“What will happen to Hala next?” This is the question every “Mere Humsafar” viewer wonders before each episode and each episode delivers a steady, dependable dose of misery for our beloved lead female character. Starring Farhan Saeed, Hania Amir, Saba Hameed, Wasim Abbas, Zoya Nasir, Tara Mehmood, Samina Ahmed, Aly Khan and many others, “Mere Humsafar” follows the life of Hala, a young girl who is passed off by her father to his extended family as a child and grows up in extreme emotional, mental and even physical distress. Written by Saira Raza and directed by Qasim Ali Mureed, “Mere Humsafar” is that miserable watch that keep one coming back for more only to see its female lead receive some happiness by the end…..hopefully.
In episode 10, things seem grim for Daadi (Samina Ahmed), which would be a horrible blow for Hala. Daadi is Hala’s only true supporter, so without her protection, Hala will be left for the dogs to attack. Hamza (Farhan Saeed) appears to be a noble enough guy, always willing to step in to protect Hala, but he is also completely blind to his mother, Shah Jahan’s (Saba Hameed) manipulations. Shah Jahan has thoroughly been terrorizing Hala, not even sparing her character. Shah Jahan goes as far as to tell Hala’s father that Hala refused the Nikkah at the last moment, causing the groom and his family to leave…..something which is a flat-out lie. Still, Hamza appears to be a knight in shining armor of sorts for Hala, if he actually takes things far enough to help her in the right way.
Meanwhile, Khurram (Omer Shehzad) makes a reappearance after seeing Hala and Hamza in the hospital together and confronts Hala, saying she ruined his life. The irony here is rich, but Hala is so scared of her family, she hides the confrontation from Hamza – which will certainly come back to her later on. What’s funny is how Shah Jahan wanted to ruin Hala’s happiness all along and destroyed her relationship with Khurram – but now that she sees Hamza falling for Hala, she calls Khurram herself to get the two married….only to be informed that Khurram is simply not interested, calling the entire family liars. Of course, Rumi continues to plot and scheme against Sameen (Zoya Nasir) with her lies coming to a head next week. Rumi is the most unlikable character in this entire show – yes, even more than Shah Jahan – and it’s clear that her mother’s psychopath tendencies have rubbed off on her. Rumi doesn’t study, doesn’t work, doesn’t want to get married and spends all her time plotting against Sameen and framing Hala for it. What is wrong with this girl?
Honestly, if we are to critique “Mere Humsafar” properly, it’s simply an excuse to make Hala a victim. In the beginning of the show, Hala is seen as neglected – something which makes her self-sufficient. She walked to University, took the bus on her own and definitely carried a purse. She was also self sufficient enough to go to her friend’s house. So why has she suddenly been reduced to a bumpkin without any common sense, street smarts or sense regarding how the world works? This just comes across as a major blooper. There aren’t any performances here that are praise-worthy at this point. Hania Amir is likable enough, as she’s always a natural on-screen, but her character is a cry-baby. Hamza is almost creepily friendly with all the girls in the family and he doesn’t seem entirely “right,” so it’s hard to asses if this is an intentional choice Farhan Saeed is making. For now, “Mere Humsafar” is an easy watch, but also a miserable one.