“Tanaa Banaa” is just one of several Ramadan special shows Pakistani viewers have on their television schedule this year. Starring Daniyal Zafar, Alizeh Shah, Javeria Abbasi, Aamir Qureshi, Komal Rizvi, Hassan Noman, Ismat Zaidi and others, the show has been written by Hassaan Imam and directed by Saife Hasan. This show has a breezy feel to it, a feel-good show about how two young individuals come together through marriage and how they develop that relationship after marriage. Its 20-minute runtime makes it a perfect, quick watch.
With 5 episodes down, “Tanaa Banaa” has really begun to take off. The premise of “Tanaa Banaa” is that of new love as viewers follow Zoya and Zain, played by Daniyal Zafar and Alizeh Shah, through the arranged marriage process. While the two initially start off as strangers and have very different personalities, Zain pursues Zoya and convinces her that he will be a great husband for her – even signing her 10-point commitment, which outlines what she expects from him after marriage. This will certainly come up later on after marriage, particularly because Zain signed it without even bothering to read it. However, at this point, Zoya and Zain are in the most beautiful times of their life as they get engaged surrounded by their families. Post-engagement, the two get to know each other over the phone and through secret meetings, Zain even sending Zoya gifts on a daily basis. What makes this show so endearing is how it shows a fairly realistic portrayal of how an arranged marriage in today’s times would work and how these two individuals are working towards forming a real bond, something that will only make their relationship after marriage stronger.
While Sajjad (Hassan Noman) and Zeb Un Nissa (Komal Rizvi) continuing to encourage Zain and Zoya’s love story, playing the perfect supportive elders, Fauzia (Javeria Abbasi) continues to disapprove of Zoya, her family and their “ways.” Of course, Fauzia’s disapproval isn’t so much about Zoya and her family themselves, rather it’s about not having “control” over the relationship. After Fauzia’s visit to Zoya’s house, she appears to have been pacified after seeing Zoya’s family’s loving, giving nature. But will that be enough to keep her on board long-term? There’s a wonderful scene between Zoya and her mother where Zoya talks to her family about Zain’s antics – and Zoya’s mother is tearful, in a happy way, seeing the loving partner her daughter is being married to and seeing a positive future for her first-born. This scene is short, quick and yet, effective, bringing tears to the eyes.
Daniyal Zafar and Alizeh Shah look great together, which makes this show immediately intriguing. To add to it, there’s something about this show which we haven’t seen in any show in recent times – the true progression of a love story playing out for viewers to see. Both Daniyal Zafar and Alizeh Shah are naturals in their roles. Also, special mention must go to Hassan Noman, who is doing a great job playing the supportive Sajjad. With Zain and Zoya’s marriage taking place in the next episode, this drama is set to sail into treacherous territory, especially with Fauzia’s disapproval towards Zoya’s education and undomesticated qualities.