Broken relationships, bickering families, deception, manipulation, love triangles, misunderstandings; these are all the ingredients for a “typical” Pakistani drama. Throw in a generous dash of misery and this will be the description for essentially 85% of what’s on television. Given, some shows handle it well in terms of presentation and most simply do not. However, what sets “Bandhay Ek Dour Se” apart from the rest is that despite having all these ingredients present in the first episode itself, the show is poles apart from what viewers have learned to expect from such shows. Starring Ahsan Khan, Ushna Shah, Hina Altaf, Saba Hameed, Saba Faisal, Samina Ahmed and many other talented actors, the story essentially revolves around petty family politics and yet manages to keep the audience entertained and smiling through the antics.
In episode 3, as Maheen’s (Ushna Shah) engagement is in full swing, she realizes the misunderstanding that has occurred after speaking to Moiz. After Umar (Ahsan Khan) realizes Moiz is not marrying Roshni (Hina Altaf), he happily joins in on the festivities. However, in his over-enthusiasm to impress Roshni’s mother, he ends up rubbing her the wrong way and she complains to Roshni about Umar. After scolding Umar over his failure in moving their relationship forward, Roshni’s loyalty towards Umar is seen faltering when Nabeel (Ali Rizvi) enters the scene and Roshni begins seeing him as another prospect.
Faiza Iftikhar proves, once again, why she’s one of the more loved writers in the industry. Her characters are close to reality and that is no different here. Watching the situations on-screen, one can almost imagine their own relatives in place of these characters and the humor is presented in such an amusing way without the use of silly music, laughter tracks or over-the-top antics. In what can only be described as the highlight of the episode, Zakia and Razia, brilliantly played by Saba Hameed and Saba Faisal, argue ferociously over the regifting of an outfit. And while this may sound like stereotypical kitchen politics, it’s the realism of the moment that brings out the laughter in viewers, along with the witty dialogues and excellent comedic timing.
http://thebrownidentity.com/2020/07/04/bandhay-aik-dour-se-episode-2-ahsan-khans-umer-lashes-out-as-roshni-gets-engaged/
One cannot give credit to any particular actor’s performance. While Ahsan Khan does carry much of this episode (and the past two) on his shoulders as the most central character, this ensemble cast is putting forth their best effort so far. Whether it’s Samina Ahmed as Daadi, Saba Hameed and Saba Faisal as the bickering sister-in-laws or even Madiha Rizvi as a discreetly meddlesome Bhabi, the entire cast comes together to create a chaotic yet enjoyable viewing experience. Of course, Ushna Shah and Hina Altaf are performing well in their respective roles and it’s nice to see these intelligent female characters on-screen. Now whether the show manages to maintain this pace and remain light-hearted remains to be seen. But overall, as of right now, “Bandhay Ek Dour Se” is a show I would recommend whole-heartedly.