“Prem Gali” continues its ride as one of the most loved shows on television at present. Starring Farhan Saeed, Sohai Ali Abro, Saba Hameed, Shamim Hilaly, Uzma Hassan, Waseem Abbas, Qavi Khan and many talented others, the show has a strong ensemble cast. The team is lead by the writer-director duo of Faiza Iftikhar and directed by Qasim Ali Mureed. “Prem Gali” is a love story, but more than anything, it’s a story of two families and the neighborhood they reside in.
Last we saw, Hamza (Farhan Saeed) and Joya (Sohai Ali Abro) got married and were ready to spend their wedding night together. Unfortunately, Hatim (Waseem Abbas) speaks to his spiritual guide who tells him that Hamza and Joya cannot have a child within one year of their marriage or Joya will pass away. This fear takes hold in Hatim’s heart and he berates Hamza, telling him he must maintain distance for the next year or Joya’s life will be at stake. Hamza does not believe in this, but doubt creeps into his mind and he begins a mission of trying to contact the Peer to do what he can to change his statement while also avoiding Joya, as he’s struggling to keep away from her. However, Joya and both families notice the distance between the two immediately and the instructions begin.
The experiences we’ve been through as individuals affects our thought process. It affects the way we view the world. It affects the way we approach different situations. And the bad experiences we live through affect how we proceed moving forward. Hamza’s family has been through a difficult time with their wives, each man losing his wife early on. So it’s no surprise that all 3 men worry for Joya’s well-being and Hamza’s happily married life. Hatim, with his superstitions and belief in Peers, believes in this curse wholeheartedly and does not want to risk his son’s happiness at any cost – even if that means putting a damper on his son’s wedding night and, essentially, the first year of his marriage.
On the other hand, Joya comes from a family with three divorced women who all hold their own personal trauma and blame themselves in different ways for their marriages falling apart. Again, it’s no surprise that these women worry for Joya and impart their “wisdom” on her. “Do as I say, not as I do” is the theme of this episode and Joya receives all sorts of advice. Shireen (Saba Hameed) asks Joya to be soft and loving (as opposed to how she was in her marriage), Mussarat (Uzma Hassan) tells Joya to be dominating and assertive while Rahat (Shamim Hilaly) tells Joya to forget chores and remain attractive for her husband. Each lady truly believes they were wrong in how they handled their marriage and want different for Joya. Yet Joya herself is beginning to feel torn between all these opposing pieces of advice. Which does she follow?
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To make matters worse, Hamza is lost in his own troubles and is neglecting Joya, making her believe her marriage is already on the rocks on the very first day. It’s silly of Hamza not to confide in his wife, especially considering it’s not something he can keep from her for a year. Episode 15 is an entertaining one and it’s great to see these different viewpoints born of circumstances coming from each character, but one hopes this track doesn’t last for too long. Haseena’s (Farah Shah) son, Salman, is also seen begging her to get married, so that will be an upcoming track. And when will Javed Sheikh make his official entry as Joya’s father? That remains to be seen. “Prem Gali” has a lot going for it and each character has so much depth that there’s a world of stories to unravel.