Tum Kon Piya ~ Episode 1 Review

By SZ on March 23, 2016 • ( 23 Comments )

Tum Kon Piya, an Ayeza Khan – Imran Abbas starrer, was eagerly anticipated by fans on account of it marking Ayeza Khan’s return to TV screens and the fact that it promised a fresh, visually striking pairing – and to that end this new Urdu 1 serial does not disappoint. The first encounter between Elma and Ramish was all that it should’ve been. Ayeza and Imran look very good together and they have that certain sizzle which holds promise. Look beyond that particular moment, however, and there is almost nothing to write home about.

Written by Maha Malik, directed by Yasir Nawaz and produced by 7th Sky Entertainment, Tum Kon Piya has started off on a beyond predictable note. Waqar Ali is an aging widower weighed down by the responsibility of three grown daughters, the eldest of which is Elma followed by Neha and Sonia. Waqar sahab is employed at his cousin/brother Muzzafar’s office where relationship does not merit him any special treatment by the owner.

Ramish Hasan on the other hand, is quite unlike his father, displaying markedly socialist leanings as he pushes for better working conditions for factory workers. Ramish’s very different nature is also underscored by his attitude towards Waqar Ali; his affection and respect for his older relative is made obvious when he takes the time to take care of Waqar after a health scare – and this where he first meets Elma and is struck by her intelligence and beauty.

Running parallel is the story of Sharafat begum and her three children, Zarbab, Asif and Sobia. Zarbab is interested in Javeria, a college friend of his younger sister Sobia. Sharafat keeps an eagle eye on her children and the fact that her older son, whose income supports the family, is interested in Javeria is not something that escapes her attention. By the end of the episode she makes her disaffection for this girl very clear as she asks Sobia to limit her interaction with Javeria.

Even from this very quick synopsis it is pretty evident there is nothing new here. A heroine who is a paragon of perfection, an idealistic hero, betiyon ki zimmedari, shaadi, class differences, pehli nazar ka pyar, all are tropes as old as hills. I don’t think I will ever get our producers’ fascination with adapting novels, but even with that why not opt for a more interesting story?

I understand there are only so many stories that can be told, but surely there are fresh, out-of-the-box ways of storytelling? What of innovation and experimentation? Infact, forget that, what I don’t get is the continued deterioration even in retelling an already told story? Today’s screenplay has to be one of the messiest ones I have seen in a while. TV is a visual medium and therefore fundamentally different from a textual one, where everything has to be spelled out with words… today there was so much talking and so much reiteration that it was well nigh impossible to stay interested and focused.

In terms of direction, Yasir Nawaz is barely able to keep pace with a very busy scrip; where he does well is in getting good performances from his actors, they all did well. Lighting and camerawork by Naeem Mustafa is nicely done. The loud background music is a constant issue and the refrain of Tum Kon Piya gets too much very quickly.

Simply put, I am underwhelmed. What about you all? Will look forward to reading your take!

Written by SZ~

Tum Kon Piya ~ Rahat Fateh Ali Khan ~ OST

Categories: Entertainment, Pakistani Drama Blogs, Pakistani Dramas, Popular Culture, Tum Kon Piya, Urdu 1

Tagged as: 7th Sky Entertainment, Aiza Khan, Ayeza Khan, Hina Bayat, Imran Abbas, Maha Malik, Pakistani Drama Reviews, Yasir Nawaz