THE WEEK THAT WAS
Bombay Tailors | Hum TV, Mon-Tues 8.00pm
Despite being written by a new “collective of writers” (Amtul Shahida, a collaborative scriptwriting company) that includes Adeel Afzal, who co-wrote the progressive and incisive serial Standup Girl, this show sticks to the bland.
After showing us a little cursory rebellion, the two main protagonists, Saifi (Ali Ansari) and Mahrukh (Anika Zulfikar), try to make the best of a forced marriage. Despite her intelligence and financial independence, Mahrukh waits for Saifi before eating, while his good humour and balanced nature suddenly veer towards that of an annoyed husband. Director Mazhar Moin gives us a well-made, entertaining story that moves at a good pace, while the rest of the cast fills in as the usual, well-meaning but ultimately zaalim samaaj [cruel society].
Anika Zulfikar and Ali Ansari add the nuance we wished the writers had. Both leads play their roles with conviction and restraint, turning down the melodrama to zero, making this show a pleasant if uneventful ride. The script has every cliché you can imagine, so if this is the kind of unchallenging “comfort food” you are looking for, Bombay Tailors is the show for you.
Nashtar | Geo TV, Fri-Sat 8.00pm
Shah Dawood (Danish Taimoor) is a quiet, powerful man with a lot of suffocatingly fitted, stripey jacket suits, shiny shoes and the aura of a Sicilian drug lord. His acquaintance and beta male, Arbaaz (Haroon Shahid), also has a stripey jacket, but none of Shah’s aura. He is forever doomed to love Tamseel (Naeema Butt), a woman with wealth and education but no self-respect, who is in a completely imaginary relationship with Shah Dawood, despite his many attempts to distance her.
Paternalistic capitalism meets angry social justice warrior as Shah Dawood is first intrigued and then captivated by Bareera (Anmol Baloch), the daughter of a college professor. Naeema Butt has been working on her dialogue delivery and is impressive as she delivers some of the most ridiculously long soliloquies meant to cement Shah’s alpha male image. Danish Taimoor is short on his words, and busy fulfilling his fans’ desire to see him as the broody, wealthy rogue whose intense devotion is both a curse and a secret ego boost.
Danish Taimoor carries the show — and the masses — through this predictable story. On the flip side, Anmol Baloch does not fit her role as a member of the hard-working, middle-class intelligentsia, but she is pretty and feisty, which is all this show’s audience requires.
Khafa | Geo TV, Wed-Thurs 8.00pm
Hira Mani’s talent for crying and looking beautiful comes to good use as Tazeen, the archetypal older sister who is always trying to save her family. Her education and career have supported the family in tough times.
Still, her dominant position as a favoured child has left her book-minded sister, Areesha (Ayesha Rajput), insecure and complexed. Their younger brother, Khurram (Ahsan Afzal Khan), steals his sister’s jewellery and money, but is soon rescued and forgiven after he is accidentally shot. Tazeen is predictably falsely accused and not only do her siblings question and shame her, but her fiancé, Faraz (Saif Ali Khan), also turns against her. The only person left is Mohtashim (Mikaal Zulfiqar), a work colleague she has always dismissed.
Rukhsana Nigar’s script plays up the melodrama and refuses to give the other characters any nuance. The writer does not explore the journey towards accountability, personal growth and responsibility that every human being needs, because she is busy polishing Tazeen’s halo. Hira Mani and Mikaal Zulfiqar look good in these familiar roles, while Saif Ali Khan still seems a little raw.
What To Watch Out For (Or Not)
Mitti De Baway | Green TV, Coming soon
Promotions have begun for this year’s magnum opus, starring Mahira Khan and Wahaj Ali, which is set in rural Punjab.
Published in Dawn, ICON, August 30th, 2026
