Starring: Talat Hussain, Nadia Khan, Nabeel, Samina Ahmed, Tasmina Sheik,
Zulfiqar Sheik, Shahla Qureshi, Sami Sani, Qazi Wajid, Zahoor Ahmed,
Salma Shaheen, Hassam Qazi
Written By: Haseena Moin
Produced By: Zulfiqar Sheik
Directed By: Ali Rizvi.
Released: May 1999; 13 episodes.
The play has so many characters that one can easily get lost trying to figure out
who is who!
The drama tries to highlight the problems faced by Pakistanis living
in Scotland and of their relatives living in Pakistan.
Talat Hussain plays the character of Malik, an established and
ruthless business man who
hires illegal immigrants to work at ridiculously low
wages. These illegal Pakistanis are supplied to him by Manzoor Hussain
(Hassam Qazi) a crooked character who charges money from the people
and brings them illegally.
Malik's son, Shamir
(Zulfiqar Sheik), is a law graduate who disagrees with his father and
this causes a lot of tension in their house. Malik's father (Zahoor
Ahmed) lives in a small village in Pakistan and really misses his son
and while he has regular contact with Shamir, he has not heard a word
from his son since the day he left.
Living in the same village is a
girl Taji (Shahla Qureshi) who looks after dadaji like a daughter. Her
parents get her married off to Manzoor Hussain against her wishes. Yet at Edinburgh
airport he runs away leaving Taji stranded there. She is rescued by
Hasan (Sami Sani) who works
at Dr Saadat's (Qazi Wajid) office. Taji has Shamir's address,
and Dr Saadat turns out to be a family friend of the Malik's.
He arranges for Taji to stay there but as his neice Azra. He however
informs Malik's wife Rabia (Samina Ahmed) of the truth of which Shamir
finds out too and vows to get revenge from Manzoor.
Nadia Khan plays the role of Sara, a talented golfer who
comes to Scotland to play in a tournament. She also has to find her
mother's (Yasmeen Ismail) family and has a locket with which they will
recognize her. She wins the matches and now goes in search of her
relatives but loses her way and is helped by Shamir who is at the
station to pick up his friend Adil (Nabeel).
Adil lost his job, house
and fiancée due to his father's involvment in the BCCI scandal and is now a very depressed man. Shamir
asks his friend Maria (Tasmina Sheikh) a psychologist to help him out.
Sara finally finds her Amna Khala (Salma Shaheen),
and starts living with her. There she starts getting haunted by
the ghost of the original owner of the locket as well as becomes good
friends with Shamir and Adil. The play has been moving along at snail's pace but let's hope it picks up its pace real soon. Haseena Moin once again disappoints her fans. The acting by the cast is average. -by Gina