THE WEEK THAT WAS

Jaan Nisar | Geo TV, Fri-Sat 8.00pm

After winding up one serial (Rah-i-Junoon) about an obsessive lover on Hum TV, Danish Taimoor jumps into yet another role as an obsessed lover, in Geo TV’s sequel to their blockbuster hit Deewangi (which also covered the same topic).

Taimoor plays the wealthy, enigmatic feudal Nosherwan Ghaznavi, who talked big about doing whatever he likes in the teasers, but turns out to be just as trapped by family and tradition as the middle class heroine. He is forced into a marriage of convenience to his widowed sister-in-law Kashmala (Hiba Ali), whom he cannot accept as a wife. Meanwhile, Dua (Hiba Bukhari) is a rebel and always in trouble with her conservative father. While Nosherwan admires her from afar, Dua falls for the first boy to pay her any attention, the good-for-nothing Faraz (Haroon Shahid).

As the brooding, intense hero stepping out of a big black car in a mustard safari jacket and shiny shoes, Taimoor captures the mass market without much effort. Hiba Bukhari has two hit serials currently on air but manages to define each role and make an impact. The weakest link here is Hiba Ali, who has reduced what is a vulnerable character into a pathetic cartoon.

Dil Ka Kya Karein | Green TV, Wed-Thurs 8.00pm

Director Faheem Burney reunites the popular on-screen pairing of Imran Abbas and Sadia Khan in a surprisingly different story that leans away from the usual melodrama.

Shehrbano (Sadia Khan) is a huge fan of film star Aryan Khan (Imran Abbas) and, to her delight, she comes to his notice when a video of her defending his right to privacy goes viral. Despite being a successful actor, Aryan is a grounded, kind, young man who is tired of life on-screen and is looking to move on to a new stage of his life. He is immediately attracted to Shehrbano, only to learn that she has no interest in him beyond appreciating his work, and is already deeply in love with Nael (Zain Baig), her fiancé.

Written by Eddison Idrees Masih, the show has a more contemplative feel, and the characters have credible, realistic reactions and motivations, reminiscent of the better Pakistani dramas of the past. Despite its mellow pace, the story sometimes feels as if it should have been a film, but works well as a serial with an out-of-the-box story that entertains.

Zard Patton Ka Ban | Hum TV, Sundays 8.00pm

Fans of Sang-i-Mar Mar and Ehd-i-Wafa will recognise that writer Mustafa Afridi and director Saife Hassan can work magic together. This message-based serial starts off on a light note, introducing us to an array of quirky characters to connect with the audience.

Meenu (Sajal Aly) lives in a small Punjabi village and has struggled against her four good-for-nothing brothers and their stunted thinking in order to get an education. Much to their chagrin, she tops the local boards and, with her father’s support, is ready for college. In a parallel track, Dr Naufal (Hamza Sohail) is a young doctor fighting the private hospital where he works, after a young mother dies of staff negligence. These are issues snatched straight from news headlines and anchor the story in everyday realities.

The production team has wisely used a combination of star power and comedy to educate the audience about the importance of birth control for women’s health. Hopefully, the script will tackle the socio-economic imperatives behind resistance to family planning, rather than just preaching about solutions.

What To Watch Out For (or not)

Jaffa | Hum TV, Coming soon

Seher Khan, Usman Mukhtar, Mawra Hocane and Mohib Mirza return to screens in a tense, psychological drama with an element of suspense by writer Samira Fazal.

Published in Dawn, ICON, May 26th, 2024