THE WEEK THAT WAS

Aangan | Hum TV, Thursdays 8.00pm

In the backdrop of the political climate of pre-Partition India, Aliya aka Bitto (Mawra Hocane) finds herself falling in love with Jamil (Ahad Raza Mir), much as she resists it. She still calls him Jamil bhaiyya, except in a dramatic scene where he forces her into an embrace and she immediately escapes from his clutches, reprimanding him with “Jamil sahib”. Taking it as an insult, he retaliates by calling her names.

Meanwhile, Chammi’s (Sajal Aly) wedding preparations are underway but being kept a secret from her lest she create the biggest fuss. Slick art detail and characterisation, but the dead pace needs to pick up.

Siskiyaan | Bol TV, Thursdays 8.00pm

Life is at it grittiest for Mohammed Husain’s (veteran film star Nadeem) family. His already shattered daughter Azmi (Maria Wasti) receives the post-mortem report from the police of her deceased son, revealing that he was abused before being murdered. Younger daughter Mumtaz’s (Faryal Mehmood) wedding is a few weeks away but holds no happiness for her as she slowly recovers from her abortion following her gang rape. Phuppi Jaan (Samina Ahmed) talks to the neighbour Raees (Imran Aslam), asking him to consider getting married to Azmi which, she thinks, would help the family get out of their prolonged misery. Despite the unending misery, the play is gripping.

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR

Jaal | Hum TV, Fridays 8.00pm

Behnoi-turned-boyfriend Arsal’s (Ali Kazmi) younger brother Zaid (Imran Ashraf) tries his utmost to counsel and warn vamp Zonia (Sukaina Khan), but she completely loses control when she sees her sister Esha (Sumbul Iqbal) about to be wedded off to Arsal. She ruins her sister’s rukhsati by proclaiming that she won’t allow Arsal to walk away with Esha, after he’s led her on. A shocked Esha then declares that she has no wish to spend her life with a deceitful man. So Zonia and Arsal tie the knot, while Esha and Zonia’s anguished father (Khalid Anum) has a heart attack and then passes away. Unwelcomed by her in-laws, Zonia is still determined to get settled down on her own terms.

Published in Dawn, ICON, April 21st, 2019