THE WEEK THAT WAS

Wehem | Hum TV, Wednesdays 8.00pm

An ordinary family melodrama, with the usual mix of young love facing long-held resentments gets a little kick of excitement when reframed as a psychological thriller. Rukhsana (Savera Nadeem) has seen a hard life since her husband Anwar disappeared, leaving her to take care of her son Junaid (Zaviyar Ijaz) and her dementia-ridden mother-in-law Amma Bi (Shamim Hilaly). Despite every obstacle, she has maintained her independence by running a simple but successful beauty parlour. Along the way she picked up an adopted son, Fareed (Adnan Samad Khan) who is constantly taunted and rejected by the confused but sharp-tongued Amma Bi. Director Adnan Wai Qureshi infuses a storybook-like melancholy and sentimentality into the presentation, giving writer Imran Nazir’s script a slightly “period” drama feel.

There is something wrong in the family beyond the vehement, irrational anger Rukhsana feels toward her brother-in-law Khawar (Babar Ali). Rukhsana’s mental health is questionable, swinging silently between intense patience and kindness towards Amma Bi to mixing red chili powder into the old woman’s tea. How will this unstable, angry personality accept her son’s love for Eshal (Kinza Hashmi), Khawar’s daughter?

Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi | ARY, Wednesdays 8.00pm

This tale of obsession takes a new turn as Mehak (Durre Fishan) and her family give up any hope that they can escape Sikander (Danish Taimoor). Sikander’s wealthy family find they have little choice but to be pragmatic when he announces he is going to get married with or without them. A clumsy script riddled with plot holes and cliches, basic production values and nothing new to offer in terms of story or execution, yet this show remains high in the ratings.

Danish Taimoor delivers on the intensity without letting up on his character’s inherent toxicity and criminality but the makers cannot resist adding romantic elements to his chilling declarations. Good actors such as Naumaan Ijaz and Atiqa Odho are given nothing to do while a side character such as Sikander’s bhabi is given disproportionate screen time, to gin up the class difference angle with repetitive dialogues about “status”. While all of this seems very formulaic, a shocking twist is coming as teasers show Mehak may be murdered.

What To Watch Out For (Or Not)

True Crime Stories | Geo TV, Coming Soon

After the success of one-episode morality plays such as Dhikawa, Makafaat and Nissa, Geo TV is planning a new series based on true crime stories reminiscent of the popular old PTV show Pas-i-Aaina.

Published in Dawn, ICON, July 3rd, 2022