What exactly made Parizaad the masterpiece that it was?

The 29-episode drama serial Parizaad, written by Hashim Nadeem and directed by Shahzad Kashmiri for HUM TV (MD Productions), ended this week on a note that had millions of fans cheering all over the world. Played spectacularly by Ahmed Ali Akbar, Parizaad was the simple story of a man weighed down by a debilitating inferiority complex and it navigated through his life, his trials and tribulations. The drama proved to be an absolute masterpiece and both a commercial and critical success. It picked up acclaim all over the world, and after the final episode – aired this Tuesday – #Parizaad and #AhmedAliAkbar stayed on Twitter’s trending list for days. While there are countless characteristics of the drama serial that can be listed as reasons to watch the show, but here are 5 things that may convince you to catch up, incase you haven’t watched it already…  

Hashim Nadeem’s powerful script

With a good script, a good director can produce a masterpiece; with the same script a mediocre director can make a satisfactory film/drama. BUT even the best director in the world cannot save a bad script, proving that the story plays the most important role. Through Parizaad, Hashim Nadeem (Khuda Aur Mohabbat, Raqs e Bismil, Ishq Zahe Naseeb)  beautifully brings forward the voice  of thousands of socially awkward individuals struggling with personality complexes. Parizaad was essentially the story of one man but it roped in several very engaging characters to highlight one social cause or the other. The core of every issue was acceptability and tolerance for people who don’t fit into a stereotype. In Hashim Nadeem’s novel, Parizaad dies but thankfully, the drama version gave him the ending he deserved and viewers wanted. In an informal conversation with Something Haute, Hashim Nadeem explained how the tragic ending made total sense in the novel but they wanted to end the drama on a hopeful and positive note for viewers.  

Ahmed Ali Akbar’s poignant performance

It’s impossible to envision anyone BUT Ahmed Ali Akbar portraying the sensitive and poetic character of Parizaad, which of course in his biggest victory. In the beginning, there was a huge debate on casting him instead of a naturally dark skinned actor, however, Ahmed has proven that he is an actor who knows his craft. While Ahmed has been in the industry for quite some time and has also won fame and recognition for his film Lal Kabootar, Parizaad is his claim to fame. Following the finale, Ahmed  took to Twitter to thank fans for “understanding the tiniest nuances of Parizad’s personality.” “Thank you so much for all the love and prayers you have given to Parizaad and the team behind it. You listened carefully to the words of Hashim Nadeem, followed the storytelling of Shahzad Kashmiri and understood the tiniest nuance of Parizaad’s personality. We are humbled and grateful!” he shared. Hope he can continue to live up to our expectations since he has set the bar too high. Note to the entertainment industry: we expect nothing but magic so please offer him great scripts and use his talent wisely.  

The strong support cast

Every character in the script was important and added value to the narrative. While they brought meaning to Parizaad’s life, his life was also connected to theirs. Also, we have never really seen a support cast this strong. Every actor from the industry, veterans to new comers making their debuts, played their role to perfection and shined in their own way. Unconventional characters with powerful screen presence remained the highlight of the show. Be it Guru (Asad Mumtaz), Behroze Karim (Noman Ejaz), Bubbly Badmash (Saboor Aly), Ahmad Na-Saaz (Adeel Afzal), Lubna (Mashal Khan or everyone’s favourite RJ Annie played by the brilliant Yumna Zaidi, each character came with a purpose and each actor delivered on the money. The biggest success is probably how a character becomes the identity of the actor for as long as they stay on the screen.  

Love for Urdu language revived

At a time when English has become a symbol of intelligence and class, the prose and poetry in Parizaad revived love for the Urdu language. Basically, Parizaad made Urdu cool again and the recitation of Munir Niazi’s heartwarming poetry Hamesha Dair Kar Deta Hoon was one of the many poems that became an absolute favourite. The beautiful writing resonated with the viewers and the philosophical dialogues will stay with people as quotes to recall.  

Shahzad Kashmiri’s sophisticated direction

A director is the captain of the ship and they don’t say that without reason. Shahzad Kashmiri’s direction was beautiful indeed. We appreciate the writing and the acting, but one cannot let the brilliant direction go unnoticed without which it could have all fallen apart. The way the camera was taken outside the studio, the way outdoor locations – especially in the last two episodes – were shot; all that proved his skill. But beyond the obvious, there were delicate nuances in the camera work and frames. Nothing was over the top, and yet you didn’t miss even a single tear drop. In short, a good director can give you a few entertaining hours. However, a great director gives you something that stays with you even after the curtain falls and credits roll. Shahzad Kashmiri has delivered one of his finest in Parizaad.