Saima Chaudhry, our beloved designer from Faisalabad is BACK and thank God for that! Honestly, as much as I enjoy watching the more serious serials, I have to say there’s nothing like an aesthetically well-done comedy—no issues, no causes, no moralizing, no lectures, just plain old sit back and enjoy no-brainer hilarity. Fabulously over the top as she is, there’s something to be said for watching an actress of Bushra Ansari’s caliber back on our screens doing what she does best – comedy.
This latest installment in the Baraat series, Annie Ki Aayegi Baraat, continues the saga of the intertwined lives of the two very different families – one from Karachi, headed by the matriarch Samina Ahmed, and the other one from Faisalabad, headed by Shehryar Zaidi and Bushra Ansari. Along with these big name stars, the rest of the ensemble cast includes Saba Hameed, Javed Shaikh, Sumbul, Manzoor Qureshi, Ahsan Khan, Alishba Yousuf, Sana Askari, Adeel Siddiqui, Ali Safina, Natasha Ali, Uroosa Siddiqui, and Raheel Butt. And, as if these stars weren’t enough, Annie ki Aayegi, introduces yet more glitzy names to this madcap caper: Laila Zuberi, Hina Dilpazeer, Azra Mohiuddin, Huma Hameed, Navin Waqar, Shehzad Shaikh, and of course, lest we forget, an over-hyped cameo by Fawad Khan.
The first episode opened with a recap of the last season, refreshing our memories about where the story had ended, with Suki and Takay’s wedding. Moving forward, we saw Suki not allowing a very reluctant Taka back out of his promise to sit for his degree exams – good for you Suki! In keeping with the latest trend, and not one to be left behind, Saima Chaudhry appears to have spent the break between sequels working on her own lawn brand, and here we saw a very animated Saima Chaudhry at the launch of her lawn. Chaudhry sahib is still committed to entering the political arena as a serious contender. Amma wadi, as glamorous as ever, is still being pursued by her very ardent suitor Khalid Bhanji. I have to say the exasperated Amma wadi is so much fun to watch; I wouldn’t be surprised if the next wedding in the family happens to be hers. Laila, it seems, is getting serious about Adeel and is trying to find ways to introduce him to her crazy family. We were also introduced to the newest arrival in town: Annie, Sila’s cousin from Canada, who is an aspiring documentary filmmaker. It is great to see Navin Waqar shaking off her Sarah persona, although her wardrobe still seems to be suffering from a Humsafar hangover.
This was a crisply edited, fast- paced first episode. Introductions of the new characters were seamlessly integrated with the continuing storylines of the older characters. As can be expected Bushra Ansari had the funniest lines, her iPad conversation with Navin Waqar was hilarious, as was her exchange with Sumbul; also sweet were the scenes between Suki and Taka and the ones between the mother-daughter pair of Amma wadi and Rabia. Unlike what generally tends to happen in multi-starrers, I think the success of the Baraat series lies in the fact that even though there are so many characters, each and everyone has a clearly defined role, there are no extras here. Another important factor is the fact that the comedy is generated through situations rather than resorting to slapstick, or over-animated gestures, or through props like oversize glasses and atrocious wigs. Hence, even though the drama lacks a strong story, there are more than enough funny “moments” beautifully strung together to prop up a weak foundation, with the actors then chipping in to do the rest –Kudos to Marina Khan, Nadeem Baig, Vasay Chaudhry, and the rest of the cast and crew. Looking forward to the further mis-adventures of this madcap group….
Written by SZ~ [email protected]
Follow me on Twitter: SZ_DramaPakistani (@sz_dp)
