When “Fairy Tale” launched over Ramadan, it had stiff competition from three other shows with headlining stars, therefore being the show with the least amount of expectations attached to it. And yet, in an ironic twist of fate, “Fairy Tale” wound up being the underdog of the season, the show which took everyone by surprise – and, after intense demand, returned for a second season. While second seasons tend to have a lot to live up to and audiences approached it with guarded expectations, “Fairy Tale 2” has been a treat to watch each weekend, leaving audiences with a smile at the end of each (double) episode. Starring Hamza Sohail, Sehar Khan, Adnan Raza Mir, Aena Khan, Saleem Sheikh, Salma Hassan, Tehseen Wajahat, Saman Ansari, Amna Youzasaif and, hopefully, Ali Safina, the story has been written by Sarah Majeed and directed by Ali Hassan.
In episode 2 (or, really, episodes 3 and 4), Niggo (Saman Ansari) continues to plot against Farjaad (Hamza Sohail) and Umeed (Sehar Khan), hoping to put a stop to any plans of their marriage. At the same time, she’s also arranging Mimi’s (Amna Youzasaif) marriage to her nephew, Sunny, while Mimi is still hung up on AK (Ali Safina), who refuses to commit. Niggo’s intentions aren’t bad, but she’s been raising her children on her own for so long – and she has raised them well. She simply wants to feel important and with Umeed’s entry into Farjaad’s life, she feels that importance diminishing. And yet, when push comes to shove, when she realizes she’s breaking her son’s heart, she comes around and does the right thing. Saman Ansari is playing this role with such sincerity – we are angry with her, but we can’t dislike her. She’s lovable even when her behavior isn’t.
There are so many beautiful moments in this episode, but as far as projecting healthy relationships go, Farjaad and Umeed are a wonderful depiction of one. Farjaad is stressed about his mother’s reaction and doesn’t know how to confess to Umeed, worried about breaking her heart. And in the end, Umeed winds up being his strength, not only taking the load of his shoulders, but also hatching plots to keep Niggo in Pakistan so their engagement can happen. The longing stares, the flying kisses, the level of support for one another – these are things that are a rarity on Pakistani television. We have such a limited depiction of true love and support in our dramas and this is why Hamza Sohail and Sehar Khan have won us over as Farjaad and Umeed. The sweet nuances they add to their performances only enhance their characters – and full credit to Sarah Majeed for knowing exactly what her audience wants to see, because she is delivering exactly that!
Fortunately, even Haya (Aena Khan) and Sameer (Adnan Raza Mir) are getting a properly etched out arc this time around. It’s beautiful to see how they’re both striving to succeed in their personal careers and aren’t in a rush to get married – and yet, those decisions are also bringing out jealousy as they break off and separate on their separate paths. Hopefully this season will give these actors more scope to perform. Aena and Sehar share beautiful chemistry as cousins/sisters and really depict how beautiful female relationships can be. Likewise for the relationship between Amna Youzasaif’s Mimi and Umeed. Mimi may be Farjaad’s sister, but she wants the best for her brother and her best friend. All of these relationships are so sweet to watch, including Pasha’s (Saleem Sheikh) moments with his mother. It’s nice to get a window into why Pasha is the way he is. Hopefully we’ll get more light cast on that in coming episodes.
There’s little to analyze or criticize when it comes to “Fairy Tale 2.” Sarah Majeed as a writer and Ali Hassan as a director truly have a pulse on their audience this time around and any flaws that were in “Fairy Tale,” they are improving upon them in “Fairy Tale 2” and giving their viewers exactly what we’ve wanted – and more. The entire cast is doing a wonderful job, but now that Umeed and Farjaad are engaged…where’s the story going to go from here?