Meri Behan Maya – The Finale

First of all I am extremely sorry for the late review but I have been fighting a hard battle with load shedding and cold so consider me a survivor at this point! The last two episodes of Meri Behan Maya were very happening indeed. Maya went back to her father only after he almost died trying to prove his love to her. Just when I thought that the Shahzib household was going to filled with happiness, Rashid decided to make a comeback and I could not help but wonder how Shahzib’s weak heart was going to deal with the situation. Shahzib gave Attiya divorce and she vowed to take revenge from him. Rashid managed to escape from prison and kidnapped Maya once again. But you know what they say; all is well that ends well! The play had a very happy ending except that I still felt for Shahzib, he deserved someone much better than Attiya.

Overall, Meri Behan Maya lacked the depth that I was expecting from a Haseena Moin play. Some of the dialogues left me completely clueless and many times things that could have been said in one line were stretched unnecessarily. The mystery surrounding the play was quite filmi too. For me Maya and Shahzib’s character stood out and both the actors shared an amazing chemistry. Annie Jaffrey was brilliant as Maya, sweet and sensitive and Javed Sheikh did a commendable job too. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for Neelam Munir who in my opinion should have concentrated more on her acting (both dialogue delivery and expressions) than her looks. The layers of make up and not a hair out of place seemed very unreal especially when Maya was missing. Zarmina was devastated when Maya went missing but her make up was not toned down at all. I must say that I really like Bindiya as an actress but her make up and heavy jewelry was equally distracting and unbelievable! How many women in real life go around wearing so much jewelry and accessories in their hair on regular basis?

I would have liked to see more of Maya than Zarmina and Faiser in the play but equal amount of screen time was given to both the stories. Meri Behan Maya is a good play to watch if you do not try to rationalize the story and characters on every step of the way, it had enough twists and turns to keep the viewer engaged. Personally, I would have liked the comedy bit to be more convincing too. I do not know who came up with Faiser’s look because it did not look cute at all. Some of the scenes with Rashid and Maya and Zarmina and Faiser were downright obnoxious and I would not want to watch them again. I remember when I started watching this play I really liked it particularly because of Maya and I hoped that the story would be more about her so I looked forward to it but the side tracks failed to impress. If the play had been directed and acted out better it could have proven to be a very nice story and the flaws in the dialogues could have been covered but unfortunately the direction was not up to the mark. For me Annie Jaffrey was the star of the show and I am hoping to see more of her in future too

Meri Behan Maya: Episode 16

This latest episode focused on Maya’s reunion with her father and we found out that there is more to the story than what appears on the surface. The thought did cross my mind that Maya may just be Shahzib’s daughter but that seemed like a very ugly thought and something that would just make things even more complicated. Zeb’s Khala calls Shahzib and I am glad that she did not turn out to be another one of those villainous characters. Shahzib’s meeting with Maya was extremely moving and in my opinion Maya has more of a reason to be upset with her father.

Unfortunately this episode focused just as much on the Zarmina and Faiser track and I did not enjoy the never ending conversations between the two. Naima’s presence did not help much too, Naima’s character could have been portrayed as fun and bubbly but thanks to the way it has been acted out it just seems annoying. The Zarmina Faiser scenes were dragged for no reason and there was enough reputation to make someone use the fast forward button.

Maya refuses to go with her father and does not want Zarmina to find out the ugly secret. How much longer will it take for her forgive her father and how will Zarmina react when she finds out the truth? Attiya still feels upset over not being informed about the latest happenings in the house and I can only wonder why she thinks anyone would think of her as family anymore. Alam Ara is obviously closer to the girls than Attiya and deserves it too.

I am glad that Rashid is going to be in jail for an indefinite period of time, I had a bad feeling that he may resurface at some point. Attiya deserves to be punished also for totally running Shahzib’s household. I must add that Shahzib is too simple although he has had so much exposure of the outside world. Shahzib has lost all hope and does not expect Maya to come back home but I totally agree with everything that his friend had to say to him. Shahzib leaves it to Zarmina to get in contact with Maya.

I truly felt fro Maya today and Annie Jafrrey did a great job in most of the scenes. A lot of scenes in today’s episode seemed like fillers and the long conversations could easily have been chopped up.

Meri Behan Maya – Episode 14 & 15

So much happened in these two episodes and the story has definitely moved forward. Maya has started a new life of her own and her new “khala” and “sister” seem like they are good people after all. I was expecting that Maya would get into a lot more trouble before she finally decides to go back to her family but Maya is doing just fine away from home but she misses her family of course. I am so glad that Rashid is out of the picture. I must say that I was not expecting the story to go the way it is going but I am quite happy with the recent developments. The job that Maya is doing is perfect for a girl who has only done her A levels but at the same time it is true that Maya is living in a fool’s paradise. Leaving her education and pursuing a career is in no way a wise decision but she will be meeting up with her family soon, so this would only be a temporary phase.

Faiser proposed to Zarmina and managed to convince his father to go to her house but what happened there was very ugly and somewhat funny! The scene from one of Bindiya’s old movies (probably) made me laugh and it seemed quite unnecessary too. I wish the director would have left that to our imagination. I did not understand the part where Shahzib says to Zarmina that Attiya wants to leave but also wants Shahzib to transfer the family “khothi” in her name. She wants Shahzib to pay her for leaving him? I won’t be surprised if that is the case!

Annie Jaffrey was absolutely brilliant in this episode and she has done a great job till now. The girl playing Zeb is also acting very well and I wish that she was the one playing Naima. Naima comes to meet Zarmina and none of her scenes were cute or anything close to it. I thought I would never feel this way but I actually feel for Frasier and Zarmina now and would like to see them together. I just wish that they would tone down on the not-so-romantic romantic scenes.

Overall these two episodes were quite interesting. I am still not very happy with Neelum Munir’s acting or accent. The promos looked very promising and I am really looking forward to the father/daughter reunion and at this point I have absolutely no idea where the story will go from here. My favorite scene from these two episodes had to be the one in the 15th episode in which Shahzib sits and thinks about the time when his daughters were little. A few more scenes like this would have made it easier for me to relate to what Shahzib must be going through.

Meri Behan Maya: Episode 13

Maya manages to escape from Rashid’s house and I am sure there were many people who were expecting her to take the first bus back home or at least call her father or Zarmina but guess what she did not do any of that but decided to go to Zeb’s house instead! I think we all have a fair idea where the story will go from here. Maya will learn her lesson the hard way before she finally decides to go back to her house. Although, Zeb tells Maya about the illegal means she uses to earn money but Maya still trusts her and the fact that Maya has known her only for two weeks does not help. When Maya found out about Rashid she was hoping and praying that her father or Zarmina will find her but now that she is out she has once again decided she does not want to go back home….it seems like Maya is on some crazy adventure.

The police arrested Rashid but he is quite confident that he will not be under arrest for a very long time. I have to say that some of the dialogues were very confusing. The police officer has no clue that Rashid is related to Shahzib in any way but when Attiya calls on Rashid’s phone, the policeman does not even question her as to how she is related to Rashid or where she got the number from. Secondly, the conversation that Shahzib had with Zarmina and Faiser left me clueless, it was as if he felt guilty about getting Rashid arrested and said “itni maar khane ke baad tu koi bhi begunah apne jurma ka iqrar kur leta hai…..mei tu bus yehi chat hun ke meri beti mil jaye aur kisi begunah ko saza bhi na miley…asal baat tu Allah hi janta hai”. Rashid may or may not be linked with Maya’s disappearance but Shahzib knows that he was involved in all the other crimes, so why is he feeling for him?

On one hand Maya insists that she cannot lie but on the other she just lies to Zeb’s khala that she has no relatives. It is always a treat to watch Shamim Hilali on-screen and she was absolutely brilliant today too. I am definitely looking forward to seeing more of her. The next episode promises even more drama!

Meri Behan Maya: Episode 12

First thing is first, I was wrong in thinking that Rashid and Maya had actually gotten married, apparently all of it was dikhawa after all…so thank God for that! But that also makes me wonder why Rashid gifted Maya the diamond set and why exactly was he planning a honeymoon on the phone! The story moved further today with Maya finding out that Rashid is involved in human trafficking. I clearly remember Rashid falling for Maya and telling his mother he would do anything to marry her. But at some point he decided to sell her and told her about it in today’s episode.

Rashid is just plain disgusting and the director has gone out of his way to prove it. The scene where Rashid goes to Maya’s room (because she forgot to lock the door!!!) and “sniffs” her hair reminded me of a horror movie I saw recently where the “scary character” sniffs his victims’ before eating them. The scene where Maya hits Rashid so that she can make her way out of the house was also very unnatural, there is no way that a little girl like her can take over a man like Rashid. The mirror scene, on the other hand was handled very nicely.

The part where the Police call Zarmina to identify the corpse was very disturbing and Neelam totally outdid herself later on in the car when she cried. It really made me think for a minute what such victims’ families must go through. Shahzib may have threatened Attiya of dire consequences if she ever tried to harm any of his daughters in any way but Attiya is still in that house and not much has been done to punish her. Even after she finds out that Maya was with Rashid, she asks him to kill her!

I am really hoping that Maya reaches her house safely and the rest of the story is not about Maya getting further into trouble.

Meri Behan Maya: Episode 11

The story took an even more unbelievable turn and I am wondering if this script was really written by Haseena Moin. Rashid suggesting to Maya that they should get married only for “dikhawa” and Maya going along with the outlandish idea was just plain shocking (and slightly disgusting)! Not only this but they seem to be doing a great job of “pretending” to be married since Maya is even willing to attend dinner parties hosted by Rashid’s friends In their honor. We don’t know when exactly they got married but they did at some point. Things sure are moving at a fast pace with Rashid planning their honeymoon. I really hate to say this but all of this seems like a product of a teenager’s imagination. You fall in love with a girl you can never get but one fine day she falls in your lap and you are planning a honeymoon in Spain!

Maya’s conversation with the girl at the parlor was another thing about this latest episode that seemed very unreal. It was the strangest conversation ever and if I start pinpointing the bloopers it will take too long! To mention one how did Maya find out that Zeb was unmarried? Totally missed that part.

Zarmina your sister has been missing for ten days now, the sister you loved so much, so it would be good if you put your love life on a hold and toned down on the make up. Maya’s disappearance makes perfect sense to everyone except me. Zarmina says that she is worried about Maya but I would have found it easier to believe that if her feelings were portrayed through her actions and not just words. The accessories, the make up, perfectly blow dried hair, all of this when someone is going through hell seems be a norm in our dramas nowadays. Our actresses, not just in this play but generally, get enough opportunities to get dressed up and look glamorous so why not just tie your hair, not wear accessories and maybe a little less blush on when one is going through such tough times.

Some of the dialogues today really made me wonder if they were written by Haseena Moin. For instance the time when Rashid says to his mother that they will both meet in hell. The time when Shahzib says to Attiya that all “shareefzadis” had moved to “kothis”.

Overall, this latest episode didn’t give me much to write home about and it just makes me sad when I think about what Maya is doing with her life.

Meri Behan Maya: Episode 10

The secret is finally out, up until the last episode I was thinking that maybe Attiya paid Noori Gul to lie to Maya but everything that Noori Gul told Maya was right. Maya is after all Pari Gul’s daughter and everyone knows the truth now. Maya continues living in Rashid’s farmhouse, although she does not trust him and would do anything to leave from there! Does that make sense to you? Well it made no sense to me. One minute Maya says that she does not trust Rashid and she feels like she is imprisoned and the other minute they are “friends’ and Maya asks him to look for a job for her. As far as I know Maya was doing her A Levels, who would give anyone with that much qualification a decent job? Sometimes Maya seems like a very naïve girl, who is easy to fool but  there are also times when she says things that only a very wise person would say like she tells Rashid about how long one has to wait before they finally decide to hunt someone down.

Frasier once again decides to play the journalist and extracts information out of an old employee in a local hotel. Is it really that easy to interview random people? He just goes to people’s houses and business places, tells them he is a journalist and people cooperate with him. Is he really a journalist? Am I missing something here? Frasier starts the interview saying he wants information about the hotel and very soon the two are talking about Shahzib. All of it seemed very unreal.

Shahzib also finds out that Attiya asked Noori Gul to come to their house to meet Maya (I don’t remember seeing that part, did anyone else see it?) and yet again threatens Attiya and says all those things that he has been saying for the past so many episodes! Shahzib cannot involve the police because he thinks it will be bad publicity for both his girls but at the same time the hotel employee and probably everyone in the area knows that Maya is  not Shahzib’s real daughter and they also know that Maya has left the house. Frasier goes and tells Noori Gul too that Maya is missing, so why hide it from the police? It is supposed to be really cold in Murree at the time when all this is happening (the hotel employee mentions that two heaters are not enough to warm the room) but most of the cast goes around in T shirts or half sleeve blouses.

Meri Behan Maya is turning out to be a big disappointed, the plot is weak, the dialogues are misleading, the direction is strictly okay and the entire female cast especially Bindiya and Neelam Munir need to tone down on the fake eyelashes and the overall makeup.

Fatima Awan.

Meri Behan Maya: Episode 9

oday’s episode of Meri Behan Maya turned out to be very interesting and it seems like the story may finally be moving forward. Attiya’s latest plan worked like a charm and Maya is finally out of the house and with Rashid, whether she likes it or not. Pari Gul’s sister (real or not) Noori Gul assures Maya that she really is Pari Gul’s daughter. She obviously did so because Attiya must have bribed her so that she would help her add to Maya’s confusion. Devastated by the news Maya decides to leave the house in early hours of morning and meets Rashid on the way. Rashid sedates her and takes her to his farm house. I could not help but wonder why Rashid had that intoxicating powder in his pocket. Well, he was headed towards Shahzib’s house so maybe he had some other evil plan in mind. Maya is fully convinced that she does not belong in that house with those people and would much rather take refuge in the convent but Rashid insists that she can stay at his farm house. Maya is very naïve and she would much rather not stay at Rashid’s house but she needs some time to figure things out.

Zarmina and Shahzib did not do much to find Maya in today’s episode, all they did was shout at Attiya. Zarmina did guess though that Rashid may have something to do with the whole affair.

This was an engaging episode and it definitely left me wondering what was going to happen next. But I must add here that Meri Behan Maya is not the kind of play which I would personally take very seriously. It is more of a fairytale to me, which is not bad for a Monday night. The evil characters are darker than dark and the victim is extremely innocent and due to that she keeps on falling into their traps. Shahzib is simply helpless and all he can do is to shout at Attiya. Had he not known anything things would have made more sense but now that he knows everything, there is no reason for him to allow Attiya to live in his house anymore. Maya would be so much safer with the servants. The solution to all the troubles Maya faces seems very easy. All she has to do is to move in with Zarmina and her life would be trouble free.

Overall, this latest episode was very well directed and all the actors performed well too. The flashbacks scenes were all nicely done and I am looking forward to where the story goes from here.

Meri Behan Maya: Episode 8

Shahzib finally decided to take a stand for his daughters and was willing to take any measures to curb what was going on in the house but Zarmina asked him not to take any decisions in haste. Honestly speaking, I would have liked it if Zarmina did not try to pacify Shahzib because people like Attiya do not deserve a second chance. Attiya’s apology followed soon afterwards and everyone decides to move on. Even at the time when Attiya was apologizing I had my serious doubts about her intentions.

The comedy scenes in this particular episode seemed a little forced and Naima’s acting did not help! Naima and Faizer’s conversations should have been cute and funny but somehow they did not make me laugh. Sadly enough, there were way too many such scenes in today’s episode. I felt relieved when I found out that Maya would be going back with Zarmina but it would not be a permanent fix of course. Attiya still feels that her relationship with Shahzib is a shatranj ki bazi for her and she must win at any cost.

The comedy parts may not be amusing but I am enjoying the mystery part of the story. Is Maya Shahzib’s daughter or not? If she is not his daughter, how will she react once she finds out the truth? Why oh why did Shahzib come to take Maya back home, maybe because if she does not go back home the story will not move forward. Shahzib promises to take care of Maya but he also said that he had to go on a very long tour, which would mean that Maya will once again be left alone with Attiya for an indefinite period of time.

The play ended at an interesting note like always but somehow the eagerness with which I was waiting for the story to unfold before has died down. The story seems to be going around in circles, there is a misunderstanding, it is cleared and then there is another one just around the corner. I was expecting a lot more from a Haseena Moin play especially because she was making her comeback with this serial after so many years.

Meri Behan Maya: Episode 7

This latest episode had to be the best one out of the previous few episodes. It was engaging and the way Zarmina looked after her little sister was very touching. I am glad there are a few dramas on air nowadays which show us the sisterly bond in a positive way. I must say that all my objections with Neelam Munir’s acting were proven wrong in today’s episode and I absolutely loved Neelam Munir as Zarmina. There were no Faiser/Zarmina romance scenes today, just good old sisterly love and lots of it. Most of the scenes were short and crisp and the acting was up to the mark, so it made for a good seventh episode.

Zarmina called Shahzib and narrated the whole story to him, Shahzib like always promised to look after both his daughters. Something tells me that there isn’t much that he can do since Attiya is a hard nut to crack! I find it rather odd that Shahzib always answers Zarmina’s calls but Maya for some reason can never get through to him. This time around though Maya’s phone was “missing” and it was found from Safiya Bi’s room. Safiya Bi is quite a character, Attiya really needs to set her priorities straight, she puts her maid before her step daughters! Maya wants to believe that she is part of the family but Attiya’s words keep haunting her. The precap to the next episode suggested that Attiya does not intend to back off and I am looking forward to how the story unfolds.

I really enjoyed this latest episode although there wasn’t much progress in the story and I also liked how Faiser decided to make his way to Shahzib’s household. All the actors were spot on today and this episode surely gave me something to look forward to.

Meri Behan Maya: Episode 6

I enjoyed watching this latest episode primarily because there was a lot of Maya in it! I must say I am enjoying Maya’s character and the way it has been acted out more than anything else in the play. Safia B and Alam Ara, believe it or not have to be my second most favorite characters. The calling the spirits thing is also very interesting, I think that it is something all girls try to do at some age. Maya leaves for home in this episode and Attiya is all set to make life difficult for her as usual. It is very saddening to know that even after sharing everything with her father Maya is all on her own. Why can’t Maya just stay with Zarmina…..well maybe because if that happens the story will not move forward. Maya and Faiser’s scenes were a delight to watch too, they make good behan bhai on screen.

Safia B makes me laugh everytime she comes on screen and I would really like to see more of her. The actress playing Safiya B is a natural and should do more comedy roles. We got to see more confrontations between Maya and Attiya in today’s episode. And finally Attiya took her “revenge” in her own way. I truly felt for Maya and once again Annie Jaffrey completely stole the show with her brilliant performance. Shahzib is too busy with his political career and has no time to look after his house or daughter. I wish Maya could have stayed in contact with her father at least on phone. Being at the mercy of someone like Attiya can be very dangerous. Shahzib obviously must have thought that the way he told Attiya off would be enough for her to back off but the woman does not budge!

Overall, today’s episode was much better than the last one but I still am not comfortable with Neelam Munir playing Zarmeena and Zarmeena and Faiser have zero chemistry. Or maybe I just don’t want to see this kind of romance on screen. I like how the highlights of the last episode are summed up by Zarmina at the start of every new episode. I must admit though that if it wasn’t for Annie Jaffrey it may have been very difficult for me to continue watching this show. I find Bindiya’s attire intolerable now and Neelam Munir’s acting even more so…no offence to Neelam Munir fans. The story seems to be going around in circles for now, lets see what the next episode has to offer.

Meri Behan Maya: Episode 5

Zarmina finally took a stand for her sister and put Attiya in her place by telling her off in a way that was truly gratifying….someone really needed to do that. I am totally in love with Maya’s character….Annie Jaffrey is cute beyond words. Whoever decided to cast her in this role is a genius and I must thank them for it. Annie Jaffrey has breathed life into Maya’s character because it comes naturally to her. I can’t think of any other actress who could have been better suited for this role. I am glad that all the chulbuli girls are together and unlike the last time I thoroughly enjoyed the comic scenes. With the stepmother out of the way for now, I am definitely enjoying the play more. Apne bhai ke liye khana lagwao dialogue and the scene at the grocery store made me chuckle.

The Faizer/Zarmina scene when they hold hands was actually very disappointing, uncalled-for and unnecessary too. The attraction between the two could have been shown in a much better manner. Neelam Munir needs to work on her acting skills big time, her expressions really confuse me at times and I am left wondering what exactly she is feeling. Acting is not all about delivering dialogues but sometime actors convey more with their expressions and Neelam Munir has let me down in that department.

Javed Sheikh is another actor who never fails to impress. The scene when Maya tells asks her father if she really is his daughter or not, made me smile and cry at the same time. Maya shared what was happening in the house with Zarmina at some point but the viewers only got to find out that Zarmina knew when she talked to her father.

Faizer’s meeting with Shahzib was nicely scripted and acted out well enough but Neelam’s expressions were too strange for words. I have to say that Faizer and Maya’s behan bhai relationship is far more relatable and cute than the love interest that Faizer has in Zarmina, maybe because Annie Jaffrey and Danish Taimoor’s on-screen chemistry is way better than that of Neelam Munir and Danish Taimoor.

Attiya is interested in Shahzibs’ property more than anything else and Rashid will do anything to get married to Maya. So, Maya is not Shahizib’s daughter after all and Attiya needs a slap on the face for having the guts to confront Shahizb regarding the issue.

The precap for the next episode promises a lot of drama and I am eagerly looking forward to it. The biggest disappointment in today’s episode for me was Neelam Munir’s acting and that one scene which I mentioned already.

Meri Behan Maya: Episode 4

This latest episode of Meri Behan Maya had a filmi feel to it, maybe because of the latest character which has been introduced to the viewers. Attiya’s son proved to be just as much of a shrewd character as his mother. The whole time when Maya was being put through all the mental torture I could not help but blame her father for putting her in this situation. A man like Shahzib really should know better than to be completely out of touch with Maya especially after his last conversation with Attiya where she mentions how she felt after looking at the family albums and also the way she kept on asking about the gardener. But I was relieved when Maya finally decides to share what she is going through with one of her father’s friends. I am really waiting though for the time when she will share everything with Zarmeena. Till now no one except Maya and Attiya knows about the big family secret ad I must say it is annoying me. Maya shares every little detail with her sister; she should have shared this one too by now. Attiya continued to play mind games with Maya proving that she will stoop as low as possible to bring Maya to the point where she decides to leave the house too…God the woman really needs to get a life!

The scenes with Faizar, Naima and Zarmina had the potential to be much more cute and funny but half of the fun was killed by the actor who is playing Naima. While I think that Annie Jaffrey is perfect for playing Maya, I have my serious reservations about Neelam Munir playing Zarmeena as well. The scene where Zarmeena is coming down the stairs and “confronts’ Attiya did not have the impact it should have had because Neelam’s expressions and body language did not go with the assertive tone.

Attiya’s son’s wish to marry Maya was a little filmi and so was his scene with Maya in the kitchen. I am sure that the indoor shooting of the scenes in Shahzib’s house has been done in two different houses because I am finding it hard to “relate” to the house, the entrances are very different and the roofs of the house in Murree and the one elsewhere are very different too. One can easily tell that it is not the same house. The entrance sometimes is that of the house that is being used in Mera Yakeen as Asfand’s house and the rooms are from some house in Murree. But these little details are really confusing me and if I sit down to think how Maya’s house looks like, I really can’t make out anything out of it! I hope I don’t sound silly saying all this.

There was not much progress in the story today, we got to see more of how Attiya is making Maya’s life hell, the dad is completely missing and Zarmeena finally comes to rescue Maya. I am waiting for Shahzaib to put his foot down but I doubt it is going to happen. Overall, this was an okay episode; I did not enjoy it as much as I did the last three.

Meri Behan Maya: Episode 3

What a shocking twist in the story, I did not see it coming at all. When Attiya and Safiya Bi were looking at the old family photographs in the last episode and Safiya pointed out that there was only one little girl in the family pictures and there seemed to be no trace of Maya, I thought she was only trying to play mind games with Attiya to score points with her. But as it turns out there is much more to Shahzaib’s little household than what appears on the surface. Attiya was not the one to ignore what she noticed in the photographs and after thorough “research” came to the conclusion that Maya and Zarmina are step sisters.

Attiya felt no hesitation in sharing her new ‘discovery” in her own indirect way with Shahzaib but he was not willing to take any of it and warned her of dire consequences if she ever tried to delve further into the family secret or tell any of the girls about it. I really liked Shahzaib’s no nonsense attitude when Attiya talked to him about the matter and the way he made things very clear to Attiya. But unfortunately Attiya is set on doing things her way and she is not the least bit worried about the outcome. She goes ahead and shows Maya the birth certificates that clearly point out to the fact that Zarmina and Maya are not real sisters. Maya’s initital reaction of course is that of denial and she does not share the news with anyone.

Shahzaib is busy building his political career and is barely around which makes it very easy for Attiya to have things her way. When he is around he does his best to give Maya the emotional support she needs but it is certainly not enough. Shahzaib does not doubt her daughter for a second and is otherwise doing a fine job of keeping the balance between his new wife and daughter but things go haywire because he goes away a little too often.

Alam Ara and Safiya Bi make interesting characters, they are servants who are very involved with what is happening in the house but they don’t seem annoying or out of place. Safiya Bi manages to put a smile on one’s face and Alam Ara seems more of a motherly character who is very close to the girls and takes care of them. Maya does not rely too much on Alam Ara even with her father gone; she mostly shares what she wants to with Zarmina on the phone or spends time by herself.

Zarmina and Naima seem to be getting along very well and being tired of  the quality of food in the hostel they decide to move to an apartment. While looking for the apartment the two friends meet Faizar?? (Danish Taimoor), this first meeting was meant to be cute and fun but the magic was lost particularly due to the acting by both the girls. Naima did not come across as cute at all and Zarmina’s guilt pangs seemed over done. Danish Taimoor was spot-on and I am looking forward to seeing more of him. I can’t help but feel that Zarmina was wrong in leaving the house; she should have stayed with Maya’s just like any other older sister would.

This was a very interesting episode with quite a few moving scenes to its credit. Except for the apartment scene, the scene where Shahzaib is addressing the gathering and Bindiya’s make-up everything else was perfectly executed. Bindiya really looks like she does not belong in this play and her make up just serves as a distraction and nothing else. I was hoping that the make up will be mellowed down gradually but it seems to be the other way around. Overall, this was a very entertaining episode and I am looking forward to how the story unfolds.

Meri Behan Maya: Episode 1 & 2

Haseena Moin is finally back after what seems like a very long time, we saw some long plays written by Haseena Moin off and on but it has been quite sometime since she wrote a serial. I must admit that I was not exactly looking forward to this play maybe because I thought I did not have any extra time to start watching a new serial but then while switiching channels I couldn’t help but stop and pay attention when I saw Annie Jaffrey and Neelam Munir on screen….just out of curiosity I sat down to find out which serial this was and only minutes later I was totally in love with it. What I especially liked was Maya’s cuteness and the bond the two sisters shared and also the step mom was exactly like the one we read about in the fairytales….yes it had to be the characterization and the casting that got my attention to start with. Like all other heroines of Haseena Moin, Maya too is chirpy, outspoken, sensitive and very adorable and this is exactly the reason why I have always loved Haseena Apa’s heroines. The play has been directed by Azfar Ali, produced by Khurram Raza and Iqabal Insari is the head of project.

Meri Behan Maya is primarily the story of Maya (Annie Jaffrey) which is being narrated by her older sister Zarmina (Neelam Munir), she feels people need to hear her story because Maya went through a great deal in life. The play has been shot in Murree, which gives it a refreshing feel and starts from the time when the two sisters were studying in Muree Convent. Maya and Zarmina’s father Shazib (Javed Sheikh) is a politician and their mother passed away many years back. One fine day their father tells them that he got married a few years back and wanted to bring his wife home now. It was actually nice to see the way the dad breaks the news, he expected his daughters to understand. Although Zarmina and Maya are quite apprehensive about how this step mother will turn out to be but they respect their father’s decision and readily accept it. While Zarmeena is the docile sort who would go all out to accommodate anyone, Maya believes that “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. But I guess when she said that she meant it in a cute childish sort of a way, after all there is not much she can do except annoy her step mother whenever she gets a chance and pull her maid’s leg every now and then…all such scenes were a treat to watch.

The second Maya lays her eyes on the larger than life step mom she can’t help but think of the step mothers in fairytales and is fearful that something bad is about to happen. I also really liked the way the step mother entered Maya and Zarmeena’s world with a lot of nakhras like a naye naveli dulhan she wanted things her way….Bindiya was definitely the right choice for playing this role, although the heavy make up and the jewelry maybe a little overboard but that does not change the fact that she is a brilliant actress. I have always thought that Javed Sheikh makes a very cute dad, so I am very happy watching him as well. The way the two sisters share everything with each other and especially the way Maya shares everything with Zarmeena and she assures her she will always be there is a breath of fresh air…finally two sisters who love each other! Do I sound like I am totally in love with Maya? Well that is because I am, that is the effect Haseena Apa’s heroines have on you!

The step mom is quick to suggest that Zarmeena should stay in the hostel and since Zarmeena does not want any misgivings between her father and his wife she decides to go ahead with her decision. I thought the goodbye scene was very well done; it was exceptionally cute and moving. The way the step mother plays on the chess board afterwards, like saying one down one to go also said a great deal. Attiya wants things her way and she starts working on it right from the time she walks in. While Maya shares everything with her sister, she does not open up to her father and tries to deal with the situation herself… she is obviously no match for Attiya who seems to be a pro!

Meri Behan Maya is definitely a very different play from what we get to see nowadays. It is a simple story narrated in a very delightful manner. I watched these two episodes with a smile on my face but after I got done with watching them I could not help but feel for Maya…a sensitive girl stuck in a very difficult situation. Another refreshing thing about this play is that after a very long time I saw the episode number written in Urdu; the “pehli kist and agli kist” effect was very nice. Meri Behan Maya is a play that should not be missed because we don’t get to see a character like Maya on screen every day and it is the kind of play one immediately starts relating to.