THE WEEK THAT WAS

Jo Bichharr Gaye | Geo TV, Sundays 8.00pm

Director Haissam Hussain’s latest screen offering maintains its position as one of the best shows on air. The relentless pace of this thriller is turned up one more notch, as the historical failure of any political solution to the crisis in East Pakistan finally gives way to chaos and violence.

The last few episodes have shown Rumi’s (Wahaj Ali) disillusionment: too late, he realises the Pandora’s box opened by his own passionate demands has released anger and cruelty that will strike indiscriminately. His interactions with the rebels now have a shallow, studied feel as he tries to stay within the loop to shield his family.

A desperate Captain Farrukh (Talha Chahour) has no good options left; with betrayal at every turn, survival means tough decisions. Death looms in every shadow and Farrukh’s confession of love is just a desperate farewell, but it may have sealed Sonia Anwar-ul-Haque’s (Maya Ali) death warrant, as informants such as Ghiyasuddin (Zaheer Taj) overhear everything.

The Anwar-ul-Haque family naively believe their Bengali blood means the majority will accept them, but militia leader Shill’s (Omar Cheema) vindictive attitude implies no one is safe. Fantastic performances from all the actors, especially Talha Chahour and Maya Ali are making this show a spellbinding watch. Wahaj Ali’s multi-layered portrayal has been outstanding from the first episode, finding fans in Bangladesh as well. The jewel in the crown though is Nadia Jamil, who personifies the assumed privilege and ignorance of many in West Pakistan, giving us some priceless moments of humour and, more importantly, introspection.

Parizaad | Hum TV, Concluded

This wildly popular serial ended on a high note as the sad, nihilistic ending author Hashim Nadeem wrote in the original novel was discarded in favour of something more optimistic. The double episode was delayed a week by a celebratory cinema screening, then shown to faithful television audiences who were treated to a full recap of their hero’s journey before the much-hoped-for reunion.

Ahmed Ali Akbar gave us a masterful performance, with support from reliable actors such as Naumaan Ejaz, Yumna Zaidi and Ushna Shah. Despite his deep insecurity about his looks, Parizaad met each difficulty with intelligence and generosity of spirit, reminding us that values such as kindness and restraint can still be fashionable. The love for this show has been pouring in from all over the world, especially across the Subcontinent from India to Bangladesh. A story steeped in traditional Urdu literature and its reverence for emotional connection show us that our cherished cultural values have not lost the power to inspire.

Published in Dawn, ICON, February 13th, 2022