“Hum Kahan Kay Sachay Thay” is one of the top shows currently on air. With a phenomenal cast, including Mahira Khan, Kubra Khan, Usman Mukhtar, Zainab Qayyum, Laila Wasti, Ali Tahir, Huma Nawab, Shamim Hilaly and others, the story has been written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Farooq Rind. In the latest episode, the narrative takes a tragic turn.
In episode 9, we see Mashal (Kubra Khan) frustrated with the current situation as Aswad (Usman Mukhtar) and Mehreen (Mahira Khan) prepare for their upcoming nikkah. We see, in a telling scene, Mashal setting aside food for Mehreen and, when Shabbo tells her Mehreen doesn’t want to eat, Mashal tells her to throw the food away. This is a clear indication that Mashal has put something (poison?) in Mehreen’s food. However, Shabbo gives the food to the family dog instead, though we’re not sure what happened to the dog just yet. What ensues after this is that Mashal’s dead body is found by Shagufta (Zainab Qayyum), leaving the family grieving the death of their beloved daughter as Mehreen is arrested for her “murder.”
This episode is a frustrating one, because what should have been an impressive, impactful, haunting episode leaves this viewer feeling empty, void of emotion. The thoughts towards this episode appear to be divided with many hailing it a beautiful, haunting episode and others (like myself) wondering where the team went wrong. Khalid Malik’s role as inspector is a particularly irritating addition with his constant “Suna?” grating on the ears. He comes across as a cartoon-inspired character (though Khalid Malik himself is a star). The sequences surrounding Mashal’s death have been edited in an odd way, filtering in and out, switching character reactions and coming across as a jumble – something just feels “off” about the editing and it simply does not work. Furthermore, Mehreen is arrested for Mashal’s death based on Shabbo’s claim that Mehreen poisoned her food – but logically, the law requires at least two eyewitnesses to the crime before it can be used as evidence. Mehreen would have become a suspect, but would have been waiting at home (potentially the house under watch) for the forensic results, not sitting in jail, being told the results had come back and she had “given Mashal sleeping pills” (were they sleeping pills or poison?). This entire scenario came across as far-fetched, the family reactions also coming across as too sudden, too accepting of this tragedy….were the reactions of Mashal’s parents those of parents who had just lost their only daughter?
It would’ve been nice to see more of Mashal’s actual death, but it’s clear that Mashal will continue making appearances throughout the show as the truth is revealed and this is not the last we will see of Kubra Khan. What’s disappointing here is that “Hum Kahan Kay Sachay Thay” has been a beautifully shot, beautifully enacted by all and with some pretty strong writing. Many, myself included, have felt that this show was fairly flawless, despite having flawed characters. But this week, “Hum Kahan Kay Sachay Thay” got it wrong. Still, it will be nice to see Safaan (Haroon Shahid) with Mehreen next week. Can we still hope for a Safaan-Mehreen reunion?