ritten by Rubina Kabir Khan, directed by Asad Jabal and produced by Momina Duraid, Pehchaan is a brand-new play looking to make its debut very soon. Hiba Bukhari plays the role of Kuki alongside Syed Jibran, who portrays her husband Adnan. Nadia Khan, Nadia Hussain, Mirza Zain Baig are also part of the cast.

A few trailers have been released so far with contextual clues and snippets of the storyline. The first trailer opens with Adnan talking about how his wife Kuki’s life had revolved around him and their children. He seems sad about his wife’s disappearance. The rest of her family too is disturbed by her absence. It is later revealed that Kuki has run away, leaving her children behind, and that her husband knows exactly where she is. The trailer ends on an intense note as he becomes aggressive and seems to be in anguish.

The second trailer delves deeper into the mystery of Kuki and Adnan’s relationship. It starts off with the couple sharing some tender, romantic moments as Kuki remarks that Adnan is ideal for her. However, later their relationship turns bitter. Adnan can be seen verbally abusing his wife and exclaiming that she has made his life a living hell. Kuki seeks a divorce through the courts in order to get away from him. Adnan’s portrayal in this trailer is a far cry from the concerned and tortured husband of the first trailer supposedly abandoned by his wife. It creates an atmosphere of curiosity and makes the viewers wonder about how things went so wrong.

Pehchaan thus far seems to have all the makings of a Momina Duraid production, with plenty of twists and drama in the trailers alone. The characters that have been introduced seem to be multidimensional, but there are still a lot of questions surrounding the uniqueness of this play.

The third trailer has a sad tone. The concept of karma is discussed and a bunch of characters are crying. The most interesting thing in this snippet is Adnan dancing with another woman, potentially signalling infidelity on his part. We also see Kuki arrive at another man’s doorstep in a bid to escape her husband.

In the final trailer, viewers are given more information about the man that Kuki runs to. Aziz, played by Mirza Zain Baig, knows Kuki from before she married Adnan. He was interested in her but she flat out rejected him, saying, “You will never be anyone’s hero.” Despite the rejection, he proclaims that he has always liked her and will continue to do so, which prompts a woman to scream at him. The irony of this situation becomes apparent, as Kuki tries to find refuge from her failing marriage under the wing of the very man that she once held immense disdain for. He appears to take her in, no questions asked.

Pehchaan seems so far to have all the makings of a Momina Duraid production, with plenty of twists and drama in the trailers alone. The characters that have been introduced seem to be multidimensional, but there are still a lot of questions surrounding the uniqueness of the play. The conflicts that have been fed to the viewers seem to be rather run of the mill for Pakistani TV where traumatised women and unfaithful husbands abound. While the trailers have been interesting and well-executed, generating a certain buzz amongst TV watchers, it remains to be seen whether this play will set itself apart from everything else on offer.

The author is a fashion graduate.