Mere Humdum Mere Dost = A Memorable Experience for 2014

I refuse to review this last episode.  I would simply not do it justice.  Therefore, I'm simply going to state my thoughts about the show overall.

Mere Humdum Mere Dost is a drama based on a popular novel (of the same name) by Farhat Ishtiaq.  With this drama, I think Urdu1 proved that not only can they run successful foreign dubbed content, but can also rise with local Pakistani content.

The story revolves around, essentially, family and family relations, despite being a love story at the heart of it all.  Aiman's relationship did not focus solely on her bond with Haider, but also the growth of her relationship with Taufeeq, Almas, her younger brother, with Bibi and even her tiff with Sajeela.

What is great is that not one of these characters can be described as "negative."  Coming to the female characters, while yes, Sajeela was essentially a self-absorbed girl who didn't know right from wrong, as we see in the beginning, she's not a BAD person.  She just went through a lot, all of her own doing and felt entitled to get her ex-husband back.  That sense of entitlement is what made Sajeela seem negative.  Hareem Farooq excelled as Sajeela, because the audience fluctuated from liking her, hating her, feeling sorry from her all at a moment's notice.  I loved that Almas wasn't the role of a stereotypical step-mother, but rather was a very positive, kind-hearted woman.  While she was torn between Sajeela and Aiman, when she realized that the matter was finally at rest, I really loved seeing her bond with Aiman and how she supported her, especially in the last two episodes.  I still have a hard time believing that ZQ is no longer playing "Lead" female roles - actresses have such a short shelf life!  But ZQ did a great job as Almas.

Coming to Aiman specifically, I can't claim that Aiman was the most lovable character.  She wasn't.  If anything, I spent more time wanting to slap Aiman than wanting to hug her.  I felt like she was 90% responsible for the reactions she received from others, mostly because of her low self-esteem and her cutting words.  In the last episode, I was particularly irritated with her, especially for throwing her hard work and education away simply because she didn't want to see Haider's marriage.  The amount of pain she was willing to cause her family, namely her father, just to serve her own purpose was very irritating and in that moment, I felt Aiman was very self-serving.  However, looking at it logically, Aiman is essentially every 21-22 year old girl, isn't she?  She represents the ego, the determination and the wrapped-up-in-my-own-life that most young girls do have.  Plus, she had her own hang-ups from her upbringing, so Aiman was a very realistic character - and Sanam Jung did a fabulous job of playing her and bringing the character to life.

Of course, we also can't forget the ultimately lovable "Bibi" played by Shamim Hilali.  Effortless as always, Bibi is the voice of reason and encouragement.





It's been a while since we've seen strong, older male characters that were so LIKABLE.  The characters of Taufeeq and Haider are two such characters.  They will forever be etched onto that list of great male leads, mostly because of how well-written the roles were - but more than that, the actors do deserve credit.  Adnan Siddiqui made Haider into someone who you felt for.  You loved him, because he was the definition of a "good guy."  Unrealistically so?  No.  The scene when he found out about Sajeela's affair was perfect, as he acted as any NORMAL man would.  The scene when Aiman calls him a coward, again - perfect.  You could see the pain and anger in his eyes in that moment.  Adnan Siddiqui needs to take a bow for this role.  Likewise with Farhan Ali Agha as Taufeeq - initially, the audience sees Taufeeq as a "bad guy" of sorts, a man who abandons his wife and daughter.  But as the story unfolds, we realize that things weren't as they seemed and it's possible that Aiman's mother may not have been as "pure" of a soul as we (or Aiman) thought and Taufeeq was actually a caring man with principles.  Farhan Ali Agha was perfect in this role.  Despite looking very young to be playing father to Sanam Jung, he took the role and made it his own, making Taufeeq a highly lovable character.

The only complaint I would have with this entire show are two points:  The first being the quick disappearance of Sajeela's character.  While I understand that she realized how everything in her life backfired due to her own foolishness and that her father always had her best interest in mind - I didn't love that she didn't have any heart-to-hearts with Almas or Taufeeq and abruptly decided to leave.  I don't even think we got to see her goodbye?  The 2nd complaint I have was the ending itself.  While I loved the confrontation scene between Aiman &  Haider and what transpired, the very last scene somehow felt.....lacking.  I can't place it, I don't know what should've been different.  It just felt very odd.

In closing, I just wanted to say that this was a must-watch drama for 2014.  Beautiful story, beautiful acting, realistic characters, great writing all came together to make a very lovable story.  If you haven't seen this, watch it!

Happy watching!