By Maliha Rehman
The plot is set for Tere Ishq Ke Naam, the latest offering by IDream Entertainment, which has just begun airing on ARY Digital. We know where this story is going to go, for now, based on the first episode and the teasers that have aired out.
Hiba Bukhari is the spoilt rich girl, Usama Khan her spoilt rich fiancé. Yashma Gill is the jealous cousin with a colossal crush on Altamash, i.e., Usama. Zaviyar Naumaan Ijaz is Khursheed, the poor relative raised by Rutba, i.e., Hiba Bukhari’s affluent father. He may be fading into the background right now and getting ridiculed by the rich brats around him but we know that eventually he’s going to be the one who gets the girl.
How will this happen, though? And what will happen once Rutba and Khursheed are stuck in their mismatched union? This is what will possibly keep Tere Ishq Ke Naam interesting.
The fact that one can somewhat foretell the initial plot of this drama does not mean that the story itself will be predictable. The entanglement of the various protagonists simply forms the basic skeleton of the drama. The emotions, dialogues and various twists and turns are what will eventually add flesh to it.
The initial episode has been an interesting one. The visuals are very glossy and the main cast, very good-looking. Beyond looks, though, producer Abdullah Seja and Ahmad Bhatti have done well to bring together a motley crew of fresh-faced talented actors together. Hiba Bukhari’s acting mettle is undeniable. She has proven, with her recent spate of projects that she is proficient in getting into the skin of a diverse range of characters. Playing the bratty Rutba should be right up her alley. Similarly, Usama Khan is a young actor who has been performing exceptionally well, even doing wonders with the most hackneyed scripts. He is very likely to shine as Altamash in a drama that will hopefully be different from the usual fare offered on TV.
Yashma Gill has also often been stuck with repetitive scripts in the past and the role of Azka – if it goes beyond her merely being the scheming cousin – could allow her to spread her wings. Zaviyar Naumaan Ijaz may be relatively new to the field compared to his co-actors but with every successive project, his performances have become more nuanced. The scale at which Tere Ishq Ke Naam has been shot and the fact that the story will soon largely focus on his character’s sudden marriage to Rutba will give him the chance to hold his own on screen.
So far, based on the first episode, we know that Rutba and Altamash are affianced cousins. Rutba is in the first year of college and entirely disinterested in her studies. Altamash encourages this – he doesn’t want her to complete her studies and become more academically qualified than him and feels that instead, the two should get married soon. He comes with his family to Rutba’s home, with the intention of setting a wedding date but Rutba’s father – Altamash’s mother’s brother – states that he will only allow his daughter to enter matrimony once she has graduated from college. The episode wraps up with an incensed Altamash staring after his uncle.
Additionally, we now know that Rutba’s father is disdainful of Altamash’s lack of academic qualifications and impressed by Khursheed’s dedication towards his studies. We know that there is a negative side to Altamash who says, at one point, that if a woman ends up studying, she becomes difficult to control. We know that Khursheed’s mother feels indebted towards Rutba’s father whose deceased wife financially supported her when she was widowed. She continues to live in an additional part of Rutba’s home and tries to repay her debts by looking over the household affairs. We know that Rutba has a mean streak and often taunts Khursheed. Also, we know that Azka dislikes Rutba and wants her relationship with Altamash to end. And Rutba’s father has two sisters who appear to be jealous of their brother’s wealth and power.
Director Ahmad Bhatti presents some sharp visuals. One hopes that he doesn’t allow Tere Ishq Ke Naam to succumb to longwinded drags. One also hopes that there are less scenes where the characters sit and talk about obvious facts of their lives just so the audience understands the plot better. In the first episode, for instance, Khursheed’s mother, played by Nida Mumtaz, sits with Rutba’s father, Jamal Shah, and talks at length about how she, a poor widow, was helped out by this affluent, generous family. While it does help viewers gain clarity, it all seems very forced. Who, in real life, sits and gives a detailed synopsis of their life histories while having a cup of tea?
This is so far a minor flaw. Overall, the motley crew of contrasting personalities and their emotions that form the crux of this drama could lead to the plot getting thicker and interesting with successive episodes.
One has faith in the combined talents of Abdullah Seja, Ahmed Bhatti and their cast. Let’s see where Twere Ishq Ke Naam’s story goes.
What do you think?