THE WEEK THAT WAS
Mohabbat Mukhtasir | Hum TV, Sundays 8.00pm
Maaz (Usama Khan) and Mirha (Madiha Imam) think they are strangers who found love by chance, but their fates were connected before they met. Black-and-white characters and a harsh socio-economic divide make for a good story, but leave out the nuance.
Usama Khan and Madiha Imam play up their soft sides, bringing life to their ‘meet cute’. But, like most romantic comedies, their interactions are very politically incorrect. Maaz chasing Mirha seems fun because the audience is in on the joke, otherwise it would be considered workplace harassment. However, the writer does score an emotional point by allowing Maaz to be a soothing presence in the heroine’s life, rather than an angry alpha male.
Atiqa Odho and Alyy Khan play the nasty couple from hell very well, but it is hard to understand how their son Maaz turned out to be a good man. Lurking in the background are hints of Maaz’s father’s fraudulent and criminal actions. Maaz has lived a stolen life that should have belonged to Mirha. This serial is simple, entertaining and popular, but could have been better with a faster pace.
Mohabbat | Geo TV, Mon-Tues 8.00pm
Some serials are so layered and well-written that, even if they lose the interest of the masses, they can still garner critical praise. Others can be pure masala and have no pretensions beyond mere entertainment, yet still succeed. Mohabbat is neither of those, yet curiously manages to capture a decent audience share, possibly due to Feroze Khan’s occasional appearances.
In this show, no mother wants her son happy, whether she is a DHA begum or a lower-middle-class ammaji. Yahya’s (Feroze Khan) wealthy mother is vicious in persecuting her son’s secretary and love interest, Asiya (Nawal Saeed), so she disappears. Asiya wants to convince Yahya and his mother, Saleha Nizami (Savera Nadeem), that she is dead, but lands a job at Yahya’s chief competitor and rival. Funnily enough, she even tells the rival the exact details of her affair. Now he plans to use her for information and revenge.
Meanwhile, the real secret behind this show’s ratings, Shahvir Kadwani (younger son of producer Abdullah Kadwani), is forced to confront his close relationship with his friend Meherman (Aina Asif). Shahvir Kadwani is still a novice actor, and a lot of work is required to make him a better performer.
Hey Fam | ARY Digital, Wed-Thurs 8.00pm
After Seerat (Duaa Zahra) goes viral with a funny Instagram post, she enters a new world where everyone wants to meet her, but they also judge her.
Faizan (Zaviyar Ijaz), an investigative journalist, is starting a podcast and needs her fame, but is contemptuous of her ignorance. Her conservative fiancé, Adnan (Hassan Khan), and her neighbours are shocked and distance themselves from her family after her appearance on a morning show. The people who stand by Seerat are her family, especially her father, Mumtaz Ansari (Nauman Masood), who defends and encourages her. The serial takes us on a journey into the world of ‘new media’ as opposed to its more traditional counterpart, and explores how it is often misunderstood. This would be a much better show if it had been shot in a more serious style, rather than as a slapstick comedy.
Duaa Zahra is difficult to watch, despite being a YouTube star herself, as her childish and zany presentation is more irritating than sweet. The story makes some good points, but is handicapped by the silly, slapstick genre it has chosen to inhabit. Zaviyar Ijaz is the one performer who, despite his flashy styling, gives the better performance.
What To Watch Out For (Or Not)
[Unnamed] | ARY Digital, Coming soon
After last year’s Parwarish and Kafeel, director Meesam Naqvi is shooting a new script with Aashir Wajahat and Samar Jafri, highlighting Gen-Z issues.
Published in Dawn, ICON, November 1st, 2026
