“Mere Humsafar” has emerged as a surprise hit with audiences appreciating Farhan Saeed and Hania Amir’s chemistry as Hamza and Hala. Starring Hania Amir, Farhan Saeed, Saba Hameed, Waseem Abbas, Tara Mehmood, Zoya Nasir, Aamir Qureshi and others, the story has been written by Saira Raza and directed by Qasim Ali Mureed. Following the abandoned Hala’s life, “Mere Humsafar” essentially depicts what a young girl goes through after being left by her father at the mercy of extended relatives.
At the present juncture, “Mere Humsafar” is a story revolving around our knight in shining armor, Hamza (Farhan Saeed) – and what a knight he is. Hamza seemed a little “off” in his introduction episodes, flirting with Sameen (Zoya Nasir) and also showing interest in Hala (Hania Amir) in a way that seemed just a little bit “extra.” However, as episodes have moved forward, Hamza has proved to be the ideal hero for Hala in particular. While many can and have argued that what Hala needs is independence, a good education, therapy and to be removed from that toxic household (all of which is true), we also have to understand stories on the basis of the characters and their circumstances. With a father who has never looked back or even ensured his money was actually being spent on his daughter, Hala has been the victim of emotional, psychological and physical abuse since she was a child. This is a girl who has never even been given anything “good” to eat, deprived of luxuries like pizza while everyone else in the household happily enjoyed these things on her dime. For a girl like this, sometimes marriage is exactly what she needs, because she needs someone standing in her corner. Hamza is that supportive partner who just may push Hala into further education and help build her confidence, but at present, all she needs is to be protected from the toxic environment and family members surrounding her.
It’s a stand-out moment then when Hamza, tired of Hala’s constant self-sacrifice, yells at Hala and makes it clear that he will not leave her. This is the one time where the audience wants Hala to be yelled at, as she needs to understand that it’s time to fight for her rights. This idea is reinforced by her father over the phone. While Nafees (Aly Khan) does not earn any brownie points for any of his actions, as he’s a horrible father, it’s still a blessing to see him encouraging Hala to claim her place as Hamza’s wife and own the relationship. Hamza’s support is slowly helping Hala come out of her fear and, as viewers, we cheer when Hala stands up to Shah Jahan (Saba Hameed) and refuses to leave. Both Farhan Saeed and Hania Amir share such great chemistry as Hamza and Hala and they make the audience want to root for them. And yet, how much will Hamza tolerate of Hala’s tears? It’s time for this girl to stand up for herself….and would it really hurt to confide in Hamza about her past with Khurram, before it becomes a weapon against her?
If there’s any aspect of the show that’s beginning to grate on the nerves, it’s the toxicity-filled Rumi. Rumi is not just mischievous or silly, but is actually a poisonous snake of a character. She does not care who she hurts in this entire game of hers. And while Sameen may be lashing out at Hala, can anyone really blame her? Sameen has been in love with Hamza since childhood and has had it all snatched away in a moment. It’s difficult not to feel badly for her. Along with Rumi, Khurram (Omer Shehzad) continues to grate on the nerves as the true representation of a “user.” After his mother is hospitalized, Khurram visits Shafaq and her family to inform them of her illness – and sneakily requests home-cooked food for his ill mother, as per hospital instructions – food that he also eats happily himself. While these moments surrounding Khurram and Shafaq could be seen as a waste of time, they are not. In fact, these scenes highlight how Khurram’s nature of being an opportunist has not changed during his time of need and he is exactly the same man.
What remains to be seen is how Shah Jahan manages to entice Khurram into helping her and join forces against Hala. Will Shafaq ultimately be the one to come to Hala’s rescue or will Hala’s former friend also play a part in the conspiracy against Hala? “Mere Humsafar” is one of those shows that is full of manipulative characters, but still manages to emerge as a winner each week. Now what remains to be seen is if Hamza remains the supportive partner that he is or if he allows his family’s biases and plots to cloud his mind against Hala.
