It is difficult to praise certain shows week after week. However, in the case of “Standup Girl,” it delivers each week not only with comedy, but also with storyline driven episodes. Starring Sohail Ahmed, Zara Noor Abbas, Daniyal Zafar, Adnan Shah Tipu, Saba Faisal, Saqib Sumeer, Tamkinat, Saad Azhar and others, the story has been written by Awais Ahmed and Adeel Afzal and directed by Kashif Nisar.
As episode 25 opens, Kabir (Daniyal Zafar) is being interrogated by Zara’s (Zara Noor Abbas) family. These moments are comical, the family trying to understand Kabir and his non-traditional ways. The scene with Kabir rapping and the family’s reaction to said “singing” is absolutely hilarious and shows the disconnect between generations. And yet, despite the inquisitiveness, Kabir walks away liking Zara’s home environment. Unfortunately for Zara, this visit once again opens up discussions about Zara’s marriage to Kabir – though it’s not clear why she’s suddenly denying liking him.
This episode focuses on Kabir’s background and past as well, which emerges as an interesting angle. Kabir is a “saeein,” a rich landlord who has left his family behind due to an internal conflict with his parents. He declares this while talking to Zara’s family, but does not divulge details – however, by the end of the episode, the truth is revealed, at least to the audience. When Kabir’s nanny (who raised him in his mother’s absence) passes away, Kabir returns home for a short while for the funeral. It’s during this visit that we realize his parents are responsible for his music being stolen – as they hoped the failure would force him to return back home. For his parents to betray him this way is a huge betrayal and it’s now understandable why Kabir left home, as earlier we felt he was simply being a spoiled rich kid with disdain towards his background. This not only clears Kabir’s perspective, but also shows why, despite the overbearing, intrusive nature of Zara’s family, Kabir found them so likable. He himself has been missing a family who genuinely cares and protects their own.
Can we take a moment to praise Daniyal Zafar’s performance? It seems that while we, as the audience, are busy praising everyone else in the show, we’re taking his performance for granted. Kabir is a breezy, happy, magnetic character and it’s thanks to Daniyal’s performance that he’s so likable. He is a genuinely natural actor and is performing this role effortlessly. Zara Noor Abbas has also been excellent in the series of episodes over the last two weeks. While Zara’s rude nature initially seemed to be “too much,” now that she has settled into the home and has grown accustomed to her family, her rude behavior just seems like a part of her nature and, quite honestly, a natural reaction to their antics. The relationship between Zara and Kabir is a highlight, an honest, trusting relationship with open communication.
On the other end, the relationship between Hina (Tamkinat) and Raju (Saqib Sumeer) is discovered by Ameer Khan (Sohail Ahmed) and the reaction is just as intense as Raju expected it would be. With Raju and Hina now playing hide-and-seek from Ameer Khan, he himself is heartbroken at this breach of trust. Saqib Sumeer is excellent as Raju and this is such a different role for him. Raju is in a difficult situation, a member of the family without being a member of the family and while he loves Hina, he has never wanted to risk being removed from the family unit as a result. It’s heartbreaking to see his fears manifesting before his eyes and Saqib Sumeer has enacted that vulnerability so well. One of the best moments in the entire episode is when Ameer Khan stops Zara on her way to work and asks her to be transparent, whatever she chooses to do – and not to hide things from him. This goes to show that while he may be against Zara’s choice of profession, that choice does not hurt him as much as Hina and Raju’s secrecy has hurt him. Sohail Ahmed is a national gem and while the focus is on Zara’s journey, Sohail Ahmed’s performance is the heart and soul of the show.
“Standup Girl” is simply a gem. There is absolutely nothing to criticize about a show that arrives like a breath of fresh air each week and delivers entertainment from start to finish. It would be unfair to term “Standup Girl” a comedy, as it’s also a show with a lot of heart and soul and depth. As far as all-round entertainers go, “Standup Girl” is one Pakistani drama which is recommended for all!
