Hooked, booked and cooked by 'Humsafar'!

Ritika Handoo

'Woh Humsafar tha, magar ussey humnawai na thi'...sung by Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch, and words put together by Naseeb Turabi is captivating!

As the clock strikes eight in the evening, I surf past every other channel on my television set, to finally stop at Zindagi. As soon as the song by Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch starts playing, my living room witnesses pin drop silence, as my family gets glued on to their seats to watch 'Humsafar'. Subconsciously, I hum this song more than any movie song nowadays (and I hope this continues).

The Pakistani serial, which is now a super-hit in India, was first telecast in 2011. It garnered a large viewership back in Pakistan and was a trendsetter of sorts in the genre of drama.

The lead pair, Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan, has struck just the right chord. We as audiences have been finally gifted a new albeit quite believable on screen couple. Based on an eponymous novel written by Farhat Ishtiaq, 'Humsafar' certainly tops my bucket list of must-watch television shows.

I have to confess that the day it premièred on Zindagi channel, I was not that interested. But as I pulled myself to see what the hullabaloo was about (and since Fawad Khan is adorable), I realised why people chose this over the others. There is a very fine line between realism and a shoddy presentation of reality and this serial proudly falls in the first category.

I have to say, the makers are focussed on story presentation, therefore the audience can relate with the struggles and emotional upheavals of the characters on screen. The progression of Khirad's (Mahira) character from being a coy and shy girl, who under a scheme of things is thrown out of her husband's house, to her being a hard-hitting, confident mother to a daughter, is extremely commendable.

I often find myself thinking about the characters and the turmoil which they go through subconsciously.

There are very few good television serials, which leave a lasting impression on the viewer's mind using the power of the medium—this one thankfully does that unfailingly in each of its episodes(at least for me). The subtle and enchanting background score makes it feel that the director has been influenced by world cinema and uses that knowledge to put such strong rhythms, reflecting the mood of each scene.

We are so used to watching the same old husband-wife saga, that when Ashar (Fawad) and Khirad's chemistry is depicted in a 'held back' and restrained style, it is quite refreshing. There is tension between the 'saas' and 'bahu' (like Indian soap dramas) but it doesn't go beyond words. The quintessential docile 'bahu' does not become a vamp in one day (with layers of make-up).

I love Mahira's costumes, by the way (the tone of white and black is completely in tune with the series).

Here, Khirad cries and you feel the pain. The realism is such, you possibly can't miss the emotion. I am actually dreading to even think that this beautiful story about relationships is going to end, as it is nearing its grand finale episode this week.

Somewhere I think, the void created by 'Humsafar' will take time to fill. I feel connected while watching this meaningful narrative unfold on the small screen, with performances by all the actors raising a toast to each other. I shall never refrain from recommending this television series to people who prefer watching acting prowess matched with a great story on the idiot box (pun intended).

For now, I am most hooked, booked and cooked by 'Humsafar'!