After a long wait, Green Entertainment has finally launched with a full schedule. On its debut night, “Tumharey Husn Kay Naam” is one of the first shows to air (alongside “Jeevan Nagar” and “Honeymoon”). Starring Saba Qamar and Imran Abbas in lead roles, this drama also stars Salman Shahid and Munnazah Arif in a story written by Sarah Qayyum and directed by Saqib Khan. From the promo itself, “Tumharey Husn Kay Naam” promised to take us back in time to an old-school feel with heart and with episode 1, it delivers.
In the first episode, we are introduced to Salma (Saba Qamar) and Sikandar (Imran Abbas), two art students who study in the same college. Salma is a talented young girl with protective, loving parents, particularly her father, played by Salman Shahid. Salma is from a well-off family and has been raised like a princess, which becomes a problem for Sikandar after he hits Salma with a ball while playing cricket on campus grounds. Salma suffers a minor injury, but it’s enough for her father to request disciplinary action against Sikandar. Sikandar comes from a once-wealthy family who lost everything after his father’s death. Salma and Sikandar come from different worlds, have different lifestyles and different paths in life. However, this one accident brings them together in an unexpected way.
Set in the 90s, the visuals are beautifully nostalgic and take the audience back to a simpler time, which works in the show’s favor. This is not a fast-paced drama about the youth of today, rather the pace is leisurely, reminiscent of the PTV era or the early era of Hum TV. That being said, the first episode of “Tumharey Husn Kay Naam” is slow-paced and almost tedious in its emphasis on a small mistake. While we understand that this is certainly the point, showing how Sikandar’s small mistake is deemed a near-criminal act by Salma’s family due to her upbringing, the pace somehow does not “click.” Still, the narrative is interesting, particularly towards the end when Salma and Sikandar finally come face to face in a comical argument. Saba Qamar tends to choose her shows wisely and generally does choose well. She performs naturally here while Imran Abbas is in his element. Imran Abbas has always been known for his strong command of the Urdu language along with his subtle acting. Unfortunately, he has not been making great choices as of late. However, with “Tumharey Husn Kay Naam,” he seems to have found his comfort zone again and impresses. Salman Shahid is wonderful, as always and Munazzah Arif is graceful. The first episode, as stated earlier, isn’t a quick, exciting watch, but is relaxed in its presentation and presents what promises to be a sweet, entertaining, angsty love story. It will be great to see how this romance forms and what materializes as a result. This one is worth a watch.
