oor Jahan is the new production on the block. The star-studded series, written by Zanjabeel Asim of Cheekh and Bala fame, aired on a private television channel on May 25. Directed by Musaddiq Malek, the play opens with Saba Hameed as Noor Jahan, reclining on a traditional jhoola while listening to an old song.

It is revealed later on that she has three sons, Hunaid, Safeer and Murad who are all secretly making preparations for their mother’s birthday. Coincidentally, it also happens to be Hunaid’s wife’s birthday who believes that all the preparations are being made in her honour but later realises, that they were all for her mother-in-law who rules the house with an iron fist.

All three of her sons are completely devoted to her and she manipulates them like puppets. Extremely cunning and hard as nails, her smiling exterior masks her true personality which is slowly revealed as the play unfolds. We can see the wheels turning in her head as she plots, conspires and plans every single move to ensure that she is always one step ahead of others.

Married into an extremely wealthy family while not being very well-to-do herself, she had to face the ire of her in laws who severed all ties with her husband, when he married her. Noor Jahan worked hard, built up a jewelry business and established herself as an ambitious and extremely driven business woman. She calls all the shots and wields complete control over her sons whose entire lives have been chalked out by her. Woe betide anyone who dares upset her carefully laid out plans.

Tune in if you are a Saba Hameed fan and like palatial sets, fantastic ostumes and jewelry, because the story is quite hackneyed and the dialogues quite clichéd.

When she discovers that her eldest daughter-in-law is expecting, she immediately decides that it is going to be a boy. Another example is when she marries off her second son against his wishes to an employee’s daughter and although he tries to explain that he is in love with another girl, she, extremely cleverly, manipulates the situation every time he tries to make an effort to speak to her.

Another glaring example is when she plans her youngest son’s nuptials with her brother-in-law’s daughter (who despises her and loses no opportunity to insult and degrade her) in order to avenge for his maltreatment and insulting behaviour. He blames her for all the family feuds and never fails to remind her that she was not worthy of his brother and, by marrying beneath his class, he made one of the biggest mistakes of his life. He also knows how cunning and manipulative she can be and is when it comes to protecting her vested interests.

Saba Hamid has great screen presence and excels in her role as the matriarch who rules her business empire as well as her family with an iron fist. All the supporting actors also perform well, although Safeer’s (Ali Rahman’s) love interest, Maha’s (Zoya Nasir) histrionics do not go down too well. It can be safely said, that Zoya Nasir is the weakest link. Those bee stung lips seem to be doing most of the acting and her pained expression begins to grate on the nerves after a while.

Ali Rehman’s repetitive dialogues also become monotonous. His acting is quite stereotypical. Noor Hassan, who plays Hunaid, the older brother, is a far better actor and has immense screen presence apart from being handsome. Ticks all the boxes.

Nothing much to write home about as this one has nothing new to offer. Umpteen plays have been made where the protagonist is an extremely controlling and overbearing woman who manipulates everyone like puppets on a string.

Kubra as Noor Bano is functional, although she needs to hire a stylist. She looks older than her love interest, Murad (Ali Raza). The woman playing Safina (Hunaid’s wife) is also a large, tall, big-built woman who acts well but again, needs to tone up. She is also very tall and in some scenes appears much taller than Noor Hassan.

Sumbul, Safeer’s wife essayed by actress Hajra Yamin), on the other hand, is short and petite. The contrast between her and Safina is highlighted in one scene where the two stand next to each other, with Safina (Alina Abbas) towering over her.

Nothing much to write home about as this one has nothing new to offer. Umpteen plays have been made where the protagonist is an extremely controlling and overbearing woman who manipulates everyone like puppets on a string. The supporting cast is functional while the star is Saba Hameed who carries the play single-handedly, demonstrating her prowess as an actor par excellence.

Two episodes are telecast every Friday and Saturday at 8pm. Tune in if you are a Saba Hameed fan and like palatial sets, fantastic costumes and jewelry, because the story is quite hackneyed and the dialogues quite clichéd. A one-time watch.

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