Who would’ve imagined it would be possible for a show to be addictive and painful to watch at the same time? That’s exactly how one would describe “Khwab Nagar Ki Shehzadi.” This is a show that has an interesting storyline, but has been taken to a place where the story is becoming dragged out, heading in an unbelievable direction. Starring Mikaal Zulfiqar, Mashal Khan, Anmol Baloch, Sajida Syed, Aly Khan and others, the story has been written by Ali Moeen and Rehana Aftab and directed by Syed Ramish Rizvi.
The story of “Khwaab Nagar Ki Shehzadi” began with Saim (Mikaal Zulfiqar) and Meera’s (Mashal Khan) marriage. The two were a much-in-love couple with a young son and lived with Saim’s mother. When Sehar (Anmol Baloch) entered their home as their household help, things turned upside down in their lives. While Meera allowing Sehar to stay in their house was a favor to her entire family, users do not follow social ethics and it didn’t take long for Sehar to become embroiled in an affair with Saim. 55 plus episodes and going, there isn’t any end in sight. While it seemed as though this drama was finally at it’s end point, the story has been extended once again.
So much time, energy and focus has been given to Sehar’s sister, brother-in-law and his mother. This track is not interesting at all. What could have been interesting is if they had shown Samina as a good person, very different from her sister and father – that could’ve added different layers to this family. Instead, Samina and her husband have gone from being normal individuals trying to earn a living to being money-grubbing crooks. There isn’t any value in giving these characters screen time, it is just an effort to drag out the episodes.
Sehar has now successfully murdered Saim’s mother, which has put Sehar in a very different light than what she has been portrayed as up until now. Yes, Sehar has manipulated and yes, she has even spilled shampoo on the bathroom floor, causing Meera to miscarry. But this is all very different from actually pushing an elderly lady down the stairs, causing her bones to break and then cheering when she passes away. Sehar is now an outright villain who continues to play innocent. What’s even more ludicrous is Saim’s reaction to all this. He continues to buy Sehar’s innocent act despite Meera pointing out all the warning signs to him. What is it that causes him to believe Sehar exactly? That’s a mystery. Of course, Meera isn’t the brightest tool in the shed either, pushing a pregnant woman and lowering her image in Saim’s eyes. Even Meera has caused Sehar’s miscarriage and there isn’t any brushing over that – regardless of her reason, Sehar is pregnant and Meera should not have reacted that way. Still, what transpired happened right in front of Saim’s eyes, so he should know better than to believe Meera intentionally tried to kill his child.
This is where things get really tricky for this show. Pakistani dramas tend to try to whitewash the crimes and misbehaviors of their male lead characters, usually resulting in forgiveness by the end of the show. Looking at the promo for next week, this is absolutely not acceptable. Saim will try to strangle Meera next week, angry at her behavior. This is literally attempted murder – or is it murder? We are assuming Meera will survive this assault. If she does, Saim has crossed all limits and is no longer forgivable. Sehar is feeding him information? Oh well, he’s a grown man who is choosing to believe this information over the wife he has known and trusted for over 10 years. How can a man be this brainless and gullible? It doesn’t make any sense. At this point, the audience continues to tune in simply to see Saim and Sehar’s misery – but at this rate, how long will that take?
