The new offering on the block is a drama series called Dayan. Produced by Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi and written by Fatima Faizan and AnberAzhar, the show features a star-studded ensemble including Ahsan Khan, Mehwish Hayat and Hira Mani.

The first episode was aired a couple of days ago. Ahsan Khan stars as Zawar Shah, an extremely wealthy and influential landlord and industrialist married to Shabab, played by Hira Mani. The couple have been married for six years but, due to some health complications, Shabab is unable to have children. Zawar’s sisters, Zakia and Fauzia also reside in the same house with their families.So does his younger brother, Hunain Shah.

Hunain falls in love with a classmate at university (Mehwish Hayat) whose father is a guard and mother a teacher. The father works at one of Zawar Shah’s factories managed by his brother-in-law. He is an alcoholic and regularly beats up his wife when he returns home in the evening. He is an extremely unpleasant character who loves making his wife and daughtermiserable.

Zawar’s sisters begrudge their brother’s infatuation with his wife and are forever pleading with him to remarry so that he can have a male heir. Al their pleas fall on deaf ears.

Eventually, Zawar requests his younger brother, Hunain to give him his firstborn to adopt when he marries. Hunain agrees but Shabab has certain reservations about the adoption plan.

On the other hand, Mehwish reciprocates Hunain’s feelings.When she confides in her mother, she asks her to call him over. When Hunain reveals details about the object of his affection to his sisters, they are taken aback that – like his brother - he is chosen a woman inferior in status and class.

Shabab also hails from a modest family,a fact her two sisters-in-law resent. They have hoped to marry off their younger brother to someone of their choice and from a background similar to their own.

The viewer is taken aback by the sudden and abrupt turn that the play takes at the end of the second episode and is left wondering about how the story will develop.

When Hunain announces that he plans to marry Mehwish, they hatch a plot to foil the impending union. Zawar’s brother-in-law informs Mehwish’s father of the situation and offers him a substantial sum to bribe him into calling it off.

In the meanwhile, Hunain is on his way to meet Mehwish’s mother.Before he can see her, her father arrives. He has been told by Zawar’s brother-in-law that his daughter is planning to elope with Hunain and that her mother is willing to help her in this adventure.

He arrives home in a fit of rage and what transpires is shocking, to put it very mildly. The viewer is taken aback by the sudden and abrupt turn that the play takes at the end of the second episode (no spoilers) and left wondering about how the story will develop beyond this point. What will happen to Mehwish and her mother? Will things change or is there more misery in store for them?

While the play has quite a cast, the writing, screenplay and direction do not stand out. The script is mediocre.With drawn-out sequences and clichés, it fails to impress. The play has seasoned actors but they are let down by the narrative.

While the characterisation is interesting, it also relies on familiar tropes and stereotypes. Zawar’s sisters are depicted as conniving, clever and manipulative in a way that is typical.

The mansion where Zawar resides with his family has been seen in umpteen plays before. While palatial houses and elaborate sets mean some thought has gone into the art direction, it may not be enough to sustain the viewers’ interest.

While the hook episodes worked in evoking some interest, here’s to hoping that the play picks up in the later episodes and becomes watchable.

The writer is an educationist. She can be reached at gaiteeara@hotmail.com