Dramas & Dreams

I recently discovered that it takes mere 26 episodes to achieve what we all call perfection.
I’ve always believed that Story is the hero of the show. And Zindagi Gulzar Hai just reinstated my belief in this belief of mine.
I’m immensely thankful to this new and amazing channel called ‘Zindagi’, coz had it not been for Zindagi, I would never have believed that Dramas can be perfect as well. And what a brilliant initiative. Anyways that’s beside the point.
Zindagi Gulzar Hai. The title itself, quite convincingly, conveys a lot about the show.
A potentially strong message has been conveyed through the show. And after I completed watching the show, I felt as if bringing across that message had become the sole motive of the ENTIRE team. Because I believe, had everything/everyone not been perfect, the message wouldn’t have come across as strongly and convincingly as it did. And they were perfect. They, in a way, imprinted the message on our hearts and minds and that too…subtly and marvelously.
40 minutes of sheer brilliance. And doing that every day, is no mean feat.
ZGH is a journey that you undertake… shedding some pre-conceived notions, introspecting, and in the end you sit back, transformed, in many a ways.
And how amazingly have they depicted the balance between fantasy and reality.

Kashaf is the female lead portrayed by the beautiful and talented Sanam Saeed. Kashaf is someone who doesn’t believe in the fantasy world. She’s practical and realistic. What makes Kashaf unique and draws you towards her is the strength of her character. Almost invincible.
Her character has been carved out beautifully. She exemplifies grace. What makes you relate to her is the enormous amount of realism depicted. Her tormenting life has been well portrayed by Sanam. Sanam’s body language, talking style, eyes reflect the pain of Kashaf ,without going over the top. She brings life to Kashaf’s character.
A compliment to Sanam- She complements every attire she wears. Be it one of a lower middle class household or that of an affluent household.

Zaroon is the singing sensation, the heartthrob of the college, flirtatious in nature. Fawad has pulled it off amazingly. That mystical calmness in his eyes is hypnotic (Okay I am not supposed to be swooning here :O ). Fawad is magical on screen. He acts through his eyes, his gait, his voice (Yup, there are sequences where a lot is said by the tone and modulations of his voice). An actor’s job is to convince the audience (however unrealistic or realistic it may be), which Fawad does effortlessly. IMO, they haven’t given Zaroon’s character the space that they have given Kashaf’s character. But Fawad has done an awesome job of saying the unsaid, depicting the undepicted.
Also I like the way their ideological differences (There are some) have been put forth. That has helped establish their connect.
The way Kashaf gets convinced that she should accept Zaroon’s proposal of marriage is the most realistic and convincing scene I have seen in my life. That 1 minute scene leaves the deepest impact on the audience. And that’s exactly when you feel the most for Kashaf. That one moment makes you retrospect the opinion/s you formed about Kashaf. For me, this tea scene kind of made be revisit every scene that speaks about Kashaf.

Coming to the real heroine of the show, the writer , Umera Ahmed. You can’t convey a message or showcase something through just one character. Every character is in some or the other way voicing your opinion, your thoughts. Being able to do that, consistently and successfully, especially in dramas where a lot is open to interpretations for the audience, is an extremely difficult task. But Umeri Ji did it so efficiently. Claps.

THEN COMES the magnificently talented director of this lovely show -Sultana Siddiqui.
They say- A good director creates an environment, which gives the actor the encouragement to fly.
She’s, no doubt, one of the major reasons behind the show’s success.
A director helps an actor to get into the skin of the character. So transforming Sanam and Fawad into two people diametrically opposite to their own selves, namely Kashaf and Zaroon respectively, is one uphill task. And this calls for a lot of appreciation. I reckon the director is the most responsible person and no two ways about it, Sultana ji (Or Sultana Aapa, as they all fondly call her) has played her part wonderfully living up to all her responsibilities and proving her potential as an absolutely prolific director. Her work is laudable more so because In ZGH, the simplest of the scenes are the most intricate ones. And being able to carve them with such magnificence and belief is commendable.

Special mention of Kashaf’s mother played by Samina Peerzada. I happened to see her in another show as well and noticed that both the characters are poles apart. And I could just gaze in amazement at the sheer brilliance of that lady. The warmth she exudes, the headstrongness she displays is contagious. Samina Ji has carried Rafia with so much of grace and simplicity that it seems almost real. The equation she shared with Kashaf is so very close to my heart.

They say, “Editing- Editing feels almost like sculpting or a form of continuing the writing process.” And hence this would not be complete without the mention of the wonderful Editing team which has done one hell of an awesome job. Kudos to them!

Music makes you feel for the characters, helps you relate to them… Voices all that the characters don’t/can’t say for themselves… and hence is a very VERY important part of any show. And the title of ZGH, ‘Zindagi Khaak Na Thhi’… just complements the entire setting of this drama…the mood of the show. And Hadiqa Kiani’s mesmerizing voice is just like the icing on the cake. :’)
And Of Course, Ali Zafar is awesomeness! 😀
Just one wish- I wish, they had read each other’s diaries 😀 (Quite random this is)
I owed this to the team. I seriously did. 
And none of us must forget…
Zindagi Gulzar Hai…Yeh Ishq ka Darbaar Hai…Yahan ghumon ko baantna …Hee Pyaar Hai…Hooo…Hee Pyaar Hai.. 
P.S. – After the famous tea scene, I am seriously considering whether I should start drinking tea 😉