It is always a treat watching a play which has been written and executed with utmost clarity. Shayyad is turning out to be one such play which is getting more interesting and engrossing with every passing episode. The story is logical, the pace of the show is perfect and overall the drama has a different feel to it mainly because of the characters and the way it has been directed. The story moved forward considerably in this episode and the different turning points in Hani and Saad’s lives were translated on screen in a poignant and relatable manner.
Tonight’s episode of Shayyad opened with scenes which showed that Saad was a different person now; instead of moaning his loss or getting upset, he was the one comforting everyone. He did exactly what Hani wanted him to do and the manner in which he let Salma go went to show that he was far more sure and confident today than he ever was. Not very long ago Saad was the desperate boy who believed that everything was fair in love and war but after Salar’s accident all that changed since he realized that he could not be the reason for Hani’s unhappiness. Saad’s logic for letting Salma go was the highlight of this episode; the dialogues were powerful and everyone’s reactions were covered beautifully in that short scene. Saad’s entire journey so far has been a treat to watch, even in his weakest moments when he made the most bizarre decisions his character made perfect sense. The character development has always been convincing as well as interesting and Uzair Jaswal has given a solid performance throughout.
This episode focused more on Hani’s life after marriage and all the scenes which showed the difficulties Hani was facing were short and to the point but got the message across clearly. I am glad the story moved forward quickly since watching Hani go through this period in her life in detail would have turned this drama into just another drama about marital abuse. The few scenes which covered Hani’s life after marriage conveyed how Salar was treating her and what was Hani’s reaction to it all. All these scenes offered something different and therefore gave an insight into what Salar was capable of doing and how difficult it was for Hani to deal with it. I can’t praise the writer Faiza Iftikhar enough for ensuring that none of these characters appear to be victims even when they are going through the worst phase of their life. Unlike many other dramas, the writer has never once tried to gain viewer’s sympathies but she has narrated this story honestly and has left enough room to let the viewers decide what they want to feel for the characters. There are innumerable dramas in which the scenarios are such that there is a definite attempt by the writers to make the viewers like or dislike a character. Black and white characters can never have the same appeal as these characters which are grey. Every character has some weaknesses which make them more human and therefore easy to connect to. Sadia Khan performed well tonight and Nauman Ijaz was brilliant as usual.
Naila and Rizwan’s conversation after he found out that his wife knew about Salar’s drinking habit was one of my favorite conversations in this episode because it was so realistic. Naila is another grey character which has been translated on screen so well. She manages to showcase her weaknesses without appearing to be a clichéd character. You understand her thought process even though she has not been fair to Hani. Saad’s scene two and a half year later showed that he had not moved on.
This was another beautifully written and brilliantly directed episode of Shayyad. There wasn’t a single unnecessary scene in this episode which made it one of the best episodes of Shayyad. Hani and Salar’s scenes in particular were directed so well. I highly recommend this drama to anyone who wants to watch a different love story which is visually pleasing, intelligently written and engaging.
The preview of the next episode was very enticing! I am eagerly waiting to see what happens next. How many of you watched tonight’s episode? Don’t forget to share your thoughts about it.