Alif (TV series)

Alif
الف
Genre
Created by
Based onAlif by Umera Ahmed
Written byUmera Ahmad
Directed byHaseeb Hassan
Starring
Opening theme"Alif Bas"
Singer
Shuja Haider and Momina Mustehsan
ComposerShuja Haider
Country of originPakistan
Original languageUrdu
No. of episodes24
Production
Producers
Production locations
Camera setupMulti-camera setup
Running time~42 Minutes
Production companyEpic Entertainment[1]
Original release
NetworkGeo Entertainment
ReleaseOctober 5, 2019 (2019-10-05) –
March 14, 2020 (2020-03-14)

Alif (Urdu: الف) is a 2019 Pakistani spiritual-romantic TV series created by Sana Shahnawaz and Samina Humayun Saeed under their then newly-formed production house Epic Entertainment.[2] It was written by Umera Ahmad and based on her novel of the same name. It was directed by Haseeb Hassan and starred Hamza Ali Abbasi, Sajal Aly, Kubra Khan and Ahsan Khan in leading roles.

The drama serial premiered on Geo TV in Pakistan on October 5, 2019. The serial received critical acclaim praising its direction, writing, performances, and cinematography. At the 20th Lux Style Awards, the series won Best Television Writer for Ahmad out of nine categories.

Synopsis

Alif follows Momina Sultan, a struggling actress, and Qalb-E-Momin, a successful film-maker, on their respective journeys with their careers, families, and religion. Simultaneous to the story of Momin and Momina is that of the tragedy of deceased starlet Husn-E-Jahn.

The serial layers both narratives in order to explore the bond of the individual with God.

Cast

Guest appearances

  • Shuja Haider as himself
  • Arjumand Azhar as Khalid
  • Anas Ali Imran as Abdul Alaa Fan

Reception

Alif received instant acclaim upon its premiere, and became one of the highest rated in IMDb's Pakistani Dramas category.

Writing for Images Dawn, Sadaf Haider wrote, "With a multi-layered storyline and intelligently developed characters, Team Alif deserves a standing ovation. [...] The entire serial is studded with fantastic performances." She described Khan, Abbasi and Aly's performances, as "outstanding" and "impactful". She concluded by writing, "Overall, this is one of the most refined and artistically pleasing dramas we have seen on our screens in years [...] Team Alif needs to take a bow and sit back and revel in the glow of all this praise; it's well deserved".[7]

Rameeza Naseem from Oye Yeah also lauded the drama, stating in a review of the final episode that it "has been brilliantly written by the veteran writer Umaira Ahmed and kudos to the entire team for creating such a masterpiece, the script, performances, and execution everything is on point".[8]

Production

Prior to release, co-creator Sana Shahnawaz told Something Haute, "You’ll see how the lives of all the characters are connected with this single alphabet."[9] She continued to explain that the series was a "passion project" and that she and the cast and crew were all "super-excited" for the drama to air.

About the premise, Shahnawaz told The Express Tribune that "Alif touches upon the questions you ask yourself; questions about life and what it means."[10]

Filming

The serial's principal photography began in June 2018, with initial filming happening in Turkey.

Filming for the series took place in Istanbul, Turkey, and Karachi, Pakistan.

Awards and nominations

Date of Ceremony Award Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Ref(s)
February 7, 2020 Pakistan International Screen Awards Best Television Play Alif Nominated
Best Television Director Haseeb Hassan Nominated
Best Television Writer Umera Ahmad Nominated
October 9, 2021 Lux Style Awards Best TV Play Alif Nominated [11]
[12]
Best Television Director Haseeb Hassan Nominated
Best Television Writer Umera Ahmad Won
Best Female Actor - Critics Sajal Ali Nominated
Best Female Actor - Viewer's choice Nominated
Best Male Actor - Critics Hamza Ali Abbasi Nominated
Best Male Actor - Viewer's choice Nominated
Best Emerging Talent in TV Pehlaaj Hassan Nominated
Best Ost Alif Bas - Momina Mustehsan and Shuja Haider Nominated

References

  1. ^ "Samina Humayun Saeed & Sana Shahnawaz join hands with IMGC to create new production house". Something Haute. 4 July 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  2. ^ Khan, Saira (6 August 2018). "Samina Humayun, Sana Shahnawaz, IMGC collaborate for production". HIP. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Hamza Ali Abbasi, Sajal Aly and Kubra Khan to star in 'Alif' | The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 29 May 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  4. ^ Shirazi, Maria (3 July 2018). "Ahsan Khan joins the cast of Alif". The News Interanational. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  5. ^ "Yashma Gill joins the cast of Alif". The Nation. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  6. ^ "Hina Ashfaque stars in Alif". The News. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  7. ^ Haider, Sadaf (17 March 2020). "Alif is one of the most artistically pleasing dramas to grace our screens in years". Images. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Alif Last Episode Review: Qalab e Momin sets on a path of real success". Oyeyeah. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Hamza Ali Abbasi, Sajal Aly and Kubra Khan team up for 'Alif'". Something Haute. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  10. ^ "Hamza Ali Abbasi, Sajal Aly and Kubra Khan to star in 'Alif' - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 29 May 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  11. ^ Images Staff (26 August 2021). "Lux Style Awards announces nominations for its 20th edition". Images. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  12. ^ "GEO LSA 2021: Full list of winners at 20th Lux Style Awards". www.thenews.com.pk. 10 October 2021.

External links