2022 was a lukewarm year in terms of stories on television. There were few great romances and a lot of melodrama, less stories that kept us on the edge of our seats in suspense and far less that tickled our funny bones.
Fortunately, 2022 was a year in which we got to witness many new faces on our television screens. There were models and musicians who turned actors plus many unexpected pairings that surprised us. Many debutants raised the bar so high that we can’t seem to forget their scenes and characters.
So, let’s skip to the good side of the year and list down the couples who kept us hooked with their charm, charisma, or simply made us fall in love once again. Let’s have a look:
Kubra Khan & Atif Aslam – Sang E Mah
In his debut role, Atif Aslam took a challenging character like Hilmand and aced it. As the Prince Hamlet of this Shakespearean tragedy, he was strong-willed to the point of exhaustion and only a calm and collected Sheherzaad (Kubra Khan) was his match. Indisputably, there was a charm when the two were on screen. There is a scene in particular where Hilmand accepts that he and Sheherzaad are meant to be.
He said: “Hamari roohein bhatakti bhatakti ek doosre se aa milin hein… Seedha haath do mujhe [our souls have met each each other after wandering around… give me your right hand]”… and he puts his moonstone ring on her finger.
Kubra and Atif have done justice to such complex characters in Sang E Mah so much so that their silent gazes also set the screen on fire. It feels like they were destined to be Hamlet and Ophelia here and we can’t wait to see their jori once again.
Wahaj Ali, Maya Ali & Talha Chahour — Jo Bichar Gaye
One of the best dramatized historical depiction of recent times, Jo Bichar Gaye definitely takes the cake when it comes to amazing casting choices. We saw Wahaj Ali in an energetic and demanding role like Roomi and then a new comer like Talha Chahour made his presence felt in front of him as Captain Farrukh. That’s not all, there was beautiful and talented Maya Ali as Sonia who was the connecting thread and the chemistry charts go all bonkers.
In case of Jo Bichar Gaye, we cannot talk about a couple because both Wahaj and Talha shared moments with Maya that were indications of underlying love triangle. No matter which jori you rooted for, it was a treat to watch all three leads in this drama. It seldom happens in Pakistani dramas that second lead syndrome is so welcoming.
Yumna Zaidi & Junaid Jamshaid — Sinf e Aahan
Sinf-e-Aahan is a play that will be remembered for a long time because it gave us lots of memories to hold on to. With its focus on women empowerment, it highlighted many aspects of the lives of female cadets from different socio-economic backgrounds. The drama featured female characters who were either engaged, healing from a heartbreak, or realizing the toxicity in some relationships, but the arc of Shaista Khanzada’s love life was by far the best. She was engaged to her cousin Kaamil (played by model Junaid Jamshaid) who literally helped her to elope and enlist in the Army. However, she felt that he is not well educated and thus she should reconsider her options.
As Junaid’s debut project against an award-winning actress like Yumna Zaidi, it is commendable that the two gave viewers some of the best moments of the play. Though their appearances are few and far between in the drama, they are something to look out for. Their chemistry has also proved once again that there is no formula to create a couple’s magic on screen.
Hania Aamir & Farhan Saeed – Mere Humsafar
Perhaps the most talked-about drama of the year — Mere Humsafar — gave viewers Hania Aamir in a character which is quite opposite to her public persona. As Hala, she was submissive, underconfident and silent as she has experienced one trauma after the other in the drama. Despite all the hardships, she finally met one person who became her shield, her husband Hamza (Farhan Saeed). It was heartwarming to see how a timid girl like her shines when Hamza gives her a voice and lets her dream. As a melodrama, Mere Humsafar had its drawbacks and a lots of cliched plots, however, Hala and Hamza’s jori was loved by all and sundry beyond expectations.
Samiya Mumtaz & Naumaan Ejaz — Sang e Mah
It is undeniable that Samiya Mumtaz as Zarsanga and Naumaan Ejaz as Haji Marjaan gave us characters that are not seen in Pakistani dramas. A mature man and a woman who were as much in love with each other as they were in their youth. Despite terrifying secrets and regrets in life, the two became each other’s strength and didn’t shy away from expressing their admiration for each other. It is a rarity to see such spouses or parents in our dramas. This is why, despite their flaws, it was heartbreaking to see their unfortunate end.
Ahad Raza Mir & Ramsha Khan – Hum Tum
Hum Tum had many drawbacks; one of which was the troupe that the guy Adam Sultan, played by Ahad Raza Mir, fell for his arch-nemesis Neha Qutubuddin (Ramsha Khan) in a jiffy. Ahad and Ramsha were a bickering jori for more than half of the Ramazan play and even their chemistry as rivals was on point. Cut to the day when Adam realizes he has developed romantic feelings for his competitor, but he doesn’t shy away from expressing it. In Hum Tum, Ahad and Ramsha gave us couple goals that not every man expects his partner to adhere to gender roles. We would love to see the chemistry of these two develop in another drama with more polished script.
