Introduction

Bright colours, loud background score, overacting and slapstick comedy, if you were missing Bulbulay, there is a newer and better sitcom for you to kill some time and bring some smiles on your face.

Cast and Characters

Shehroz Sabzwari as Iqtidar Ali Khan aka Akki

Iqtidar Ali Khan has a Masters in Zoology, but could never find a job. Or, maybe he didn’t try hard enough. He spends some time. He was once a poor man living in a small room with his friend Rizwan. He did not do anything even then.

His luck is on his side, as Warda falls in love with him. Warda’s mother agrees to their marriage only if he becomes a Ghar Jamai.

He is now married to Warda for her money. He is happily accepted his position as a house maid and does all the household chores for his wife and her family. He cooks, cleans, and takes care of everything to run the house.

Shagufta Ajaz as Firdous Kamal / Ammi

Firdous Kamal is a terrible woman with a sharp tongue that drove her husband away. She is sweet to Warda, because she earns 4 lakh rupees per month.

Her attitude towards Akki and Sweet is random. Sometimes, she is nice to one of them and mean to the other. For instance, if she’s feeling nice towards Akki, she will side with Akki to humiliate Sweet. If she feels affection for her son, Sweet and her gangs up against Akki.

Namrah Shahid as Warda

Warda works at a multinational company, earns 4 lakhs per month and supports her family.

I know,  I have mentioned her salary already. It is an oft repeated fact throughout the series. Even a single episode has 4-5 mentions of her salary.

She is in love with Akki but often sides with her mother and brother in their scheme to torture Akki.

Zuhab Khan as Sweet

Sweet is Warda’s younger brother. Unlike his name, he is not Sweet. If anything, he is poisonous. Having spent all his life amongst women – mother and sister, he has a very feminine nature. He loves to gossip.

He is a young college going man who’s too bold for his age. His tongue is sharp, his words are often mean and his brain is almost always thinking of ways to humiliate Akki. Don’t feel bad for Akki. He is a good match for Sweet’s wits.

For his lanky avatar, everyone refers to him as tidda.

 

Rizwan

Akki’s friend and his former roommate. He is sort of a parasite and makes an appearance every now-and-then. He either being a nuisance for Akki, or playing a scam alongwith him. Either way, it Akki who is troubled and beaten at the end.

Saeed Mirchi

Sweet’s friend and accomplice in every stupid scam.

Plot Summary

The first episode begins as Akki shoots a before suicide video. Warda wants to marry him but her mother and brother are completely against it.
Warda is worried and arrives at his house to find him dancing to loud music.
Akki meets Warda’s mother and convinces her, on the condition that he becomes Ghar Damaad. Akki agrees wholeheartedly.

The subsequent episodes show Akki dealing with a new set of insults from his mother in law and Sweet. 

Review

The themes keep changing, just like Bulbulay. For instance, once Rizwan comes to stay with them and threatens to cut his veins and tortures them for a couple of days.

Once, Akki’s alleged aunt comes to visit them and orders them around. I never understand why they tolerate such nuisance guests anyway, especially when their tongues are sharp and words are witty, at times borderline insulting.

Akki tries every trick in the book to gain some respect with his in-laws and fails miserably.
Sometimes, unannounced guests come to annoy them, or Sweet follows some antiques to go out and enjoy.

Also, what’s with the lenses? I mean, I don’t mind if it suits the overall persona. In the first image, we see her Nemrah’s browns eyes. In the drama, however, she has greyish blue lenses. Does not go with her 

As I said before, the themes and executions to a large extent, are similar to Bulbulay. Why am I watching this? One, the characters are new and the novelty is yet to worn off. Two, the lines are witty and the acting is less over the top. Sweet and Akki do the heavy lifting of cracking jokes and delivering punch lines, just as Nabeel and Mehmood did in Bulbulay. Both boys do a fantastic job.

Here are some of my favourite lines.

کوئی ہتھیار دوں۔ نہیں۔۔۔ زبان ہی کافی ہے۔

Despite its genre, it helps me smile at the end of a long and tiring day. The episodes are small and don’t take much of your time, either.

I would recommend watching it once in a while. I know I would.

Until next review, allah hafiz!

Shabana Mukhtar