Saturday 31 December 2016

Notable Art Works of Year 2016... Special Edition of Shobywood

Notable Art Works of Year 2016... Special Edition of Shobywood

Here is the very special edition of Shobywood where I have gathered all the best art & motion works that have appeared in the year 2016. This list contains best of Urdu digest novels, English seasons, Urdu couplets, Bollywood movies and songs. Enjoy reading and don't forget to mention your favourites in the comment box below:


BEST URDU NOVELS...

Namal (Urdu Digest Novel)- For the last three odd years, Ms. Nemrah Ahmed has glued us (and glued us in real literal terms) to the screens (read digest pages) and we the critics along with hundreds and thousands of her fans have been waiting anxiously for the new episode of her mega blockbuster Urdu Novel #Namal. The fights of Kardars vs Yousafs was superbly dealt by Nemrah Ahmed in this brilliantly written novel. Not only the novel is a super hit, my reviews on the same got magnificent recognition among the masses and people really waited for my reviews too.

Borshay (Urdu Digest Novel)- Believe me guys, this one will be remembered for ages to come. Ms. Sumaira Hameed has written yet another superb story on yet another unorthodox plot that has never been attempted before at least in the Urdu digest industry. This fairy tale sort of fantasy romance is something to cherished and if I have to pick an award for Best Innovation in Urdu Digest Writing, I'll not have even a minor second thought and shall present it straight to Ms. Sumera for her excellent work titled as Borshay. Needless to mention, Ms. Sumera gave me the title of "Johri of The Stories" much before the publishing of Borshay and my Borshay review was again an instantaneous hit.

Piyal Saaz (Urdu Digest Novel)- A beautiful little series that had everything in right volumes. Ms. Aymal Raza has chosen a simple tale that encompassed two generations in the story that was really heart moulding. It is pertinent to mention here that dialogues for Piyal Saaz were superbly written and can easily be termed as one of the best of the year in digest writing.

BEST TV SERIES/ SHOWS...

Travelers "Season 1" (English Language Series)- This year saw the new breed of world savers but this time they have come up all the way from (probable) future. This Netflix- Showcase original series is a great thing to watch especially for the twits & turns embedded in the story. Those who like watching good English language series must taste it for once to see how Grant MacLaren & his team (Marcy, Carly, Trevor and Philip) tries their heart out to save the world from a big might disaster.

Penny DreadFul "Season 3" (English Language Series)- One of my most favourite TV series Penny Dreadful from the banner Showtime returned this year with more secrets to be unveiled & more horror elements to entertain us. I watched it just for the sake of Ethan Chandler, Vanessa Ives and Ferdinand Lyle.

BEST COUPLETS OF 2016:

Woh kehta hai ke dil phir se lagao,
Khasarey per khasara, kis liye jee?

(Poetess: Fakhira Batool)



Jaa'n Hatheli Pe Le Ke Phirna Kiran
Tu meri jaan hai to yun'hi sahi

(Poetess: Kiran Rubab Naqvi)

Teri tajseem tak yun yeh rahey ge
Hamara chaak per bhi imteha'n hai
Gahey ulfat, gahey shamsheer hain hum
Yeh dil, asp e jahaan e kamra'n hai

(Poet: Col. Syed Maqbool Hussain)

Jaisey tumhain apna to koi gham hi nahi hai
Kiyo hum se udaasi ki wajah pooch rahey ho
Hum kaun hain hum kiya hain humain khud nahi maloom
Tum kon ho or kis ka pata pooch rahey ho

(Poet: Zain Shakeel)

Woh mujh ko dekhney mere qareeb aya hai
Yeh dhund sarey maheenon mein kiyo nahi hoti

(Poet: Haris Bilal)

Dua mein manga tha tum ko, miley bhi, kho bhi gaey
Tumharey baaad kisey ab dua ki khuahish hai

(Poet: Dr. Asim Tanha)

BEST BOLLYWOOD SONGS:

Ji Huzoori (Ki & Ka), Pashmina (Fitoor), Raaz Aankhein Teri (Raaz: Reboot), Buleya (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil), Sanam Re (Sanam Re), Aey Dil Hai Mushkil (Aey Dil Hai Mushkil), Lo Maan Liya (Raaz Reboot), Tu Hai (Mohenjo Daro), Hua Hain Aaj Pehli Baar (Sanam Re), Rehnuma (Rockey Handsome), Soch Na Sake (Airlift) and Bolna (Kapoor & Sons).

BEST BOLLYWOOD MOVIES:

Honestly speaking no one particular movie in the year 2016 attracted me much. However I sort of liked Airlift, Traffic, Force 2, Kahaani 2 and Rocky Handsome.

MY DEBUT POETRY BOOK (MBMST)...

Main Bekhayali Mein Sang Tere (Urdu Poetry Book)- My debut poetry book. I have to say only one thing about Main Bekhayali Mein Sang Tere that it was my dream that came true. :-)

Thursday 29 December 2016

Top 5 Bollywood Actors in 2016- Picked by Shoby

Top 5 Bollywood Actors in 2016- Picked by Shoby

Here is the second episode of Bollywood Top 5 2016 and today I am going to discuss the top 5 Bollywood performances by a male artist in the year 2016. Almost every actor got a chance to show case his talent in the year 2016 and it was one of those years when all the three Khans had their movies released. Let me tell you which performance attracted me the most in the year.

Number 5: (Akshay Kumar in Airlift): One of the earliest releases of the year saw a spectacular performance from one the best artists of Bollywood. Akshay Kumar played this script backed role of a hero superbly who manages to evacuate many people from the war-disturbed country.

Number 4: (Hrithik Roshan in Mohenjo Daro): Mohenjo Daro was a period drama from Asutosh Gawariker and it had a very challenging role of a farmer belonging to 2016 BC which Hrithik Roshan played with excellent perfection.

Number 3: (Salman Khan in Sultan): Unlike his recent flicks where mostly he played stylish roles, this time he had to play the role of a wrestler & that too who has a transition of age within the movie. Salman Khan was shining all over the screen while portraying the character and he lifted the movie thorugh his extreme acting prowess.

Number 2:  (Shahrukh Khan in Fan): Although the film in its totality was a sheer disappointment, what actually saved the movie was one of the career best acting performance by The King Khan. Undoubtedly, Fan was the most challenging film for SRK, where he had to play two role, one of a mega star and one of an enraged fan, simultaneously. No points for guessing that SRK did both of these very demanding characters with utmost ease and grace. So much so that you literally start hating the antagonist.

Best Actor of 2016: (Ranbir Kapoor in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil): This Kapoor star is one of the most brilliant actor that we have in the industry today. From film to film, he is grooming and surely doing better than the best. Although to me, KJo tried his level to best to re-make a mix of JWM, Rockstar & a few other movies but it was Ranbir Kapoor who made the movie worth watching by depicting his superb acting skills. Once again, he got to play the character where he witnesses a transitoin from one phasde to another and once again he did it with extreme brightness.

Few other actors who have also made a mark through their performance include Ranveer Singh (Befikre), Fawad Khan (Kapoor & Sons and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil), Imran Hashmi (Raaz Reboot), John Abraham (Force 2 & Rocky Handsome), Aditya Roy Kapoor (Fitoor), Sidharth Malhotra (Kapoor & Sons).

Tuesday 27 December 2016

Top 5 Songs of Bollywood 2016- Picked by Shoby

Top 5 Songs of Bollywood 2016- Picked by Shoby

So it is that time of the year when we all sit together to share which thing from the lot attracted us the most.  Just like our custom of every year, here at #Shobywood, let me give you my list of Top 5 Bollywood products, that made a mark to me in the year 2016... This is the first episode of the Series Bollywood Top 5 at Shobywood an it contains my most favourite Top 5 Bollywood 2016 songs...

Number 5: (Ji Huzoori from Ki & Ka): A song that was all about emotions. Sayeed Quadri penned some very soulful lyrics where every word was chanting heart wrenching stories of separation & going apart. Mithoon & Deepali Sathe crooned this slow melodious symphony in an excellent manner.

Number 4: (Pashmina from Fitoor): To me, this is perhaps the best Bollywood song that has come out in 2016 if we talk about lyrics. The combo of two most unique artists Swanand Kirkire (lyricist) & Amit Trivedi (musician) is always a treat to listen. Whenever they have collaborated, they have given musical gems and no different was this Pashmina. I bet, you just hear the track and you will literally feel yourself like in Kashmir.

Pashmina Dhaagon Ke Sang Koi aaj Buney Khawab... Lyrics that melts your heart and composition that goes on to further enchant you. This one was a class and it will b e remembered for years to come especially for those who love to hear unorthodox music.

Number 3: (Raaz Aankhein Teri from Raaz: Reboot): In the recent times, one lyricist that has made a very authentic mark is Rashmi Virag. She has written some awesome lyrics and the songs she has penned has become chart busters. Raaz Ankhen Teri is yet another soothing song that contains very sweet & emotional lyrics. Jeet Gannguli has given it a very nice composition and to make it icing on he cake, this time it was Arijit Singh behind the mic who sung it beautifully.

Number 2: (Buleya from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil): Apart from many other things, one thing that is mandatory in a Karan Johar's film is the celebration of music and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was a winner in this department once again. Almost all the songs of the movie were spontaneous hit but my favourite of the album is this excellently composed & sung Hard rock track Bulleya. The veteran music composer Pritam composed this high octane song which had some excellent sufi enriched lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya and duo of Amit Mishra & Shilpa Rao sang it just perfect.

Best Song of 2015: (Sanam Re from Sanam Re): If it is a Divya Khosla Kumar's film, one thing is fore sure, it should have one of the best soundtracks of the year and Sanam Re proved it once again. The complete album was a bouquet of multi coloured flowers, multi aroma flowers and the title track itself was one of the best melodies that Bollywood produced this year. Penned & composed by the celebrated musician Mithoon, Arijit Singh gave his heart to croon the super sweet, heart warming melody.

Other songs that attracted me in the year 2016 were Aey Dil Hai Mushkil (Aey Dil Hai Mushkil), Lo Maan Liya (Raaz Reboot), Tu Hai (Mohenjo Daro), Hua Hain Aaj Pehli Baar (Sanam Re), Rehnuma (Rockey Handsome), Soch Na Sake (Airlift) and Bolna (Kapoor & Sons).

Hope you have liked my choice... You can also give your valuable feedback at the below box and tell which songs you liked in the year 2016.

Saturday 24 December 2016

EXCLUSIVE- Aymal Raza's Review on my Poetry Book MBMST...

MBMST Review by Ms. Aymal Raza...

Who does not know Ms. Aymal raza, when it comes to good reads in modern day Urdu literature especially thosae who are fond of reading good write-ups in digests acknowledge her prowess of her writing different stories in an altogether different style & dialect. She has written critically acclaimed "Tavvez-e-Hubb" a couple of years back and just recently she has finished her famous novel "Piyal Saaz" which was published in a leading dihest and liked by masses.

I had hte prestigious opportunity to present my debut book "Main Bekhayali Mein Sang tere..." to Ms. Aymal and requested her to review the same. I have no words to thank for her kindness that she did not only read my book completely but also reviewd the same. Believe me it really worked like oxygen to me.

Let me share her review on my book... Please read her kind words & feedback...


Namal (Mega Episode 29)- Mega Review by Shoby

Namal (Mega Episode 29)- Mega Review by Shoby

Have you seen a serial killer. My bad, I have only two pure examples. Dr Haanibal Lecters and Dexter Morgen. Have you seen how these psychopaths enjoy the prey while they kill. I believe Hashim Kardaar is the most eligible character to be enlisted in the list of next big cold-blooded murderer.  Without any further ado, lets connect to the the previous episode. Saadi is captured along with Ahmer in his flat and Zumer is abducted in the hotel's elevator.

This time, he has committed not be deceived by Hannibal. After an excellently written, full of adrenaline rush, action packed sequence (which reminded me of Late Sir Ishtiaq Ahmed's Inspector Jamshed/ Kamran Mirza) type of thrill, along with the indirect assistance of Sheru, the man of crisis Faris Ghazi has reached the location of Zumer and he has manged to save his wife this time. Faris is successful...  Hashim Kardaar was so wrong... Faris Ghazi has all the guts to safeguard his family women... so as I predicted #Zumer is safe & sound... (Shuker adaa kero Namalians)

Much more to come but unfortunately not a big shock to me. One pertinent character of Namal had to die in the episode and as I said in last review, that one character can never be Hashim, Faris, Zumer and Saadi at least at this point of time. She entered the Namal world quite silently and now she leaves with the same silent tone. Just like how Hannibal Lecters murdered Beverly Katz when she came to know about his reality, Hashim Kardaar has murdered Aabdar Haroon... Aabi is no more... RIP :-(

Loved this whole part of Aab e Zeedan as Nemrah writes it almost flawlessly. These scenes demanded action, thrill, mystery, shrewdness & straight forwardness and most importantly pace and not even a single ingredient was missing from all these scene...

At the start of episode #Checkmate we got to know that Ahmer & Saadi were released by the abductors after they reveals he secret regarding Kardaar's murder by Jawahiraat. Zumer asks Faris about The Qanun e Shahadat Order, 1984 and he feels like she has got some mental illness (Once again Nemrah managed to bring a smile in a damn tough condition. :-)

Jawahiraat's conversation with Hashim after she contacted Haroon Ubaid reminded me of one of the episodes of Penny Dreadful, where Evelyn (the witch) kills her own daughter when she returns with a failure of killing Ethan. 

Sheru asks Faris Ghazi to fulfil his promise of taking back Saadi's case but he refuses to do so.

Once again we witness all the relevant characters of Namal world in court room and Zumer saying, have a nice day to both Hashim and Sheru is telling something else. Haleema is in the witness box today and once again a commendable job by Zumer (Sorry) #NemrahAhmed on this intelligently written interrogation that took place between Zumer & Haleema. Even Faris is inspired... 

Sahibazadi tries to blackmail Jawahiraat by using the information disseminated by Ahmer & Saadi but Jawahiraat turns the table by already making up for the same, keeping both of her sons together.

I request my readers not to get bored of my repetitions where I am times & again saying how Hashim Kardaar resembles Dr. Hannibal Lecters. Hashim uttering the words Qatal mohabbat mien bhi hotey hain... Qatal majboori mein hotey hain... reminds me of nothing but the last episode of Hannibal Season 2 (Mizumono) when Hannibal tries to kill others along with his favourite friend come foe Will Graham. Brutal... Lethal... Dangerous... Atrocious... Compelled... and yes A Psychopath...

"Acha bhala main teesri shaadi kerney ke qabil ho raha tha"... After rescuing his wife and getting back to back jolts, if only one person in the planet has that rarest tendency to say something like this, he is no one else than Faris Ghazi. "Do larkiyan or bhi pasand thi... And he goes on to explain their details of his probable GFs... :p

Incredible... Isn't it... Multiple scenes simultaneously in one screen... Only Nemrah Ahmed can attempt something like this... Jawahiraat being interrogated in the witness box, Faris torturing Lab Assistant/ Doctor/ Lift operator and Hanna replying a two years old letter of Aleesha, Hanna & Saadi hacking a government website (Believe me Hanna's message regarding entry tests is really what I feel :-) ) and a 440 Wolt Shock, Haseena is betraying the residents of Morchaal. It seriously looks like watching a sleak noir movie.

Prosecution pleads for death penalty... And this is how Zumer sums up the prosecution and meanwhile Faris Ghazi has taken care of some real bad sectors of society. the crimes of whom have really shattered Faris in one way or another.

Hold on guys, Namal is not yet finished... Many more secrets remains to be revealed. Hashim himself has killed his father... No no, he has not killed Aurangzeb Kardaar. He has killed his genetical father Tayab Mutee (a cousin of Jawahiraat)... So technically speaking Hashim (jo sab theek ker diya kerta tha) the superlative Head of Kardaars in not a Kardaar himself... WOW... (Although, I am not really surprised by this twist but yes it was seriously a great one)...

Furious & enraged Hannibal has poured acid all over Evelyn's face...

Half justice have been done... More of the less is left... Bravo Namrah Ahmed for giving this self obsessed witch the treatment she literally deserved... Now waiting for the final round of Karadars vs Yousafs which is ultimately becoming something like Kardaars vs Kardaars...

Thursday 15 December 2016

Befikre- Film Review by Shoby

Befikre- Film Review by Shoby

3 Hearts out of 5

The director of blockbusters including DDLJ, Mohabbatein and Rab Ne bana Di Jori, Aditya Chopra is back with his latest directorial venture Befikre. This is the first time, when he has directed a film minus Shahrukh Khan and believe it or not, it really came to me as a shocker when he announced the film without SRK. This time, Ranveer Singh was on board along with Vaani Kapoor. Aditya has not only directed but also written and produced the film by himself. Lets see what he has this time for the audience.

With almost every other film starts like boy-meets-girl sort of situation, this time it is a little different. Here we see Dharam (Ranveer) & Shyra (Vaani) FIGHTING OUT LOUD and this big combat ends up with the announcement of their break-up. Meanwhile in the flashbacks, we see how the Delhi based Dharam arrived Paris (France) and woos Shyra courtesy his witty humorous nature.

Later on they decide to have a live-in relationship so that they can spend some quality time together and as in almost every other case, there starts the fights between them for various reasons and then they depart from each other, however they again meet to celebrate one year completion of their break-up after a few small episodes. Rest is left to be seen in the film.

First thing first, it is an out & out Ranveer's affair as he outshines through his very own bravura performance. He has played the role of a care free humor loving happy-go-lucky dude in a very believable manner. Vaani is decent in her avatar of French girl with typical Indian desi background. Other actors have also done a commendable job in their little capacities. Dialogues are fresh and one enjoy this youth-centred romantic drama courtesy honestly done awesome writing.

Although the climax is quite predictable and nothing new is discovered in the heart of the story, however writing never lets down and one hooks up quite well with the proceeding. Cinematography is brilliantly conducted by Kaname Onoyama and you get to see the most romantic city of the world through camera lens in an awesome manner.

The musical duo Vishal-Shekhar has given a nice sound track for the movie which blends beautifully with the on-goings. My picks from the album are Arijit Singh's Nashe Si Chadh Gayi and Je t'aime sung by Vishal Dadlani & Sunidhi Chauhan. To me, this film possess probably the best choreography of year 2017. One of the best choreographers that we have in today's Bollywood Vaibhavi Merchant has choreographed some awesome dance moves in all the tracks especially in Ude Dil Befikre, Nashe Si Chadh Gayi and Je t'aime.

Overall, this light romantic drama is worth a watch thanks to its nicely written fresh script, authentic acting by core cast and excellent music. 

Tuesday 13 December 2016

OK Jaanu... Trailer Review by Shoby

OK Jaanu... Trailer Review by Shoby

More than a decade ago, veteran film maker Mani Ratnam made Tamil film Alaipayuthey which had the musical score by the Academy Award winner AR Rahman. Film went on to be a blockbuster. When they decided to remake it in Hindi, they engaged with them the legendary poet Gulzar & director Shaad Ali and the final product that came out in front of all of us was immensely loved Saathiya. Music, Compositions, Lyrics, Dialogues, Acting and almost everything about Saathiya was a class act and really deserved a standing ovation.

In 2015 Mani Ratnam made O Kadhal Kanmani (OK Kanmani) with the super successful music by AR Rahman and now the same team of Saathiya once again joined hands to remake it in Hindi titled as OK Jaanu

Trailer of the film is out and the movie is slated to release in January 2017. Starring the hit pair of Aashiqui 2 (Aditiya Roy Kapoor & Sharada Kapoor) the film also stars the veteran actor Naseer ud Din. Trailer of OK Jaanu is fresh, youthful, musical and warm.

Aditiya and Shrada makes an almost perfect on-screen couple with all the little naughtiness, innocence & warmth in their respective acts. Although trailer features glimpse of just one song OK Jaanu's Title track which is off course Gulzar sb's version of Mental Manadhil, one can expect the movie as a grand musical love drama with some excellent signature dialogues from Gulzar sb. 

Saturday 10 December 2016

Lahore Se Aagey- Movie Review by Shoby

Lahore Se Aagey- Movie Review by Shoby

3 Hearts out of 5

Looks like youth oriented road based comedies are getting popularity in quite serious volumes in Lollywood. Last year Wajahat Rauf gave us a nice road trip from Karachi Se Lahore which was a decently made comedy with some real great performances by the core cast. December 2016 saw the sequel of the movie tentatively titled as Lahore Se Aagey which is again directed and produced by Wajahat Rauf. With ARY Films backing up the project with some excellent promotions, this film was sure to garner handsome attention of the cine-goers. Let’s see what the film actually has in it for the viewers.

The most love character of Karachi Se Lahore "Moti" (Yasir Hussain) is back on the screen but this time his life is in real danger. One of his claimed-uncle's wife (Rubina Ashraf) has hired two goons to murder him so that he may not reach Swat, where the uncle (Behroz Subwari) is waiting for him to handover all his property to this innocent-plus stupid looking happy-go-lucky guy.

On the other hands, Tara (Saba Qamar) is just fed up of her complex relationship with her fiancé  She wants to pursue her career as a rock-star singer but her fiance is a big hindrance in achieving the objective. Luck makes the two protagonists meet each other and there starts a roller-coaster of laughter. What happens in between is left to be seen in the cinemas.

Coming directly towards the acting department, it was an out & out Yasir Hussain's product by every mean with Saba Qamar enjoying her due share of screen presence. The chemistry between the two, the dialogue delivery & timing is just near to perfect. Once can’t really stop himself from Laughing out Loud when Moti is delivering his dialogues in most uncertain of the conditions with practically no-holds bar.

Although there is nothing novel in the screenplay & story is quite mediocre but the film stands tall when it comes to delivering what it promised and that is loads & loads of sheer fun & entertainment. Writing is quite good and despite of the fact that few episodes were added without a solid purpose in the heart of the story, the film manages to get the viewers glued to the screen courtesy its appealing dialogues & top notch performances.

Cinematography & DOP is very good especially the concert scenes & beautiful northern part of Pakistan (Swat) is pictured beautifully. Editing is crisp and film's length is almost perfect. Director has made sure that the audience never gets bored from the on-goings.

Shiraz Uppal has given a nice soundtrack penned by Shakeel Sohail and it goes good with with the proceedings, however I am a bit unhappy as according to the story, when Saba was performing for the finals of singing competition, ending parts of the film was literally demanding a solid rock sad track. If they have added a good sad number there, it would have been a perfect blend of music & story. It is pertinent to mention here that mashup of already- hit songs was a treat for someone like me who is a big fan of Pakistani pop industry.

This film is full of special appearances. From pop icons Komal, Shiraz Uppal & Gauher to famous artist Ali Zafar & Noor ul Hassan, everyone present there just enhanced the overall value of the product.


Considering the fact that we are still in the rehabilitation status as far as our Lollywood industry is concerned, we can safely say that Lahore Se Aagey is a very nice effort and this franchise has the tendency to be further explored.

Thursday 1 December 2016

Dear Zindagi- Movie Review by Shoby

Dear Zindagi- Movie Review by Shoby

It looks like been ages since Shahrukh Khan has got a solid script. His recent releases like Happy New Year and Fan have seriously damaged the confidence of his fans over his script choices. Therefore much was at stake with this Red Chillies and Dharma productions, Gauri Shindes directorial Dear Zindagi. lets analyze, what the film actually had in it for the viewers.

Aliya has played a psychologically complex character, a cinematographer by professional who seems like being tired or trying relationships. Shahrukh works as his psychologist who givea her the sessions.

First thing first, 10 on 10 for both Srk and Aliya Bhatt for their flawless performances in the movie. Similarly Kunal Kapoor and other supporting actors were brilliant. However this slice of life cinema lacks a couple of most important ingredients especially pace.

Writing of the film has major loopholes and it lacks the power to hold the viewer for long.

Music of the film is just ordinary. Background score is good. Cinematography is crisp and goes well with the films theme.

If people like Sharmas and Shindes cant give Srk a strong script, I seriously believe its time to rethink and re-assess his moves #Srk...

Wednesday 30 November 2016

Aba e Hayat Review Breaks All The Records...

Aba e Hayat Review Breaks All The Records...

Alhamdo LILLAH...

I am thrilled to announce that my Review on Umera Ahmed's latest Urdu novel Aab e Hayat has broken all previous records at my blog #Shobywood.



Within less than two days of its update at the blog, Aab e Hayat review managed to get more than 11 thousand views at the blog link. I cant thank you all enough for this appreciation.

Keep visiting shobywood.blogspot.com for more reviews on novels, books, music and movies...

Regards,
Shahbaz Ali Naqvi

Monday 28 November 2016

Aab e Hayat Concludes- Novel Analysis by Shoby

Aab e Hayat Concludes- Novel Analysis by Shoby

Almost a decade ago, she gave Urdu digest readers a sheer treat in the form of her mega blockbuster novel Peer e Kaamil (saww). Not only the story line & dialogues of the same were appreciated by masses but the two protagonists Salaar Sikander & Immama Hashim became huge success. So much so that quite literally everyone who read Peer e Kaamil went crazy for the 150+ IQ containing mind boggling hero and that extremely powerful female character Immama. 

Apart from normal digest readers, Peer e Kaamil was so successful that it managed to gather the attention of non digest readers too. People from various walks of life who enjoy good reads gave it at least one chance to be read and that one reading was more than enough to instantly make it one of their all time favourites.

Let me tell you what was this much so special that made Peer e Kaamil almost everyone's favourite. First & foremost, the beautiful journeys of two distinct characters Immama & Salaar from the astray path to the righteous one. Umera Ahmed had an impressive strong hold over the story right through all the episodes. She never let the reader look anywhere else and made many of us almost glued to the imagery pictured by her through beautiful words.

Few years ago, she announced the sequel to Peer e Kaamil which was tentatively titled as Aab e Hayat and since the inception, it started getting real attention from all of those who have read the earlier instalment. It is safe to say that without any doubt, Aab e Hayat is till date the most anticipated, the most hyped & the most anxiously awaited Urdu digest novel. Now let us see, has Umera Ahmed been successful in giving us the same level of greatness in the part two.

First episode of Aab e Hayat enlightened us with the fact that Aab e Hayat is like a set of cards. So obviously one has to follow each & every move to reassemble the pieces of jigsaw puzzle. My previous tweets/ Facebook posts bears the witness that I was simply bowled over by the introductory episode.

"Sakoon Kahin nahi hai... Jo cheez dunya mein hain hi nahi, usey kiya dhoondna" gave me goosebumps in real literal terms and I geared myself up to witness something bigger, something greater than the part one. It obviously raised the bar of hopes more than hundred times.

To me, Aab e Hayat primarily dealt with next few episodes that Salaar & his family went through. The very first phenomenon that confronted Salaar and Immama was a bit harshness in their maternal life. Aab e Hayat moved forward from this part to the #Congo episode where Salaar helped a local leader to reveal the political gimmicks of global institutions who work in third world countries in the name of their development & betterment, however in real they gain their mean benefit out of the misery of these countries. When the Congo episode was over, we saw Salaar starting a new financial system to the world which is 100% free of interest and while he was planning & inaugurating the things, there came the biggest shock for him & the family as he was diagnosed with the rear form of brain cancer.

Amidst all this, we saw how Immama carried on with the domestic life with upbringing four children. Three being their own and one that was adopted after the tragic incident happened at the village where Salaar was doing some welfare work. Aab e Hayat also dealt with the personal lives of Jibreel, Anaya, Humain and the adopted one Raeesa.

Let me clarify one thing straight forward, Aab e Hayat is Umera's attempt to explore new dimensions in the lives of Sinkanders. Unfortunately somewhere in the middle, the novel lost the charm. Although Umera was writing it in her very own style but still that one X-factor was seemingly found missing from the writing. That plethora of characters somehow made mess of a thing in the epicentre of the story.

I got distracted from the proceedings somewhere in the middle while reading Aab e Hayat. However the urge to know what actually Umera Ahmed want to say this time compelled me to follow the journey of Aab e Hayat. No matter, Aab e Hayat disappointed me big rimes in its overall treatment, yet I can now safely make a point that Umera Ahmed was successful in managing to bring back the story to life in its concluding parts.

Peer e Kaamil was so vocal & loud as far as modification of belief systems are concerned. Aab e Hayat was humble, yet discussed the change in overall behavioural systems. One can simply not 110% agree or disagree with Umera Ahmed for the narrative part of the novel. So not being diplomatic, apart from few episodes, Aab e Hayat has turned out to be a mediocre writing if we compare it from its predecessor.

Aab e Hayat is curtains now, however one character of Humain Sikander will definitely be remembered by many of us for many aspects. I loved whenever he was shown talking & doing stuff in his very own manner. From his childhood till the time he was targeted to be murdered, each one of his move deserves an appreciation. 

Although Umera has clarified that the "Turrap ka Patta" is a symbolic representation of the ongoing challenges that man has to face all through his life, yet a normal reader needs a logical ending. Aab e Hayat has left several questions unanswered. What has happened to the future of Salaar-Humain's strategic partnership. Was Salaar successful in replacing the traditional banking finance system with  the newly introduced Islamic ysstem of financing through his entrepreneurial skills. What happened in the end is still a mystery... I summarise it by saying that Aab e Hayat, to me worked as a half-roasted delight...

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW OF KIRAN RUBAB NAQVI... COMING SOON

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW OF RENOWNED POETESS KIRAN RUBAB NAQVI… Coming Soon @ Shobywood

If I say that she has broken the barriers of being a typical female poetess of this era, it won’t be an exaggeration by any means... She is not new as far as the world of poetry is concerned. Having a solid background of great poets from Potohar region of Punjab, Pakistan which is truly blessed by ALLAH with amazing artists especially writers, believe it or not, it was very difficult (read impossible) for this young lady to make her own significant mark in the who’s who of literature. But she did it with great authority.

Kiran Rubab Naqvi is the writer of two back to back blockbuster poetry books tentatively titled as "Ik Sadi Darmeyan Aa Thehri" and "Rog Jo Thehra", who is currently enjoying a great fame & fan following on all over social media. And our very own blog #Shobywood is luckiest in the sense that although she is unable to spare few moments from her very busy domestic & professional life, she has finally agreed to provider us her consent for a very exclusive interview.


This one of its kind conversation will let you see Kiran Rubab Naqvi like never before... So all of her fans are invited for the chit-chat of the year... Stay tuned to Shobywood for updates regarding her upcoming interview... 

Meanwhile lets have a glance at some of her masterpieces... Happy #Waiting :-)






Friday 18 November 2016

IBN ul QALAM (Sumera Hameed)- Fiction Review by Shoby

IBN ul QALAM (Sumera Hameed)- Fiction Review by Shoby

Qalam (The Pen)... That very honourable thing to which ALLAH has sworn in Holy QURAN... Ibn e QALAM (The offspring of the pen)... Like every other title of Sumera Hameed's novels/ fictions, this one has yet again the very same tendency of binding the reader and make one think. So let me give you my take on it.

Qalam (pen) symbolically represents the wisdom, knowledge or education. To me, the term Ibn ul Qalam may refer to the by-product of your wisdom & knowledge. The phrase here may explain what your understanding & observation has finally made you in your totality. 

Here I want to quote few lines from an exceptional sermon given by the gate of the city of knowledge IMAM ALI (asws) regarding ILM (knowledge/ wisdom). I believe these lines beautifully elaborate the essence of knowledge and wisdom...He says,

ILM teen balisht hai. Pas jo pehli balisht tak pohancha woh mutakabir ho gaya or daawa kerney laga... Jo doosri balisht tak pohancha mutawaazeh ho gaya or apney ko zaleel samajhney laga... Or jo teesri balisht tak pohancha, faqr ikhteyar kiya or fanaa ho gaya or us ko is baat ka ilm hua ke woh kuch janta hi nahi... (Book Reference: Nehj ul Asaar, Page number 36)

The fiction written by Sumera Hameed Ibn e Qalam primarily revolves around two altogether distinct characters. Abn e Aziz, an almost blind author who has been travelling since most of his lifetime and his better-half Zainab Kulsoom, who has not only been a faithful wife but has also acted as a loyal servant all through Ibn e Aziz's journey. In the words of Sumera, ALLAH ki Reza ke baad usey apney shoher ki reza matloob thi...

Zainab Kulssom has been introduced as a keen observer & proofreader by the author as she highlights the depth of letter "Suaad" but Ibn e Aziz seems to be not much concerned with the handwriting, rather he is quite confident that whatever he has written, it simply stands out and no one else can write in the same manner...

Right from the very beginning, we have come across with two different mindsets. one being brutally proud of his knowledge & the other being exceptionally thankful to ALLAH for whatever she was blessed with.

And then one night. when Zainab woke up for offering Tahajjud, she found the box which used to contain the written scripture of Ibn e Aziz lost. She prayed and prayed rigorously that it may come back by some miracle but as it is said, miracles dont happen too often. So ultimately, the box was not found.

Zainab, being much faithful to her husband never wanted to put him in grief so she asked Abi Daood to help her as she needs the book at every cost. Abi Daood suggests her to write the original script by herself as she herself has also travelled with Ibn e Aziz all the places and has gathered all the knowledge & wisdom. After much hassle & thinking, she started writing the lost part of the book in nights, whereas Ibn e Aziz used to write in days and eventually her script got completed along with that of Ibn e Aziz and the complete draft of the book was sent for further procedure of publishing.

Now pause for a second. Just try to grasp the hidden meaning within it. Sumera beautifully managed to convey a delicate yet intriguing message. One who used to write the book in days was so much sure about the authenticity of his writing that he did not bothered to have a second look on it. He was actually considering it as a product of his very own skills, struggles & hard work. On the contrary, the other one was all thankful to ALLAH who helped her in the completion of the project. Pehley lafz se akhri lafz tak, us ne khud ko haqeer hi samjha... Raat ki tareeki, gosha nasheeni, qalam or ilhaam... Zainab ne khud ko ALLAH ke rubaroo paya.

While further steps of book completion took a bit of time, Ibn e Aziz became impatient and asked Zainab he want to ask for forgiveness in case he has done anything wrong with her. In reply, Zainab told him that she has fouled him by writing the lost part. Ibn e Aziz became furious over her as he thought she has destroyed his written scripture. He further accused her of burning the original script written by him as he thought she was jealous of his wisdom & knowledge.

She clarifies that she has written whatever she has learnt from the genius & greats while travelling all around the world with him. Sumera has gathered some very interesting pieces full of knowledge & wisdom, while discussing what was written by Zainab as a compensation to the lost part of Ibn e Aziz's book.

Ibn e Aziz was all pride, mere lafz mere aemaal ka saboot they ke main ne ALLAH ke liye safar ikhteyar kiya and Zainab was all #Belief, ALLAH ko to saboot ki zarurat hi nahi hoti Ibn e Aziz...

And then Sumera sums it all, Main ne is kitaab per tumhari izzat ke liye kaam kiya... Tum ne apney ruutbey ke liye ALLAH ki mkohabbat ko istemaal kiyo kiya???

Meanwhile door opened and Molana Altamish who was heading the cabinet for the completion of book entered and hands him over the final published draft of the book. To much of his surprise & jolt, the published book was all the material written by Zainab Kulssom, whereas the portion which was trashed by the proof readers was the part written by his own self.

This very simple tale of two major characters had very interesting & pertinent lessons in it. Its a sea of lessons to be learnt for every human being regardless of colour, language, religion or creed. I urge, do not take this written piece as a fiction. It is something very close to reality. Reality where we all live, where we lead our lives every damn day.

Its a universal truth that more you read & understand and more you travel, your wisdom & knowledge enhances and with the increase in wisdom you become more down to earth and thankful. But it pertains to only those who read in order to understand the nature and those who really want to get close to ALMIGHTY. On the other side, for those who learn only for personal gain & fame, get a big nothingness and zero in the grand finale. 

Wednesday 16 November 2016

Namal (Nemrah Ahmed) Episode 28- Novel Review by Shoby

Namal (Nemrah Ahmed) Episode 28- Novel Review by Shoby

Its a centuries older saying that every picture has two sides, which ultimately means that no story of the world is perfect in its isolation.  Michael Paterniti said, “In the end, it wasn't so much that there was an alternative narrative--there always was--but it came down to belief: Which one did you want to believe. Which one suited you best? Or, perhaps more to the point: Which one told the story you were already telling yourself?” Almost same is the summary of what C Joybell C's lines which became the appetiser of Episode 28 tentatively titled as #Aquarium.

For everything in this journey of life we are on, there is a right wing and a left wing: for the wing of love there is anger; for the wing of destiny there is fear; for the wing of pain there is healing; for the wing of hurt there is forgiveness; for the wing of pride there is humility; for the wing of giving there is taking; for the wing of tears there is joy; for the wing of rejection there is acceptance; for the wing of judgment there is grace; for the wing of honor there is shame; for the wing of letting go there is the wing of keeping. We can only fly with two wings and two wings can only stay in the air if there is a balance. Two beautiful wings is perfection. There is a generation of people who idealize perfection as the existence of only one of these wings every time. But I see that a bird with one wing is imperfect. An angel with one wing is imperfect. A butterfly with one wing is dead. So this generation of people strive to always cut off the other wing in the hopes of embodying their ideal of perfection, and in doing so, have created a crippled race.”

Lets get back to the press conference where Sheru is revealing some hidden truths regarding Kardaars and their trade and his revelations has left almost everyone stunned. Concurrently, Zumer gets a fake call (read yet another damn fake #call).

Crops are getting ready to be harvested and here we have Hashim saying to Nosherwaan, Ab se tum sirf mere bhai ho... Dubara us building mein qadam na rakhna". It is (may be) the very first thing of this harvesting season.

"Main aap ki beti hoon ya hath'putli" by Aabdar is the second thing being harvested. Rifts are mandatory and being ruthless is the need of the hour and Nemrah is trying every right move to rearrange the pieces of jigsaw puzzle named as Namal. 

Third harvested crop is Ahmer The Con-Man who has just played probably the biggest trick of his life by contriving desi Evelyn (Jawahiraat) the self obsessed witch.

Haleema is summoned by the court as a witness and Hannibal is preparing her well enough to tackle Zumer's possible interrogations.

Well well well, Looks like Nemrah has seriously thought about my interpretation of Hashim Kardaar as Hannibal as she used the term #TheGrimReaper while Hashim is in the kitchen blending something (The scene very much familiar to those who have watched Hannibal series).

In the mean time, Aabdar goes to visit Hashim on his invitation and he reveals that Aabi's reality has been unfolded in front of him but he is no way going to give her any punishment for what she did. Instead he had a message for Aabi's friend Faris, Usey kehna ke woh apney khandaan ki auraton ki hifazat nahi ker sakta"... Felling chills in the backbone... And if this not enough, Ahmer has been kidnapped... ???

They say Saadi has the tendency to mould people's feelings in his favour by using his tendency of using extreme innocence through his conversation.  Lets see if this cheesy conversation between him & airport security operator Masood Aalam ends up deducing favourable results for him in court room.

Oh this lady is still in a mod to play a game. Aabi is tactfully asking for a mercy from Faris, "Or mera kiya, jisey aap ne is sab mein dhakail diya... "Agar aap mujh se shaadi ker le to woh mujhey nuqsaan nahi de sakey ga"... Yes, I am NOT shocked... This was already written in the books somewhere. Nevertheless as I said earlier, harvesting season is very much on at #Namal. However, reaction of Faris is quite predictable & understandable.

Why is she repeatedly saying, main marney nahi lagi and marney waley ki akhri khuahush sort of things... I am sure, this must be making the atmosphere suffocated for many of the readers (may be for all of us)... Do not go like this author... Please do not do what I am sensing, might to be happen...

See how Nemrah beautifully used the reference of fake kidnapping episode by Sheru in the court room to reveal something mighty. As Ahmer was missing since few days and in this anticipation Saadi visits him and comes to know that he has been house arrested by some kidnappers and in an attempt to evacuate him, he himself gets captured by the kidnappers. On another hand, Sherry tried to capture Faris but failed.

History is being recreated by Hashim but this time, one character is replaced. Aabdar is there to fill the gap of already deceased one. Hashim arranges a fake call to Zumer for dinner by Faris in the same old hotel. Zumer is trapped in the elevator by Hannibal.

Part one of Aquarium ends as Ahmer & Saadi are kidnapped in Ahmer's flat. Zumer is very much close to the death in the elevator turned human aquarium. And Faris Ghazi is in search of Zumer. Only two more instalments are left and we are this much close to the curtains. 

Unlike last couple of episodes, this one was more adventurous and pacey. Things are getting unfolded in a quick mode now. The best thing about this episode was its length. Thank you Nemrah for not making a mess of things by giving us a long tale and letting things work out in two different parts. I am still pretty much sure that Faris & Zumer are no way going to die at least in this time of birth. Saadi is the heart of the story, so he is also not in the list of those who can be gone easily. Believe it or not, Hashim would be remembered as one of the most stylish & cunning villains of all time in the world of Urdu literature and I really dont think, this character would be ended in a typical tit-for-tat situation. Then who is left to be gone... Answer of this trillion dollar question is hiding beneath the upcoming episodes. Meanwhile, fingers are crossed. Happy waiting guys... :-)

Wednesday 9 November 2016

Piyal Saaz (Aymal Raza) Concludes... Novel Review by Shoby

Piyal Saaz (Aymal Raza) Concludes... Novel Review by Shoby

Just where we were paused by the author, Boorhey darakht ke peechey do mohabbat kerney waley apni maa, apney baap ki zindagiyon ke hisab kitab ko niptatey niptatey apni mohabbat khatm kerney per aa gaey they, Aymal sets the right tone for the finale of the season. Baasil & Zimel are head to head now and lets see to which end, this calculus will lead to.

Every reader has a different tendency to perceive write ups. To me, Aymal is all about exceptional synonyms. She has that beautiful strength to exhibit things in an altogether different arena which makes it so easy yet appealing for the reader to grasp the on-goings. See how creatively she has correlated #NigaarKhana with #QudratKaKarkhana (the nature). Yeh chokhata aap ke banaey huey namooney ko hi dekh ker tayar kiya hai is simply marverlous. Hats off...

So Zimel heads back towards France and is standing right there at Seine river where she used to visit whenever she gets sad and back there in Pakistan, no one is there to miss her, to call her back except everyone.

Cold war is being fought between Basil & Nano on the account of Zimel and Yashaar is trying his level best to keep the things warm in the house. Nano is ready to sell Nigaar Khana. Baasil wants to shift to Karachi. Meanwhile Zimel returns to Pakistan and regularly meets Nano, whereas Basil happens to catch them once but he did not responded in any way.

She entered the house 28 years back without permission and remained there to repent for whatever wrong was done by her intentionally & unintentionally and now she left the house once again without permission even without notifying anyone. But this time she has a pertinent job  to do. Nano leaves the house to live with Zimel as the blood of Zeyaan Alam asks her to save from being Zeyaan or Nigaar.

While they were returning to France, Basil, Yashaar & yes Nigaar came out of the home in their search and persuades them to go back home in an emotionally enriched high voltage drama scene and then it was a very happy ending where bride & groom lives happily ever after.

It all started with some stunning visually enriched phrases. An old entity asking the EVER ETERNAL to complete the justice. She was all prayers and unlike her perception, her prayers were not unheard. Someone up above the sky was all set to do the eternal justice and at the end justice was done. Evils got the punishments they deserved and goods discovered heaven on Earth. 

There was nothing new in this tale of Piyal Saaz as far as underneath story is concerned but what compelled me to read it was the diverse treatment by the author. Aymal used some real novel approaches to depict the on-goings. To me, best part of the story was the scene featuring Nigaar & the three beasts. Aymal never let the delicacy of words go down while containing the grip in the darkness of the tale. Short romance between Basil & Zimel was charming especially that garden scene was a perfect depiction of the love.

Aymal has done an extensive research on the art of carving & this one is quite obvious from multiple scenes. She literally deserves a big round of applause in this regard.

I am still unsure about how to react for the finale of the story. I am delighted in the way that the story which was all about dark pasts & cruel presents with unpredictable futures had to have this sort of nice, feel-happy sort of climax but I still feel its a bit melodramatic how the whole proceedings were compiled at last. Nevertheless, Piyaal Saaz is a very good read and I am excited to read more from this very talented writer.

PS: Even after Piyal Saaz, my fav from Aymal Raza is Taveez e Hubb... :-)

Sunday 16 October 2016

Piyal Saaz (Episode 5)- Review by Shoby

Piyal Saaz (Episode 5)- Review by Shoby

Steve Jobs said, "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life." That old being never lost the heart. She kept on begging for mercy while continually looking at the past. She was all ears & eyes for the actual justice to be done. She waited for timeless times, may be centuries and look destiny has opened the door after the continuous knocking. Zeyan Aalam is standing in front of Nigaar. They say justice delayed is justice undone. Is this story here as well...

Tum ko to ana hi tha Zeyaan Aalam... You know what, if someone keeps on rolling over fire for years & years, then every damn feeling of the world becomes non-existent. At the same time, if someone has more than 110% sheer belief over the Justice of ALLAH and the time of justice comes upfront, the expression itself converts into pride.#Gharoor #Takabur that Aymal talked about for Nigaar.

Its time for him to seek repentance. He is asking for mercy now, to be forgiven. #Forgiveness is something that does not exist in the dictionary of Nigaar after whatever has been occurred in the life. He is persuading her that justice has already been done but she is still in a denial mode and she has all the reasons to be like this.

ALLAH soortain nahi dekhta zeyaan... Us ke nazdeek muaafi or tauba ka ehsas hi afzal hai. One sentence that has a lesson for whole humanity. Aymal beautifully makes us believe that HE is the only #Ghafoor The only #Raheem

Back somewhere, Yashaar has been unmasked in front of Zimel and he has left her free.

What Nano has done seems to be the fate play but nature has some other plans. After all, she has watched Nigaar burning for all these years. And now when she had that one opportunity to take revenge, she was in no mood to miss the same. But wait... whatever Nano is, she is not a murderer

To much surprise, Piyal Saaz has taken the most shocking turn. Zeyaan Aalam has been murdered. He has been poisoned by none other but his own self but Zimel believes Nano has poisoned him. Aik maa apni saggi aulaad ko zehar kaisey de sakti hai.... Aymal stuns me. #Speechless at the moment.

Insan sachey dil se tauba ker le to kainaat ka aik aijk zarrah us ke liye seedhey raastey waazeh kerta chala jata hai. In the backdrop, upon knowing the reality of game that Zeyaan has played with Nigaar, Gulnaab madly roams around in search of Nigaar and when she found her, she decided to take care of her along with her two children.

Sab apney apney hissey ki matti daalney lagey... Sab apni apni qabar bharney lagey... A universal truth. Aymal stands out from the folk by this way of expression.

Yashaar is fidgety but Zimel has made it up with him although only non verbally. Nano is broken into pieces some where within herself. Zimel waits for Baasil and he is back with the most unwelcome punishment for unimpeachable Zimel. He has ordered him to leave not only the house but also Pakistan. As the episode concludes, Zimel has gone back from where it all started #France.

So the upcoming one is the last part of the Piyal Saaz series. Almost all the things minus one have been sorted out in the story but still it remains to be seen is there a happy ending for the novel. Although its all up to the author but to me, if Aymal gives it a happy touch at the end, it would really end up looking artificial. However the grief we have all observed in Payal Saaz demands at least a breather in the form of happy family reunion. Lets see how the curtains fall.

Saturday 15 October 2016

Namal (Episode 27)- Review by Shoby

Namal (Episode 27)- Review by Shoby

They say, if you have to choose between two bads, choose one who is mild in his badness. How strange is the phenomenon where we observe that Self Realisation leads towards Self Actualisation whereas at the same time, Self Realisation is the same component which diminishes every damn thing known as Self Esteem within you. The more you realise whats good or bad lies within you, the more you find the way to overcome the false within yourself. Evil lies within everyone of us and that evil itself tells us how to battle that beast out.

As Namal is just about to conclude, Nimra once again quotes C. Joybell C. “The difference between my darkness and your darkness is that I can look at my own badness in the face and accept its existence while you are busy covering your mirror with a white linen sheet. The difference between my sins and your sins is that when I sin I know I'm sinning while you have actually fallen prey to your own fabricated illusions. I am a siren, a mermaid; I know that I am beautiful while basking on the ocean's waves and I know that I can eat flesh and bones at the bottom of the sea. You are a white witch, a wizard; your spells are manipulations and your cauldron from hell yet you wrap yourself in white and wear a silver wig.”

As already discussed in one of my reviews, we have seen much complexity in the character sketches of Namal based character. Unlike most fictional characters, Nimra did not confined any character within a vacuum. They are not isolated within the nest of their own one-specific trait. For instance check the angry young man Faris, at one moment he is our very own hero who is fighting the odd ones but wait. Look at the way, how he fights those evils. Agreed he is fighting for a noble cause but he is not a saint in his own capacity. Similarly, our desi Hannibal (Hashim Kardaar), he is an out & out villain but thats not the whole story. We have seen traces of a mild goodness in his personality in few episodes.

So let me try to build up a bridge between Namal & Joybell's lines. namal is like a factual world, where everyone is not 100% evil and no one is 100% pseudo-god . There are goods & bads in every character and one has to choose who is the lesser bad version.

Ok setting this self created philosophy aside, let me take you to the first scene of episode 27 where court is adjourned and the session is having Marry Angeo in the witness box and its time for Zumer to try some hunting in this area of the woods.

Marry Angeo is interrogated by Zumer & Hashim both. Apparently, its a small victory for Hashim courtesy his cunning questioning. Aabdar informs Faris that she has handed over the video recording to Zumer.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and one should enjoy it at its fullest and I believe that residents of Morchaal has taken this advice quite literally. So once again, we have the Morchalians around the breakfast table and Nudrat with the deadliest weapon on planet #AmmaKiJooti in her hand. I have a very serious suggestion for Hanna. Why dont you plan to start your own HowStuffWorks like project. I mean, you have that tendency to perform almost every other task, so why dont you think of being some real help for the chunk of #SelfDependent galz. :p

Betty Smith said in A Tree Grows in Brroklyn, “I know that's what people say-- you'll get over it. I'd say it, too. But I know it's not true. Oh, youll be happy again, never fear. But you won't forget.” May be same is the case with Hanna. She has been asked to present in the honourable court for the proceedings. Shehad Ki makhi ne rasta badal liya, Marz khatam ho raha tha but a few more glimpses of Hanna-Hashim love story are yet to be revealed in front of public and that too in the court room. Lets see if justice is done this time. 

I feel #FoodlyEverafter must have been a very economical food place. reason being three jobless killing their time with no bucks consumption. :-)

Meanwhile, Jawahiraat had to face much more than what we call embarrassment in front of her social circle at Golf Club. Hashim has arranged some watchdogs in the name of security around her and this so called security measure has become the talk of the town. If this was not enough, back at kardaar's place, Fayona refused to disappear in front of her as Hashim has ordered her the same to keep her eye on Jawahiraat. Destiny has made Jawahiraat to be responded in such lethal tone and that too from her own son Sheru.

Sheru's response shows a clear picture of how & why spoiled brats belonging to the upper class react when they are done with facing problems and when they are asked to assist in issues. Check out the words, Hum Yousafs nahi hain jin ka chota chota bacha apney masail khud hal kar sakta hai kiyo ke kathin waqt mein apney masley sirf wohi shakhs hal ker sakta hai, jo achey waqt waqton mein dooseon ke masley hal kerta aya ho. Fabulous Nimra. Incredible... True to the roots...

"Yeh aulaad kiya samajhati hai ke maa kitchen mein hai or baap daftar mein to unhain kuch nahi pata chalta". From no where Nimra pulls of such a commendable monologue which is nothing but all truth and that extra quoting of frequently used term "#Begherat" was much needed for a hollow smile here.

Aabi meets Zumer & Faris and asks for forgiveness. She also inform Faris that Jawahiraat is threatening her as she has given them e recordings. Hashim meets Hanna and traps her with his world famous cunning techniques.

Hanna is in extreme anxiety sponsored by her critically complex situation. Scene featuring Hanna and Faris where Faris utters a few sentences including "Make Them Bleed" is a beautiful blend of expression in terms of action/ reaction scenario.

It never matters if she is an established professional lawyer for the whole world. Remember, if she is your wife, she has to act as a wife in all situations no matter what. "To wahin reh jatey, wapis aney ki kiya zarurat thi" is a typical wife's take on husband's late coming and "Aa gaya hoon to ghar se nikaalo gi kiya" is a very expected reply from an #Honest ( :p ) husband. I dont know why Nimra has included this light romance within the proceedings but to me it was a much needed dialogue. After all, trust is what takes you to the other side of the victory line. Be it the case of #YousafsvsKardaars in the life of Zumer & Faris or the actual lives of 8 billion people around the globe.

A few episodes back, we have seen Hashim thinking of repentance and now its Sheru's turn. "Main KHUDA se muaafi mangna chahta hoon... Main Saadi se muaafi mangna chahta hoon". But Hashim is all prepared for a mighty combat "Us ne mujh se woh aurat cheen lijis se main sab se ziyada mohabbat kerta tha... Main us se woh aurat le loon ga, jis se woh mohabbat kerta hai".

#FoodlyEverAfter is packed with some real uninvited guests now a days. Hashim visits the food outlet to discuss Zumer for an out of court settlement. He is ready to compensate in monetary terms but Zumer is more interested in the legal fight for justice. Nimra concludes the scene with a stunner, "Tumhari sab se bari saza pata hai kiya honi chahiye??? Tumhain hidayat mil jaey or phir tum sari zindagi apney gunaahon ko yaad ker ke pichtatey raho".

Nimra explains the verse "Wa Tuizzo manTashao Wa Tuzillu manTasha" in her unique style. Quoting how public were reacting against Hazrat Ibrahim (asws) but at the end of the day ALLAH has blessed Him with Hazrat Ismail (asws), Hazrat Ishaq (asws) and the legacy continued with the Greatest of all Times Hazrat MOHAMMAD MUSTAFA (saww) who hails from AAL e Ibrahim (asws).

Sirf ALLAH ke Hath mein hai izzat... Same was the summary of the sermons given by BIBI ZAINAB (sa) Bint e IMAM ALI (asws) in the courts of Sham after Battle of #Karbala. When yazeed tried to disgrace the family of Prophet MOHAMMAD (saww). When he said with all the evil pride we have been successful and you have been defeated. Bibi ZAINAB (sa) asked him to wait till the Azan starts. When Muazaan uttered the words Ash'hado Anna MOHAMMAD ur RASOOL ULLAH. Bibi ZAINAB (sa) said, Oh yazeed, tell. Is the Muazzan uttering the name of your Grand father or mine. This is our victory. This is the victory of my Grand Father Prophet MOHAMMAD (saww). This is the victory of Islam. Today, everyone around the world regardless of religion or sect praises IMAM HUSSAIN (asws) and believes Him to be the leader of youth in Jannat but where is yazeed. Nowhere... No doubt, ALLAH PAK has blessed Prophet MOHAMMAD (saww) with all the blessings and respects.

back to Namal- Are we going to witness the actual turn of the story, super cool girl Hanna is in the witness box with her very own distinctive style & fad. Confident & composed are the true words we can use to depict the conversation of Hanna with honourable Judge & Zumer. And now comes the captious part, finally its Hanna vs Hannibal one on one.

Stunner! This is the super confident Hanna for you. Keeping eyes in his eyes, she is demanding the right to be asked in which language she is comfortable and she has taken everyone including me by surprise. Forget Hanna for a bit. Take a bow Nimra Ahmed. You have pulled off a stunner. How unorthodox you played with these almost super natural sort of characters. What a take on Hanna's sheer genius nature.

Ok. be serious everyone. after going through all the heck what happened just now in the court room, I really want to second Faris's views regarding Zumer #SalaiKarhai #Cooking Thoroughly enjoyable... Aala.

Hashim in sheer anger, Zumer scolding her, Sam calling her "being over", Sadi hugging her.. And she... Just a simple middle class girl with a heavy heart which is hurt... She is crying, somewhere inside... Crying out loud. Let me accept it, this one particular scene is by far one of the most dramatic & handsomely written scene of whole #Namal series. Standing ovation Nimra Ahmed... Standing ovation...

In a press conference, Sheru reveals how his IPP company is deteriorating the country by producing incompetent and faulty turbines. He further adds that he is resigning from the CEO post.

Honestly I have lost all the tendencies to be shocked over these maze like situations building in Namal. Getting straight to the point Zumer is kidnapped and that too by a fake call of Faris (Not Again yaar).

So its just a matter of a couple of episodes now. Curtains are ready to be fallen down. Drama is just about to over. Heroes are going to rise and evils have to face what they started. Its a very simple story inNnamal. As you sow, so shall you reap and characters of Namal are reaping what they have sowed.

I predict, Jawahiraat will surely commit suicide. Hashim is going to be prosecuted in any case be it money laundering or IPP issue. Sheru will be punished for his evil act. And readers, please dont worry if Zumer has been kidnapped. remember what happened with Jehan Sikander in second last epiosde of Jannat kay Pattay. Stay blessed everyone...

Thursday 11 August 2016

Piyal Saaz (Episode 3) Aymal Raza- Novel Review by Shoby

Piyal Saaz (Episode 3) Aymal Raza- Novel Review by Shoby

"Teen mard aik jagah aik hi niyyat se kharey hon to darwazon ko muqafal karney ki zarurat nahi hoti." Fastened your seat belts as Aymal Raza is all set to blow you away through her magical words. Connecting right from the previous episode, third one of Piyal Saaz starts off with a high voltage drama sequence where Nigaar is trapped around three beasts, masked as humans. Stephen King said “They're animals, all right. But why are you so goddam sure that makes us human beings?”

The transformation from root emergence to stem enhancement to a complete Banyan tree seamlessly woven by Aymal to symbolically depict the proceedings is indeed a treat to read. Mira Grant said, “The only thing we have in this world that is utterly and intrinsically ours is our integrity.” and Aymal starts sort of a debate, Insan ki Ghurqaabi ki ibteda kiya hai??? And then she herself sums up the debate, Ghurqaabi ho to mukammal... Ruswai ho to mukammal...

Thank you Aymal on shifting the course of attention towards Basil-Zimel track. Otherwise I was totally in a trance of the initial sequence. Dear Readers, dont mind, if my this review contains only dialogues written by Aymal as I am literally drowned in the feel of them.

Mardana mazboot hathon ka lams jab nazuk unglyon ko choota hai... Ahhh... What a delicate & sophisticated way to cherish the feel of young love. Hats off Aymal for re-endorsing a sweet quote after that hard hitting sequence. 

According to writer Stanley Kubrick, If it can be written, or thought, it can be filmed. To me you are a pitch perfect writer if you can write make-believe things and Aymal has that tendency to create the imagery through her words. Same is reflected in the garden scene featuring Basil & Zimel. Its a beautiful blend of warm dialogues with overall ambience description.

Zimel doses not want to hurt Basil by telling him the response of her father. However she has a Big Yes in her heart & mind, so she visits Nigaar'Khana to pick a unique gift to respond the proposal. Meanwhile she confessed in front of Yashaar tat she has failed in finding any helpful material which could be used to entice her father's past so that he may check down to the memory lane. Yashaar stresses to make his father visit Pakistan as it could be more helpful.

This writer has the tendency to make your heart skip a beat through her expression:

Zimel ke qadam chori jagah per phool ug rahey they... Nahi...
Hawaon ki dorain us ki ungliyon mein pewasta nthi... Nahi
Kiya us per mohabbat ka mausam aa gay tha... Pata nahi...
Ya woh nano jaisi basaarat hi nahi rakhta tha... Yaqeenan haan...

While focusing on her primary objective i.e. to discover the past of her father, Zimel visits the university and happens to meet an old professor who informs her about the election in which the contestant Misbah was murdered who contested against Zeyan Aalam.

Lets move towards the old Banyan tree. That rigged old woman is still complaining. She is still moaning. Oh sanyasi... Mohammad Khuda Yaar se poochu... Pakkey rangon ki holi ke daaghon ko kis jal se dhona hai... If you cant feel the pain, the agony, the shrewdness of the character through this one line, I believe you can never feel it in any case. Thumbs up Aymal.

After what happened with Nigaar, her soul is broken and when your spirit gets hurt, you believe me, it is the most painful of all. I usually dont quote my poetry in my reviews but this scene just reminded me of my own short poem "Scream of Silence" from my poetry book Main bekhayali Mein Sang Tere... Unfortunately I have no words to explain the sequence except this poem:

Andheyara, 
Jeewan ko sooni raeyn karey hai...
Mere ander ki khamoshi
Oonchi oonchi awazon mein
Baeyn karey hai...

On his return with fabricated gloomy face, Gulnaab asks him where is Nigaar and he utters her the false story that she does not want to live with him and is asking for a divorce. Zeyan has played the game with acute planning and nobody is there to believe Nigaar now.

Jab chaar atraaf se pather barsaey jaeyn to mazboot se mazboot chataan bhi raiza raiza ho jati hai... Nigaar is shattered and rightly so. And just to clarify the things all at once, this is the past. And if we have a look on the present, we can observe Zimel running away from the older version of Nigaar. 

As the episode concludes, Nigaar is still complaining out loud, Purshootam (The Supreme Being), Saya e Gautam, Ibn e Maryam se keh do, KHUDA ke maujzey se... Meri izzat ke sath khelney waley woh teen they... Hearing the harsh reality, Zimel can not take this and runs away...

So one hell of an affair was witnessed in the episode. This is The Aymal Raza whom I talked about in the first review of Piyal Saaz. This is The Aymal Raza who I admired after reading Taveez e Hubb. This is The Aymal raza who knows exactly how pain can be best pictured through mere use of words.

Best thing about Piyal Saaz is the fast pace of the story. Many secrets have been revealed & many secluded aspects of the story have been uncovered. I believe its a game of a a couple of more episodes that the we may reach to a logical conclusion of the tale.

I am much impressed with the vast vocabulary of Aymal Raza. She does not only possess the great vocabulary but she knows how to use the same in the best of their meanings. Certain monologues literally produced goose bumps in the episodes. Whatever she has written for the old Nigaar has a deep intense feel in it. 

I personally dont mind use of foreign languages, concepts & philosophies to further elaborate the feelings. Use of hindi dialects has magnificently enhanced the overall ambience & feel of the story. Looking forward to more of this celebrated stuff from Aymal in upcoming episodes.

Tuesday 9 August 2016

Seyah Hashia (Saima Akram Choudary) Concludes- Novel Analysis by Shoby

Seyah Hashia (Saima Akram Choudary) Concludes- Novel Analysis by Shoby

It started off with an excellent sequence where someone is is running towards nowhere and suddenly voice of an invisible entity is heard, which is trying to stop her from crossing the Syeah Hashia (The Black Line of Limits). A boundary which was supposed to be a start of a devastating hell but she crossed it.

The very first sequence of the novel was a symbolic one. Executed beautifully, it had all the required ingredients to attract the reader. So I stick to it for all these 17 episodes and now it has come to the concluding part. Lets analyse, how Saima Akram Choudary has played with all the characters of the novel and how she tackled with somewhat complex proceedings.

To me, best part of Syeah Hashia is that it is perhaps one of those very rare Urdu digest novels of our current time that had characters in good numbers but all of the characters are very much required to build up the actual plot. I found not even a single non-needy character in the whole story and probably this is the most peculiar reason why I followed it completely.

Seyah Hashia can be regarded as a true socio-reforming material with few very important messages embedded within the plot. Especially the way Saima Akram highlighted the falsehood of Atheism and its devastating results on the individual as well as society. the novel revolved around how jealousy factor can badly impact the lives of not only the one who possess the bad hallmark but to others as well.

Seyah Hashia was all about social messages, be it the regard & honour of elders or cons of a bad decision maker. Saima nicely elaborated all these issues through actions, characteristics & dialogues of various characters. The novel tells how harsh, rude & false decisions of a father can brutally demolish a family. It also gave an insight of what sort of bad sequences a girl has to face if she runs out for someone. At times, what we feel as love is not love at all. Its destruction disguised in love.

In the middle of the story we got to see some sweet romance as well. I personally loved the way how the meetings of Bindya & Taimoor were exhibited by Saima. Purity of old-age romance was at its best in those scenes. How can one forget the young, energetic & cool couple of Oreeda & Arsam. Especially in the earlier episodes when the young love was all set to ablaze things. It was a real treat to read. Then off course the short love stories (although not much elaborated) of Adeena & Abdullah and Bakhtawar & Hashim). So it had the element of love in quite good volume.

It is pertinent to mention one thing here that it is not mandatory that every time you need some sort of metaphysical approaches or out of the box treatment to make a thing look good. Sometimes, a nice simple topic needs a very simple yet appealing treatment and here I would like to applaud Saima Akram that she did not tried anything out of the box. In fact, she stood accurate to her main concept and without letting reader wander here & there, she said her things in very clear & honest manner.

A touch of thrill & mystery was also observed in the novel. When Adeena found the gravestone with the name & the of birth & death dates of her living mother was marked and when Adeela saw the glimpses of Abdullah a couple of times after his proclaimed death. These sequences were sufficient enough to make the reader glued to it.

Overall this novel was a nice attempt if we talk about spreading strong socio-religious messages to the society and I really hope that we all get to learn certain supremely important concerns regarding our society.

I wish more of these simple message oriented writings come our way so that the much needed society gains some fruitful lessons & interpret them in their deeds. Looking forward to read some more good writings from this very talented writer Ms. Saima Akram Choudary.