“Saraab” stars Sonya Hussyn and Sami Khan in lead roles. The show has been written by Edison Idrees and directed by Mohsin Talat and airs on Hum Tv on Thursday nights. “Saraab” is different in both its story and its treatment, tackling the subject of schizophrenia. Not only does the show depict the way society treats mental illness, but also sincerely tries to guide viewers in how one should treat loved ones suffering through mental illnesses like schizophrenia (through the character of Asfandyar).
Much of episode 11 focuses on Hoorain’s return home and how it has affected her psyche. Asfandyar (Sami Khan) vocalizes his disappointment that Hoorain (Sonya Hussyn) has gone back home, confiding in his sister that Hoorain’s household environment will worsen Hoorain’s mental health when all he wants to do is begin her path to recovery. His fears are not unwarranted as it’s seen that Hoorain is negatively affected as soon as she steps foot in her room, falling ill and feeling weak, out of sorts for much of the day. It’s shown throughout the episode how Hoorain has been neglected in her family, not only now, but throughout her childhood as well, only receiving love from her father. This neglect obviously means Hoorain isn’t well-versed or knowledgeable about certain things, as she has never had anyone to discuss such issues with; Hoorain is internally very innocent and naïve. This is why, when she begins to feel weak, Hoorain immediately believes herself to be pregnant. However, not only does Hoorain misinterpret the situation, she also tells her father so – and he, in turn, begins strangling her before tossing her to the side and deciding to marry her off to Asfand. The rest of the family is left reeling, particularly Namal (Nazish Jehangir), who still has her sights on Asfandyar. Both Warda and Namal continue to conspire to break up the marriage.
The highlight of “Saraab,” besides the interesting subject, is the relationship between Asfandyar and Hoorain. Of course, the chemistry between Sami Khan and Sonya Hussyn is just the icing on the cake, but the way the bond has been written between these two characters is the driving force for viewers to continue to root for their love story. Hoorain isn’t in a good place mentally and emotionally and the most important thing in such a situation is to have a strong support system – and while Hoorain does not receive that love and support from anyone in her family, Asfandyar has become that for her. He cares about her in the most important way. Along with loving her, he has become the wall of protection for her and will go to any lengths to bring her under his own roof, despite what others around him say. This is beautiful and honestly, Asfandyar is the kind of character we, as viewers, need to see more of. This is what love and support truly is.
“Saraab” continues to impress with its strong storyline and the chemistry between the main leads. If there’s any complaint, it’s that there’s too much focus on the petty meddling of family members, namely Warda and Namal, who are two characters that are too interfering without any real reason. Still, the strengths shine through more than the rest and one eagerly awaits the next episode as Hoorain and Asfandyar seem to be headed into marriage.
