Hum TV, Geo and ARY Digital are the key players in the Pakistani television industry with channels like TV One, Express, A Plus and Urdu 1 making occasional appearances with good dramas. Adding in to the mix is Aan TV, a newly launched channel which has been grabbing eyeballs due to its interesting lineup and dramas on different, fresh topics. “Hum 2 Hamaray 100” is one of their currently running shows which deserves a mention. This drama stars Furqan Qureshi, Hajra Yamin, Adnan Shah Tipu, Angeline Malik, Ayesha Gul, Samina Ahmed, Hammad Shaikh, Rana Majid, Sana Askari, Taqi Ahmed and others in prominent roles. The story has been written by Syed Zain Raza and Ateeq Inayat and directed by Angeline Malik.
The first episode introduces us to Noor (Hajra Yamin) and Arsalan (Furqan Qureshi), a newly married couple just starting their life together…..quite literally, having just arrived at the airport in Pakistan. The two got married in a rushed wedding in London out of fear of Arsalan’s deportation after Arsalan’s visa expired. Going from their slightly formal interactions, it does appear to have been a spontaneous decision as the two do not know each other very well. While Noor is an only child with protective parents, she is shocked upon her arrival in Pakistan to discover that Arsalan lives in a large joint family system with several brothers and sisters, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews and so on. While Noor is a sweet, kind-hearted girl, this chaotic environment is too much for her. Adding to her stress, her parents arrive unannounced at her in-laws place and are equally as horrified as she is.
The show is essentially a take on Eastern versus Western values and how this couple, raised in drastically different environments, will come together to accept one another – and their families.
The best character of the show, so far, is Rana Majid Khan’s Shauky Bhai. This character gets the best lines, accompanied by Rana Majid Khan’s hilarious performance. Angeline Malik’s performance as the overprotective, high maintenance mother and Adnan Shah Tipu’s performance as Arsalan’s strict father also make an impact! Furqan Qureshi and Hajra Yamin suit the roles they’ve been hired to play. There are a lot of loud moments in the first episode, but by episode two, those moments iron themselves out and the episode is a laugh-out-loud riot. If the show continues at this pace and actually builds a story rather than playing out slapstick shock-factor scenarios, this will be a great show!