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Episode 1 Review
Zindagi aik bohat bara masla hai, itna bara masla kay is ko haal kartay kartay insaan khatam hoo jata haiZindagi kiya khoobsorat cheez hai, har din naya, surprises, achievements, ups and downs …
Will Kashaf ever reach the equilibrium point to understanding that zindagi waqiya hi khoobsorat cheez hai and that ham saab ki zindagi gulzar ho sakti, baas apni apni perception ki baat hai? Can a pessimist and a Platonist converge together to make life gulzar for themselves?And so we begin the journey to Zindagi Gulzar Hai...
A few weeks ago, after the first round of letdown when Zindagi Gulzar Hai (ZGH) was not aired, my friend commented on the hype building to its first episode with morning shows and constant bombardment of promos by summing it up in these words:
“the hype was soo immense and itnay dhool bajay bajaee gayee kay kay end result was that baraat dulha hi lanaa bhool gai”
So the grand wedding of the year became a mellow affair and all the pathakay became thanday thus in the last two weeks. Chaphar to phati wi hai of constant drama bombardments but asal cheez jo girni ti chapar main who aye hi nahi : ( At that time, I was quiet upset, zindagi did not seem so gulzar BUT I for one am really glad that this did happened because I watched this episode without any expectations and I am glad that every single thing exceeded was done beyond my anticipation, both as a viewer and as a critic. Back last year when I first heard that ZGH was going to be made into a drama, I was quiet excited, not because Fawad Khan was going to be playing Zaroon or the fact that our evergreen Sultana Apa was directing again but because of how I thought it would be finally nice to see a simple story of coming to terms with challenges and struggles of living from two people who perceive life in very different terms. Since I am also a fresh out of school undergrad, I have seen Kashafs, been Kashaf, been Zaroon, met Zaroons (live with 6 of them too) I felt that finally I would be able to relate to something on screen other then rooti dhoti aurat and ‘talaq hai, talaq hai, talaq hai.”
I wasn’t anticipating too much to happen either, other than introduction of characters but one thing that I am finally glad to see how much maturity has been instilled into a story that just seemed colloquial on paper. Zaroon and Kashaf might have been just some 2D characters and story was quiet rushed, without much depth. The concept of the story itself was fascinating however, its great to show boys vs girls story, from their perspectives how life unfolds and how each gender reflects their own thoughts on life. On screen, Zaroon and Kashaf become people around us, they become us and that is the beauty of ZGH. The editing of the drama was slick, the lighting was great and the direction was up to par and it seemed quite obvious that Sultana Apa had put her soul in the drama. There was nothing plot wise that happened, but there is so much to talk about, so much to breathe in visually and in concept that I am finding it hard to place it in words. And yes I do have criticisms, big ones as well.
Kashaf:
Kashaf is the pessimist and her bitter thoughts about life’s struggle in a lower middle class society didn’t need much voice as the scene of her families conversation over “bijli ka bil” provided us with enough insight. I always felt that Kashaf on paper was to a large extent an extension of Fiza’s character in Daam (written by Umera and played brilliantly by Sanam): A father who leaves his family to get remarried only for sons (kiya jahaliyat hai hamari society ki), doest provides much financial support or emotional support for Kashaf Living in a house full of struggle, her every day is a battle with life itself. Why shouldn’t she be insecure of men and their promises when one man who is closest to you, who brings you in the world leaves you pendulous and discards you as a person just because you are born a female? I found it quiet amusing as Kashaf wondered that had to change two buses and I giggled because honey, even in first world taking public transit is a constant struggle..par koi na. What I love about Kashaf is how practical she is, her pessimism aside, I am glad she has not become aloof that no prince that will come and sweep her off her feet. She herself will stand up on her two feet, not only for herself but also for her family. Partly, her motivation and her strength stem through her mother’s (beautifully portrayed by Samina Pirzada) optimism and hope for a better tomorrow, both for her daughters and for their sanity. She reminds me a little of my nanoo who has seen so much constant struggle through life but she never lost her faith and kept in intact just because her theory was that when one person in the house is hopeful, it’s a beacon of light that warms cold and dark hearts. The pasha sisters have been appropriately cast and their interaction and everyday conversations provide are more relatable, thank god we have been spared the maat effect of jealous sisters…After today’s episode, I think Sanam has silenced her critics that she is talented enough to pull herself and stand apart in a powerhouse of actors surrounding her. On my screen, she looked quite beautiful actually and it was hard to come to terms with the fact that she is an “aam shakal ki larki”.
Zaroon:
And now to Zaroon! Mere dil ko chain agaya hai. I have taken a sigh of relief. Watching Zaroon on screen, I would never ever think it’s played by the same person that thrilled us with his filmy dialogues as Ashar. I am glad that Fawad Khan (FK) took this role and he never looks too old to play a 22 year old college student (although I have to wonder, itnay heavy dailouges 22 year old larkay nahi boltay) :P . He is the optimist, his only struggle in life are understanding women (well duh, if you have asmara for a girlfriend) and their mentality. I do agree with Zaroon though that what is a life without some struggle, some challenge? If there is no struggle towards something, no passion, how do you measure your success or achievements? Zaroon could be called, spoiled, brat, typical Pakistani mard mentality but beneath this layer he is a good person at heart. It is also obvious to the viewer that he is a by-product of parents who are together (unlike Kashafs) but their approach to raising their kids is where constant conflicts come and like most marriages it’s a compromise, a BIG FAT COMPROMISE.
Favourite Scene:
My favourite scene today had to be with Zaroon and Sara because I felt like I was watching a reoccurrence of last night’s episodic scene in my house where my car as usual won’t start and a dinner table fight over which one of my brothers will drop me off and wait should I add my parents constant bantering to my brothers, “parhtay nahi hain, koi guitar kamray main baja raha hai, koi basketball khayll rahaa, koi apni video games kay saath laga wa hai, zindagi kay saaath kuch kar loo.” Now how many of us can relate to that! Weather one belongs to an upper class elite family, middle, or lower class family, the constant sibling and parent bantering NEVER stop. So all in all the dialogues between the siblings were quiet witty and FK and Ayesha Omar have great chemistry together.
Criticism:
The scenes that were quiet clichéd and I could just snooze through them were those of Asmara and Zaroon. The madiha-rohail effect and quiet honestly I am sick of this forced “girl-boy” friendship, it looks fake on screen to be quite honest or maybe I have watched FK and MR enough times together to leave me with any impact whatsoever. Also, while I understand that it’s great to visually differentiate differences between different classes on the screen (e.g. a duppata clad middle class girl and tank top wearing upper class elite chic) and paint this picture in people’s mind to establish the plot and characters, I would say this that our producers, the art directors and costume providers really need to find a common ground and balance this out! Not every upper class elite families are that outgoing or wear skanky dresses like the ones shown in dramas and neither every middle class girl is dupata clad either… I could go on about this point but I am a little sick of this stereotype as are probably others! Also, the fact that while FK might have been spared to be typecasted, other actors and actress have not escaped the same fate: Mehreen Raheel, Hina, Javaid etc. *sigh* we need new mommy daddys and another girl friend for Fawad!
Did the first episode live up to my expectations: Yes it did :D
Team Kashaf or Team Zaroon?
So after today’s episode, whose team are you on? Team Kashaf or team zaroon? Lets have a Boys vs Girls contest. Who will win their argument at the end? Team Kashaf or Team Zaroon. If you are commenting please indicate at the end, you are on team Kashaf or Team Zaroon and if you are just a lurking viewer, you can still give your input by voting in the pole below.
What did you guys like about today's episode? Any highlights? Any scenes that stood out? Any criticisms? Did it live up to your expectation?
Zindagi Gulzar Hai- Episode 2 Review
To be honest when I first heard Ma’am Sultana Siddiqui was directing my heart sank because I had never seen her work, and the word PTV conjured up long drawn out scenes of dialogue. Happily, so far my fears have been proved unfounded. The direction and editing have been smooth and flawless, carrying the story with ease. The sign of a good director is always how the audience is caught in the ebb and flow of the story. One minute I was excited for Kashaf getting into such an elite University on a scholarship, the next I was angry and disappointed at her father’s negativity and finally as all those students were entering their classrooms I shared that wonderful surge of excitement for their first day.Kashaf and Zaroon’s meeting put me in mind of Elizabeth and Darcy’s first meeting in Pride & Prejudice. Darcy says “she is tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me” when his friend Mr. Bingley asks him to dance with Elizabeth Bennet, which ultimately prejudices her every thought against him. Kashaf is afraid to look at the admissions list but ever confident Zaroon pushes past her to see exactly how well he has done. Surprised at coming Fourth he makes some disparaging comments about this Kashaf Murtaza person who came in first probably being a charail/witch. Just like Eliza Bennet, Kashaf takes silent offence and this is probably going to colour her opinion of Zaroon‘s every action.
Sameena Peerzada was again simply brilliant, I love her nuanced portrayal. She is not bitter but she knows when to call a spade a spade. The spade in this case is of course Kashaf’s father, who can share in no joy with his first family. Today we saw his slightly younger second wife and found out that yes he has a son but also two other daughters. I am hard put to understand this man or his mentality. Worse still is his brother who feels Kashaf’s going to college will put their Khandan’s izzat in danger. Funny how such people are terribly concerned with Khandan or family image but never actually fulfill any obligations of support or help that also come with the word family. Like most girls poor Kashaf has the weight of the world’s expectations on her shoulders. That conversation between Kashaf and her mother about maintaining boundaries when you go to college must be familiar to so many girls.
Then we have the other extreme of the beautiful Hina Bayat playing Zaroon’s elegant but cold mother whose crimes include not taking care of her husband’s wardrobe, being lax with the servants and careless with her daughter’s supervision. Seriously these two characters are like children’s cartoons not a shade of nuance in either. Since they are such pivotal roles shaping the lead character’s attitudes and reactions, I hope they develop into something more than easy stereotypes .
The patterns of the two households leave little to surprise us. Kashaf’s family is struggling to make ends meet but there is no shortage of love and care in their house. In complete contrast, Zaroon and his sister lack for nothing but the care and attention of their Mother. Despite Zaroon’s “modern elite class” upbringing, he seems like a rather simple, almost conservative person who does not like the way his family is drifting. He worries about his sister and her relationship with her fiancé; he challenges his mother over her lack of guidance and is actually concerned about achieving the best position in his class. All of which does not sound like the irresponsible fun lover his father and his “close friend” Asmara keep saying Zaroon is. Fawad was perfect as Zaroon. He lightened up some of those too serious for a twenty two year old dialogues and sang his way through what might have been the most annoyingly familiar conversation on Earth with Asmara in his car. Monologues can be difficult for an actor as they can come off as monotonous and preachy to the audience. Fawad managed to carry off the diary writing speech about women and feminism without sounding bitter or angry but sad and confused instead. As usual Fawad khan carries the day.
I must mention the other characters such as Kashaf’s sisters who were part of one of the sweetest scenes today. I just loved how they surprised Kashaf with a new suite and shoes on her first big day. There was also the entry of what might be a friend for Kashaf right at the end by the actress who was Anjuman in Bilqees Kaur.Someone, please tell me her name, I loved her in that drama and I am looking forward to seeing her in this. I hope we get to see more of Sheheryar Munawer and Mansha Pasha too and that they are not just left in the background .Last but not least we have the two “mod “ladies Aisha (Zaroon’s sister) and Asmara (Zaroon’s friend, but not girlfriend). I was pleasantly surprised by Aisha who actually made her role as a silly spoiled younger sister work without me wanting to hate her. The same goes for Asmara, I was all set to be bored witless but Mehreen Raheel did her best and came off as UN Madiha like as she could given the circumstances. We have all heard rumors ,or maybe it is wishful thinking , that she might be the one to dump Fawad Khan’s character (yeah, I know in what universe is that possible?) this time. At this point I just feel sorry for her and I feel in the interests of common humanity let us just support her through this whole train wreck she is sure to go through ;).
Zindagi Gulzar Hai- Episode 3 Review
I have to give the greatest credit to the director Sultana Siddiqui for surpassing last week’s smooth but fast tempo .The story is beautifully woven together and I dare not breathe for missing something, because not a scene is wasted. The cinematography, the camera angles make even the most mundane conversations look vital and interesting. Some of the dialogues were strange for twenty two year olds. Zaroon’s preference for Julia Roberts was so embarrassing that I think Fawad deliberately mumbled his way through that line. What young man in his twenties even knows who Julia Roberts is? Megan Fox, Emma Stone or even Aunty Angelina Jolie might have worked but Nanni Amee Julia..?
The episode opens with Zaroon, Asmara and Usama leaving the lecture hall/room where last week’s clash between Kashaf and Zaroon ended. Zaroon and Asmara are predictably offended and annoyed at Kashaf’s rather rude behavior .Usama is not and I immediately thought of poor old Ron Weasley. Zaroon maybe Usama’s best friend but being the friend of the “chosen one" or" golden boy" must be wearing. No wonder Usama is pleased to find at least one girl immune to his friend’s effortless charms. Perhaps that is why we see him gazing at Kashaf (come on yaar , you just met her), like a child at a birthday cake later in the episode. I had been looking forward to more from Sheheryaar Munawer , who was one of the few saving graces Of Merey Dard ko Jo Zuban Miley, but he needs to work on underplaying some of his reactions and dialogue delivery, especially in group conversations.
The story did not move forward much today but we did get deeper, important insights into Kashaf and Zaroon’s respective worlds. Zaroon’s parents are good friends with Asmara’s parents and are planning to ask Zaroon if he is interested enough to marry his “close friend”. It is hardly surprising Zaroon’s mother does not seem to understand her son; she spends precious little time with her family and has some sort of high flying career. What is strange is the way Zaroon keeps challenging her when he should be used to her personality,after all he is her son. Perhaps he is finally outgrowing his childhood and beginning to evaluate his parent’s relationship with a more mature mind and it is obvious he does not like what he sees. I am again at a loss to know where this “irresponsible “label he keeps getting, comes from. Again we see him worrying after his sister, asking about his mother and actually skipping a date with friends to spend time with his lonely father. Fawad as usual, plays the whole thing with seemingly effortless ease. I loved the scene when his Sir/ Uncle call him in to discuss punctuality and he pretends to fall asleep from boredom. Poor Zaroon, so used to being first and winning without really trying, is suddenly surprised to get a C this episode. I loved Fawad’s almost comic incredulity as he scan’s Kahsaf’ papers to see what constitutes an A. The chemistry between Behroz Sabswari and Fawad is great and yes I am reminded of Humsafer…
Kashaf however is not happy, she wanted an A+ .She is intelligent but her real advantages over Zaroon are her complete, almost painful humility and a willingness to work hard. By her second day she is not bothered with competing in looks and clothes but in her abilities. Yes , Sanam Saeed is pretty( all the dull clothes and toned down make up cannot hide that) but that look of resolve and quiet strength she gave her character won me over. The only jarring note was her jealous attitude towards the “cool crowd.” However, that is how the writer, Umera Ahmed, has framed Kashaf’s character.
A chance meeting between Hammad( Kashaf’s half-brother) and Rafia (Kashaf’s mother) reveals to their father’s other family that Kashaf is indeed going to University. Enraged and worried about their so called “Izzat” Waseem Abbas brings his character’s elder brother to Kashaf’s house to impose his nephew's rishta on her. Sameena Peerzada is one of the greatest actresses of Pakistan and she keeps proving it. I was not a great fan of her Nanni character in Sheher e Zaat but I wish every mother was like Rafia. She is polite but refuses to allow anyone to humiliate or force her children into anything. No clichéd concepts of ‘Izzat”,Women being alone in this world or needing Men, cloud her judgment .What a beautiful role model Umera Ahmed has presented, and Sameena Peerzada brings it to life with great dignity and grace.
I am covering for Maria, but I promise she will be back to give you her own unique and fun insights to this series next week.
BTW did anyone notice the beautiful music from Durr e Shehwar in the background in a couple of Sameena Peerzada’s scenes?
Oh, and I am team Kashaf this week :)
Zindagi Gulzar Hai – Episode 4 (Hall of Fame version)
I was waiting for this moment since last week’s episode and thankfully it came in the very first scene. The much discussed, the much seen, the ultimate, the most comfortable, lehrati gunganati howi infamous “Mommy Night gown” made its fourth guest appearance in a HumTv drama once again.Pic courtesy: HumTV hall of fame
Abb app kay liye paysh kartain hain: i zindagi gulzar hai ki episode 4 kay barain main kuch gaap shupp!
Today’s episode didn't cover much ground in terms of narrative and there was not much character development either but the episode itself gave us plentiful enough to reflect on. “Who humsafar tha magar us say humnawai na thi…” clearly applies to Zaroon’s family relationships. They live together, have plentiful family dinners together yet they are unable to get acquainted with each other’s likenesses and thoughts, especially the parents themselves. The daughter has no disdain for her father’s disapproval; the mother has not an ounce of clue that her son’s interests lie far from her perception. Har aik apni duniya main gum hai… Last week Zaroon challenged his mother and this week, Sara was under Zaroon’s gun but unlike the curt conversation with his mother, Zaroon doesn't lets go of Sara very easily until he gets his point across. Zaroon’s conversation with Sara reveals the workings of our culture and society especially the double standards between boys and girls. Why is it all right for Zaroon to stay late yet why can Sara not stay as late? Because the nookar will talk? Seriously Zaroon? What did you guys think of this particular scene? I can go on about it but I would really like to hear some of your thoughts on it as well.
“Aba Fazool Nahi Hain Un ki sooch fazool hai-“the best line of the episode said by Sidra explained a lot of questions for me about Afia. Some of us wondered last week what compelled her not to hate her husband despite all his shortcomings and his attitude towards his daughter. I think she knows that he is culturally and societally manipulated by all the people that surround him. Critical thinking is not his forte. Is his attitude entirely his fault? The clear winner of today’s episode once again was Samina Peerzada’s potrayl of Rafia and of course our dear Kashaf. One of my best friends is the most blunt, upfront, straightforward and honest person on this planet, including an attitude that could mirror that of Kashafs. Yet my friend never sees that some people have a hard time getting along with her due to her restrictive personality. It was funny because she arrived back home last night from her first term in grad school and her exact words to me were, dude we have less then 20 people in my class and you have to let go of little differences and live with other peoples wishes, warna zindagi boohat hard ho jati hai and I was gob smacked for a while and let this change sink in. Kashaf like my friend really needs to learn to sink in and crack the hard core shell she has built around her, because well you are spending almost 2 years with same people, you better find good friends.I was most excited about university scenes before ZGH aired but now I find them ridiculous. The cake cutting scene and Maria’s reaction was hard to swallow. It looked like the narrative was taking place in an American high school with the queen bee cutting her cake, surrounded by her crew. It’s funny how Asmara was bothered so much that Kashaf didn’t wish her happy birthday but lady grow up. You guys are in grad school, not in first year of high school. Agar app ko koi birthday wish nahi karta to koi baat nahi hai… The friendships also look quiet fake too. Agar Kashaf itni weird hai, then why does Maria hang around so much with her?
Also, apparently got to love the fact that Zaroon thinks about Kashaf a lot yet in the past three episodes they had one face to face conversation! Seriously we need more Kashaf/ Zaroon scenes soon and move the story forward already…please cut down all of Kashaf's dad's scenes and Asmara ko bhi door karoo bahi...
I am team Kashaf today just because I want to support the girls :D
P.S. I do apologize for the delay in review, i was too busy setting up the exhibition for "mummy night gowns." here is a better more closer look at it. i was trying to mimic Aunty Farida/ Zakiya Aunty's/ Ghazala aunty's etc night gown but i realized how frustrating it is not to have your photoshop working :(
Zindagi Gulzar Hai Episode 5 Review
As soon as the credits rolled at the end of fourth episode today, I immediately thought that Asmara really needs a reality check, I mean seriously come on woman! Think! I do understand and sympathize with her fascination and infuriation with Zaroon, he is a childhood friend, rich, has a same upper class family background, is getting educated, the most good looking boy in class (even our Kashaf admits it, although subconsciously), so what is there not to like? Right! Clearly what Asmara fails to see is that the guy is simply not interested in being pushed into this commitment. To begin with, in the past four episodes, Asmara and Zaroon are unable to clearly establish proper communication between each other. Her needs or attention come second to everyone else’s in his life and he sees her as nothing but “time pass” and to sling more mud at Asmara’s self-respect, he even admits to flirting with other girls, makes it clear to her that his education and career are placed way above her and he even has the nerve to let her know that he does not likes her interactions with the opposite gender, nor the way she dresses. If I was Asmara, I would really sit down and have a good self-reflection and reality check with myself if I am able to make a long term relationship work with someone like Zaroon! Sometimes, being childhood friend or knowing someone for a long time doesn’t really cuts the deal! Asmara wake up and dump him already!Zaroon on the other hand is not warming up to the idea of taking a huge step and responsibility of a long term commitment with someone who he has established a split mind about. Zaroon admits to his sister that he hasn’t left out the thought that Asmara might just be perfect for him but Zaroon also understands that underlying all his so called liberal personality, is a very conservative and an insecure man who consistently is in need of an “ego massage”. He doesn’t want another Ghazala or Sara in his life. From what I have concluded in the past four more episodes it that Zaroon wants someone who will yield themselves to his wishes, needs and pleasures and in turn also pushes him to move forward and challenge him, maybe someone like Kashaf. It’s ironic how Zaroon says “us churail ka kis ko gham ho gaa, zindagi main aur museebatain kam hain kiya?” yet that churail influences Zaroon subconsciously more than anyone else currently in his life. The irony is that in Zaroon’s thoughts we have heard about everyone else that is important and matters to him, Usama, Sara, his mother, father yet he doesn’t spares Asmara a single thought and writes more about that churail. Someone please go give Asmara, Zaroon’s computer or link to his blog :P bahi jaldi mukaooo is qisay koo!
Kashaf might come out as really crass and rude to her classmates, but in one of the most poignant scenes of today’s episode, Kashaf lies in her bed and stares into her thoughts and even though she doesn’t admits to herself, it’s clear that she could trade places with Asmara if she could. At the end of the day, we are all humans and we all have this yearning, to be loved and wanted and are fascinated by materials or relationship that we don’t have e.g. I always wanted my own sister, even though I have been blessed by friends that people cannot even imagine, in my heart I still wish I had my own, apni sister! I hope Kashaf comes to see soon that Asmara with all her designer clothes and looks has not done anything for anyone but Kashaf breathes life into other people. I think that UA has presented an interesting contrast between Asmara and Kashaf. Asmara fascinates people because of her background, her materialistic goods and god gifted beauty yet Kashaf without all the worldly materials, still stands tall because of her strong sense of self, personality and a passion to move forward and achieve a valuable sense of identity not only for herself but for her own family as well. Kashaf doesn’t need a man’s love to validate her existence, yet these thoughts don’t escape her mind either. Kashaf is one of the most humanized character on screen and I hope to see more of her and Zaroon together which brings me to my next point.
Has ZGH managed to live up to its expectations at episode 5 concludes?
-ZGH in my current book is almost at the deep end and if the story doesn't picks pace soon well good luck to it trying to retrieve viewers back. The pace of the story is very slow and even though it’s understandable that Zaroon and Kashaf’s personalities, thoughts and character developments are by products of other characters that interact with them, I just wish we had more of the scenes like the one today in which Kashaf insults Zaroon. We had quite a bit of discussion last week and from what I have been hearing from everyone else; there is a general consensus that the whole beauty of the story was in the university life or K ashaf's and Zaroon’s nook jhoonk. That very first scene in the novel where Zaroon establishes himself as Mr. arrogant snob in front of the entire class, which was the highlight of the story for me. It clearly established a very negative view of Z’s arrogant and over confident nature in Kashaf’s mind and that is where they butted heads. I know the novel is not the same as the screen play but we have too much telling at this point and when it comes to establishing a proper setting in a university, we have 0 showing.
- could Zaroon perhaps shed light on the fact that what makes Asmara attractive to him other than the fact that she is a childhood friend? In the novel, he like hanging around with her because she was outgoing, bold and confident (other than being described as very pretty).
- has anybody who worked on this production team ever attended graduate or undergrad school? I mentioned last week in my review that it looked like the narrative was taking place in an American high school! This was one of the best chances for them to highlight the ever growing rivalry between Kashaf and Zaroon. Let them join some clubs, debate teams, let kashaf have a few more friends…there was a lot of potential to grow the story within this integral setting but alas, they never took advantage of it.
-I also would like to slap the continuity director for the obvious mishaps that are so clear that your head spins e.g. when Asmara and Zaroon have their engagement discussion dinner they are in a completely different get up, yet in the next scene when they are both in the car continuing their discussion; they are in a completely different getup! What the heck was that?
-Congratulations to the Durr-e-Shwear music sheets and compositions for making a regular appearance as ZGH background score. Like the mommy night gown blinds the eyes, the DeS music becomes an ear sore after a while as well, because it has no place in the drama here, it was specifically made for DeS.
All in all, even though ZGH is not the top rated drama in my list, I won’t give up on it easily. Next week’s episode promises to be more happening and I sincerely hope we move the story forward a little bit more and we are not stuck on Rafia’s dilemmas now! Please spare us the asmara scenes and lets please add some more Kashaf Zaroon interactions: D
What was your guy’s favorite scene today? Do you agree or disagree that the dramas pace is quiet slow, if so what other factors do you think are contributing to it?
I am team Zaroon today, do you guys know why! Because at least he is not leading Asmara on and he honestly upfront told her that he is not ready to make a commitment! Go boy go!
p.s. A very humble request to MD productions and HumTV!
I emailed, messaged and did everything to ask the humtv youtube channel to also upload the subtitled version of the episodes and majaal hai kay in kay kanoon main koi baat jatii hai! Please upload the subtitled versions of the episode along with the non-subtitled one! Buhat guzarish hai app logo say…agar app logoon say hooo sakay tooo
Zindagi Gulzar Hai Episode 6 – The Formula!
When I finished watching today’s episode my first instinct was to crawl back in my bed and fall asleep because as predicted last week there was nothing new in the story. We have been going on around in circles for the past three episodes without making an inch of progress. To summarize episode 6:- Rafia with her daughters leaves the house and finds a place for them to stay meanwhile *surprise surprise* Kashaf has another confrontation with her father and he storms out once again!
-Zaroon needs someone to stich his button. Hai Beechara!
- Zaroon’s parents, more so his mother, pressurize him to make up his mind about Asmara and the pending engagement
-Zaroon lays out his perspective *cough*chauvinistic and misogynist comments so reflective of our society’s men to Asmara who swallows them like bad tasting medicine and then sticks to batting her eyelashes. The girl clearly has no self-respect.
-the only new things we hear towards the last 10 seconds of episode are that apparently Kashaf has made remarks about Zaroon to Sir Ibrar.
The formula for ZGH:
I have predicted a formula for ZGH episodes for now. Take each one of these scenes and insert them randomly in any order…tada you will have a ZGH fabulous another repetitive episode:
1) Kashaf’s dad or taya come and create hovac
2) Kashaf’s stepmother apna naak charhati hai and Kashaf kaya baa ko pati parhati hain
3) Kashaf complains to God
4) Rafia gives optimism and then we have some nice mother daughter repetitive scenes
5) we hear Zaroon and Kashaf had an argument but god forbid if we ever live to see those arguments
6) Sara and Zaroon have their sibling screen time
7) Asmara and Zaroon argue about everything and oh yeah how we can forget the engagement talk every person in Zaroon’s family needs to do individually with him.
8) - {insert next week’s episode’s promo]
An episode of ZGH is never complete without these scenes or is consistent of these scenes.
Favorite Scene:
Zaroon If you need a button stitched I will come and do it for you, just because you are being played by FK. :D enough said!
The underlying problems with ZGH
Today after watching the episode I have to say that each individual scene is crafted really well in terms of direction, dialogues, cinematography and acting but when you place them together in a sequence, they don’t gel together. There are three reasons (imbalance, repetition and lack of character depth) that I feel that this drama is failing to connect:
The imbalance: As a film student, I understand the pain of the director to dramatize certain aspects of a narrative, especially one that is written in more of a philosophical format and is reflective of a social situation. Usually the showing part in terms of visualizing these narrative is then limited to very dramatic scenes and then to lead the story along, what occurs between scenes can be told by “telling” so the story can make progress. Here it is the director job to control the balance between showing and telling. The underlying problem with Zindagi Gulzar Hai is the imbalance that has become so apparent in the past 6 episodes. Let’s take a clear cut example. The ever going conflict between Kashaf and Zaroon: We had one showing scene between Kashaf and Zaroon in episode four which was only less than a minute long where Kashaf makes a very personal attack during a class argument. We never had any other confrontation. Yet, every time, in past 3 episodes everyone is talking about how Kashaf gives Zaroon a headache or how Zaroon is losing arguments in class e.g. “Us nay har waqt dayd inch ki masjid bana rakhi hai…usay superiority complex hai, inferiority complex nahi “ This blah blah or this “telling” is useless to me as a viewer because I never really saw any dramatic action or “showing” which lead me to believe that there was any confrontation between the two characters. Certainly this imbalance between showing and telling has really flattened otherwise what could have been a very crisp and dramatic narrative. Not only that but Kashaf and Zaroon are our main characters, shouldn’t their story and action sequences be more developed? Today we had zero interaction between them. One might then ask, why is zaroon obsessed with thinking about Kashaf or why Zaroon irittates Kashaf when we never really saw them talking to each other. In the past 6 episodes they had less than 3 scenes together!
Repetition: many scenes and dialogues are written repetitively in a script in different settings so the director could pick the best ones for dramatization that balances the story visually. We have too much repetition in this story e.g. we have heard constant monologues about Kashaf’s reflection on having a hard life, the woes of having an unloving relationship with a parent, 70% of the visualization is dedicated to MadhiaAsmara’s (thank you Roh) constant wailing and Rafia’s woes in life. Repetition is important to enforce a point but it should never slow the story down especially when the dialogues can become very tasteless like the ones where Kashaf is specifically complaining to God again and again. In the past 3 episodes, we are all stuck at the same point which does not fare well for the story, or for the audience.
Under developed characters: Kashaf and Zaroon are well developed and we know their point of view well and where they stand in life. Sadly for them, other than Rafia’s character, everyone else has absolutely no depth or character traits one could feel for e.g. MadihaAsmara. If she is polar opposite to Zaroon, why does she hang around with him, what are her appealing points? All it needed was a simple scene in classroom to show that she is probably witty or bold as well, but we have instead her and Zaroon alone over and over again in the same situation. Also there is extreme contradiction in the story as well. Zaroon’s family is modern, ultra liberal, their son in only 22 and supposedly Sara is younger than him but why are they pushing them for commitment and marriage? A story like ZGH cannot move forward without underdeveloped black and white characters especially those that border on typical archetypes. In my personal opinion, Daam which was also written by Umera Ahmad certainly did a wonderful job of balancing characters and situations.
Next week’s episode promises to be better but we have been fooled before. Before I was watching ZGH for sake of enjoyment and entertainment but since the entertainment part has been squeezed out of the story completely, I will simply stop expecting anything better. There is no doubt about the fact that it’s a well-acted play and much better than a lot of garbage on our screens but it really needs to pick up the speed to compete with much better dramas like CK and ANC. If this drama fails after Ashk for FK, koi us beecharay ki nazar utaar day…
Question for our readers: Last week one of our kind commentators pointed out that we never talked about Zaroon and his misogynist remarks towards Asmara and women in general. I felt very strongly about Zaroon’s words not in a bad way, but not in a good way either. Today Umera scored great points with me because she nailed down Zaroon to us completely. I see where Zaroon is coming from but before I put my input in there, I wanted to hear a few of your remarks on some of the points raised
1) Should anyone have the right, especially a non-family member to tell a women what to wear and how to dress?
2) Is it alright for guys to go to inappropriate places but girls should refrain, because people will always point and raise finger on her character?
3) Why is there such a double standard in our society, is there is a real reason behind it or is it a cultural preserved meme?
Which team are you guys on this week?
Written by Misty aka Basanti~
Zindagi Gulzar Hai Episode 7 – The Fawad Khan Show
So since our 3 in one reviewer, maria aka basanti aka misty pulled off at the last time. And I feel kinda sharminda sharmina to ask Sadaf aka our MS dependable to coverup all the time, so here goes a cover for Zindagi Gulzar hai episode 7
Ya to meri kismet achi hai ya number 7 waqai lucky number hai .because I can safely say that number 7th episode was far more better than the previous ones. Aur q na hoti bhai :) apney Khan sb kay lashkaray hi theek thak thay.
Na baba na. Story chahey woman focused ho ya social issue per based ho. Apnay hero mein bara dam hai. Each and every scene zaroon poped up, it made the entire scene climbed up to a whole new different level. You can hardly find actors who are huge stars as well, Fawad khan is one such person who is blessed to have everything working for him, looks, acting, fan following and super stardom.
Episode 7 had few of the formula scenes as basanti mentioned in the previous review. But then the story has found some momentum going for it now. But before I say anything, I would mention something that needs to be understood about the television version of Zindagi Gulzar hai.
I somehow feel that we are being very hard on Zindagi gulzar hai when we compare it with the novel.Novel bhool ker Zindagi Gulzar hai dekho and it’s not a bad drama. Yeah It does not have the Humsafar effect, i.e Humsafar after 7 episode and ZGH after 7 episode. Per banda kab tak yaad e maazi mein ghum rahey, humsafar yaad araha hai tou DVD per dekh lein. Plus I think it’s about time that we throw the novel out of our system and watch zindagi gulzar hai as a story that is alien to us. Because that’s how my friends are watching it, they haven’t read the novel and they are watching this drama as a fresh story and needless to say they love it. So that’s what I did this time, I watched it with zero expectations, and I enjoyed it. Did it have shortcomings? Yes it did.
Sab say pehlay yeh background music ka kuch keroo bhai. When I am watching the scenes between zaroon and his sister, it feels as if I am watching a suspense thriller. Kay abhi koi peechay say aker goli mar day ga. Sherlock holmes ka music and drama is Zindagi gulzar hai, kuch jammi nahi yeh baat. I don’t understand when the so called top of the line and such a veteran director would stop taking the viewers for granted ya tou hum bohat zyada intelligent hain ya editing department waley bohat barey gadhay. Please change it. There is a website that has free music loops www.royaltyfreemusic.com . idher say utha lein koi music jo less creepy hoo .
I am really not interested in the little mis jihadi’s attitude. meri samjh nahi ata kay larkiyon kay itnay tantrums q hotey hain? Can’t they be really honest and simple? Farhan say laraii hogai hai tou bhai dosti ker loo yeh kya bilawaja kay nakhray. That explains why I had been single most of my life. Plus yeh dubai say shadi ki shopping? Hahaha J sahi baat hai bhai, Allah sb kuch sb ko nahi deyta. Paisa dey diya per aqal naam ko nahi . dubai walo ki shadi hoti hai tou woh Pakistan aker shopping kertey hain , yeh ajeeb Pakistani hain , Pakistan say cheez pack ho ker dubai jaye gi aur waha say lein gi yeh. Pakistan say nahi lein gi. Sultana aunty kya kerti hain bhai. Keep it real.
This episode had very few scenes of raffia, sidra murtaza sb, however the guy playing the role of hammad is doing a good job, We always forget to appreciate the actors playing the small roles, while I am a big fan of mansha pasha and I think she is very cute and I really like her dialect, at the same time I would say that hammad is doing a pretty good job. Keep up the good work.
Shehryar munawar’s getting stronger with every episode, but he really needs to work on his dialogue delivery as well as facial expressions. The scene where he is talking to zaroon about his interaction with kashf , falls flat. At one end you had the furious zaroon infusing so much energy in the scene and then you had the smily face SM taking the intensity of the scene down. He really needs to brush up especially in his scenes with FK, since an actor of FK’s class will eat him down.
I am glad we did not have the every week dose of the na shukra panna of Kashf this week. I was really getting turned off with all her complaints. On the same token I felt that even though as a person she may speak really good English, her charater demands her to be a bit of Urdu medium which she doesn’t come off as. So may be some tweaks in it will define the thin line between a good and a great actress.
Jee jee bilkul bilkul .This review will be incomplete if we don’t talk about Asmara :P so for Asmara I only have one thing to say.
Naina hum laraein gay baby doll say, Tere photo ko seenay main yaar chipka loon ga mein fevicol say :P
Over all a good episode in terms of story moving let’s see how it shapes up later. Plus I am sorry about writing such a bizarre review of such a serious drama full of sabr shuker, but this happens when you are told at the last minute to cover up for an episode.
I am on Team Zaroon and will always be, why? cuz i am a guy .what about you ? Which team are you guys on this week?
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