TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Meri Shehzadi – Episode XVIII & XIX (2022)

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Meri Shehzadi Episode 18 and 19 (2022). The new TV series is directed by Qasim Ali Mureed and written by Zanjbeel Asim Shah. Meri Shehzadi is a story of a girl with a tragic past but is destined to become Royalty. Can she handle the responsibilities that come with it? Meri Shehzadi is an MD Productions and HUM TV Production.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Qasim Ali Mureed
  • Written by Zanjbeel Asim Shah
  • Produced by Momina Duraid 
  • Production by MD Productions

+ Note

The story of Meri Shehzadi is inspired by the real life story of the late Princess Diana from the United Kingdom. The show explores the expectations that corrupts the innocent and discourages empathy towards the common man.

 + Main Cast

  1. Urwa Hocane as Dania
  2. Ali Rehman as Shehroz
  3. Sabeen Farooq as Bisma
  4. Muazzam Ali Khan
  5. Sonia Mishal
  6. Najiba Faiz
  7. Atiqa Odho
  8. Shabbir Jan
  9. Nauman Maqsood
  10. Qavi Khan as Dania’s Nana
  11. Shamim Hilaly as Dania’s Nani

+ Plot

Raised by her loving Grandparents, Dania is born in a royal family who is destined for greatness in life. After meeting her future husband and entering the political monarchy of Pakistan, Dania must face the trials and tribulations that come along with the life of royalty.

+ High Points

i –  Episode 18 starts a new phase in Dania’s life. Her political career looks uncertain, her family life is in shambles, the only thing she has going for her is her grandfather who is currently in the hospital. Enter; Dr. Hasan. Inspired by the real life lover of Princess Dania, Dr. Hasan is played by the real life husband of Urwa Hocane, Farhan Saeed. And immediately, one could see why this was such an ideal casting. Farhan’s performance possesses a certain arrogance with a hint of empathy to create a character for Dania whom she could eventually fall in love with. A total 180 if in comparison to her husband. Initially, Dr. Hasan comes off harsh and unsympathetic but as you get to know him, he eventually warms up and reveals his inner thoughts and emotions. All in all, Farhan Saeed as Dr. Hasan is perfect casting the show.

ii –  With everything imploding around Dania (her marriage, her career), it’s nice to see some good fortune bestowed upon her. The romance with her husband was doomed right from the start. Since then, Dania has faced countless hardships with no silver linings in between so Dr. Hasan is undoubtedly a sigh of relief for the show. 

+ Low Points

i – Even though casting Farhan Saeed as Dania’s eventual lover was a no brainer, one would have expected a much better chemistry from the real life married duo. Urwa Hocane’s one note dialogue delivery seems like a bad mix with Farhan’s calculated performance. 

ii – So this move left me somewhat perplexed. After the grandfather’s heart attack scene, Qavi Khan as the ‘Nana’ just retired from the role and was handed over to a new actor who physically looks nothing alike! The subtitle underneath claims no real reason behind it so why was this decision made? Did Qavi Khan have other commitments or was he physically not well? Such decisions break the immersion of the viewers and unless there is a vital reason behind it, these actor swaps should be avoided.

iii – We are two-thirds way into the life of the show and Meri Shehzadi has been a poor (loose) adaptation of the life of Princess Diana. Urwa Hocane has been very disappointing with her performance in the lead role, the plot has strictly focused on uninspired family drama that has been depicted countless times on every Pak TV show and the show hardly gives you any reason to re-visit it each and every week. I would wish the show to end on a high note, develop the romance between Dania and Dr. Hasan, make the audience root for them to be together. With such an interesting narrative platform, Meri Shehzadi should have been a much better show than it is. 

+ Overall

A silver lining in the form of Dr. Hasan but Meri Shehzadi continues to walk on familiar territories and never challenge itself with originality.

Rate: out of 5 stars

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