THE WEEK THAT WAS

Teri Chhaon Mein | Hum TV, Thursdays 8.00pm

It seems there can never be enough of Danish Taimoor on our screens, so as one of his serials ends, another must start. Thankfully, this time, Taimoor does not play an angry, brooding lover. Instead, he plays Salaar, a young man who falls in love with a girl he barely knows.

The very fact that he falls for a girl he sees in passing on a bus makes him an idiot but, just to confirm the diagnosis, the director and writer give him unlimited scenes of looking goofily into space while daydreaming of the said girl. The young lady in question is Vadeema (Laiba Khurram) who, at first, seems mentally challenged but is just scared and anxious because she has an obsessive, domineering father Abdullah (Sohail Sameer). Abdullah is terrified his daughter will cause him a loss of honour, and is even working from home till he can safely marry the reluctant Vadeema off to her cousin.

This might be an interesting story because such parents are unfortunately not uncommon, but the lazy writing and Laiba Khurram’s lack of expressions make it hard to watch. Danish Taimoor, however, is a professional and convinces us he might actually be in the throes of instant attraction.

Radd | ARY, Wed-Thurs 8.00pm

A good script, good story and great execution make this a quality drama and a ratings’ puller. After years of suffering from her demanding brother-in-law, Emaan (Hiba Bukhari) is triggered into falling for his trap and impulsively calls off her wedding to Zain (Arsalan Naseer) mid-function, embarrassing her father and Zain’s family. Zain is so shocked he has a nervous breakdown. On the way to visit Zain, his mother dies in a car accident and he blames Emaan, vowing revenge.

Zain had been a big green flag but his turn to anger and hatred is not so sudden: he had become uncommunicative and bitter well before this. Ashamed to have hurt her father, the impulsive Emaan jumps into a quick nikaah with Salaar (Shehryar Munawar), whom she sees as the only salve to her father’s pain. Salaar is the happiest man alive and, despite being unable to defend himself, he finds the courage to stand between Emaan and his angry, violent family.

Sanam Mehdi has written a nicely structured plot and her characters have depth and growth. Salaar is slowly gaining the courage and confidence to defend himself. Hiba Bukhari and Shehryar Munawar have captured the essence of their characters perfectly, with strong but controlled performances.

Gentleman | Green Entertainment, Sundays 8.00pm

As with all Haissam Hussain projects, this show flows seamlessly in an entertaining blend of quality and mass appeal. It takes a thief to catch a thief, so journalist Zarnab (Yumna Zaidi) cold calls the toughest men in Karachi for a panel on how to clean up the city.

Feisty, hardworking and harsh till she softens, Zarnab is a typical Khalilur Rehman Qamar heroine. Her fiancé, Faris (Zahid Ahmed), is sweetly counting the days to their wedding, while two-timing her with the very well-connected Mifra (Suhai Abro).

Author Khalilur Rehman Qamar’s heroes are those willing to sacrifice everything for love. Iqbal Munna (Humayun Saeed) may be a small-time goon, but his love is sincere and seems somehow pure and naïve compared to Faris’ more calculated moves. Scenes of Humayun Saeed and Adnan Siddiqui, as two deadly gangsters having an existential crisis over marriage, with dry, deadpan humour, is what makes this show so much fun.

What To Watch Out For (or not)

Habeel Aur Qabeel | Geo TV, Coming soon

Nawal Saeed plays a manipulative girl who jumps from one rich man (Asad Siddiqui) to his even richer brother (Aagha Ali) in this upcoming show.

Published in Dawn, ICON, June 9th, 2024