“Dunk” tethers the line between telling an interesting, realistic story on one side, but has also begun to venture into a predictable love triangle zone. The cast of “Dunk” includes Noman Ejaz, Bilal Abbas Khan, Sana Javed, Azekah Daniel, Fahad Sheikh, Shahood Alvi, Saife Hassan and many others. The show has been produced by Fahad Mustafa’s Big Bang Entertainment, directed by Badar Mehmood and written by Mohsin Talat. In the last episode, we saw Safeer and Amal get married under family pressure as Haider continued to suffer in guilt over Hamayun’s death.
In all of this mess, Safeer (Fahad Shekikh) is a victim. In episode 12, Amal (Sana Javed) has now married Safeer, but it’s clear that she’s out to get “back” at Haider (Bilal Abbas Khan) – and seeing how Amal managed to “get back” at Professor Hamayun (Noman Ejaz), leading to his ultimate death, there’s no doubt that Amal will leave no stone unturned in order to exact that revenge. But does Amal really have any room to wiggle? No, she does not, because Haider has been clear with her as to why he doesn’t want to marry her, making it clear that he knows about her false allegations. And if Amal continues to want to get revenge, this means there’s genuinely something wrong with her. In previous episodes up until now, Amal has been fairly emotionless and with her actions, it’s beginning to come across as worrisome. So is Safeer now married to a sociopath/psychopath? Will this actually be addressed in this show or are we, once again, pinning hopes on a track that won’t ever emerge? Amal’s manipulation of Safeer aside, Safeer is also a victim of Haider. Haider is wholeheartedly repenting and suffering, trying to come to terms with his involvement in Hamayun’s death. But is he going about it the right way? Haider remains silent, covering for Amal and hurting his parents and Safeer in the process. Quite honestly, Amal’s track has become the most dull track in the show.
On the other end, Haider’s redemption track is the highlight of the show when he’s not having to deal with Amal and his family. Saira (Yasra Rizvi) remains in a state of mourning, particularly because Ghana, her young daughter, has begun to question Hamayun’s character and wonders if he will go to heaven. The best scene in this episode is when Haider visits Saira and Ghana, hoping to ask for forgiveness. Saira is impressive in her ability to listen and even offer a moment of compassion towards his desire to repent – but when she asks him to speak to Ghana, she forces him to confront the deep impact and damage Hamayun’s death has left on both Ghana and her life due to his (and Amal’s) actions. While Amal hurt Hamayun, it’s Haider’s words that live on in Ghana’s mind. Will it ever be that simple for Hamayun’s family to forgive Haider? Bilal Abbas Khan and Yasra Rizvi are brilliant as always, but this time around, even the little actress who plays Ghana is wonderful. The sensitivity with which these moments have been written is applause-worthy and one wishes the story would’ve stayed clear of this revenge track with Amal.
Overall, “Dunk” is an interesting story that has taken a turn for the unwanted. The moments with Haider away from his family, interacting with Hamayun’s colleagues and family, are brilliant, but all the family moments now simply seem grating with Haider’s decision to conceal the truth. It’s this concealing of the truth that makes the entire scenario hard to digest and Haider a questionable character. Do Amal and Haider deserve each other? They are both selfish in their own ways. Still, “Dunk” has enough quality scenes that will keep the audience coming back for more.
