sometimes scripts look good on paper but when put on the screen they just don't have the same effect. MeJ is a good example of that.
Other times scripts don't look good on paper and the result on screen is great. Humsafar being a good example here.
Both are written by the same writer, directed by well known directors, and coming from the same production house and technicians. It's amazing to see how bad casting can make or break a play.
I think it's unfair to blame it on the cast. Both Haniya and Ibad are doing well but there is only so much they can do with a story thats flawed and has so many holes.
Good casting can do wonders for a drama. We witnessed that with Humsafar. Quality wise there isn't much difference between MeJ or Humsafar. Farhat Ishtiaq's work in both cases is average and verging on the ludicrous occasionally. Swap Mahira and Fawad with Sarwat and Adeel in Humsafar and you can imagine Humsafar as a flop too!
I still think MJ needs to take some responsibility for stories and casts that represent her work. Her dramas with weak stories based in New York are becoming a tedious and boring pattern that we can do without!
Haniya and Ibad are both good actors .. but when casted together in this play... flop. Cast does make a difference.. at least it did in this drama. They both don't look good TOGETHER... otherwise they are fine. I loved Adeel in Mera Naseeb. I also found that engagement on arrival a bit weird. It may be something that people did in the past, but now when you know what travelling means, tiredness that comes with it, I don't think anyone does that. Script, I have to agree with people who said its just as good or bad as Humsafar... nothing special.
I watched a bit of the first episode and then a few mins of the recent episode.It is too boring for me.
I find it totally silly that neither of Ibaad's parents were able to ask him abot the rishta and threw him a surprise engagement party when he walks home from the airport (amma abba never went to teh airport to pick him..!!...tsk tsk...!).It is just as silly as was the lack of communication between Ashar and Khirad when she was thrown out of the house.These things are so unrealistic for a grown up audience.
Humsafar was a successful team effort, everything gelled well together and director being the captain of the ship has to take a lot of responsibility for that to work and in having the last word. Dont know if it's just wrong casting here (again directors job) or the overall tone of the drama where onscreen characterization seems disconnected and forced, not just between Ibad and haniya but btw others too, parents, siblings, friends all lack chemistry very unlike Humsafar, daam or doraha. Maybe it's the way they shoot btw Pakistan and abroad where it's not sequential...so the connection is a bit off, just a guess
There is more to direction than pan and zoom,camera angles and blurring effects. MJ focus seems to be just on camera work and not the whole direction of the play.
I knew that the script was going to be a challenge as it won’t translate well on the screen but I was not expecting that bad of a work from MJ. Rookie mistakes and plain awful!!
So I just watched the latest episode after skipping episodes 4 and 5. I wouldn't necessarily blame actors as much as writer and director. The story doesn't add up.....the cast and director can't make up for the mistakes of writer. Honestly I wonder if farhat Istiaq has gone to school in US? MJ has been living in the US for past 8 years or so. This could have been better if there so more collaboration and honestly Momina Duraid should have waited a little bit and had more collaborative sessions with MJ and Farhat Ishtiaq. This play highlights the fact that Farhay Ishtiaq is a rookie writer. She just got plain lucky with Humsafar. I was one of the few that attributed Humsafars Mai. Success to the writer but once in a while people just get super lucky. Farhat should have waited to release the screenplay. This was just a rush job by the producer. They knew the audiences were there so they got super greedy. It could have much better with a little planning. Again I don't blame the actors.
What if Ibad's flight got delayed? Their 'laadla' son is coming back from being abroad the first time and the parents don't even go to the airport? And then they ambush him with a party as he comes home from the airport. Poor guy has no time to relax or unwind? Amazing!
I'm not liking the Haniya character at all. First she's a plain jane, and then all of a sudden she "tapps" her face with makeup and gets her hair did. Never has any shalwar kameez and then all of a sudden shows up to the xmas party with a bright red one. The only character I like is Yamina.
And what was with Ibad's singing?? urgh. what a turn off.
How does Adeel's (is that his name?) character fit into all this? It seems like a waste of a role for him. I thought he was a lead actor.
and what I really hate is when they say they are all bored and raised in the US, but have really bad Amercian accents. Why even bother? Just their friends (Vick and Catherine) speak English without the accents.
I am actually enjoying this drama a lot and look forward to it every friday. I usually go home for lunch every friday so I can catch the episode as it gets uploaded. While the story has a lot of loopholes, I think it's a step up from the medicore Humsafar. This story has a lot more characters and supporting story lines, rather than the one dimensional and ghissa pitta script of humsafar. I find it very nicely paced, and the chemistry between the characters is great. My major beef was the way haniya and ibad's "love story" started as that left a lot to be desired (but then again that was also how khirad and ashar's love story overnight started). but I feel it's progressed nicely. I love the grandmother' s character. she's such a sweetheart! looking forward to the next episode
i watched the first episode and then NEVER watched it again. its just tooo boring and i don't know if its just me but the picture is keep moving (not steady) as if someone was holding the camera in their hand. nadamat/mehar bano and mata e jaan are my least favs.
Thank goodness, the story picked up a little, this week. Hopefully it won't be as boring from next episode onwards.
Although, I am not a huge fan of this one, but it's still a lot better than some other ones. This and Bilquees Kaur are the only ones from the current lot worth watching, I guess. :-\
^ I really enjoyed this week's episode. They did a great job depicting Abi's situation- how he's torn between his love for his parent and haniya and doesn't want to lose any of them. waisay I've realized he's a complete"pupoo bacha"- a very innocent child-man. Always doing what mommy and daddy say, proposing to a bundi he's just started seeing, he actually reminds me of a friend from college heheheehehehhee of course my friend was even more of a puppo bacha and when mommy said no the girl he was interested in, he obliged.
Liked the exchange betwen ibad and haniya. I liked how she compared herself to Ibad's dad in terms of having expectations with him and recognized that he being the puppo bacha that he is, always wants to make everyone around him happy. I think this is the first time I've seen a real connection between the two and I can see why they both work- her being the outspoken-confident extrovert and him being the introvert. Excited about the next episode!!
much better episode than the last 7. The story is finally coming together. I still don't feel any connection between Haniya-Ibaad but Adeel did a job in this episode acting wise. Next week's episode takes another filmy turn :p
There wasn't much to grab the viewer's attention in this episode. The scenes between Haniya and 'Aabee' were devoid of any chemistry or emotions. They were a big drag! (Somehow I keep remembering Fawad and Mahira's scenes together where you could feel the electricity! ;) )
Ibad's father's uncompromising stance was little hard to understand or believe. It reminded me of Ashar's character after the plot twist in Humsafar. Educated and liberal men behaving in a totally irrational and stubborn way. Surely men can't be that one dimensional? Or maybe in Farhat Ishtiaq's world they can be.....I do appreciate the good camera work and good dialogue delivery by all with no shouting, but apart from that, it's frustratingly boring!
Im glad i can say that I reaaaally liked the episode today, everyone did brilliant. The conversation between Ibaad nd his mom made me all teary and finally some expressions from Adeel(Ibaad) , when doctors gave him the news... i liked that.
oh and the preview, omg cant wait! will Adam die or Yamina... i really hope not yamina. I want to see more of her!
I watched the last 2 episodes
Today. I have now started to enjoy the drama. I think Adeel is doing a pretty good job. I like his acting better than Sarwat Gilani. As far as Ibad's father, these type of one dimensional characters exist in the world even today. Ahsaan towns guilt make people do lots of things all the time. I don't think it is necessarily Farhat Ishtiaq's world it is reality.
Of course the one thing i didn't Like much was the way Ibad fell in love with Haniya. It was very rushed and artificial. I really liked the way Ashet fell in love with Khirad. That relationship was beautifully done. Maybe the way Asher reacts afterwards was overdone but the way he fells for her was awesome.
