Zindagi Gulzar Hai - A feast to ones eyes!

Today I am here to make a much interesting comparison of our current Indian TV industry with our neighboring country’s television industry.

Interesting because I never thought I would ever engage in watching any of the Pakistan TV series/movies or listening to their music. My disinterest in Pakistan entertainment was not because of the tensed relationship with the country. But I myself am not a big fan of TV serials. The kind of drama that is filled in Indian TV Channels today is just exhausting and tiring to watch. I hardly follow any Indian TV series. When I visit home on vacation, I join my family in watching the program they watch and that’s how I keep myself updated with what is trending in the TV industry.

I love listening to music and I listen to all genres of music. I did start listening to Pakistani music since last few years and have admired their music. Strings, Fuzon,  Kaavish, Jal, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ghulam Ali, Parveen Abida, Quratulain Baloch and many more. Last couple of years with the introduction of MTV Coke Studio; I have been listening to both Indian and Pakistan Coke studio music; and no doubt their music is commendable. We cannot forget that Pakistan also has a culturally rich past.

However not being a big movie or television fan; I have a very strict choice of what I watch on screen. I love documentaries, movies inspired by real life incidents or persons, War related movies, Sci-fi fantasies, medieval and ancient history related etc…I love to see and listen to quality stuffs.

Given the context; I never thought I would end up watching TV shows outside American & British umbrella. I have been staying with few friends for past few months and they are a big fan of Hindi TV series.  So I started giving them company while watching the TV series. And then we started watching “Zindagi Gulzar Hai” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zindagi_Gulzar_Hai) owing to my friend’s crush on Fawad Khan. It was a set of 26 Episodes each of 45 mins length. And what a serial it was. I must admit – I fell in love with Pakistan's TV industry.

What a quality serial it was. Just in 26 episodes – i.e. approximately 20 Hrs; they had completed the series; but at the end of it; we never felt the story was rushed through or they missed out on anything. It had everything – Handsome Hero; Beautiful Heroine (mind you beautiful but not flashy); a rich family and their lifestyle, a lower middle class struggling family and their difficulties, Love and Romance, Ego and misunderstanding, social issues around women and class/status. It was correctly paced. Even without displaying any kind of physical or intimate scenes; one can feel the intense romance between Zaroon and Kashaf. The relationship between siblings, friends, couples, parents and children – everything has been so well portrayed; that one can’t avoid falling in love with every character in the serial.

Zaroon, Asmara and Osama - Friends in Zindagi Gulzar Hai

Role of Kashaf Murtaza was played by Sanam Saeed and she has not been pictured as one of those faultless beautiful creatures; instead she is a normal girl with whom one can easily relate to. Similarly Zaroon Junaid played by Fawad Khan is a character who is a little conservative despite of belonging to a rich class family; wants to join the government job instead of joining his dad's business and so on. Every single person has acted fabulously well. 

Ashar & Khirad in Humsafar

Kashaf and Zaroon in a Romantic scene

Fawad Khan might not need any introduction after his appearance in Khoobsurat movie released on 2014 against Sonam Kapoor. But I definitely have become a fan of his acting. He fits in well in all shades of emotion. A complete actor one can say. And of course; he can sing :) I have watched another drama Humsafar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humsafar); which is a little more dramatic than Zindagi Gulzar hai. The series contained 23 episodes each of 35 mins – so in 14 hours they had completed the story.  I did not like it as much as Zindagi Gulzar hai; but definitely anytime watchable compared to Indian Serials. 

The best part of these 2 serials was there was not even a single hug or kiss scene (forget any other intimate scenes) between Zaroon-Kashaf or Ashar – Khirad; but still we could feel those romantic moments between them.

Zaroon & Kashaf's Nikaah

Some examples - They show the nikaah of Zaroon and Kashaf as a sequence of photos in a matter of 5 mins. And in Indian serials; this same scene would run for atleast 2 weeks – i.e for 3 Hours (10 episodes of 20 mins each). And there was a bedroom scene on their first night; but that was so natural and realistic; a simple conversation between the two; the slight embarrassment of how or what to talk to each other. And in Indian serials; I don’t even want to get into the details of what is shown. In Humsafar serial; there is a scene where Khirad (Mahira khan) dances in rain; and Ashar watches her. But the shot is so simple and nice that even you fall in love with that scene. It was not turned into a vulgar portrayal of body parts; where the camera focuses on the hero and/or heroine with water dripping from the lips or nose or down the neck etc….  

Kashaf Fixing Zaroon's button

And the famous after-marriage scene where a wife fixes her patidev’s shirt; for heaven’s sake the button needn't always be of the shirt’s collar. I mean just to create a romantic moment; it has become so predictable and boring. I was so surprised when the same scene was present between Zaroon & Kashaf; and the button of shirt’s sleeve was broken. She fixed it and he admires her for knowing these small things despite of being a working woman; which his mom or sister never did for him. And trust me; that’s so much more romantic.

I mean seriously; you really don’t need to have heroines dupatta fall on hero’s face; or her earrings get stuck in his shirt or make her fall off from the chair into his arms every now and then to create a romantic moment. And you really don’t need to have the serial run for years together; dragging every bit of it so much so that it loses its charm. Again I am not commenting on the acting skills of Indian industry; there are immensely talented actors and actresses in our industry; but we really need to start making good dramas without these unnecessary masalas.

After watching Zindagi Gulzar Hai; I can now believe that one can make decent non boring romantic dramas with a lot of intensity without requiring to have any pornographic shots.  My heart felt huge thanks to the writer Umera Ahmed  ; Director Sultana Siddiqui and entire team of this series; for making me realize that there are people who still create good dramas.

I should not forget the beautiful title track of both the series.

Zindagi Gulzar hai – Hadiqa Qayani

Zindagi khaak na thi khaak uratay guzri

Tujh say kya kehtay teray pass jo aatay guzri

Din jo guzra toh kisi yaad ki ro main guzra

Shaam aayi toh koi khuwaab dikhatay guzri

Acchay waqton ki tamana main rahi umr-e-rawaan

Waqt aisa tha kay bus naaz uthatay guzri

Zindagi jis kay muqadar main ho khushiyan teri

Ussko aata hai nibhana so nibhatay guzri

Zindagi naam udher hai kisi sarshaari ka

Aur udher door say aik aas lagatay guzri

Raat kya aayi kay tanhaai ki sarghoshi main

Hoo ka aalam th amagar suntay sunatay guzri

Zindagi Naam Udher Hai Kisi Sarshaari Ka

Baarha choonk si jaati hai musaafat dil ki

Kis ki awaaz thi yeh kis ko bulatay guzri

Humsafar - Quratulain Balouch 

Dard e taluqat pe, roya na tu na main

Lekin yeh kya ki chain se, soya na tu na main

Wo humsafar tha, magar us se humnawai na thi

Key dhoop chaon ka aalam raha ,judai na thi

Na apna ranj tha na auron ka dukh na tera malal

Shab e firaq kabhi hum nay yun ganwayi na thi

Mohabbaton ka safar is tarha bhi guzra ta

Shikasta dil they musaafir shikasta paayi na thi

Adawatei thi, taghaful tha, ranjishein thi

Bircharnay walay main sab kuch tha, bewafai na thi

Bicharthay waqt un aankhon main thi humari gazal

Gazal bhi who jo, kisi ko abhi sunayi na thi

Kabhi yeh haal ke  dono main yakdili thi bohot

Kabhi yeh marhala jaisay ke ashnayi na thi

Ajeet hoti hai rahe sukhan bhi dekh naseer

Wahan bhi aa gaye aakhir jahan rasayi na thi.