THE WEEK THAT WAS
Aik Mohabbat Aur | Green TV, Mon-Tues 8.00pm
Farooq Rind shows us Faiza Iftikhar’s script through a light, whimsical lens, much like his previous blockbuster hit Ishq Murshid, and so far it is working.
Haroon Malik (Ahad Raza Mir) is the kind of journalist we all love to hate: he has all the scoops, the contacts and the charm to persuade his subjects to listen to him and spill secrets. He creates content and entertainment with cleverly edited sound bites but, this time, he has picked the wrong woman to manipulate: Khushbakht Naz (Maya Ali). Assistant Commissioner Khushbakht has worked hard to become an independent woman after a terrible, abusive marriage and divorce. Not bitter but withdrawn, she had moulded a protective shell of efficiency and distance from emotional entanglement that has kept her safe and happy over the years.
Maya Ali excels in this role, giving us a portrait of a woman hiding in plain sight in order never to feel pain again. Ahad Raza Mir mostly fits the role, but his anglicised Urdu and fast delivery can sometimes miss the mark. Other than that, he plays the mischievous and perhaps over-confident newsman well.
Zanjeerain | Hum TV, Wed-Thurs 8.00pm
After a slow start, Hum TV’s investment in this Farhat Ishtiaq script is finally paying off, with strong social media attention and a bump in the ratings. Torsum’s (Usman Javed) arc from neglected child under all the wrong influences to complete villain stands out. We understand how his nature was forged, without reducing accountability for his crimes.
Usman Javed shares the acting credits with Sajal Aly (Rabiya), who brings the grief and helplessness of a woman relentlessly hunted and destroyed by an obsessed stalker. After facing criticism for underplaying his role, Danyal Zafar justifies his casting as Sar Buland, as a man who responds rather than reacts and uses strategy, not immediate violence.
Burning with hatred and jealousy, Torsum murders Rabiya’s husband Mudassir (Ameer Gilani) who, even as he dies, leaves Rabiya in a distraught Sar Buland’s care. Sher Bano (Sahar Hashmi) is ruled by her insecurities and suspicions, ignoring Rabiya and then complaining that Sar Buland is too close to the grieving widow. Sar Buland’s restraint, compassion and respect are used as a stark contrast to Torsum’s claims of love that fuel nothing but cruelty, reminding us what a real hero is.
Dr Bahu | ARY, Fri-Sat 8.00pm
Writer Sanam Mehdi shows us a new level of feminism when Dr Mina (Hajra Yamin) is so angry at her cheating husband Faraz (Adeel Hussain) that she builds solidarity with Dr Amber (Mira Sethi), the woman her husband cheated with.
Dr Amber is an aggressive, determined woman who knows how to emotionally blackmail, but she has a point about the lack of any real affection between Faraz and Mina. Hajra Yamin gives a moving performance as a woman who, despite looks, education and many compromises, has lost her husband. The rest of this script should have been called: ‘Dr Sania is always right — even when she is wrong.’
Dr Sania (Kubra Khan) is a social justice warrior and, with all the energy of youth, she is determined to take down anyone in her way, whether it’s her in-laws or her own sister. Salman (Shuja Asad) has been called a “green flag” or “simp” on social media, according to the netizens’ perspective. Shuja Asad and Adeel Hussain play their parts with conviction and restraint, counteracting some of the story’s less believable turns and motivations.
What To Watch Out For (Or Not)
Marg-i-Wafa | Hum TV, Mon-Thurs 9.00pm
Usama Khan and Mirza Zain Baig star opposite Sabeena Farooq in a family drama and in a game of emotional musical chairs.
Published in Dawn, ICON, June 21st, 2026