he newbie worth talking about is Dil Dhoondta Hai Phir Wohi, starring Zahid Ahmed and Zara Noor Abbas in lead roles. Written by Rida Bilal, the story revolves around a couple. Ramsha, an entrepreneur who runs a baking business, is played by Zara and Zahid features as her husband, Ali. Ali runs an advertising agency with a friend of his.

Ramsha and Ali also have a young son, Ahmad. At first glance, their world seems quite perfect. Both are madly in love with each other. As the story unfolds, the viewer realises that there is more here than meets the eye and everything is not as picture perfect as it looks.

It is revealed that both Ramsha and Ali went against their parents’ wishes to marry each other. They are no longer in contact with their families. Ten years have passed since then and Ramsha yearns to reconnect with her family, especially her mother.

The wife and husband have also faced a personal tragedy that shook them to the core. They lost their young daughter, Dua, in a car accident. Ali blames himself as he was driving. In the first two episodes, he appears to be on an emotional roller coaster and has bouts of forgetfulness. Is this a delayed trauma response or an underlying psychological condition?

Ali has a brother, Imran and a sister, Muqaddas. Imran resents the fact that his brother is rich and successful. He keeps pestering him for control of ancestral property. The property was inherited by Ali and he plans to gift it to Muqaddas. Before he can do that, Imran sends him a court notice through a lawyer, staking his claim.

Imran is portrayed as a shady and dubious character who apparently has no qualms about stealing his mother’s jewellery to hire a lawyer to send a court notice to his Ali. A rather unpleasant character, Imran is envious of the success and status of his brother. He keeps on reminding his mother about how Ali “deserted” them to marry the lady of his dreams. He walks around with a chip on his shoulder as though the world owes him something.

The plot centres around a young couple and how they navigate their way through the ups and downs of marriage, in the absence of familial support.

In the meantime, Ali has a breakdown at work and collapses during a presentation. Is it the mounting stress, family problems or something else? He has these phases of forgetfulness and dissociation which become more and more frequent until he is unable to remember basic things about his life.

The story looks promising. Both Zara and Zahid act well. The child actor goes a little overboard in a few scenes but, overall, it works out just fine. At the moment, the play is like a jigsaw puzzle. As the story unfolds, the pieces will hopefully start falling into place.

There are many questions to keep the viewer hooked. Why does Imran hate his brother? Is it mere sibling rivalry or is there something more to it? Why did Ali leave his family and move to Karachi? Will he ever be able to reconcile with the untimely demise of his daughter in a car accident?

The story appears to be different from the conventional saas bahu stories seen on television. The plot centres around a young couple and how they navigate their way through the ups and downs of marriage, in the absence of familial support. At the moment, it appears to be a little disjointed but, hopefully, it will slowly come together.

The direction is good and, like the layers of an onion, different facets of the various characters are revealed as the play progresses. Will the couple ever be able to overcome the personal tragedy they have faced? Is Zahid crumbling under the work and personal stressors? Will the brothers ever reconcile? Catch this drama and become a part of Ramsha and Ali’s journey.

Verdict: Something hatkay, Dil Dhoondta Hai Phir Wohi has the potential to branch into a fuller story that encapsulates the tension that builds when one’s sense of self is in direct clash with internalized notions of filial obedience.

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