THE WEEK THAT WAS

Habs | ARY, Tuesdays 8.00pm

Despite their good intentions, Ayesha (Ushna Shah) and Basit’s (Feroze Khan) marriage of convenience is slowly unravelling because of their inability to truly commit to each other. Basit is the child of a broken home, and his suspicious mind finds Ayesha guilty of betrayal like his mother. While Basit acknowledges his mistakes and emotional baggage, Ayesha has yet to concede just how much damage her own mother has inflicted on her ability to trust. Each meeting between them is a negotiation or a reaction to another reaction, but too often a failure of understanding.

Author Aliya Makhdoom has achieved a rare feat in an era of short, fast and consequently two-dimensional serials, by working the ubiquitous fictional premise of a contract marriage to explore themes common to all relationships. Director Musaddiq Malek has used a wonderfully effective, very spare aesthetic in every aspect of this show; forcing the audience to think and focus on these well-written characters. Excellent performances from Ushna Shah, Saba Faisal, Irsa Ghazal and a well-chosen cast make this show good viewing.

Tinkay Ka Sahara | Hum TV, Mondays 8.00pm

Zanjabeel Asim shifts away from her usual gothic style of writing to a simpler but perhaps more effective form of storytelling. The pregnant Hooriya (Rabab Hashim) has reached breaking point with her wealthy but abusive husband, Vasey (Sami Khan), after he assaults her in a fit of jealous rage.

The writer opens up a horrifyingly accurate window into the way domestic violence is excused, normalised and whitewashed by society. In contrast to the ambitiously driven Vasey, Hammad (Haroon Shahid) is poor and happily lazy, with no social status or aims. However, his love and support for his hardworking, talented bride Qadar (Sonya Hussyn) builds a genuine bond between the couple. Hammad and Qadir’s track seems like a basic crowd pleaser, but it does highlight something deeper than the obvious “money cannot buy happiness” message.

The writer flips the Akbari-Asghari myth that a woman alone makes a marriage work by emphasising both husbands’ contributions. So far, the women have played the passive roles of both victim and good girl, leaving Haroon Shahid and Sami Khan to carry the acting laurels with their very believable and layered performances.

Qalandar | Geo TV, Fri-Sat 8.00pm

Komal Meer stars as the village Cinderella, Durre Adan, an orphan who is constantly at the mercy of her aunt (Kinza Malik). Despite her hard life, Durre remains cheerful and grateful because of her strong connection to God.

Tabrez (Muneeb Butt) is quite the opposite, he has become tired of rural life and longs for wealth. Muneeb Butt is an expert at giving some nuance and even a little charm to jerkish characters such as Tabrez, and is perhaps the most normal character among the saints and villains that populate this serial. That nuance will not last, as Tabrez has his sights set on a spoiled, rich, city girl, while his family wants to tie him down with a girl who will bring him home.

Like most family dramas, the story has some important truths that resonate with the masses, but the writing is geared towards melodrama and the superficial. Ali Abbas as the good guy, is an irritating saint, and every other woman in the serial is chalaak (cunning) or insincere, leaving Durre Adan to wear a lonely crown of virtue in every other scene.

What To Watch Out For (Or Not)

Farq | Hum TV, Coming soon

After Fitoor, Farq is another drama about adultery and social class coming to our screens soon. The cast includes Faysal Quraishi , Seher Khan and Adeel Chaudhry.

Published in Dawn, ICON, November 6th, 2022