THE WEEK THAT WAS

Kafeel | ARY, Mon-Tues 8.00pm

As feared by many on social media, Kafeel is turning into a tale of misery.

Newlywed Zeba (Sanam Saeed) is shocked to learn the groom she unquestionably accepted is not the man she expected. For all his good looks, Jami (Emmad Irfani) is an uncaring man with no visible source of income, a habitual liar and deceiver who has no interest in Zeba. To top it all, he openly admits to being in love with a young woman whose father wisely refused him. Despite Jami’s openly terrible behaviour and threats from his lover, Zeba remains silent till her mother witnesses his infidelity. To make matters worse, Jami is constantly taking money from Zeba’s father, pushing the conservative man to encourage Zeba to divorce Jami.

Zeba is disappointed in love, but it seems from the story synopsis on ARY blogs that she will not just support Jami for the rest of her life as a school teacher, but give him four children. The appalling message of accepting her “bad luck” as written in the stars is certainly made palatable by Meesam Naqvi’s skilled storytelling, but it is a poisoned chalice.

Iblees | Geo TV, daily 7.00pm

The devil in question is Anabia (Hibba Aziz), the spoiled, manipulative daughter from a wealthy family. In contrast, their servant’s daughter, Maryam (Fajjer Khan), is highly religious, kind and focused on education.

When her father dies while saving Anabia’s father during a robbery, Maryam becomes the wealthy family’s responsibility. While Anabia is an arrogant girl who ruins people’s lives on her podcast rather than studying, Maryam’s character is more interesting. Despite being poor, righteous and ‘grateful’, both Maryam and her mother are always dressed up and curiously interfering in their benefactors’ lives with unasked-for advice.

Good and bad are cartoonishly defined here, and there is no nuance or understanding of the human condition. Writer Hina Huma Nafees and director Saleem Ghanchi have created a melodrama with stereotypes and class prejudices. There is a subtext of envy to this story that seems to belie the anti-materialism message of the show. Anabia and her mother are appalling people, yet they have all the wealth and power, while Maryam and her mother are better and more ‘deserving’ but lack any means. Viewers can rest assured that the writer will fix this imbalance by the end of the series. Fajjer Khan’s acting is overtly theatrical, adding a ‘masala vibe’, while Hibba Aziz still needs to work on her dialogue delivery.

Khwaabon Mein Mili | Hum TV, Sat-Sun 9.00pm

Samira (Aena Khan) and Shah Alam (Aashir Wajahat) have moved on to different relationships, but have their hearts moved on?

After abusing and mistreating Rubina (Ameema Saleem), Shah Alam has calmed down. He has made peace with his wife and tries to make amends for the sake of his precious child. Samira was initially happy with Adnan (Adnan Raza Mir). However, the trials of life, such as struggles with regard to conceiving a child and the death of his father, have made Adnan withdrawn and uncaring. Like his mother, Adnan has mental health issues and remains prone to depression. A lonely Samira meets Shah Alam and his daughter and, against his better judgment, the young man agrees to meet her again.

While the young cast handled the initial stages of the story well, the skills to portray ambivalence and the nuance required for handling more layered emotions are missing. A maturer and more experienced cast would have given the story more depth.

What To Watch Out For (Or Not)

Rahguzar | Green Entertainment, Coming soon

A story of love, betrayal and suspicion begins soon, starring Hira Mani and Mohib Mirza.

Published in Dawn, ICON, January 18th, 2026