It appears that the season’s sleeper smash is the Pakistani program Qarz e Jaan.
With little fanfare, this drama serial on Hum TV arrived. Although it was anticipated that Yumna Zaidi and Usama Khan would do well in the opening, the audience took a while to warm up to the show is realistic, straightforward tone and multi-layered plot, which were enhanced by director Saqib Khan’s use of handheld shots and subdued lighting.
TRPs soared in the weeks that followed, with critics raving about the show’s powerful storyline and compelling performances. Qarz e Jaan is Rabia Razzaq’s most character-driven script. At its centre is the young, upright lawyer Nashwa (Zaidi) who is raised by a single parent (Tazeen Hussain as the quietly submissive Bisma) in the posh Barkat Villa whose owners are the meanspirited Bakhtiar (Deepak Perwani), Nashwa’s paternal uncle, and her self-righteous grandmother (Sakina Samo).
It’s a deeply patriarchal household with many dark, uncomfortable truths buried inside. As the story progresses, it becomes obvious that Nashwa and her mother are privy to these. Why they have chosen to remain silent is a mystery waiting to untangle. Nashwa eventually faces up to the family traumas, in her fight for her mother’s “azadi,” knowing full well the price she’ll have to pay. She’s made a pact with the devil, and consented to marry her cousin, the impulsive Ammar Bakhtiar (Nameer Khan) who has a violent streak and a criminal past. She has crushed her feelings for Burhan (Usama Khan), the suave lawyer with a heart of gold.
The play was originally titled Khoon Bahaa, which loosely translates as ‘blood money.’ The makers changed it, perhaps, because they thought it would give a lot of story away. Qarz e Jaan aces the Bechdel Test in its depiction of the mother-daughter relationship.
The scenes between Nashwa and Bisma have such raw, emotional intensity that they will move you to tears. Zaidi’s portrayal of Nashwa is achingly real, while Hussain proves to be a subtle performer.
We can say that Qarz e Jaan has raised the bar for Pakistan TV drama — not just in terms of its high production values and modern storytelling, but also in the director’s ability to extract memorable performances from all his actors. Usama Khan is pitch-perfect as the foul-tempered patriarch with his mysterious ways. Nameer Khan, the glamorous fashion model turned actor, is the star of Qarz e Jaan. His character’s dynamics are such that he evokes both pathos and disgust, alternately, and to his credit, Khan always captures the nuances flawlessly.
