as a breather as well. Since the music is played live, thanks to Mai Nimani Troupe, and Teekam Das, it entertains the audience rather than boring them to death and that’s what keeps them waiting for the next scene and the scenes after that.

On the whole, The River’s Daughter is one such play that every theatre enthusiast must watch before the Karachi run is over. The UK partner Yasmin Whittaker Khan from Insaan Culture Club hopes to organize dramatic readings of the English script in the UK next month and if the play does well abroad, it will bring laurels to both the team and the country.

Watch the play at NAPA Karachi from the 25th to 31st May 2023.

The Plot

We were introduced to Shanaya (Sajal Aly) in the first episode effortlessly playing the role of a dedicated journalist, working on promoting the rights of women and giving such brave ladies the coverage they deserve. Shanaya is courageous and is not afraid of going to dangerous areas in order to uncover a social issue. She has the complete support of her mother (Laila Wasti) who is working on various societal evils herself. Shanaya’s love interest in the story is the one and only business tycoon, played by Azaan Sami Khan, he is a successful, young business man who has been working hard to make a name for himself in the banking industry with the help of his father who is uber-proud of his business sense.

The second episode shows Azlan and Shanaya to be best friends as per his accord, it seems like Shanaya's love for Azlan as more than a friend is just one-sided as he does not believe in marriage and wants to enjoy his bachelorhood to the fullest. Upon his parents asking him to marry Shanaya, he simply refuses and calls her just a 'friend' and nothing else.

Azlan and Azka are on the way to become each others nemesis!

Azka and Azlan's interactions during each episode have been unpleasant to say the least, the first time their encounter ended up with Azlan storming off the dining table after he found what he believed was Azka's hair in his food. Azka's older brother Sultan is a cook at Azlans home and due to his recent foot injury, Azka and her mother have been his replacement. Azlans outburst made Azka upset and she began to cry, she vowed never to come back to the house but had to grudgingly accompany her mother to work the next day. Azka was given the task of cleaning and dusting Azlan’s room, his mother reminded her to be careful with everything as he was very particular about the whereabouts of his possessions.

Azka’s bad luck seems to be following her and while trying to smell one of Azlan’s perfumes she gets startled and ther bottle falls from her hands and breaks. Azka tries to hide it and makes a run for it but is met with Azlan and his mother who are just outside the room.

Yumna Zaidi Creates Magic On-Screen Once Again!

A firm believer in faith and fate, Azka has stolen the hearts of the viewers. Yumna Zaidi has created magic on screen again and has proved her mettle once more. Her innocence in Azka’s character reminds us of Mahjabeen from Pyar ke Sadqay while her determination and assertiveness remind us of her role in Inkaar. Yumna Zaidi's Azka is the perfect balance of how one can be just as assertive and sensitive as they want and should not have to be one or the other. Zaidi is a force to reckon with and we are anxious to see her share screen space with her fellow star, Sajal Aly.

What’s next for Ishq e Laa?

With two episodes on air, Ishq e Laa has us hooked with an intriguing narrative, although not much has yet been given away, we are excited to see Azlan head on towards a spiritual journey where he may let go of his elitist nature and ideals. We are yet to see how Azka ties into this love equation and whether Azlan will realise Shanaya’s love for him.

The fresh lead pair does a fantastic job

Usually new actors don’t impress until their third or fourth drama, but Haroon Kadwani impresses at first sight. Not only does he resemble his father Abdullah Kadwani in mannerisms and the way he speaks, there is something that reminds you of a very young Humayun Saeed as well. After all, he grew up in the company of the two friends who were once business partners and parted ways amicably to head their own successful production houses. Partnered with the very talented Sehar Khan, the two lead actors did a wonderful job as not only did they look believable as college students, they also shared crackling chemistry that kept the audience engrossed in the story.

The ‘veterans’ are not far behind

With Jawed Sheikh, Usman Peerzada and Bushra Ansari in supporting roles, Teri Meri Kahani was always going to be a roller coaster ride. While Jawed Sheikh maintained his image as a loving and caring father who was proud of his daughter Zara (Sehar Khan), Usman Peerzada, and Bushra Ansari excelled in their roles as well. They both are veterans when it comes to comedy and have 'been there, done that' since the 1980s. While Usman played the rich father who wanted his son Armaan (Haroon Kadwani) to take life seriously, Bushra was the mother who wanted him to enjoy his life. The second half of the telefilm belongs to these three who make parents out there understand that education isn’t everything, and understanding the kids must take precedence.

Saima Akram Chaudhry returns to Suno Chanda mode

Family entertainment is the best entertainment, and who better to understand that than the person behind Suno Chanda. It might not have been the first ‘Ramadan play’ but it started a trend that is going strong even today. The audience wants to watch a drama where there is a weird family member, a strict yet lovable patriarch, and neighbors who are as close as family, or as distant as an enemy, depending on the situation. She manages to keep the script young and trendy, attracting the younger audience as well as the older ones, that too on a weekend. Add to that the filmi touch and Teri Meri Kahani turned out to be something that we wanted, but weren’t getting on our screens.

Aehsun Talish continues to impress as a director

He may have switched ships, but Aehsun Talish remains one of the top directors in the country who can make anything happen, anywhere. From getting the chemistry right between all the actors to executing the plot perfectly in the second half, it was smooth sailing for the director. He knows the craft and that’s why it was a fun ride all the way with twists and turns, for the better. One hopes that he will continue the good work in the coming days, because we might need more such projects to forget Covid-19 and how badly it has damaged the cinema industry the world over.

7th Sky Entertainment keeps raising the bar

In a world where there are no cinemas, no new releases and social media is ruthless, 7th Sky Entertainment is raising the bar high with quality projects. Teri Meri Kahani is one such telefilm that gives the audience a breather from the depressing dramas that dominate our TV screens, and make us sad even on weekends. The 100-minute telefilm has everything one needs to relax – comedy, music and a message for all kinds of audiences. Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi need to make more such telefilms so that our weekends can be interesting, entertaining and above all, relaxing in the future.

The grand treatment given by the director to Hashim Nadeem’s script and the performances of all actors makes it something worth your while. Is it enough to engage the audience, with the story moving ‘faster than the speed of light’ (or a little slower, maybe!) that remains to be seen, but it does make your weekend interesting!

The Plot

Zohra (Sarah Khan) meets Moosa (Imran Ashraf) as per her promise to his mother, and tells him to leave her alone, if he loves her and that’s exactly what he does. However, he stays on the edge since the meeting and is suspicious of all, including his brother’s wife Sakina (Anoushay Abbasi). Unknown to her, he was tracking her every move and that’s what saved her when he arrives in time to rescue her from friends of her beau Kamran (Taha Humayun). Before leaving, Moosa shot all three in their legs and was arrested for attempted murder later that night.

However, he doesn’t tell anyone who the girl with him was in the jeep and that transforms Sakina from a 'Moosa Hater' to a 'Moosa Worshipper'. With him in jail, and his family banished from meeting him by his father Pir Qudrat Ullah Shah (Mahmood Aslam), his prospective in-laws decide to call off the engagement that disturbs Sitara (Faria Hasan). On the other hand, Malik Sheheryar (Furqan Qureshi) is using everything in his powers to convince Anna Jee (Gul e Rana) that he is the best person to marry Zohra, even if it takes kicking them out of their house!

The Good – Imran Ashraf, Anoushay Abbasi, and Mehmood Aslam steal the spotlight!

Imran Ashraf is the star of the tenth and eleventh episode, where he transforms from a lost lover into an angry young man, in the mold of Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha. Remember Kaala Patthar where Shatrughan’s Mangal saves Neetu Singh’s character from an assault? Moosa’s scene had the same impact minus the dhishoom dhishoom, and while Neetu’s Channo falls in love with her rescuer, Anoushay Abbasi’s Sakina starts worshipping her brother-in-law for his act. The anger in his eyes, the sorrow in his heart from Zohra’s rejection is real, and he unloads it all on the three guys who thought Sakina was a damsel in distress.

Talking of Anoushay Abbasi, the actress manages to share the spotlight with the protagonist and makes you sympathize with her character despite her intentions to leave her loving husband. From a defenseless girl stuck in unwanted surroundings to a sister who had the back of her brother-in-law, her expressions were priceless. Her questions after being rescued had the genuineness required from her character and it was then and there that her mind switched loyalties, something that was visible throughout the episode.

And then there is the breathtakingly beautiful Sarah Khan who makes the audience fall in love with her again and again; Momin Saqib as the younger brother impresses with his powerful acting and the scene where he receives a phone call from his wife is executed well. However, Mehmood Aslam manages to show his class as the father who has been repeatedly disappointed by his elder son, and doesn’t want to be known as his dad anymore. He continues to impress in his non-Mehmood sahib roles and makes you wonder where he would have been, had he stuck to dramatic roles only!

The Bad – In an attempt to win the race, you miss some steps!

Faria Hasan Sitara doesn’t come across as someone Moosa would choose over Zohra; she is a beautiful girl who lights your screen in TV commercials but here she comes out as a contender, not a competitor. Also, Taha Humayun’s Kamran is shown as a normal person, who wants to elope with his girlfriend but has to look after his aged parents as well. However, the way his character has been portrayed, it comes out as a weak guy, with sleazy friends. And finally, if Moosa had shot the three guys in their legs, why didn’t they answer the phone or call for help? Did they unlock their phones with their legs? Had they used their hands (and their brain), they might not have been in a critical situation as they turned out to be, and Moosa might have still been roaming around as a free man!

The Verdict – Raqs e Bismil blesses your Friday like no other play!

The credit of Raqs e Bismil’s success goes as much to Wajahat Rauf as to Hashim Nadeem; produced by his wife Shazia Wajahat and featuring the best actors in the industry, the drama keeps getting better every week. One must mention the astounding OST and the background score that keeps enhancing the quality of the visuals and grabs the audience’s attention. With film actress Zara Sheikh and veteran actor Rashid Farooqui to make their entry in coming weeks, the play will become grander and more interesting.

Maya Ali & Sheheryar Munawar's sizzling chemistry

Ever since they appeared together in Paray Hut Love a couple of years back, people have been talking about Maya Ali and Sheheryar Munawar’s chemistry that was visible on the big screen. However, it is hard to bring the same intensity to TV, but the two actors have done a commendable job, considering they are themselves returning to TV after a long gap. Sheheryar plays the carefree lover boy, who is engaged to his cousin but falls in love with his neighbor portrayed by Maya Ali, who has a lot on her plate. She has to deal with her stepmother who is not from a respectable background, a father who has to answer the neighborhood for the marriage and her beau who follows her on foot or on a motorcycle, whatever is available. The scene at the park was nothing short of a filmi moment the two actors shared, and gave the love-deprived viewers something to remember by!

A ‘changed’ Hassan Sheheryar Yasin is a delight to watch!

You may know him as the leading fashion designer Hasan Sheheryar Yasin, or the host of one of the most talked-about Talk shows ‘Tonite with HSY’, but here, he is in a different avatar altogether. He plays the elder brother of the carefree Sheheryar Munawar, as well as the Moulvi who bullies others in the name of religion. From his wife to mother, brother to neighbor, he meddles in every other person’s life and then tells them what to do, and what not to do in light of Islamic teachings. He may be right on occasions but his confrontation with his mother (Saba Faisal) make you realize that she may be more right than him. That HSY has managed to shed his own carefree image and become a different person altogether is in itself an achievement that he should be proud of.

The ‘girls’ are a treat for sore eyes!

And then there are the girls, besides Maya Ali, who dominate whichever scene they are in. From Rabia Butt who plays the ‘notorious’ new woman in the life of Rakhshi’s father (Shabbir Jan), Saba Faisal who plays their neighbor, and Uzma Hassan who is her daughter, everyone has a significant place in the plot. While Rabia Butt’s Nargis has to prove her loyalty to her stepdaughter and husband, Saba Faisal’s character has to balance her life as a mother to three children who are poles apart when it comes to their personalities. And Uzma Hassan’s character holds the key since she has been through the exact situation through which her youngest and most favorite brother is passing currently. They all are fabulous actors and with Anjum Shahzad at the helm, their performances have been first-rate; especially the scene where Nargis confronts her opponents while she was buying vegetables from a vendor!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pehli Si Mohabbat Drama Serial (@pehlisimohabbat)

The magic of Anjum Shahzad returns to ARY!

There is hardly any director around who has more hits to their name than Anjum Shahzad, who has been around for a long time. He started his career ‘Bobby’ in Family Front and then migrated to behind the camera where he has excelled ever since. From Hum Sab Umeed Se Hain to Darr Khuda Se, his body of work features hit dramas like Mora Piya, Mirat-ul-Uroos, Rang Laaga, Khuda Aur Mohabbat, Satrangi, Khaani, and Romeo Weds Heer to name a few. He was absent from ARY Digital for a few years but makes a brilliant comeback with Pehli Si Mohabbat where he brings the class of Khaani, the comedy of Romeo Weds Heer and the romance of Khuda Aur Mohabbat to give the viewers something they were missing dearly on TV. He may not have used his usual actors in the play but whoever he has cast and directed, has come out as a force to reckon with.

The background score is to die for …

Ali Zafar is a king when it comes to OSTs, as we still remember his Ehd-e-Wafa OST that aired last year and became a rage. The best part about his rendition is the fact that it can be used in both sad and happy situations, and that’s exactly what the director does in Pehli Si Mohabbat. Whenever there is the need of the OST in the background, it magically arrives and makes the mood lively or dark as per the requirement. He may not have acted on TV for a long time but his vocals come out as a separate character who links the audience and the characters they are watching together.

Following the meltdown Hoorain (Sonya Hussayn) had at home, her condition became highly unstable and Asfandyar (Sami Khan) had to take the difficult decision of admitting Hoorain into the psychiatric hospital where they would be treating her for her schizophrenia. Asfandyar pours out his feelings to his best-friend and talks about how worried he is for Hoorains health and whether she would be able to get better. Fortunately, Hoorain requests the nurse for a phone call and speaks to Asfand over call. This episode finally gives us hope that Hoorain is definitely on her way to recovery, instead of fighting with the medical staff, she seems to be co-operating with them and also asks for her medicine on time. On the other hand, Hoor’s father asks Warda’s (Ghana Ali) husband to take her back home. He then requests his wife and daughters to improve their relationship with Hoorain and end their differences too. After a long time coming, Hoor's mother realises the grave mistake she’s made in understanding her youngest daughter and visits her at the hospital. A bitter-sweet moment is shared between Hoor and her parents, her mother apologises profusely for how Hoor was treated all her life. Back home, Naimal decides to fight back her older sister after they had a confrontation earlier. She begins her vengeance by agreeing to the marriage proposal sent by Sufyan.

Brilliant Performances by the cast of Saraab make the drama a must watch!

Sonya Hussayn is Acing her Role as Hoorain!

Saraab covers the difficult topic of mental illness which the society in general does not accept easily. The drama tackled this genre in the most spectacular way, the winning scene would have to be Hoorains mother finally realising the mistake she had made with her daughter and how things could have been different for Hoorain if mental illness was treated equally as important as we treat any physical ailment. It was heart-wrenching for Hoorain to be apologising to her parents for something she has no control over, Sonya Hussayn is seen in the most deglamorised role in Saraab and she has absolutely nailed each performance with utmost grace and finesse.

Sami Khan gives an Applaud- Worthy Performance

Sami Khan as Asfandyar, Hoorain’s knight in shining armour broke down in Saraab ‘s latest episode and it was heartbreaking to watch! Saraab gave us the chance to see Sami Khan perform one of his best, be it the caring and loving husband to Hoorain or the vicious and manipulative hallucination that she imagined in her mind. His expressions changing within a split second were a treat for the sore eyes.

Saraab Sends Out a Strong Message for Accepting Mental Illness.

It is not often that such plays are made for the masses to watch. However, this was the need of the hour, awareness on mental illness is what should be shown on our screens and given exposure. Saraab has shown us how positively Asfandyar has taken Hoor's schizophrenia and accepted that it is merely an illness which needs proper care and medical treatment instead of believing in the supernatural mumbo-jumbo! Instead of typical in-law behaviour, Asfandyar’s parents have supported Hoorain’s condition and treat her as their own child.

Watch the next episode to know whether Hoorain is released from the hospital and will Naimal get married to Sufyan?

The Plot

After Moosa (Imran Ashraf) is humiliated and embarrassed in front of his family, his father Pir Qudrat Ullah Shah (Mahmood Aslam) nominates his youngest son Essa (Momin Saqib) as his heir, in front of Moosa’s future father-in-law who shows his concern over the sudden change in the proceedings. After finding out the reason, he consults his wife and is about to break off the engagement but Sitara (Faria Hasan) is adamant that she will only marry Moosa. In order to convince Zohra (Sarah Khan) to make Moosa forget her, Moosa’s mother (Nida Mumtaz) visits Anna’s place and begs Zohra to meet her son one last time and tell him to marry the person he is destined to. And then there is Malik Sheheryar (Furqan Qureshi) who has fallen head over heels in love with Zohra and wants to marry her. He even invites her to a party thrown especially for her, but Zohra isn’t impressed.

The Good – The story is gripping, the performances first rate!

Every actor in this drama is playing a character and you don’t see Imran Ashraf but Moosa, Nida Mumtaz but mother, Momin Saqib but Essa, Sarah Khan but Zohra, Mahmood Aslam but Pir sahib, and so on, and that’s what makes them all give their very best. The scene where Moosa and his mother had a discussion was amongst the best of the last three episodes, and if you forget the Mera Dil Bhi Aap Ka Koi Hindustan Nahi kind of lines, it was executed brilliantly. For a man who has fallen in love for the first time, and for a girl who looks like a vision even in a burqa, both Imran Ashraf and Sarah Khan make an ideal couple. He hasn’t loved anyone, and she hasn’t been hated by anyone; his upbringing kept him on a single track, her brought up resulted in her becoming a flawless beauty; he has to marry another girl his parents selected, she has so many admirers that she has lost count.

And then there is the other track, where Mahmood Aslam’s Pir Sahab is emotionally blackmailed by his sister in law (Juvaria Abbasi) so that he doesn’t kick Moosa out of the house. The scene where the father asks Essa to help him with his sandals, and Moosa to help Essa with his had a lot of meaning, but only for those who understood. The plot thickens with the arrival of Sakina’s beau (Taha Humayun) but how does it complicate matters remains to be seen. After all, Anoushay Abbasi is at her vengeful best as Sakina, and her mother’s reaction to her bitching is typical, yet entertaining. One must not forget Nida Mumtaz here for the way she carried herself in the house of Anna Jee (Gul e Rana) showed that she was from a royal household later, but a mother first the life of whose son revolved around her before she fell for Zoya.

The Bad – The editor needs to be more attentive while doing his job!

How Murad Ali knew that Zohra would be going to her university in her car when she herself wasn’t sure? That scene was a little too hard to digest, but a director can take creative liberty; Saleem Meraj’s character wouldn’t have been able to confront her in a public transport, and get away with it, right? Also, In the last three episodes, the one thing that was constant is the repetition of a few dialogues; it’s not like the dialogue was not asserted before, it’s as if the editor forgot to remove the second instance (or in some cases, the first one) just because he was not paying attention. The ‘Abhi To Main Ne Saza Di Hi Nahi Hai’ was there twice in two minutes, and so were many other lines that should have been chopped had the person assigned to chop them, had chopped them off.

Also, in some of the sequences, the camera movement or the camera placement was questionable; such as in the restaurant that becomes Moosa’s meeting point. One of the angles gave the impression that someone was watching from the keyhole when it was just an attempt from the cinematographer to be creative. The headroom in the mother-son clash in the eighth episode was too much, especially when the camera was on Nida Mumtaz’s character, and could have been rectified in the post-production, but wasn’t.

The Verdict – Raqs e Bismil keeps the viewers on the edge of their seat!

Raqs e Bismil doesn’t let you get bored for a moment, for the story has many angles, some of which aren’t explored fully yet. Will Moosa marry Sitara but still love Zoya; will Malik Sheheryar beat Moosa to become Zohra’s partner; will Sakina’s boyfriend rescue her from a forced marriage and take her away; will Moosa be restored to the rightful position as his father’s successor and/or will Essa develop the courage to tell his father that he can’t be the son he wants because Moosa earned that position. These are some of the questions the viewers want answers to, and in coming weeks one hopes that in the coming weeks, things will be clearer, and there will more points to ponder for the viewers. HUM TV must be commended for going for an off-beat play that revolves around religious families, as well as homes of fallen women rejected lovers and corrupt rich men who want what their heart desires, by hook or by crook!

This week’s episodes 5 to 8 made quite a development in the play’s storyline. A love triangle of sorts seems to be forming as it seems like Saim and the maid are slowly becoming too ‘friendly’ with each other. Sehar begins feeling jealous of Meera on different occasions and also voices her complaint to Saim indirectly for which he ignores Meera’s phonecall to make Sehar happy. On the other hand, Meera is oblivious to this and is living in her happy bubble. She and Saim announce they are expecting their second child to their families and everyone is ecstatic to hear the good-news. Sehars parents are facing issues of their own after her mother Shamim falls sick suddenly and there seems to be no cure for her condition. She then asks her husband Jamil to bring back their daughters to the village so she can see them for one last time as she lays on her death-bed. Jamil travels back to the city and reaches Meeras residence, but is threatened by her to leave or she would inform the police. He returns the next day and pleads with Sehar accompany him back to the village but she doesn’t believe him and he returns empty handed. Finally Sehar meets her sister Samina and confides in her about Saim’s flirtatious inclination towards her to which her sister advices her to flirt back. Sehar seems to have taken heed to the advice and has begun pleasing Saim by dressing up and cooking special sweets for him.

The Good

We love how Sehar's (Anmol Balochs) character has developed after the first week of the drama going on air. From a damsel in distress, she finally seems to have come in terms with her fate and has already begun aiming for the bigger picture.

Meera remains head-strong in trying to protect her maid from any harm. We loved Mashal Khans performance in the scene with Sehars father Jamil when she told him off for being a lying cheat and threatened to call the police on him. She acted fiercely and embodied a strong, independent woman perfectly!

The Bad

The over-dramatic acting by some of the supporting cast in the drama becomes a difficult watch such as Sehar’s mother and Samina's mother-in-law. It seems like the two keep screaming instead of merely speaking their dialogues.

There have also been some loopholes in the storyline as well, we found it strange to see Sehar’s father in town after running away for his life. Did he not fear for his life anymore when he came knocking at Meera’s house looking for Sehar and then going to Saminas house as well?

What’s Next?

We can’t wait to see what the next week of Khwab Nagar Ki Shehzadi has in store for us. Will Meera fall flat on her face for helping out her maid? Watch the next episode to find out!

The drama continues with parallel timelines being shown together. Sumbul, savera and the rest of the call-girls mourn Ramshas death. Sumbul overhears the Aunty, the doctor and Nizami making a deal of PKR 1 crore with Pasha in order to sweep Ramshas matter under the rug, unable to tolerate this injustice Sumbul decides to escape but unfortunately she is caught by the notorious Aunty Shamim’s henchman (Adnan Tipu Sharif) who then beats her black and blue, punishing her for running away.

Back to Naseem Zehra’s story, her father is accompanied by his manipulative friend (Naeem) Kashif Mehmood to pay a visit to the child’s principal at school. Naeem forces the principal to separate the co-education system in the school as he deems it is un-Islamic and is the root cause of the many evils in the society. However, he seems to fall flat on his face in the argument against the principal who gives him a befitting answer to every problem he raises.

The track showing, Sumbuls childhood as Allah Rakhee continues with her father attaining the loan they need in order to get their older daughter married. They begin the wedding preparations with zest without knowing that the boy Jamsheds’ friend steals some of this money and then the three boys run away to Lahore. On the bus while the boys fall asleep a man pickpockets all that stolen money leaving them with nothing. After having a mighty meal, one of the boy discovers they have no money and the two older boys run away leaving the innocent Jamshed all alone in a new city to fend for himself. This is where we are introduced to the dubious Baba Rakha who seems to have been watching from afar, he swoops in and pays the debts to the restaurant owner and then takes the crying Jamshed to a room where other boys are fast asleep.

Yumna Zaidi delivers a thundering performance as Sumbul!

Just as the title suggests, not losing hope is what Sumbul’s character is about. Although she knew how dangerous it was for her to escape, she still tried her best again even after failing a couple of times before. Yumna performs her character brilliantly, portraying a prostitute who definitely has a mind of her own and wants to be free of this life.

Yasra Rizvi’s Role Will Leave You Speechless!

Yasra Rizvi’s role as Sumbul’s confidante and the role of her elder sister is definitely what Sumbul needs as a support in this dark world they live in. Her dialogue in the episode gave us chills and left us speechless.

Kashif Mehmood Makes a Come-Back in a Villanious Role!

The veteran actor has made quite a comeback in this villainous role, as the cunning and manipulative friend to Naseem Zehras father. He not only stares at the little girl making her uncomfortable but also brainwashes the men in the society against women’s rights and their independency. Every time he comes on screen, you cannot stop yourself from hating his character, that is how well he embodies his role!

Thumbs Up For the Team Behind DNUTN! The drama is produced by Kashf Foundation which works towards empowering women. Dil Na Umeed to Nahi covers a number of topics such as prostitution, child kidnapping and the rights of a girl-child. It is directed by Kashif Nisar who has a number of accolades under his belt, while it is penned down by Amna Mufti.

What’s Next?

We are anxiously waiting for Noman Ijaz and Wahaj Ali to make an entrance in the drama and how they are tied into the entire plot. Will Sumbul try and escape again? Watch the next episode to find out!

The Story So Far

Ameera (Iqra Aziz) and Maqsood Sahib (Noman Ijaz) return from the village, awaiting them were worried Hajra (Sania Saeed) and Sakina (Hadiqa Kiani). Maqsud asked Sakina to apply for a divorce from her husband Rafiq Ali, she blatantly refuses and admits coming to the city was a huge mistake on her part. After listening to the recollection of events that happened at the village, Insha accused Ameera of making it all up and confronted her father on the issue. Maqsud’s revelation on how Sakina made sure he ended up in jail for two years was earth-shattering for Insha! Upon questioning her mother Hajra about it, Hajra had an unexpected outburst, Sakina then revealed the entire story, where she saved her own brother by falsely testifying against Maqsood for the murder of his younger brother. All of this happened 20 years ago on the night Sakina and Maqsood tried to run away from the village together. Insha is heart-broken after hearing this news and shares her thoughts with her beau. At the end of the episode we are introduced to Maqsood’s elder brother and Sister-in-law (Saba Faisal) who have come to find out why Maqsood went to the village after so long.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by RaqeebSe (@raqeebse)

An Unexpected Revelation Has Shocked Us!

This episode brought up the most shocking revelation of all time. Sakina’s false accusation cost Maqsood, two precious years of his life rotting in jail for a crime he did not commit. After knowing this piece of the puzzle, we are not sure how or why Maqsood has been in love with Sakina for all these years, even after how her lie destroyed him.

Hajra and Sakina share an amazing on-screen rapport which reflects during their scenes together. The legendary actors Noman Ijaz and Sania Saeed shared the scene with Hadiqa where she is told about her divorce, each and every dialogue and expression was outstanding by the three!

Hajra Finally Shows Another Side to her Personality

The ever so calm and poised Hajra surprised us with a different side of her personality, when she snapped in frustration at Insha, we are excited to see what Hajra has in store for us, her out-burst was not something we anticipated. Is it because she is scared for her future as the wife of Maqsood Sahib after learning that Sakina would be staying on indefinitely?

Faryal Mehmood And Iqra Aziz Give Power-Packed Performances!

The meltdown Insha has during this episode was shown brilliantly, Faryal owned this episode throughout, from her hard-hitting dialogues where she calls herself a ‘project’ to her confrontation with Noman Ijaz, she has definitely made her place amongst the veterans in this drama. Iqra Aziz performs with her comical dialogues amongst a team of characters that all have serious personalities. Ameera portrayed beautifully is bound to make you laugh out loud, from her cheerful dialogues to her bright coloured outfits, we love her bubbly persona in the play.

Will Sakina take a divorce from Rafiq Ali? Watch the next episode to find out.

https://youtu.be/WO8I_wFA29c

The Plot

Ever since Haider (Bilal Abbas) found out the truth about his fiancée Amal (Sana Javed), he wanted to opt-out of the wedding, and he did in front of his parents, and elder brother. The father (Shahood Alvi) refused to believe that he was being serious at first but when Haider refused to budge, he broke the news to his younger brother (Saife Hasan) who was about to leave for the venue with his dolled up family. Instead, they all ended up at Haider’s place where all Amal’s father wanted to know was the reason behind Haider’s refusal. Since he didn’t reveal what Amal did to the Professor, Haider opted to leave the house when his father banished him from it. He landed at a friend’s place who was leaving for Haider’s wedding and stayed there till the matter cooled down, i.e. if it cooled down.

The Good – It was a battle of veterans, which neither lost!

Shahood Alvi and Saife Hasan are two of the finest actors in Pakistan, and to watch them play brothers in Dunk is nothing short of a delight. In the ninth episode, they both clashed after the son of the former refused to marry the daughter of the latter, and sparks flew all around. Both the actors used all their experience to play helpless fathers, one of the groom who refused to go ahead with the wedding and one of the bride who had no clue why her fiancé was behaving strangely. When the dejected elder brother (Shahood Alvi) was done with his pleading and banishing his son, it was the younger one’s chance to steal the spotlight, and that’s exactly what he did. The way he told his other nephew to drop his family at home and with folded hands requested his brother not to accompany him to the venue was stuff ‘dreams are made of’.

Even when the elders were dominating the proceedings, Bilal Abbas gave his best in whatever scenes he had. There was a sequence where he shared a mother-son moment with Laila Wasti and the two had excellent chemistry that must have reminded some of the viewers of their mothers; the way his eyes displayed both anger and shock in Amal’s presence was priceless so was his last scene where he ends up in his friend’s house, and asks him to politely stop asking questions, if he wanted him to stay. He is a gem of an actor and must follow the path taken by the likes of Naumaan Ijaz and Shahood Alvi, if he wants to keep rocking his fans, otherwise, there are many examples of successful actors who went down the drain due to their foolish career choices. Sana Javed on the other hand carried the 'shock' expression in such a manner that a) she looked pretty in every frame, and b) she was in shock for whatever happened to her shouldn't happen to anyone else. But that's the way karma works, doesn't it?

The supporting cast led by Yasra Rizvi also didn’t disappoint and even though she had fewer scenes, she delivered a strong performance. It is a welcome change to watch Gul e Rana as a ‘good’ character for she made all hate her in Pyar Ke Sadqay and is doing the same in Raqs e Bismil. Salma Hassan, Tara Mahmood and Fahad Sheikh were also equally good and one must be ready for the 'mother of all twists’ in the next episode when Fahad Sheikh’s character migrates to the major league, from being in the minor one for nine episodes. One must also mention Waqar Ali’s OST and Background Score where Naeem Abbas Rufi’s voice does wonders, especially in the scenes where there is no dialogue!

The Bad – The strange behavior of the mother was not to be forgotten!

There was nothing wrong with the episode except for the fact that the mother’s reaction was similar to an animal in a Sherlock Holmes story. In The Adventure of the Silver Blaze, the master detective told the Scotland Yard detective that one must not forget the strange behavior of the dog that night. When the detective replied that the dog did ‘nothing’ in the night, Holmes was quick to point out that 'that was the curious incident.’ Similarly, when Haider’s father was sending him out of the house for refusing to marry his niece, the mother’s strange behavior was not to be forgotten, for she should have tried to say something, do something especially after Haider tried to tell her his ordeal in a cryptic way earlier in the episode!

The Verdict – Power-packed performances make Dunk a not-to-be-missed affair

With every passing episode, Dunk is becoming something of a modern-day classic; the first few episodes revolved around a sexual harassment incident that actually happened but later turned into the fight between good and evil, the good being Bilal Abbas’ Haider and the bad being Sana Javed’s Amal. Both the actors have done a fabulous job; the staring contest they had when he was descending the stairs and she was looking in his direction was worth a watch. With Shahood Alvi and Saife Hasan raising the bar higher, it would be impossible for even the people behind Dunk to match the explosive sequence, and unless something very out-of-this-world takes place, this episode would remain the best yet.

The Story So Far.

Dil Na Umeed to Nahi follows the story of call girls Sumbul (Yumna Zaidi) and Saver (Yasra Rizvi), they live in a house owned by an ‘Aunty’ and are guarded at all times. As the story progresses we find out Sumbul was abducted and sold as a child from her village where she was the innocent ‘Allah Rakhi’. Rakhi’s parents were ceramicists from an extremely under-privileged background who were also unable to afford their older daughter’s dowry and had to take up a loan for it. The present storyline runs parallel with the past and we are also shown another story of a little girl Naseem Zehra who loves playing cricket on the street despite her father (Noorul Hassan) forbidding her from doing so due to ‘Log kya kahengay’. Her mother (Samiya Mumtaz) offers her solace and shields her from her daunting father.

Back to the present, Sumbul raises her voice against the injustice she and the other girls are facing and tries to fight for one of the call-girl Ramsha who keeps being beaten up by one of their clients ‘Pasha’. Episode 4 ends with a heart-breaking scene where Ramsha’s dead body turns up at their house and Aunty ignores all of Ramsha’s bruises and insists she died of a heart attack, Sumbul creates havoc and questions Aunty’s authority. Savera takes her upto her room and asks her to calm down or she would soon be meeting the same fate as Ramsha’s.

The Good- Power-Packed Performances By the Cast Deserve a Thumbs Up!

Yumna Zaidi is known for her jaw-dropping performances, she fits into her role as Sumbul effortlessly, one can’t help but see the resemblance with her previous character ‘Mahjabeen’ from Pyaar Ke Sadqey in the scene where she is asked about why she went into the graveyard? She says “It was for helping out a donkey, why else?”. This is where you realise she connects the donkey to the pet donkey, ‘Tomato’ she had as a child in her village in another life she led as Allah Rakhi.

Yasra Rizvi plays the older call-girl Savera who treats Sumbul like her younger sister, with perfect dialogue delivery and expressions. We love how she handles the hysteric Sumbul at all times, saving her from the dangers that are lurking around them.

The child stars steal the spotlight in the drama, be it Allah Rakhi, Jamshed or Naseem Zehra. We absolutely love Naseem Zehra’s scenes where she questions her parents on why she isn’t allowed to play cricket or why girls should not run around and play like boys do.

The Hip Verdict: DNUTH is not to be missed!

This highly anticipated drama can definitely be called the underdog on Pakistani television right now, even though it may not be talked about as much as the rest, maybe because it does not have a jealous sister gunning for her brother-in-law or a typical love triangle that we often get to see. However, Dil Na Umeed To Nahi is a thought-provoking, superb watch with an intriguing story line and a stellar cast that is the cherry on top.

What Needs Improvement?

The production quality, overall transitions between the scenes and connecting Sumbul’s past with her present needs to be more refined, clear and easily understood by the audience. We must admit it was difficult connecting the dots, through the four episodes due to multiple storylines being shown together. With these tiny details being taken care of, the drama can be one of the most watched one in no time.

What’s Next?

After a heart-wrenching fourth episode where one of the call-girls’ Ramsha’s dead body was brought to the house, we wonder what Sumbul will do next? Will she rebel against the Aunty? We are excited to see how Wahaj Ali will be entering the story and how it will unfold further.

The Plot

With Chotay Malik (Hasan Ahmed) abducting Guddi (Urwa Hocane) so he could marry her, Adam (Imran Ashraf) rescues her after she tries to end her life, before her abductor could touch her. With Guddi recuperating in the hospital, Adam tries to take the law into his own hand and kill Chotay Malik, but the police intervene to arrest the murderer of Dr. Rana (Raja Haider). It was Qutubuddin who had the last laugh as he recorded the entire conversation in Dr. Rana’s clinic and handed the video to the police. The sudden death of Dada (Manzoor Qureshi) saved Mehek (Momal Sheikh) from the embarrassment of explaining who Shayan (Osama Tahir) was and that the baby she was carrying around was not Guddi’s but her own. And finally, Guddi returned to her home, all cases against her withdrawn, thanks to Adam and they happily lived ever after.

The Good – Love was in the air during the final episode

Dialogues were the key in the final episode where Urwa Hocane’s Guddi and Imran Ashraf’s Adam finally declared love for each other. It was romance without hugging each other or going overboard like in many of our plays, showing others that romance can exist without being cheap. Urwa Hocane looked like a princess from a fairytale and Imran Ashraf resembled Prince Charming who did no wrong; together they were a perfect couple and the viewers would like to see them again, in different avatars but with the same chemistry, they displayed in Mushk.

Imran Ashraf must be commended for resolving everything from Muqaddar Khan’s end, Shayan’s return to the same place where he was detained but this time with Mehek and Shameer, Guddi’s marriage to Adam, Chotay Malik ending behind bars for his crime and even Zuleikha’s whereabouts who was revealed to be in Karachi’s Darul Aman. Director Aehsun Talish’s swansong on HUM TV turned out to be an extravagant affair and one hopes he reunites with his team soon, so that the audience can experience something Mushky in the future as well.

The Bad – Some scenes could have been executed differently in the grand finale!

There were a couple of scenes that could either have been edited from the final episode or executed differently. There was no need for the Seher Khan – Raza Talish sequence that too at the start of the grand finale as no one was interested in the outcome. He abducted and sold her in the city to be an escort and she should have called the police instead of bombarding him with thunderous dialogues. Also, Dada’s death should have happened a few episodes earlier because in the grand finale it seemed like a job that had to be done.

The coincidence of Adam and Guddi having the same rare blood group (O negative) was also too much to handle and it would have been okay had the blood group been normal, and the suspense could have been put aside. It would have been the director kept suspense as to who witnessed the murder of Dr. Rana and in the final moments of the episode, Qutubuddin would have revealed to Chotay Malik who was behind bars that it was he who recorded the proceedings and sent it to the police, rather than his disclosure on the grounds of Chotay Malik’s property, in front of the whole family!

The Verdict – All’s well that ends well in the Mushk universe!

Many dramas in the past that began on a promising note couldn’t end the same way; Alpha Bravo Charlie is still remembered for Gulsher’s death that could have been avoided nearly two decades ago. Moving forward to the year 2020, well in Mere Paas Tum Ho, nobody in the audience agreed with Humayun Saeed’s death as they wanted Danish to live on forever; similarly, Danish Taimoor’s Sultan in Deewangi could have survived and become a better person after being shot; Faysal Qureshi’s Sardar Saif could have lived in Muqaddar too but no, the makers thought that the end they had was the best way to conclude the play.

They were wrong and thankfully, the makers of Mushk weren’t that delusional. They resolved everything in the best possible manner and that saved the day for the viewers who were expecting some loopholes, as always. What began as a mystery, suspense thriller ended on a romantic note with the most eligible bachelor in the playing getting hitched to the most beautiful single lady in the vicinity, and everyone was happy about it. Mushk might have ended but the viewers’ Ishq with it will stay for a long time.

The Story So Far

Rakhshi and Aslam’s love story seems to have hit a speedbump which came sooner than expected. The news of Aslam’s ‘baat pakki’ has torn Rakhshi apart with heart-break. Aslam continues to pursue Rakhshi, but she finally confronts him and calls him a liar and a cheat who is nothing but a mere ‘loafer’. Nargis (Rabia Butt) encounters two neighbourhood men who stop her from buying vegetables, she gets into a war of words with them, leaving them speechless. Aslam finally gets his chance of apologising to Rakhshi on the terrace, and he professes his undying love for her, thankfully she agrees. Their love story gets back on track and Rakhshi escapes her father and meets Aslam secretly in a park. The love-birds are giddy in love, Aslam confesses that he has always been in love with Rakhshi since they were kids. Akram (HSY) and Aslam get into a quarrel over Aslam visiting Faizullah’s shop, to which Aslam ends up in a fit of laughter. We are introduced to Aslam’s married sister Zainab (Uzma Hassan), who comes home for Aslam’s engagement ceremony, she reminisces of her life before marriage and thinks about someone she once loved.

The Drama’s Ensemble Cast Deserves A Huge Applause!

Sheheryar Munawar’s dialogues are heart-warming and we love how he stands up for Rakhshi against his friends' advice. Sheheryar plays the hero that every girl needs in her life. Maya Ali and Sheheryar make the perfect couple who remind us of our very own first-love!

Maya Ali fires up the screen in the first scene with her heart-wrenching performance, embodying someone who has lost their first-love. Her screams send a chill down our spine and we can’t help but feel her intense pain during this scene.

Rabia Butt acts flawlessly in the scene with the neighbourhood goons, her words were no less than a thundering slap across the faces of the two men which had them scurrying back to where they came from. It is safe to say that she managed to steal the spotlight with her power-packed performance and explosive dialogue delivery!

Saba Faisal plays the best mother we’ve seen on TV in a long time, she answers her son Akram (HSY) with true facts that not every mother would dare to say, we’re glad she is able to put her son straight instead of taking his side even when he is wrong.

Thumbs Up For the Production, Direction and Script Writer

Pehli Si Muhabbat has been produced under the banner of iDream Entertainment’s production house and is penned down by Faiza Iftikhar while the play has been brilliantly brought to execution by director, Anjum Shehzad.

What’s Next?

With the new character of Zainab introduced in the story, we are yet to see if as an older sister she would understand Aslam’s plight since she went through something similar in the past? Watch the next episode to find out how the story unfolds further.

![ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMuQ5ICrPvE

The Plot

Azaan Sami Khan plays a drifter who fails to gain entry into a closed restaurant, breaks into a song and sort of coerces the owner of the restaurant into letting him in and serving him food. The two poles apart people then end up having dinner together, and the song serves as a bond that gains strength from the beginning till the end. From being on the outside to the inside, Azaan Sami Khan tries all the tricks in the book – from using a pay phone, to pleading for food without saying much – but it was the song that did the trick.

The Good – The youngster doesn’t follow his dad but himself!

First of all, appearing in a music video did wonders for the youngster; in an era when music is either being done on stage or in OSTs, Azaan Sami Khan’s bold move to release an album (digital, hopefully!) and music videos might give hope to all those music enthusiasts who aren’t producing songs anymore. Secondly, the best thing is that Azaan Sami Khan doesn’t go the RD Burman way like his father did and came up with his own style that might remind the listeners of his talented father but not RD Burman.

Produced by Meghdeep Bose, the compositions look straight from the 1990s when romantic songs were the ‘in’ thing but hey, we do need a little love in our life so that we can break away from the hatred that consumes us. Azaan Sami Khan does a fantastic job as a vocalist, and makes one wonders why he didn’t sing any song in his films; maybe he wanted to surprise the listeners by coming up with something that suits his style, and if that was the idea, he has succeeded in raising a few eyebrows. Not many music composers would go for an orchestra these days and prefer minimum instruments but that’s not how Azaan Sami Khan works. Like his father, he uses proper orchestra and the best musicians in the business to come up with a debut song that will stay for the listeners for a long time.

Also, Mohammed Ehteshamuddin’s direction is first-rate and proves that an accomplished director can do anything from films, TV to a music video. He keeps his team together (DOP Suleman Razzaq) and delivers a music video that might go onto serve as a benchmark for youngsters out there. And yes, it is his voice on the radio at the start and end of the music video where he announces Main Tera and teases the other song in pure ‘Amin Sayani’ style that was again part of the lives of those who grew up in the latter half of the last century.

The Bad – The lyrics could have been a little better

The loss of his frequent collaborator Shakeel Sohail must have hurt Azaan Sami Khan, for the late lyricist wrote some wonderful songs while working with the composer. Be it Parwaaz Hai Junoon, Parey Hut Love or Superstar, Shakeel Sohail did the bulk of the songs and sadly passed away last year. Had he been around, Main Tera would have been written as a proper song instead of a song that targets teenagers and people in their 20s. That might be the same age group as the singer but a song with perfect lyrics caters to all, not just a few. Also, the sudden disappearance of the restaurant owner and the emergence of herself in another avatar will make you watch the music video again because it does look confusing at first.

The Verdict – Azaan Sami Khan makes his parents proud!

Azaan Sami Khan has been composing songs for a long time and those who have worked with him praise him for his professionalism. After all, his mother Zeba Bakhtiar was herself one of the most professional actors in the business, while his father Adnan Sami Khan still works hard to create songs that stay with his listeners forever. The youngster makes both his parents proud by coming up with Main Tera at a time when no one dares to compose music citing financial loss, unavailability of music channels and lack of sales for audio CDs. With his upcoming song releasing next month, one hopes that Azaan Sami Khan challenges himself and creates something different that will herald the return of popular music in Pakistan, and give hope to those who have the talent but not the means to make it to the top.

The Story So Far

Over the week the story has progressed quite a bit, from the care-free, independent and ambitious Seher (Anmol Baloch) she has undergone a complete change in her personality due to the circumstances in her life. After making sure her sister escaped the notorious mobster she was being forced to marry, the dangerous man Khalid insisted on marrying Sehar instead. She then ran for her life and her mother brought her to Meera and begged her to keep Sehar safe with them for a night. That ‘one’ night turned into days after Sehar’s parents escaped to the village in order to save their lives. Back at Meera’s household, Saim and her mother in law blamed her for her naivety, realising she had made a mistake and was taken undue advantage of, Meera apologised to her family. Khalid and his mobster gang broke into Meera’s house and tried to harm Saim and spoke about kidnapping their child, thankfully the police were there on time and arrested them. This turmoil led to Sehar being taken back to her home by Saim who was adamant that keeping this maid at home would be putting their lives and safety at risk. However, Sehar’s relatives refused to entertain her in their homes as they feared Khalid and his notorious gang. Meera had no way out but to take Sehar back home.

The Good – Mashal Khan Takes Charge!

Mashal Khan as Meera has to be the nicest person we’ve ever come across, even after being taken for granted by Sehar’s mother, she continues to care for her and is willing to fight with her family just to do what needs to be done. We love this strong, level-headed and sensitive Meera, and Mashal Khan has absolutely embodied this role to perfection!

We’re glad the play is not only about Meera and her maid and we get to enjoy the lovey-dovey scenes between Mikaal Zulfiqar and Mashal Khan who share a sizzling chemistry on-screen. The reel couple Meera and Saim celebrated their 8th wedding anniversary but are head-over-heels for each other, just like a couple of newly-weds.

The Bad – We Cannot Wrap Our Heads Around All The Helplessness!

Anmol Baloch definitely needs to stop crying throughout the episodes, is she as helpless as she seems or is this all an act that she is putting up? As the story unfolds, we do believe we will be getting to see a different, ambitious Sehar on our screens pretty soon.

Thumbs Up To The Team Behind The Drama

Produced by iDream Entertainment's Production House, and brilliantly executed by ace director Syed Ramish Rizvi. The play is penned down by Ali Moeen and Rehana Aftab.

What’s Next?

Will Khalid and his gang come looking for Sehar again? Will Meera regret helping out someone in need? Watch the next episode of Khwaab Nagar Ki Shehzadi to find out more.

The Story So Far

Raqeeb Se’s latest episode starts off with Iqra pulling off her father Rafiq who was strangling Maqsood Sahib with all his might. Ameera accuses Maqsood of forgetting his first-love Sakina, while she never forgot him in all these years. Back in the city, Hajra talks about her past with Sakina and tells her about her mothers’ murder by her own father. Despite hating each other’s guts, Maqsood Sahib and Rafiq speak cordially about Sakina’s future. Insha is busy setting up her future home with her beau and tells him about her father and how there has been no news from him since three days. Hajra and Sakina spend a lot of time together and Sakina talks about her son that died in infancy and how it affected Rafiq later on.

Finally Maqsood decides to travel back as he believes his work in the village is done, he asks Ameera to come back to the city with him but she flat out refuses his offer. The episode ends with Ameera changing her mind and joining Maqsud on the train.

The Good – Performances by the Stellar Cast Deserve a Thumbs Up!

Raqeeb Se has one of the most powerful dialogues on Pakistani television at the moment, each character, be it Maqsood Sahib talking about Sakina’s domestic abuse with her husband and forcing him to divorce her or Hajra talking about her own ‘sautan’ without a flinch has us totally hooked to this drama.

Hadiqa Kiani shines throughout the drama, it is great to see a different ‘happier’ side of her character during her impeccable scenes with the legendary Sania Saeed. Hadiqa’s dialogue delivery, expressions and body mannerisms are completely on point, and we can’t help but think about all these years we’ve missed out on her acting skills. This episode gave us a bonus treat with Hadiqa singing away in her melodious voice while watering the plants.

Albeit playing a supporting role in the drama, Faryal Mehmood has made her mark with her witty comebacks. She is the modern day, empowered woman who shares total responsibilities in the household, does everything from paying off bills to changing light bulbs, Faryal is playing a character that one truly looks up to. During a scene where her beau shows up at her house in the middle of the night, her acting had us in fits of laughter, as she kept widening her eyes and talking through her teeth.

Iqra Aziz plays the bubbly, loud and vivacious Ameera, who we’ve grown to love over the few episodes. We can’t wait to see how her role develops further on.

What’s Next?

We’re anxious to see what comes next in this story of long-lost love. Will Rafiq Ali divorce Sakina? What’s in store for Sakina’s future? Watch the next episode to find out.

The Plot

Since Haider (Bilal Abbas) found out that his fiancée Amal (Sana Javed) framed Professor Humayun (Naumaan Ijaz) so that he can be acquitted, he has been having sleepless days and nights. With his wedding day approaching fast, he is having doubts over Amal’s character, whose baseless allegation drove an innocent man to suicide, made his wife a widow and took away his daughter’s father forever. He wanted to confide in his family but they were all busy in the festivities, leaving him alone and confused. On the other hand, Saira (Yasra Rizvi) gets her hand on the suicide note her husband left, and couldn’t stop her tears from coming out until her daughter’s presence made her change her mind.

The Good – First-rate performances give Dunk the edge over others!

No other actor would have been able to play Haider better than Bilal Abbas; the way he emoted during every scene especially the distrust he showed on seeing Amal as a bride was just perfect. He knows that his fiancée did everything to save him, but was it the best way to handle the matter? Keeping him in the dark eventually made him turn towards the darkness, one that would confuse him about the past, present, and future. Sana Javed matched him every step of the way; every step she takes, every dialogue she delivers now seems dubious because she trapped an innocent man in a vicious manner and anybody in his right mind wouldn’t trust her if he knew the truth. In her mayun dress, she looked like a vision but all the smile and happiness in the world wasn’t enough for Bilal Abbas to fall in love with her.

And then there was Yasra Rizvi, who at times seems to be in the Churails mode and then in the Dunk mode. The Churails mode will go away in a few days but it’s the Dunk mode that has bowled over the audience. The scene where she tells her sister that she will not leave her house, and is in the mood for tea is so natural that you feel for the widow. Also, the moment she opens her late husband’s diary and starts reading it, that’s one of those moments that every writer and director wants to have in their checklist. She not only cried like a maniac who has just lost her husband but connected with the viewers as well, some of them must have shed a tear or two. The moment her daughter brought her water, she realized her error and stopped crying but by then, her fandom must have multiplied three times, at least.

The Bad – In the era of mobile phones, not being able to talk to the family is unbelievable!

The scene where Bilal Abbas’s Haider wants to confide in his family was well-executed but somehow seemed dragged. In an era when everyone has at least one mobile phone, when talking to anyone around the world is a possibility, when some people can’t just stop chatting, it seemed highly unbelievable that no one had time for the groom. His mother (Laila Wasti) should have gone with him because mothers have the tendency to deduce whether the son or daughter is genuinely upset or not. Why the father (Shahood Alvi) was so disgruntled is also not clear; he should have been there for his son who was getting married for the first time!

The Verdict – Dunk is surely becoming the play we wanted it to be!

What began as a crusade against sexual harassers in our society has now turned into a thriller in which the viewers know the antagonist, the motives, and above all, the reason behind the act. The biggest thing that is keeping them on the edge of their seat is the mystery about what will happen next to Haider, Amal, Saira, and others, in the wake of Professor Humayun’s suicide. Will Amal marry Haider and make his life miserable? Will Haider back out of the marriage and set both the families on a warring path? Will Saira take matters into her own hand and ask for the investigation to continue in her husband’s case? Dunk is just more than these three characters and the coming episodes will decide whether it is a step in the right direction or a misstep that shouldn’t have been taken!

The Story So Far

A happy family living in complete bliss is what we are introduced to in the beginning scene, Mashal Khan playing Meera is married to Saim (Mikaal Zulfiqar). The couple has a son too. On the other hand we are introduced to Sehar’s (Anmol Baloch) family from a lower income, all the women in her family work as maids and her mother Shamim works in Meera’s house as a house-help. The family is facing a crisis after Sehar’s father is unable to pay off his debts to their colony’s mobster and the issue escalates even further after they ask for Sehar’s older sister's hand in marriage in exchange for forgiving the outstanding dues the family owes. The girls and their mother are disgusted by this suggestion and are fighting with all their might against it, however their father is ready for the marriage to take place.

As matters get worse, Sehar’s mother asks her employer Meera for help, Meera feeling sorry and sympathetic for her maid is determined to help her out by involving the police in this matter, however, Saim and her mother-in-law are against her idea and ask her not to meddle in these affairs. They ask her to help the maid with some extra cash and to let the matter go.

What we Loved About Sehar!

The first episode was quite an interesting watch, two contrasting worlds were highlighted for the audiences. Sehar plays an ambitious girl who dreams of all the good things in life and wishes to become rich and powerful just like all the people she works for. We love how the drama portrays Sehar and her sister, they are not ready to easily give in to their father’s wishes and are ready to fight him and face the consequences.

Meera is Determined to Do What’s Right

Mashal Khan plays the powerful character of Meera who is willing to help out those who are in a crisis. After facing her husband and mother-in-law’s refusal to help out their maid in her time of need, she is determined to do whatever needs to be done even if she has to do it all herself. The scene where she schools her husband has to be one of our favourite parts of the show.

What’s Next?

Khwaab Nagar Ki Shehzadi has just begun, and through its teasers it seems that we will be witnessing a love triangle between Mashal Khan, Mikaal Zulfiqar and Anmol Baloch. Will Sehar’s dreams come true of marrying into an ‘ameer’ family and owning all the things her heart desires? Will Meera regret her decision on involving herself in her maid’s family crisis?

Watch the next episode to find out more!

Khwaab Nagar Ki Shehzadi airs every Monday to Thursday at 9 pm on Ary Digital.

With lies, betrayal and heartbreak adding to the emotional extravaganza, Bharaas has kept viewers hooked to the screen till its last episode.

The Story

Hassan (Omer Shahzad) finally sees Zoya (Dur-e-Fishan) as innocent, after a confession from Ramzi and Kamal. Furqan Qureshi's Kamal seems to redeem himself to an extent by going and owning up to his faults in front of his wife's ex, after she served him divorce papers and eventually gets him to pay for his crimes. Meanwhile, Zubab Rana spirals out of control as the very insecure Kiran, revealing more and more of her mental instability as she finally succumbs to her inner turmoil after Hassan divorces her the same way he divorced Zoya.

On the other side of the story, Sasha (Rabia Kulsoom) exposes Mahira (Noreen Mumtaz) and her mother's plot, saving Taimoor (Musaddiq Malek) from jail time. Tara Mahmood is unable to play the victim when Sasha finally puts her wits into it and reveals the truth behind the layers of deceit, but alas, Taimoor seems to let bygones be bygones.

Zoya and Hassan

Where do Zoya and Hassan stand? Zoya forgives him after his epiphany when he continuously tries to win her back. Stating that it took men as witnesses to believe her, Zoya stand her ground, refusing to go back to him after the disrespect and humiliation she suffered, all because he couldn't trust her. Now moving on with her life, Zoya has set out on a different track away from here, whereas Hassan is dwelling in regret as he wishes he would've kept Zoya in his life.

Omer Shahzad and Dur-e-Fishan truly put up a fiery performance with their undeniable chemistry as the two protagonists who were left shattered due to the actions of those around them. Their moving performances, especially in the scenes where Hassan and Zoya meet, left viewers on the edge of their seats!

Kamal's Karma

After Kiran, Kamal is perhaps the most unlikable character with his constant threats and insecurity causing him to mistreat Zoya. With his fate sealed, Kamal is unable to escape redemption, leading him to serving out his time in prison, where he is alone with his thoughts as his mother and Zoya are able to move on. Furqan Qureshi's riveting performance is one to note, as his duality as a character is remarkable, causing us to actually take a second and feel a little sorry for him when he exposes Kiran to Hassan, while keeping in mind that his doom has come from his own actions entirely.

A Second Divorce

Both Hassan and Zoya end up divorcing their spouses, but not for each other. Hassan divorces Kiran after discovering that she is behind his father's death and Zoya's plight, leading him to finally say the 3 words she instigated him to say the first time around. After Hassan leaves her life, Zubab Rana gives the audience a thrill with her performance as a character descending into madness. Foreshadowing her mother's (Shaheen Khan) own breakdown, Kiran gives in to her illness, unable to survive her codependency to Hassan, another crucial theme highlighted by Bharaas, which Nain Maniar and Adeel Razzaq as a powerhouse have impeccably emphasised.

With all stories coming to an end, Zoya choosing not to go back to Hassan is a milestone in Pakistani Television, showing her to be a strong and independent woman, alongside her sister Sasha, who impresses us with her diligence despite the aftermath which spares Mahira and her mother. Even Hassan's brother Mansoor (Salman Saeed) seems to be the one rationalizing with his brother over everything that has unraveled.

The finale of Bharaas was bittersweet but the drama is one to remember, with a strong narrative, convincing performances and an ending we can confidently say is different that what we expected.

Aslam makes a move to find out Rakhshi’s number from his best-friend, confiding in him about his love for her and thank the heavens the two finally begin speaking over the phone kick-starting the epic love story that we’re all waiting for. On the other hand, things are beginning to worsen for Faizullah and his family after the neighbours have announced a boycott since his marriage to Nargis who they believe will be a bad-influence on their neighbourhood.

From the milkman to Rakhshi’s college van driver, everyone refuses to serve Faizullah’s family. Things escalate between Nargis and Rakshi at home after a heated exchange while Aslam and Akram also get into an argument. Nargis asks Faizullah to let her go because of all the issues she has caused, instead he agrees to move away from the oh-so esteemed ‘mohallah’. Rakhshi and Aslam face difficulties in meeting each other after she stops travelling by the van. A frustrated Aslam forces Rakhshi to come to his house so they are able to meet, and she does end up at his house where she is met with the devastating news of his engagement to his cousin Bushra. Without saying anything, eyes brimming with tears, she runs away from there.

What We Totally Loved In Today’s Episode!

We absolutely loved the romantic conversation between the love birds Aslam and Rakhshi. The stolen glances, and the ear to ear grins, and Maya Ali’s ‘sharmana’ and Shehryar Munawar’s mischievous smile is bound to make anyone swoon!

Pehli Si Muhabbat is different from the other dramas that we normally watch, not only does Aslam’s mother believe the neighbours are being unfair to Faizullah but she also schools her son Akram about his naivety and how people are using him for their personal feuds against Faizullah. Saba Faisal definitely does justice to this well executed scene. It still surprises us how effortlessly HSY has pulled off his debut performance as Akram in this play, his scene with Saba Faisal and then with Sheheryar Munawar are epic!

Rakhshi’s Actions Speak Louder Than Her Words

Maya Ali steals the limelight in the closing scene of today’s episode where she learns of Aslam’s engagement. Without uttering a single word, the intensity of devastation she felt could be seen through her eyes, expression and body language.

Aslam Turns Hero For Rakhshi & Faizullah

Sheheryar Munawar brings the intense cupid-struck hero vibes to this episode when he jumps over buildings, climbs poles and pipes all for catching a single glance of his beau. This episode showed a tremendous growth in Aslam’s character, showing how he truly wants to help Rakhshi and his family during this difficult time.

What’s Next?

Pehli Si Muhabbat left us with an explosive cliff-hanger, we’re eagerly waiting to see what comes next in this intense story of first love. How will Rakhshi handle the news she’s just received? Will Aslam be able to win her back? Watch the next episode to get your answers!

The Story So Far

We last saw Hoorain (Sonya Hussyn) having a breakdown which led her condition to deteriorate severely. Finally her father realises how unfair he has been to his daughter and upon Asfandyar’s father’s insistence visits her. He meets a completely different Hoor and cannot bear her harsh allegations causing him to have a heart attack. While the rest of the family is in the hospital, Namal (Nazish Jehangir) continues brainwashing and playing with Hoor's unstable condition and is successful at riling her up even further. Hoor believes everyone is trying to kill her and tries to hit Asfandyar (Sami Khan) with a glass bottle over his head. Asfandyar loses hope after seeing Hoor’s behaviour and confides in his family about the treatment process the doctor had advised for Hoor. Asfandyar’s father decides it is time to admit Hoor in the hospital where she would be better cared for and treated for her illness. Asfandyar is hit with memories of a palmist who had once told him about his wife dying due to an illness and shudders at the thought of being separated from the love of his life.

The Good!

Saraab has been a thriller since its first episode, all along the way there hasn’t been a moment where we’ve been ready for the unexpected twists and turns that the drama has brought. This is what has kept the play a treat to watch, unlike other dramas we are not able to ‘guess’ what will be happening next.

Sonya Hussyn steals the limelight during these two episodes, every scene she is in has sent a chill down our spine. The scenes where she haphazardly chops off her hair and where she confronts her father over her life-long insecurities were jaw-droppingly awesome. The last scene where she is seen begging everyone not to let the medical team take her away would bring anyone to tears. Seeing her desperate cry for help was heart-wrenching.

Sami Khan’s helplessness during Hoor's breakdowns make us feel sorry for him, he portrays the difficult position he is in effortlessly. His plight is shown through his emotions and expressions, he tells it all without uttering a single word.

Nazish Jehangir acting as the ‘baddie’ has definitely aced her role to such an extent that we tend to hate the two-faced Namal with all our might!

The scenes have been executed brilliantly, kudos to the team behind Saraab for shining light on a topic that is often side-lined in our society.

The Bad

While Saraab is doing extremely well on the Asfandyar-Hoorain front, the addition of Warda’s inlaws and their thirst for vengeance against her family just seems pointless and petty especially while her father is in hospital they seem to be adamant on asking for Namal’s hand in marriage. While the rest of the drama keeps you wanting more, this side track wanted us to fast forward to get to the good parts ASAP.

What’s Next?

With Hoorain in the hospital, will Namal try her best to try and get closer to Asfandyar? Watch the next episode to find out!

The Plot

With the suicide of Professor Humayun (Naumaan Ijaz) in the sixth episode, things took a dark turn as no one turned up at the funeral; a masked Haider (Bilal Abbas) saved the day but why was he at the funeral? The question kept the audience intrigued until the climax of the episode where it was disclosed that contrary to what the audience believed, Amal (Sana Javed) accused the professor of sexual harassment on her own, so that he can drop the investigation and exonerate her fiancé. With their wedding taking place, Haider is shown to be in two minds, whether to confront Amal or live with the guilt of being part of Professor Humayun’s suicide.

The Good – Top-notch acting makes Dunk stand out!

Let’s be honest. Viewers were angry at the suicide of Naumaan Ijaz’s character as they wanted him to fight till the end and clear his name. They were also curious as to why the scene where he confronts Sana Javed was muted in the previous episode. But hey, good things come to those who wait and in pure filmi style, it was revealed that a) Haider is innocent, b) Amal isn’t. Both Bilal Abbas and Sana Javed were first-rate in the episode, although Bilal had more scenes, he had more time to emote with his eyes, body movement, and above all, through facial expressions. The way he responded to Azekah Daniel in the car, his frustration on finding out that no one came for the funeral and his anger on realizing that the person he stood with is a liar is only something he could have pulled off.

Come to think of it - Sana Javed is the bad guy here. After playing countless good girl roles, damsel in distress characters, she came out as a badass, who destroyed her professor with her antics and nothing else. So far the viewers felt that Bilal Abbas’ character was the desperate one but in the last episode, she came out as the one who planned everything, except the fact that her fiancé might be overhearing her conversation. The rest of the characters including Gul-e-Rana, Saife Hasan and Shahood Alvi supported her without knowing that they are rooting for the wrong person, and one hopes to see their reaction when they find out the truth. One must mention the guy who played Professor Humayun’s assistant – he hardly had any dialogue in the episode but his expressions were spot-on, especially when he spotted Bilal Abbas’ Haider at the funeral.

The Bad – The funeral proceeding was sad, and a drag!

It might have more to do with Naumaan Ijaz than anything else but somehow the funeral procession looked a little drag to me. The students in his favor didn’t show up either did the media people who are usually looking for occasions to make an appearance. Yes, Bilal Abbas’ entry was a good idea inserted by the makers and kept the story interesting. Also, it seems that Fahad Sheikh is being wasted as the elder brother; after Jalan he should have had a bigger role here instead of just agreeing to his parents and relatives, and giving a pep talk to his younger brother.

The Verdict – From the house of Nand, can come a Dunk anytime!

In 2020, viewers criticized Fahad Mustafa and Dr. Ali Kazmi’s production house for coming up with plays like Jalan and Nand; they even started the New Year criticizing Dunk for being sympathetic towards the alleged harasser. However, as the year 2021 moves into the second month, Dunk is trending on Social Media, the ‘alleged harasser’ is no more in the picture and the twist in the tale took everyone by surprise. Sana Javed undid Ruswai in just one scene, and that scene will go down in history as one of the biggest shockers on local TV.

And yes, Nand is still on the air after crossing its 100th episode but that’s because it is a 7 pm show now, and Dunk is the one that airs in prime time. Both the plays are from Big Bang Entertainment and prove that a production house can offer different flavors, if they have clarity in their mind, and plans. After all, it was the same team (writer Mohsin Ali – director Badar Mehmood) that brought the audience Aisi Hai Tanhai and Ishqiya, and we loved both the plays for showing us the mirror, even if it meant going the long way.

The Story So Far

Nauman Ijaz aka Raqeeb Se’s Maqsud Sahib is confronted in the middle of the night with his former love, Sakina (Hadiqa Kiani) and her daughter Ameera (Iqra Aziz). Hajra Begum (Sania Saeed) and Maqsud’s wife welcomes Sakina with open arms, quite the opposite of what we would expect any wife to do. Insha plays the strong-headed daughter of Maqsud and does not support her parents' decision in welcoming Sakina and her daughter into their homes. Today’s episode introduces Sakina’s husband Rafiq Ali after Ameera and Maqsud go to the village without Sakina. Rafiq constantly taunts Maqsud about his past with Sakina and also threatens to kill him for what he believes he has done. On the other hand, Insha confronts Sakina and by bringing up how her father has been harbouring a long lost love for her for twenty years while ignoring his wife. The episode ends with a confrontation between Maqsud and Rafiq Ali who wants to avenge his wife’s betrayal from him.

Maqsud Sahib Steals the Show With his Mind-blowing Performance!

Nauman Ijaz is a treat to watch, the versatility he shows in different roles just goes to show what a fine actor he is. Not saying much, Maqsud Sahib is the centre of the drama amongst all the Raqeeb Se ladies. Sandwiched between his wife and past lover, we are anxious to see how his character’s story unfolds later.

Hadiqa Kiani’s Debut Has Everyone Amazed!

Hadiqa Kiani’s TV debut in Raqeeb Se is phenomenal, the shy timid Sakina she portrays has us in awe of her performance. Hadiqa has completely nailed the portrayal of a domestic-abuse survivor. The OST for Raqeeb Se has also been sung in Hadiqa’s melodious voice and we absolutely love it

Sania Saeed as Hajra Begum Is Everything Good In Raqeeb Se

Sania Saeed is un-paralleled by none, one of the finest actors of Pakistan’s TV industry, she gives life to each character she plays, taking it to the next level. Playing the calm and cool as a cucumber, Hajra Begum she shows us a completely different perspective of a wife whose husband has never fully forgotten his former beau. Instead of being jealous of Sakina she is confident and has faith in her husband. It has been an interesting watch, seeing a love triangle of this sort being played out as we are generally used to watching the jealous wife/ex-lover scenario on our screens.

Iqra Aziz and Faryal Mehmood Shine With Stellar Performances

Iqra plays Ameera, the loud, wild and sassy daughter of Sakina. Iqra has made her name amongst the industry within a short span of time and her acting in Raqeeb Se reminds us of her role in ‘Ranjha Ranjha’. We love her comical dialogues and expressions that speak louder than her words. Faryal Mehmood plays Insha, who is a stark opposite of Ameera, the independent, sensible and calm doctor. She is amazed at how her mother is so welcoming towards Sakina and her confrontation with the two leading ladies was executed brilliantly in the latest episode.

Kudos to the Masterminds Behind the Drama!

Raqeeb Se cannot be talked about without mentioning Bee Gul the writer and Kashif Nisar the director who has brought Bee Gul’s poetic script to life.

This story of long-lost love is one that audiences can relate to whole-heartedly. We are curious to see how the drama takes the next turn, after Rafiq attacks Maqsud Sahib, what will be Sakina’s and Ameera’s fate?

The story gets more and more intriguing as the narrative continues. Despite Samra's (Amar Khan) constant cover-ups, Ifrah (Neelam Muneer) seems skeptical of her sister's excuses for Rashid (Ahsan Khan) and how he treats her. With Jawwad (Haroon Shahid) being the voice of reason, it's safe to say the parallels are distinct in the plot with both pairs of siblings going in completely different directions.

The Story

It hasn't even been 2 days into Rashid and Samra's wedding and tensions have already escalated. Despite Jawwad and Nadra (Zainab Qayyum) urging Nargis (Saba Faisal) and Rashid to follow the marital customs, there is no warm welcome or affection present between the newly weds or Samra's new mother-in-law. Constantly throwing jabs her way, Saba Faisal executes the role of 'mean mother-in-law' exceptionally, while worrying about Jawwad's latest decisions, and how they've come about.

The colder Rashid and Samra's dynamic is, the more reason for Jawwad to be the saviour, looking out for his bhabi while developing feelings for Ifrah, whose opinions he seems to respect and value, unlike his older brother. Meanwhile, Samra is slowly falling apart while retaining all the hurtful comments made by her husband, who even discloses his affair with somebody else, Pari (Sana Fakhar).

Rashid's Rendezvous

Ahsan Khan in an antagonistic role is something else, with his convincing portrayal of a spoilt, menacing and selfish human being who only looks out for his own well being, the audience is convinced to dislike his character. His treatment of Samra makes his case worse, as the viewer is exposed to the stark contrast between how he treats his new wife versus how he behaves around his current flame, Pari. By constantly putting Samra down and assuming the worst, it seems to be foreshadowing what is to come as we see the relationship headed straight towards disaster.

Samra's Silence

Amar Khan does a meticulous job of playing the innocent and humble Samra, whose position as a martyr is justified in this case. To prevent her parents from any shame or pain, she continues to behave as if nothing is wrong with her marriage, when from day one she has been subjected to cruelty from two members of her new household. Albeit intolerable, Samra continues to expect Rashid to behave like somewhat of a husband, which he may choose to do due to the fact that Samra is staying quite about his financial 'investments'. Little does the Mukhtar Sahab clan know about Rashid's dabbling in the world of media, or his assumption of it.

Jawwad and Ifrah

Neelam Muneer and Haroon Shahid do a wonderful job playing the younger siblings, who genuinely seem to care about Samra and Rashid's relationship, and to make sure no one gets mistreated. Even when Kinza Malik and Noor-ul-Hasan's characters ask him about Rashid's whereabouts, he covers for him, also perhaps because he then has a reason to catch a glimpse of Ifrah, something he does not try to conceal. However, when his mother Nargis catches on, we can only expect trouble in paradise for the budding lovebirds.

What's Next?

We can expect Samra and Rashid's marital life to get a lot more complicated in the following episodes to come, along with Jawwad and Ifrah's friendship blossoming into something more perhaps. As we wait in anticipation, the audience can only expect the situation to intensify, with a talented cast and powerful direction by Ali Faizan, Sarwat Nazeer's excellent penmanship gives us a lot to look forward to.

The Story So Far

Pehli Si Muhabbat’s second episode was eagerly awaited by all. Rakhshi and Aslam’s love story begins to bloom through the stolen glances the duo share with each other from across the street to Aslam sprinting behind Rakhshi’s college van. We also find out how Rakhshi and Aslam used to tease and play pranks on each other as kids.

On the other hand, Rakhshi's father Faizullah is cornered by the neighbours to leave the ‘mohalla’ and move elsewhere. However, his new beau (Rabia Butt) saves the day by giving him her precious jewels to sell off, in order to pay the landlord. Akram continues to act as the strict old brother and is seen telling-off Aslam on using his motorcycle without his permission. Just as we get used to the idea of a full-blown romance with our doe-eyed couple, Rakhshi learns that her father is thinking about getting her married to a friend's son.

The Good

We are absolutely head over heels in love with Rakhshi and Aslam's beautiful love story that will remind you of a classical romance from the yester-years. Sheheryar Munawar nails the lover-boy look with his killer smile and Maya Ali portrays the perfect girl-next door, shy and modest. It was a beautiful attempt by the director to connect the past with the present through the ‘imli’ that Rakhshi leaves at Aslam’s house as a message for him. Rakhshi and Aslam’s scenes are an absolute treat to watch, watching the pair giddy in ‘first-love’ brought a wide smile to our faces!

Rabia Butt who plays Nargis (Rakhshi’s step-mother) owns her scenes with impactful and power-packed dialogues. Her scene with Shabbir Jan where she persuades him to sell her jewellery will force you to think about what really is the concept of ‘halal’ and ‘haram’ income in our society. From the supporting cast of the drama, Saba Faisal’s witty dialogues are what give the drama an added comical push and have made us laugh out loud in this episode!

What’s Next?

After a mind-blowing second episode, we are eagerly waiting to see what happens next, will Rakhshi and her family be moving away, if so what will happen to the two budding love-birds?

Watch the next episode to find out!

The Plot

Moosa (Imran Ashraf) continues to pursue Zohra (Sarah Khan) despite finding out that she is a prostitute, despite knowing that she is out of his league, despite knowing that his father Pir Qudrat Ullah Shah (Mahmood Aslam) knows about the ‘affair’ and has warned him of dire consequences if he doesn’t back off. With the help of Murad Ali (Saleem Meraj), he manages to convince Anna (Gul e Rana) of one last meeting between Zohra and Moosa so that they can easily part ways. However, things turn nasty when Moosa abducts Zohra and arranges for a Nikaah to which she doesn’t agree. She makes him realize the severity of his actions which makes him abandon the Nikaah. With police on his trail, Moosa returns Zohra to Anna’s place after a lot of deliberations but is banished from gaddi nasheeni by his father. To top it off, his younger brother’s wife Sakina (Anoushay Abbasi) gets to insult him with her father-in-law’s consent, ending with a thunderous slap that might change the way Moosa looks at life.

The Good – It can’t get better than this with good actors!

Before Ranjha Ranjha Kardi, Imran Ashraf was known as a hardworking actor who had the potential to do well. However, the way he has changed gears since has surprised even his biggest supporters for he continues to change appearances at the drop of the hand. As the wild Moosa, he is completely different from his Saturday avatar of Adam who is calm and cool in Mushk. The obsession he has for Sarah Khan’s Zohra comes out as genuine, and so does the shame that he brings on his family, knowingly and unknowingly both. Sarah Khan gives an excellent performance as a prostitute who knows her place in society and doesn’t bow down in front of anyone, not even a person like Moosa who has no boundaries. The way she convinces him of his obsession and makes him abort the Nikaah was not just a well-written sequence but a perfectly performed one, where her eyes play an integral part.

So far, supporting actors Momin Saqib, Mahmood Aslam and Saleem Meraj are doing a great job but the sixth episode was owned by none other than Anoushay Abbasi. Since the very first episode, she wanted revenge for not getting married to her beau and she gets a dose of it in the sixth where she uses her position as well as Moosa’s to her advantage and not only makes his Taya take hasty decisions but a few that benefit her. It was her curse that made Moosa meet Zohra and now it was her slap that might send him in the right direction. Her scenes with Momin Saqib also show that the two are perfectly cast, and makes the viewers wait for the next episodes where she might try to reunite with her beau (Taha Humayun).

The Bad – The filmi situations might be too much for TV!

Since Wajahat Rauf has returned to TV direction after doing multiple feature films, his hand is more set at filmi situations than TV ones. The lightening effect, the father-son standoff, the sister-in-law revenge all might be too much for one episode but who cares when the viewers are getting their time’s worth. Mahmood Aslam may not have done great roles in films but he has potential which he displays here, making the audience forget that he is the same guy who bungles everything in one of the most popular sitcoms Bulbulay on ARY Digital on weekly basis. Nida Mumtaz’s character should have shown more resilience when her son was being tormented by his daughter-in-law but she was shown to be powerless, something that doesn’t look good when you are showing the household of a Pir.

The Verdict – Raqs e Bismil is just what the doctor ordered!

Without threatening the viewer’s intelligence, Raqs e Bismil continues to move at an express pace, just like a good drama should. It does not just teach a lot of lessons to the audience – if they are willing to grasp them – but also shows that different kinds of people exist in our society. With Moosa knowing no limits, Zohra living a double life, Pir sahib wanting to keep his family out of trouble, and Sakina hell-bent on having her revenge, things are moving in the right direction. With the introduction of Furqan Qureshi’s Malik Sheheryar, things might become even more interesting for he is the alter ego of Moosa – refined, rich, and manipulative. Who gets Zohra and who doesn’t, let the dance of Raqs e Bismil decide in coming weeks!

Featuring a stellar cast, Bharaas has Omer Shahzad, Dur-e-Fishan Saleem, Furqan Qureshi and Zubab Rana in leading roles. With a wonderful supportive cast, boasting Salman Saeed, Behroze Sabzwari, Shaheen Khan, Shaista Jabeen, Musaddiq Malek, Noreen Mumtaz, Rabia Kulsoom, Tara Mahmood, Khalid Anam, and Shazia Qaiser. The drama revolves around the breaking of trust, respect and the worst kind of betrayal. With our main heroine Zoya, played by Dur-e-Fishan, we see the growth of character as she begins to stand up to her second husband after enduring as much disrespect as she can. However, Kamal (Furqan Qureshi), is consumed by other things pertaining to financial status, and plots his way to his own demise as Hassan (Omer Shahzad) is made aware of his plans.

Zoya Slaps Back

After putting up with her limit of taunts from Kamal, Zoya finally shuts him down with a very cathartic slap, leaving him and her phuppho (Shazia Qaiser) shocked. Not only has she suffered a miscarriage, but now Kamal begins to force her to get a job. However, Zoya is one tough cookie, refusing to let her manipulative husband control her life, and she begins standing up to him without any fear, to his dismay. Not only is this gratifying but tragic as well, as we see how Zoya's depression, mistreatment and loss of her 'Abi' (Khalid Anam), have changed her as a person, including the moment she tells Hassan she has already lost everything.

Kiran's Record Breaking Break-downs

The amount of times Kiran gets caught in her own lies or starts crying in front of her in-laws is countless. Now that everyone is being exposed for their crimes, Zubab Rana's Kiran is not one for confrontation. Getting stuck in a web of lies, Kiran's fate is the biggest shock factor after she is continuously terrorised by Kamal for her tricks and deceptions. Taking a hand full of pills after being locked in the room by Hassan, Kiran decides to take her own life, although she survives, she keeps threatening to do so to save her failed relationship with Hassan, who can't seem to be around her after seeing the truth.

Kamal ka Kamal

Furqan Qureshi truly has us entertained as the antagonist Kamal, who talks a big game but would rather steal credit cards and blame his wife, as we see him snatch up Hassan's credit card before being found out by Zoya, who is already suspicious about the bangles he had obtained from Kiran. Kamal ends up showing up at the Hassan-Kiran household, where he further pressurizes Shaheen Khan's phuppho and Kiran to give him the sum he desires, before threatening to expose her scheming. Furthermore, when Kamal is finally caught he manages to zoom out of the scene and cause more devastation in his absence as he leaves a very anxious Kiran vulnerable and on the verge of yet another breakdown. After the 61st episode, it seems that he'll be having to look for a new home very soon...

Hassan and Zoya Reunite?

A very jaded and indifferent Zoya, played to perfection by Dur-e-Fishan, tells Hassan about his credit card theft, also exposing Kiran's true colours and the reason for their horrendous divorce. Omer Shahzad manages to emote confusion to a tee, with Hassan remaining perplexed until Sasha (Rabia Kulsoom) makes sense of his ambiguity by telling him all the strange happenings going on in his own household, and the plots which led his loving marriage to its doom. After Zoya admits she has nothing more to lose, she leaves the situation as it is by handing him his credit card with a reality check on the side. This prompts Hassan to take his brother Mansoor (Salman Saeed) and go confront Kamal, who akin to the road runner, flees the scene, before the former returns to his second wife's overdose, blackmail, and the messy aftermath that follows.

What's happening in Sasha's household?

There is more than meets the eye, with Sasha and Taimoor being a powerhouse, another tale of envy is unfolding, with Tara Mahmood and her daughter Mahira (Noreen Mumtaz) planning to overthrow Taimoor by getting him arrested and taking over his business, thus throwing Sasha out of the house but, plot twist, her father in law passes away due to the stress from what Mahira has done in Taimoor's name.

What can we expect next? Tune in and see the next episode of Bharaas for more!

Produced by Fahad Mustafa and Dr. Ali Kazmi, penned down by Mohsin Ali and brilliantly directed by Badar Mehmood this play has gained a spot on our must-watch list every week! Dunk boasts of an ensemble cast featuring, Nauman Ijaz, Bilal Abbas, Sana Javed in the leads while supported by equally brilliant actors such as Yasra Rizvi, Fahad Sheikh, and Salma Abbas, among others.

The Plot

After various mysteries were disclosed during the last few episodes, the audiences are now aware of the involvement of Haider (Bilal Abbas) in Amal’s (Sana Javed) case against Professor Humayun (Nauman Ijaz). Due to sending explicit video messages to his teacher Ms. Anjum, Haider’s father has been called by the Vice Chancellor of the University and he then signs a written confession and apologizes to his professor. She decides to forgive him, leaving Professor Humayun to defend himself, her decision has now weakened his case by a great extent. While on the other hand, Amal and Haider’s wedding festivities begin with a bang.

The Professor is disturbed with a million things going on in his mind and is unable to defend himself against the inquiry committee, he then asks his wife Saira (Yasra Rizvi) to leave home with their daughter just as long as the committee passes a judgement. Come nightfall, their little girl, Ghana misses her dad and wants to speak to him, Saira senses something has gone awry when he doesn’t answer her calls and rushes home. Upon reaching home, they find Humayun lying dead after committing suicide, the episode ends on this horrifying note.

The Good

The scenes where we see Professor Humayun as a doting, loving father are extremely heart-felt, Nauman Ijaz’s expressions, his mannerisms and just how he feels helpless made us feel a heart-ache like no other. An actor par excellence, Nauman Ijaz definitely stole the limelight in the scene with Bilal Abbas where he meets him in the university and tells him indirectly how his actions destroyed his daughter.

Bilal Abbas plays the short tempered Haider and we love how we have developed a love-hate relationship with him through Dunk, the way he cares for his fiancée Amal and is standing against all odds for her makes us fall in love with him. However, scenes with the Professor especially when he assaults him at his house and tells his daughter Ghana, “Your dad is a bad man!” reminded us of the Bilal Abbas from Cheekh, the one we truly hated down to his core. What a brilliant performer where the audience cannot help but love him as a ‘baddie’ too!

Sana Javed has us pleasantly surprised by the role she is playing in Dunk, after Ruswai. This is another play where she has played someone who has been sexually harassed. However, this doe-eyed beauty seems to be playing the antagonist in Dunk. Her scenes with the professor where she is seen in a negative role were a treat to watch, her facial expressions and her sly smile gave us the creeps! Sana owned those scenes like a boss. We can’t wait to see what her role has in store for us in the coming episodes.

Yasra Rizvi’s dialogue delivery and her actions are what make her the underdog of Dunk. She shows us what a natural actor she is. Her dialogue, “Aap jeet bhi jaey, the damage is irreversible” made us feel the helplessness that the actual victims and their families must have experienced.

The Bad

The drama has been centered around sexual harassment, it would have been amazing to see a script where the typical saas-bahu and in-laws' politics were not included. Haider’s mother blaming Amal’s mother for her upbringing, while Haider’s father blames his wife for their son’s upbringing is also something our dramas must stop showing. University going students are adults and calling out their mothers for their actions makes completely no sense at all!

What’s Next?

We are anxious to see how the story unfolds further, after Professor Humayun’s death we definitely have unanswered questions. Watch the next episode to find out!