I am happy to say Numm is getting better and better. I was quite skeptical in the beginning but have been won over. I still say the ‘Fawad Khan Factor’ is a big attraction but this serial is nuanced, deep and well made enough to make me excited for it every week. My only reservations are that this does not turn into the two women fighting over a man scenario remains balanced.

Neelam seems to have accepted her marriage to Wali but not her situation in life. She was rude and dismissive towards Mahjabeen from the beginning but after Barey Saheb’s talk with her, like a spoiled child Neelam realizes she can get away with even more bad behavior than she thought. I think Kanza Wyne may have a little to learn in the acting department but she is doing a good job in front to heavyweights like Fawad Khan and Sanya Saeed. Kanza plays Neelam with such force and adds an element of much needed energy to the story. Compared to her, Wali Bakht and poor Mahjabeen are like sleepwalkers living their lives according to Sekander Bakht’s wishes as if they have no other choice.

I am so glad Fawad Khan has chosen to play a different kind of character to Zaroon ,Asher et al. Wali is so quiet and subdued , lulled to sleep by the luxury he lives in . It shows how much Mahjabeen has influenced his character, he even sounds a little like her when he tells Neelam off. I can just imagine Mahjabeen explaining life to him in exactly those controlled but kind tones. He is upset with Neelam’s attitude to Mahjabeen without openly acknowledging it which leads to a confrontation and the resounding slap we saw in the promos. I was fully expecting Neelam to slap him back.However, she stood there in shock, which is natural but there should have been more to her reactions.For me at least some of the energy was lost. Actually I wish Dramas did not have these scenes ,I did not like it in ZGH ether. It is almost as if these dramas are trying to make violence look attractive ..it is most certainly NOT and should not be in  any relationship  which is in anyway happy or normal.

Fawad is perfect as Wali, his mannerisms, the body language even his short sentences are all working perfectly to define this character, avoiding that generic “hero” personality we see in so many plays. I really liked the bus ride to Lahore. Neelam is so excited to ride the bus and get away from Mahjabeen. She literally orders Wali to come with her, then falls asleep on his shoulder which irritates him .When she wakes up she is just as annoyed at finding herself in such a position. Neelam challenges Wali on every occasion and is not intimidated by him for a moment.  This is the charm of her character. Wali has been raised by Mahjabeen so is unlikely to be impressed by bad manners or headstrong behavior. Having said that there is certain chemistry between Neelam and Wali that is like a slow fuse, which may light up at some point if Neelam can keep her mouth shut.

Poor Mahjabeen, doomed to be the mazloom Aurat in this serial at least. When Neelam drags Wali off to a common bus to travel to Lahore, she is like a mother following her child at an enforced distance while he discovers the dangers of this world. When Neelam insults her for the umpteenth time she finally shows some sign of being a human being rather than the efficient robot. Finally, Mahjabeen remembers a time when she too had some status other than Wani, when she too had someone who loved her. Flashback, to show Sarmad Khoosat rocking a big Zamindar type tache and in full: lala Sudhir/ Punjabi hero mode.From one of the Numm Facebook pages I think (correct me if I am wrong) this MIGHT be Wali’s uncle whose death Wali’s father sets out to avenge leading to the blood feud and present situation. Sanya and Sarmad looked kind of sweet and actually quite adorable compared to the clashes between Neelam and Wali. At the moment I think Sanya Saeed is being wasted in this role but hopefully it gets more complex later.

This serial is become very interesting and is much better than the promos. Some of the scenes are a little long but and the interiors badly lit which I think has been done in the name of “atmosphere” but I am sure there are better ways of doing this. Will everyone hit me if I say I wish Sarmad Khoosat had directed this?  After having said that, full credit to Ahsan Talish for making this drama work really well. He has woven the scenes of such few characters in such a fascinating way it makes what seems to be a low production budget irrelevant in front of the high quality of this drama.  Ahsan Talish has managed to make a rather old story line both compelling and even a little mysterious. The script writer, Myra Sajid has done a commendable job with characters that are not all bad and certainly not all good. Though I may not like their behavior at times, each character’s motivations and personality are clear and well rounded. The best part is I can empathize with each one of them as people caught up in a situation which seems to be out of their control.

I am covering for maria who will be back next week :)

Written By Sadaf