We have seen numerous television plays focusing on the miseries of women and the discrimination they face in society. However, there are very few TV serials that bring the struggles of men and highlight what they go through while fulfilling their responsibilities.
However, Geo TV’s newest drama Baba Jani is one such exception as it follows the life of a middle-aged man, Asfand, who alone is responsible for a multitude of tasks and expenses of his family.
Essayed by the incredibly versatile and talented Faysal Qureshi, who is also the co-producer of the drama series, Asfand loses his parents at a very young age and is burdened with the responsibility of everything they’ve left behind, including getting his three sisters married. His sisters, played by Saba Hameed (Najiba), Jinaan Hussain (Naila) and Adila Khan (Nabila) are very demanding and allow him no relief whatsoever.
The first episode of Baba Jani aired on Saturday and introduced us to Asfand and his selfish family (most of them) and the love of his life, his cousin Mehwish, played by Faryal Mehmood, who is engaged to him. It’s his third and the youngest sister Nabila’s wedding and his sisters make sure to trouble him at the last minute, just when he thought he had fulfilled all his duties and could finally focus on his own life.
A parallel story in Baba Jani features Savera Nadeem as a widow and her daughter Nimra, essayed by Madiha Imam. We know that this duo will cross path with Asfand, based on the teasers, but it is yet to be seen how that happens and what the story holds for viewers.
Aside from Faysal Qureshi, whose expressions and body language speak more than his words, Saba Hameed is brilliant as she performs the role of a cunning elder sister. And the two were the highlight of, at least, the first episode.
Written by Faiza Iftikhar, directed by Ali Faizan Anchan and co-produced by Abdul Qadir Shah, Baba Jani is an interesting watch, particularly as it sheds light on the difficulties faced by a man as opposed to showing him in a negative light.