Bee Gul: 5 Must-Watch Dramas Written By This
Underrated Talent
Bee Gul is a writer who has been writing Pakistani dramas
for a decade and yet, many have been unaware of her talents until
recently. “Raqeeb Se” has brought Bee
Gul into the limelight yet again with its haunting, strong, powerful story of
lost love, self-discovery, personal growth and meaningful relationships. Personally, I have been following Bee Gul’s
journey as a viewer since 2013 when I was introduced to her talents after watching
“Talkhiyan.” This show was overshadowed
by the “Zindagi Gulzar Hai” craze (which is another show I adore), so I didn’t
begin watching it until several episodes had already aired. That show opened my eyes to the brilliance of
Bee Gul (and Khalid Ahmed). From then on
began my wait for each and every show of Bee Gul, particularly those with
Khalid Ahmed, each arriving after quite a lengthy period of time. One of Bee Gul’s genuine strengths is her
ability to pull the audience in and write her characters in such a way that the
audience forms a connection with them, the ability to feel for their plight. “Poetry in motion” is a phrase I have often
found myself using for her shows, beginning with “Pechaan” in 2014. For those who have only just stumbled upon the
magic of Bee Gul, let’s do a run-through of her must-watch shows!
Talkhiyan – Express
Based on “God of Small Things” by Arundhati Roy, “Talkhiyan” was a drama highly ignored in 2013. Directed by Khaled Ahmed and written by Bee Gul, it starred Sanam Saeed, Shamim Hilaly, Hina Bayat, Adnan Jafar, Hassan Niazi and others. While 2013 saw many stand-out dramas, “Talkhiyan” could only be described as “art,” pulling in only a niche audience at the time. In “Talkhiyan,” we are introduced to an incredibly odd family, one which we gradually become emotionally invested in. This drama that revolves around Bibi (Sanam Saeed), Jaanu, Zoya, Jugnu, Mama Ji (Shamim Hilaly) and Appu (Hina Bayat) seems slow at first glance, but has emotional highs and lows that can pick you up and bring you crashing down in an instant. There are many themes explored in this drama - The expectations parents have from their children, the infamous double standard our society holds with men and women, how indifference from parents can affect their children, what effect words can have on another person. We see through Zoya and Jugnu how children imitate and recreate the words and behaviors of adults. Appu’s lost love and her resentment towards those who are happy registers with the viewer. We see Jaanu’s male chauvinist behavior that triggers bitterness in Bibi’s heart, even towards her own son. We see Mama Ji’s heartbreak at her dependency and her disappointment in her children. Each character connects to the audience in some way. There’s something about Talkhiyan cuts through you, makes its mark and leaves you scarred. This was my first introduction to Bee Gul – and the first introduction to the emotionally draining (in a positive way!) effect that would continue through each of her shows.
Pehchan (2014) – A Plus
If Talkhiyan was the neglected gem of 2013, Pehchan was the
underrated, diamond of 2014. Khaled Ahmed has the tendency to start off
slow, pulling the viewer into the world of the characters, forcing you to be
invested in their lives and their outcomes. Pehchan is no less.
Laila (Alishba Yousef) is married to Mansoor (Sohail Sameer), but soon
realizes the man she marries comes with a past, baggage (and attitudes) she is
unable to turn a blind eye to. Laila, Kuku
(Iffat Omer) and Mrs. Khan are women that you root for and while Mansoor is
your typical male chauvinist, he is balanced by the intelligent, self-confident
Saadi. Pehchaan is a complex story about the trials and tribulations of
marriage, the expectations society places on Pakistani women and the behaviors
women are trained to overlook in order to "save their marriage."
Without being a blatant show of feminism, Pehchan touches upon the
double-standards of society and leaves the viewer reeling with the after
effects.
Darr Si Jaati Hai Sila – Hum TV
Of all of Bee Gul’s shows, “Darr Si Jaati Hai Sila” is the
darkest of Bee Gul’s stories and a very difficult show to watch. Dark,
unsettling, almost irritating in how the members of this household played games
with one another – and yet a story that is 100% necessary to tell. Starring Yumna Zaidi, Nauman Ijaz, Saman
Ansari, Sakina Samo, Kiran Haq, Saleem Sheikh, Osama Tahir and others in major
roles, “Darr Si Jaati Hai Sila” is about how women are terrorized by men in Pakistani
society, even within the walls of their own homes. Yumna Zaidi’s performance is outstanding as
Sila, a young girl pushed into silence by her own family, forced to conceal the
abuse she has silently been suffering through.
And yet, the story is not one-dimensional and highlights how society
feeds these mentalities, the concept of “keep quiet to protect family honor”
moving through generations, once-victims now becoming complicit in the abuse of
the next. It’s a meaningful show, one
that everyone should watch.
Dil Aara (2019) – Bol Entertainment
An underrated show, created by Bee Gul and Khalid Ahmed, the
show discusses the plight of a young woman married to an older man and how her
life is affected from all aspects. Dil Aara’s (Kiran Razzaq) life is
further complicated when she discovers her now stepson, Mohsin (who is her age)
is an old friend of her deceased ex-fiance and the two form a bond – which does
not sit well with her husband. Dil Aara’s
life is taken away from her, society pushing her into a relationship that is
not the right match for her on any level, forcing her to live a life of
compromise. This is not simply the story
of Dil Aara, but the story of several women within our society who are robbed
of their right to choose. With beautiful
writing and subtle performances, this show did not receive the appreciation it
deserved.
Raqeeb Se (2021) – Hum TV
“Raqeeb Se” is such a brilliant
show that one finds themselves emotionally exhausted/spent after finishing an
episode. This show is an experience, a story that remains with you long
after the episode has ended, leaving the viewer thinking and examining their
own lives, relationships and mistakes. This is a show to be savored and
absorbed, not one to binge-watch. Telling the story of tragic love, Sakina
(Hadiqa Kiani) and Maqsood (Nauman Ijaz) reunite when Sakina arrives at
Maqsood's door with her daughter, Ameera (Iqra Aziz), escaping her abusive,
unhappy marriage. Maqsood himself is married to Hajra (Sania Saeed) with
a daughter Insha (Faryal Mehmood) and with all these characters under one roof,
each goes through their own share of emotional turmoil and self
discovery. Bee Gul touches the soul with each of her dialogues, supported
by Kashif Nisar, who has given the show a different layer of depth with his
presentation, use of angles and the incredible performances he has extracted
from this magnificent cast. Starring Sania Saeed, Hadiqa Kiani, Nauman
Ijaz, Faryal Mehmood, Iqra Aziz, Saqib Sumeer, Hamza Sohail, Hassan Mir, Salman
Shahid and Saba Faisal in important roles, "Raqeeb Se" is on its way
to joining the ranks of classic Pakistani dramas. This is a
must-watch.
If you have missed even one of these shows, please do give it
a watch. If “Raqeeb Se” has managed to
resonate with you as a viewer, Bee Gul’s writing works its magic in the above
mentioned dramas as well. You will not
regret it!
