Episode 7 was perhaps one of the most eventful episodes of Aik Nayee Cinderella thus far. It was bubbling with developments and hence made for an engrossing watch.
The relationship of Mayer and Zainee has turned sour and the dreamy romance is treading rough waters as personality clashes surface. The snobbish and irreverent Zainee is now testing the patience of Mayer.There was a lot of confrontation between the two characters in the 7th episode but the two carried it off with finesse instead of going over-board with hysterics.
The formation of the scenes is given a lot of forethought and the transition between them is smooth and evocative. The first confrontational scene for example ends with Ishita running up the gravel stairs built along a lush green hill, her gown flowing as she walks away in slow motion. She gradually goes out of focus and Mayer in his puffy shirt and waist-coat struts down the path in ire. The shot pans out and eventually focuses on the countenance of a satiated Meesha. Woven with melodious violin music playing in the background the sequence was straight out of an enchanting folklore.
The background music is mesmerizing and the befitting orchestra breathes life into the picturisation, glazing it with the feel of a fairytale saga.
The treatment of this serial is unconventional and so refreshing. The visuals continue to be opulent in Haissam’s signature style; the dense forest and the floating mist giving the scenes a haunting dimension.
Mayer is relentless in attempting to thaw the frosting relationship between his mother and lady love but is met by a fiercely indignant Zaini.
Ishita continues to impress with her punchy dialogue delivery and curt expressions as a calculating and smug opportunist.She is intransigent and employs tactics to invoke jealousy in Mayer but all in vain. Meher on her part tries to knock sense into her stubborn daughter and issues her a categorical caveat to not let her stubborn behaviour jeopardize her prospects with a great catch like Mayer. By this point ofcourse much water has flown under the bridge.
An angst-ridden Mayer who hitherto didn’t give Meesha as much as a second glance and cringed at her erratic behaviour, now interacts with her with a different frame of mind. He seems to be getting lured by her simplicity and innocence. The two now are cozying up to each other and alas, Meesha sees a glimmer of hope. She does her level best at the same time to poison Mayer and Bano against Meesha. Even Bano on her part has civil interactions with Meesha for once.
Mayer’s character who has been very soft spoken and a dignified gentleman, shows shades of anger for the first time but is careful not to lose character in his bouts of aggression. Osman Khalid Butt carefully maintains an inherent grace that is pertinent to his role and embodies a restraint even when he is seething.
His character is somewhat offbeat for Pakistani dramas. He adds a very unique subtext to it and imbibes his role to the hilt, baring testimony to the command he enjoys over his craft as a mature actor. Osman’s posture is well crafted and gait carefully choreographed while he gives due attention to voice modulation. He cleverly gives slight variations in his expression during pauses which prevents his character, that of a stiff aristocrat, from becoming wooden. This gives Mayer a much needed element of realism and depth. Hats off to Osman for a sensitive rendition of this challenging role which he has enacted with élan.
Faizan Khawaja, it goes without saying has a very likeable character to play and he is effortless and spot on as the do-gooder. He thankfully doesn’t become nauseatingly nice and sketches a very interesting character that has shades of mischief resulting in a multi-dimensional ‘Romaan’.
While Meher tries to guide her daughter into being more rational, Roman as always is the voice of reason vis-à-vis Meesha, reprimanding her at every juncture. She like a fire-cracker explodes and fizzles out, oscillating between excitement and listening calmly to Romaan’s musings with a dawning realization.
Maya continues to charm through her animated and boisterous portrayal and lights up the screen each time.
Roman’s scenes with Amy (Warda Butt) are humorous and endearing and are likely to prompt a smile. She fancies him and throws subtle hints his way in her usual goofy style.
Surprisingly, Amy has competition in the shape of Romaan’s distant aunt Suraiya (Laila Zubairi)! There is a great element of shock in this episode with what Suraiya trying to woo a very distraught Romaan, a prospective pillar of support in her old age. The scenes between the two are bound to make your eyeballs pop out and make you giggle at Suraiya’s newly acquired persona of being coy and feigning a sudden overwhelming concern for Romaan.
As the story moves on at a feverish pace, a new and intriguing sub-plot seems to be developing with the entry of the formidable Qavi Khan in the avatar of a feudal lord, potentially a dark character. With a large turban nestled on his head and his entourage of helpers in tow, he alludes to unnamed individuals with an air of mystery. This is followed by debutante Mukarram Kaleem’s introductory shot, first revealing his back and then moving to his face, keeping an element of suspense about him. In a round cap, wrapped up in a large shawl and flaunting a moustache he appears to be an interesting character.
There is definitely much to look forward to in the forthcoming episodes and the team of Aik Nayee Cinderella deserves an applause for producing a dynamic product for viewers which entertains them each week.
Written by Syed Abbas Hussain
Bio: Syed Abbas Hussain is is a freelance journalist who has previously written articles for tribune and Dawn, and currently heads a school project and is a theatre actor.
