Mere Paas Tum Ho is undoubtedly one of the biggest television phenomena in recent times, the characters, dialogues and OST have worked big time with the audiences. The show has also gained international viewership on digital platforms making it the most viewed Pakistani television play of recent times. It has been penned by renowned writer Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, who is always in the news be it for his blunt interviews or his sensational writing.

While various characters of the play have caught viewers’ attention, it is Roomi, the precocious child of on-screen characters Danish and Mehwish who has especially endeared himself to the audience – even if his behavior has at times has come across as somewhat odd. Now, the play’s controversy-ridden writer has revealed in his latest interview to Entertainment Pakistan (EPK) that Roomi is based on his own childhood. 

What he said

Khalil sahib revealed in a heartfelt confession, “I wrote the character of Roomi with an actor in mind. And that actor was Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar. That kid is actually playing the role of Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar. I am disclosing this today. He is essaying my childhood.” Elaborating further in the interview he said “I was a kid who used to say such big things that it used to shock people around me. And I named him Roomi, out of love for a very close friend of mine who is also named Roomi.”

Khalil-ur-Rehman’s candor deserves an appreciation since Roomi, while upping the cuteness level in the play, has also come under some criticism for his adult-like behavior and screen lines which might seem awkward. Hence confessing that the narrative comes from his own life is surely a daring statement.  

Enacted by child star Shees Shahzad Gul, the character’s dialogues such as “Mama bhi chor ke chali jaye, to mama nahi rehti” have drawn much attention. Roomi is also known to have said some rather odd lines like “Mama poppat lag rahi hai, poppat” which we now know have come from a personal space of Khalil sahab’s own childhood. The character has the trademark bluntness that we see in Khalil’s interviews, be it his suggestion to his father of marrying his school teacher or telling his mother on her face that he doesn’t want her to come and see him at his boarding school.

Final word

Khalil-ur-Rehman’s revelation is surely unexpected but not surprising. The detailing given to Roomi’s character made the audience believe that the character is close to the writer’s heart. Roomi also is the meatiest character for a child artist in Pakistani television post-Udaari. Shees mentioned in his recent interviews that MPTH might be his only acting gig but we hope to see this bundle of talent being part of exciting narratives on the small screen.