THE WEEK THAT WAS

Humrahi | Geo Entertainment, Fri-Sat 8.00pm

Ghazi Yusuf (Shahzad Nawaz) is a ruthless crime boss and land developer, but he has one weakness: his son, Sayhaan (Danish Taimoor), who is determined to be the better man. Sayhaan is an odd mixture of a passive-aggressive, wounded child with his father, and a kick-the-door-down Amitabh Bachchan from the 1980s for everyone else.

While Sayhaan’s character and actions are a walking cliché, the female lead, Hiba Bukhari as Elif, is not far behind, doing everything every heroine in a Danish Taimoor drama has done before. She is feisty for no good reason and foolhardy, despite being educated enough to become a doctor. While Ghazi Yusuf is busy terrorising the poor, Sayhaan is busy fixing things his father breaks.

Sayhaan’s friend, Maryam’s (Laila Wasti) restaurant becomes a bone of contention between father and son. Ghazi threatens an already sick Maryam and this stress, combined with other disappointments, leads to her death. Writer Zanjabeel Asim Shah has written a role specifically tailored to Danish Taimoor’s mass popularity as an angry young man. So far, the only novelty is the uptick in violence and guns.

Rahmat | ARY Digital, Daily 7.00pm

Bad fathers seem to be this drama season’s most popular plot device, and in this serial — written by Mehreen Sheikh — we have two. The first is Alam (Shahood Alvi), who has long abandoned his first wife and three daughters in favour of a second wife, with whom he has managed to have sons he enjoys spoiling. The other is Shayan (Khalid Anam), a wealthy business tycoon who neglected his children for his business, but now needs his son Bari (Junaid Khan).

Pareshay (Hina Tariq) plays a typical, hardworking, eldest daughter who is taking responsibility for the family that Alam, her father, ignores. Educated and capable, she is appointed the personal secretary to Bari by his father, Shayan, to keep his son on a schedule he resents. Despite some hackneyed elements, the story has an intriguing track about a physically challenged younger sister (Reham Rafiq) who determinedly strives for independence while rejecting victimhood.

The story moves at a good pace and, unlike some so-called premium projects, the plot turns and characters make sense, without melodrama. The writer has used the format wisely and allowed the characters to grow and develop. If the audience can get past Junaid Khan not looking like the 25-year-old he is supposed to be, the performances are believable.

Muamma | Hum TV, Wed-Thurs 8.00pm

Just when Muamma looks like it might slow down, writer Imran Nazir throws in a new twist.

Jehan Ara (Saba Qamar) has become fearless: she falls in love with the “new” Shah Jehan (Shehzad Sheikh) and openly asks to be a part of his life. She also threatens her imprisoned, abusive husband, Sarmad (Syed Jibran), that she will send him to his death. A desperate Sarmad begs for the help of his uncle and the bride who was once rejected, Zuleykha (Maria Wasti). Pirs and the misuse of spirituality are a recurring theme in Imran Nazir’s work. Zuleykha has become a pirni (spiritual leader), leading a powerful life and secretly finding love. Here is another woman who does not pine away in self-pity, who finds a way to live on her own terms under her conservative father’s nose. Sarmad wants to use Zuleykha, but she is no fool and refuses to be trapped.

Is Jehan Ara really in love, and will she spoil another marriage? Two lives are lost: Sarmad’s mistress and Shah Jehan’s colleague (an innocent bystander). Who will pay for this toll of blood and pain?

What To Watch Out For (Or Not)

Winter Love | Hum TV, Coming soon

From the pen of Sarah Majeed, the writer of the smash-hit drama Fairy Tale, comes a new romance starring Khushhal Khan and Mawra Hocane.

Published in Dawn, ICON, April 12th, 2026