by SAMEENA HAYEE
From amongst a plethora of programmes offered by our innumerable Pakistani channels, only a few stand out which can be labelled as ‘worth mentioning’. On current affairs side while programmes like Qalamkar, Kal Tak and many more, anchored and participated by journalism veterans and stalwarts like Athar Abbas, Abdul Qadir Hassan, Mujeeb ur Rehman Shami, Javed Choudry, Quatrina Hussain and Geo TV’s Dr. Shahid Masood’s Mere Mutabiq’, Hamid Mir’s Capital Talk and similar other ones created ripples and due to their indepth investigative reporting many investigations have already started at highest levels. Result oriented, shall we call it?
On the music side, while AAG caters to our insatiable youth with its innovative and creative presentations – another channel is catering to us old timers, reviving the golden era of days gone by and not to be left behind still another channel is introducing wannabe’s and believe me they are good.
And there are channels and channels catering to our local goras – the English medium sect – are a couple of them that stand out though diagonally opposite. One is doing its best to make us forget the English language that we learnt in schools, colleges and universities by using language like ‘He went, wenta went, so went came-aa hi not’ (woh gaya, gaya, aisa gaya kae aaiya hi nahi). This was a joke mind you, to be taken with a pinch of salt after sleeping at night and before waking up in the morning for maximum curative effect and result. The other channel has become an expert on teaching us how to speak the gora lingo with maximum twisting and exercising our facial muscles while keeping a stiff upper lip to attain the required clipped delivery and accent which an original and genuine gora would find difficult to emulate.
Now lets get serious and talk on the serious subject of drama (read Droma) – serious because it solicits maximum sponsorships and commercials. This last quarter of the year 2009 saw the end of Noorpur Ki Rani, a drama serial on one of the private channels. It was the story of two women; a story of paradoxes. Both very different in their individual capacities but plagued by similar problems. Noori being an orphan from an impoverished family goes through turbulent times before beginning a new life in a palace. On the other hand, Rania, owner of the palace is brought to circumstances she never could have imagined due to her negative and jealous nature – resulting in her going on a rampage to destroy people she dislikes. This close to life serial helped the viewers to meet characters with whom they could identify. Sanam Balouch, Mahnoor Baloch, Azfar Rehman, Naila Jaffry, Sanam Agha, Qawi Khan, Noman Ijaz, Rehman Khan and Samina Peerzada did justice to their assigned characters creating credibility. Though there always is room for improvements, in typical British understatement ‘it was not bad at all’. We expect more and better from writer Sameera Fazal and director Hissam Hussain next time.
Ishq Junoon Diwangi: written by Momina Duraid is on-air and started well – the theme and storyline being interesting. A different concept in the eternal love triangle. It’s ringing a bell – being inspired from some foreign novel and movie giving a feeling of déjà vu. A director husband of a writer wife and the imaginary female protagonist – in real life an actress. Well, let me be clear in my thoughts and recollections. Full comments next time.
Well, well, well. Tanveer Fatima B.A… A washerman’s daughter doing her B.A. promising, isn’t it? The very name (title) attracts. This is happening all around us. Our lower-middle class as also the poor class are cutting corners and sacrificing their own needs to educate their offspring, especially daughters as their being educated would compensate for the unaffordable dowry that they cannot dream of. In this just started serial by Geo TV, I hope to find this subject touched along with what is on the menu – a potpourri of funny, passionate, bitter, naughty and greedy characters. This definitely provides an abundance of very interesting possibilities like a typical lower class family being against female education. Stemming from jealousy? On top of that a male tutor – Tauba Tauba.
Good ingredients like the characters’ interaction with each other exposing their psyche through their actions like toona, totka and jadoo and at the same time romance, mutual caring, human desires, emotional loyalties and jealousies promise a sizzling and juicy dish of entertainment in the coming winter months. Shabbir Jan, Samina Ahmed, Nayyer Ijaz, Umaima Abbasi, Danish Nawaz, Shahnaz Pervaiz, Darakshan Tahir, Syed Nabeel, Rubina Arif and Yasir Nawaz portray characters created and written by Naveed Jafri. Hasan Zia has come up with an identifiable theme and credit to GEO for selecting and approving the same. Direction, camera work and performance are surely commendable.
Tags: Ary Tv, Atv, Azfar Rehman, Drama, Geo Tv, Here Come, Here Come The Show Stoppers, Hissam Hussain, Hum Tv, Indus Tv, Ishq Junoon Diwangi, Mahnoor Baloch, Momina Duraid, Naila Jaffry, Noman Ijaz, Noorpur Ki Rani, Pakistani, Pakistani Drama, Pakistani channels, Pakistani TV, Pakistani TV Drama, Ptv, Qawi Khan, Rehman Khan, Sameera Fazal, Samina Peerzada, Sanam Agha, Sanam Balouch, Show, Stoppers, Tanveer Fatima BA, Teledramas, telefilms, The, Tv, TV Drama, Tv One
Director: Rana Rashid Gul
Nature: 
