THE WEEK THAT WAS

Pehchaan | Hum TV, Thursday-Friday 8.00pm

Like many women, Kukki (Hiba Bukhari) is a lynchpin in her family’s life: loyal wife, devoted mother, dutiful daughter-in-law, caring daughter and sister. She has always been there for everyone. Kukki lives in Turkey with her husband Adnan (Jibran Syed) and two children. But before her visit to Pakistan, she is obviously disturbed and distracted, pointedly asking Adnan how a “friend” should deal with an adulterous husband.

The show starts off on an intriguing premise: what happens if the woman everyone relies on, just disappears? While this gives the show an interesting start and explores complexities rarely seen on screen, where it falls short is the shift into character assassination. As soon as Kukki disappears from Karachi airport, three of her female relatives jump to the conclusion that she has run away with the man (Zain Baig) she was last seen speaking to. This is yet another drama that refuses to look beyond the single lens of honour culture when exploring the issues a contemporary woman faces. Two episodes have been a mixed bag but, if the story can move beyond the virtuous woman context to what was actually bothering Kukki, it will be a fascinating watch.

Dushman | PTV, Mondays 8.00pm

If anyone thought Rajkot and Malikgar’s enmity was just rhetoric, Mai Lali’s (Saman Ansari) cold-blooded murder of the Malik’s last male heir show us the writer Ali Moeen and director Abdullah Badini mean business.

Waris (Hassan Niazi) and Sassi’s (Sabika Iman) plan to end the blood-soaked feud between the warring clans by getting married should mark an end to the feud, but Sassi’s pregnancy means there might be more male heirs to carry on the legacy of revenge and hatred. Will Sassi find refuge with the Maliks or will they return the blow they have been dealt with in kind?

Call it filmi, call it over-the-top but do not call Dushman boring. So far, the cast has struck the right balance, weaving between melodrama and restraint to keep the story just on the edge of believable.

What To Watch Out For (Or Not)

Zabt | Geo TV, Coming Soon

Haroon Shahid, Nazish Jehangir and Sidra Niazi star in a new soap opera. Tired of playing the villain, Nazish Jehangir finally gets to play the middle class bholi bhali larrki (innocent girl) that wealthy young men in dramas find irresistible. Haroon Shahid is the desperate Romeo and Sidra Niazi is the equally desperate chalaak larrki (cunning girl) and villain trying to ruin their lives. It all sounds rather predictable.

Published in Dawn, ICON, June 19th, 2022