Produced by Aijaz Aslam, directed by Najaf Bilgrami and written by Samina Ejaz, Tum Meri Ho airs every Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. Before watching any drama on ARY, I make it a point to check the name of the production house because I plan on steering clear of anything even remotely related to Big Bang Entertainment. I was happy to see that this play is not a Big Bang production, but the only thing that scares me is that the writer of this play has Dusri Biwi to her credit. Dusri Biwi was… you’re right, let’s not even go there.
In Tum Meri Ho, we follow our main protagonist Zayan (Faisal Qureshi), who lives with his elder brother, Mustafa (Aijaz Aslam) and mother, Rabia (Azra Mansoor). Before going on about what really happens, I think it is important to dissect Zayan’s character first, because this drama is essentially about Zayan’s obsession and how he goes to great lengths to get what he wants. Having suffered verbal and physical abuse at the hands of his late father, Zayan’s had a nightmare of a childhood. What you experience during your formative years stays with you for the rest of your life. It is true that people who were abused as children are more likely to suffer from low self esteem. Years of abuse and hurtful comparisons between Zayan and his elder brother had a great impact on Zayan’s sense of self-worth. Zayan has confidence issues because of which he’s developed a stutter. Mustafa, on the other hand, has always been the pride of the family. While Zayan kind of blended in the background, it was Mustafa who got all the love and attention. Much to my pleasant surprise, Mustafa didn’t turn out to be a spoiled brat. He is a doting brother, and it was nice to see that Mustafa not only cares about his brother but also understands his insecurities. Zayan works at a university, and in spite of Mustafa’s insistence, he refuses to join the family business and is content with his job.
Then of course, there’s a girl (let’s get real, the story can’t progress without one :P). Ana (Sara Khan), our quintessential mashriqi girl sets foot in the university Zayan works at, and no points for guessing that she sweeps him off his feet! This is a case of love at first sight and I could go on and on about how I am sick and tired of this trope, but I have given up now, there’s nothing we can do about it. Unfortunately for Zayan, Ana doesn’t feel the same way about him.
Ana lives with her mother (Nida Mumtaz), Bhai (Amir Qureshi) and Bhabi (Zainab Qayyum). I found Ana and Bhabi’s relationship to be sweet and natural so I enjoyed watching their scenes. Rabia wants Mustafa to marry a girl of her choice and so begins the search for the perfect bahu. And out of all the girls in Karachi, guess who Rabia deems fit for her big boy? Wait for it… Ana! Also, I should add, Ana and Mustafa are genuinely happy with this rishta. Devastated and resentful, Zayan vows to destroy his brother’s life. He hires a guy to shoot Mustafa on the night of the wedding. And at this point, we know that the shot didn’t prove fatal (much to Zayan’s dismay) but it did leave Mustafa paralyzed.
I don’t like how writers take things to the extreme and that’s pretty much the case here because only a sociopath would think of killing his brother for a girl, but the way I see it, this wasn’t just about Ana. I think all these years, Zayan always secretly resented Mustafa for being the favourite of the family and seeing Ana with Mustafa was the last straw. What Zayan did is awful and unforgivable, but I have to admit, I feel for him. I feel for Zayan NOT because I was rooting for him and Ana. Quite frankly, I was not rooting for them because Zayan’s obsession with Ana is not healthy – the guy takes pictures of her when she’s not looking! I feel for him only and only because he is mentally unstable and needs help. Zayan’s attempt to get his brother killed was a product of pent-up frustration and rage. He has viewed Mustafa as his rival since he was a kid. Mustafa is not the person to blame but Zayan doesn’t get that because, again, the point is, he is sick and needs help. It’s impossible to talk about Zayan and not talk about Faisal Qureshi’s phenomenal acting. Everything from his expressions to the way he talks and walks tells you that he understands his character – the guy nails it! The rest of the actors are also very convincing. I really like Sara Khan and she looks beautiful here. I love her smile but the way things are turning out, smile tou rehne dain, she is and will be crying a great deal.
There are a few things I couldn’t digest. First off, how does a guy like Zayan manage to hire a shooter? And I get that everyone is worried sick about Mustafa, but now that he is conscious, they should approach the police to investigate into the matter. I mean, Mustafa was shot (and this happened when Karachi kay halaat kharaab nahe thay) so the big question everybody should be asking is: who could have possibly wanted Mustafa dead?
Tum Meri Ho isn’t exactly groundbreaking but I certainly appreciate the fact that we can see why a character is so negative and bitter because I for one can’t seem to recall the last time I watched a drama where I could say, “Achaaa so that’s why he’s got a screw lose’’. That’s a problem with most negative characters we see on screen – they are twisted but it’s never established what made them that way. Praise where praise is due – Tum Meri Ho manages to establish that.
I am interested to see how the story progresses now. This Kulsoom woman is mentioned often but she has yet to make an appearance and I think she (or her daughter) might have something to do with future developments. What do you think? How many of you are following this drama? What do you think of it?
Thank you for reading the review!
Maryam Mehdi