new play went on air on January 10. Written by Shahid Dogar, directed by Anjum Shahzad and produced by Multiverse Entertainment, the play has a unique plotline set in an akhara.

Akhara is the word for the ring or arena where wrestling, a popular rural sport that offers young men a chance to display their strength and skills, takes place.

The play opens with the introduction of the two main wrestlers, Dastgir, played by Shamoon Abbasi and Sultan, portrayed by Faraz Farooqui, battling it out in the ring. The hostility between the two is well-known. While Sultan views it as strictly professional rivalry, Dastgir, a gangster, resorts to underhand tactics. He has been given refuge by a landlord in the village.

Frequent references are made to the long-standing rivalry between Sultan’s father Hakim Ali and Chaudhry Riasat essayed by actor Nazar-ul Hassan, who has taken Dastgir under his wing and is training him to defeat Sultan at an upcoming carnival in the village.

Is this merely a wrestling match or a clash of egos? Is it Hakim’s and Chaudry Riasat’s way of battling it out vicariously through their protégés in the akhara? There is definitely more to it than meets the eye. When Dastgir breaks a fellow wrestler’s leg in the ring, Sultan’s mother knows that this is not a mere wrestling match. She begins fearing for her son’s life.

Dil Sher, Sultan’s brother, is a hot-headed and impulsive young man who, when he learns that his brother has been ill-treated by Dastgir on purpose, immediately flies off the handle and promises to repay him in the same coin. He’s played by Feroze Khan.

His attempt is thwarted by his sister, Reshman, essayed by Hina Afridi, who locks him up in his room before he can do something he will regret.

The contrast between the two brothers is quite apparent from the beginning. Sultan is portrayed as older, more mature and wiser; Dil Sher is headstrong and extremely fiery. Sultan is engaged to Hajra, who is his first cousin, and his sister’s best friend. Hajra’s brother, played by Jamshaid, is Dil Sher’s best friend.

Chaudry Riasat’s son, Rustom is an adept boxer who studies at an educational institution in the city. His love interest, Sitara, is played by Sonya Hussyn, in a very glamorous avatar. The son of a landlord, he is extremely possessive about his girlfriend and when a class fellow misbehaves with her, he beats him to a pulp.

…watch a drama unfold in the wrestling ring where old scores are settled

Although Rustom is head over heels in love with Sonya, she does not reciprocate his feelings. She wants to give the relationship more time and does not want to rush into anything.

Rustom takes her and his other two friends to show them the carnival in the village, which is an annual affair and attracts hordes of visitors. As luck would have it, Sitara runs into Dil Sher and voilà! Cupid strikes. The scene where Sonya falls into Dil Sher’s arms is straight out of a film. Both are immediately smitten with each other. Reshman falls for Rustom but is unaware of his identity.

Sultan and Dilsher fight it out in the akhara. To Hakim Ali’s delight, his son Sultan walks off with the trophy. Chaudry Riasat is seething with fury as Dastgir loses. Losing to him is more than being defeated in a match; it is a question of his prestige, honour, pride and standing.

At the receiving end of Hakim Ali’s cutting and sarcastic remarks when his protégé Dastgir loses to his son, Chaudhry Riasat, in the closing scene, he sits brooding over all that was said. One can see the gears turning in his head as he plots and plans his revenge.

The Hakim Ali household rejoices and Sultan is lauded by his father for continuing and upholding the family tradition.

Waseem Abbas as Hakim Ali does a decent job. So does Faraz Farooqui. Sonya, despite the glamour and style, is average. There is zero chemistry between the two leads. Feroze Khan as Dil Sher is passable. He needs to focus more on his acting than his physical appearance. The supporting cast is tolerable but could have been much better and lent greater support to the plotline, which is promising.

Tune in every Wednesday to watch the drama unfold in a wrestling ring where old scores are settled as the titans clash and battle it out. Will Dil Sher also be forced to take up wrestling in line with the family tradition? How will the rivalry unfold between Hakim Ali and Chaudhry Riasat? Will this rivalry be restricted to the akhara or spill over into personal lives?

The writer is an educationist. She can be reached at gaiteeara@hotmail.com