THE WEEK THAT WAS

Dil Kiya Karey | Geo TV, Mondays 8.00pm

Mehreen Jabbar makes a comeback to television after her big screen venture Dobara Phir Se, and we can’t wait to see what she has in store for us. In a much-needed transformation, after essaying the abused girl in Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila, Yumna Zaidi is seen in a cheerful role, playing the lead role of Aiman opposite Feroze Khan (Arman). Asma Nabeel’s story so far runs on a predictable note, with a boy deeply in love with his clueless cousin who lives abroad, and who arrives here for a family wedding. She already has a secret love interest who is Arman’s cousin.

The serial seems promising with a star-studded cast including Sonia Rehman as the widowed phuppi Rabia and Shamim Hilali as Bibi, the family’s buffer matriarch. Aiman’s parents, on their way to attend the family wedding, die in a plane crash. Another surprise is Marina Khan as the head-covering, antagonist aunt Rumaisa who has a hand sanitiser fetish and doesn’t like Aiman one bit. When Arman announces plans to marry Aiman, Rumaisa vehemently objects.

Bandish | ARY, Mondays 8.00-10.00pm

Sandal (Zainab Ahmed) wants to marry her boss Junaid (Sajid Hasan) and makes his family suffer under the influence of black magic perpetrated by her sister Sumbul (Farah Shah) who, for reasons best known only to her, has dedicated her life to mumbo-jumbo magic. In a dimly-lit room with symbols, evil imagery and medieval torches on the walls, Sumbul sits with an oversized rosary in front of burning coals, poking needles in a ball.

Junaid is a loving husband married to plain Jane Madiha (Marina Khan) and they have three daughters, Saniya (Hira Mani), Haniya (Zubab Rana) and Alina (Hoorain), the latter a school-going wacko who plays with weird-looking dolls, sees a little girl in her room and talks to her. In the very first scene, Alina is apparently possessed by an evil spirit and dreams of a cackling churrail (witch) in a tree. And this is before Sandal has even met Junaid! When Sumbul’s abracadabra starts its work, Saniya’s marriage proposal gets messed up while Junaid proposes marriage to his secretary and all kinds of weird stuff starts happening around the house. Get ready for bizarre spooks, ghouls, voodoo dolls, special effects and thriller music that can all be taken with a grain of salt, because when the director pushes horror in your face, it’s hardly scary.

What To Watch Out For

Siskiyan | Bol TV, Thursdays 8.00pm

After her gang rape premeditated and committed by her boyfriend Farhan (Imran Ashraf) and his friends, Mumtaz (Faryal Mehmood) lands in reality with a thud. Hounded by sister Azmi (Maria Wasti) to continue with her part in supporting the family after their father Mohammed Hussain’s (Nadeem Baig) tragic accident, she drags herself to work the very next day only to discover that it’s pay day and the factory owner’s son who is handing out the pay cheques in the absence of his father is no other than Farhan.

A marriage proposal brings tremendous hope for the family and a numb Mumtaz goes along with prep for the engagement ceremony. But in the middle of the ceremony, amidst family and guests, Mumtaz throws away the ring and runs away from the ceremony like a possessed soul. The family is devastated while Mumtaz has immense trauma to deal with. Faryal Mehmood sans make-up completely owns the part and Mazhar Moin directs the touching situation with conviction.

Published in Dawn, ICON, February 3rd, 2019