THE WEEK THAT WAS

Radd | ARY, Wed-Thurs 8.00pm

What is wrong with Salaar (Shehryar Munawar)? A kind, quiet, young man who trembles like a leaf at disturbing memories (thankfully) shown in flashback.

Despite hailing from a wealthy background, he runs a small art supply store. This brings him into contact with Iman (Hiba Bukhari), a strong-willed woman who has grown independent and defensive because of her background. The youngest of three sisters, she is tired of being used by her elder sister’s manipulative in-laws, and refuses to show weakness to anyone. Salaar admires her from afar, but a talented, strong woman like Iman is looking for a successful, confident man like Zain (Arsalan Naseer).

Unlike the teasers, the characters in Radd are drawn with nuance and depth, and their motivations and situations are also authentic and relatable. Sanam Mehdi’s script and Ahmed Bhatti’s direction work well together so far, avoiding melodrama or ridiculous twists. Shehryar Munawar and Hiba Bukhari fit their roles well, capturing our interest and maintaining a little mystery. Arsalan Naseer is still a little stiff and needs to work on his dialogue delivery. This promises to be an engaging show, with a subtle reminder that men can also be victims.

Abdullahpur Ka Devdas | Zee Zindagi, Concluded

When Fakhir (Bilal Abbas) sees how desperate GulBano (Sarah Khan) is for Kashif (Raza Talish), he steps aside and arranges their nikaah. Abbas was the star of this show despite his lack of airtime, and his screen presence and emotional connection kept the audience engaged with this patchy script.

Despite her underwritten character, Sarah Khan played the role of the unthinking femme fatale well. The other accolades should go to the director Anjum Shehzad and the editor, who put it all together. Two young men, Bedaar Bakht (Saad Qureshi) and Shehroz (Ali Ansari), died, yet neither the shallow Gul Bano nor their families seemed to react or grieve. The weakest link was Raza Talish, who was the least credible and whose acting skills were far behind the rest of the cast, leaving us wondering why he was given so much screen time.

In the end, the many tears and overwrought emotions seemed like a cosmic joke, because the whole situation could have been resolved with a little basic communication. The final scenes set up a tantalising predicament — Gul Bano thinks she has married her “Devdas” but suddenly realises Kashif was the imposter and the man she hated, Fakhir, was the genuine poet she had fallen in love with. Was this Fakhir’s “revenge”, or just another good reason never to call himself Devdas?

Contractors | Geo TV, Eid Mini-Series

If you can get past the incredulous premise that a sweet, old couple well into their sixties could be contract killers, this is the show for you. Mehreen Jabbar directs this whimsical comedy starring Shamim Hilaly and Mohammad Ahmed as Nigar and Rashed, who kill bad people for good money.

While the veteran actors seem to have had a whale of a time playing these fun roles, the story meanders and lacks focus. The main attractions are Haris Waheed as the police inspector who is on to the duo and Maham Shahid as their “adopted” daughter. While the premise is intriguing, the lack of suspense, weak comedic timing and a stretched-out story let it down.

Achari Mohabbat | ARY, Eid Telefilm

Shuja Asad and Sohai Abro star in a signature romantic comedy from the master of the game, Saima Akram Chaudhry. Director Mussadiq Malik gives this script a spare, modern polish that lifts it well beyond the time-slot fillers that usually fill the Eid schedule.

Published in Dawn, ICON, April 21st, 2024