All activities skidded to a halt, wars over the remote control were forgotten, commitments were sidelined and errands postponed as the entire family gathered to watch the modern day phenomenon that redefined the meaning of Saturday night.
Yes, nothing defines cult status as ‘Humsafar’ does.
Directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, and based on the novel of the same name by Farhat Ishtiaq, ‘Humsafar’ has taken the entire country by storm. The captivating story and crackling chemistry between the two leads Fawad Afzal Khan (Ashar) and Mahira Khan, (Khirad) made the drama’s popularity sky-rocketing.
Throw in jealous forces and superb acting and you get a show that has trumped every other show in terms of viewership. For the uninitiated, the story revolves around Ashar and Khirad who marry each other against their wishes but later develop a strong bond that is shattered thanks to Ashar’s mom.
If social networking sites are any indication, the ‘Humsafar’ Facebook page now boasts more than 182,000 likes. Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites witness a phenomenal number of statutes and photos dedicated to the serial, especially on Saturday night.
So what exactly has led to the drama’s immense popularity? One would be the exceptional acting by all the artists involved. For Pakistani viewers, for whom slapstick humour and often repeated story lines had become a signature of local dramas, ‘Humsafar’ has given them powerful acting that is strongly supported by the excellent script.
It is not unnecessarily stretched out and does not have the characters wearing loud make-up or clothes. The soundtrack is another factor. Qurat-ul-Ain Baloch (or QB as she is popularly called), has lend her powerful vocals to the title song. Add quality poetry and composing and you have a song that tops everyone’s playlists.
As ‘Humsafar’ aired its second last episode last night, everyone was seen in front the TV and predicting the best possible end next week.
Humming the ‘Humsafar’ tune
