“Dobara,” which tells the tale of a young widow and a neglected young man coming together to find love, hit a brief lagging phase, but is currently back in its stride. 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 27 of “Dobara,” Affan (Usama Khan) and Sehar (Sabeena Syed) leave for Murree, ready to pursue their further education and embark on a new life. This is a bittersweet moment for both Mehru and for viewers. While the two have been nothing but a thorn in Mehru (Hadiqa Kiani) and Mahir’s (Bilal Abbas Khan) side, Affan’s point of view has never been illogical – of course we as viewers can understand it. But despite all the plotting, planning and ill-will, Affan is being the bigger man in realizing that distance is the best way to salvage his relationship with his mother and Mahir. Through all this, it’s wonderful to see how Mahir has picked himself up and changed for the better. He is a good man, the man Mehru befriended in those early days in the park – a man who is not invested in his marriage for money, rather he’s there to support his wife through it all. This is a welcome change and watching Mehru and Mahir share their worries and fears with one another and to watch them support one another is beautiful. They are true partners and Mahir has really transformed himself back into a solid hero. While it initially appeared as though Mahir’s return to being lovable would be difficult after seeing how he put his plan into action to use Mehru, that plan was fortunately short-lived. The best part about Mahir’s turn-around is how a simple talk from his father, Jahangir (Shabbir Jan), ended up being the perfect driving force.
Mahir has always wanted love in his life and that one thing is exactly what he felt deprived of from his parents. Naheed (Angeline Malik) was always too focused on her new husband and other son, while Jahangir was never able to offer Mahir the kind of love he needed due to Adeela’s (Fareeda Shabbir) insecurities, anger and resentment. What’s beautiful about this show is how the part each parental figure has had to play isn’t brushed under the rug, used only as a ploy to highlight who Mahir is – rather, the story has come full circle with Jahangir and Adeela recognizing their mistakes, opening their hearts to Mahir once again (whether he wants it or not) and striving to change themselves. A little acknowledgement from Adeela regarding her own internal feelings is enough to break down the barrier between this husband-wife duo. Shabbir Jan and Fareeda Shabbir are so sweet and lovable in this episode as they work through their problems and present themselves as a team to convince Naheed to leave Mahir alone. Meanwhile, Naheed remains clueless to how much her own actions have harmed Mahir and now, back in Pakistan, she is determined to “save” her son from Mehru, not realizing she’s walking into another face-off with her son where she will potentially lose her relationship with him entirely.
Of course, we also have this angle between Minal (Maheen Siddiqui) and Zamin (Nabeel Zuberi). While Zamin continues to push for Mehru’s money, Minal has recognized her mistakes and is beginning to realize how Zamin’s demands are affecting her relationship with her own family. With the way Minal’s mind is (finally) working, Zamin will have a lot of work cut out for him to win back Minal’s trust – especially now that Mahir and Mehru have spotted him with Nadia. It is great to see that Zamin isn’t an entirely black character and does have a conscience while meeting Nadia, highly uncomfortable with the situation his brother has put him in. It’s also refreshing to see that Nadia isn’t a desperate young woman ready to jump into yet another marriage after getting a divorce. She is a “normal” individual who may have once liked Zamin, but recognizes that there isn’t any place for her in his life anymore – regardless of what his and her family are plotting. But will Zamin continue to listen to his brother and push forward in impressing Nadia for her money?
The high performers in this episode are Hadiqa Kiani, Bilal Abbas Khan, Shabbir Jan and Fareeda Shabbir. Each actor has done a wonderful job in their role, but these two couples have really made an impact this week. “Dobara” has hit an interesting point, while also beginning to wrap up loose ends – which makes one think the show will be coming to an end in the upcoming 2-3 episodes.
