THE TUBE

THE WEEK THAT WAS

Kuchh Na Kehna | Green TV, Wednesdays 8.00pm

The words “written and directed by Iqbal Hussain” are usually a sign for audiences to brace themselves for melodrama and extravagant dialogues that can verge on the ridiculous. Happily, the first episode showed some restraint.

The main attractions are Naumaan Ijaz as Sardar Jahaniya, a powerful feudal lord who controls the village of Moosal, and his clever, controlling second wife Noora (Savera Nadeem). Noora is a manipulative woman who dabbles in black magic. The atmosphere of brooding shadows and political manoeuvring is reinforced by Jabbroo (Syed Jibran) who plays an orphan adopted by the Sardar and used as a violent enforcer. His kinder, more educated younger brother Nauroz (Usama Khan) has been brought up to manage the estate. The mystery of their parents’ death and their inheritance hangs like a cloud over them. For added angst, Sardar Jahaniya’s innocent daughter Shumayl (Maha Hasan) has fallen for Nauroz, but it’s Jabbroo who has a quiet interest in her.

This could be an entertaining story if Iqbal Hussain can keep the pace going and avoid his penchant for strange twists.

Meem Se Mohabbat | Hum TV, Wed-Thurs 8.00pm

The story takes a critical turn as a heartbroken Roshi (Dananeer Mobeen) rushes headlong into a marriage with Shariq, a man who tried to rape her, and is now planning to punish her by revealing manipulated images of her.

This bizarre turn is passable (barely) because of the rom-com genre and the headstrong Roshi seems to be planning to punish him and come home. Roshi may be reckless but the wiser, smarter Talha (Ahad Raza Mir) understands the danger she is in, and has his own secret plan B in effect. On the way to the venue, Shariq’s car is attacked by thieves, leaving the whole wedding in jeopardy. The teasers for next week suggest a compromise which may be to Roshi’s liking, but will it hurt her pride and self-respect? Will Talha step into the breach to save the day?

This light-as-air serial would have been perfect for easy entertainment for Ramazan but somehow ended up in prime time. Ahad Raza Mir’s familiarity with his character’s personality type (angst-filled, broke) has made this performance an easy fit. Dananeer Mubeen is more believable and relatable in the more serious, emotional moments, which have increased as the story progresses.

Dastak | ARY, Sat-Sun 8.00pm

Saif (Feroz Kadri) was emotionally blackmailed into marrying Kiran (Sohai Abro) by his parents because they rightly suspected his girlfriend Faryal (Momina Iqbal) was a bad person. After his father dies, Saif discovers financial freedom and marries Faryal, thus leaving Kiran.

Kiran begins a new life as a single parent and faces the judgement of strangers and society with a gentle but assertive grace. In a rare moment of counter-cultural honesty, Kiran’s authoritarian father and her ex-mother-in-law, acknowledge their part in the disaster, instead of blaming random ‘kismet’ [luck]. Kiran moves on, starting her own business as a successful event manager, but her worried father is still pushing for her to be ‘safely’ married.

Writer Sarwat Nazir explores some much-needed societal dilemmas and hypocrisies around marriage and divorce in this well-written show. The team also deserves credit for not falling into the easy ratings catch — ‘mazloom aurat’ [hapless woman] tropes or sanctifying Kiran as a preachy saint. Stand out performances from Sohai Abro, Sohail Sameer and Tanveer Hussain make this show a great watch.