Telling the story of three young women going through different struggles, “Agar” has consistently been a show to watch. Starring Juggan Kazim, Junaid Khan, Hina Altaf, Usama Khan, Maheen Siddiqui and Hina Bayat in prominent roles, the story has been written by Madiha Shahid and directed by Ilyas Kashmiri. While currently hit by a heavy dose of tragedy after Farrukh’s death, the treatment of the story is overall realistic and focuses on self-growth and betterment rather than misery.
Annie (Juggan Kazim) is a complicated character and that’s what makes her story so interesting. She is a woman who has been raised to follow her mother’s “image” of herself. She is a woman who is seen as the sacrificial lamb, the woman who has taken a big hit for her family and is lauded for it. Family hierarchy is certainly a thing and Annie’s mother has always been the one who make Annie’s decisions for her, even if Annie is the most intelligent, highly educated breadwinner of the family. She may be the financial head of the family, but when it comes to emotional and personal decisions, she is expected to follow household “rules.” Now that she’s married and even has a child, she cannot own them, because she did not make the right decision at the right time. She is now in an even deeper hole, being lauded for “sacrificing her love” for her family (by her co-workers), now scared to even own Pari, her daughter, as her own out of fear of tarnishing that image. Is Annie a bad person? Absolutely not, rather she has never been taught to make those decisions for herself.
In fact, looking at it from that perspective, Shahwaiz (Junaid Khan) should have stepped in much earlier and exposed Annie’s lies – for her own good. Annie has been incapable of coming clean to her mother, but by keeping silent, she has done a disservice to both her husband and, most importantly, her child. It’s not clear how or why Shahwaiz simply accepted this decision and allowed Annie to continue destroying their lives in such a way. However enough is enough and it’s high time he step in and take the necessary steps for his daughter’s sake. Both Junaid Khan and Juggan Kazim are doing a great job with their roles, their chemistry endearing while their conflict one that leaves us on edge.
Coming to Hooriya (Hina Altaf), her sense of entitlement, privilege and spoiled nature continues after Farooq’s (Usama Khan) death. While she is now husbandless and feels helpless being a burden on others, Zainab (Hira Soomro) is not there to endure Hooriya and Hooriya’s mother’s taunts. Zainab, if anything, is the lifeline for this family, handling all household matters on her own and caring for her in-laws as her own. Unfortunately, they do not love and appreciate her the way she should be treated, which is entirely their loss….but also painful for Zainab. Credit to Hira Soomro for playing the role of Zainab so beautifully in a way where she feels like a relatable character. Will Hooriya really learn and come out of her situation as a more responsible adult?
Unfortunately, it seems Ali Abbas’ character has been brought on as a future relationship for Hooriya. But why? This is disappointing, as it would have been nicer to see Chandni (Maheen Siddiqui) get her own love story as well, a young girl who needs an ego boost, confidence and love. A character like Hooriya who always expected to run away from work and responsibility needs to learn to be exactly that – responsible. Another marriage and love interest only hinders that. Of course she could have one later, but at this present moment, his entry is premature and unwarranted. “Agar” continues to tell an interesting story and continues to be one to watch out for each week.