# Suno Chanda

Suno Chanda (Urdu: سنوچندا, lit. 'Listen Moonlight') is a 2018 Pakistani Ramadan romantic comedy series developed by Shahzad Javed, directed by Ahson Talish, and written by Saima Akram Chaudhry. The series celebrates Pakistani wedding traditions and narrates the story of a couple who are cousins in Nikaah, living separately as the Rukhsati is yet to happen, and the relationship between their families. It was aired every day on Hum TV.
It features Iqra Aziz and Farhan Saeed as Jiya and Arsalan, respectively, in the leading roles, while Samina Ahmad, Syed Mohammed Ahmed, Sami Khan, Nadia Afgan, Farah Shah, Sohail Sameer, Farhan Ali Agha, Mizna Waqas, Ali Safina, Tara Mahmood, Adnan Shah Tipu Mashal Khan, and Nabeel Zuberi are in recurring roles. The series is produced by Momina Duraid under their production banner, MD Productions.
The series received five nominations at the 18th Lux Style Awards, including Best TV Play, Best Writer for Choudhary, Best Actress (critics and viewers) for Aziz, and Best Emerging Talent for Zuberi. It won three awards, including Best TV Play and Best Actress (both Critics and Viewers). The series received the highest ratings and positive reviews on its premiere and was the slot leader for the entire time it was on air. Its sequel, Suno Chanda 2 ,was released on May 7, 2019 and ended on June 5, 2019 after completely airing 30 episodes on Hum TV.

## Series overview

| Season | Season | No. of episodes | Originally broadcast (Pakistan) | Originally broadcast (Pakistan) |
| Season | Season | No. of episodes | First episode | Last episode |
| | 1 | 30 | 17 May 2018 (2018-05-17) | 15 June 2018 (2018-06-15) |
| | 2 | 30 | 7 May 2019 (2019-05-07) | 5 June 2019 (2019-06-05) |

## Plot

Arsalan Jamshed Ali and Ajiya Nazakat Ali are cousins and live in a joint family. Their family got them married when they were kids due to the last wish of their grandfather, but the rukhsati is yet to happen. Bi Jaan, their grandmother and head of the family, has two sons, Jamshed Ali and Nazakat Ali, and a daughter, Masooma, who is married to Jalal Khan. They live in Karachi. Jamshed Ali is married to Shahana, and Nazakat Ali is married to Naeema. Jiya has a younger brother, Daniyal Nazakat Ali (DJ), who is an aspiring news reporter. Jiya dreams of joining the London School of Economics for higher studies after her BBA.
Arsal and Jiya are childhood companions who play pranks on each other. Bi Jaan decides to get Arsal and Jiya's formal wedding and rukhsati done to honour her husband's last wish. Arsal and Jiya are against the marriage plan and team up with Kinza, Masooma's daughter, to stop the wedding.
Shah Jahan, Bi Jaan's brother-in-law, and his grandson Shehryar, who lives in London, visit Pakistan for Arsal and Jiya's planned wedding after Eid. Sherry is close to his cousins and a co-conspirator in their plots to stop the marriage. Sherry asks Arsal and Jiya to resolve their problem amicably. Sherry also helps Jiya fulfil her dream of joining the London School of Economics, and they plan to study together. Sherry eventually develops feelings for Jiya, which makes Arsal jealous.
Arsal and Jiya create misunderstandings between their parents. Meanwhile, Sherry falls in love with Jiya. Arsal and Jiya's parents want Arsal to divorce Jiya, but Arsal denies it. Jiya's father sends a divorce notice to Arsal, who then confesses his feelings to Jiya.
Jiya initially rejects Arsal but eventually realises her love for him.
Later, the family discovers that Arsal and Jiya have fallen in love. Arsal and Jiya's parents eventually give in to their love, and the wedding preparations begin. Sherry and Kinza also start liking each other.
Jiya and Arsal argue again on their wedding night, but later realise their foolishness and say sorry to each other. They promise not to repeat the same mistakes and to confess their love for each other.

## Cast

| Name | Role | Notes |
| Iqra Aziz | Ajiya "Jiya" Nazakat Ali | Mumtaz and Jahangir's granddaughter; Nazakat and Naeema's daughter; Arsal's wife; Daniyal's sister; Shahana and Jamshed's daughter in law; Masooma and Jalal's niece; Kinza's cousin; Sherry's second cousin. She dislikes Arsal and schemes to disrupt their Nikah, but she finally falls in love with Arsal. |
| Farhan Saeed | Arsalan "Arsal" Jamshed Ali | Mumtaz and Jahangir's grandson; Jamshed and Shahana's son; Jiya's husband; Nazakat and Naeema's son in law; Masooma and Jalal's nephew; Daniyal and Kinza's cousin; Sherry's second cousin. Hates Jiya at the start of their relationship but later falls in love with her. |
| Samina Ahmad | Mumtaz Begum aka Bi Jaan | Jiya, Arsal, Daniyal and Kinza's grandmother; Jamshed, Nazakat and Masooma's mother; Jahangir's widow; Shahana, Naeema and Jalal's mother in law; Shah Jahan's old flame turned sister in law; Munawar's aunt; Sherry's grandaunt. She is considerate of others and doesn't want to break Jiya and Arsal's wedding. She is very strict and leads and heads her family united at all times like her late husband's wish. |
| Nabeel Zuberi | Shehryar "Sherry" Munawar Ali | Jiya, Arsal, Daniyal and Kinza's second cousin; Munawar's son; Agha Jee's grandson; Jamshed, Shahana, Nazakat, Naeema, Masooma and Jalal's cousin nephew. He plans to study abroad with Jiya and has a crush on her. He later falls in love with and marries Kinza. |
| Mashal Khan | Kinza Jalal Khan | Arsal, Jiya and Daniyal's cousin; Sherry's second cousin; Masooma and Jalal's daughter; Bi Jaan and Abba Jaan's granddaughter; Jamshed, Shahana, Nazakat and Naeema's niece. She had a crush on Arsal but later fell for Sherry and married him. |
| Farhan Ally Agha | Jamshed Ali | Arsal's father; Shahana's husband; Bi Jaan and Abba Jaan's son; Nazakat and Masooma's brother; Kinza and Daniyal's uncle; Jiya's father in law; Munawar's cousin; Sherry's cousin uncle; Agha Jee's nephew. Famous for his extramarital affair with Billo. |
| Sohail Sameer | Nazakat Ali | Jiya and Daniyal's father; Naeema's husband; Bi Jaaan and Abba Jaan's son; Jamshed and Masooma's brother; Kinza's uncle; Munawar's cousin; Sherry's cousin uncle; Arsal's father in law; Agha Jee's nephew. He is ill. Over dramatically gets worried about his health. |
| Nadia Afgan | Shahana "Shanno" Jamshed Ali (nee Batool) | Arsal's mother; Jamshed's wife; Bi Jaan and Abba Jaan's daughter in law; Jiya's mother in law; Daniyal and Kinza's aunt; Munawar's cousin; Sherry's cousin aunt; Agha Jee's niece; Joji's cousin and former fiancée. She is gullible. |
| Farah Shah | Naeema "Nima" Nazakat Ali (nee Bibi) | Jiya and Daniyal's mother; Nazakat's wife; Bi Jaan and Abba Jaan's daughter in law; Arsal's mother in law; Kinza's aunt; Sherry's cousin aunt. Tries to force Jiya to marry her friend's son. |
| Syed Mohammad Ahmed | Shah Jahan Ali aka Agha Jee | Sherry's grandfather; Munawar's father; Abba Jaan's brother; Bi Jaan's old flame turned brother in law; Shahana's maternal uncle (khalu), Jamshed, Masooma and Nazakat's elder uncle (taya); Jiya, Daniyal, Kinza and Arsal's granduncle. |
| Tara Mahmood | Masooma Jalal Khan (nee Ali) | Bi Jaan and Abba Jaan's daughter; Jalal's wife; Kinza's mother; Arsal, Jiya and Daniyal's aunt; Munawar's cousin; Sherry's cousin aunt; Agha Jee's niece. She wants Arsal to marry her daughter Kinza. Because of that, she gossips and creates conflict between the family members. |
| Adnan Shah Tipu | Jalal Ahmad Khan | Masooma's husband; Bi Jaan and Abba Jaan's son in law; Kinza's father; Arsal, Jiya and Daniyal's uncle; Sherry's cousin uncle. Known for constantly flirting with Billo. |
| Mizna Waqas | Arbela Shehzadi aka Billo | Bi Jaan's niece (Sister's daughter); Jamshed, Masooma and Nazakat's maternal cousin; Naeema's paternal cousin; Arsal, Jiya, Kinza, Sherry and Daniyal's cousin aunt. She was engaged to Jamshed, but later, he married Shahana. Shahana feels jealous and hatred towards her. She later falls for Joji. |
| Sami Khan | Daniyal Nazakat Ali aka DJ | Bi Jaan and Abba Jaan's grandson; Nazakat and Naeema's son; Jiya's brother; Arsal and Kinza's cousin; Sherry's second cousin; Jamshed, Shahana, Masooma and Jalal's nephew. He keeps making secret videos of gossip in the house and shares them with other house members. |
| Ali Safina | Jawad "Joji" Chaudhary | Nagina's son; Shahana's paternal cousin and ex fiancé. Came for Arsal and Jiya's wedding. Later he falls in love with and marries Billo/Arbela. |
| Agha Sajjad | Jahangir Ali aka Abba Jaan (dead) | Jiya, Arsal, Kinza and Daniyal's grandfather; Bi Jaan's husband; Jamshed, Nazakat and Masooma's father; Agha Jee's brother; Munawar's uncle; Sherry's granduncle; Shahana, Naeema and Jalal's father in law. Jiya and Arsal are married due to his last wish. He wanted his family to be united forever and took this promise from his wife Bi Jaan/Mumtaz. |
| Anumta Qureshi | Huma Salahuddin | Jiya's best friend. |

## Soundtrack

Music is composed by Naveed Nashad, lyrics were by Ahson Talish.

## Production

The idea of the comic Ramadan special play was conceived by Saira Ghulam Nabi, and the writer Saima Akram Chaudhry was tasked to penned the script. MD Productions approved the idea, and Shehzad Javed provided significant input. Chaudhry developed the story and characters, and the production was completed rapidly, with episodes being written, shot, and aired in quick succession.

## Release
### Broadcast

The series was broadcast on the channel's international versions in the UK, USA, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Dubbed versions of the series including the Arabic version, which aired on MBC Bollywood under the title "زفاف بلا زوجين" and the Persian dubbed version which aired on MBC Persia under the title عروسی بی عروسی. It aired in the UK on Zee TV UK also.
It was rebroadcast on national television, PTV Home. It started airing on August 21, 2019, and both seasons were broadcast without a break between them.

### Digital release

Alongside the series release on YouTube, it also released on Starzplay and ZEE5.

## Reception

The series broke previous records for Hum TV and is one of the most successful and watched dramas during Ramadan. It is praised for its blend of reality and culture mixed with humour and was applauded with positive reviews. The last episode of the drama aired on the first day of Eid-ul-Fitr. Aziz and Saeed are praised for their on-screen chemistry.Speaking to The Express Tribune, Aziz said that she is overwhelming and did not expect the series to be a massive hit. She further said about the character she played, "Jiya made me feel happy, and I was really intrigued by the fact that these two people, married to each other, know each other inside and out, but still don't want to live their lives together. Then, when I found out about their Tom & Jerry dynamic, and absolutely loved it!"

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| 2019 | Lux Style Awards | Best TV Play | Suno Chanda | Won |
| 2019 | Lux Style Awards | Best Director | Ahsan Talish | Won |
| 2019 | Lux Style Awards | Best Emerging Talent | Nabeel Zuberi | Nominated |
| 2019 | Lux Style Awards | Best Actress Viewers Choice | Iqra Aziz | Won |
| 2019 | Lux Style Awards | Best Actress Critics | Iqra Aziz | Won |
| 2019 | Hum Awards | Best Actress | Iqra Aziz | Won |
| 2019 | Hum Awards | Best Writer | Saima Akram Chaudhary | Won |
| 2019 | Hum Awards | Best Television Play | Suno Chanda | Nominated |
| 2019 | Hum Awards | Best on-screen couple | Iqra Aziz & Farhan Saeed | Won |
| 2019 | Hum Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Adnan Shah Tipu | Won |
| 2019 | Hum Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nadia Afgan | Won |
| 2019 | Hum Awards | Most Impactful Character | Nadia Afgan | Won |
| 2019 | Hum Awards | Best Male Actor | Farhan Saeed | Won |
| 2019 | Hum Awards | Best Child Actor | Sami Khan | Won |
| 2019 | IPPA Awards | Best Television series- Viewer's choice | Suno Chanda | Won |
| 2019 | IPPA Awards | Best Director | Ahson Talish | Won |
| 2019 | IPPA Awards | Best Actor-Jury | Farhan Saeed | Won |
| 2019 | IPPA Awards | Best Actor-Viewer's choice | Farhan Saeed | Nominated |
| 2019 | IPPA Awards | Best Actress-Jury | Iqra Aziz | Won |
| 2019 | IPPA Awards | Best Actress-Viewer's choice | Iqra Aziz | Nominated |
| 2019 | IPPA Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nadia Afgan | Won |
| 2019 | IPPA Awards | Best On-screen couple | Iqra Aziz & Farhan Saeed | Won |
| 2019 | Pakistan International Screen Awards | Best Actor | Farhan Saeed | Won |
| 2019 | Pakistan International Screen Awards | Best Original Soundtrack | Suno Chanda | Nominated |
| 2019 | Pakistan International Screen Awards | Best Actor in a comic Role | Ali Safina | Won |
| 2019 | Pakistan International Screen Awards | Best Actor in a comic Role | Adnan Shah Tipu | Nominated |
| 2019 | Pakistan International Screen Awards | Best Actress in a comic role | Nadia Afgan | Won |
| 2019 | Pakistan International Screen Awards | Best Actress in a comic role | Farah Shah | Nominated |
| 2020 | Fuchsia Magazine Awards | Emerging Talent Male | Raza Talish | Won |
| 2020 | Pakistan International Screen Awards | Best Television Actor | Farhan Saeed | Won |
| 2020 | Pakistan International Screen Awards | Best Television Actor in Comedy role | Ali Safina | Nominated |
| 2020 | Pakistan International Screen Awards | Best Television Actor in Comedy role | Adnan Shah Tipu | Nominated |
| 2020 | Pakistan International Screen Awards | Best Television Actress in Comedy role | Nadia Afgan | Won |
| 2020 | Pakistan International Screen Awards | Best Television Actress in Comedy role | Farah Shah | Nominated |
| 2020 | Pakistan International Screen Awards | Best Original Soundtrack | Farhan Saeed, Damia Farooq & Rimsha Khan | Nominated |

## Impact

Suno Chanda set the trend of Ramadan special rom-coms for TV channels in Pakistan. Following its success, 30-episode Ramazan specials have become a regular fixture on Pakistani TV channels. The show's popularity led to its sequel as well in the Ramazan of 2019.

### Sequel

The makers announced season 2. Iqra Aziz confirmed being part of the Season. On October 2, 2018, it was reported that Farhan Saeed had signed up for the project opposite Aziz. On October 10, it was reported that Nabeel Zuberi had also signed up. The series episodes aired on the first day of Ramadan, May 7, 2019, and the last episode was aired on June 6, 2019. In October 2019, the third season of Suno Chanda was announced. In an interview with Fuchsia Magazine, Aehsun Talish confirmed that the new season would be coming in Ramadan 2022. However, it was later revealed by writers that there was no season 3 of the show.