THE WEEK THAT WAS

Hum Dono | Hum TV, Tuesdays 8.00pm

It is hard to believe that an acclaimed writer such as Bee Gul, known for her keen observation of human behaviour and out-of-the-box projects, would write such a basic story.

Wealthy and naïve Wafa Durrani (Kinza Hashmi) is madly in love with the middle class Asad (Azaan Sami Khan), who is a prize-winning architecture graduate. Wafa is not just naïve, she comes across as silly, a two dimensional “bholi larrki” who has no idea that her father, the powerful businessman Durrani (Naumaan Ijaz), is determined to marry her off to Shehroz (Zaviyar Ijaz). Also in the mix are Samar Abbas as Asad’s carefree younger brother and Rabia Kulsoom as Wafa’s cousin, who carries a torch for Shehroz.

Although the dialogues are well-written, the actual story does not rise much above the average soap opera plot. Much of the initial episode was focused on Wafa visiting Asad at odd hours of the night, and begging him to run away without a plan, or any idea of life after marriage. One positive is that Azaan has been working on his craft and gave an initially promising performance compared to his previous forays.

Noor Jahan | ARY, Fri-Sat 8.00pm

Noor Jahan (Saba Hamid) is a strong woman who overcame the trials of widowhood and rejection from her aristocratic in-laws by building up a jewellery business. Success has made her proud and arrogant. She has raised her sons to be subservient and only allows controllable women from weak backgrounds as their wives.

Her lust for revenge leads her to encourage her youngest son Murad (Ali Raza) to marry her arch-rival and brother-in-law Mukhtar Shah’s daughter Noor Bano (Kubra Khan). Noor Bano becomes her nemesis; wealthy and strong, she refuses to put up with ill-treatment, plus her husband Murad is actually concerned about his wife’s welfare. Noor Jahan’s little kingdom begins to crumble as she makes increasingly avaricious demands of her sons.

Saba Hamid is adept at playing such roles and gives a fine, measured performance that is the linchpin of the show. The entire cast is well chosen and each character is given ample time to develop and play their part in pushing the story forward. This soap opera-style script from Zanjabeel Asim has been elevated to a very watchable serial by director Musaddiq Malek, with attention to detail and a restrained hand.

Haq Mehar | Geo TV, Daily 7.00pm

Middle class Virsa (Yashma Gill) is the kind of girl everyone wants — sincere, sweet and sensible. Her good-for-nothing cousin Farman (Haris Waheed) wants to marry her to control her father’s money, while another cousin admires her from afar.

To avoid family rivalries, her mother tries to find her a groom outside their family, namely Waqar (Shehroz Sabzwari). Waqar falls in love with Virsa but her family deliberately creates an issue over the haq mehar [dower money] on her wedding, thus complicating her life. Waqar will not bring her home as a bride till he can pay her father the haq mehar he is forced to promise. This gives many people opportunities to weaken their marriage, which Virsa is determined not to allow to happen.

This story has many toxic, commercial soap-style elements combined with some terrible acting from Faria Hassan as Zubia, Waqar’s wannabe bride. On the plus side, interfering relatives and arguments over haq mehar are cultural issues that will easily resonate with audiences both at home and in the diaspora.

What To Watch Out For (or not)

Sunn Mere Dil | Geo TV, Coming soon

Written by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar and directed by Haseeb Hassan, this show boasts a star-studded cast, including Wahaj Ali, Maya Ali, Hira Salman and more.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2024