A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay Episode 18 (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

1. Mahira Khan as Mehreen Mansoor
2. Kubra Khan as Mashal Tahir
3. Usman Mukhtar as Aswad Ayub
4. Omair Rana as Mansoor
5. Zainab Qayyum as Shagufta
6. Haroon Shahid
7. Laila Wasti
8. Huma Nawab as Saliha
9. Kaif Ghaznavi
10. Shamim Hilali as Aswad’s Grandmother
11. 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 – The opening scene of Episode 18, leading up to the climax of Mehreen’s vision of her late father was well executed. The longing of Mehreen for her father has always been one of key elements of the show and thematically, it made perfect sense why he might be the sole reason that could encourage Mehreen to go on living. The set piece was also performed excellently by the actors and is always a constant reminder that with a good script, these actors can potentially knock it out of the park. 

+ Low Points

i –  Finally, Episode 18 had some significant plot revelations. Revelations that made absolutely no sense. (Sigh) Where do we even begin? The unnecessary dumping of the food segment, the tea which was made twice in one night, the fact that the police had no clue that Mashal had the keys to Mehreen’s room and worst of all, Mashal blatantly commanding Shabo to dump unhealthy amount of sleeping pills in Mehreen’s cup and thus, making her an accomplice to a murder for no apparent reason! The plot is unnecessarily convoluted and is dragging the whole show to one of the most unsatisfying conclusions to a show in recent history.

ii – Oh my dear Aswad, the man who planned this whole time that he will psychologically torutre Mehreen for the alleged murder of Mashal and now that Mehreen ends up with a nervous breakdown, he truly realizes how horrible of a person he has been. But wait, there’s more! He now also found out that Mashal had lied to him about Mehreen this entire time like… how she secretly smokes (gasp!), how she has a boyfriend (oh my!) but fret no more, cause all of this and more were just lies, all lies. Which means Mehreen has always been the non-smoking, God’s perfect maiden that Aswad envisioned in head. So are we supposed to feel sorry for this misogynist? Since the beginning of this show, Aswad had been by far one of the worst characteristics that one could have for a male protagonist of a TV show. For him, Mehreen is only worthy of him if she was a non-smoker and is strictly only madly in love with him. Are we sure if he’s actually not the antagonist of the show? Cause that’s a twist which would make perfect sense.

iii – Just this whole depiction of mental torture and suicide from the show leaves a bad taste at the end. I do not believe in condemning such themes in TV shows but they should be done responsibly, not sensationalized and dramatized to a point that it just feels exploitative. It is not enjoyable (nor educational for that matter) to see our female protagonist getting man handled, psychological tortured to the brink of suicide. Why is this being used for prime time TV entertainment purposes? The writing tackling such serious issues is not up to the standards that it should be. Depression and suicide are unfortunately very prevalent in our Pakistani society and should be addressed in the most mature way possible. To say that Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay does not do these themes justice is an understatement.

iv – Apparently Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is now reaching its conclusion and yet, the viewers are still left scratching their heads with what it all means. Why did this show have filler episodes which added absolutely nothing to the overall plot. Since the death of Mashal around ep 8-10 till ep 18, there was next to zero plot development. The producers might have prolonged this show’s life to 20 episodes but in the process, left it completely lifeless with viewers each week complaining about the negative thematic elements of the show.

+ Overall

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is finally reaching its conclusion and unfortunately, the only satisfaction we, the viewers will get is when the final curtain will drop.

 Rate: out of 5 stars

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay Episode 17 (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

1. Mahira Khan as Mehreen Mansoor
2. Kubra Khan as Mashal Tahir
3. Usman Mukhtar as Aswad Ayub
4. Omair Rana as Mansoor
5. Zainab Qayyum as Shagufta
6. Haroon Shahid
7. Laila Wasti
8. Huma Nawab as Saliha
9. Kaif Ghaznavi
10. Shamim Hilali as Aswad’s Grandmother
11. 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 – Its clearly obvious that the main cast of Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay are trying their level best to make this show an exciting watch. Even though the script is devoid of any creativity and the plot refuses to move on, I have to give the cast all the credit they deserve for reading out those repetitive, awful dialogue for every single episode with little to no reward.

+ Low Points

i –  The episode starts off with Aswad shouting at Mehreen, demanding her to explain how much she hated Mashal. Oh boy… this show does not understand the meaning of the word ‘tiresome’. Seventeen episodes in and Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay feels creatively bankrupt since the past five weeks. The plot is stagnated between Aswad’s non-existent revenge, Mehreen’s visions of Mashal and for some reason, Saffan who has nothing better to do but be involved in this complete mess. As I watch an episode each and every week, I truly ask myself what this show is trying to accomplish. As a diligent viewer, who am I supposed to root for? This whole facade of a tragedy is now becoming a parody of itself. Episode 17 was once again nothing more than crude characterizations, shouting contests and endless self-pity sequences. And frankly put, I don’t believe any brilliant conclusion could justify the torture that the show is making us sit through.

ii – So we finally got our answer. Why was Mehreen reluctant to sign those divorce papers even though Aswad has been nothing short of a terrible spouse. Its because she loves him! Yes, the same Aswad who is convinced that his wife poisoned her cousin, the same man who has been manhandling and humiliating his wife publicly without any repercussions. What a great representation of an on screen relationship, a perfect composite of the word “Stockholm Syndrome”. This is just so forced and ridiculous that its unfathomable to even comprehend all of this with an open mind. Sadly, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay finally proves itself to be yet another poster child for glorifying abusive relationships. Not even from the story standpoint, does this make any sense. It’s a reason that a writer comes up with when they have no other intelligent storytelling to fall back to. The Mashal murder mystery has become so convoluted at this point that the show refuses progress even an inch out of its place. Its the lamest and most illogical reasoning to this whole fiasco.

iii – Speaking of abusive relationships, the whole physical and mental torturing of the maid Shabo was an incredibly distasteful scene, almost made me shut off my television set. It’s not a complaint of being ‘unrealistic’, far from it. Its all that the show promotes; abusive relationships, mental and physical torturing the people close to you and worst of all, none of these actions have had any repercussions to them. Its 40 minutes of non-stop debasement of characters on screen each and every week. And if that is what some enjoy in their TV dramas then they really need to seek help.

iv – The restaurant scene was just hilariously bad! Coincidentally, all main cast members of the show dine in the same restaurant. Aswad and his “friend”, Mehreen and her mother in law and Saffan and his newly wedded wife (or fiance, not sure). Of all the millions of people that live in Pakistan, they all ended up in a random place together! Talk about lazy writing by Umera Ahmed. And Aswad gets frustrated because… Mehreen is having lunch in a restaurant and she bumped into Saffan and his fiance/ wife? Is the show trying to find random reasons for the story to have conflict? Which leads me to my next point argument…

v – What is Aswad’s problem? Is he just jealous of Saffan because Mehreen (apparently) likes him? But now that he is getting married to someone else, that still does not satisfy our dear Aswad. He is too busy acting like a manchild in every single episode to realise what his actual motivations in the show are. He hates Mehreen because allegedly, she killed Mashal and seeks revenge. And thus, Aswad ended up marrying Mehreen so he could torture her day and night and also keep her away from the clutches of Saffen. But at the same time, he demands Mehreen as to why she doesn’t sign the divorce papers? But if she does, he thinks that she will end up in the arms of Saffan which is why he refuses to sign the divorce papers..? What kind of nonsense characterization is that? Aswad is, by far, one of the worst main cast characters I’ve ever come across on Pakistani TV. And why does Mehreen still “love” him? This is a mystery perhaps best remains unsolved.

+ Overall

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay failed to improve even a single aspect of its plot structure and arguably, episode 17 has only made it worse. Not worth a watch, folks!

 Rate: out of 5 stars

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay Episode 15 (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

1. Mahira Khan as Mehreen Mansoor
2. Kubra Khan as Mashal Tahir
3. Usman Mukhtar as Aswad Ayub
4. Omair Rana as Mansoor
5. Zainab Qayyum as Shagufta
6. Haroon Shahid
7. Laila Wasti
8. Huma Nawab as Saliha
9. Kaif Ghaznavi
10. Shamim Hilali as Aswad’s Grandmother
11. 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 – The best scenes of every episode are usually the continual dream sequences involving Mashal. They are atmospheric, haunting and fun to watch. It also gives a great insight into the psyche of Mehreen; is she overplaying her guilt or is she really feeling guilty of murdering Mashal?

ii – Even though the flashback childhood scenes are one too many each and every week, it is commendable how they tie in the actual scenario of the present. For example, Adult Aswad getting physically aggressive towards Mehreen leads to the flashback scene where the young Aswad claims that he would never hit a girl. It’s good foreshadowing of the negating acts towards his future self. A reminder of how bad things have become between them.

+ Low Points

i –  Aswad’s idea of “revenge” against Mehreen is completely baffling. So first, he faked his way into a marriage with Mehreen, then he threatened to keep her trapped and miserable in the house for all eternity, then (without any real reasoning to the plot of the show), he disappeared to the US without informing anyone. And now, he suddenly came back and wanted Mehreen to “apologize” to Mashal’s parents… for what exactly, I have no idea. This show makes no sense. Each episode is a loose thread of a plot that never seems to tie in together. Is Aswad playing “damage control” or does he really want to extract revenge from Mehreen? For some weeks, the plot of this show has not developed at all and makes it seem as if the writer Umera Ahmed is having trouble keeping this show relevant.

ii – The breakfast scene in Episode 15 was also silly and repetitive. And this always begs the question; why doesn’t Mehreen just divorce him? I’m sure there are laws that protect women in case an abusive husband refuses a divorce. At least give it a chance! As of now, the plot feels contrived and at times, outright ridiculous.

iii – As expected, the whole “apologize” routine turned out to be a total bust. Who in the right mind would have thought that would work? If Aswad really blames Mehreen for the murder of Mashal, why would he want play “damage control” in this situation? And even if this was all a rouse just to humiliate Mehreen further, it still feels contrived and doesn’t add much to the whole drama of the situation. As you can imagine, the plot is complete nonsense at this point, no new development has been made since the past weeks, none of this feels satisfying and is an obvious attempt to prolong the life of the show.

+ Overall

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay seems like a show in search of a direction. The plot has now stagnated to a point where nothing matters anymore and needs some defilbiration shots to revive it back to life.

 Rate: out of 5 stars

A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay Episode 14 (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

1. Mahira Khan as Mehreen Mansoor
2. Kubra Khan as Mashal Tahir
3. Usman Mukhtar as Aswad Ayub
4. Omair Rana as Mansoor
5. Zainab Qayyum as Shagufta
6. Haroon Shahid
7. Laila Wasti
8. Huma Nawab as Saliha
9. Kaif Ghaznavi
10. Shamim Hilali as Aswad’s Grandmother
11. 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 – Although Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is devolving each week into obscurity, at least the performances are still with some level of quality and finesse. Mahira Khan, Kubra, Usman and all the supporting actors give it their all in making the show as authentic as possible.

ii – The dream sequences are well directed and presented on screen. Its a nice touch that brings us closer to Mehreen’s psyche of mental torture that Mashal accomplishes even beyond her grave.

+ Low Points

i –  I have no idea what this show is trying to accomplish with its ludicrous storyline and frankly, I’ve lost all interest within the last five episodes. Episode 14 was yet another monotonous spree of accusations, regret and illogical scenarios. Why has Aswad gone back to the US? Didn’t he threaten Mehreen that he will take revenge against her by keeping her caged in the house? What is it with this constant charade of revolving plot twists? Did Mehreen poison her or …. Did Shaboo make a mistake? This murder mystery is really becoming nonsensical now and the plotline just going in circles to no end. 

ii – And the worst part is that; 14 episodes in, and this show has already become stale. The character developments have come to a complete halt, its as if the writer Umera Ahmed has no real clue how to progress the story further. Even though there will be a dramatic end to all this, the journey itself also needs to be interesting in the process as well. Otherwise the show will see a dramatic audience drop off each and every week.

iii – Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay has quickly become devoid of all logic. If Mehreen is feeling threatened by Aswad, should she not just divorce him? Even her mother in law agrees to it so there is in fact no societal pressure on her. On the other hand, the whole case against Mehreen seems shaky at best. It’s been at least weeks (if not months) to Mashal’s death. Is there a case against Mehreen anymore? And once again, why is Aswad staying in the US during this crucial moment if he wants to take revenge against Mehreen? 

iv – I have mentioned this before and I will criticize this again; the police inspector feels like he belongs in a screwball comedy rather than a serious dramatic storyline. His goofy performance seems so out of place that it baffles me how the director even approved of this!

+ Overall

With no real character development or engaging storyline, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay feels stagnated, devoid of logic and just plain uninteresting.

 Rate: out of 5 stars