Sadqay Tumharay - Episodes 1 to 6

I don't think I should have decided to jump into this drama - or if I was going to watch it, I think I should've started right at the beginning. Reason being, that now, with 16 episodes being aired, and endless gushing been done, I walk into the serial expecting to be wowed and I am left musing, "It's ok...what's the big deal?" Also, when everyone says something is great, you (well, I) become even more critical. 

To top it off, I'm not a diehard Mahira fan. She's pretty and sure she can act, but I think she's way over rated. And, for the record, Humsafar wasn't THAT great either.

Having said all this - this piece might be a a little too critical. Or possibly mean. Actually, probably just mean. But, I'm hoping there might be a few soul-sisters out there who will secretly nod their head and accept my biases as truths of life. ;)

Anyway - Let's begin with Shanno. Where to start....where to start....I guess I'll have to list her awesome attributes:
1 - She's a champion poetry-spouting machine.
2 - She is an angel of mercy to her brothers and sisters. Perfect older sibling.
3 - All her friends love her. Cos, she's perfect.
4 - All her relatives love her. Cos, she's perfect.
5 - She's a paanch wakth ki namazi. (For the record, her aunt called her 'doodh ki dhulli hui.')
6 - She's the most beautiful hoor pari. Like ever. Step aside Aishwariya.
7 - She sings like an angel.
8 - She makes perfectly round, and finger licking good, makaee ki rotis.
Lucky for yall, I am only 1.33 episodes into this series. Lord knows how many other glowing attributes I will have to endure as we progress.

Phir we have the hero. He has enough haya to return the mohallay ki lardki ka love letter, but is denying an engagement (supposedly) made at birth or when he was really really young. Either way, he has decided to say no before he even sees the girl. And when he finally decides to come to the family wedding, he is set on being the biggest sarro in the world.

Luckily for us, the nani from Jackson Heights is here too...and she's cuter than ever! 

...except when she sits on a takhat like a madam at a mujra. :/

What is Dr.Maqsood's obsession with convincing Khalil that Shano is the most beautiful, most shy, most wonderful-est girl ever to grace this planet? I mean, if someone else sang praises of my fiance to me...He's not in love with Shano himself is he? I'm pretty sure he's not. But, I dont get who died and appointed him Shano's PR/Sales Rep to Khalil.

Are these girls for real? Giggle giggle. #Puh-leez

And this is a state of family emergency WHY?

It takes 2 and a half episodes for Khalil to see Shano. And this is the self-satisfied face he makes? Maybe to Sadqay Tumaharay fans this face says, "Wow, I am in love." To me it seems like he was acting like a jerk, refusing the rishta and now that he's seen her he decides she passes inspection. Male chauvinism at its finest. I don't understand why everyone else is going all weak-kneed at his reaction. It would've been nice to see him do a double-take, look a little ashamed/shocked at his fate of being engaged to someone way out of his league. Instead he's all like, "Yeah, this is what I deserve."

Shano dressed in some vague past-era outfit.
Her cousin dressed in Tariq Road's latest off the rack collection.
In fact, barring Shano, almost all of the other characters are seen wearing normal 3-piece lawn.
A little consistency here, please.

Inko kiss nei kata hei?

Gray color ki mooch laganei se koi budha nahi ho jata. Even though I am a little grossed out by these old actors being paired up with under aged female leads (Yasir Nawaz and Sajjal Ali #ChupRaho). Farhan Ali Agha seems a little too young in this role.

Hero ka biggest fan. Look at that blatant puppy love. Awwww 

It's ok Fayaz. I'm just as unimpressed as you. 

Agar yeh gari nahi hoti, tu is Dramay mein koi light moments nahi hotay. #YayGari

For a drama set in some vague medieval period of Pakistan, when Lahore was so small tangay walay knew every Lahori by name, they sure do use a lot of English and not quite enough of hardcore Urdu...

And what is up with this bromance? Gees. Keep it together guys. 

Wait - What? Who? Hein? Kia? I had to read three drama reviews to understand what this story was all about. And that just confused me even more. Cos why would you want to marry your son to the the daughter of the sister that cheated on you with your own husband?

As if it isn't bad enough to sit through long scenes, we have to watch each character recount the scene, dialogue by dialogue, to their respective best friends - best friends, who have no life. Or no suggestion of one anyway.

Khuda ka wasta hei - koi inko aik do goolian Vicks ki de de! 


Don't get me wrong. I want to like this drama. Really. But it's just too much! It's too drawn out, there is no consistency in creating a decipherable era that it is taking place in, and I'm not too rah-rah about the sound track, which is played too often and too loud. I'm having trouble sticking too it, which I am only doing because I'm waiting for the moment it gets good and I have that "Oh! This is what everyone is raving about!" feeling.

Dear feeling, please come quick....

Zid - Episode 6

Saman goes to meet her long-lost friend...

Longlost friend is overjoyed to see Saman and promptly asks to borrow money. Cos she's so reliable. You know....back from the school days...
On a side note: I don't think she will turn out to be Omar's ex. Thank god.

Saman high-tails the heck out of her friend's apartment as soon as the druggy turns up to collect his money.

Omar continues to act like a doormat and create candle-light dinners for his reluctant wife. Really Omar - grow a pair. #Disappointed
I get it, he is trying to move on, but let's not be soppy friend. Women like a guy with some spunk.
On the up side - Saman actually speaks to Omar nicely  when they confront each other. This gives me some hope.

And then there's this idiot who wants Saman to do his assignment for him. Kiss khushi mein? Aparently, since he has to do what women do in Pakistan, he has decided that women should do what men do (?) in Pakistan, in the US -- ie lardkay jharoo pocha, and aurtain real work.

#BohatAala #EpicStareDown #TakeYourShitSomewhereElse

Annndddd I spoke too soon. Either Omar is going to try to be OTT romantic, or he's gonna be a martyr. So first he whines to his pal, and then he proceeds to make jabs at Saman when she vaguely acts like she is extending an olive branch.

As if we needed any more proof of what havoc Saman's long lost friend will probably create in her life, a trashed apartment and convict leggings are employed to drive the message home.

Saman goes for a walk in her PJs...

Failure of a brother calls to say Happy Birthday and makes the stupidest jokes. #SMH

This random guy offers to get coffee and Saman says yes.

Cos he seems like such a nice guy with that greasy smile thing going on. And he takes her picture too. #Creep

Meanwhile, Rookhi convinces Omar to do something besides buy his wife a book for her birthday...

And Saman decides to wear an outfit from Aik Naee Cinderella to dinner. #BudgetContraints 

And Omar's gift brings a smile to her face...You know what this means...

Until next time!

Garr Maan Reh Jaaye - Episode 24

This is where we left off: Asma being a brat and tearing up Nissa's talaaqnama - because if she can't have Farukh, no one can!

Luckily - Asma remembered to get a french manicure before she decided to rip the talaqnama to shreds...

Nissa and Dania (Tania?) are frantically looking for the talaaqnama. Agar ghar ki thori safaee ka khayal rakh le teen yeh 3 lardkian (look at the dust on that dresser - woof!), tu shayad aaj yeh din na dekhna pardhta...

Molvi remembers Ahsan came to him complaining (lying) about his new wife and he told Ahsan to divorce her. Bari jaldi khayal aa gaya...

Ahsan continues to lie through his teeth...#NoSurprisesHere

And then Molvi Sahab points out Nissa is still in iddat. I don't know if I should laugh or cry that the story writers decided to remember to (finally) be a little religiously correct here...

Of course key word for the rest of the 30 minutes of the drama is now: iddat. Iddat this, iddat that, iddat, iddat, iddat. Ab yaad aagaya, tu let's just beat the poor horse to death...

The second Farukh leaves, the girls lapse back into another cat-fight.

Though Nissa must've gotten the best sleep of her life, cos bright and early her curls are good as new.

Kia - raath duty wali naukari? Ya thaanay mein receptionist?

Also, I don't think you quite understand the concept of iddat Nissa...

Have you lost your mind? Wait, maybe that's the point. That she HAS lost her mind. Just because you tore up the talaaqnama doesn't mean it's invalid. Gees. #Religion101

So Farukh gives Asma a seemingly endless set down....Honestly. All the man has to do is say: Asma, I don't love you. I love Nissa. But nope, we get 10 minutes of tumhari izzat, tumhara pyar, bari behen ki aukaath...

This episode was really just a bunch of back and forth. I hate you, you stole my man, why do you want to destroy me, waghaira waghaira. Next episode promises the return of Ahsan and Asma promises to be a mindless-puppet and get involved in another scheme of his. Sigh. 

Some people never learn...