“Dobara” has been consistent in winning praise from Pakistani drama viewers, touching upon the subject of an older woman and a younger man finding their second chance together. Starring Bilal Abbas Khan and Hadiqa Kiani in lead roles, Shabbir Jan, Sakina Samo, Usama Khan, Nabeel Zuberi, Fareeda Shabbir, Sabeena Syed, Maheen Siddiqui and others in supporting roles. Written by Sarwat Nazir, the show has been directed by Danish Nawaz.
In episode 24, Mahir (Bilal Abbas Khan) has left Mehru’s (Hadiqa Kiani) house after Sehar (Sabeena Syed) places a false harassment allegation on him. What’s interesting to note about Sehar is that she isn’t an inherently evil young woman – she is simply someone who has been raised by a manipulative woman (her own mother) and has now found herself under the influence of another manipulative woman in the form of Phupo (Sakina Samo). We immediately see that Sehar is overtly aware that her lies could be exposed and she is almost guilt-ridden over her actions. This is a great character-building moment for Sehar and shows that she isn’t without conscience.
A stellar moment in the episode comes in the exchange between Affan (Usama Khan) and Mehru when she finds herself confessing Hidayat’s (Nauman Ejaz) reality to his son. Affan has always had his blinders on when it comes to his father and this is expected. Who would not see their father as their ideal? In Affan’s mind, his parents had the ideal marriage with his father doting on Mehru. Mehru brings his world crashing down when she, in an attempt to explain her actions in marrying Mahir, tells him about Hidayat’s true love, Ruth. This woman was not only Hidayat’s first wife, but also his love throughout his life, a woman he kept in touch with even after their divorce and even tried molding Mehru to fit Ruth’s image in his mind. This is a big blow for Affan, but also serves the point – Affan now understands his mother much more and can recognize the emotional suffering she experienced in her marriage. It’s true that every marriage has a hidden story. No one can truly understand what happens behind closed doors other than the two individuals involved, so it’s nice to see Mehru finally dropping the dignified façade and allowing her children to understand her as an individual.
Last, but not least, the best scene of the episode comes in the form of the confrontation between Mahir and his father. Visiting his father, Mahir first has a heated exchange with his sisters and stepmother before turning his wrath on his father, accusing him of leeching off Mehru’s money. His father sets him straight right there, making it clear that he overheard his intentions in the hospital and knows he is using Mehru himself. This moment is everything the audience has been hoping for, as we began to wonder if anyone could set Mahir straight. If anyone could have talked sense into him, it is his father – and it seems as though he got his point across. Has Mahir truly reformed and decided to be loyal to Mehru?
While Bilal Abbas Khan is great in this scene, it’s Shabbir Jan who steals the show. This is a powerful performance and Bilal Abbas Khan’s reactions are brilliant as well. With Mahir’s business colleagues, Mehru’s friend and Shanno all getting involved next week to clear Mahir’s name, next week will be an exciting episode to watch as the truth unfolds. “Dobara” has certainly had some lagging episodes, but overall, this is a show that has managed to keep audience interest throughout.
