“Agar” has not been grabbing the ratings and views that one would expect, but tells a great story of a family, four grown adults navigating life and love in different ways. 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. The way “Agar” has been presented is half the appeal, with a fresh yet realistic approach to the story being told.
In episode 8, Annie (Juggan Kazim) and Shahwaiz (Junaid Khan) are now married, but neither is ready to confess this huge step in front of their parents. It’s not clear how exactly they intend to proceed, but they are enjoying one another’s company and basking in the happiness of being together even if they cannot express it to the entire world just yet. Shahwaiz is impressive in the way he handles his potential engagement to his cousin Hina (and her reaction is equally impressive, not sitting around and waiting for a man who doesn’t want her) and later, how he shuts down his parents offensive comments. Unfortunately, Annie and Shahwaiz have put themselves in a very sticky situation by being dishonest with their families, but we can’t help rooting for them and their happiness.
On the other end, Hooriya (Hina Altaf) is now expecting a child and Farrukh (Usama Khan) swoops in as not only the perfect husband, but also the perfect to-be father. Farrukh is exactly what every woman wants – a man who will protect her, care for her, defend her and genuinely see her as a human being who needs to be loved. Farrukh checks all the boxes, even stating he wants a daughter rather than a son. Hearing this, Hooriya is surprised. Growing up, she always heard of girls being a burden and that has remained in her psyche – something many Pakistani girls hear growing up.
Needless to say, Hina Altaf and Usama Khan are really winning hearts as Hooriya and Farrukh. Farrukh is a wonderful character and Usama’s performance makes him genuinely likable. Hina Altaf’s performance is also very cute as the spoiled, silly, irresponsible Hooriya. Unfortunately, Farrukh’s wonderfulness is something that triggers fear in Pakistani drama viewers. More often than not, any good, genuine, loving husband comes with a great big target on his back in Pakistani dramas. Farrukh’s perfectness has left us wondering whether he will meet with the same fate. Is Farrukh’s character going to die, leaving Hooriya to raise a child (more specifically, a daughter) on her own? This is a grim scenario to predict, but it seems to “fit” and the foreshadowing seems to fit as well. It would be a tragedy – why can’t we just have sweet husbands in our shows?! Regardless, “Agar” is a great show with a lot of scope to explore different storylines connected to its lead characters.
