Parizaad (Urdu: پریزاد, lit. 'Fairy's child') is a Pakistani television series written by Hashim Nadeem, based on his novel of the same name, directed by Shahzad Kashmiri and produced by Momina Duraid Productions. It first started airing on Hum Television on 20 July 2021. The series stars Ahmed Ali Akbar in the title role alongside Yumna Zaidi, Ushna Shah, Nauman Ijaz, Mashal Khan, Urwa Hocane and Saboor Aly in prominent roles.
| Parizaad | |
|---|---|
 cover-title-of-Parizad | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Based on | Parizaad by Hashim Nadeem |
| Written by | Hashim Nadeem |
| Directed by | Shahzad Kashmiri |
| Starring | Ahmed Ali Akbar Yumna Zaidi Ushna Shah Mashal Khan Urwa Hocane Nauman Ijaz Saboor Aly |
| Country of origin | Pakistan |
| Original language | Urdu |
| No. of episodes | 29 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 38-40 minutes |
| Production company | MD Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | Hum TV |
| Release | 20 July 2021 – 1 February 2022 |
The last episode was aired in cinemas on 28 January 2022 and in television on 1 February 2022. According to some reports, a second season is in development.[1]
The series received critical acclaim with praise towards the storyline and Akbar's performance, who later won Best Actor and Best Actor Popular awards at 8th Hum Awards and Best TV Actor-Critics' choice at 21st Lux Style Awards. It also won Best TV Play and Best TV Writer award at the latter.
Plot edit
The story revolves around a dark-skinned college student, Parizaad who has grown up with self-esteem problems and confidence issues. Despite society's judgement of him, he is very hardworking, extremely respectful and well-mannered, and creates a lasting impression on anyone he meets. This drama takes us along his journey of the friends and enemies he meets in his life as he tackles with his inner fight of choosing his true passion of poetry or choosing a realistic job that can provide income for his family. Parizaad is an innocent boy living in Rawalpindi with his brothers. Due to his dark skin, he is often ridiculed. His brothers and sisters-in-law are greedy and consider him to be a liability. Only his sister Saeeda loves him. But she is to be married to an aged man due to family pressure. Parizaad loves Naheed and Saeeda likes Majid but both Naheed and Majid are already in love with each other.
One day Parizaad is falsely accused of giving a love letter to Naheed at her house. Naheed's father slaps Parizaad in front of everyone. After learning that Naheed loves Majid and it was Majid who was at her terrace that night, Parizaad wants to kill himself, but is saved by Ahmad. On the other hand, Naheed gets married to Majid.
After this Parizaad meets Bubly who considers herself to be a 'tomboy'. As Parizaad is desperately in need of money for his sister, he agrees to marry Bubly in order to get dowry. But before all this an happen, Bubly runs away from her house.
Then Parizaad meets Lubna, a rich girl, and starts developing a liking for her, but her mother fixes her marriage with a rich businessman. The mother also rebukes Parizaad regarding his poetry and asks him to focus on becoming a rich man. Then Parizaad moves to Karachi where he starts working for a big businessman, Behroze Karim who unbeknownst to Parizaad at that time, is a don who owns a mafia empire. Parizaad initially works as a shift supervisor in the factory of Don Behroze. Don Behroze inspired by Parizaad's truthfulness and bravery, appoints him as the bodyguard of his wife Layla Saba. Parizaad was also ordered to give all the information about Layla to Behroze. Layla is disloyal to Behroze and uses Parizaad's innocence so as to meet her lover. Behroze learns about this and he kills both Layla and her lover, but spares Parizaad. As Layla's lover was from a powerful background, Behroze gets trapped in his murder case. Behroze sends Parizaad to Guru so that Parizaad remains safe. There Parizaad meets Bubly who was adopted by Guru, Parizaad reconciles Bubly with her parents. After returning to Karachi, Parizaad takes all the blame and is sent to jail. Finally, it is known that Behroze was the one who killed both Layla and her lover. Before being caught, Behroze kills himself and gives all his wealth to Parizaad as a reward for his loyalty.
After becoming rich and coming out of jail, Parizaad sees that everybody respects him as he is a wealthy man now. Even people have no problem with his dark skin. His brothers and sisters-in-law due to their greed show affection and love for Parizaad. Parizaad again meets Lubna who is now a divorcee and a flop actress, Parizaad decides to finance her films. During this he also meets Ahmad. Parizaad now again meets Naheed who is now in a poor condition as her husband is now a good-for-nothing man. Naheed's father apologises to Parizaad as he is now aware that Parizaad was innocent at the time. Parizaad arranges a job for Nahaeed's sister and for Majid. Naheed too now has a change of heart for Parizaad due to his wealth and tries to reconnect with him, which Parizaad declines.
At the end he meets Annie, a radio host, who is a blind girl and a die-hard fan of Parizaad not because of his wealth but truly because of his poetry. Parizaad also develops a feeling for her, but is afraid that he might again get rejected due to his dark skin, once Annie gets back her eyesight. Annie's cousin, a new character, Sharjeel, also interferes with Parizaad's love, by confessing his plans to propose once Annie gets back her eyesight, not knowing Parizaad is in love with Annie. Parizaad in a moment of weakness decides to have Sharjeel killed by his bodyguard, Akbar, however his inner conscious stops him. Heartbroken once again realizing that even with money and power he is unable to capture true love, Parizaad leaves Karachi, leaving all his wealth behind. He goes to the mountains away from the pain of the world to ease his broken heart. There he becomes a teacher in the mountain village school and finds satisfaction helping children learn and prepare for the world ahead. No one knows about Parizaad's whereabouts as he discreetly leaves behind everything. Annie meets Parizaad while working as a news anchor, but fails to recognize him as he has changed his name. After hearing his voice and touching his face, she recognizes him and both of them confess their love for each other and the story ends with Parizaad finally getting his love. Annie and Parizaad plan on opening an Urdu academy in the Village. Annie plans on working as an assistant for the Urdu academy while starting her radio broadcast from the village.
Cast edit
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| Name | Role | First episode appearance | Total episode appearances | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main character | ||||
| Ahmed Ali Akbar[2] | Parizaad | Episode 1 | 29 | Dark-skinned poet and later a millionaire |
| Prominent characters | ||||
| Ushna Shah | Naheed | Episode 1 | 7 | Daughter of Mirza, Parizaad's first love and later Majid's wife |
| Saboor Aly[3][4] | Saima/Bubbly/Dilawar | Episode 4 | 7 | Struggles with gender dysphoria and is Parizaad's second love |
| Mashal Khan | Lubna/Mahpara | Episode 6 | 8 | Drama artist and Parizaad's third love |
| Nauman Ijaz | Agha Behroze Karim | Episode 10 | 5 | Parizaad's former boss and Layla Saba's husband |
| Urwa Hocane[5] | Layla Saba | Episode 11 | 4 | Wife of Agha Behroze Kareem, a millionaire |
| Yumna Zaidi[6] | Quratulain/Annie | Episode 20 | 10 | Blind girl and Parizaad's fourth love |
| Supporting characters | ||||
| Syed Mohammad Ahmed | Mirza | Episode 1 | 7 | Father of Naheed |
| Ismat Zaidi | Sakina | Episode 1 | 5 | Mother of Naheed |
| Adnan Shah Tipu | Akbar | Episode 1 | 6 | Eldest brother of Parizaad |
| Madiha Rizvi | Kubra | Episode 1 | 5 | Akbar's wife |
| Paras Masroor | Asghar | Episode 1 | 6 | Younger brother of Akbar and elder brother of Parizaad |
| Asma Malik | Sughra | Episode 1 | 5 | Asghar's wife |
| Kiran Tabeir | Saeeda | Episode 1 | 7 | Sister of Parizaad |
| Ahmad Taha Ghani | Majid | Episode 2 | 4 | Parizaad's neighbor and later Naheed's husband |
| Taniya Hussain | Kanwal | Episode 1 | 4 | Naheed's sister |
| Raza Ali Abid | Shauky | Episode 1 | 5 | Parizaad's neighbor friend |
| Malik Raza | Saleem | Episode 3 | 7 | Saeeda's husband |
| Tahira Imam | Saleem's mother | Episode 3 | 1 | Asks for Saeeda's hand in marriage |
| Anjum Habibi | Saleem's father | Episode 3 | 1 | Asks for Saeeda's hand in marriage |
| Salma Hassan | Shaista | Episode 4 | 4 | Mother of Bubbly |
| Rashid Farooqui | Shabbir | Episode 4 | 4 | Father of Bubbly |
| Adeel Afzal | Ahmad Nasaaz | Episode 3 | 8 | Parizaad's college friend and poet |
| Natasha Hussain | Lubna's mother | Episode 7 | 3 | Mother of Lubna |
| Asim Shah Kakakhail | Saith Noman | Episode 7 | 3 | Business tycoon who wants to buy Parizaad's poetry to publish in his book |
| Hassan Shah | Janu/Shah Jahan | Episode 10 | 4 | Parizaad's friend |
| Faiz Chuhan | Kallu Ustad | Episode 9 | 3 | Parizaad's boss at workshop |
| Laila Zuberi | Hajjan Bua | Episode 4 | 3 | Matchmaker of Parizaad's neighborhood |
| Saad Azhar | Feroz | Episode 11 | 4 | Behroze Karim's personal assistant |
| Mazhar Suleman Noorani | Akbar | Episode 17 | 10 | Parizaad's personal assistant |
| Asad Mumtaz Malik | Guru | Episode 14 | 5 | Behroze Karim's old friend and later Parizaad's friend |
| Nadia Afghan | Badar Munir | Episode 11 | 3 | DSP who catches Behroze Karim |
| Saife Hassan | Sheharyar | Episode 11 | 3 | IG who is a senior head of Badar Munir |
| Hira Umer | Sara | Episode 11 | 2 | Layla Saba's friend |
| Iftikhar Ahmed Usmani | Kamali | Episode 17 | 12 | Parizaad's manager, assistant and caretaker |
| Mazhar Noorani | Akbar | Episode 17 | 11 | Parizaad's bodyguard and Feroz's younger brother |
| Huma Nawab | Shehla | Episode 22 | 4 | Annie's mother |
| Areeba Alvi | Jharna | Episode 23 | 5 | Singer at Parizaad's production house and Nasaaz's love interest |
| Fahad Mirza | Sharjeel | Episode 23 | 7 | Annie's cousin |
| Shahzad Nawaz | Saith Shehbaz | Episode 20 | 4 | Parizaad's business enemy |
| Nadia Hussain | Shehbaz's wife | Episode 25 | 1 | Wife of Shehbaz |
| Saleem Mairaj | Manzoor | Episode 1 | 1 | Parizaad's father |
| Mizna Waqas | Hamida | Episode 1 | 2 | Parizaad's mother |
| Nargis Rasheed | Amna | Episode 1 | 1 | Manzoor's sister |
Soundtrack edit
| Na Puch Parizaadon Se | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | 23 June 2021 |
| Recorded | 2021 |
| Genre | Television soundtrack |
| Length | 4:43 |
| Language | Urdu |
| Label | M.D Productions |
| Producer | Momina Duraid |
| Music video | |
| "Parizaad" OST on YouTube | |
The official soundtrack of the serial was composed by Waqar Ali and sung by Asrar while the lyrics were written by Hashim Nadeem.[7]
Production edit
Television actor Faysal Quraishi first decided to produce the series based on Hashim Nadeem's award-winning Parizaad, for which he approached a channel but was rejected.[8] According to Quraishi, he wanted to cast Gohar Rasheed in the titular character at that time.[9]
In May 2021, it was revealed that Parizaad will get a television adaptation, produced by MD Productions and directed by Shahzad Kashmiri. The writer revealed that the show was actually written as an experiment, much like his previous show, Ishq Zahe Naseeb.[10][11][12]
Ahmed Ali Akbar was chosen to portray the titular role of Parizaad. Akbar was not the first choice to portray the character. Likewise, the role of Naheed played by Ushna Shah was previously offered to Neelam Muneer who rejected it.[10]
The initial teasers were released on 20 June 2021. The teasers received some negative reviews for making the lead character look darker than he actually is.[5]
The filming was mostly done in real locations of Karachi and Islamabad. The university from Lubna's track in episodes 7-9 is the Capital University of Science & Technology, Islamabad. The mansion of Behroze Kareem which was shown from episode 10 onwards, was visited by fans, had an online tour available and after the show ended was on sale.[13][14] Last spell of the show was filmed in Azad Kashmir.
Reception edit
The show has received positive critical reviews since its inception. Ahmed Ali Akbar's performance received particular praise from critics and gained international acclaim as well.[15][16][17][18] Social media users and critics praised the subtle take of the script on gender fluidity regarding transgender and bisexual.[19][20][21] Its unique storyline made viewers hooked and it used to trend several times on Twitter even on unusual days.[18][22][23]
Television rating (TRPs) edit
| Ep# | airing date | TRP |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 21 September 2021 | 6.5[24] |
| 11 | 28 September 2021 | 8.0[25] |
| 12 | 5 October 2021 | 8.8[26] |
| 13 | 12 October 2021 | 8.3[27] |
| 14 | 19 October 2021 | 7.8[28] |
| 16 | 2 November 2021 | 4.6[29] |
| 17 | 9 November 2021 | 8.8[30] |
| 18 | 16 November 2021 | 9.5[31] |
| 19 | 23 November 2021 | 8.8[32] |
| 20 | 30 November 2021 | 7.8[33] |
| 21 | 7 December 2021 | 8.5[34] |
| 22 | 14 December 2021 | 7.7[35] |
| 23 | 21 December 2021 | 10.2[36] |
| 24 | 28 December 2021 | 9.2[37] |
| 25 | 4 January 2022 | 9.7[38] |
| 26 | 11 January 2022 | 9.6[39] |
| 27 | 18 January 2022 | 10.1[40] |
| 28 | 25 January 2022 | 9.8[41] |
| 29 | 1 February 2022 | 10.7 [42] |
Controversy edit
The series was criticized for the use of blackface to depict a character from humble background.[citation needed]
Sequel edit
In June 2022, writer Hashim Nadeem revealed in a cryptic social media post that the show would be getting a second season.[43]
Impact edit
Due to last episodes of the series which deals with the poor conditions of Urdu medium schools in the farthest areas of the country, the Balochistan government promised to raise the standards of Urdu medium schools. Later, Ahmed Ali Akbar also shared the same on his social media account.[44]
Awards and nominations edit
| Date of ceremony | Awards | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 24, 2022 | Hum Awards | Best Drama Serial - Popular | Momina Duraid | Won | [45] |
| Best Drama Serial - Jury | Won | ||||
| Best Actor - Popular | Ahmed Ali Akbar | Won | |||
| Best Actor - Jury | Won | ||||
| Best Writer Drama Serial | Hashim Nadeem | Won | |||
| Best Director Drama Serial | Shahzad Kashmiri | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Adeel Afzal | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Saboor Aly | Won | |||
| Best on-screen Couple - Popular | Ahmed Ali Akbar and Yumna Zaidi | Nominated | |||
| Best Onscreen Couple - Jury | Nominated | ||||
| Best Original Soundtrack | Momina Duraid and Waqar Ali | Won | |||
| November 24, 2022 | Lux Style Awards | Best TV Play | Parizaad | Won | [46][47] |
| Best TV Director | Shahzad Kashmiri | Nominated | |||
| Best TV Actor-Viewers' Choice | Ahmed Ali Akbar | ||||
| Best TV Actor-Critics' Choice | Won | ||||
| Best TV Writer | Hashim Nadeem | ||||
| Best Ensemble TV Play | Parizaad | Nominated | |||
| Best TV Track | Asrar & Waqar Ali |
References edit
- ^ Staff, Web Desk (20 June 2022). "'Parizaad chapter 2' in the works". The Namal. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
- ^ "Parizaad starring Ahmed Ali Akbar in the lead looks promising so far". www.somethinghaute.com.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Ahmed Ali Akbar and Saboor star in 'Parizaad'; a drama based on pain and deceit". Daily Times. 20 July 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ "Ahmed Ali Akbar, Saboor Aly, Ushna Shah team up for Parizaad". www.cutacut.com. 21 June 2021.
- ^ a b Raja Moini (3 July 2021). "Blackface and TV's deeply-rooted colour bias". Express Tribune. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ "Yumna Zaidi and Ahmed Ali Akbar are finally coming back together for Parizaad". Mag The Weekly. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ Omair Alavi (5 July 2021). "4 Reasons That Make HUM TV's Parizaad A Must Watch!". Hip In Pakistan. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ "Wanted to produce it, not work in it: Faysal Quraishi clarifies 'Parizaad' statement". Tribune. 22 June 2022.
- ^ "Faysal Qureshi wanted Gohar Rasheed to be cast as Parizaad". Daily Times. 23 June 2022.
- ^ a b ""Ahmed Ali Akbar Wasn't The First Choice For Male Lead": Hashim Nadeem On 'Parizaad'". Galaxy Lollywood. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
- ^ "3 Upcoming Pakistani Dramas To Watch In July 2021". Dispatch News Desk. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ "Hum TV Gears Up To Bring 2 Major Dramas In July". www.galaxylollywood.com. 21 June 2021.
- ^ "Who is the real owner of the massive mansion shown in 'Parizaad?'". Daily Times. 7 January 2022.
- ^ Tahir Sherani (13 January 2022). "Parizaad's fully furnished house is on sale in Islamabad for Rs600 million". Dawn Image. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ Muna Moini (29 July 2021). "Haute Review: Ahmed Ali Akbar delivers a strong performance and shines as Parizaad". Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ^ "Ahmed Ali Akbar receives widespread praise for Parizaad". Cutacut. 8 September 2021.
- ^ "Bollywood actor Sonam Bajwa thinks Parizaad is 'phenomenal'". Dawn Images. 3 February 2022.
- ^ a b "Parizaad: Ahmed Ali Akbar tops charts on Twitter for stellar performance". The News. 26 January 2022.
- ^ "Parizaad's subtle take on gender fluidity lauded on the internet". Express Tribune. 28 October 2021.
- ^ Naba Mehdi (23 January 2022). "The contrasting world of Parizaad". The News.
- ^ Simran Siraj (27 December 2021). "Four relevant questions Pakistani dramas raised in 2021". Express Tribune.
- ^ "Drama serial 'Parizaad' gains an overwhelming response". Daily Times. 4 September 2021.
- ^ Nouman Ahmad Noor (12 September 2021). "The second introduction of an enslaved man | Shehr". The News.
- ^ HUM TV. "Leading Hearts! Parizaad - Episode 10 TRP". Archived from the original on 26 December 2021 – via instagram.
- ^ "Outclass Performer!". 30 September 2021. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021 – via instagram.
- ^ "#humtvpakistanofficial #Parizaad An Esteemed Leader!". Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021 – via instagram.
- ^ Hum TV. "Persistent Leader!". Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Ruling The Hearts! @humtvpakistanofficial". 21 October 2021. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021.
- ^ "Iconic Performance!". 4 November 2021. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Remains Best!". 10 November 2021. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ "Parizad Continues To Rule The Hearts And It All Thanks To You!". 17 November 2021. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021.
- ^ "Outclass Performer!". 24 November 2021. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Parizaad Ratings". 3 December 2021. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Top Performer!". 7 December 2021. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Remains The Best". 14 December 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Truly a Blockbuster drama". 23 December 2021. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Unstoppable!!". 29 December 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Iconic Performer!". 7 January 2022 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Winner All The Way!". 12 January 2022 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Highly Appreciated Drama!". 19 January 2022.
- ^ "Parizaad 2nd-Last-Episode Ratings!". 26 January 2022 – via Instagram.
- ^ "A Stellar Ending, thankyou for making it a global success". 2 February 2022.
- ^ "Ahmed Ali Akbar's 'Parizaad' is reportedly getting a sequel". Express Tribune. 20 June 2022.
- ^ "'Parizaad' actor Ahmed Ali Akbar lauds Balochistan govt's move to improve Urdu medium schools". Express Tribune. 21 February 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
- ^ Cutacut Editorial Team (26 September 2022). "The 8th Hum Awards Winners". Cutacut. Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "LSA 2022: And the nominees are..." Express Tribune. 23 November 2022.
- ^ "Presenting the Lux Style Award winners of 2022". The Express Tribune. 25 November 2022.
