Having spent over a decade and a half in show business and well known for her foot in mouth gaffes, her assertion about a TV career proved to be another gem, as HAK actually marks the end of her acting career.

A sequel of Husna aur Husn Ara, HAK follows the life of Husn Ara (Meera) after she leaves her ankle bells behind in the pursuit of a better life. Shedding the persona of a glorified nautch girl, of all possible jobs in the world, she ends up becoming a maid in the haveli of the tyrant feudal Malik Jahandad (Aurangzeb Laghari).

There she meets his oppressed wives, Zeenat (Samina Ahmed) and Rukhsana (Sarah Gillani) and his younger sister Bakhtawar (Sana Riaz). While Malik starts to develop feelings for Husn Ara, Bakhtawar falls madly in love with Noor (the late Bilal Khan). In between all this is the character of Zafardad (Shameel Khan) who also has a score to settle with Jahandad. Along the way, he too ends up falling for the lowly maid.

Though everyone is enamored by her beauty and grace, Husan Ara has bigger fish to fry. Seeing the inhuman treatment meted out to the tillers as well as the women in Malik’s family, she decides to use her feminine charms to entice the feudal landlord and make things better for those around her.

A not so new and very filmi take on the story of a hooker with a heart of gold crossed with a one-man army fighting an evil feudal, the story of HAK is nothing much to write home about.

Produced by Asghar Mirza and written by Attiya Daud, the play is a rehash of issue-based Lollywood flicks: throw in a bad landlord, some old rituals along with a damsel in distress or two, and you have a masala film. However, HAK is way too over the top. Daud has put in almost all possible issues within the tribal/feudal culture and seems to lose the plot. Her characters are weak and her dialogues are cliché-ridden.

Nain Maniar, the director, further adds to the madness. All we get to see is Husan Ara trying to solve and avert all sorts of problems with her comely glances aimed at Malik Jahandad, especially after he beats the life out of his wife, tillers and foes.

While on the topic of physical torture, HAK is yet another play where excessive beating of women is rampant. I guess misogyny is a must for making a play successful. And while TV One’s website states that the play is aimed at families, the theme is for a mature audience. Its about time they get the ratings right.

A TV veteran known for his powerful performances, Leghari disappoints in HAK. On numerous occasions he seems to be aping none other than Mustafa Qureshi and Yousaf Khan, both actors known for their villainous, onscreen characters. However, a weak script and a stereotypical characterisation are responsible for his lackluster performance.

Shameel Khan, often called the poor man’s Shaan, manages to put up a decent performance along with Bilal Khan who passed away last year in a freak accident. As one viewer commented, “Both Khans can pass of as desi Mills and Boon heroes.”

However, the women in the serial are an overall disappointment. Given that models are known for their lack of acting abilities, joining Tooba, ZQ and Nadia Hussain is Sara Gillani. With her fake accent and unnecessary hysterics, she should stick to modeling.

Last but not the least is Meera or rather Meeraji. Known for her polished performance in Khilona, Meera is now a shadow of her former self. Her acting skills seem to be waning and her deliberate attempts at either shrieking like a teen or sounding husky while trying to look serious makes matters much worse.

HAK would have given Meera a massive career boost if it was made 15 years ago when she could have passed off as a nubile enchantress. As it is, during these last few years controversies regarding her personal life and her utterances have kept her in the news rather than her performances.

On the whole, Husn Ara Kaun is a waste of time with its women’s digest storyline. Given that it’s on air on Sunday nights, its better to get in bed early or head out for a stroll.