“Parizaad” continues to maintain its quality, following its main character, Parizaad, through his life struggles and new experiences. Starring the talented Ahmed Ali Akbar, the show has a brilliant ensemble cast including Nauman Ejaz, Urwa Hocane, Ushna Shah, Saboor Aly, Yumna Zaidi, Mashal Khan and many other talented faces. The story has been written by Hashim Nadeem and directed by Shahzad Kashmiri. At present, Parizaad is now in Karachi, following his latest dream to earn money and move to Dubai.
In episode 11, Parizaad (Ahmed Ali Akbar) is now heavily involved in his work – work which requires him to report Laila’s (Urwa Hocane) every move during the day. However, viewers are quick to note that Parizaad’s innocence and Laila’s visibly manipulative nature are going to put Parizaad in grave danger soon enough. Laila, under the pretense of visiting her ill Khala, convinces Parizaad to keep her moves hidden from Behroz (Nauman Ejaz). Parizaad genuinely believes he is doing Laila a favor by allowing her time to meet beloved relatives she’s being kept away from due to Behroz’s wishes; however, the audience is quick to realize Laila is most likely having an affair. This puts Parizaad in a dangerous spot, because he is now lying to his boss and Behroz does not take kindly to disloyalty.
At this point, it isn’t clear whether Laila is a negative character or not. Is she a victim of Behroz’s lifestyle and is there justification for her straying? Or is she simply as crooked as her crooked husband? Urwa Hocane is doing a great job playing the cool, composed, stone-faced Laila who does not reveal her true thoughts, while Nauman Ejaz is a natural as the stiff, rigid, business-minded Behroz, a man who has a sinister side.
Ahmed Ali Akbar is the glue that holds this well-written drama together. While each character has a role to play and makes an impact, Parizaad is the one character the audience forms that emotional bond with. Of course, Hassan Shah’s Jaanu continues to be lovable and his friendship with Parizaad is a highlight at present as Parizaad helps Jaanu and Mumtaz get married. One has to stop and wonder where exactly “Parizaad” is headed and how long the story will go on for, considering most of the main players have come and gone already? Only Yumna Zaidi’s track is left after the current Behroz-Laila one, which seems to be winding up already. The preview shows the confrontation between Behroze, Laila and Parizaad, which we’ve all seen in the OST. How will the story unravel from there and how will Parizaad make it out of this sticky situation?