Are you addicted to Humsafar too?

Mahira, Fawad and Naveen in Humsafar

It took me a total of ten minutes to get addicted to Humsafar. And since I don’t get the time to watch too much telly, the episode I caught was 9, right before the rain scene. I missed Saturday night’s episode too so spent last night watching all ten episodes on YouTube. It was a romantic fix, nothing less, and one that continued till 3 am nonstop. God bless my internet connection.

I have not read the novel by Farhat Ishtiaq but realize what makes Humsafar, the TV adaptation so addictive.

1. The perfect casting: Mahira has the loveliness and innocence to pull off the character of Khirad. Fawad as Asher has the looks and romantic appeal to be the perfect knight in shining armour, albeit one that has a dark and destructively possessive side. And above all, Naveen Waqar fits into the mould of the emancipated, manipulative and fatally attracted to Usher female to perfection. Atiqa Odho’s character as Asher’s mother leaves one perpetually wondering whether she has a negative streak despite the pretense and finally Noor Hassan as Khizer is as irritating as he is supposed to be.

It’s young fresh blood with an obvious penchant for natural acting.

2. Everyone loves a fairy tale: Humsafar is a Mills&Boon romance, redefined. Because you really don’t find men like Asher anyone else other than in romantic novels (or SRK films before RaOne). He’s the perfect son and promises to be the perfect husband until circumstances push him to unreasonable possessiveness for his wife, whom he is madly in love with. Fawad Khan is a good looking and natural actor – the perfect combination – which we realized in Khuda Kay Liye. He has done other plays since but this should be his award winning performance for 2010.

3. Crisp direction raises the bar for Humsafar: Sarmad Khoosat justifies his reputation with Humsafar. Cleanly and crisply shot, the play is sophisticated, without any of the roughness generally associated with Pakistani plays. Attention has been paid to details, whether the characters, the sets or the dialogues. There’s a lot to be said about the talents of Sarmad Khoosat, who happens to be veteran actor Irfan Khoosat’s son.

What more can I say? The play is superb and should win accolades for effective story telling. It good to be reassured that Pakistani drama serials are still superior to most of the rubbish seen on local and Indian television. Humsafar is a must watch!