“Bandhay Aik Dour Se” began last week with positive feedback from viewers. Starring Ahsan Khan, Ushna Shah and Hina Altaf in lead roles, the show boasts of a strong supporting cast as well, including Saba Faisal, Saba Hameed and Samina Ahmed. At a time when most (all?) Pakistani shows are centered around heavy storylines, “Bandhay Aik Dour Se” arrives like a breath of fresh air. The storytelling is light, humorous and keeps the viewer feeling stress-free even when the lead character is experiencing turmoil. The presentation is what sets this show apart and while it has only been two episodes, up until this point this is a show worth watching.
In episode one, viewers were introduced to Umer (Ahsan Khan) and Maheen (Ushna Shah), two cousins and childhood best friends with warring families. Not only do their mothers (Saba Hameed and Saba Faisal) not get along, but the entire family shares highly dysfunctional dynamics. Generally this type of drama tends to be on the loud side, but “Bandhay Aik Dour Se” has been written by Faiza Iftikhar, so we are spared the melodrama. Instead, the show focuses on a more humorous side of family dysfunction and even in the more serious moments, there’s a “breezy” sort of feel to the writing and characters. Episode one elaborated on Umer’s relationship with Roshni (Hina Altaf), Maheen’s neighbor. Though the two have been together for two years, Umer has been working hard to reunite the family in order to introduce Roshni into the fold. However, before Umer can take that step, the engagement of Moiz (Ali Rizvi), Maheen’s brother, is announced. Putting two and two together, Umer is crushed to discover Moiz is getting engaged to Roshni.
Bandhay Aik Dour Se Episode 1: Worth Watching!
Episode 2 largely focuses on Umer’s incredibly bratty reaction to this announcement. What’s frustrating about Umer as a character is that he’s highly irritable and in this moment of feeling wronged, he doesn’t actually have any interest in clearing out a situation. Misunderstanding after misunderstanding takes place in this episode, all situations that could be cleared up immediately if Umer simply said Roshni’s name out loud. Instead, Umer pokes and insinuates with every member of his family. While his own brother and sister-in-law believe he’s in love with Maheen and broken-hearted over Maheen’s engagement, Maheen and Roshni grow increasingly upset with his behavior.
Again, as previously discussed, Umer does not make any effort to clear things up even when confronted by both Maheen and Moiz on separate occasions. However, like I said, the writing is kept stress-free in this episode as well and Umer’s tantrums come across as more laugh-worthy than anything else. Ahsan Khan is doing a wonderful job in this role. It’s also great to see Ushna Shah as Maheen, a straight-forward, kind girl. This show is held together by its supporting cast, but particularly by Saba Hameed, Saba Faisal and Samina Ahmed who receive some of the funniest lines. One hopes this show stays on this path, because “Bandhay Aik Dour Se” is a treat to watch after the current crop of miserable shows.
