“Neem” is not just a story, it’s a journey, a journey through the lives of two characters and how they, eventually, will reunite. Starring Mawra Hocane, Ameer Gilani, Syed Jibran, Arsalan Naseer, Manzar Sehbai, Rana Majid Khan and others in prominent roles, the story has been written by Kashif Anwar and directed by Shahzad Kashmiri. Up until now, while “Neem” has been slow with moving the narrative forward, viewers have been accepting due to the excellent performances and the story progressing in a natural manner. Unfortunately, with episode 18, “Neem” not only delivers a thoroughly uninteresting 36 minutes, but also eliminates a fan-favorite character, leaving viewers dumbfounded with the decisions taken while shooting and editing this episode.
In episode 18, the entire focus is on Karamat (Syed Jibran). While Syed Jibran is a fabulous actor, Karamat is not a fabulous character. He is a character who has been getting away with murder (quite literally), kicking multiple victims off a mountain to their death and locking up innocents in jail. At some point, it is no longer enjoyable to watch a criminal continuously get away with bad behavior – and with Karamat, we have long since reached our breaking point. We see Zymal (Mawra Hocane) reject Karamt openly, an act which shows how weak and cowardly Karamat is, a man who holds no power over a woman he wants to possess. But Karamat is becoming more power hungry with each passing day. Will he accept rejection like this or is Zymal now in danger as well?
In contrast to Karamat, Jameel (Hassan Shah) has been like a breath of fresh air despite his own sinister motives. Jameel has been Karamat’s lackey, a man who stood by his side through his greatest atrocities – and, unknown to Karamat, was his greatest enemy, plotting his destruction. This destruction was highly awaited, Karamat betrayed by a man he trusted, just as he betrayed so many who relied on him. And in an incredibly disappointing turn of events, Karamat discovers that Jameel is the one who told Amjad about his crimes…..and sends Jameel and his brother to a gruesome death. Yes, once again, the men are kicked off a mountain, but this time, poison and a venemous snake are also involved. Not only is Jameel murdered, his revenge dying along with him, but the video he created to expose Karamat is now in Karamat’s hands. Of course, this leaves us wondering……what was the point? Syed Jibran and Hassan Shah perform wonderfully, but the arc itself is highly disappointing.
Zymal receives a visitor in the form of her professor (Manzar Sehbai), who helps her through her low moments. It’s great to watch this strong, supportive bond and both Mawra Hocane and Manzar Sehbai are so endearing in their roles. What’s disappointing though is the absolute absence of Ashhad (Ameer Gilani), a character who has had the slowest moving story arc….due to lack of screen time. This gives viewers yet another reason to complain, Ashhad still dealing with Camilla’s blackmail and little else, ignorant of what’s happening to his family back home.
As far as performances go, this episode simply does not give much to rave about. It’s disappointing, because “Neem” has been strong with storytelling all along, even during slow moments, and has been delivering an interesting story. However, this episode is just disappointing, doing little to move the narrative forward and killing off a character we expected to see through to the end. The team is capable of better. They can do better. This week, “Neem” is highly disappointing and upsetting with its lack of progress and focus.