It’s a virtual walk down memory lane, a 70’s throwback that is well worth the weekly wait, and performances to match. Shirin Farhad makes it to our Pakistani drama watchlist for all the right reasons!
From a period story to outfitted in flared trousers, puffed sleeves and short kurtas with hairdos to match, and we hope you didn’t miss that Waheed Murad flick on Farhad, Shirin Farhad is a love letter to the style trends of the 70’s – a filmy age when dreams were made on the sets and a lucky break in life meant walking through the doors of the film studios to enter a world that promised lights, camera, action and of course, so much more.
The latest episodes of Shirin Farhad continued to entertain with all of the above. But what they also did, was pay homage to an era where Urdu Literature was a thing to be respected and inspired by, where timeless stories cohabited with lofty dreams, all between the pages of a saga penned by Ashfaq Ahmad, or residing between the lines of Sub Rang Urdu Digest of the times, with Shakeel Adil Raza’s Bazigar, or better still, lyricists, writers and readers of the age who inspired screenplays, and gave birth to the characters we saw onscreen.
The narrative by the folks who created Shirin Farhad, the latest drama that has just aired 4 episodes so far, is littered with passing (and loving) mentions of all of the above, the personalities who made Art and the performance of it, the writing of it and the culmination of it, a journey of a lifetime. And lest we, the present generation should forget or not know any of this, the drama attempts to bring it all back with an air of romanticism – an ode to those whose contribution to the Urdu language literary sphere and performing Arts and culture needs to be acknowledged, and celebrated.
When Rosy realizes that she might be losing her one shot at the big player, big screen, it was a sad nod to the transience success of players in the industry, especially women, who lose the spotlight to new and younger faces even before they have time to celebrate their wins. When Shirin responds to her with a newfound confidence and defiance, it is in her knowledge that she might be the future of the studios that has miraculously breathed life into, yet also shattered many dreams.
Farhad noting that everyone here thinks they own you, is the very nature of relationships – territorial, envious and ever watchful, one wrong step and you’re out of favour with the same people who sang your praise a while ago. Tailor Master Saifuddin is one of the first to turn on Farhad, and Golden might be next. Chaman has already seen through part of the story, and the screenplay is laying grounds for a bitter truth acknowledged by many in the profession, that there are no real friends in the industry. There’s too much at stake. And Farhad is about to find that out. But has Farhad’s natural inclination and regard for Urdu Literature and the writers of the times might have already won his place with Sultan, the king of all kings in an industry where a blatant hierarchy rules the rules of the game.
Both Farhan Saeed and Kinza Hashmi blend in beautifully as Farhad and Shirin. Shirin’s audition was a wholesome moment where the character came off as a natural, but also, a stickler for giving her best, not satisfied with ‘average’, as she takes her time to get into the emotion first. It is these subtle yet critical moments that are setting the storytelling apart. When director Sultan asks Shirin if she’s ever been in love, the question lingers in the air, with Shirin contemplating the answer – what a moment of revelation she’s about to have, and the director will know for sure, because her performance is sure to give it away.
But it’s not just the leads who know their game, every cast member has been handpicked to deliver a look and feel to the character, to match the vintage feel of the sets that form the backdrop to the narrative. Golden played by Ali Sikandar, Ali essayed by Rana Majid and even dear Shamsa performed by Kanwal Khan and her station master father Imdad Chacha played by Syed Tanveer Hussain are making it all come together with poetic charm.
The sets, the sets, the sets, at Evernew Studios in Lahore with hand-written name plaques in Urdu announcing the designation of the person inside, lends an air of nostalgia to the scenes.
But even as we sit back and take it all in, we know that Shirin Farhad might be the tragic tale we’ll have to watch with a tough heart (just like the original). The race to success is a ruthless one often, and behind all the glamour and glitz lies the hardwork, the pure good fortune of being in the right place at the right time and the people that make it happen for you – Is Farhad going to get all he dreamt of but with a heavy dose of reality first? Will he have to trade his love for success? The story certainly seems to be hinting at this and more.
But to set the mood and the backdrop for the bigger romance about to come soon, and for a dose of tragedy, (after all, the dama is called Shirin Farhad for a reason), might be the sacrifice of Shamsa and Ali’s love story. These two are about to be hit by the storm and unfortunately, our hero Farhad might not be able to save them.
Fulfilling a life long dream is a life long challenge, and it demands selflishness, and ironically, selflessness too, an obsessive kind of devotion to achieving that dream, and possibly, many broken hearts along the way.
Shirin Farhad promises all this and more. Episodes next are all set to be tumultuous emotion, heartbreak and hopefully, some wins. If you’re not watching, then you’re not really a romantic at heart, are you?
Are you watching the drama? Go ahead and drop us a comment to give your thoughts on the latest episodes.
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Shirin Farhad is written by Ali Moeen and directed by Asad Mumtaz. It is a project of Momina Duraid Productions and stars Kinza Hashmi and Farhan Saeed in lead roles. The ensemble cast features Rashid Farooqui, Saleem Mairaj, Ali Tahir, Zhalay Sarhadi, Ali Rizvi, Irfan Motiwala, Kanwal Khan, Ali Sikandar, Rana Majid, Haider Shah, Mubashir Mehmood, and more.
Good analysis