By Maliha Rehman
Tere Bin has a lot of us hooked. We’re riveted by the Meerab-Murtasim chemistry and the crazy, often senseless twists and turns that their lives constantly take. We hate Haya and Rohail, groan every time Meerab makes a blunder and are waiting, waiting for her to tear up the contract that she had Murtasim sign on the day of their wedding.
The story is often unfathomable. The characters sometimes make strange decisions. But the drama is a fine example of strong storytelling, helmed by producers Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi of 7th Sky Entertainment, directed by Seraj-ul-Haq, written by Nooran Makhdoom and held together by brilliant performances by Wahaj Ali, Yumna Zaidi and a power-packed ensemble. Even the drama’s musical score is a hit. The story itself may be flawed, sometimes downright funny, but it is filmed so well, with the musical score playing out at the right moment, well-planned pauses and dramatic dialogues delivered at just the right turn in the story – it’s a classic example of how a deep-rooted understanding of the TV audience’s preferences and an eye for details can uplift a production and make it an all-out commercial hit.
Therefore, more than 30 episodes in, with the ‘Meerasim’ (the word devised on social media for the Meerab-Murtasim pairing) romance running strong and new obstacles coming in their path constantly, Tere Bin hauls in high TRP’s every week. The YouTube views invariably run into millions and the drama’s been breaking records not just in Pakistan but also, across the border in India.
We’re hooked – but we’re also stressed. The lives of Murtasim and Meerub can be pretty grueling. There is, Haya, the besotted cousin dabbling with voodoo and scheming and planning to win over Murtasim. There is Rohail, the friend from college who is infatuated with Meerub and keeps surfacing in the story. There is the dictatorial family matriarch – Maa Begum – sometimes making sense and sometimes making no sense at all. There is Malik Zubair, Murtasim’s nemesis, intent on getting revenge. There’s Maryam, Murtasim’s sister, embroiled in a troubling relationship. And then there’s Meerub, perpetually making colossal mistakes and basically very confused about what she wants in life.
There’s also Wahaj Ali’s smoldering Murtasim who basically smolders away at Yumna Zaidi, aka Meerub, in every other episode and sends TRP’s shooting sky-high.
But how much more smoldering will the story rely on before Murtasim and Meerub finally shake off all their enemies and find their happily ever after? Most hit Pakistani dramas stretch out to about 50 episodes or so – will the trials and tribulations of Murtasim and Meerub keep us on edge for that long?
It’s probable. “There’s a lot more that has to happen in the story,” a team member working behind the scenes reveals. “They are going to go through several more plot twists.” That sounds stressful, in an interesting, addictive way.
Also, given the huge number of problems plaguing the lives of our lead pair, several episodes will be needed to sort them out, one by one. A few more episodes may be required for Meerub to get convinced to tear up the contentious contract and consummate her relationship with Murtasim. There are bound to be some really tragic scenes that will send Twitter in a tizzy and have audiences on the edge of their seats.
Which leads us to the question that is plaguing many of the drama’s hardcore fans: 50 or so episodes in, will Murtasim and Meerub get a happy ending or will they go their separate ways? Ideally, a couple this romantic should be together forever but TV producers and directors sometimes have other ideas. For instance, some of TV’s most popular romantic dramas have ended in tragedy. Pyarey Afzal and Meray Paas Tum Ho come to mind. Closer to home, last year’s Khuda aur Mohabbat 3 – another hit 7th Sky Entertainment production – had a heartbreakingly sad ending. Industry experts have been known to say that a drama becomes more memorable when it ends in tragedy.
One hopes that producers Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi and director Seraj-ul-Haq don’t have similar plans for Tere Bin. While in conversation with Seraj-ul-Haq, the director had described the drama to me as a ‘story about a husband and wife’. That, it certainly is – a story about a husband and wife and their motley crew of complicated relatives.
We need to see this husband and wife ride off into the sunset together, forever and ever. We know that it may take a while for them to get there. About 50 episodes or a little less. It’s a long ride, an insane one, but you can count on it being entertaining!
Images via 7th Sky Entertainment and Geo Entertainment
What do you think?