THE WEEK THAT WAS

Bakhtawar | Hum TV, Concluded

Bakhtawar gave us a slow ending that lacked the punch the serial had been building up to. Credit is due to author Nadia Ahmed for tackling a difficult subject: a woman who is forced to disguise herself as a man to survive a difficult life in Karachi. However, the plot spread itself thin while trying to cover many issues, without allowing for depth or understanding of the cultural and socio-economic reasons behind many of the barriers faced by the heroine. The audience was, instead, treated to regular sermons on women’s rights.

Yumna Zaidi’s star power and excellent performance as the constantly switching personas of Bakhtawar were the reason this drama got ratings. Zaviyar Nauman and the rest of the cast were happy to stay as the two-dimensional cliches written for them. Especially confusing was the lack of focus given to Ahad (Ali Wasi Kazmi), who turned out to be Bakhtawar’s love interest, and the screen time she spent infatuated with Malik Dilawer (Zaviyar Naumaan Ijaz).

Kuch Ankahi | ARY, Saturdays 8.00pm

True to its title, there is much unsaid between the protagonists of this play, and it’s this journey to understanding each other and the manifestation of their true desires that is at the heart of this story. Aliya (Sajal Aly) and Salman (Bilal Abbas) have been in competition for years, but their attraction for each other is unspoken, drowned out by the chorus of demands that family and earning a living make of them.

Good girl Samia (Mira Sethi) feels herself a burden so she cannot tell her family she doesn’t want to marry the mama’s boy Saifur Rehman (Ali Safina), who also lacks the courage to tell his mum he loves another girl. Then there is Sehrish (Alina Abbas) and Azfer’s (Shehryar Munawar) dynamic, angry, broken and simmering-in-silence family. Great performances, good writing (from Mohammad Ahmed) that allows each character some quirks, nuance and an arc, all skillfully woven together by director Nadeem Baig.

Farq | Geo TV, Daily 8.00pm

Kamal (Faysal Quraishi) is a lonely rich man still lost in the memories of his wife. He has a grown-up daughter Ayzel (Sabah Shah) who, like any only child, is a little spoiled and hard to keep track of. Instead of seeking a sensible woman of his own class and at least nearer to his age, he impulsively marries his poor driver’s unsophisticated daughter Irsa (Sehrish Khan), who is even younger than his own daughter, Ayzel.

To further compound matters, he refuses to build a relationship with the Ayzel and carries on in his usual, withdrawn, insular life. Ayzel is naturally resentful and does anything to make Irsa’s life difficult. Irsa is a materialistic girl who enjoys the new lifestyle afforded to her but, as loneliness and isolation surround her, she seeks solace in an extramarital affair with a dangerous manipulator played by Adeel Chaudhry.

Almost 30 episodes in and this slow-moving, formulaic serial shows zero chemistry between the leads, and lacks the connection that the characters in the serial Fitoor (which it copies) managed to make with audiences. This show is strictly for Faysal Quraishi fans and offers nothing new.

What To Watch Out For (or not)

Chand Tara | Hum TV, Coming soon

Hum TV presents a new drama for the month of Ramazan using a little light comedy and some emotional twists that keep the entertainment light and easy for the holy season. Chand (Danish Taimoor) is exhausted by his overpowering joint family system, while the lonely only child Tara (Ayeza Khan) longs for those bonds. While the story seems to echo the iconic drama AunnZara, the hope is that writer Saima Akram Chaudhry can come up with a fresh new perspective.

Published in Dawn, ICON, February 12th, 2023