THE WEEK THAT WAS

Aangan | Hum TV, Thursdays 8.00pm

Ehtashamuddin’s mega-hyped serial whimpered through four episodes of death, disaster and deceit in gloomy sepia tone. After Mian Sahib (Abid Ali) died, the family sold the haveli and the sons Azhar (Mustafa Afridi, also the screenwriter), Mazhar (Omair Rana) and Zafar live separately. In a 20-year leap, between the fourth and fifth episode, their children have all grown up and the romantic tracks between them somewhat anchored the episode. Chammi (Sajjal Aly) likes Azhar’s son Jamil (Ahad Raza Mir) who live in one house with daadi (Zaib Rehman). In another house live Mazhar’s daughters Bitto (Mawra Hocane) and Tehmina (Hira Mani) and Safdar (Ahsan Khan), the son of sister Salma (Sonya Hussain) whose responsibility Mazhar had accepted after she died of childbirth and tuberculosis.

Safdar is treated badly by Mazhar’s wife chhoti dulhan (Madeeha Rizvi) but Tehmina likes him.Their neighbour is a sitar-playing widow Kusum (Rabia Butt) whose husband was apparently shot in the Jallianwalla Bagh incident. She now likes Mohan who hasn’t appeared yet and encourages Tehmina in her relationship with Safdar. If all this were not confusing enough, Jamil receives his admission fee for his F.A. exams from Chammi in the beginning of the episode and by the end of it, he had cleared them.

Deedan | A-Plus, Saturdays 8.00pm

The jirga has given the verdict for Resham (Sanam Saeed) after she was caught eloping with Zardab (Mohib Mirza) who was shot dead by her husband Gulbaaz Khan (Ajab Gul). In 10 days’ time, she will be stoned to death so as to set an unforgettable example for others. Until what will be her last day, Resham lives in Gulbaz Khan’s house chained to a tree, where she sleeps outdoors with the chain just long enough for her to reach the stove and cook Gulbaz and his wife Gul Makai (Huma Nawab) meals. Fifteen episodes down, director Amin Iqbal relentlessly maintains a tight grip on Attiya Dawood’s tragic and heart-wrenching tale set in Hunza.

What To Watch Out For

Cheekh | ARY, Saturdays 8.00pm

Based on a script by Zanjabeel Asim Shah and directed by Badar Mehmood (Aisi Hai Tanhai), Cheekh is pacey and gripping. The story begins with Haya (Azekah Daniel) from a well-off family getting engaged. Her besties are her vivacious bhabi Mannat (Saba Qamar) married to Shayan (Emad Irfani), and friend Nayab (Ushna Shah). Shayan’s elder brother Yawar (Aijaz Aslam) is married to Shehwar (Maira Khan) and the younger brother is Wajeeh (Bilal Abbas Khan) for whom the preferred choice is Nayab who is from a middle-class family comprising her gentle father Ramzan (Noor-ul-Hassan) and a mean stepmother.

Mannat is trying to convince Wajeeh to marry Nayab after she sees a spark between them. As a colourful mehndi function is about to wrap up, Nayab falls off the roof of the house. She is rushed to ICU where she eventually dies. Family and friends are devastated. After an initial investigation, thepolice declares that a rape attempt had been made. Did Nayab fall off the roof or did somebody push her? Suspense builds as to who was theperpetrator. Was it Yawar shown going inside the house, the younger brother Wajeeh, a drunk friend of Wajeeh’s or the driver who had spotted her on the ground?

Published in Dawn, ICON, January 27th, 2019