“Radd” arrived without much excitement, but has managed to become an audience favorite almost immediately. This love triangle focuses on family manipulation and how it affects three genuinely kind souls. Starring Hiba Bukhari, Sheheryar Munawar and Arsalan Naseer in lead roles, the story has been written by Sanam Mehdi Zaryab and directed by Ahmed Bhatti.
In episode 10, the abuse towards Salaar (Sheheryar Munawar) takes a pause with the arrival of Laik (Nauman Ejaz), Salaar’s uncle. At this point, we can deduce several things about Salaar’s background. Salaar’s father (Adnan Jaffar) married Salaar’s mother as a second wife to acquire her immense wealth – and then set her on fire. This plan was hatched between Salaar’s father and stepmother. However, all the wealth they “acquired” was left in Salaar’s name and Laik, his uncle, is the caretaker who visits and ensures things are running smoothly. While Salaar wants to confide in his uncle, he is being threatened to keep quiet and has been told, since childhood, that he is the one who set his mother on fire. There is a lot of pain beneath the surface of the Salaar character and we’re genuinely rooting for his happiness. Sheheryar Munawar is doing an excellent job as Salaar, allowing the audience to empathize with this innocent young man. While Laik is currently buying into the picture being painted for him, will he recognize that his nephew needs help and come to his aid? We’re hoping to see Nauman Ijaz play a positive role here and it’s always a treat to see him on-screen.
On the other hand, Iman’s (Hiba Bukhari) family is planning for her wedding. Aside from Zain’s plotting mother (Asma Abbas) and Iman’s plotting brother-in-law (Paras Masroor), problems begin to arise when Zain loses his job. With only two months to find a new one while sitting abroad and making payments on the house he purchased for Iman and his mother, Zain is under a lot of stress. The icing on the cake is his mother telling him to keep this information to himself. Anyone would be irritable and moody when going through a difficult time and unable to share their true emotions – and this is exactly what happens. Long distance relationships are hard and when dishonesty enters the picture, it’s more difficult. Zain and Iman’s misunderstandings are well-executed and feel realistic. Both Hiba Bukhari and Arsalan Naseer share natural chemistry which helps greatly with audience connection.
There has been a lot of talk about “Radd” and the similarities between its storyline with “Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha.” Yes, we can acknowledge that there are certainly glaring similarities between the two storylines. However, we also have to acknowledge that “Radd” is everything “Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha” should have been (but was not). The greatest flaw of “Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha” was the audience inability to root for or sympathize with any of the characters. This is where “Radd” is excelling (at least so far). Between our three main leads, we can connect to all three characters and root for their happiness. When the chaos does drop – which we are expecting -, we will find ourselves torn with our emotions. That is how a show should be executed. This is where “Radd” succeeds. At present, all eyes are not only on Zain and Iman’s wedding, but also on Salaar’s family life. When will he find the strength to fight back? “Radd” has many interesting tracks and leaves us wanting more each week.