The first two episodes of Pamaal aired over the past two days. A compelling story of a young, aspiring writer is revealed through her own words as she takes viewers back into her past. Let’s take a look at it:
Story and script:
The story of Pamaal portrays the life journey of a storyteller and drama writer, Malika Riaz (Saba Qamar). Written by our acclaimed playwright, Zanjabeel Asim, this story takes us to where Malika lives and begins her writing journey. After winning a prestigious award for best drama writer, she shares a glimpse into her life during a TV interview. She speaks about Raza (Usman Mukhtar) as someone who resembles her late father, and that trait is what attracts her the most to him.
In the first two episodes, most of the story is narrated through her flashbacks. It includes not just love and romance but also social traditions, resilience, sacrifice, and the loss of love. The story shows how a widow must rely on her brother and what her orphan daughter must endure to get married. These elements vividly depict societal behaviors. Pamaal is a story of someone who has to lose a lot to achieve her dreams.
Production and direction:
Produced by Multiverse Entertainment and directed by Khizer Idrees, the story begins with a wide aerial shot of a beautifully decorated and lighted building where an award ceremony is taking place. As the story is shot in Muree and Islamabad, we see a refreshing feeling regarding locations, both indoor and outdoor. The beautiful mountains, wide patches covered with trees and greenery, winding paths through the streets, make it a different-looking story. The director, Khizer, has made Saba Qamar perform another assertive character for which he deserves applause.
We see some not-very-famous faces in the cast as opposed to the Karachi-based dramas, where new faces are lacking.
Performance:
Saba is working with Usman Mukhtar for the very first time. She is such a huge name in our drama industry that the words look small before her stature. In the first two episodes, the performances are good and the actors fit into their respective characters. The credit goes to Usman Mukhtar, who has given a great performance against a mega star like Saba Qamar.
What to expect next?
We have been introduced to the main and supporting characters, but this is only the beginning. How and what Malika went through to achieve the award and the present status, we will see this bit by bit in the coming episodes. Most likely, this interview is to continue as the story advances.
Malika and Raza have met each other twice. How and under what circumstances they meet the next time is yet to be seen. Anas (Haris Waheed), the cousin of Malika, also loves her secretly, but she thinks the opposite. Refusing to accept his marriage proposal will be a huge setback for Malika and her mother.
