Haye ji how cute is Ameer, I mean seriously ji! After binge watching a few episodes and pretty much engrossed in the drama, when my husband called my name, I caught myself just in time from replying…hain ji?!!
A Moomal Entertainment production, directed by Ahmed Bhatti and written by Mehwish Hassan, Kisay Chahoon has been on air every Wednesday and Thursday at 9pm on HUM Tv for a few weeks now. I had watched the first few episodes and then writing it off as predictable, somehow forgot about it until a few readers asked if I could watch it and write a review. Feeling very chuffed at my first drama review request (and seeing as I do not cook on a Friday – hence more free time), I caught up online and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed watching the drama.
Kisay Chahoon is the story of two cousins, Mehru (Sonia Hussain) and Hamza (Noor Hasan) whose families are at loggerheads with each other. I am not very clear about the intricate details but at some point Hamza’s father borrowed quite a hefty amount from Mehru’s father Jabbar (Firdous Jamal) and has been unable to return the loan, so Jabbar takes him to court. Mehru’s mother Zakiya (Fauzia Mushtaq) is Hamza’s phuppo. The whole court aspect brings bitterness between the families, more so in Jabbar and Hamza’s mother Shakra (Shaheen Khan). Mehru and Hamza are seemingly unaffected by the animosity between the parents and believe ‘love will conquer all’ even though it is obvious how unlikely it is this marriage can ever happen with the parents’ blessings.
Jabbar’s sisters son Ameer (Ali Abbas) comes to stay with them and is shown to be a simple, well meaning sort of person. Mehrus younger sister Maryam (Pari Hashmi) gets along with him but Mehru is quite short with him from the beginning because she knows he has seen her out with Hamza and worries he may tell her father.
Hamza lands a job as a tutor to a very rich and spoilt girl Mareena (Iqra Aziz) who eventually (quickly!) falls in love with him. Ameer appears to be falling in love with Mehru (I have no idea why as she is always only very rude and short with him) but he knows Mehru loves Hamza and wishes she gets married to Hamza. Trying to help out Mehru when speaking to her father about not going ahead with a proposal that has come for her, he somehow gives his uncle the impression that he is interested in Mehru and vice versa. Jabbar is delighted for he adores Ameer and announces they are to be married.
Meanwhile, Hamza speaks to his parents about Mehru and later his mother storms off to Mehru’s house to give them a piece of her mind. Mehru does admit she loves Hamza but Jabbar issues an ultimatum that either Mehru marries Ameer or else he will divorce Zakiya. Horrified at the thought of her mother getting divorced, Mehru agrees to marry Ameer and the nikkah takes place the same day. Hamza hears about the nikkah and there is the whole scene where he is raging across the city on his motorbike to reach Mehru’s house and once he is there – he stops (at the same time Mehru says qabool hai) and goes back. Only issue I had with that scene was that Mehru was inside the house whereas he was sat outside on his bike so unless he has bionic hearing or there was a hidden mike in Mehru’s room which I doubt – why did he turn back? Maybe because he realised how futile it was. Why race across the city to get to her house then? Ah well, I’ll let that one go with ‘love knows no reason’.
Since Mehru is now married and Hamza’s family still needs the money, he agrees to marry Mareena. Mehru is married but as Ameer says ‘woh sirf jaanay kay leeyay iss ghar mein ayee hain’. She has made it clear she wants a divorce from Ameer so she can marry Hamza. I do not understand how that helps as she only agreed to the marriage in the first place so that her mother does not get divorced so why would her father feel differently now if she divorces from Ameer and then marries Hamza. True, she says she is not in her father’s control anymore but still I guess it only goes to show what I feel from the beginning that Hamza and Mehru are in love but have very half baked plans. There was the time her father was considering a proposal for her and Hamza left her in the lurch to handle it herself . True, he was worried about the financial situation his family was in but he was very hands off about the whole situation which I did not like especially as Mehru was doing all she could to help him out. Then Mehru’s rash decision to marry Ameer and saying she and Hamza will sort out how to proceed now shows Mehru rushes off into situations without really thinking them through.
In the latest episode Mehru learns Hamza is getting married and confronts him and he brushes her off by saying this is her ‘saza’ for having married Ameer. She comes home and takes out all her anger and frustration on poor Ameer. I wish they had shown the scene when Ameer finally returns home and what Mehru’s reaction was.
I guess the main track in the story is meant to be that of Mehru and Hamza but the real show stealer has to be Ameer. Ali Abbas has acted amazingly well. He made me laugh, made me wince when Mehru puts him down, and cover my mouth in shock when she slaps him. His body language, his mannerisms, the way he speaks –Ali Abbas has truly put in a lot of effort in the role and I love how even though he is funny, he is not shown to be comical or OTT. I could not help being reminded though of the indian movie Rab nay bana di jori and thinking the whole black satchel and mannerisms and then sitting across the table from Mehru at meal times seemed to be a bit inspired by the movie but I am not complaining. Ali Abbas has done a commendable job and his acting feels original enough.
I was so thrilled for Ameer when after the nikkah we see he is promoted from the tiny drawing room to a big proper bedroom and I thought nahin yaar when he picks his pillow and walks out. I understand Mehru feels controlled and betrayed and is lumping Ameer with her family thinking they have all been unfair to her but the way she yells at him and slaps him was just awful. We see that she was hoping Ameer would say no to the nikkah knowing she does not want to marry him, even though she had said yes.
Noor Hassan is just Noor Hassan. That should say it all. He is Noor Hassan in every Noor Hassan drama with his strangled deep voice and head tilted at 45 degrees. When we were teenagers there was a time when most of us had our heads tilted at 45 degrees but we grew out of it. Really, we did. About time he does too. Iqra Aziz is convincing as the rich spoilt brat but when she had that huge smile in the hospital it creeped me out and I wonder if her role is just someone who is spoilt and very moody or also borderline mentally unstable?
Sonia Hussain is one of the few young actresses that I like and although she gets a bit scary looking and asthmatic in her emotional crying scenes, she is a good actress and I like how most of the time her acting is very natural and real.
The story does not seem to be new so far. Girl getting married to someone she does not love who turns out to be a total angel – Ishq Parast, Who Ishq tha Shayed to name a couple. Although if I am to quote only those two dramas then I may as well substitute the word angel with Jibran Syed . Oh well. And I will unashamedly admit I am a bit of a sucker for those kind of stories where the female lead slowly falls in love with her husband. I like Kisay Chahoon because it lacks any horrifying/weird twists and turns as yet. And the fact that it airs twice a week helps keep up the pace of the drama I feel. With Hamza’s father dying in the latest episode and Hamza totally at his susraal’s beck and call it seems like Shakra will get a reality check. Poor Shaheen Khan, with her brainless mother role in Chup Raho or the equally brainless khala role in Ishq Parast I was pleasantly (dripping sarcasm here)surprised when she lies to Hamza that she asked for Mehru’s rishta but her father insulted her and threw her out. I thought wah Shaheen, you do have a brain. Seems like it has not helped her much here either though.
Overall, I liked the play more until Mehru and Ameer got married. I do not like how Mehru is treating Ameer because at first his scenes made me laugh but now I feel so bad for him. One could think that he should have just said no to Mehru’s father to the nikkah but then that is just how he is. A non confrontational sort and even though he tried to stop things earlier but when his mamoo says he knows what he is doing and needs his support, he felt he needed to step up. I really like the chemistry between Ali Abbas and Firdous Jamal – one actually believes he is truly fond of his nephew. I suppose Mehru will slowly fall in love with Ameer now and Mareena and Hamza are in for a joy (read:horror) ride. Ahmed Bhatti is a new name to me but he has done wonderfully well with this drama. I found the lighting a bit odd and annoying in Mareena’s house scenes but I am guessing no more accounts tuitions now so no more scenes with that lighting!
I seem to be picking dramas to review that not many others are following. I would love to hear if people are following this drama and enjoying it? And if you would like a weekly review. Please share your thoughts!
Kunwal Javid