THE WEEK THAT WAS

Mohabbatein Chahatein | Hum TV, Tuesdays 8.00pm

When Minhaj (Ibrahim Alvi), the surgeon with a soft spot for old flame Sneha (Hira Mani) stumbled upon Tara (Armeena Khan), he was quick to learn that the smart way to contain the vicious Tara was to marry her. So that is exactly what Minhaj does. Until now, we saw Tara manipulate people through blatant lies and deceit, but now Minhaj gives her a dose of her own medicine. Figuring out what makes Tara tick, Minhaj pretends to give her love and sympathy, but locks her up when he leaves the house, and watches her on camera to stay ahead of what is going on in Tara’s evil mind. Armeena Khan is totally owning her vampy role but Ibrahim Alvi, who debuted in Sherdil (2009), also comes across as a promising new actor. Tara and Minhaj create intrigue in the story while the main track, with lead characters Faraz (Junaid Khan) and his wife Sneha, remains a damp squib.

The Couples Show | Aaj TV, Sundays 9.00pm

Hosted by the popular showbiz couple Aagha Ali and Hina Altaf, this talk show comes across as a much-needed respite, with the ongoing drama season being pretty blah. Dazzling showbiz couples are invited as guests and the usual games and gossip format follows with rapid fire questions and dumb charades. However, one segment that is a blast is a tweaked version of Truth or Dare, where the guest either has to reply to an uncomfortable question with someone’s name being involved or have a bite or a sip of some unpalatable food or drink. With social media bombarding us with an unhealthy dose of celebrity lives these days, it’s hilarious to see them on screen either being themselves or being divas, and pouring out sugar-coated and sometimes even blatant lies. Real life husband and wife Aagha Ali and Hina Altaf are not just comfortable as hosts, but charismatic and confident.

What To Watch Out For

Dunk | ARY, Wednesdays 8.00pm

With nearly half the cast from his previous magnum opus Cheekh, and a very similar, if not the same, background music that is often louder than the lines, director Badar Mehmood plays with shades of grey. Professor Humayun (Noman Ijaz) kills himself as he couldn’t bear the humiliation when his student Amal (Sana Javed) accuses him of harassment. Amal’s fiancé Haider (Bilal Abbas) soon realises that Amal’s accusation was false and its repercussions grave, because the dead Professor Humayun leaves behind a wife and a little daughter. Haider also realises how blasé Amal is about Humayun’s suicide, and refuses to marry Amal who, under family pressure, ends up getting married to Haider’s elder brother Safeer (Faizan Shaikh). Now Amal is Haider’s sister-in-law, and from here begins a whole new game between Haider and Amal. Let’s hope that Sana Javed and Bilal Abbas have something exciting in store for us.

Published in Dawn, ICON, March 14th, 2021