Humsafar is over – but it has left us with many things to write about which we, at least here on DramaPakistani.net, hope other producers/directors will note in order to improve the quality of drama serials that will hit our screens in the near and distant future.

1) A fresh lead pair

With Fawad Khan and Sanam Baloch coming together in Dastaan, Akbari Asghari AND Kuch Pyar Ka Pagalpan, it was refreshing to see Mahira Khan doing the female lead opposite Fawad Khan. The presence of Naveen Waqar in her debut role, as the third link in the love triangle was also very pleasant, especially as Naveen shone through in terms of her acting and her spot-on expressions. Thumbs up to Sarmad Khoosat, the director, who was able to bring out the best from both Mahira and Naveen, as well as the rest of the cast.

2) Gray characters

There are quite literally, very few serials who have gray characters, that is, characters who have both positive and negative qualities. In many cases, the extent to which a serial is elongated in terms of story depends on one “vamp” character, either male of female. Take him or her out, and the entire story would fall on its face. This did not happen with Humsafar, where every character had some negative qualities.

Khirad was sweet but too naive and unsuspecting in the beginning. Ashar was caring but he would not communicate. Sarah was very calculating BUT she did not let Ashar and Khirad’s marriage break her (until the end, anyway). I cannot think of anything positive for Fareeda, but the point is, if you take Fareeda out of the drama serial, you would still have a story (relationship of Ashar and Khirad, Hareem’s illness, and so on).

3) Professional production

I feel bad even writing this but most production houses these days are presenting drama serials with sloppy editing, numerous bloopers involving continuity of props and wardrobe, inappropriate dialogues and an overall disinterested approach in the way the final product is present. (No, I am not just referring to ONE serial here; there are numerous that fit this description).

Humsafar had its fair share of bloopers BUT the production was excellent. Kudos to Momina Duraid and her MD Productions for ensuring that the editing was crisp, the quality of picture and sound was excellent, and the background score blended perfectly with the dialogues. The direction was at its best – again, credit goes to Sarmad Khoosat.

This is not even rocket science – most production houses and directors can achieve this level of professionalism if they only put some time and effort towards their finished product and not compromise on quality in order to ensure the serial goes on air sooner.

4) Excellent marketing

In this day and age, when there are so many drama serials, it is extremely important to market a serial well. Humsafar’s marketing was done commendably – promos were released on time, the complete OST was made available well before the serial started, and of course, professional portraits of lead characters was done. Photographs of the shoot were uploaded everywhere, and most important, this marketing was done such that none of the crucial bits were given away. No promos of Hareem were released beforehand and till the very end, no one knew exactly how the serial would end. With most other dramas, the marketing is below the mark – either it is too much and gives away every single detail of the plot OR it is totally non-existent. Humsafar struck a critical balance and hit the jackpot (sorry, I could NOT resist this cliche!).

5) An ordinary story – told beautifully

I totally agree with all Humsafar critics that the story was nothing out of the ordinary. We have watched numerous drama serials which have a similar plot line. What made Humsafar distinct was the way the story was told, in terms of dialogue and pace – as SZ wrote in numerous comments and reviews, it showed a “mature” love story. In a country where many marriages are still arranged, there is little surprise most of the younger audience was mesmerized by the way Khirad and Ashar fell in love with each other AFTER marriage.

The story of Sarah was more developed than in the novel and made the audience sympathize with her as well as feel incensed at her.  The track about Khizar was also added further to include the events after his return from America. In other words, Farhat Ishtiaq broadened her original plot and ensured that her audience were not left wondering what happened to the other characters in the end. All loose ends were tied up in the end, and the audience were left with a smile on their faces.

So there you have it – my top five reasons for Humsafar being popular. There were many more, of course: excellent acting, emotional appeal in the form of an ill child, “outdoor” sets when required, more action and less over-talking, and of course, visuals of all the best scenes from the novel. However, I would credit its popularity chiefly to the aforementioned five. Will other production houses/directors take a leaf out of Sarmad Khoosat’s masterpiece? I sure hope so!

Written by Drama Buff ([email protected])

PS: This “PS” should have been in the “comment” section of the finale, but I thought I’d write it here in order to make it more prominent. This is for Mahira Khan: Thank you for visiting DramaPakistani.net and commenting on the finale post. I know I am a very “ruthless” critic at times, especially when I get too involved in a drama serial. As SZ said, it was nothing personal, and purely objective critique. I am glad to know you read my reviews, and hope to see you back in another drama serial!