Parizaad – Good things come to those who wait! 

In the age of saas-bahu dramas, never-ending soaps, and illogical plays, having a Parizaad around is more of a necessity than a luxury. Hashim Nadeem’s drama (inspired by his novel of the same name) that concluded earlier this week, had a bigger effect on the viewers than all the other dramas combined, for it tackled subjects closer to home. The 29 weeks Parizaad aired, Parizaad ruled and for that, every member of the team is to be congratulated. But what made the drama stand out against the tide, and change the game, let’s find out.

Ahmed Ali Akbar led the tour de force!

From the moment Ahmed Ali Akbar’s Parizaad came on screen in the first episode, he owned the character as if it was written with him in mind. The real Ahmed Ali Akbar might be a fair-skinned guy but the way he carried himself on the screen, made you forget his previous work and all that remained was Parizaad. He came out as a dark-skinned, extremely poor, and a shy person every step of the way even after he had accumulated the wealth others only wish for.

His mannerisms resembled those of either a condemned man or someone who didn’t have anything to lose; the way he moved around or kept his frustration in check is what appealed to the audience the most. He didn’t reveal the name of his friend even when he was being beaten to death by his brothers; he only followed Naheed because he wanted to find the truth, and from the moment he saw her and Majid together, he was a heartbroken man, on a path to win by hook or by crook.

The complexes of an ugly man were there from the moment Parizaad was born and they stayed with him when he came to the city in search of a better life. His evolution from a servant to a master was a rag to riches story that had been told countless times, yet his expressions on meeting those who ‘helped’ him become PZ Mir from Parizaad were priceless. He cried, fought, and won, showing the audience that it’s okay to be a human, and it is being human that makes you go the extra mile for everything you desire.

Social issues were tackled like never before

Good things come to those who wait, and that’s exactly what Parizaad the drama taught. How a dark-skinned individual became the most powerful man in the country, what were the reasons that made him move forward when others would have been content with their life, and how he didn’t change even after acquiring wealth and power, is what makes this story worth remembering. Above all, he taught the importance of being truthful to oneself, and how not staying quiet is the best policy.

These were some of the issues that Parizaad tackled during its 29 weeks, and all of them were close to someone’s heart. If you still don’t believe in loyalty, honesty, love, and being critical of your own self, then watch Parizaad for he will show you exactly what’s wrong with you, and how you can rectify it to become a better and more acceptable version of yourself.

Women weren’t used as eye candy!

There was no good girl or a bad girl in Parizaad, and that’s what made it different from all the other dramas currently on air. Bubbly (Saboor Aly), Lubna (Mashal Khan), and Ainy (Yumna Zaidi) dressed in western attire but they had their reasons; Naheed (Ushna Shah) was clad in a burqa whenever she went out but she turned out to be the heartbreaker; Layla Saba (Urwa Hocane) was the one who manipulated Parizaad and yet many sympathized with her as well.

There is a grey in every character be it on screen or off it, and the writer exploited that brilliantly in his script. You just couldn’t hate any female character in the play, be it Parizaad’s dominating elder sister in law (Madiha Rizvi), his weak but supportive sister (Kiran Tabeir) and even the latecomer to the party Jharna (Areeba Alvi), who ended up as his friend’s wife and a successful singer. Women were not used to attract audiences towards the drama but were rather intelligently placed in the script so that they help Parizaad become the man he turned out to be.

Poetic conversations replaced dialogues

Be it Parizaad’s boss Behroz Kareem (Naumaan Ijaz), Bubbly’s father (Rashid Farooqi), Lubna’s mother (Natasha Hussain), or even his own brothers (Paras Masroor, Adnan Shah Tipu) explaining their reasons behind their decisions, everything was done in a poetic manner. Just like the words spoken by Nasaaz (Adeel Afzal) or Parizaad while growing up, or by the poetry used by Ainy in her Radio Show, Parizaad had a poetic journey, as penned by Hashim Nadeem, who is both a writer and a poet of repute himself.

Why did the words spoken by the characters stand out, you ask? Everything was poetic from love, hate, disillusionment, and justice in Parizaad’s life. Yes, he did have his chance of exacting revenge from those who took advantage of him in his earlier life, but these experiences made him even stronger, and the justice served was nonetheless poetic.

The series format in a serial environment

Usually, TV dramas in Pakistan bank on the age-old serial format, where most of the characters stay together from the first episode till the last. However, Parizaad followed the format made common in the West – serial format – where characters come and go, on an episode-to-episode basis. That sort of change did intrigue the viewers who always appreciate something that is different from the norm and give them something new.

Although the story remained the same throughout the drama, the way some characters came in and changed Parizaad’s life is what made it stand out. What if he didn’t meet Behroz Kareem, or that Shoki didn’t drop that letter on Naheed’s roof, or that bullet meant for Parizaad had hit its target, things wouldn’t have been the same. However, they weren’t and everything happened as per the plan, which made Parizaad a prince, from a pauper, and helped him in rediscovering himself even after achieving a lot more than he had envisioned.

The makers didn’t shy away from experimenting

And then there were those who stayed in the background and kept making a difference. For those who didn’t know, Hashim Nadeem’s novel ended on a tragic note, and if that end had been translated on the screen, the serial would have been deemed ‘a tragedy’. Thankfully, the makers had the presence of mind to change the drama on a happy note, something that was missing in Aangan and Mere Paas Tum Ho.

The final episode was shot in the picturesque locations of Azad Kashmir, giving it the grand touch, it required. Director Shahzad Kashmiri must also be commended for handling the serial in his own way, whereas background music composer Mohsin Allah Ditta also deserves praise for a job well done. Luck favours the brave and the makers behind Parizaad were brave enough for luck to notice their attempt, and grace them all the help they needed making Parizaad a drama to remember for years to come!

To be italicized: Aangan, saas-bahu, Mere Paas Tum Ho