THE WEEK THAT WAS

Sang-i-Mah | Hum TV, Sundays 8.00pm

The much-anticipated Season 2 of Sang-i-Mar Mar made its debut on select cinema screens before airing on the small screen, in a bid to show us producer Momina Duraid’s confidence in her product and team. At least from the first episode, it seems the bragging rights are justified.

Seamless, efficient direction from Saife Hassan introduced and defined an array of characters from lovers to fools, and elders with secrets and vendettas that brought us to the heart of the story. Sang-i-Mah is centred on Ghag, a deeply misogynist tribal tradition where a man fires a gun outside a woman’s house, essentially claiming her without her consent, and marking her off-limits for others.

Author Mustafa Afridi provides both humour and connection, balancing the darker sides of traditional culture. Omair Rana plays a Pakistani Sikh who is following some terrible penance, keeping his fiancé of 20 years waiting. Afridi’s signature, a Shakespearean touch, is provided by Hillmand (Atif Aslam) whose intriguing soliloquies hint he is a Hamlet-like figure, fighting some internal battles, as he sits by his father’s grave.

Sinf-i-Aahan | ARY, Saturdays 8.00pm

This ISPR-inspired serial about a diverse group of women joining the Pakistan Army has scaled the heights of popularity with ease. Women’s empowerment rarely leaves the safe waters of good girls trying to make it in a bad world. What defines a “good girl” is easy to see in each of the stereotypes employed in this serial.

The one character that lifts this show above the norm is Mahjabeen Mastan (Kubra Khan), the spoiled socialite who does not have to prove anything to anyone except herself. Like all the other cadets, Mahjabeen’s predicaments are all amusingly exaggerated (how many face serums and high heels does a woman truly need to survive basic training?), but do not mistake her for a lightweight. Intelligent, determined and willing to work past her privilege, she gives us a fresh take on the elite class-girl often demonised in drama serials.

Kubra Khan has been on a roll recently with one fantastic performance after another, and this is another stand-out. Director Nadeem Baig knows his target audience and, despite the myriad personalities and tracks, has worked out a way to engage the audience to each figure, without losing focus.

Ruposh | Geo YouTube

This telefilm looks like a combined tribute to Pakistani actor Feroze Khan’s charisma and ’90s era Bollywood, with a splash of Indian actor Salman Khan’s signature lovable idiot routine thrown in. Sidekick Aadi Khan steals the show, reminding us why we loved him so much in last year’s Ramazan serial Chupke Chupke. Female lead Kinza Hashmi does the rest of the heavy lifting in the acting department, putting in another good performance.

This is the second telefilm starring Haroon Kadwani, son of famous producer Abdullah Kadwani, and its clear this project was specifically geared to showcase him as an upcoming star. Kadwani has a lot to learn in terms of dialogue delivery, but he does have the hairstyle nailed. One thing this feature does show is that, with better actors, this production team and director do have the potential to produce a well-made masala-type mass hit for the big screen.

What To Watch Out For

Jo Bichar Gaye | Geo TV, Sundays 8.00pm

Still one of best made shows on our screens, this dark, political thriller set during the ‘fall of Dhaka’ reminds us how the violence and insurrection began. The story is moving to a critical phase as Bhutto visits Dhaka and activists refuse to accept any compromise. This serial is a must watch.

Published in Dawn, ICON, January 16th, 2022