THE WEEK THAT WAS

Meri Shehzadi | Hum TV, Thursdays 8.00pm

Dania (Urwa Hocane) is a simple, unambitious girl raised by her grandparents. When she is persuaded to marry her cousin Shehroz (Ali Rehman), she joins her father’s powerful political family. As per the bholi mashriqi larki (innocent eastern girl) handbook, Dania has no hopes, dreams or talent, except the fervent wish to be loved by her husband. While his family is callous and demanding, Shehroz is a little kinder, allowing the young girl to believe she can eventually win him over. Dania remains patient, hoping to win him over, even when she discovers Shehroz has another wife and child, and lies for him as the scandal becomes public.

Ali Rehman is in top form, flawlessly sketching out the self-centred, entitled Shehroz, whose cruelty is always so casual. Shehroz truly loves his first wife Cam (Mishal Khan) but their secret marriage is deemed a liability. He is heartbroken at losing his family and not surprisingly this builds into resentment for Dania.

Urwa Hocane has dutifully trembled her way through half the serial, but now Dania has won an election and is inexplicably being awarded a ministerial post (despite lack of knowledge or experience); hopefully her character will be allowed some confidence. The sad but hard truth of this story is that no matter how much Dania humiliates herself or contorts herself to the norms of a dutiful wife, or tries to win Shehroz’s love and attention, his heart belongs to Cam.

After Mere Humsafar, obsessive, criminally psychotic in-laws who play cunning mind games with their bahus (daughters-in-law) to break up their

Daraar | Geo TV, Wed-Thurs 8.00pm

This story reaches critical mass as Irha (Amar Khan) discovers the truth about her husband Shaheer (Syed Jibran) and cousin Sajal‘s (Momal Shaikh) illicit affair. Reeling with shock and pain, Irha initially tries to bargain with her husband to save her marriage but, as she begins to understand how completely brazen and unrepentant the lovers are, she takes a stand and leaves.

Syed Jibran is very believable as Shaheer, he has an excuse for everything and tries to trick and bully Irha into accepting his affair. Momal Shaikh, as Sajal, is believable but seems a little passionless in her pursuit of the lifestyle she wants. Author Misbah Nausheen has written some interesting scenes and good dialogues for the confrontations but they are chopped up and destroyed with flashback after flashback, in an effort to stretch out the climax for ratings.

Amar Khan and Syed Jibran are the highlights of this show. Will Shaheer and Sajal face any consequences for their actions, and will Irha get her child back?

Betiyaan | ARY, Saturdays 7.00pm

After Mere Humsafar, obsessive, criminally psychotic in-laws who play cunning mind games with their bahus (daughters-in-law) to break up their son’s marriage seem to be the latest trend. The show Betiyaan has one-upped everyone by giving us two controlling mothers-in-law and — to prove their commitment to gender equality — a manipulative father-in-law.

While the eldest daughter has forged a stable relationship with her husband, despite being foisted on him in a hasty “night of the wedding bride swap”, the younger girls are now suffering while Pakistan’s favourite “worried father”, Mohammad Ahmed, looks on in despair.

Curiously, despite their education, loving family and easy rapport with each other, whatever torture they suffer, the girls suffer in silence, never sharing their problems. Had this show been written with any nuance or understanding, it might have had more credibility. But the soapy style is plotted for melodrama rather than depth.

What To Watch Out For (Or Not)

Mere Damaad | Hum TV, Coming soon

Shagufta Ejaz plays a wealthy woman with daughters whose husbands’ demanding personalities present a trial for her family.

Published in Dawn, ICON, December 11th, 2022