his play, directed by Badar Mehmood, starring Fahad Mustafa (returning to the small screen after almost a decade) and Hania Aamir started airing a few weeks ago. The story has been penned by Farhat Ishtiaq of Humsafar fame and co-produced by Fahad Mustafa and Dr Ali Kazmi,

The first episode of Kabhi Main, Kabhi Tum opens with wedding celebrations in full swing at Iftikhar’s house. His son is getting hitched to his friend’s daughter, Sharjeena. Veteran actor Javed Sheikh plays Iftikhar. His wife, Shagufta, is played by Bushra Ansari. Sharjeena is portrayed by Hania Amir.

Sharjeena and her sister, Yumna, are both being wedded off together so there is a double reason to celebrate at the bride’s household. Their father Murtaza, played by Tauseeq Haider, is an old friend of Iftikhar’s. Meeting by chance after a long time, they decide to get their children married.

Adeel, played by Emmad Irfani, is Iftikhar’s elder son. Extremely well-groomed and handsome, he works in a senior management position in a company. His brother Mustafa, played by Fahad Mustafa, is an expert hacker who has not excelled academically. He has a couple of friends and spends the entire day loitering around with them, much to the chagrin of his father.

The wedding is only a week away when a new character, Rubab, makes an entry. Learning accidentally that he is getting married, she professes her love for Adeel. Rubab is the daughter of the owner of the company Adeel works for. He’s taken aback at first but, after assessing the situation, realizes that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to that should not to be missed. He is depicted as a go-getter and very ambitious.

Adeel thus decides to break his engagement to Sharjeena and instead marry Rubab, whom he sees as his ticket to the life he has always dreamed of. He dreams of shifting to an expensive locality and believes that his entire family will benefit as a result. However, his shocked father disowns him and throws him out of the house. Iftikhar, a more principled person, believes that there is more to life than money, status and luxury.

Kudos to the director for extracting stellar performances from each member of the cast.

Sharjeena puts on a bold face but her parents and an aunt who has arrived from Dubai are very disturbed. Sharjeena finds an ally and a friend in Mustafa. She asks him to marry her, now that his brother has broken the engagement. This is where the episode ends.

So will Adeel come to regret his decision? Will Mustafa accept Sharjeena’s proposal? Will the two families come around to the idea of Mustafa marrying Sharjeena? The play is off to a promising start. It is refreshing to see Fahad Mustafa on the screen after a hiatus. Both Javed Sheikh and Bushra Ansari are dependable and efficient as always and enact their parts well.

The supporting cast helps move the narrative forward. The dialogues, story screenplay and direction are commendable. Emmad Irfani is particularly impressive. Kudos to the director for extracting stellar performances from each member of the cast.

Airing every Monday and Tuesday, the pairing of Hania Aamir and Fahad Mustafa is something to watch this drama for. Is this just another love story or is there more to it than meets the eye at first? Will Adeel ever manage to reconcile with his father or will they remain estranged for the rest of their lives?

Adeel and Mustafa look poles apart. Adeel is completely focused on his career and ambition. He breaks his engagement to Sharjeena to marry his boss’s daughter, apparently seeing this as his opportunity to escape his middle class life. Mustafa despite his shortcomings, is a warm, welcoming and unassuming character.

Keep watching to see how the plot unfolds and whether the play manages to live up to the hype created by the return of Fahad Mustafa and his on screen chemistry with Hania Amir.

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