THE WEEK THAT WAS

Main Manto Nahin Hoon | ARY, Fri-Sat 8.00pm

While the impre­ssive star cast is gathering decent ratings for the show, the script is facing serious criticism. The obvious target is the huge age gap of 20 years between main leads of Manto (Humayun Saeed) and Mehmal (Sajal Aly), and their student-teacher romance.

Good writing can take a difficult situation and explore the ethical and societal boundaries around it, but neither the writer Khalilur Rehman Qamar nor the leads have been able to make the relationship believable. While much effort has been made to gin up the deadly rivalries and personality quirks of the female characters, the female lead has as usual been under-written and the supporting character of Ms Maria (Sanam Saeed) has overshadowed her. The writer’s main premise, that a young girl raised in a context of violence, bloodshed and criminality might prefer a life with a simple, protective older man rather than a cruel, angry young man, has not been given the emphasis it requires.

Despite these flaws, director Nadeem Baig has knit together a coherent story for mass entertainment, and the presence of Nameer Khan and Azan Sami Khan as the feuding young bucks, combined with Asif Raza Mir and Babar Ali as their determined fathers, has built up enough excitement to paper over some of these gaps.

Sharpasand | ARY, Wed-Thurs 8.00pm

Everyone knows someone like Farasat Bhai (Naumaan Ijaz). Superficially, he is a pillar of the community with a sweet, humble, always helpful attitude. But behind the veneer of family man is a vicious monster, who uses his position to manipulate and control, while his reputation is protected by careful, public image-building.

He cheats a widow out of a part of her son’s remittance, he smears the reputation of the pretty young divorcee Shazmeen (Hira Salman) and spreads rumours and gossip, in quiet but sinister campaigns against those he wants to control.

Naumaan Ijaz gives a wonderfully subtle but impactful performance as a deeply disturbed individual who wields power by influence. After destroying Shazmeen for refusing his lecherous advances, his next target is the modern, young, working couple Fida (Affan Waheed) and Sanam (Hareem Farooq). From the teasers, it seems Farasat will insinuate dark suspicions into the couple’s happy married life. Writer Sadain Syed and director Aehson Talish have woven a strong story that will resonate with many.

Case No. 9 | Geo TV, Wed-Thurs 8.00pm

While the script has missed the chance to be a suspenseful thriller and challenge societal prejudices surrounding sexual violence, the story makes up for it with an informative case study for victims.

That Saba Qamar plays her role so well is no surprise, as she has played many similar roles of victimised womanhood. The rest of the supporting female cast is not far behind; Kiran (Rushna Khan) plays the wife of the perpetrator Kamran (Faysal Quraishi) and is very believable as the wife who knows but still cannot quite accept who her husband is. Her bitter inquiries seem more about punishing her husband than a search for the truth. Naveen Waqar shines as the cool-headed and determined Manisha who supports the victim despite her husband Rohit’s (Junaid Khan) wish to bury the case.

The one disappointment so far is the over-dramatic flair with which the normally restrained Aaminah Shaikh is playing a highly trained and experienced lawyer. This show paints a stark portrait of the criminal justice system and its inequities.

What To Watch Out For (Or Not)

Khwabon Mein Mili | Hum TV, Coming soon

Teasers for a new Gen-Z romance starring Aashir Wajahat and Aaena Khan has hit the screens. As always, the male lead is fighting with his family to become a musician, but will this spoil his budding romance as well?

Published in Dawn, ICON, October 26th, 2025