Aik Mohabbat Aur | Green Entertainment, Mon-Tues 8.00pm
In an age where divorce and ‘unarranged’ relationships have become more acceptable, this ‘second-chance’ romance should resonate with a larger audience. Where it could improve is in its handling of the small, niggling issues faced by the two protagonists, who have to build a new foundation of trust after experiencing trauma and betrayal.
On the plus side, Farooq Rind’s musical theatre-style direction and pitch-perfect performances from Maya Ali and Ahad Raza Mir have made the drama a very entertaining, even relaxing, watch. What it may not be gaining in TRPs initially is probably due to the all-too-common disease of script-chopping and changing things at the production level, which has leached out some of the plot construction in favour of aesthetics.
Ahad Raza Mir as the loving, understanding and self-deprecating Haroon Malik is a great favourite on social media and showcases the actor’s abilities. Alas, mass audiences trained to see men as inconsistent and prone to toxicity are finding it hard to relate to Haroon’s character. Maya Ali, as Khushbakht, continues to face a conundrum as a woman hiding a lot of pain behind a wall of thawing indifference.
Khafa | Geo TV, Wed-Thurs 8.00pm
Soft, traumatised men are back in season, as Mikaal Zulfikar plays Mohtashim, who chooses to live a life of simplicity and kindness, despite his wealthy background.
For him, wealth and big houses are a trigger for the trauma his manipulative stepmother Shehla (Uzma Hassan) inflicted on him as a child. For Tazeen (Hira Mani), wealth would be the answer to her prayers, as she struggles to keep her family afloat. As the exhausted, elder sister, she works like a man to keep her good-for-nothing, selfish siblings and their helpless mother afloat. It is a popular trope, but one that is rarely challenged or questioned. The teasers show the familiar pattern of a saintly elder sister Tazeen who sacrifices her life for everyone but is abandoned in her hour of need. No doubt she will continue drip-feeding and stunting her siblings’ maturity, instead of empowering them or encouraging independence after every betrayal.
Khafa has strong mass appeal, but fails to bring anything new to the table. The more interesting track might be Mohtashim, as the man who becomes Tazeen’s unexpected supporter. Alee Hassan Shah as Rayyan, Mohtashim’s villainous brother, lays on the bad-boy charm, making his negativity fun to watch.
Bombay Tailors | Hum TV, Mon-Tues 8.00pm
A repetitive script that belabours every point and the “forced marriage will eventually work itself out” cliché from the 1950s should make this show unwatchable. Luckily, the lead pair has chemistry, and it seems the main narrative arc may just be beginning.
Saifi (Ali Ansari) wants to make something of his life, instead of joining his family’s traditional tailoring business. He runs away on the eve of his nikaah, but eventually surrenders to emotional blackmail. Mahrukh (Anika Zulfikar) seems quietly resigned but uses a stealth approach when dealing with her strict household that taunts her to find a way out. Mahrukh makes a video of her groom acting funny, and it earns some seed money for his business idea, forging a fragile bond between them.
Ali Ansari and Anika Zulfikar add a lot of easy charm and a fresh twist on the same old characterisations, giving Bombay Tailors more grip than it might deserve. For those who love shows on family dynamics, without the usual toxicity, this show certainly hits the target.
What To Watch Out For (Or Not)
Raqqaas | Green Entertainment, Coming soon
This is apparently a tale of two creative people whose love of the arts makes their families their enemies. Komal Meer plays a girl fascinated by classical dance, and Danyal Zafar plays an aspiring musician.
Published in Dawn, ICON, August 16th, 2026
