inally, a play shot in London. The first episode of Meri Tanhai starring Kubra Khan and Azaan Sami Khan was aired at the end of December. It was quite difficult to sit through as the story appeared to be quite clichéd.

But let us be optimistic and hope that the play, directed by Meer Sikander and produced by Momina Duraid, will pick up pace once Khizar, played by Azaan Sami Khan, lands in London. In the first episode, Khizar and Maliha are first cousins and enjoy a good rapport. Khizar’s father is Maliha’s maternal uncle. Everything is perfect and proceeding smoothly until Khizar throws a spanner in the works and announces that he is not interested in the family business and wants to go to London for his master’s. He drops a bombshell by saying that he has procured admission in London Business School and wants to stand on his own two feet rather than take over the reins of the family business.

His parents are taken aback and refuse permission. Khizar is determined and will not let them stand in his way. When the pressure to give up on his London dream increases, he emotionally blackmails his parents by threatening to leave the house and does. His father finally manages to trace his whereabouts and takes him home.

Khizar’s grandfather, played by Javed Sheikh, has to mediate between him and his parents. He agrees to let him leave for the United Kingdom in order to study but on one condition. You guessed it; he has to first get engaged to his cousin, Maliha.

A candid conversation between the two cousins ensues and he promises that, although he sees her as a younger sister, he will try his best to work on his feelings for her when they get engaged. Khizar’s paternal uncle, played by Syed Jibran, appears to have a chip on his shoulder and avoids family events and gatherings. Why? Well, that is something that will hopefully be revealed as the play proceeds.

Judging by the first episode, the play appears to be highly predictable and promises nothing new. However, things might change and, if one’s an optimist, one can keep watching, hoping and praying that they do.

The first episode of the play was not promising at all. Azaan appeared to be sleep walking through his role. Somehow the hackneyed plot and clichés being spouted by the parents and the grandfather made it extremely monotonous. The story appears to be very predictable (boy goes to London to study and ends up falling for a girl he meets there and thereafter, breaks off his engagement to his cousin in Pakistan) and has been done to death but for all one knows the viewers might be in for a surprise. The play might take an unexpected turn over the next few episodes.

However, if the story proceeds as expected, then it will be difficult to sit through it. The characters introduced so far are extremely lackluster and uninspiring. All of them have done this a million times before. The acting is below average and lacks conviction. Monotony creeps in and it is a little hard to digest the fact that the viewers can still lap up the same stories, clichéd dialogues and half-baked characters and not be bored.

The story has been penned by Shazia Atta Humayun, a novelist and former editor of a magazine. She appears to be a new entrant so let’s try, as viewers, to give her the benefit of the doubt and hope that she will manage to salvage the play and the story will pick up momentum when new characters are introduced. Otherwise, at least, we can enjoy a virtual holiday in London, if nothing else.

Changing the setting to a foreign locale might infuse novelty in the script but generally, the story, characters, acting and direction are what elevate the quality of the play and what the views remember, long after the play concludes. Will this story follow the tried and tested path? Can the viewers expect the play to eventually pick up momentum? Will the dialogues become more relatable? Will the characters introduced later on manage to salvage the production?

All that can be done with this one is to wait and watch. Judging by the first episode, the play appears to be highly predictable and promises nothing new. However, things might change and, if one’s an optimist, one can keep watching, hoping and praying that they do. Otherwise, there are plenty of fish in the sea. Remember, viewers can no longer be taken for granted. They are spoilt for choice and for obvious reasons far more discerning than their counterparts a decade earlier.

Tune in to Meri Tanhai if you are a fan of Azaan or Kubra or want a free sightseeing tour of London. Otherwise, go for something that promises to be deeper and more meaningful. Keeping fingers crossed for the next episode.

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