THE WEEK THAT WAS
Nashtar | Geo TV, Fri-Sat 8.00pm
As Shah Dawood, Danish Taimoor continues to reign as Pakistani TV’s alpha male and serial abductor of foolish, middle-class girls. However, this time, the girl has the intelligence to disappear — Bareera (Anmol Baloch) leaves behind a ‘suicide’ note and a grieving family.
Writer Maha Malik gives Shah Dawood enough humanity to begin questioning his actions, but not enough to actually change. There is precious little else to this one-dimensional, repetitive plot except, perhaps, a little nuance in the obligatory, obsessed ‘other woman’ role, played by Naeema Butt.
Danish Taimoor has played these roles so often that nothing is expected of him except maintaining the intensity his fans adore and some ridiculously tight-fitted striped suits! Also, the reality that being a powerful businessman requires knowledge of international markets, the skills of making good contracts and the art of persuasion is replaced by the mentality of a small-time gangster. Nobody expects realism from what is basically a fantasy genre, but creatives should have enough sense not to romanticise violence and coercion.
Aangan | Hum TV, Fri-Sat 8.00pm
By re-airing Aangan (2018), Hum TV gives us a second chance to view its magnum opus, based on Khadija Mastoor’s acclaimed novel, centring on the experiences of a family during Partition. Adapted by writer Mustafa Afridi, the serial provides a striking contrast to much of the faster, less-thoughtful commercial shows on air, with vivid, distinct and layered characters and themes.
Director Mohammed Ehteshamuddin uses an evocative, sometimes sentimental lens, but never loses sight of the harsh realities of each time period. The air of melancholy and atmosphere of loss is shown through every perspective, be it the photograph of a younger son lost to the Khilafat Movement, or the laissez-faire pleasure-seeking escapism of the patriarch Muzaffar Malik (Abid Ali). Zaib Rehman as Khameera Illahi gives a powerful performance of the at-times-vicious matriarch Maalkin, whose disappointments find vent in anger and sometimes cruelty. Omair Rana as Mazhar, the son with a visceral hatred of the British occupiers whom he has to work for, and the admiring, appeasing nature of his wife Chhoti Bahu (Madiha Rizvi) play out as both dark humour and insightful commentary on the wide range of attitudes in just one family.
Household politics and hierarchies are always present and illustrate how times may change but human nature does not. One of the most important points the writer makes is the burden and cost of the colonial occupation on individuals. There are two struggles — one against an external enemy and the second against the internal inertia and the entrenched privileges of gender and class that prevent people from moving forward to a more just future.
Mohabbat | Geo TV, Mon-Tues 8.00pm
Producer Abdullah Kadwani’s family obsession with ‘being Feroze Khan’ continues to another generation — after Haroon Kadwani, his younger son Shahvir Kadwani enters the ring as Zarrar in this drama. This time, the man himself, Feroze Khan, is also present as logistical support, playing Yahya, a wealthy businessman and impulsive son.
Unlike Danish Taimoor, Feroze Khan seems to have seen the light and stepped into more palatable versions of the macho young man the masses love. In this iteration, Yahya has a vulnerability in the form of his love for Asiya (Nawal Saeed), his middle-class office manager. Of course, Yahya’s wealthy parents disapprove, but it seems this will be a family tradition, as his younger brother, Zarrar, is similarly enmeshed with his childhood friend, Meherma (Aina Asif).
The scene is set for a clash of values against class and social status. The story is harmless, uncomplicated entertainment with a determinedly commercial tilt.
What To Watch Out For (Or Not)
Tark-i-Tamanna | Hum TV, Wed-Fri 9.00pm
Zain Baig and Janice Tessa make a fresh new pairing in a story where the innocent pay the price of others’ mistakes.
Published in Dawn, ICON, October 11th, 2026
