Much awaited drama of HUM TV, ‘Ishq-e-Laa’, aired last night. This drama has been the talk of the town since its announcement, owing to its ensemble cast and debut of the renowned composer, producer and singer Azaan Sami Khan.
This drama is written by Qaisra Hayat, directed by Amin Iqbal and produced by Momina Duraid Productions. The cast of the show includes Sajal Aly, Yumna Zaidi, Azan Sami Khan, Laila Wasti, Ghazala Kafi, Semi Raheel, Uzma Hassan, Sohail Sameer, Adnan Samad Khan and others.
Story
‘Ishq-e-Laa’, a story penned down with the ink of spiritualism, unveils the life of three people who are different from each other in every respect. Shanaya, played by Sajal Aly, is a young, compassionate and brave girl, who is a journalist and human rights activist. Although, she is wealthy, she spends all her day in slums working for human rights. Shanaya is raised by an equally brave and kind-hearted mother, played by Laila Wasti.
Azlan, played by Azan Sami Khan, is extremely rich and an elitist. He successfully runs various branches of his bank in the world. Shanaya and Azlan are friends.
On the other hand, Azka, played by Yumna Zaidi, depicts the struggle of those people who stand at the lower socio-economic hierarchy in society. She lives with her mother, played by Seemi Raheel, brother Sultan, played by Sohail Sameer and bhabi, Kanwal, played by Uzma Hassan.
Azka is a happy and hopeful girl who wants to pursue MBBS. Abid, played by Adnan Samad Khan, is Kanwal’s brother and a cheap street boy who harasses Azka and desperately wants to marry her. Despite all the efforts made by Abid and Kanwal, Azka and her mother reject Abid’s proposal.
Meanwhile, Sultan, who is a cook in Azlan’s home gets injured. Azka and her mother substitute Sultan in Azlan’s kitchen. The wealthy boy finds Azka’s hair in curry and the first episode closes.
Execution And Direction
The execution of this story seems different from the rest of the dramas. The lecture on spiritualism and divine love by Professor Rahman, played by legendary Nadeem Baig, at the beginning of the story sets the direction of the whole drama.
Additionally, the drama has been directed phenomenally. The wide angles, moving shots along aerial shots are definitely attention-grabbing. Nowadays, in our dramas we hardly witness any outdoor scenes, however, this play entails various outdoor scenes with moving cameras and aerial views.
Strong Female Characters
One of the most appreciable aspects of this story is the strong women characters. Unlike other Pakistani dramas, which necessarily have the role of a mazloom aurat, this drama shows various strong female characters belonging to different sects of the society. To start with, Shanaya is an independent and strong woman. She has her own TV show which covers social issues. Her mother, another strong woman backs her and increases her confidence. On the other hand, although Azka is poor, she fights for her rights and puts forward her likes and dislikes strongly. Similarly, Azka’s mother takes a strong stand for her daughter. She also helps Azka in fulfilling her dream. We definitely need more dramas that educate society on one hand and show strong female protagonists on the other.
Meaningful Dialogues
Another aspect of the story worth highlighting is the dialogue of this play. For instance, the conversation between Azka and her mother about hopefulness and trust in Allah is not less than a lesson for the viewers. This drama entertains the audience yet beautifully incorporates the idea of divine love and submission to God by virtue of its thought-provoking dialogues.
Performances
As usual Sajal Aly and Yumna Zaidi are phenomenal in their respective roles. People were eager to watch Azaan Sami Khan’s performance. Azan convincingly played the role of a rich young boy. Not only his dialogue delivery but the body language is worth praising. He is surely a talented addition to our drama industry. ‘Ehd-e-Wafa’ famed Adnan Samad Khan is back on the screen and his performance as Abid is remarkable. Unlike his previous role as an innocent boy, he is playing a vicious harasser. It appears that the versatile actor will soon make a strong position in the industry.
ConclusionIn conclusion, ‘Ishq-e-Laa’ owns an unconventional story. This drama not only highlights the social issues but elaborates the meaning of divine love. It will definitely offer the audience much more than a typical love triangle.
