First of all apologies for a late review, I was busy baking Birthday cakes and saving the Universe from imminent doom so I didn’t get to watch Goya till late Sunday let alone write anything up. Probably very few people in Pakistan even noticed as the power grids were offline but hopefully things are back to normal by now. This week’s episode belonged squarely to the director Faiz and Sana Javaid. I was fully expecting to enjoy this week’s episode but I wasn’t expecting to find it so gripping as well.
Omar’s injuries seem to be getting mysteriously worse rather than better and his accident seems all set to ruin Mohini and Asma Mirza financially and emotionally. After having sold all they have for Omar’s first operation, they are told there has to be one more. Mohini just doesn’t have the kind of resources to keep Omar in hospital for that much treatment and in desperation she turns to the only one who does: Rahat Hashmi senior.
Sana Javaid is not only beautiful but this week she proved what a fantastic actress she is. She held her own in the confrontation with Usman Peerzada’s intimidating Rahat, showing Mohini’s vulnerability and strength in equal measure. I loved the scene of her small figure walking up to the Hashmi’s huge mansion; it illustrated her position so well. Only the hardest heart could have remained unmoved by Mohini’s pain as she asks her friend and colleague Nomi how she will live without Omar if something happens to him. She is helpless and holds herself responsible for Omar’s situation. Mohini’s dialogues were heartrending and understated delivery only gave them more impact if only Nomi had maintained his end of the scenes . Oh and that blue shirt … a total distraction from the sentiment of the scenes. Where is the Charming , rather sweet Nomi from the beach party ,and who is this annoying clone ?
Meanwhile at the Hashmi household Haniya (Tara Mahmood) cannot believe how calmly her husband Rahat Hashmi (Usman Peerzada) is taking the news of his son’s accident and subsequent injuries. What she doesn’t know is that Hashmi senior is quite sure of his beloved son’s safety and this is all a game of cat and mouse he is playing to get Mohini out of his son’s life. Haniya is such a nice person it is hard to understand what she sees in her husband; she even offers to pay for Omar’s operation before being forced to withdraw. Director, Faiz has managed to extract a much more controlled performance from Usman Peerzada who borders on the loud side in most of his appearances and it sets just the right tone for this clever serial. I don’t often like Usman Peerzada but here he is perfect. Tara Mahmood’s restrained portrayal of the stepmother caught in the middle of this strange family feud is another highlight in a list of good performances from this drama.
Mohini and Omar’s relationship is at breaking point just as Rahat Hashmi had planned and from the promos it seems as if he is going to ask a heavy price. In her naivety Mohini never questions the Doctor or asks for another opinion, she never questions Rahat Hashmi’s strangely cold blooded attitude either.
I am not happy with the Zaib un Nisa track this week. It was a little early to give away her connection to Senior Hashmi and I would have liked to see a little more subtlety there. The hints are so heavy; very few can have missed the suggestion that Zaib un Nisa is probably Rahat Hashmi’s daughter from some misadventure in Bangladesh. Christina Albert and Asad Siddiqui have become the weak links in this serial. Christina Albert was a little better but her heavy style stands out like a sore thumb among a stellar cast whose subtle, understated style has been the perfect foil to this serial’s thrilling twists and turns.I hope this changes in future episodes.
Again a fabulous, gripping episode from writers Mohammad Ahmed Saheb and Yasir Rana . Thank you director Faiz and team Goya for some great television!
written By Sadaf Haider
