A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay Episode 2 (2021). The new TV series is written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Farooq Rind. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a Momina Duraid Production and currently airs on HUM TV.
(Note: If you’ve already read the review of the previous episode, you can skip directly ahead to the High points section).
+ Crew
- Directed by Farooq Rind
- Written by Umer Ahmed
- Produced by Nina Kashif & Momina Duraid Productions
+ Note
Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay marks 5 years since Mahira Khan appeared in a TV drama and as was the case before, this drama was also originally a novel by Umera Ahmed where the childhood and upbringing play an important part in the main plot of the show. The show deals with dark topics such as drug addiction and its impact on a child’s upbringing.
The show also focuses once again on a love triangle between three cousins who shared a childhood together; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is essentially a case study of internal flaws and unspoken guilts that makes us human and how we learn to cope up in a less than ideal society.
+ Main Cast
- Mahira Khan as Mehreen Mansoor
- Kubra Khan as Mashal Tahir
- Usman Mukhtar as Aswad Ayub
- Omair Rana as Mansoor
- Zainab Qayyum as Shagufta
- Haroon Shahid
- Laila Wasti
- Huma Nawab as Saliha
- Kaif Ghaznavi
- Shamim Hilali as Aswad’s Grandmother
- Khalid Malik
+ Plot
Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a story of three cousins; Mehreen, Mashal and Aswad. Their lives have coincided with each other since childhood. While Mashal and Aswad grew up in a stable, loving household, Mehreen had to live through the mistakes of her father for being a drug addict and financially unstable. As they grow older, it is obvious that they all share an unbroken bond between each other that will only culminate with certain unforeseeable events.
+ High Points
i – Episode 2 does a convincing job in presenting the anguish of Mehreen and her troubled past regarding her father. It is obvious that she is still struggling to come to terms with her upbringing which leads to lack of confidence and trouble believing that she could ever be liked by someone else.
ii – The inclusion of Haroon Shahid is always welcomed as his performance brings a sense of serenity to the show. Perhaps he is always typecast as the “nice guy” but at least he’s good at it.
iii – The theme song by Yashal Shahid is integrated well into the dramatic moments of the show. It never proves to be overbearing and has a sense of blending itself into the scenes without overpowering them.
+ Low Points
i – Episode 2 was very unimpressive as the show feels like it does not want to evolve beyond the “love triangle” storyline. It is a tad bit disappointing since the writer Umera Ahmed can write better stories than the cliches we see now time and time again on Pak television. Hopefully I’ll be proven wrong in the next few episodes and the show depicts some originality into the storyline.
ii – The roles of Mehreen and Mashal are too stereotypical for their own good. They lack depth in their characterization and the performances end up being very superficial. Mehreen is a nerdy, introvert so she HAS to wear glasses and act awkward while Mashal is self confident but devious so she HAS to act mean and self serving. Perhaps on paper, this all sounds fine but the characterization and the performances lack maturity as they don’t feel like real people but rather cardboard cutouts of their dictated personalities.
iii – Usman Mukhtar as Aswad Ayub also has not been very impressive up till now. The charisma of a lead actor seems to be missing in his performance and baffles me why the two women would be in love with him. Usman Mukhtar was a miscast for this role as his characterization does not fit to his presence on screen. Someone like Ali Rehman Khan (with natural charisma) would have fit the bill better.
iv – It is perhaps too early to predict but two episodes in, the show does not seem engaging enough to gather a large viewership in the following weeks. The plot and characters don’t seem original or captivating enough for many to tune in every week. I suppose fans of Mahira Khan would be eager to give this show a chance but up till now, it lacks the “it” factor which separates the show from the rest on television at the moment.
v – The overall visual presentation of the show seems very farcical with its “TV Advertisement” over-lit scenes. The images do not fit at all to the tone of the storyline.
+ Overall
Episode 2 has sadly been a disappointment. Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay needs to move away from the cliches of a cousin “love triangle” and find its own path. And Umera Ahmed is one of those writers who could potentially make this possible.
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