Mera Naam Yousuf Hai, Mehreen Jabbar's next directorial venture after Jackson Heights, airs tonight on TV channel A-plus.

The 22-episode serial stars Imran Abbas as protagonist Yousuf, and Maya Ali, who plays his intended love interest Zulekha. The drama is supported by veterans Behroz Sabzwari, Hina Biyat and Waseem Abbas, and rising TV stars Mansha Pasha, Taqi Ahmed and Faizan Shaikh. The drama has been penned by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, the man behind Sadqay Tumhare and Pyaray Afzal.

The plot revolves around a singer, Yousuf, who falls in love at first sight with a girl from a humble middle-class family. Meanwhile, Zulekha is mired between proposals from two of her cousins, proposals that are selfishly encouraged by her parents’ self-interest.

Talking to Imran Abbas about his experience, the actor shares: "After completing the series Alvida, I wasn't interested in working in a Pakistani television serial but I was tempted by Khalil-ur-Rehman's script. It's very challenging as he does not allow his actors to improvise with the script or even alter one word. It's a tough yet productive exercise and helped me grow professionally as an actor. With Mehreen donning the director's hat, she was able to get histrionic performances from us."

The cast of Mera Naam Yousuf Hai has been deemed the 'dream team' by many. — Publicity photo.

Mera Naam Yousuf Hai is a departure for New York-based filmmaker/director Mehreen Jabbar as the television serial has been shot entirely in Pakistan and delves into the world of a lower socio-economic class as compared to her other projects.