Aik Thi Laila First Episode Dropped Last Night & We Think You Should Give It A Watch!
Kahan hai yeh Laila and Laila ka kya chakar hai? Kya Laila ka Mujnoo usko lay ker bhaag gaya hai ya Mujnoo ney usko maar diya hai?
The first episode of Aik Thi Laila aired on Express TV and we have to say it caught our attention. Starring Iqra Aziz, Faysal Quraishi, Yasir Hussain and Maham Aamir, the drama is written by Faiza Iftikhar and directed by Yasir Hussain.
The Story
The first episode shows the police investigating Laila’s disappearance. It delivered engaging storytelling, as we waited to unearth more clues leading to Laila’s mystery, what happened to her and where did she vanish to?
The references to TikTok, wry humour wit and a real world type feel in the neighbourhood added to the viewing experience.
The Edits
Yasir Hussain and Faiza Iftikhar ensured that audiences move swiftly from one twist to another. Just when the scene is about to lose us, a new angle is presented. The drama throws viewers a fast-paced edit in scenes, quality production value and overall look and feel – more like watching on an international OTT platform.
Crisp edits interspersed with a mini breaks, intentional camera movement and shots from refreshing angles made the watch intriguing and refreshing – almost as if we were watching a stage play structured into scenes and acts – Yasir and Faiza Iftikhar have added flavour to the story with sharp scripting and innovative storytelling.
New Cast Surprise
The drama can be appreciated for introducing us to new faces like Saad Khan who plays the role of the tenant in the drama. He gives a convincing performance and fits the role aptly.
Performances
The performances are on point and of course it is lovely to see Iqra Aziz back on screen. Maham Aamir as Constable Ruqaiya plays a refreshing character and wins us over with a natural performance that also hits the funny bone without trying too hard. Yasir has ensured that none of the cast is overdoing his or her character.
Direction
Yasir Hussain as a director has made his mark with the first episode of Aik Thi Laila. It is notable that he manages to keep us curious and engaged in the first episode without letting Iqra Aziz monopolize screen time. While many would expect to see Iqra in 80% of the episode, Yasir has used her as the one link to keep steering us back to the story line. We spot Iqra in a few scenes, in fact we do not get to see her in the first 15 minutes, but none of this impacts the story telling and still keeps us interested. He has created a romantic mystery surrounding Laila, making us wonder what really happened to her.
Camera movements, lighting and experiments with one take long shots are impactful, add to the visual experience and are proof of well-thought out execution and passion to take storytelling to the next level.
Missing something?
The weak link, and there weren’t many, was the final scene in the Police vehicle. It could have been turned up a notch in terms of performances and execution.
Aik Thi Laila is definitely worth a watch, it is a refreshing story and will win you over instantly. If this one skipped your radar, go watch it NOW!
Please note: This review is based on the first episode of Aik Thi Laila that was published on Express TV’s YouTube Channel, which might carry some variations as to the one aired on the channel itself.
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