A review on Pakistani Drama TV Series, Diyar-e-Dil (2015) aka The Valley of the Heart. Its Production House is MD Productions while its Distributors are Hum Network Limited and MD Productions.
+ Crew
- Directed by Haseeb Hassan
- Written by Farhat Ishtiaq
- Director of Photography by Zeb Rao
- Theme Composed by Bilal Allah Dita & Shani Arshad
- Created & Produced by Momina Duraid
+ Note
Diyar-e-Dil aired on Hum TV from 17th Mar 2015 – 27th Oct 2015. In total it consists of 33 episodes. It is based on the same name novel ‘Dayar-e-Dil’ by Farhat Ishtiaq. The Editing is done by Mehmood Ali Areeb. Its Opening Song “Yar-e-Man” is sang by Zebunnisa Bangash and Ending Song “Goyanke Ishq” by Momin Durani.
The locations for shoot are Skardu; Gilgit–Baltistan and Lahore; Punjab. This TV series follows the lives of a dysfunctional family led by Agha Jaan and his grandchildren, Wali and Farah. It concludes moral lessons regarding respect, love and care in relationships.
Diyar-e-Dil has received critical acclaim and won 12 awards at 4th Hum Awards the most for the ceremony including, Best Drama Serial – Jury and Best Drama Serial – Popular for Momina Duraid, Best Director Drama Serial for Haseeb Hassan, Best Actress – Popular for Maya Ali, Best Actor – Jury for Meekal Zulfiqar, Best Actor – Popular for Osman Khalid Butt, Best Writer Drama Serial for Farhat Ishtiaq and Best Original Soundtrack for Shani Arshad. At 15th Lux Style Awards, it won 2 awards including Best TV Play and Best Original Soundtrack for Duraid and was nominated for Best TV Actor, Best TV Actress, Best TV Writer, and Best TV Director.
There may be SPOILERS ahead!
+ Main Cast
- Abid Ali as Bakhtiyar Khan/ Agha Jan
- Mikaal Zulfiqar as Behroze Bakhtiyar Khan
- Ali Rehman Khan as Suhaib Bakhtiyar Khan
- Sanam Saeed as Ruhina Behroze Khan
- Hareem Farooq as Arjumand Suhaib Khan
- Osman Khalid Butt as Wali Suhaib Khan
- Maya Ali as Faarah Wali Khan
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+ Supportive Cast
- Ahmad Zeb as Moeiz Tajamul
- Behroze Sabzwari as Tajamul Arsalan
- Maryam Nafees as Zarminey Suhaib Khan
- Tara Mahmood as Zuhra Tajamul
- Eshita Mehboob as Laila Feroze Khan
- Rasheed Naz as Bedar Khan
- Azra Mansoor as Yasmeen Bedar Khan
+ Plot
It follows from where the disturbance occurs in the lives of Agha Jaan’s wealthy tribal joint family due to their eldest son, Behroze’s decision of marrying elsewhere.
+ High Points
i – This is best performance I have watched up till now of Mikaal Zulfiqar, who acted splendidly as Behroze Bakhtiyar Khan.
ii – Sanam Saeed as Ruhina shown as mean, cold heart old woman who has gained a great dislike and hatred for her husband’s family / her in-laws after disowning them for their will. It is always a welcome to have her on-board.
iii – The performance given by Maya Ali as blunt mouth, out spoken, immature, confused girl ‘Farah’ is worthy to watch and has able to regain her status as good actress. Her previous performance I have watched was in ‘Mann Mayal’ (2016) which then made me seriously to avoid watching any of her projects for a long time until now. Other Honorable Mentions: Abid Ali, Ali Rehman Khan, Ahmed Zeb, Behroze Sabzwari, Hareem Farooq and Osman Khalid Butt.
iv – The story’s opening and its ending is strongly written. A solid opening gives a good impression while a decent ending gives an everlasting reputable impression. This has worked well with many different media adaptations and projects alike. One of the most popular current examples can be given of the Hollywood comic film ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012).
v – The last three episodes are dedicated to a proper, detailed ending. It is rare to see this in TV series or films even. Here the writer and director made a well-earned decision and stick by it to have a respectable, memorable finale.
vi – The direction of this TV series is praise worthy. This is the first project I have watched of Haseeb Hassan and it is safe to say that it is a very decent work. Good job!
vii – The performances by the entire cast is superb. The real credit goes to the director, Haseeb Hassan as it is his responsibility to make sure to get realism from his cast members according to their respected characters and how the script demands it to be.
viii – The strong emotional link which was established in the start between the main characters and the viewers was really heart touching. The deaths of main characters made the viewers’ feel for their great loss and have gained emphatic link for them.
ix – The production design has given noble efforts to fulfill it in most decent manner. This can be seen in its entire series.
+ Low Points
i – The body of the story is very weak especially keeping it in the view that this is total 33 episodes drama series. In the start, the strong interest level lasts till 14 – 15 episodes while the interest level is gained back to the viewers in the last five episodes (i.e. from 29th – 33rd).
In the mid of the episodes, the writer has stretched this drama as long as possible with similar repeated story issues of getting emotional black mailed, Aga Jan’s heart conditions, Moeiz & Wali’s feud and believing every love support is a lie. The interest level of the mid story starts to deteriorate just like slow poisoning. I literally thought it may eventually end up similar to the in-fame TV drama series ‘Mann Mayal’ (2016) but thank God it does not. If it wasn’t for the review, I may have gave up watching in the mid of the episodes.
ii – The logic of the drama is that if a female character is wearing ‘Hair Band’ then she is childish while if the same character stops wearing it the next day, has now become a mature person.
Likewise, they play comic score only when they want their viewers not to take us serious in their particular scenes / moments. Mind you that there is no comic relief character in this drama series.
There are many examples including when Wali finds Moeiz & Farah having dinner behind his back and catches Moeiz proposing to Farah for engagement, Wali confronts them. At that same scene, the comic score is played when the jealousy is shown between the two guys while in the same scene a serious score is suddenly played when Wali makes Farah realizes that she is still his wife and if wanted, can force her to go with him to his home town. WTF?
And I would never dine in those restaurants if I find them completely empty while having waiters only.
iii – If the family is living from generations to generations at Gilgit-Baltistan area then why does their accent is in Urdu for? Only in some minor scenes in the start we are shown that the same characters are now speaking their origin accent.
iv – I believe that the negativity of Moeiz’s nature should have been kept hidden till when he faces Ruhi and exposes his true intentions then & there. It would have been a good twist but it is the writer’s / director’s call in the end.
v – I don’t understand that if this TV series is good budgeted and has an experienced crew working on it then why its visual effects are equivalent to the ranks of a student’s film? Example: In the starting of the episodes, it clearly shows that the cast is standing in front of a green screen where their surroundings is artificial and when the main characters are looking at the pictures on the wall are not actual photographs but visually inserted there to look as they are real photos.
vi – After Arjumand’s refusal to Ruhi on the marriage proposal for their children, Arjumand realizes later on that Farah is really innocent and convinces her son of it too. But they never care to show how and when Arjumand has made her peaceful ties with Ruhi again but that everyone is now living happily together as joint family.
+ Overall
Diyar-e-Dil is a close adaptation of the novel by Farhat Ishtiaq, good performance with emotional bond have made the viewers’ fall in love with the characters instantly. Though, it is burdened with absence of ideas on how to progress the story while preserving the interest level till its end and the supposedly fainting love triangle among Farah and her beaus which lacked serious interactions that could produce good chemistry.
Rate: 3.25 out of 5 stars
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