Gul-e-Rana -- Episode 20

What episode are we on? Second last. And dear lord why is this drama not over already? Because cruel and unusual punishment is still legal in Pakistan. Humph. 

This lady doesn't want the most boring character in this Drama to die while I'm all like...

This episode we're subjected to more constipated looks from Adeel which are supposed to pass as his petulant boy look as well as remorseful, recovering douchey look.

I'm just concerned why Adeel is trying to strangle himself with that scarf. And why is Rana doing the laundry? Itnay ameer hein, phir bhi Rana is acting like a Masi. Maria doesn't know how lucky she is that she escaped nuptials to this douche. 

Sajal just seems to be going through the motions (pun not intended) so we get more clueless doe eyed stares from gul e rana. Hello Sajal...Bambi called, he wants his signature look back. 

The spoilt man child has broken various limbs in the accident magar dard Unko sur mai hota hai. Aisay sar koun dabata hei? It's like she's pinching the skin off his forehead. (Ummm - what?! Haha) Did anyone else notice the romantic music that played when he asks her to dabado his sar? It's like sar dabanai se in dono mein miraculously pyar ho jaaye ga. Normal dramas, the guy woos the girl with flowers and gifts. GuleRana, the guy woos the girl by turning her into his personal slave. 

Random guy shows up to meet Adeel. Apparently he's visited Rana often with his sister. Major creepy vibes. Shamsi why haven't you mentioned creepy neighbour in your previous updates? Cos he just started to put in all these forced-flirtatious entries in the last three episodes. So creepy neighbour guy makes not so subtle hints to Adeel that he would marry Gul-e-Rana in a hot second if Adeel would oblige and drop dead soon. More constipated glare offs between Douchey and Creepy. 

#Pathetic. HumTV should be ashamed of themselves. 

Am I supposed to feel for Adeel now? Why? Yeh kaisi Mohabbat hei? Kia deemagh kharab ho gaya hei? I'm just supposed to forget all the verbal abuse and womanizing and sympathize with this douche because he's handicapped now? I think maybe the accident has caused amnesia and he's forgotten the last 19 episodes. 

Douchey, feels a bit miserable after Rana leaves him to enjoy his pity party all day long and decides to apologise. 

Ho-ly CRAP. Did that just happen?? DID THAT JUST HAPPEN? After weeks of bakwas, we finally get ONE scene that makes sense. This scene should've happened ten episodes ago! 

When you eat too many Cheetos, you're legs start turning into Cheetos. #YouAreWhatYouEat

Shortly after candidate number two arrives. 

But it's OK, we know he's not going to cross the finish line. 

While Asher bhai explains his "love" for Rana, Adeel gets more constipation pains. Kounse pains? Looks pretty happy cheery to me. In the end Asher bhai reveals he's going to be knocking on heaven's door real soon.

Because that's what bosom buddies do - stay up all night sharing secrets and giggling. And the director couldn't let this scene end without some heavy duty symbolism. 

 Ab samajh ayi Adeel? 

Next morning adeel wakes up to find AKBAR chacha crying over his bed reading the tasbeeh. I thought chalo Lugta hai Asher bhai Raat ko hi chul basay. But no, he wouldn't do that to his beloved Rana.  

I can't believe they're giving Asher such an undignified end. Smh. He dies on the BUS home? Devdas ki tarhaan Rana ki chaukhat pe dum tordh dete bhaiyya. 

Final scene. More 'repenting' by douche-face and ultimatum giving by Rana. My brain hurts too much to try to feel anything for either of these two now. 

Gul E Rana - Episode 13 Update

Psych...this is more like episode 11 and 12. We'll get to episode 13 once you've forgotten what happened in episode 15. Can you blame us if we're late? We are forcing ourselves  to watch this dung heap and then write it up as well.


I just want to let it go on record that regardless of how the beginning episodes of this drama lulled us into a sense of, 'This drama will be good,' we all knew that the only reason we considered watching this drama is because we wanted to see the Feroze-Sajal chemistry with our own eyes. And as anticipated, all has gone to hell as far as storyline and character development goes. So, it's only fair that we update our rating and present to you...

Reasons Why We Should Be Exorcing Gul E Rana From Our Drama List - And Our Memory. 

Reason 1: Adeel, aka Douchey Devdas aka Jerkface

Our favourite character (not) from Chup Raho, Douchey Devdaas in his new role as Royal pain in the Butt Douchey is just as irritating.

Let's start with the fact that he had no sense of style. He's all like...

And I'm like...

And lets not forget that horrendous fedora which is two sizes too small for Adeel's big fat head.

Reason 2: Gul E Rana aka Majboor and Mazloom

The main protagonist Rana is driving me bonkers. She has just enough spark that gives you hope that she won't be one if those weeping wilting beauties. Then two scenes later she crumbles into a weeping willow. Thank you writer for giving us hope and then dashing it.

Reason 3: Adeel's commute
When episode 11 begins, Adeel has managed to get Rana all to himself at his Murree home. He works in the Islamabad office, but lives in Murree. I don't even want to think about the commute everyday...but Adeel thinks it's doable, so I guess we have no choice but to go with it. It's not like it's the most illogical thing happening in this drama.
Apparently the drive between Islamabad and Murree is less than two hours. Now referring to last frame of previous meme...adeel isnt home between 11 and 4. Taking traffic into consideration, lets say its a straight 2 hour drive which means if he leaves for work at 11:00, reaches work at 1:00, he then has to leave at 2:00 to be back home by 4:00.

Reason 4: The Chai Obsession

Apparently, when in doubt - or happiness, or anger, or denial, or on the prowl - have a cup of chai. They drink so much chai that by the first quarter of the episode I have to pause the drama to make myself a cup of chai. Did someone decide Feroze Khan and Sajjal Ali looked so cute in a chai advertisement that they decided to continue filming nonsense for another 2 months and call the production Gul E Rana? 

Reason 5: Haphazard flow of one scene to another

Let's talk about one of the biggest issues with this drama: the scenes don't flow and have no consistency. Scene one, Adeel says he's going out. Next scene, Adeel gate crashes Rana's property tour. In different clothes.

Or how about Adeel (who apparently sleeps in his sports jacket) decides to bring up the randomest discussion about who Rana can day dream about and Rana shuts him down. Next morning he orders her to make him nashta and then *bam* next thing you know, Adeel and Rana are sitting having breakfast together like a normal couple. #WTF

Reason 6: Behroze Subzwari

WHY WOULD YOU SIGN UP FOR THIS MONSTROSITY? It's like the drama makers could only afford him for 20 minutes worth of acting so they have to play those 20 minutes in every single episode (as a flashback) to get their money's worth. 

Reason 7: Asher Bhai

My issues with Asher are numerous, the most pressing being, again, why Imran Ashraf is doing this crappy role after his awesomeness in Mohabbat Aag Si? Is he or isn't he in love with Rana? If he is, why is he getting married to someone else? If he isn't, why does he stalk her - especially when he knows Adeel hates his guts - and cry on the phone with her? And lastly, Rana tu Asher ki zindagi ki bheek maang rahi thi Adeel se, so why is she calling him and sharing her dil ki baatein with him again?

Episode 8: Rana's abandoned parhaee

The world is full of Malala haters, but looks like Rana Bibi is another example of our society not thinking twice about girls and their right to education. Adeel's main problem was Rana meeting Asher at college - well, there ain't no Asher here. Why can't Mr. Douchey give Rana a ride to university in the city, since he commutes everyday anyway?

Reason 9: Mona

Who is this skank and why is she here? She's running away from boys stalking her to ADEEL? Matlab out of the frying pan into the fire? Darakth se gira, khujoor mein atka? 

Reason 9: Plausible Claim of Insanity

...what else explains Adeel and Rana's stupid talks over and over and over again?

Reason 10: Blaming the victim

What the f is this? So Skank Mona is hit on by Adeel (which feels like a staged scene), Rana tells her off for being enticingly dressed (apparently a tshirt and FULL sleeping pj pants are not modest enough for Shariah Inspector Rana) and then Adeel tries to blame Mona for attracting him. #Facepalm

Reason 11: The confusing creature known as Adeel

What is UP with this guy? He's a jerk or he's a jerk being a bigger jerk? He does unacceptable harkatein (Mona pe zabardasti) and then is all concerned nazrain for his wife. He slaps his wife and then goes all horrified while she gives a soliloquy about what he will do when someone does it to his daughter. (I don't know about you, but as soon as Rana said, "Tumhari Beti," I totally lost all train of thought except that baby girls don't fall from the sky...#CantHelpIt)

Reason 12: Taya Abu 

He's a wolf in a sheep disguise. Taya Abu sure did extract a heavy price from Rana for harboring her and her family after her father's death. Seriously, Adeel doesn't make me as angry as Taya Abu. And when Adeel is doing all kinds of bakwas, instead of putting him in his place, Taya Abu is busy telling Rana she needs to be a doormat to make her marriage work. I guess we all know why Rana's father left and never looked back. 

Reason 13: Money

It's disgusting how amongst everything else, we now also have to put up with Adeel making ugly remarks about how much money he has and Rana doesn't have. #Crass

It's been 13 (LONG) episodes and for like the past 5 all we've done is watch Adeel and Rana go back and forth. To add to this bakwas we have the cousin that is expected to arrive at any minute. Honestly, I don't think I can take much more of this. Not even Sajjal Ali can make me tune into this. And that's saying A LOT. I think I'm just going to stop watching and ask for an episode summary from N. 

You mean I have to continue watching this rubbish? 

Gul E Rana - Episode 7 Update

Hmmm...another lucky episode 7! Let's talk about *Drumroll* Gul E Rana!

So here's a recap of what's happening up til now in a nutshell: Gul-e-Rana is this perfect being (i.e. Cliched Pakistani drama heroine) whose loving father dies and she, her mother and younger sister, come to live with their dad's super duper rich, estranged step brother. Uncle is a nice enough guy, he genuinely cares for his brother's kids, and his sister's kids (more on that in a while). He has a wife (who either has a medical condition that makes her fragile as glass or she's scared of her own shadow, not sure which yet) and an obnoxious, ultimate bad boy, waiting to be reformed by the right woman, son (more Pakistani drama cliched characters), Adeel. Uncle also has two, money hungry, leechy sisters who have a daughter each, both fighting to win the coveted Adeel in marriage. Adeel - the ultimate dreamboat that he is - has gotten it into his head that he should marry GuleRana. And that is where we find ourselves at the beginning of the episode, Adeel telling his elder Phuppo off on how there is no way GuleRana will marry her son, Zafri. 

What I like about this drama is that the evil characters aren't as blood thirsty as we have seen them to be in the past (*cough* #MohabbatAagSi #Humsafar *cough*), for the most part they provide comic relief and make sure there is more to this drama then watching how perfect GuleRana is and what a big flirt Adeel is. Zafri is one of my favorite characters. He's a good for nothing, lazy nincompoop, and his scenes with Adeel are always amusing. 

I think the whole secretary coming to complain the boss "toyed with her emotions" bit is completely unnessary. We know Adeel is a jerk. Rana knows Adeel is a jerk. So I'm assuming this bit is just thrown in to prove to us that Rana can stand up for a cause and she has a backbone. Yay. 

Rana's younger sister is definitely the more gullible and seedhi-saadhi one. In an inexplicable way, Adeel's being 'nice' to her and her friendliness towards him, provides the false sense of security that deep-down-inside Adeel has a good guy inside of him. You know, like the Grinch. 

Auntie, I hope your tarbiat isn't about to backfire...

Stepmom's reaction to Adeel declaring he plans to marry Rana are priceless and spot on. Though, as pointed out earlier, I don't know why Farah Shah is playing such a muted character. It seems like such a waste of her talent. 

Let's talk about Rana's khala ka beta, Asher bhai. It's quite obvious that he has a thing for Rana, tu why he is getting engaged to someone else is anyone's guess. As for Rana, of course she's completely oblivious, as a shareef lardki should be. Just in case you were wondering, in my humble opinion, Imran Ashraf that shines like no other in Mohabbat Aag Si, is also wasted as the khala ka beta in this drama.  

As you can see, everyone's goofy smiles of joy were left biting the dust when Rana flat out rejected Adeel and any marriage plans to him. 

Predictably, Adeel ain't taking no for an answer. When he confronts Rana, she says no and slaps him. The look on Adeel's face post-slap was scary enough to have me quaking in my boots. 

But, lucky us, Adeel has a plan B: kidnap Rana to force her to do his bidding. Lord help us all...

Quite honestly, I think Hum TV basically banked on the star power of Feroze Khan and Sajjal Ali together for viewers to watch this drama. The drama is watchable - so far - but Adeel's aggressiveness may prove to be a deal breaker. Sajjal Ali is doing what she does second best: looking pretty and giving occasional glimpses of what her true acting capabilities are. Feroze Khan teeters dangerously between good acting and trying too hard. When he's in polished duds, he looks the part quite well. When he goes casual he becomes more trashy and less classy -- the skin tight, cap sleeve t-shirts (a size too small) need to be ditched. And set on fire. As soon as humanly possible. Just sayin.

I hope as the drama goes on, Rana can start doing her magic on Adeel and we viewers are spared endless snooze fest episodes of zulm and sitam on Rana. Also, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's reaction to Adeel's ingenious plan.

Until the next drama...