One of 7th Sky Entertainment’s recent Ramadan special shows ‘Ishqaway’ is packaged as a wholesome entertainer with elements of romance, action, and comedy. It features Aagha Ali and Nazish Jahangir in leading roles. Supported by credible names like Maria Wasti, Mehmood Aslam Behroz Sabzwari and Ayesha Gul, the Ramadan special show is written by Amar Khan and directed by Zahid Mehmood. So, does ‘Ishqaway’ turn out to be a pleasant ride or does it disappoint? Let’s review.
‘Ishqaway’ The Story So Far
Sharukh (Aagha Ali) is an established designer whose brand Shashka has been a roaring success in Dubai. He returns to his homeland to launch his brand in Pakistan. Back in the day Shahrukh’s parents Amin (Mehmood Aslam) and Suriyah (Kinza Malik) worked as domestic help at Nirali (Maria Wasti) house. The latter falsely accused them of stealing valuables from her house. Nirali’s husband being a kind-hearted person, knew the reality but couldn’t do much, therefore Amin was shown the door.
Nirali has two daughters Zoya (Nazish Jahangir) and Aleena (Maryam Noor). She has her clear favorite daughter Aleena whom she favours out of the way. She makes Zoya do all the household chores. Zoya is an honest soul who cares for everyone and takes a stand for the right. Nirali’s brother Sheeda (Behroze Sabzwari) and his wife Makho (Ayesha Gul) eye Nirali’s wealth and leave no stone unturned to grab all of it.
Many years later, Amin gets to know about Nirali, he decides to meet her. He gets disappointed to see her mean behavior with Zoya. As the story progresses Shahrukh comes to know about all this and decides to get Zoya out of trouble. What happens next forms the rest of the enterprise.
Mixed Feelings
‘Heer Da Hero’ and now ‘Ishqaway’, this is Amar Khan’s second outing as a writer. The disposable premise comes across as the biggest drawback. This time around she keeps the logic at the back burner. Far from original, the characters are more caricatures. Also, why are Punjabi characters added just to trigger the comic factor? The backstory of Amin’s past and Shahrukh heading to Nirali’s house to save Zoya doesn’t seem convincing. Some of the sequences that feature Sheeda, Makho and Nirali test the viewer’s patience big time. The directions are strictly average and mechanical. Six episodes down its hard to recall any memorable moment so far.
The Performances
The performance by Aagha Ali is the only saving grace of the show. The actor understands the character well and performs it with maturity. Nazish is likable in parts, other than that all she does is hamming. No words to describe the cringe-worthy acts of Behroz Sabzwari, Maria Wasti and Ayesha Gul. Their potential is totally wasted, they struggle with a bad script and poor directions. Maryam Noor and Naveed Raza have nothing substantial to do.
Our Verdict So Far
One swallow doesn’t make a summer. Aagha Ali can’t save the entire sinking ship alone. The clichéd narrative of ‘Ishqaway’ struggles to serve its purpose. It needs substantial turns and comic twists to bounce back as a memorable Ramadan outing.
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