Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay is a recent Pakistani drama that is currently aired from HUMTV and so far 8 episodes have been on air. Written by great Umera Ahmed and directed by Farooq Rind under MD productions, the drama’s story is the novel adaption of the same name.
There are 3 main leads, Mehreen (Mahira Khan), Mashal (Kubra Khan) and Aswad (Usman Mukhtar). All three of them are cousins and share a love triangle. The supporting cast is also great with Shamim Hilali playing the role of nani/dadi, Zainab Qayum as Mashal’s mother, Laila Wasti as Mehreen’s mother and Huma Nawab as Aswad’s mother.
From the starting till the recent episode, we’ve seen the characters portraying multiple emotions and with the time-lapse, the shift of characters’ nature is amazingly portrayed, in a subtle way. Hum Kahan Kay Sachay Thay probes below the surface and into the complexes, toxicity, and bitterness that characters in such storylines never quite fully express on screen.
Mehreen (Mahira Khan):
Mehreen is a girl who lives with her Nani and mamu’s family where she is mistreated and not loved at all. Brilliant and genius Mehreen has always been neglected and hated by the family. Being a daughter of a drug addict who attempts suicide and a weak natured mother, who is forced to leave her daughter and remarry. Mahira portrays a girl who hides her past from all her friends and acquaintance outside and loves her cousin Aswad. Though she was ready to leave him for her evil cousin Mashal but decides to marry him anyway because Mashal ruins her relationship with Saffan, the guy who proposed Mehreen to marry. She is strong, has self-respect and replies back to Mashal.
Mashal (Kubra Khan):
Mashal is seen as an evil character. She even remembers all the childhood moments when her mother compared her to Mehreen and pressurized her to be like her. She has a complex personality with a lot of insecurities and is constantly being compared to her cousin Mehreen. She has only one motive; to create problems in Mehreen’s life and to ruin her relationship with every person she shares a bond with. Her love for Aswad is even not true, but only an attempt to hurt Mehreen.
Aswad (Usman Mukhtar):
Aswad (Usman Mukhtar) is the kind of guy whose cord is still attached to her mother. He does have some grey shades in terms of hypocrisy when it comes to Mehreen and absolute obedience to his mother in which he agrees to marry Mehreen over Mashal.
Nani (Shamim Hilali):
Shamim Hilali as Mehreen’s Nani never lets the girl escape her past. Nani was portrayed as a strong character in the first episode, she was seen having complete control of the household and decision-maker, and her son was busy with his work and earning money. Also, Shagufta (Zainab Qayum) seems to fear her MIL. But as the years go by and kids all grown up, the aged Nani is now more submissive, indifferent and the decision power has shifted to son and daughter-in-law.
Shagufta (Zainab Qayum):
Three cousins Mehreen (Mahira Khan), Mashal (Kubra Khan) and Aswad (Usman Mukhtar) enjoy a happy childhood together, but their wholesome experiences are constantly peppered by Mashal’s mother Shagufta’s (Zainab Qayyum) comparisons of the two girls. Shagufta holds what seems to have become standard resentment for her sister-in-laws and that in turn is projected onto Mehreen. Aswad is spared from this because he might be a potential suitor for Mashal in the future. Therefore, Mashal is raised with a sense of unevenness with Mehreen and entitlement.
Saleha (Huma Nawab):
Huma Nawab is playing the character of Saleha, Aswad’s mother and a single parent, who has raised her son well. Since she lost her husband and raised her son alone, she seems to be quite sensitive about the matter of whom his son gets married to. She is the only one who has supported Mehreen a lot and provided a comfortable space for her. She sees Mehreen as her potential Daughter-in-law and despite being negated by her son Aswad and even Mehreen convinced her that Aswad loves Mashal, she conveys her insecurity about how she doesn’t want a DIL who might distance her son from her. Saleha (Huma Nawab) seems to be a really nice, decent and sensible mother and aunt, but deep down has the same mentality, that most mothers possess in our society.
Rabeya (Laila Wasti):
Though Laila Wasti’s role as Rabeya has little on-screen time but the great actress has been able to deliver the character of a weakling mother, who doesn’t stand for her daughter and abandons her by being forced to remarry and leave Mehreen to her Nani’s house. She seems to be one of those mothers, who always seem to be helpless and doesn’t fully understand their child or seems to not take a firm stand for their children.
Shabo (Kaif Ghaznavi):
Kaif Ghaznavi plays the role of house help/ maid Shabo, who is working in that house since her childhood and basically has grown up there. She doesn’t seem to have any family and live there alone. Shabo is the character, which portrays how a person shifts side where he sees power. Sometimes helping Mehreen for dinner but sometimes spying on Mehreen to deliver information to Mashal, she seems to be shifting sides where she sees her benefit and basically this is her way of surviving in that house with no apparent loyalty to any specific person.
Hum Kahan Kay Sachay Thay not only benefits from brilliant actors and a strong director, but also styling, particularly that of Mahira and Kubra wardrobes along with their rooms. It was visually so engaging to watch the contrast. Let’s see how the story unfolds in the latter episodes. The Viral Cat seems to be hooked to this drama.