THE WEEK THAT WAS

Humrahi | Geo TV, Fri-Sat 8.00pm

When cruelty and vio­lence are rewarded with success, the perpetrators get drunk on hubris and think they can change the hand of fate.

Ruthless crime boss Ghazi Yusuf (Shahzad Nawaz) knows his son Sayhaan (Danish Taimoor) will die if he does not get a heart transplant soon. When he finds out his son’s bride, Elif (Hiba Bukhari), matches the rare blood type match for Sayhaan, he takes the ultimate step of murder to save his son. As Sayhaan recovers, his suspicions grow until they are confirmed by Elif’s old friend, Dr Aurangzeb (Azfar Rehman).

No one can fault Shahzad Nawaz’s acting as the chillingly evil father trying to justify his actions to the son he loves. In between the obligatory macho man scenes required to prove Sayhaan is “the hero”, Danish Taimoor shows us a softer and very believable side to his character, as he tries to make sense of this dilemma. The story moves fast, throwing in another twist as Sayhaan runs away from his controlling father. And then Elif’s twin sister, Elhaam (Hiba Bukhari), shows up, asking questions about her sister’s death.

Zanjeerain | Hum TV, Wed-Thurs 8.00pm

Writer Farhat Ishtiaq writes a story of generational trauma and the abuse of women in the name of honour.

After one humiliating and very public slap, Torsam (Usman Javed) takes revenge by murdering his half-brother, Sher Dil (Ahsan Khan) and his wife. Torsam is a hot-headed fool, nursing the pain of never belonging, but the real mastermind manipulating him is Zaffran Khan (Adnan Siddiqui). The parallels in Zaffran’s origin story of fratricide, cultivated grudges and using women to pay the price of men’s crimes run like a dark thread in this story.

Director Shahzad Kashmiri knows how to frame a scene, but by constant, clumsy foreshadowing and repetitive dialogue, he deflates any suspense. Meanwhile, Rabiya (Sajal Aly) and Mudassir (Ameer Gilani) are living a convenient life of near-soporific bliss outside the turbulent world of tribal forces. Mudassir’s younger brother, Sar Buland (Danyal Zafar), promises to take revenge, but his lack of gravitas and neutral expressions are unconvincing. Adnan Siddiqui, Sajal Aly, Raza Ali Abid and Usman Javed have given strong performances, while Danyal Zafar and Ameer Gilani seem purely decorative. Mehermaan Khan as Gul Mehar, another victim of Zaffran Khan’s manipulations, makes a promising debut in a quiet role.

Dr Bahu | ARY Digital, Fri-Sat 8.00pm

Far from focusing on the problems and issues faced by female physicians in traditional Pakistani households, this script centres on the dynamics of an elite family.

Dr Saniya (Kubra Khan) is strong-willed and outspoken but lacks humility and empathy. The writer has framed her as a feminist icon and social justice warrior, intent on uncovering every weakness and secret in her in-laws and exposing them to public scrutiny. Her father-in-law (Shahzad Nawaz) is a manipulative, controlling man who, like most narcissists, rules his family’s lives. Dr Saniya has a similar unyielding personality and is so obsessed with bringing down her father-in-law for corruption that she sneaks out of her older sister’s wedding to gather evidence.

Many physicians have taken to social media to highlight the inaccuracies in professional scenes and career structures that the story has taken liberties with. Good performances from Shuja Asad, Adeel Hussain, Saba Hamid and Shahzad Nawaz are keeping audiences captivated.

What To Watch Out For (Or Not)

Tapish | Geo TV, Mon-Tues 8.00pm

Muneeb Butt takes up the mantle of an obsessed lover that made Danish Taimoor and Feroze Khan stars. Two young lovers, played by Saad Qureshi and Laiba Khan, are torn apart by the wealthy, manipulative Sultan (Muneeb Butt).

Published in Dawn, ICON, June 7th, 2026