Starring Farhan Saeed, Sohai Ali Abro, Saba Hameed, Uzma Hassan, Shamim Hilaly, Qavi Khan Waseem Abbas and others, “Prem Gali” has been written by Faiza Iftikhar and directed by Qasim Ali Mureed. “Prem Gali” has taken a turn for the serious since Joya and Hamza left home. Now with their absence from the home, many other storylines are receiving necessary attention while Joya and Hamza learn to survive on their own.
If “Prem Gali” has seemingly been going off-track lately and dragging a bit, episode 27 brings the show right back to where it needs to be – with the emphasis on emotional growth. There are many beautiful aspects to this show and this episode manages to highlight them all one-by-one within a 40-minute episode. First and foremost, there’s the wonderful bond between Mussarat (Uzma Hassan) and Luqman (Abdullah Farhatullah). While Luqman continues to blame himself for Joya and Hamza’s disappearance, Mussarat has reacted to this entire scenario in a surprisingly positive way. Dragging Luqman to the park, the two share a meaningful conversation where Mussarat is visibly more content with life and is ready to move on towards happiness. This scene is so well-written, shedding light on Mussarat’s thought-process and the obstacles she herself has placed on her own life – and by vocalizing these thoughts, allowing Luqman to see where he has gone wrong himself. The words written by Faiza Iftikhar here are brilliant, words that many women (and men) who have been hurt in the past can relate to. Uzma Hassan and Abdullah Farhatullah finally get the strong scene they’ve deserved and it’s this moment between the two that truly stands out in this episode, not only due to their performances, but also simply the way it has been written/directed.
Hamza (Farhan Saeed) and Joya (Sohai Ali Abro) bicker more than they ever expected now that the two live alone and Hamza confides this in Salman when he visits him at work. However, adding oil the fire (unintentionally) is Hamza’s boss, Manzoor (Javed Sheikh). While Hamza is innocently unaware of Manzoor and Joya’s connection, he brings his boss home and is surprised at Joya’s rude behavior towards the man who provides his paycheck. This is an intense scene as while Joya is well-aware of Manzoor’s identity as she throws subtle taunts his way, Manzoor is not aware that Joya knows he’s her father. Later, Joya reacts badly to Hamza’s scolding and this causes a fight. On Hamza’s part, he’s right to be angry. How could his wife behave this way with his boss? But on Joya’s part, she’s right to be angry too, considering she was abandoned by her father without any explanation. What’s wrong here is that Joya will not confide in Hamza, the man she claims to love – and the man who loves her. Does Joya believe Hamza would treat her any differently if he knew the truth? It’s not as though he isn’t aware of her background, so it’s frustrating to watch her conceal this truth from him.
Yet another beautiful scene takes place between Manzoor and Shireen (Saba Hameed). Of course, Javed Sheikh and Saba Hameed have always shared truly great chemistry and that shines once again as they enact the roles of Manzoor and Shireen, two individuals with permanent scars due to the failure of their past relationship. And while there doesn’t appear to be a “victim” vs. “wrongdoer” in their scenario, they are both suffering in their own way – but most of all, their daughter is suffering due to their actions. It’s a wonderful moment for Shireen (and viewers) when Manzoor tells Shireen he met Joya and commends her on the way she has raised their daughter. Shireen has lived a difficult life caring for their daughter alone and his words are like the validation she never knew she needed. However, Manzoor, in his innocence, believes Joya is still unaware and it’s here that Shireen informs him that Joya knows about his identity. This certainly changes things and opens the door for Manzoor to interact with his daughter. But will Joya be open to hearing his side of the story?
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“Prem Gali” has been a consistently great show, but there have been a few episodes lately that have unnecessarily stretched the show. Yet with this latest episode, the show is back on track with meaningful dialogues, wonderful performances and a true sense of direction. With Dada Ji (Qavi Khan) plotting his illness to bring back Hamza and Joya, the antics and comedy are sure to return in the next episode. But the emotional sequences this time around were much needed and appreciated.