he new kid on the block is a drama called Bismil starring Hareem Farooq, Nauman Ijaz, Sawera Nadeem and Saad Qureshi. It has been penned by Zanjabeel Asim Shah of Balaa and Cheekh fame and directed by Aehson Talish. The story revolves around Masooma, played by Hareem Farooq, who dreams of becoming super wealthy and hates her middle class status. She also nurtures a deep-seated hatred for the rich, comparing them with vultures who feast on middle class people to further their interests and make money.

But there is a catch; while Masooma harbours resentment for the rich, she also loathes her middle class status and her simple lifestyle. Deep down, she wants to live like the rich. It is not as if she doesn’t have things she should be grateful for. Her father, the manager of a company, made sure that she, an only child, attends the best of colleges.

Masooma has no qualms about using his company transportation to ferry her around to her social meet ups and hates travelling by public transport as she pretends to be somebody she is not.

When her lifelong friend Zohaib, portrayed by Asad Siddiqi, proposes to her, she fobs him off on the pretext that she has just finished her studies and wants to enjoy her life. Then, life takes a sudden unexpected turn when her father has an accident.

The culprit is Moosa, son of Tauqeer, a business tycoon. Veteran actor Nauman Ijaz plays Tauqeer. Although the son absconds from the scene of the accident, his father traces the victim and promises to foot the bill for all his medical expenses.

Meanwhile, Masooma demands that her father be shifted to a private hospital. All her demands are met by Tauqeer. He also sends his wife, Reham Tauqeer, played by Sawera Nadeem, and Moosa to enquire after his health.

When Reham and her son visit Masooma’s father in hospital, Masooma is taken aback by the uber expensive accessories of the lady and sees this as her ticket to wealth. Her father loses his job as he becomes paralysed and is confined to a wheelchair.

Masooma requests Moosa for a job and lands a job at their company. She has her eyes set on trapping this scion of a business empire worth billions but is disappointed when she sees his former girlfriend turn up and get engaged to Moosa. Not to be discouraged, she sets her sights on his father and very cleverly ensnares him.

Although the plotline is hackneyed and has been done to death, the play slowly pulls the viewers in and they become engrossed in the story.

Masooma is asked to organise an event at Tauqeer’s house. She sneaks into his bedroom on the pretext of freshening up. When asked by the couple why she’s there, she says she was looking for the powder room. Will she succeed in becoming the future Mrs Tauqeer or will her efforts prove futile? Keep watching to see how this play unfolds.

It seems that Masooma will stop at nothing to exploit this ‘opportunity’ to have the wealth she dreams of. She is ruthless, cunning, extremely ambitious and a great pretender. When she sees that the son’s romantic interests lie elsewhere, she very quickly diverts her attention to his father who she can tell has a soft spot for her and not knowing what she is up to, panders to her whims.

Although the story is extremely clichéd, it moves at a good pace. The misery when Masooma’s father loses the use of his legs has not been drawn out. The scenes are short and the story moves quickly.

Zohaib, Masooma’ long lost friend, finds out that she has no plans to marry him. He then asks his mother to look for a potential bride for him, which she does and he gets engaged. Masooma’s mother keeps trying to persuade her to marry him as the family is known to them and the boy is settled and has a good income. However, she refuses to marry him because she is looking for a life he can never give her.

Eventually, Masooma passes scathing remarks about Zohaib which he overhears. He realises then that he has been chasing a mirage and that Masooma never had any intentions of marrying him but was only using him to ferry her to and from the office.

Will Tauqeer fall for Masooma? Will she end up marrying him? What will be his son’s reaction who is portrayed as being extremely possessive about both his parents? The father and son often engage in light hearted banter and have a great relationship. They are shown as a close-knit family. Will Masooma be successful in breaking up this family?

Although the plotline is hackneyed and has been done to death, the play slowly pulls the viewers in and they become engrossed in the story. Nauman and Sawera are both seasoned actors and Hareem also enacts her part well.

Can be seen once to while away a lazy Sunday afternoon.

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