Wehem continues its steady incline through its peculiar atmosphere and evolving characters
ehem premiered on June 22 with an intriguing storyline and interesting characters. Written by Imran Nazir and directed by Adnan Wai Qureshi, the drama is produced by Moomal Shunaid.
The succeeding episodes have followed the same trajectory as the premier, with an element of mystery and surprise. Over the course of three episodes, Rukhsana (played by Savera Nadeem) has gone from a woman trying to do the right thing to unveiling something dark and intimidating under the surface. Following her husband’s disappearance and abandonment, she seems to have developed a long-standing grudge and deep-seated hatred for her in-laws as they are related to him. Her grudge manifests itself through how she treats her brother-in-law, tries to make her mother-in-law think she is crazy and interferes in own son’s love life.
A big shocker explored in this episode is Khawar’s motivation. Is he really romantically interested in Rukhsana, his sister-in-law, because he feels responsible in his brother’s absence or is it a case of wehem amongst viewers themselves? Played by Babar Ali, Khawar’s character is instrumental in furthering the mystery, which could involve some sneaky, ulterior motives.
Her portrayal of a woman scorned, who is out for revenge on all parties involved is very sinister and convincing. What makes her character stand out even more is the fact that the people around her cannot even see how she is subtly exacting revenge upon them
Sawera Nadeem gives a layered performance with Rukhsana. The mind games that she plays on the people around her to control them and serve her own end are starting to become more apparent. She moves smoothly between being dramatic and subtle with her manipulation, which makes her a lot more formidable than the run-of-the-mill evil mothers in Pakistani dramas. She continues to add chilli powder to her mother-in-law’s food to make her think she is crazy. She even pretends to be dead just to mess with her. Furthermore, upon realising that her son Junaid (played by Zaviyar Noaman) might have feelings for his cousin Eeshal (played by Kinza Hashmi), she attempt emotional blackmail to stop him. This causes issues between the youngsters, as Eeshal has her heart set on him and Junaid finds himself between a rock and a hard place. He is unsure of whether he should follow his heart or listen to his mother. He may have started thinking for himself as he does not fully agree with his mother’s views.
While Khawar tries his best to console Eeshal and make her see the light, she refuses to do so. He tries to explain that Rukhsana will never forgive him, and by extension is unlikely to accept a relationship between Eeshal and her son.
Wehem is shaping up to be a catchy drama so far and the actors involved are really proving their mettle, especially Savera Nadeem. Her portrayal of a woman scorned, who is out for revenge on all parties involved is very sinister and convincing. What makes her character stand out even more is the fact that the people around her cannot even see how she is subtly exacting revenge upon them.
Based on the events so far, Wehem is highly recommended, especially since it has a fresh storyline and depth in characters that is often lacking in a lot of productions.
The author is a fashion graduate.