THE WEEK THAT WAS

Naqaab | ARY, Daily 7.00pm

Writer Shafia Khan’s disap­points with a familiar twist; just like in Rang Mahal, the heroine — Eman (Hina Tariq) in this case — unwittingly attracts the attention of the older man (Taimoor played by Humayun Ashraf here).

When she refuses his advances, the cunning Taimoor shames her in front of her hosts, immunising himself from any blame with his well-maintained reputation. No one believes Eman, and even her love Ahad (Ahmed Rafique) turns away from her when Taimoor uses his overlooked cousin Bilal (Ali Ansari) to smear her character. All of this fails to elicit much empathy for Eman, because Hina Tariq is not believable as a naïve young girl. Eman’s personality and behaviour often fall on the side of ill-mannered and even flirty, rather than confident and bubbly.

Apart from his over-use of gel, Humayun Ashraf has most of the energy in this serial, making a charismatic, manipulative villain hidden in plain sight. The biggest weakness in the script is the terrible characterisation of all the other women in the show as vamps or fools, while only the heroine can be positive. The only other high point is Ali Ansari as Bilal, a quiet man dismissed as an under-achiever and abused by his family, but who is slowly working his way to a better life.

Raaja Rani | Hum TV, Wednesdays 8.00pm

This is a strange comeback to Hum TV for veteran actor Faysal Quraishi, in a story which is very far removed from the nuanced and powerful roles that have made him a star. Adding to the dissonance is once again his female lead Rani (Hina Afridi), who is at least a generation younger than him, whereas a mature lead would have provided balance and looked more credible.

Rani is the daughter of a desperately poor mechanic, trying to follow her father’s footsteps while yearning for Raaja (Haris Waheed), the love that left her promising to return. Faysal Quraishi plays Zaviyar, a once-capable businessman and scion of a wealthy family who has lost his mind, regressing to childhood after the severe trauma of losing his wife.

Penned by Sana Zafar (original concept from Abdul Khaliq Khan), the story is deeply influenced by Indian television, hence the two-dimensional characterisations of the protagonists. From the teasers, Rani will help Zaviyar and somehow be forced to marry him. She will help to heal and eventually bring him back to normalcy. There is always an audience for simplicity among the masses, so despite some clumsy takes, this serial may find its niche.

Mehshar | Geo TV, Wed-Thurs 8.00pm

Abdul Hadi’s (Imran Abbas) deep inferiority complex will not allow him to ever be emotionally available to his first wife Aima (Neelam Munir). He manages to get her pregnant but leaves her for another woman, Paras (Sidra Niazi), whom he deceives into a relationship.

Aima patiently bears years of neglect under the name of family honour and respectability, despite having other options available. When Aima is diagnosed with cancer, she is forced to join Abdul Hadi’s family to receive treatment. Finally, Hadi admits to Paras that Aima is indeed his first wife but, as per his usual selfish nature, tries to blame his second wife for being “suspicious”. Paras is a better person than him and, disgusted by Hadi, turns in compassion towards Aima.

This story is an unhealthy amalgam of the fetish of suffering and the glorification of inflexible traditional tropes that only serve selfish men such as Hadi and Aima’s father.

What To Watch Out For (or not)

Humraaz | Geo TV, Coming soon

Geo TV’s upcoming drama Humraaz shows Feroze Khan (once again) threatening a female character, this time played by Ayeza Khan. While the well-crafted sequence of disconnected scenes is intriguing, history warns us that any story with Feroze Khan and a gun will have a predictable plot.

Published in Dawn, ICON, April 27th, 2025