Padmaavat- Movie Review by Shoby

Padmaavat - Movie Review by Shahbaz Ali Naqvi (Shoby)

4.5 Hearts out of 5

Some movies are made to elaborate what is written in the history whereas only few of the movies re-write history on celluloid. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat definitely belongs to the second class. The magician is back with his latest period war drama after Bajirao Mastani and lets see what he has to offer to his audience this time.

Padmaavat is the story of the fight between lust filled obsession of a ruler (Ranveer Singh) who posed to be a pseudo-god and the resilience of a royal couple (Shahid Kapoor & Deepika Padukone). Story involves multiple edge of the seat twists & turns and grooms smoothly to implant a solid premises for a heartwarming war drama.I don't want to be a spoiler so won't tell you the whole lot about movie. 

First thing first, unlike what I perceived, I feel Padmaavat was never intended to be a romantic cinema, as this time Bhansali focused more on the fight between good & evil rather than highlighting the lovely warm companionship of protagonists. This is the primary component that makes Padmaavat stand out from the last two outings of Sanjay Leela Bhansali (RaamLeela & Bajiramo Mastani).

Talking about the acting department, Padmaavat is simply a Ranveer Singh's show right from the word go. He gets into the skin of the character of Khiljee so placidly that eventually earns him a well deserving standing ovation. He dominated more than half of the movie courtesy his powerful portray of this ruthless emperor’s character. Deepika Padukone in the role of Rani Padamaavati is a treat to watch. Along with her tranquil innocence & serene on-screen beauty, She has once again proved her mettle in acting department. Shahid Kapoor, to me gets a role of his lifetime. The best thing about the character written for him is, for never a minute second, you think that his role has been under-written than other characters. Aditi Rao is a grooming her acting skills  movie by movie and this time she has played a pitch perfect role. She looks so different in the avatar of a Queen. This time the surprise package was Jim Sarbh who enacted the role of a transgender with utmost authenticity.

The film never loses its grip and remains successful in sticking the audience to the screens till the finale part, courtesy its compelling script & superbly written screenplay. Dialogues are a winner and characters come up with a magnificent punch line right after every few minutes in regular intervals. I would specially like to highlight the dialogues penned for Ranveer's character. Bold, ruthless, savage & humorous embedded in brutality. Jab khaney ko itna kuch hai to hum khouf kiyo khaey. The initial conversation between Padmaavati & Pandit is the heart of the story. 

Set designing has always been a forte of Bhansali's films and Padmaavat is no different. Art direction is at its prime best, blended with immensely beautiful cinematography by Sudeep Chatterjee, Padmaavat is a well-deserved visual treat. For those who always say that why don’t Bhansali moves out of the sets, this time he has a loud answer. Some war sequences and few other outdoor shots are mind boggling. Bhansali has definitely made a strong statement that he can unequivocally project the beauty of the nature at its prime best.

Although unlike Bhansali's earlier projects, Padmaavat has lesser number of songs but all of them are well placed just where they were needed in the script. Ek Dil Ek Jaan is the latest romantic anthem and Binte Dil comes out as a surprise element. A. M. Turaz and Siddharth-Garima have penned relatable suitable lyrics for the movie whereas Bhansali's signature sound track is a winner. Kruti Mahesh Midya has choreographed Ghoomer in an amazing way. War sequences are choreographed in a make-believe manner. The ultimate combat sequence between Khiljee & Rajpoot emerged victorious.

Padmaavati stands tall in displaying the grandeur of royal legacy of Rajpoots and it has the stamp of SLB written all over it. Padmaavati is a dream that you never wants to get finished in just above 2 and a half hours. My verdict, this magnum opus is a must watch for all the fans of larger than life cinema.

Husnul Muab Or Concludes... Novel Analysis by Shoby

Husnul Muab Or Concludes... Novel Analysis by Shahbaz Ali Naqvi (Shoby)

By Al-Asr. Indeed, mankind is in loss. Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience. (Sura Al-Asr)

And I say, we the human creed is seriously in loss. Do you know why, because either many of us do not Believe and for many others in case we believe, we don't believe it wholeheartedly on embracing truth & patience, leave aside the aspect of advising it to others.

Husnu Muaab Or, a Saira Raza novel gained my attraction initially just because of its very unique title. And when I started reading the pilot episode, it instantly took me into a trance as I fastened my seat belts & got ready to read a magnum of treat in the form of this written endeavour. To me, this thirteen episodic novel is more of a spiritual endowment theory than a mere social assignment.

To give you the gist of the story, it primarily revolves around the lives of our protagonists Husnul Muab and Musa B. It is about how their fortunes unites & apart them with certain tricks & twists along while battling out with the stories of many other characters who contribute to make the mega plot. As per my habit, I obviously am not going to tell you the story, as I want you to experience the thrill by reading it yourself. :-) 

First of all let us examine the most important characters of the novel. Although it had a plethora of characters but all of them are well justified considering the canvas of the subject matter. Starting with Musa B (aka Sami Uddin), he is the heart of the story. An international signing sensation, a rockstar, heartthrob of thousands of fans, a style icon who unfortunately started the very first day of his life with a regret of having (self-confessed) worst parents and went on to live each & every day of the remaining life with the same regret. His parents have stories of their own, and although they never tried to justified how they lead their lives but indeed they were not to blamed, in the totally. After all, we as a Muslim believe that every child is born on the phenomenon of Fitrat: state of intrinsic goodness.

Lets now talk about Husnul Muaab, an enthralling combo of beauty & mind. Her brought up was of a highly respected religious family and she had the knowledge in tons of volumes but due to what we may call the rigidness of some of the family member's attitude, she got diverted from the path as she was all set to fly high with new horizons to explore. After all, who cares whats good & bad. What matters the most is the self satisfaction. Manasa Rao says, “A question that always haunts me. Why can’t people just be real? It’s easier being real than pretend being real. Give yourself a chance.”

Sheher'Zaad, an ageing celebrity who needed the support of an established artist (Musa B) to be in the game. Showbiz is said to be a fad event in celeb's lifeline and she was almost out of the game, just when Musa B entered into her life. From nowhere she grew love for Musa B out of this friendship and later on played a vamp and did every written task to separate Musa B & Husnul's pair.

Then comes another very interesting character Mehru (aka Merry), an off spring of a Muslim (by birth) father & a Muslim (converted from Christianity) mother. You noticed, I hereby unintentionally drew a line between the religious school of thought of her parents and this is the same thing which people associated closely to her have done all through her grooming days and this paradox floating around dual gods made her live a confused life which ultimately lead her to bear no religion.

I don't want to make the review more lengthy so I am just cutting of the character anatomy here, however I must mention some other important characters which were pertinent in growing up the story. Khadja, Haleema, Scarlet, Badruddin, Abdul Mubeen, Ram Nath (in a strong cameo) and this list is literally a never ending thing, however not even a single of these characters was placed by the writer in the heart of the plot to make things look exaggerated. 

Coming towards the narrative part of the story, I would give 10 on 10 to Ms. Saira for the utmost perfection in her execution. You may find no or very little loopholes in the script. She was crystal clear about the idea she conceived and she went on to project it quite impressively. The circumstances she built for the pertinent incidents in the story were truly make-belief. Although it was quite evident that Husnul's prayers (to marry Musa B) would be answered positively but I was wondering how will she manage to look it realistic on papers and let me say, she did a very commendable job in this perspective.

Saira presented in front of us diverse atmospheres in the story. From glitz & glamour of entertainment industry to the orthodox religious mentality, from a church attached Christian family to to a balance Islamic following school of thought family, she was spot on in the projection of many different envelops that wrapped up the story nicely.

It would not be false if I say that we, the humans are selfish & above all hypocritical in nature. We assume we are the best and the version of any particular entity we have is the best one available. We overlook the other party's side of the picture and being judgemental, we are always in a hurry to announce someone as doomed.

Let us confess many of us are in the pride of being righteous ones but in fact, it is not true. How can we be a true Muslim, if other Muslims (or even other creations of ALLAH) are not saved from our hands or tongues. People like Mehru & Maria have to go through a tragedy which no one else can understand. They are being stereotyped and we as a society totally disowns them. This whole episode was beautifully materialised by Saira in this novel.

Talking about my favourite scenes, I still cant get over the frame where lost Mus B is finally discovered and then abused by Ram Nath. It brought tears to my eyes literally. Specially these lines:

Us ne kaha, kaisey Muslim ho? Apney NABI (saww) ke barey mein kuch jantey nahi. Mujh se pooch lo kisis bhi devi devta ke barey mein. Tum kaisey Muslim ho. Tumhain k,uch pata hi nahi.

Woh mujh se UN (saww) ke Father (asws) or Mother (sa) ke Naam pooch raha tha. Mujhey nahi maloom they. Main un ke Bachon ke Naam bhi nahi janta tha.

Naam to tumhain bataeney parhey ge... Woh meri charpai ke gird chakar laganey laga.

"Mujhey maloom hi nahi tha. Bohat zor deney per IMAM HUSSAIN (asws) ka Naam bataya to us ne naya sawal ker diya...

Acha to WOHI HUSSAIN (asws) Jis ka tum logon ne pani band ker diya tha... Yaar kaisey log ho tum... Wesey pani kiyo band kiya tha..."

Mujhey jawab nahi aya...

This one specific scene gave me goosebumps. Hats off Saira on penning this one.

Apart from this, music concert scene where Husnul Muab noticed Musa B for the first time was also impressive. Maria's wedding with Fayaz was also a notable scene. Another scene that managed to gain my attention was the rift & fight sequence which took place at Mufti Abdul Rehman's home. When Scarlet & Samiudin goes to meet Musa B and he finally agrees to meet them was emotional at its core.

Saira's research in the subject matter was also very authentic. She properly used Ayat e Mubarka from QURAN PAK & some verses from Bible wherever she found appropriate & necessary. Her dialogues were pitch perfect and went smoothly with the characters for which they were written. One thing I must highlight here that she intentionally avoided the cheesy so-called romanticism in this novel & the dialogues, whereas she was having all the liberty to showcase this in the form of Husnul Muaab and Sheher'Zaad's characters.

The most beautiful part of this story is the way Saira depicted multiple shades of different characters. It is said that every person has more than one personality and he discovers (or presents) his face according to the need of the times. Similarly, all the pertinent characters went through a transformation and Saira was very convincing in this display of transformation. We have seen multiple shades of personalities pertaining to Husnul Muaab, Musa B, Mehru and others in the novel.

I loved the ending parts, where she ended the story with a new ray of hope, a bright light, a new beginning by telling that Husnul Muaab Or is not only the story of Husnul. In fact, Mehru completes the pending phrase. Thankfully, Saira didn't made the finale cheesy by making all love wins. If she would have shown Husnul Muab & Musa B once again united, it would have been a unrealistic & unjustified affair.

On the whole, I would rate this novel as a very good read. The author emerged as victorious in telling what she wanted to tell. Do tell me, how you found Husnul Muaab Or...

PS: Please don't forget to provide your valuable feedback in the below comments section.

Haalim Episode 9 (Nemrah Ahmed)- Review by Shoby

Haalim Episode 9 (Nemrah Ahmed)- Review by Shahbaz Ali Naqvi (Shoby)

Queen Elizabeth II: It doesn't feel right, as Head of State, to do nothing.

Queen Mary: It is exactly right.

Queen Elizabeth II: Is it? But surely doing nothing is no job at all?

Queen Mary: To do nothing is the hardest job of all. And it will take every ounce of energy that you have. To be impartial is not natural, not human. People will always want you to smile or agree or frown. And the minute you do, you will have declared a position. A point of view. And that is the one thing as sovereign that you are not entitled to do. The less you do, the less you say or agree or smile...

Queen Elizabeth II: Or think? Or feel? Or breathe? Or exist?

Queen Mary: The better.

The Crown

First of all let me apologize my dear readers for this long break on Haalim's review. I know, its been too long since we last discussed Haalim and your messages that I received clearly show how much you have missed my reviews. But I promise, I'll do my level best to regularly review Haalim from now onward. Meanwhile, so much has happened in Haalim and I have to bridge up the gap.

So the time travel journey of our Three Musketeers (Fateh, Taliya & Adam) is continued and looks like there is some important stuff to be done here in ancient Malacca. Just to sum up the proceedings in "Jahan Miltey Hain 3 Chaand", let me tell you what actually happened here. 

Ancient Malacca Sultanate is turning into a jungle with no rules at all. New regime is appointing the people of their liking on important administrative positions. At one place, Sultan has appointed Abul Khair as Finance Minister  on the advise of Princess Tasha (Taliya) and Adam bin Muhammad has been appointed as the Official Court Historian by Tasha. So this Adam is the one is going to write the fabricated history of Malacca. Muarikh barey do number log hotey hain. Well, history has numerous examples of these greedy, selfish historians and their bizarre endings.

In Slaves Auction held at Abul Kher's place, Adam & San Bao come shoulder to shoulder to get Fateh and Fateh himself decides to go with San Bao. In short, he has reached his own place of future.

It is now quite evident that San Bao Wang Li (inspired by famous Chinese sailor Zheng He) is not what was written in the history book. He is not a savior. In fact Fateh is the one who looks to be the savior of the slaves. He is going to change the course of history in Malacca Sultanate. And by recognizing the fact , Fateh is somewhat broken.

However, Fateh, being a born leader is showing his true colors here as well. He has always been different from the folk and he is depicting the same in the avatar of the slave. 

Bharosa kero...

Tum Pe...

Nahi... Apney aap pe...

The dialogues penned by Nemrah for Fateh reminds me of classical Braveheart moments, where William Wallace says:

Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM! (Braveheart).

Taliya beautifully persuades Yan-Su-Fu to make a team against Bendahar Raja Murad and within a few informal meetings, they have established quite a nice bond. Dunya mein koi taaluq itna mukhlis or gehra nahi hota jitna un do aurton ka rishta jin ka dushman aik mard ho...

Taliya inspects the treasure room at her father's palace and discovers that her father is involved in Money Laundering. So she is now in search of Raja Murad's off-shore account. On the other hand, Bendahara is quite clear about the fact that Taliya was not the only one who time traveled to Melacca and he is asking her for the others she brought here with herself. Meanwhile king (Sultan Mursal Shah) has proposed Taliya and this move has seemingly not gone well with both Haalims (Taaliya & Fateh).

Beside the ongoing story, this whole episode revolves around two major phenomenon related to governance of a state. Taxation System and Administrative positions in primary institutions of the country. Nemrah gives a thorough explanation regarding how merit-less society ends up in becoming a jungle of sorts. Nemrah is so right in explaining the concept that when a corrupt person heads the crown, the first task he performs is to replace the people placed at important state affairs related departments so that his corruption does not get questioned. By doing so, he saves himself but at the cost of non productive staff that ultimately lands into the term of bad-governance. Dark is the nation and insane the king.

This episode was a nice heavy dose of brief introduction to taxation systems that flows like blood in the arteries of the state. I am not going to elaborate it more as Nemrah has already enlightened us in this regard. However I would definitely want to clear my point by just adding up this.

When a non qualified person is given the task to run anything (e.g.,) regulating finance of a country, or if ruler of a state is a business man by himself, he tries to secure his own wealth by providing undue leverages to the business class by reducing direct taxes and imposing indirect taxes to middle & lower middle class. This further strengthens the impact on inflation. Similarly, in order to cope up with a Federal Budget going deficit and Balance of Payment, they go for circulating debts and foreign debts & aids. Thus forfeiting the sovereignty of the state in the hands of foreign players. So Nemrah is 110% correct in saying that Asal  chor to yeh hukmaran hain jo ghareebon se churatey hain...

Haalim is a dense mystery series and something that really uplifts the whole energy of the story is the conversation that regularly takes place between Taliya & Adam. Nemrah's dialogues for Taliya are pitch perfect and they never fail to bring a smile to the reader's face even in most intense of the situations. Believe it or not we have some very interesting & innovative languages in making. Just like Roman text wali Malay, Urdu & Eng... Perfect Slapstick...

One thing I really like about Nemrah's writing is her focus on the distinctive qualities of the characters which are in limelight. For instance see how perfectly she has made our belief firm on the Authentic Leadership abilities of Fateh. Nemrah has made sure that we must put this thing in our minds that leaders like Fateh don't overlook the hot issue currently being faced at the moment, while looking at the larger picture.

To kiya faisal kiya tum ne...

Mujhey raja ke kamrey ki talashi leney ka mouqa nahi mil saka...

Main wazeer e khazana ki tayunati ka pooch raha hoon.

My most favorite scene in the episode was the Fateh's outburst in Restaurant Jia. The way he exploded whatever was going within himself specially after realizing the truth of San Bao, the rage he evolved was exceptional.

Mera naam Fateh bin Ramzel hai... Mujhey ALLAH ne her tabqey mein se guzaar ke is maqaam tak pohanchaya hai... Mujhey in cheezon se mat darao, jin se Fateh nahi darr sakta... (Hats Off Nemrah)...

Well (Off The Record), in China, tea was also known as Jia and its primary name in ancient Chinese was "tu".

Now coming towards a few shortcomings that made me a bit irritated in the whole series. OK I admit, Haalim is one of its kind experiment in mystery genre as far as Pakistan digest industry is concerned, but still sometimes, the characters in Haalim looks much larger than life (read meta-humans).

I mean, I really cant understand, how on Earth they can always play a super hero card in circumstances that does not assist them in any manner. For instance, how Raja Murad's treasure room was compromised even with the tightest of security being implanted. How, Taliya just banged into the room along with Adam with this much ease. How Fateh treats people including his own master like a president in charge, while he is a slave himself.

OK giving a leverage in above regards, considering Haalim a fictional tale, lets summarize this episode's review, the story in Haalim is moving at a good pace and looks like dreamers are going to get whet they deserve pretty soon. 

Fateh has succeeded in bringing all the slaves at one place (Jia, in the name of free food & drinks) and he has set the stage quite well to start the freedom moment for the slaves. It would be interesting to see how Taliya will cope up the situation she is facing in front of Raja Murad & how would she escape from the wedding proposal of Sultan. And the million dollar question is still here. How Fateh, Taliya & Adam can pave the way back to the future. But they will surely reach the destination because KL is the place where these three moons met for the first time and it will remain the place where the three moons will get together again.

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