Baba Jani’s Episode 1 was simple and engaging. The first episode of Baba Jani introduced the viewers to all the central characters. The introduction to the characters was quite clear, the performances were up to the mark and the overall feel of this first episode was pleasant. The play has been written by Faiza Iftikhar, directed by Ali Faizan Anchan and produced by Faisal Qureshi & Abdul Qadir Shah under the banner of Connect Studios. Faysal Qureshi, Saba Hameed and Savera Nadeem were last seen together in Qaid-e-Tanhai which was an unforgettable classic therefore that is one of the many reasons why I am really looking forward to watching them all together again on screen. They are all brilliant actors who always deliver no matter what. Faiza Iftikhar’s scripts most often have some refreshing aspect and her stories are almost always unpredictable therefore I have huge expectations from this one. This was definitely the kind of episode which piques your curiosity and you want to tune in to the next episode more because of the characters than the story at this point.

This first episode showed how Asfand (Faysal Qureshi) had worked hard for so many years to provide for his sisters and now he was finally getting his last sister married. Asfand’s other two sisters Najiba (Saba Hamid) and Naila (Sundus Tariq) were shown as greedy and manipulative individuals who treated Asfand as an ATM card! They constantly put pressure on him even though they knew that he already had so much to worry about. Asfand was shown juggling a lot of things at once and when he finally thought he could relax now that all his sisters were married, Najeeba reminded him that he also had to get her daughter Alina (Areesha Razi) married since her husband was good-for-nothing! Najeeba constantly complained about how she was married to a man twice her age and clearly all her concern for Asfand was fake. Asfand is engaged to his cousin Mehwish (Faryal Mahmood) and he is in love with her as well. Najeeba sees Mehwish as a “threat” because she feels that if Asfand was to be happily married, he will not look after his sisters any more. Nimra (Madiha Imam) and her mother Sadia’s (Savera Nadeem) track was slightly confusing since we don’t know yet whether they are related to the family or they are neighbors. Sadia is a widow who has serious health issues but she does not have the resources to get herself treated. The relationship between them was heart-warming.

The situations shown in this episode were such that they gave a good insight into the characters. Every scene gave some information about these characters. Asfand’s back-story was revealed in a brief scene in front of the portrait while his daily struggles were shown through different scenes. Najeeba’s deprivations and manipulation both were conveyed convincingly through scenes with her sister, daughter and Asfand. Mehwish’s reaction when her mother walked out of the ceremony showed that she was quite capable of getting angry and showing it to Asfand if she did not like something. While her scenes with her mother showed that she had complete faith in Asfand too. Faysal Qureshi’s makeover in the show went well with his character. His performance was right on point, as always. Saba Hameed never disappoints, I am looking forward to finding out more about her character. Faryal Mahmood performed her role well too. Savera Nadeem and Madiha Imam did not get a lot of screen time, definitely waiting to see more of them in the upcoming episodes.

This first episode of Baba Jani was interesting and entertaining. It was also visually pleasing. The direction and the editing both were spot on. The production values were impressive as well. Faiza Iftikhar’s characters are always convincing and layered therefore although this first episode gave the impression that the characters are somewhat black and white, I am sure that will not be the case!

The preview of the next episode showed that Najeeba creates a scene when she goes to ask for Mehwish’s hand in marriage for her brother. Will this be the end of Asfand and Mehwish’s engagement? Will Asfand see things for what they are or will Najeeba manage to fool him? I am waiting to find out!

Ohkay so, this episode of Balaa was amazing. It was well directed, well executed & well acted. Even though Balaa is in the initial stages but it has given me enough to grab my interest & make me look forward to it by the end of an episode. Even though till now we have seen family politics in this drama, I will say they have been elaborated in such a convincing manner that i actually want to see more of what the future holds of these families.

Nigar is evil, it is unfortunate but she it. As much as you want to feel for her, you can’t. At least this is what I feel about her as of now but I hope that changes because I want to see her through her perspective but right now, Nigar is just simply evil who can not see anyone happy whereas she has a father who loves her more than anything in the world & a brother who sympathizes with her enough too. Nigar obviously wants the entire world to feel for her & even though she gets enough attention, she twists it in such a way that she sees it as if people are treating her as a laughing stock. It is sad that she hasn’t been able to come out of the self-pity mode.

Nigar literally is torturing Zeba mentally & physically as well because she knows that Junaid will not be able to do anything about it or even if he’d want to, his father won’t let him do it. Junaid knows that he is dependant on his father’s support so he hasn’t grown that courage to unhear everything that Zafar says. It is unfortunate that Zafar is going out of the way to drift Junaid & Zeba apart. It is also unfortunate that Junaid is now doubting Zeba’s character based on the mere fact that she fell in love with him before they both got married, how shallow is that? Junaid is judging Zeba as if he is scot-free & not guilty of committing the same mistake – falling in love before getting married!

Oh well, Nigar was the one who got to see Saba with her boyfriend. I am not sure why but I have a feeling Nigar is responsible for the calls that Zeba is getting & it could be Saba’s boyfriend who is calling Zeba only to get Saba? I feel Nigar must have told Saba’s boyfriend that she will pay him to blackmail Zeba & will also help him be with Saba because she knows that she needs Zeba out of Junaid’s life to get to Taimoor because then Zafar can pressurize Shama to get Batool married to Junaid in return of Nigar’s marriage to Taimoor. It does seem to be the case because the conversation that both Nigar & Zafar had about she withdrawing 10 lacs from the bank does suggest that Nigar is upto something fishy & Zafar is being supportive of her wrongdoings!

I love Shama’s character. I loved the way she reflected upon herself & how she felt ashamed knowing that Taimoor was thinking so highly of her while she was holding a grudge against Zafar in her heart. I loved that little conversation that she had with Allah where she asked for forgiveness & also asked to have a heart big enough to look past Zafar’s flaws. The last scene of this episode was brilliantly done too where Shama was welcomed with with all those insults yet she decided to put up with everything only because she was adamant to fix things & fix the broken ties. Zafar has an upper hand because Shama gets pressurized easily & unfortunately Zafar takes advantage of that. Nigar obviously has a plan up her sleeve that is why she decided to go against her father & attend Taimoor’s wedding. I can’t even begin to imagine what will happen when Nigar will become a part of Shama’s beautiful little intimate family, she will ruin everything that they have.

Overall, this episode of Balaa was quite interesting & built up the curiosity of what is yet to come perfectly too. I must say it is commendable how all the actors have embraced their characters & make it seem so real as if they are those characters. Samina Peerzada looks stunning, there is so much grace & beauty around her, I couldn’t stop noticing how beautiful she looked. Sajid Hassan is superb as arrogant Zafar. Ushna Shah has shown so much of improvement over the period of time & she really is outdoing herself in every other project but in Balaa I have a serious issue with her wig, I don’t see it complimenting her look so not sure why she went for one. Bilal Abbas Khan is convincing as Taimoor but I am sure he will get a lot more chances in the remaining drama to showcase his acting skills. The supporting characters have done a great job. The OST is nice but it reminds me of an Indian Song Tosay Naina Lagay. Anyways, please share your thoughts about this episode of Balaa.

Ohkay so, this episode of Dil Mom Ka Diya was pretty basic but it did take the story forward a little bit. The characters in Dil Mom Ka Diya are quite black & white but it is definitely interesting to see how it has been shown that things can work between two totally opposite people if the relationship is based on a lot of respect & tolerance from either side.

Ulfat continued being herself, unapologetically at that, so much so that she chose to overlook all the niceness that there is in her life & focused on things that weren’t according to her taste. Ulfat has a husband who not only puts up with everything that she does but also loves her so much to ignore all of her mistakes, yet she thinks she is entitled to so much more & no one should ever say anything to her or else she will blow it out of proportion. If Ulfat will ever take a look at herself, she will realize that Afzal has given so much more to this relationship than she has.

It is pretty obvious that Salma has an issue with Ulfat & Ulfat has an issue with Salma because of her interfering nature, but the difference is that Ulfat says it to her face whereas Salma tries to be manipulative about it but I feel Salma does poke her nose in the matters which do not require her opinion. Salma clearly had an issue with Afzal going to Ulfat’s house only to bring her back, like does Salma want Afzal to completely ignore his wife? Everyone knows what sort of a person Afzal is, so it is irrational to expext him to not accommodate his wife even in such situations where she is wrong. Unfortunately, it is pretty obvious that Ulfat takes Afzal for granted & she still thinks she is doing him favor by staying married to him.

In my opinion, they shouldn’t have moved the story forward by a few years because all the spats that Ulfat was now having with Kausar, Salma, Aqmal & even Afzal seemed out of the place. It looked like things have not moved on at all & even after so many years, Ulfat & everyone’s stuck at the same point? I feel if they had shown that Ulfat was still a newly wed as in may be an year old bride, all these fights & quarrels would’ve made a bit more sense. Also, I think if they had decided to take a few years’ leap, they should have changed Neelam Munir’s styling to make her look like a properly married woman & a mother of a kid because I fail to buy that despite being married for so many years, Ulfat still dresses like she used to when she was single? Yes, I know they had to keep the age difference between Afzal & Ulfat a bit too obvious but then that’s something which is what the story is based on so I am sure the viewers wouldn’t have forgotten about it anyways.

Salma decided to arrange a meet up of Kausar’s potential suitors but then she also cut Ulfat off even after she decided to help them? I think Salma really should show some maturity in dealing with Ulfat & just let her do her thing – especially after so many years have passed by, it is unconvincing that Salma still hasn’t learnt how she should deal with Ulfat. As usual, Ulfat gave it back to Salma at the wrong time & she again made an issue about it in front of Afzal. I feel Salma is the one who creates friction between Ulfat & Afzal because every time those two are together & on their own, they pretty much enjoy each other’s company & have no problems with one another. I honestly found it all a bit too unconvincing that after 5 years of marriage, everyone had an issue with Ulfat & vice versa, as if it had been a few weeks after Afzal’s marriage with Ulfat & everyone was having a hard time understanding her!

Tamkinat & Azhar formed a relationship too where Azhar was obviously drawn towards her but after seeing how considerate & genuinely nice Azhar was, Tamkinat also started liking him. It was obvious right from the moment Tamkinat’s character was introduced that Dil Mom Ka Diya’s story will go in that direction where Ulfat will have a problem with her cousin & she will be the first one to oppose this marriage. It was nice to see how Kausar formed a friendship with Tamkinat & she got to see what a sweetheart she was. I liked Tamkinat & Azhar’s scenes too, though nothing new, they were still nicely done & very sweet!

Overall, this episode of Dil Mom Ka Diya was nothing special but was a decent watch. I am sure the story will be all about family politics from now on but I am keen to see if Ulfat’s character will ever show some mental growth. I really hope that doesn’t turn out to be the case where in last 20 seconds of last episode, everyone forgives Ulfat & forgets about her atrocities & they are a happy family, I hope if the change in her is on the cards, they make it gradual enough to look realistic. Neelam Munir has surely made Ulfat believable & very very real. She surely has given this character the kind of treatment it required to come across this way on screen. Yasir Nawaz is phenomenal as Afzal, I am glad the was chosen to play this role. I am not sure what Zubii Majeed has done to herself, may be its the choice of those colored lenses that is making her look very very different than how she looked in Aangan & I definitely prefer her look in Aangan than the one she is sporting in Dil Mom Ka Diya. She is a very good actor with a bright future ahead though but I am not liking her makeup/look in this drama. Anyways, please share your thoughts about this episode of Dil Mom Ka Diya.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Irim Goes To Anji’s House

Shafaq Has Given Up On Azar

Azar Goes To See Afzal

What To Expect?

Meri Guriya Episode 19 & 20 Story Review – This drama continues to be extremely engaging and the performances tonight were once again simply mind-blowing! Most of the times, watching two episodes of a serial can be a daunting task therefore for a reviewer, the weaknesses might stand out more than the strengths. Tonight, these two episodes were so impressive that the strengths completely overshadowed the few weaknesses.

Shehnaz and Safina managed to go through with their plan for the dharna with the help of Yawar and few other families. Right from the start of these episodes Shehnaz, Safina and even Yawar had started doubting Dabeer. Gradually as the story moved forward, they kept on getting convinced even more that Dabeer was hiding something. The shooting at the dharna injured Safina but like she said, it also helped their cause by getting them more attention. The role of the police has changed completely in the past few episodes ever since the policeman in charge was removed and the politicians stepped in. As a result of this, the person responsible for the shooting was caught immediately and ultimately Sheikh Sahab who planned everything was arrested as well. All these developments were shown in a compelling manner. There were no loose ends which is the main reason why this episode as a whole was extremely engaging.

In these episodes, Shehnaz and Safina finally achieved what they wanted. It was only after the Cheif Justice took notice of this case that the DNA testing was approved. Dabeer’s condition, after it was announced that the DNA testing will be done, was one of the best parts of this episode. Mohsin Abbas Haider yet again gave a performance which was truly impressive. He definitely deserves an award for his faultless performance in this drama. Dabeer kept on playing the vulnerable fool whenever it suited him and he switched to his evil side when he knew it was “safe” for him to do so. Jahan Ara played an important role in making everyone doubt Dabeer even more. Jahan Ara has always been shown as someone who thinks she is really clever but in reality she is easily fooled.

This time, when Shehnaz and Safina interrogated her tactfully, she told them everything and after that drawing conclusions was easy! Sania Saeed’s outstanding performance tonight made her scenes even more impactful. It is always a treat watching her perform because her acting is always effortless and on point. Safina and Shehnaz’s relationship continues to be the highlight of this drama. Sonya Hussyn also acted brilliantly tonight, I can tell she was really into this character since her performance throughout has been perfect.

In these episodes, the most important message was that mothers should talk to their daughters about things that truly matter. They should tell them that if a stranger or even a relative tries to get overfriendly while the parents are not around then they should inform the parents. Shehnaz has always talked to her daughters about these things and even when her daughters came and told her that they felt uncomfortable around Dabeer, she did not discuss anything with them but she made sure that they don’t go back to that house. The way Shehnaz deals with such situations is inspiring. I absolutely love her character especially as a mother.

Yawar played an important role in ensuring that Dabeer gets his DNA test done. It is so good to see a positive male character in this drama who is actively doing whatever he can to help Safina and Shehnaz even though Dabeer is his brother. Faris Shafi is extremely likeable in this role. Dabeer decided to run away but the way he did it was quite sloppy! There are times when Dabeer takes such reckless steps which make you wonder how he got away with all these murders. It would have been good if he tried to escape without anyone knowing since he already knows that everyone is suspecting him. Furthermore, Safina chasing him and ultimately finding Samreen was a thrilling addition to the story but definitely one which should not be stretched.

The preview of the next episodes showed that Dabeer will get caught but he will once again run away! I hope the story is not prolonged unnecessarily and Dabeer gets punished soon.

Tonight’s episode was directed brilliantly, the performances were superb, the overall development in the story was exciting as well as intriguing but there were a few additions which seemed forced. The episode as a whole however was wonderful! Definitely looking forward to what the upcoming episodes have in store for the viewers.