A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Fraud Episode 5 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Saqib Khan and written by Zanjabeel Asim. Fraud is a story of love, innocence and treachery as our protagonist is manipulated into marrying a forged personality. Fraud is an iDream Entertainment and ARY Digital Production.
+ Crew
- Directed by Saqib Khan
- Written by Zanjabeel Asim
- Produced by Abdullah Seja
- Production by iDream Entertainment
+ Note
Fraud is a case study of Pakistani families who always strive for betterment of their children. Obsession with wealth and power almost always ends up leading to unfavorable consequences. The director Saqib Khan is known for his numerous television projects and his upcoming cinematic film Ghabrana Nahi Hai (2022).
+ Main Cast
- Saba Qamar as Maya
- Ahsan Khan as Tabriaz
- Mikaal Zulfiqar as Shaan
- Rabia Kulsoom as Maila
- Adnan Samad Khan as Nael
- Mehmood Aslam as Nisar
+ Plot
Fraud is a story of Maya whose father wants her to marry into the richest family that he could find. But wealth does not equal character as she ends up marrying a wealthy man named Tabriaz who, through his trickery, makes life for Maya full of deceit and fraud.
+ High Points
i – Well, the show has finally delivered what it promised. Nisar sahib’s family has been duped, their savings and family jewelry stolen and their confidence in humanity permanently shattered. Episode 5 details each and every scene as the father/ daughter duo try to wrap their heads around what just happened to them. What I particularly enjoyed about the episode was that the show actually brought up all the questions that the viewers might have regarding this “sting” operation; the family factory, the fancy house, the wedding guests but most importantly, why a so-called “upper middle class” family was targeted instead of a much wealthier family . Whether the explanations were plausible is not very likely but nevertheless, it was greatly appreciated that the show did address all the possible questions that the viewers might have. It also was a very uncanny feeling for Maya to return back “home” and discover that she was living a lie this entire time. The scene where she enters her “husband’s” house and it’s instead a movie set had eerie vibes all over it!
The main plot of the show is unique for Pakistani television and it already separates this show from the rest.
ii – The whole construction of certain scenes for Maya, reminiscent of her “husband’s” sweet and caring words to the bitter reality, were brilliantly executed. The switching from past to present was a creative editing technique that addressed the startling realization to its maximum effect. I also loved the steadicam shot as Maya went around the house, checking each and every room, only to realize that her reality is now completely shattered right in front of her. Good stuff!
iii – A fine way to conclude an episode as next week will definitely be must-see-TV!
+ Low Points
i – Fraud already had a great premise and it was beautifully executed in Episode 5. But of course, this whole “fraud” operation is not entirely plausible. Surely, Nisar and his family would have already gotten suspicious to see the groom’s side of the family in incredibly short numbers at the wedding. This isn’t a western wedding, it’s an Asian one where all the grandpas, grandkids, distant third generation cousins attend it. Were all the guests paid actors? Were they extras in a TV show? Were they also involved in this sting operation or were they just promised free food? To pull this entire operation off without a hitch, it must have cost Tabriz and his “partners in crime” large sums of cash, connections and time. Surely it’s not a single group operation. Renting a house for days/ months for a “TV shoot” is also not cheap, including the wedding expenses, the extras, was it all worth it for the family jewels of an upper middle class family? Was that all profitable in the end?
There are way too many grounded questions that cannot justify this whole operation but the show did at least attempt to answer these vital questions.
ii – The police inspector’s performance did feel very hokey and unrealistic. It was almost as if his family got victimized in this fraud operation. His performance should have been more along the lines of “Yep, its those same con artists and y’all got duped!”. More laid back as he has already seen this happen eight times now!
iii – I wish this show was not named “Fraud” but some other generic title. Could you imagine if the first four episodes of the show were an unoriginal “Saas/ Bahoo” drama and the fifth episode brought this incredible twist that would have blown everyone’s minds and the show ends up being the talk of the town? With such a title, everyone anticipated the twist and did not have as much impact as this show could have had.
+ Overall
Undoubtedly the best episode of the show up till now. The twist was brilliantly executed and can’t wait to see how they will go on from here.
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