THE WEEK THAT WAS

Qissa Meherbano Ka | Hum TV, Saturdays 8.00pm

Meherbano (Mawra Hocane) escapes with her life and child after her abusive husband, Murad Ali (Ahsan Khan), tries to murder her by setting her on fire. Murad is now waiting to seek revenge for the bullet she shot into his leg, by charging her with attempted murder. This is a strange winding story, with a heroine that is hard to like, because many of her decisions put her unnecessarily under the power of Murad and his family, who are known to be vicious and cruel.

Meherbano could have avoided many problems if she had taken up the offer of marriage by her neighbour Mehran (Zaviyar Naumaan), or simply refused Murad Ali but, like many women, she is a prisoner of her own conservative mindset. Mehran’s angry, suspicious mother, gossiping relatives and her father’s implicit wish that his bad decisions could be turned around by her sheer patience, have convinced her that she should bow to these pressures and accept her fate.

Mawra Hocane has been the standout performer over the last few episodes, showing us a sheltered, traditional woman’s growth from resigned patience to determination, and the courage to move beyond the façade of family honour.

Yeh Naa Thi Hamari Qismet | ARY, Mon-Thurs 9.00pm

It may be 2022 but, in the realm of pulp fiction ruled by drama-makers in search of a plot, women’s lives still have the importance of a piece of furniture. When a bride is late to her wedding because of a robbery, her family marry off her younger sister in her stead. To make this game of musical chairs even more interesting, the bride finally arrives and is forced to marry the groom’s good-for-nothing cousin.

No one apart from the groom (who had his eye on his soon-to-be sister-in-law from day one) is happy about the situation, but the good news is that both sets of parents saved on the catering bill.

The designated “good” elder sister Muntaha (Hira Mani) will suffer, till she turns around her angry, feckless, loser-of-a-husband (Muneeb Butt). The designated “bad” sister (Ayeza Awan) is outspoken and spoiled, so she will become a source of regret for her husband (Noor Hassan). This ‘Akbari Asghari’ dichotomy never grows old but, by now, we should recognise that making a relationship work is the responsibility of both partners.

What To Watch Out For

Badshah Begum | Hum TV, Coming Soon

The first look for this mega serial is an intriguing picture of lead actress Zara Noor Abbas sitting on a throne of fire. Written by Saji Gul and directed by Khizer Idrees, this drama promises a strong star cast, including Farhan Saeed, Ali Rehman Khan and Komal Meer.

Published in Dawn, ICON, February 6th, 2022