By Maliha Rehman
You’d think that it was a movie if you didn’t know that it was a drama. And it would be a movie that you would avidly wait to release.
The initial teasers of upcoming drama Gentleman has set a new precedent, exemplifying that a drama’s pre-release trailer doesn’t have to focus on tearful histrionics and emotional close-ups of the characters. Instead, it could pack in the punches with a few quips, some action-packed sequences and snappy editing. The characters could be introduced in interesting ways and the filming could be utterly filmy.
Humayun Saeed is Iqbal Munna and he is seen making a pledge to his elder brother, a slick, crafty goon called Rehmati played by Adnan Siddiqui. Munna won’t murder or indulge in extortion (take ‘bhatta’) or fall in love and as he makes these promises, short scenes show him doing exactly so. Rehmati Bhai leans forward, kisses him and grants him the domains of ‘Korangi do aur dhai’. We move on to glimpses of Munna entering Karachi’s clustered Korangi and then, walking purposefully, holding a gun, cutting a suave figure in a suit.
The woman he loves – and hasn’t told his big brother about – is Zarnab, played by Yumna Zaidi. She is possibly a journalist and looks sharp, wearing dark lipstick, her hair falling in waves. It’s a far cry from Yumna’s recent, very successful TV avatars.
Then again, all the characters in Gentleman appear to be a far cry from the usual motley crew seen on TV. These actors may frequent dramas but not like this. Humayun is the hero, the affable criminal with his heart on his sleeve and his gun at the ready. There’s a charm to the way he looks his brother in the eye and lies – this is the Humayun Saeed we’re accustomed to seeing on the cinema screen rather than TV. Adnan Siddiqui’s look is intriguing – his hair is slicked back and he wears chunky gold jewelry. Glaring at Munna narrow-eyed, he’s a mafia lord, conniving, sharp but possibly with a soft spot for his brother.
Added to the mix are Zahid Ahmed as Faris Ahmed, Sohai Ali Abro as Mifra and Ahmed Ali Butt as Dilbar. The script is written by Khalil ur Rehman Qamar which means that one can expect a layered story with plenty of punchlines. Haissam Hussain directs which might mean that, unlike the usual longwinded drama fare, Gentleman will be an intelligently narrated, crisp, riveting ride. The drama is produced by Next Level Entertainment helmed by Samina Humayun Saeed and Sana Shahnawaz.
But does this initial, very clever teaser mean that Gentleman itself will also be like a movie? It is unlikely. A movie sums up a story in about two hours while a drama stretches on for multiple episodes. The scenes are longer and the emotional monologues are more frequent. Having said that, this might – hopefully – be a drama that is different, tackling new territory with a story that revolves around the mafia and which, possibly, will feature violence, romance and emotions with a dash of wit thrown in.
Further teasers will probably unveil more about the characters in Gentleman’s framework but even now, interest in the drama is building up. This is Humayun Saeed’s return to TV after four odd years. It’s Adnan Siddiqui, who has also opted to act infrequently while waiting for roles that interest him, in an all-new character. The drama stars Humayun Saeed and Adnan Siddiqui together for the first time since 2019’s hit Mere Paas Tum Ho and pairs Humayun with Yumna Zaidi for the first time. Given Yumna’s huge fan following, it will be interesting to see whether the audience gravitates towards this all-new romantic screen pair.
Also, Humayun Saeed has in recent years almost always been associated with the ARY Digital channel. Gentleman, on the other hand, is going to be airing on Green Entertainment. It is very likely to help the channel build more clout, raking in ratings and making the audience more accustomed to shifting focus from the more established channels to the newer Green.
I am sure that the excitement generated by the teaser has been heartening for the Gentleman team. At the same time, it builds up pressure for them – the audience is expecting a drama which is quite as unique and entertaining as its one minute, thirty seconds long first trailer. Then again, this team of ‘gentlemen’ (and women) are no strangers to pressure. In fact, they’ve been known to thrive under it.
Likewise, one hopes that they thrive this time too and eGGentleman turns out to be quite as compelling as its trailer.
What do you think?