The pair of Farhat Ishtiaq and Momina Duraid has given us the mega blockbuster Humsafar and the unforgettable Mata e Jaan. This time around, the duo is back with a new venture Mere Humdum Mere Dost directed by Shehzad Kashmiri airing on Fridays on Urdu 1. When I hear the name Momina Duraid, I can vouch for high production values and a melodious soundtrack and here again, she delivers on both counts.
Our story begins with a mama’s boy, Sahir, whining to his mommy about not wanting to leave Pakistan. Enter Taufeeq Kamal (Farhan Agha)- a pushy father who had planned out exactly what he wants for his 18 year old son and dictates every breath he takes. Life mein koi kal nahin hota, jin logo ko kuch karna hota hai who aaj ko important samajhte hain. Taufeeq is a successful businessman who thrives on control. He is articulate and refined and expects nothing less of his spouse. His wife, Almas (Zainab Qayyum) is his perfect match- strong, confident, educated and beautiful. However, Almas happens to be his second wife. Years ago, Taufeeq was married to his cousin Zainab (Nazli Nasr)- a marriage he didn’t want but was forced into upon the insistence of his mother. Soon after her death, he wanted to rid himself of Zainab as she was everything he despised- ek unparhh jaahil mamooli shakl o surat ki aurat but Zainab, fearing the label of a divorcee promised she would never reach out to him but wanted to remain as his wife. She spent her life as a single mom, raising their daughter, Umm e Aiman (Sanam Jung) until she lost the battle to cancer. Shortly before dying, she contacted Taufeeq Kamal and asked him to take responsibility for his daughter. Aiman, who grew up with daddy issues, was the reflection of her mother- a plain Jane without the slightest hint of self- esteem, awkward and extremely self-conscious. Good casting decision- Aiman and her mother look a lot alike.
Taufeeq responded, without any empathy whatsoever and arranged for his friend, Haider Masood to bring Aiman to Karachi since he was traveling. Haider Masood (Adnan Siddiqui) is a close friend of Taufeeq and refers to Almas as Api. A distant relative, maybe? He lives with his Phupi, Bibi (Shameen Hilali) and for a change Adnan Siddiqui, doesn’t have a roving eye! Quite the opposite actually, he seems like an introvert and doesn’t pay attention to women in general. Haider, tasked with the responsibility, drives the distance and brings Aiman to live with him and Bibi until Taufeeq returns. Taufeeq has taken his family to Turkey for Sahir’s admission. Speaking of Turkey, we are introduced to a young couple, Sajeela (Hareem Farooq) and Mazhar (Junaid Khan). The class difference is the topic of discussion since Sajeela’s father distributed his wealth equally between both his daughters and Sajeela financially supports Mazhar’s siblings out of her love for Mazhar. Very little is revealed about them except that they had a tough time getting to the altar.
Will this drama be the next big hit- it’s too early for predictions but I can safely say I have full intentions of tuning in each week and seeing how the story unravels. Farhan Agha looks mighty fine in this role, Adnan Siddiqui is always easy on the eyes, Sanam Jung is the one I’m worried about- after her role as Romaissa, I’ve had it with her tears and majbooriyan. Coincidentally, Sanam’s look, Hassan Noman’s presence (remember the creep Hassan from MSKSH?) and Nabeel’s bedroom are all painful reminders of a drama I’m only too eager to forget! Hope this one doesn’t go that route- fingers crossed!
Kanwal Murtaza
