Monday, 17 October 2016

Humsafars, Zindagi gulzar hai, Dastaan

Pakistani drama. My new craze. It has been ignited by Fawad Khan but honestly he is such a handsome man.

He made me fall in love with Asher and Khirad. Bano and Hassan. Zaroon and Khashaf equally.
Each story being unique in its own setting.
After three drama’s I can say Pakistani drama is amazing. Quiet underrated to be honest. It is a lot like a normal hindi serial but thankfully it does not go on for years and years.
So let’s start with Humsafars. If you have heard of Fawad Khan than I am sure you have heard of Humsafars as the two things go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly.
Humsafars is basically every mills and boon you have ever read in a Muslim setting. But what makes it fresh is the fact that Mahira and Fawad have amazing chemistry.

Pakistani dramas have generally overbearing men. He is a bit of a chauvinist. He wants to know where his women is, who she is with, and what she is doing most of the time. And even the strongest heroines at the start generally mold themselves to their husbands Ideals.
So basically in Humsafars we have Asher who is a rich guy, and is best friends with his maternal cousin Sara who is infatuated with him.
Sara is rich like Asher and his mom really wants them to get married.
Khirad is not rich, and lives with her ailing mother. Khirad is Asher’s paternal cousin. Khirads mom begs Ashers dad to get Khirad married before, she dies. Ashers father decides to marry Khirad and Asher. Asher initially does not want to marry someone he doesn’t know and so does Khirad she doesn’t want to be a burden onto anyone else. Both are forced to marry. They initially are very awkward with each other. Sara is heartbroken and tries to commit suicide after she hears that Asher has married. Khirad does whatever Asher tells her which angers him into thinking she has no emotion and does not want to even try and ease themselves into their relationship. He later overhears her telling his father she feels guilty that Asher was forced to marry her. This changes his behavior towards her instantly. Like during the night she leaves their bed and cries near the pool and he finds her and tells her never to leave the room in the night ever again even if she thinks she is going to disturb him. I kind of suspect the two started mating (LOL) around here, because after that. Asher begins to ogle Khirad, come home early from work and look for her all the time.
Khirad begins to notice how different she is from Asher and tries to mold herself to his likes and dislikes.
Asher is adorable during this phase of their relationship. He is like a puppy. Or maybe a baby who constantly needs Khirad around him. He encourages Khirad to study again as he finds she is rather intelligent and she begins going to college. There she meets Khizar who is Sara’s cousin.
The two begin to get close, igniting Asher’s jealousy as Khirad is not able to spend enough time with him. And Khizar hangs around Khirad like a mosquito.
Honestly the jealously is the best part.
Khirad is treated horribly by Asher and he never tells her why nor does he apologizes for it.
His mother’s claws come out when his father dies.
I loved the fact that during the entire show Asher never once wanted to leave Khirad he loved her so much. Even if she was having an affair he still wanted her. When he makes an excuse to take her home. Loved it he did not have the guts to tell her the real reason. He was ashamed of himself so he lies. Without her he has a nervous breakdown.
His lives an unhappy life without her but the minute she is back, he looks like he is able to breathe again.
That one scene where he wishes he could take her away, because she looked so beautiful was adorable.
Even though Asher never apologized, and the ending kind of sucked. I wish they make another show for Mahira and Fawad I loved them together.
The next Fawad drama I watched was Zindagi gulzar hai.
Which means life is a garden.
This shows heart breaking. As once Khashaf says when one problem goes away four show up in place this was exactly what I saw when I watched this.
Aunty Rafia is one of the most unselfish, kindest and realist woman I have ever seen. She reminded me a lot of my own mother. Her husband was an asshole.
Sidhara and Sharmila were gorgeous. And never have I seen in any show so much tea being served and people saying kaise ho.
Ok so Zaroon Junaid comes out first in everything, he is rich and has a somewhat perfect looking life. But at home his mother overpowers his father and his sister has grown up just like her, seeing his father being treated not as an equal and his mother being so liberal Zaroon has become a bit of a chauvinist and does not like it when his sister is out late or his friends wear open clothing.
Khashaf on the other hand is extremely poor and views life rather negatively, her mother works hard, and her father has left them and remarried because their mother could not have a son. They live a hard life due to their father’s absence. Khashaf is really smart and wins a scholarship in a university where mostly rich kids go and there meets Zaroon. Whom she overhears calling her a witch.
She beats Zaroon and comes out first in the test to get into the collage.
The two bicker constantly.

But time passes and one of Khasaf’s friends say that Khashaf would never fall for Zaroon as Zaroon is a bit of a flirt and flirts with all the girls in collage. This angers Zaroon and he begins trying to flirt with Khashaf who never gives him the time of day. Zaroon gets angry whenever he sees his bestfriend Usama with Khashaf. Khashaf overhears Zaroon saying that he is playing with her. And she goes up to him and tears up his work. And calls him basically a heartless asshole. As she heard him saying that she is a typical middle class girl she will fall for him because he is a rich and all girls are the same.
Khashaf stops coming to collage for a few days but then comes back and ignores Zaroon.
Years pass.
They meet again now Khashaf is rich, well off not rich and has a good job and Zaroon and her have to work together. Zaroon realizes the closest girl to his ideal for a wife is Khashaf. As she comes home early, doesn’t have male friends, and dresses appropriately. Usama proposes to Khashaf and she rejects. After that Zaroon proposes initially Kashaf refuses. Thinking Zaroon is still as he was in school.
But she agrees when he protects her hands when a cup of tea is about to fall and burns his own hands.
The two marry initially awkward but slowly like each other.
Zaroon proves he is not like her father but when he finds out Usama had once proposed to Kashaf and she did not tell him he begins to treat her badly. When he finds out she is pregnant, their entire fight is forgotten. But Zaroon reads her letter and checks her phone as she keeps secrets from him.
Kashaf thinks he is having an affair and leaves him. Zaroon never once calls her to ask about the children and instead sends divorce papers. Kashaf who has begun to love him and miss him want to go back home to him.
I wish Zaroon apologized to Kashaf, I found him a little too much sometimes but Kashaf dealt with him well. The person who wrote the show made khasaf sarcastic. She made me laugh numerous times.
Zaroon was rather childish.
The third show I watched with Fawad was Daastan.
Daastan is basically the zee tv show Lajwanti only not as happy and there is not HEA.
Hasan and Banoo had amazing chemistry. But this story was heart breaking L
I have become a FAWADIAN after watching all these drama’s and am currently on a mission to watch every movie he has acted in and drama.





Sunday, 2 October 2016

Lakorn reviews for october: Naree Risaaya, Sailab rak bpaun, Fai Ruk game ron, Ngao Asoke 2016

Naree Risaaya

Naree Risaaya is an incredibly hard show to watch even to an insatiable drama lover like me.
Basically the story is about a man (Thun) who disregards his wife Naree and daughter because he loves her younger sister Neepa. The daughter Saiparn tries her best to win her father’s affection but is never able to. When her mother dies. Saiparn blames her aunt. Her aunt has a daughter who receives all of her father’s affection, while she is constantly belittled and scolded upon. As a young woman Saiparn becomes bitter because of the lack of affection from her father and envious of her younger sister Nida. Nida grows up to be unselfish beautiful and overly doted on by the people around except for Saiparn who hates her. In the initial episodes Saiparn is rather unlikable due to her envois nature. Nida’s fiancé who does not want to be involved with Saiparn’s underhandness becomes unessary involved when Saiparn starts hinting that Nida is having an affair with Neepat, their servant.
P’Oodit becomes insecure and very jealous over Nida not knowing Saiparn is lying. One night things come to a head as Saiparn finds P’Odit drunk and taunts him that Nida is having an affair with Neepat. P’Oodit rapes Saiparn to try and prove that he is man enough (EYEROLL)
This changes our once venomous Saiparn as all of the hatred she has spread finally has been sent back to her almost. Hearing that Saiparn and P’oodit have slept together Nida loses it. Khun Thun banishes Saiparn, and reveals to her she was never his child. Saiparn goes to stay with Neepat in the village.
Saiparn changes and becomes softer, with Neepats caring she becomes close to him. P’oodit starts watching her from afar, sending her gifts. All the while his wedding with Nida’s arrangements are in full swing. P’oodit starts investigating who Saiparns real father is.
P’oodit tries several times to apologise to Saiparn but she wants nothing to do with him. He begins to suspect that she has some kind of relationship with Neepat.
While Saiparn finds out she is pregnant with P’oodits child.
All hell breaks loose.
I honestly when I first watched this, it was like watching a disaster and having your heart wrenched out of your chest and stepped upon repeatedly than given back to you at the end of it all by some random person.
There is possibly no way I thought I could feel sorry for Saiparn after watching her hating on everyone in the beginning but towards the middle when P’oodits mother was being a raving bitch. I felt it the shift in my heart she won me over. Gayson was a darling she at least brought some relief towards this depressing heart wrenching show, One of the best moments is when Narin is waiting for Porkaew to come home and she comes home late and he is stunned at how beautiful she looks.
Nida I hated from the beginning but when she became evil I hated her even more.
P’oodit I felt lukewarm about, he kind of made me cringe. Neepat I shipped with Saiparn.
Saiparn is not the usual door mat Nang’ek she is incredibly strong and forgiving.
If you enjoy Lakorns with strong women and I mean really strong women I would give this a try.


Ngao Asoke 2016

So who does not know the plot of this show but I shall give a brief summary.
It goes something like this.
Monthai Mattana is engaged to Wiyada. Lakhana The matana household maid is in love with him but Monthai’s mum hates her guts. This starts a chain of events leading to Lakhana killing herself. While this is taking a place Beeyachat a young child meets Monthai while looking for food for her granny. She had climbed up on an asoke tree and fell down. Monthai gives her some money, to repay Monthai Bee goes back to his house next day and says she will work for him. Monthai tells her to come back when she is older and introduces her to ba Jian. After Lakhana’s death Monthai leaves and Bee somehow starts staying with Wiyada and Wiyada who recives letters form Monthai who stays now in another country.
Wiyada makes Bee reply to the letters things like this continue over the years. Wiyayda who has grown tired of waiting for Monthai starts looking for a new man. Bee on the other hand feels sorry for him and continues with the letters. Monthais mom who has now gone sick requests for Wiyada to come stay with her. Wiyada does not want to go and sends Bee instead not wanting Monthais mom to get any sicker Jian makes beeyachat Wiyada. Mons mom begins to get better and loves Bee a lot.
Monthai comes back and finds that Beeyachat has come as Wiyada and dislikes her as she says that Wiyada did not want to come he thinks she is a liar as he is in love with the Wiyada that has been sending him all the letters over the years and won’t hear anything against her. Monthai takes advantage of Bee and holds her and hugs her because his mother doesn’t know she is not Wiyada to get some sort of revenge in his eyes…
Firstly I watched Ngao Asoke 2008 and 1998. There is a major difference between 2008 and 1998 and the 2016 one.
The 1998 one Beeyachat is a lot mouthier compared to sweet innocent naïve Beeyachat in 2008.
The 2016 Beeyachat is perhaps the sassiest Beeyachat by far.
I really enjoyed the earlier versions as Pong and 1998 guy who played Mon were incredibly good playing the Pra’ek who is confused and completely smitten by their repective Beeyachat’s.
I feel that the new Ngao Asoke lost the feel to it and has been made into more of a comedy. Something that is given when Sean and Ester are in the leads.
This is not necessarily a bad thing but I for one prefer Ngao Asoke 2008. Pong and Pang had amazing chemistry.
In their Ngao Asoke there was passion, jealousy, possessiveness all clearly visible in Pong’s expression whenever he looked at Pang and forcefully kissed her.
Seans Forced kisses look like the kind a 5 year old gives his play date to say hello.
For those of you who watched 2008 and 1998 and are fans of the story I suggest this one but most likely you guys are going to be disappointed.

Fai Ruk Gahm Ron

I really love the ost of this show.
Pin has got to be the most likable vengeful woman I have ever seen in a show. She is beautiful and cute and incredibly manipulative and a sheer joy to watch. I felt sorry for Mor Non.
But the episode where his bitchy OTW comes to hurt Pin and Non comes to save her and she smiles as he drags the viper outside the house is hilarious I honestly laughed for a good ten minutes.
The cutest scene is when she is bathing and screams for help and there are frogs in the bathroom and makes non stand there while she baths.
I am not going to go right into the story because I feel Asian wiki has a good summary of the story.
Watch this if you enjoyed Talay Fai.

Sailab Rak Bpaun

Andy won me over as Din. He is this awkward spy that has fallen in love with a rich girl Ran. The writer of this show has done an amazing job balancing the funnies and the drama.
So basically he can’t tell her he is a spy and lies he sells insurance, now being a spy there is sure to be lots of danger that comes with the job but with this show it’s the punch lines.

Watch this if you are looking for a good laugh. I thourougly laughed outloud multiple times while watching this and I am finally an Andrew Gregson Fan.