THE WEEK THAT WAS

Jaan Se Pyara Juni | Hum TV, Wednesdays 8.00pm

This show should be renamed ‘Nobody Loves Junaid’ because (bar his neighborhood aunty) not one of the women in this show thinks he deserves any love or respect.

Junaid (Zahid Ahmed) is a gentle, good-natured, younger brother who marries late because of his selfish, possessive sister Safina (Faiza Hassan). Safina’s eyes are on Junaid’s substantial bank balance but, for his new wife Minna (Mamiya Shajaffar), even that is nothing. Minna was discarded by her long-time fiancé and Junaid rejected by his first love Husn Ara (Hira Mani), and despite Junaid’s best efforts, Mina remains uncaring and contemptuous of him. Husn Ara also thinks of Junaid as weak and boring, but she is about to pay the price for her arrogance, as the supposedly “alpha male” she is about to marry (Omar Shehzad) will abandon her.

This story by Aliya Bukhari had the potential to shatter the popular ‘bad boy’ hero trope, but the writer’s focus on the shenanigans of the self-centered ‘mean girls’ around him detracts from the theme. Demanding, arrogant and small-minded, Husn Ara and Minna are played to perfection by Hira Salman and Mammiya Shajaffar. While this is good commentary, a maturing character arc for at least one of the female leads is necessary to connect with the story.

Radd | ARY, Wed-Thurs 8.00pm

This is a strong script with relatable characters that grow and learn, combined with great execution that does not need to rely on glamour, lavish sets or melodrama to capture our attention.

Salaar (Sheheryar Munawar) is a son who has been set aside — like used paper, he has no value and is considered damaged goods — till fate brings him Eman (Hiba Qadir). Eman comes from an only-girls household and has become outspoken and bitter because of the constant mistreatment from her sisters-in-law. Like most women, she has been conditioned to respect assertive, dominant men because, in her sphere, they wield all the power. Initially she despises Salaar, who is a constant caring friend to her father, and even resents his crush on her. But when fate brings her to an unexpected turn, she chooses to marry him herself and she finds her feminine, nurturing side come to the fore, as she helps Salaar gain his confidence and his life back.

This is a beautiful story that emphasises how men and women can complement each other’s personalities rather than competing for domination. Excellent, restrained but dynamic performances from Sheheryar Munawar, Hiba Qadir and Yamina Pirzada make this show unmissable.

Habil Aur Qabil | Geo TV, Saturdays 9.00pm

Proving the director matters, Aabis Raza gives this Zanjabeel Asim project depth and credibility.

The highly competitive Haris (Aagha Ali) cannot stand his fiancée Hurrem (Yashma Gill) getting a better position than him at a big multinational firm. Tired of his jealousy, she breaks off the engagement to find Haris has already moved on to Sobia (Nawal Saeed), his sweeter, simpler brother Qadir’s (Asad Siddiqui) fiancée. Sobia is a clever, manipulative golddigger, and picks the “achiever” Haris instead of the empathic Qadir.

Bucking the stereotypes of career-oriented women, Hurrem is kind and helps Qadir recover from his loss, empowering him to find a good job. Asad Siddiqui and Yashma Gill make a surprisingly good pairing, and the story highlighting affection and compatibility — over the violent passions that serials often glorify as love — gives this ancient story a fresh twist.

What To Watch Out For (or not)

Man Jogi | Hum TV, Coming soon

Veteran director Sultana Siddiqui will soon return to our screens with a new project starring Bilal Abbas and Sabeena Farooq, intriguingly titled Man Jogi.

Published in Dawn, ICON, July 7th, 2024