In these two episodes Saman got more settled in the house mainly due to the love given to her by Saba but once she was well settled it seemed like she was the one running the show while Saba found it impossible to cope with so many new changes which she did not anticipate. Saba noticed Saman and Irtiza’s growing closeness and her reaction was shown realistically. Although the timing of the realization and the overall impact such a major development should have had was derailed in episode 4 in particular, just like every other big development in Bin Roye so far, but Saba’s reaction was definitely in line with her character. She did not confront Saman but she decided to ignore her in order to make her feel just as alienated as Saman made her feel because of her growing relationship with Irtiza. Irtiza’s character is that of a sweet, gentle man who is completely blown away by Saman. The attraction he feels towards Saman is difficult to relate to because Saman’s character isn’t very appealing, it also has done-to-death written all over it. She is the older, wiser sister, who can do no wrong. Also, Hamayun Saeed’s manly demeanor which is a part of his overall personality does not really fit in the present scenario. The fact that he played an exceptionally strong role very recently in drama serial Dillagi also does not help. Irtiza is too plain and he is only attractive because two women find him attractive otherwise his character does not have a lot to offer.

Saba’s character is exactly the way it was so many years back when she was a child, which means there has been absolutely no character development. She still cried when Irtiza lost the match, although the reason was different this time but the fact that she could not hide her feelings from everyone else around her went to show that although she claimed to be mature but she was still like that 10 year old girl who had very little control over her feelings. The scenes in episode 4 in which dadi and Saba’s mother talk about Saman and later on criticize Saba for her bad habits was a scene which showed Saba’s general disgust with Saman being the perfect child – a detail which gave this relationship a very typical feel. Also, in tonight’s episode Saba’s conversation with dadi gave the same impression. The only difference here is that while Saman is the perfect sister, Saba is not being shown as an evil character.

These two episodes further showed that Saba’s life literally revolved around Irtiza. In all these years she never really got used to having Irtiza around but still having him around her meant something special. He is all she talks about and the only person she wants to spend her time with. Mahira Khan wore minimum make-up in these two episodes and there was very little styling too. Just like most of the roles Mahira Khan plays she is really into her character but her character is one-dimensional. Probably to show the contrast between Saman and Saba even more Armeena Rana Khan’s styling was much more trim and proper. Armeena Rana Khan’s dialogue delivery and overall performance is making it very difficult to relate to Saman’s character.

Safir’s (Junaid Khan) character was also introduced in these episodes. He is his mother’s only son who works in the US and is romantically involved with a Hindu girl (Shazia Naz), someone he can probably never get married to but they share an apartment! Safir’s conversation with his girlfriend pretty much summed up why he will end up bowing to his mother’s wishes at some point.

Dadi talked about Irtiza’s wedding in the 2nd episode, Saba told her about her feelings for Irtiza at that time but since then there has been absolutely no mention of what Saba said. Dadi and Saba’s relationship had tons of potential which has not been utilized to the maximum. These 5 episodes have proved one thing, Bin Roye is going to be a very typical story and none of the twists will have the shock value which are needed to make the viewers sit at the edge of their seats. Bin Roye keeps you interested, there are moments which are emotional but it does not blow you away. The good thing about this play is that there are no heroes or villains in this story but just normal everyday people who are caught up in situations beyond their control which will determine the course of their relationships and their lives. The things which keeps it from being a complete winner is that all these people are a little too plain at times and the drama does not have a lot of extraordinary performances to its credit.

Yasmin’s (the maid) rude behaviour with Saba in episode 4 stood out like a sore thumb! I could not understand the reason behind it. Saba might be immature but she is very well mannered, I couldn’t understand why Yasmin was even acting that way. This was a small scene but one which made you wonder why it was there! Bin Roye has two iconic directors behind it therefore watching a less than average performance by Armeena Rana Khan and scenes which are supposed to be emotionally charged but don’t have enough impact or incidents which are not followed through has been an anticlimax, to say the least. Mahira Khan’s expressions when Irtiza shares with Saba that he was in love and later on the reaction when she heard Irtiza proposing to Saman did not make a lot of sense. How could she not know that he was talking about Saman and not her? Having said that, I have to say that Irtiza is at his best when he is with Saba. Hamayun Saeed and Mahira Khan’s chemistry with each other is definitely making their scenes work. Also, although Saba’s love is immature but you can’t help but relate to her feelings. In tonight’s episode especially watching Saba’s hopes being dashed to the ground was definitely emotional. The picture quality of the play was perfect in the first episode but after that there have been quite a few scenes in which neither the picture quality nor the make-up of many of the actors has been up to the mark. Also, there were a few scenes in which the viewers were shown one night after another and the days were completely missed. The family as a whole has not been shown together in any of the scenes, even tonight in the engagement scene Javed Sheikh was missing.

Mahira Khan was the star of the show tonight without a doubt. Even though the directors and the people behind the camera failed to do justice to her but Saba’s character and her track is the only reason why I will be tuning into Bin Roye next week. The latest developments reminded me of Alvida yet again. I haven’t read the novel but I have seen Alvida and therefore it is very easy to predict what is going to happen next.

How many of you watched these two episodes? Do share your thoughts about it.

Even though Bin Roye has largely been a disappointment so far but every time a new episode airs I watch it with an open-mind waiting to be entertained and enthralled but just like the previous two weeks, this week too Bin Roye lacked the kind of emotions which make a viewer connect to the characters. Choppy editing, conversations that leave a lot to be desired and scenes which are ultimately going to mean something but don’t mean much at the moment make watching this drama a mundane task. Irtiza and Saba shared more screen space in tonight’s episode but these scenes couldn’t make up for the lack of understanding and friendship which was a part of all the previous episodes after Irtiza got married. Tonight when Irtiza told Saman that no one knew Saba better than him, his words did not carry any weight because he failed to address the change in Saba’s behavior when he should have noticed it the most. Irtiza and Saba’s relationship and their chemistry was the main highlight of this drama but these latest developments have completely destroyed the connection these two once had.

This episode opened with Saba’s call to her dadi, once again Saba shared her troubled state of mind with her dadi. Saba’s presence in Saman’s house did not seem forced in the previous episode but in this episode dadi’s half-hearted attempt to convince Saba’a father to bring her back made it look really forced. Also, there was a time when Saba was her father’s ladli but now we don’t see them interacting even. Few lines suggesting that her parents missed her would have filled in the weird vacuum that makes it very difficult to take this drama seriously. The entire “batameezi” issue was blown out of proportion since Irtiza knows Saba can be unreasonable at times – she is the same person who cried when he lost the match, remember!! The preview of the next episode showed Saman remembering all these incidents and finally putting two and two together but right now most of these scenes made very little sense.

Once again we jumped from one episode to the other. I get it that Saba is confused and she is trying really hard to make the most of this situation but even then those conversations with Saman in particular made me wonder how she could connect to Saman on that level. When she is with Saman she is an entirely different person. Saba and Amir’s conversations were filler scenes which added nothing new to the story. I am also wondering why Safeer’s track is being shown side by side, I just hope that they don’t show Salma waiting for Saba even now after two years!

This episode of Bin Roye was “plastic” as a whole but the biggest blunder came at the very end. It took Irtiza “two years” to tell Saba’s parents about Amir’s proposal! This was a serious editing mistake and the kind of mistake which you just do not expect from a team behind the biggest and the most hyped up drama HUM had to offer this year. The scene in which dadi discusses the proposal with Saba’s father and the last scene should have come two years earlier and not two years later!! I am still finding it hard to believe that the editors made such a terrible mistake. Because of this blooper not much is going to make sense now or we will see even bigger bloopers in the upcoming episode?

Some of the scenes in Bin Roye have this “prism” effect which we don’t usually see in dramas, it makes things look unreal. Tonight’s episode ended at a dramatic note but somehow it did not make me look forward to the next episode. Bin Roye’s pace is slow, there is little or no consistency in scenes, the screen time has not been divided intelligently between different characters and the story as a whole lacks substance. Most importantly, the editing mistakes are killing the flow of the story.

How many of you watched this episode? Do share your thoughts about it.

The story of Bin Roye is all over the place; this was another episode which had quite a few developments to its credit yet this entire episode did not have a single emotional moment or meaningful conversation in it. The only pleasant surprise in tonight’s episode was that Adnan Malik has a bigger role to play in the story but then he is just another bland character in a drama which is over-crowded with characters I fail to relate to or feel for. There are characters which grow on your with every passing episode and then there are characters you get even more disconnected from as you watch a new episode every week, unfortunately the characters in Bin Roye fall in that category. There was a time when I had a reason to look forward to the next episode, dying to find out how Saba’s story in particular will unfold but now all these characters are losing their charm because there has been absolutely no character development, the characters that are already there are too plain, the new characters which have been introduced aren’t appealing either and this story has absolutely no twists which will keep you at the edge of your seat.

Once again I could not help but wonder if Saba was adopted since everyone is so concerned for Saman and even the dadi who knows everything and was supposedly so close to Saba pushed her to go live with Irtiza and Saman. Didn’t Saba tell her that she did not want to be around them? Didn’t she make it very clear that she wanted Saman dead? And most importantly doesn’t dadi know she is madly and deeply in love with Irtiza? I don’t understand the relationships between these characters at all. In one episode they are so close to one another and in the next episode it is almost as if they don’t know each other! Also, once again the developments in the story were so rushed, one minute Saman was talking to Saba and in the other scene her father had a ticket in his hand! Last time I checked you needed a visa to go to the US. I let this blooper pass hoping that the directors were rushing us because they had something grand in store for us but once again the Bin Roye team failed to give anything substantial to its viewers. Saba went to the US, ignored Irtiza as usual, Irtiza never bothered having a heart-to-heart talk with someone he had spent every free minute of his life with, to ask what had happened to her and yes she cooked a lot!!! Saba is very sughar all of a sudden and her brownies and coffee are the talk of the town! The mention of Saba’s cooking was repetitive.

Amir’s conversation with his sister was another one of those plain conversations in this episode which were dragged and did not have much of a substance. Even though Mahira Khan’s performance in Bin Roye has been remarkable throughout but no matter how well she performs one actor whose character doesn’t have much to offer either cannot save a sinking ship! Yes! That is what Bin Roye is in my opinion. The expectations from this drama were huge but I find myself continuously comparing it to Dillagi, a drama which you could just watch because of its powerful dialogues and those deep and meaningful conversations. Pakistani viewers have tons of options nowadays and we have seen some great love stories on television in the recent past therefore I doubt that the viewers will be swayed away by star power and stunning locations alone.

Hamayun Saeed is a total miscast in this role and his talent is being wasted playing a character which has absolutely no depth. Same is true for Mahira Khan.  Someone mentioned that I do not discuss Safeer and Sonia in my reviews, well I don’t even want to talk about them, they are the most useless supporting characters who I want to forget all about as soon as the episode ends!

I am terribly disappointed with this recent episode because once again just like many other twists in the story, these new developments too fell completely flat. There is so much I wanted to see in this episode, so much that could have been shown but it wasn’t. There should have been at least one meaningful and powerful conversation between Irtiza and Saba. Also, the viewers were never shown how Saba feels right now about this whole situation. Yes, she is distant but showing that is just not enough! The writer and the director should have explored this character more so that the viewers could have a reason to stay interested in Saba’s story. Saman’s character is already quite robotic therefore I had absolutely no expectations from her whatsoever. What this drama lacks are emotions, you hear the characters say things about each other but do you feel them?? Well, I most certainly don’t! Also, with the exception of Mahira Khan, everyone’s make-up was so cakey tonight including Adnan Malik who usually does not wear a lot of make-up.

Oonchi dukaan, pheka pakwan is how I would sum up Bin Roye! How many of you watched this episode? Do share your thoughts about it.

I started watching Bin Roye with a very positive frame of mind and even though the first episode was slightly unconventional because of the song sequences which were added from the film I was more than welcoming of this new era of dramas because these songs were used effectively and although the story was quite simple but Saba’s track in particular kept me interested. After watching this episode however I am more disappointed than ever mainly because of this hodgepodge of film and drama in which some scenes are dubbed and other are not and most importantly although the drama is not fast-paced yet there are so many times when I feel like some of the developments are rushed. Another reason for this is that a lot of scenes are isolated events and although the characteristics of the character have been well-defined but the relationship between the character leaves a lot to be desired. Bin Roye does not only have a weak narrative but the addition of long scenes which have very little impact on the viewers or the story further disconnect you from whatever is happening in the drama. There are some dramas that keep you glued to your television screens and there are others which give you very little reason to pay attention and unfortunately Bin Roye is turning out to be one of those dramas. With every passing episode instead of getting closer to the characters, I find myself finding it difficult to keep my interest alive.

The biggest shock in tonight’s episode was the news of Sonia’s pregnancy. There was absolutely no need to add such a grim twist to the story just to get Safeer and Sonia married. Irtiza and Saman decided to move to the US; Saman got so emotional in the previous episode because she was getting married but there wasn’t a single scene in which she said goodbye to Saba in this episode. Same was the case with Saba and Irtiza too. This was the perfect opportunity to add a few emotional and powerful conversations but it is just plain sad that the writer so far has not made the most of such opportunities. Once again the viewers were shown how Saba felt about this entire situation through a song sequence which in my opinion was the easy way out – adding the song from the film – instead of writing situations and conversations which would have conveyed Saba’s feelings better. When the song ended, everyone had moved on with life, Irtiza and Saman were in the US and Saba resumed her studies! The first scene covering Irtiza and Saman’s life in the US was dubbed and definitely did not fit in. It is becoming more apparent now which scenes have been taken from the film and which one’s were shot for the drama because of the incoherence and the way they have been shot. Although in the beginning I had no issues with the scenes which were taken from the film but gradually, mainly because of the lack of detail, I think that making a film and a drama together was a really bad idea! Irtiza’s feelings regarding change in Saba’s behavior were conveyed through two scenes, which did not seem enough considering these two people were so close to one another for so many years.

I hate to sound like a broken record but the family life in Saba’s house has also not been translated on screen accurately. Saba has never been showing sitting with her parents and talking to them, which does seem really odd and makes one wonder what kind of a relationship these people have with one another. They live in the same house but never interact!

The timeline in this drama is seriously confusing, when Saba and Saman talked, Saman mentioned how badly she wanted to visit, which suggested that a lot of time had passed since she came to the US but later on the conversation between Safeer and Sonia suggested something completely different. Saba’s reaction to the “good news” was even more confusing then the timeline! Irtiza and Saman were more believable as a couple in tonight’s episode but unfortunately most of us who have watched Alvida know exactly what is going to happen next!

The preview of the next episode showed that Saba will go to meet Saman and Irtiza, I am waiting to see how that development is covered since she could not stand being around them and was hoping they would go away not very long ago! I am wondering if Adnan Malik has a real role to play in the story or is it going to be another guest appearance.

How many of you watched this latest episode? Do share your thoughts about it.

This episode opened with Saba lying to her friend and most importantly to herself! She decided to pretend that she had moved on when actually she felt the exact same way as she always had. The scene after the nikkah went to show that the reality of Saman and Irtiza’s new relationship hit her hard and the viewers saw her wishing repeatedly that it would have been better if Saman died in that accident with her parents. This scene could have been more emotional if it wasn’t prolonged because sometimes less is more. Through this scene the viewers understood why Saba looked in the mirror and turned away in the first scene of the first episode. She blamed herself because there was a time when she wished Saman would have died. Saba’s reaction once again was realistic but one thing which was missing from this episode were conversations between Saba and Irtiza in particular which would have added more sentimental value to the recent developments which were once again very important but not as effective as one would have hoped for them to be. The main reason for this is that instead of relying on powerful conversations the director and the writer both have relied on much more simple techniques like chance meetings between Irtiza and Saba, conversations which are a little too simple and showing Saba’s expressions and reactions while the wedding was going on. Also, instead of showing the entire song, the director could have covered Saba’s state of mind and some conversations between Saba and her mother would have filled in what can easily be termed as missing pieces since they have hardly talked to each other in these 6 episodes. Adeel Hussein’s guest appearance must have worked really well for the film but in the drama this particular song seemed like a commercial break mainly because of the participation of a character which isn’t even a part of the drama. Having said that I must add that Adeel Hussein’s dance moves were truly impressive.

Once again dadi and Saba’s scenes were quite disappointing. The logic dadi gave Saba for hiding her feelings was too typical and devoid of any feelings. Dadi has been shown as someone who loves Saba and is like a friend to her. Something more positive from her to make Saba understand the situation would have been more heart-warming especially because Saba shared her feelings with dadi long before Saman came to live with them.

Tonight’s episode was going really well until Saman starting talking about how she was going to miss Saba because she wasn’t even going anywhere! This scene however was rather ironic especially because Saba felt all this pain for a completely different reason. Irtiza and Saman’s conversation on the night of their wedding completely fell flat because of Armeena Rana Khan’s confusing expressions. If Saman was so happy why did she look like she had just seen a ghost? There are some actors who are natural and there are others who try so hard to portray the feelings of their characters on screen yet they fail to do it altogether, Armeena Rana Khan sadly falls in that category.

It was surprising watching Safeer tell his mother about Sonia but there was nothing surprising about his mother’s reaction. Safeer is going to be another one of those husbands who have nothing going for them. The preview of the next episode showed Sonia announcing the news of her pregnancy which was definitely shocking since we don’t know yet whether they are married or not.

Bin Roye’s story doesn’t have the dramatic peaks which one would expect from a script which technically relies solely on relationships and emotions. The only aspect of the drama which has been translated on screen better than everything else is the emotional chaos in Saba’s life. Most of the characters are one-dimensional and unfortunately so far the directors and the writer have not gone out of their way to establish the relationships between some of the primary characters. This drama could have been wholesome entertainment if the makers paid more attention to detail. Lack of potent performances and absence of strong supporting characters is another reason why Bin Roye is nothing more than light entertainment for now. Most of the viewers like myself are waiting to be blown away but it just isn’t happening. I was expecting Bin Roye to be very filmy and a visual treat after watching the first episode but right now it isn’t too filmy and although every episode has quite a few visually pleasing scenes to its credit but the viewers have definitely seen dramas which were far more appealing visually. Bin Roye relies heavily on Mahira Khan’s star power and her performance, which just isn’t enough or even fair.

How many of you watched this episode. Do share your thoughts about it.

This was another well-paced episode of Bin Roye which had at least one unexpected development to its credit which added an interesting twist to the story and started a new chapter in the lives of all the primary characters. Even though this episode was not perfect but the best thing about Bin Roye so far is that it is a light family drama. Also, there are no heroes or villains in this drama which makes the characters easy to relate to. The positivity in the females leads in particular is also very refreshing. It was truly refreshing watching someone like Saba who is possessive and stubborn accepting Saman as her sister wholeheartedly. Things will of course change in the next episode but that does not change the fact that Saba’s character has only one flaw – she cannot share Irtiza with anyone at all – other than that she is not a negative person ; she does not get jealous and knows how to appreciate others which goes to show that she is not an insecure individual in general. Saba’s concern for Saman and the way she supported her went to show that she had a very loving and caring side to her personality. Mahira Khan and Hamayun Saeed were stars of the show tonight. Mahira Khan hasn’t only done complete justice to her role but you look forward to Saba’s scenes because of her. Hamayun Saeed’s overall personality is very well-suited for the character he is playing. Irtiza does not have a very complicated personality, he is a simple and nice person and Hamayun Saeed manages to pull that off effortlessly. One aspect of Irtiza’s personality which was continuously reinforced throughout this episode was that he is a very responsible person who takes his duties seriously.

Irtiza came back after finishing his studies and when dadi mentioned that Irtiza should get married now, Saba said something which was rather serious and definitely shocking for someone who was not anticipating something like this yet dadi ignored it completely perhaps because even though Saba is doing her masters now, no one takes anything she says seriously. Even then this was an important scene which most viewers were looking forward to but it lacked substance and had no impact. Why was this scene showed if it was going to have zero impact on the developments in tonight’s episode?

The first half of this episode was perfect but in the second half the editing was choppy and there were scenes in which there was no continuation whatsoever. The two scenes after Saman came back to Pakistan and the family secret was revealed to her came out of nowhere and had zero continuation. One second Saman was sitting there with no make-up looking like someone who was going through hell and the other second she was sitting with Maliha in full make-up sharing her feelings. As if this was not enough in the next scene she was wearing a completely different outfit and by the time she was in bed she was wearing another shirt which made you wonder if all of this was transpiring in one night! Saba and Saman’s scene however was emotional and marked the perfect beginning to their relationship. Saba’s reaction came as a pleasant surprise. Saman does not have a lot of dialogues which is actually working out well since Armeena Rana Khan’s dialogue delivery is usually not very convincing. Saman is a quiet and sensitive girl who is also multitalented. Saman and Irtiza’s growing interest in each other was also shown through brief scenes therefore it is somewhat difficult to relate to the connection between the two just yet. Their scenes have been lifeless and somewhat repetitive whereas the scenes in which Saba and Irtiza interact are full of energy. Saba has a strong relationship with her dadi and their scenes always put a smile on my face. These scenes also suggested that Saba is more close to her dadi than her mother.

Overall, This was another simple yet effective episode of Bin Roye. Every scene in this episode added something new to the story. Bin Roye does not have any powerful dialogues to its credit neither does it have characters which would leave a huge impact but it manages to hold your interest. The preview of the next episode showed that Saba noticed Irtiza and Saman’s interest in one another. I am waiting to find out how this character which has been very positive so far will change after making this discovery.

How many of you watched this latest installment of Bin Roye? Do share your thoughts about it.

This latest installment of Bin Roye took the story forward considerably. The relationship between all the characters has been very well established in the first two episodes. The chemistry between Mahira Khan and Hamayun Saeed makes their on screen couple a complete success and I am rooting for Irtiza and Saba already although I know only too well that they are not meant to be together. So far Mahira Khan is faultless as Saba. Saba’s character is such that it could have been annoying instead of cute and likeable but the way it has been portrayed definitely makes it very likeable. I must say that tonight’s episode did remind me of Haya in Alvida and how she had an imagined relationship with Haadi in her mind. The big difference is that Saba’s personality traits have been shown in a much more subtle manner and you don’t see her as a negative person.

Irtiza and Saba’s relationship has also been very well defined in these two episodes. Saba’s world revolves around Irtiza. Irtiza considers Saba her best friend and he cares for her deeply. Saman however is someone he has more in common with and he is attracted to her. There were quite a few scenes in tonight’s episode which showed how much they had in common and for now it looks like both of them are equally interested in each other. Irtiza started visiting more often only after he got to know Saman better and Saman asked him to go with them for the family trip because she enjoys his company. Saba’s reaction to Irtiza cancelling his plan of coming to Pakistan once again was shown in an impactful yet subtle way. Saba’s conversation with her friend reminded me of the conversation Haya once had with Farisa in which she asked her whether Haadi felt the same way about her. It is sad that an original script has a been-there-done-that feel to it because most of us have already watched a drama which was inspired from Bin Roye Ansoo, the novel. Also, I am still trying to figure out the age difference between Saman and Irtiza. Hamayun Saeed and Armeena Rana Khan do not have the same chemistry which Hamayun Saeed has with Mahira Khan. Also, Saman’s character so far is quite plain and her dialogues were somewhat short. I am waiting to find out more about her character in the upcoming episodes. As for Irtiza, so far he is also a nice yet a very simple character, he is definitely not Mohid!

Saman’s mother was shown regretting her decision and hoping that her brother will give her daughter back to her. The conversation between her and her husband went to show that this was her decision but not one which was easy to make. Irtiza also mentioned that he saw her crying after she gave Saman to her brother which suggests that Irtiza was old enough to notice such things. The only two scenes in tonight’s episode which were somewhat weak were the ones in which Saba was writing a letter (why write a letter when you can send an email, talk on skype, viber or even whatsapp?) and also when Saba was talking to her friend in school, her voice was too loud and did not quite fit in. Also, there were many times when Hamayun Saeed’s make-up could have been much better.

So far what I like about this show is that the characters are simple yet appealing and they are not black and white. They are the kind of people we know and see around us every day. Some of the locations in tonight’s episode were beautiful. Nothing about this play is Over The Top even though the producers decided to add songs from the Bin Roye, the film but they have been added in such a way that it does not seem awkward. Right now Saba’s character is holding my interest more than any other. The preview of the next episode showed just how sure Saba is  that she is the one who will get married to Irtiza. She will most likely get a rude shock in the next episode.

How many of you watched this latest episode? Don’t forget to share your thoughts about it.

Written by: Farhat Ishtiaq
Directed by: Shehzad Kashmiri – Haissam Hussain
Produced by : MD Productions
Cast: Mahira Khan, Hamayun Saeed, Armeena Rana Khan, Zeba Bakhtiar, Javed Sheikh, Jahanzeb Khan, Azra Mansoor, Junaid Khan, Mujtaba Khan, Gulfam Ramay
Every Sunday at 8pm on HUM TV

The expectations attached to Bin Roye were humongous, it was the most awaited drama serial of this year because of multiple reasons. This first episode of Bin Roye started a new era of dramas which will take the filminess in dramas to a whole new level. The introduction to the characters was done in a simple yet impactful manner. Saba (Mahira Khan) and Irtiza’s (Hamayun Saeed) track was the main focus of attention in tonight’s episode. The episode opened with Saba and Irtiza walking in a house in San Francisco which was once a home but now it only brought back memories which caused more pain than happiness perhaps because someone close to them both was no more. This first scene was powerful and gave those viewers who were unfamiliar with the story (like myself) a good reason to find out what had actually happened. This is when the viewers were transported to the past in which they found out more about the relationship between Saba and Irtiza and all the other characters involved.

All the love and attention which Irtiza had given Saba right from the day she was born had convinced her that Irtiza belonged to her alone. For Saba Irtiza’s presence was like oxygen in her life because she was more close to him than any other person in her house. Irtiza had been raised by Saba’s mother (Zeba Bakhtiar) because his parents passed away when he was only 8 years old. He found a companion in Saba when she was born and since then these two cousins have a very strong bond. Saba refused to call Irtiza bhai because she considered him her best friend. In one of the scenes she did call him bhai though which was clearly a blooper which should have been edited out. The best thing about the scenes which revealed Saba’s feelings for Irtiza was that they were short and to the point. There weren’t a lot of dialogues in this episode between the grown up Saba and Irtiza but the scene in which she goes to see the chand pretty much summed up how she felt about her relationship with Irtiza. The scenes showed them as best friends and not as people who were romantically involved.

The fact that Saba got tons of love from her father and grandmother went to show that she wasn’t turning to Irtiza because she had no one else around her who would shower her with love. Saman’s background story was also revealed in this episode. Saman and Saba are sisters but Saman was adopted by her mamu when she was born because he did not have any kids. The scene in which Saman finds out that she was adopted seemed odd at first because a girl her age wouldn’t have been able to understand that conversation but later on her conversation with Saba on the swing suggested that Saman was wise beyond her years. I am in two minds about that scene because watching such a little kid eavesdropping didn’t quite fit in. It also seemed like Saman’s mother made a conscious effort to ensure that she did not spend a lot of time in that house perhaps because she was insecure. Although she said that her father planned the trip for her but somehow it felt like that was not the case. The scene later on in which she apologized to Zeba Bakhtiyar’s character for the short trip showed that her character would keep us guessing. The child star playing Saba’s character in particular was the perfect choice for playing the role.

Three things stood out in this episode more than any other – Saba’s character, the chemistry between the leads and the stunning visuals. Mahira Khan looked incredibly pretty and she made the first impression of Saba’s character very likeable. Saba’s character was shown as possessive but not dominating in any way. Also, this episode was beautifully shot, every scene was visually pleasing. Farhat Ishtiaq’s drama Udaari was full of messages, something tells me that this one is going to focus on entertaining the audience and might turn out to be emotional. Hamayun Saeed made the perfect comeback with Dillagi and I am waiting to see if Irtiza is going to be as appealing as Mohid. Hamayun Saeed just like Mahira Khan is not only a great performer but he also has great screen presence. In this episode Irtiza was introduced as a very kind hearted man who believes in loving everyone. The song in the drama was beautifully sung, directed and choreographed. It had quite a few cute scenes to its credit, especially the one in which Irtiza pulls Saba’s hair! Sarmad Khoosat’s guest appearance did not go unnoticed!

Overall, this episode was entertaining and it served its main purpose of introducing the main characters flawlessly. The appealing visuals made it the kind of episode which you can watch over and over again. Bin Roye has a very talented writer, two immensely gifted directors, a star cast and a big production house to back it all up therefore we expect nothing but the best from it. The preview of the next episode showed that Saba will have to learn to live without Irtiza only too soon! The leading characters have tons of potential and their ties with each other are very interesting, definitely looking forward to what the Bin Roye team has in store for us.

How many of you watched this episode of Bin Roye? Do share your thoughts about it.