After much anticipation, Dobara ep 1 aired last night on Hum TV and it was all worth the wait. The show revolves around a middle aged widowed woman with kids who falls in love with a young man. Age gaps in relationships are acceptable in our society only when the man is older. In cases when the woman is older, everyone has an opinion and the world rushes towards the woman with pitchforks and disrespectful slurs. Therefore, Dobara talks about this tabooed topic and the consequences of such relationships.
The main characters of the show are Mehrunissa and Mahir. Mehrunissa’s father got her married at an early to a man more than twice her age against her wishes. Seeing that she had no choice, she did as she was told and her life changed forever after that. We learn of her marriage in flashbacks where she lost all control of her life right down to her choice of name. In the present day, her husband, Hidayatullah, has passed away. Everyone, right down to her sister-in-law, wants her to grieve but somehow she is unable to shed tears for her dead husband.
On the other hand, there is Mahir, a young, frivolous boy who has no aim and ambition in life. His parents are separated and have their own families. He lives with his father and meets his mother occasionally. He has rocky relationships with his step parents. He steals from his stepfather and takes girls out for dinners with the stolen money.
Mehrunissa is played by HadiqaKiyani who delivers an amazing performance but it is Bilal Abbas Khan’s Mahir who steals the spotlight from every scene he is in. He is street smart, has a sharp wit and knows his way around words. He is respectful yet cheeky, means well but is incredibly cunning and is just a delight to watch on screen. Off late, Bilal has played intense characters so his Mahir seems like a departure from his last couple of roles.
Another exciting character that isn’t seen so frequently on our television screens is of Sehar. She is the ditzy, kind hearted girlfriend of Mehrunissa’s son, Affan. Sehar is played by Sabeena Syed who lends an incredible sweetness and silliness to her character. She comforts Affan after his father’s demise by saying all the wrong things but he knows her heart is at the right place. She even asks him the dress code of his father’s soyam. We can’t wait to see what these actors do with their characters in the upcoming episodes.
The show is off to a good start. It will be interesting to see when the two leads, Mehrunissa and Mahir, will cross paths with each other and the drama that will ensue once that happens. Till then, keep watching Dobara on Wednesdays at 8 pm on Hum TV and watch this space for more reviews.
