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Instep lists down prominent drama serials that have or will hit the small screen in the first quarter of 2020.
There are several promising drama serials presently on-air, offering a variety of genres and strong performances. The list includes Sajal Aly and Hamza Ali Abbasi starrer Alif, Ehd e Wafa featuring Ahmed Ali Akbar, Ahad Raza Mir, Osman Khalid Butt and Wahaj Ali in key roles, Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir starrer Yeh Dil Mera and Ruswai with Sana Javed as the protagonist, who is a rape survivor.
However, most of these stories are nearing their end with only a few episodes left. Two months into 2020, multiple new narratives have or are lined up to hit the small screen in the coming days, featuring some promising names from the industry. Here is a list...
Faysal Qureshi-starrer, upcoming drama serial Muqaddar is picking up a lot of hype ever since teasers came out earlier this month. He features as a politician, named Saif ur Rehman while Madiha Imam, who last appeared with him in Baba Jani (2018), essays the role of a broadcast journalist, named Raima. Saif ur Rehman is married for 25 years but doesn’t share a good relationship with his wife, who is familiar with her husband’s changing love interests. This time around, he falls in love with Raima, after she interviews him; he cages her and then forcefully marries her given how powerful he is. Strong headed and vocal, Raima speaks ill of him on his face but this only makes things worse for her. Whether she is able to get out of Saif ur Rehman’s trap or suffers through it, we will know once Muqaddar goes on air. The story looks promising and offers a break from “saas-bahu clashes,” as Faysal Qureshi puts it. It also throws light on the toxic masculinity prevalent in our society.
Ishqiya that went on air earlier this month also seems to break away from domestic and/or social issues. It is a love story at heart with Feroze Khan, Ramsha Khan, Hania Aamir and Gohar Rasheed essaying prominent roles. Feroze plays the aggressive Hamza, who is in love with his university fellow Hamna (Ramsha) for four years. Hamna is also in love with him but she ends up agreeing to marry someone else because of her ailing father’s emotional pressure. Hamna’s sister, Roomi (Hania), on the other hand, is carefree and doesn’t complain about anything in life.
Though the plot is ordinary, the treatment and performances are worth watching; there is a bit of comic element too while the drama looks closer to reality. With a new episode scheduled to air tomorrow, let’s see what it has to offer!
One drama serial that attracted a lot of criticism after the initial teasers released is Jhooti that also went on-air earlier this month. With Iqra Aziz headlining the titular role, the drama revolves around a woman, Nirma, faking domestic violence and abuse after she gets married against her will. Nirma is very materialistic and can go to any extent for material gains; she manipulates everyone around her, including her family, to achieve her dreams. Jhooti did receive backlash for portraying a woman who lies about domestic violence when society is already unfair to women in such matters. However, with just two episodes out, it is too early to comment on what the drama aims to achieve. One hopes Jhooti adds a constructive perspective on the issue of domestic violence rather than just sensationalizing it for the sake of ratings.
Khoobseerat, as the name suggests, is an upcoming drama serial that revolves around the life of a beautiful and good-natured young woman, Dilkash. However, she struggles with walking and that reduces her chances of getting married. Everyone refuses to marry her after learning about her condition. Essayed by Kiran Haq, who is also a part of ongoing drama serials Ramz e Ishq and Darr Khuda Say, Dilkash is heartbroken after repeatedly presenting herself in front of people and facing rejection. So much so, that she requests her family to stop thinking about her marriage. How does she deal with the situation and whether she finds something worthwhile to look forward to in life other than marriage, one will have to wait until the drama goes on air.
With Yumna Zaidi and Bilal Abbas Khan playing lead roles, Pyar Ke Sadqay is also an unusual watch on the small screen these days. The two are seen in unconventional roles; they are naive and innocent compared to other people their age. Hence, they struggle being accepted by others, including their blood relations. Mahjabeen (Yumna) is super happy after she finally gets engaged (to a doctor), played by Khalid Malik, while Abdullah (Bilal) is upset since her love interest Shanze (Yashma Gill) rejects him. Being his friend, Mahjabeen stands by Abdullah and wishes the best for him. There is a rather unusual twist in the story: Abdullah’s father, essayed by Omair Rana, likes Mahjabeen and wants to marry her, despite a wife (Atiqa Odho) at home. Let’s see how the narrative unfolds in the coming episodes.
