If there is one thing production houses really need to understand, it is the fact that having two dramas with similar themes on air at the same time really does not capture the attention of the viewers. We already have Jannat Say Nikali Hui Aurat on air, which is showcasing the plight of aging parents and the less-than-commendable attitude of the sons. And now, here comes Amma aur Gulnaz, which has almost the same theme, only with very slight differences.
Amma aur Gulnaz is basically about an aged widow Gulnaz (played by Faiza Hassan). Gulnaz was widowed at a young age and had to bring up her three sons alone. She opened up a pakora stall and apparently worked long and hard to ensure two of her three sons got a decent education. Now the sons are all grown up, and are they grateful for their mothers’ efforts? You bet not! Are they trying to lend a helping hand to her? So far, I just saw one at her pakora stall and he, too, drove away the customer as he is a little slow. Amma Gulnaz is apparently having a hard time of it – her sons are never satisfied and are apparently good-for-nothing, complaining-all-the-time idiots who actually seem more spoilt than anything else.
There is absolutely no doubt that the story is strong. Yes, to bring up three sons without a father is a feat in itself. To make sure they turn into productive members of the society is even more so. When a male toddler is more intimidated by his father than mother, what to say of teenaged and adult sons? Gulnaz has struggled a great deal, and to see her sons means increasing your blood pressure as you watch. It is heartening to see a strong female character, though how she deals with her sons remains to be seen.
However, this drama serial should have gone on air AFTER Jannat Say Nikali Hui Aurat, for improved viewership. Also, the choice of cast in this drama is horrible, to say the least. I have been a fan of Faiza Hassan since her Sahil Ki Tamanna days at PTV, but in this drama, her younger get-up is totally horrible. I have seen her act much better than this! The three sons are totally off. Honestly, some more known faces could have been much, much better.
And now, let’s come to something which has given both me and SZ a VERY good laugh. (In fact, it is actually thanks to SZ I started taking an interest in this drama serial.) So what is it? Yep, you got it. All the supposedly “romantic” scenes of Gulnaz and her husband, played by Humayun Saeed are a RIOT! Honestly, if you are having a bad day, you can watch all of them and laugh out loud. What, for crying out loud, has happened? There is nothing remotely romantic in their scenes – honestly, Daneez and Mujtaba had better chemistry and that is saying SOMETHING. Humayun Saeed totally fails to impress (why isn’t he acting like himself?) and Faiza Hassan for some reason also fails to convey any emotions. Honestly, it seems both of them are reading the script (only the script in the scene is missing), without actually feeling any words they are saying. Considering Humayun Saeed’s powerful performance in Kaafir, I just don’t understand WHAT went wrong here. And it is actually a pity because this could have made this serial quite popular…everyone wants to see a good love story. But certainly no one wants to see THIS!
In any case, I might just follow this drama serial out of interest, if only to find out what becomes of Gulnaz and if her sons ever learn a lesson the hard way. For now, it is only promos, recaps and previews for me. And by the way, Amma aur Gulnaz is another very strange title for a drama serial…
Written by Drama Buff ([email protected])
