THE WEEK THAT WAS

Ranjha Ranjha Kardi | Hum TV, Saturdays 8.00pm

A befitting end to Faiza Iftikhar’s eloquent story of sweeper girl Noori (Iqra Aziz) who fought tooth and nail for respect and status in life. When Noori gives recordings of Sahir’s (Syed Jibran) long-term plan to get hold of the family wealth to Nusrat (Kashif Mehmood), her mentally-challenged husband Bhola’s (Imran Ashraf) evil uncle, Nusrat throws Sahir out. Sahir retaliates by defaming Noori in front of Bhola and his mum Fehmida (Asma Abbas). Bhola doesn’t want Noori to go, but Fehmida is horrified.

Surprisingly, Nusrat’s wife Rizwana (Munazza Arif), who always hated Noori, is grateful to her for revealing the real face of Sahir and saving her daughter Komal (Ammara Butt) from being married to him, which influences Fehmida’s feelings for Noori too. With Nusrat no longer involved in Bhola’s treatment, proper medication improves his condition and Noori and Bhola live happily ever after. Imran Ashraf remains outstanding, more particularly in the portrayal of the mentally-challenged Bhola. Definitely a serial for marathoning on YouTube.

Barfi Laddu | ARY, Thursdays 8.00-10.00pm

Not much of a storyline yet in Dr Muhammed Younis Butt’s screenplay, but loud characters bedecked in wedding costumes swarm all over elaborate wedding sets. Bride Barfi (Sumbul Iqbal) wants a love marriage and not an arranged one, so she smuggles the groom Laddu (Ali Safina) out for a rendezvous while the bride’s best friend Gulabo and the groom’s uncle Mastana (Salim Mairaj) pose as the marrying couple. But Barfi and Laddu don’t have much of a plan, so they return to the chaotic wedding. Watch if you are in the mood for some mindless entertainment as the serial promises the biggest wedding of the year.

What To Watch Out For

Babban Khala Ki Betiyan | ARY, Eid Special Bumper Episode

You must YouTube the last 80-minute episode as it had all the content that you loved BBKB for. After Bubbly’s (Srha Asghar) suicide attempt, amidst neighbourhood intrigues, song and dance and dreaded villains, Najma (Sameena Nazir) finally asks for Bubbly’s hand in marriage for her son Pappu (Arslan Faisal), and an elaborate wedding unfolds.

Writer Mansoor Ahmed Khan could have hitched elder sister Billo (Maria Wasti), too, who remained single till the end. Despite a handful of episodes that may have dragged, BKKB was a fine family entertainer, and will remain the last feather in the late director Syed Atif Hussain’s cap.

Published in Dawn, ICON, June 16th, 2019