Tum Larkay Bhi Na is the Ramazan drama that has arrived on the drama scene without too much fanfare but a great deal of punch. The story fields multiple characters with multiple layers and no one is wholly good or bad – grey is the colour as each one navigates a life challenge that resonates uncomfortably close to home. Having said that, the drama pulls in audiences as it walks a fine balance between thought provoking and lighter banter, the problems we face in adult life juxtaposed with the messy shenanigans of youth – Gen Z features in big, bold signs and nothing is at it seems in a story that is written with the clever pen of Faseeh Bari Khan and directed with a sharp lens by Yasir Nawaz.
Too much praise is not a good thing, but to tell you the truth, Tum Larkay Bhi Na is truly marking a dent in the Pakistani drama playing field and here’s 13 things that tell you why.
1. A Side Hustle In Young Adulthood Gives Goals
Badrika’s small business where she sources old books and sells them at a profit is inspirational. The drama took us through the process, from procurement to selling online – just one question, is Badrika going to get into trouble for sourcing from Saba Mufti – especially the Gandhara pieces she has no idea were stolen by the shady guy who visits Saba’s house?
2. Why is Naazish Oblivious of Sallu’s Fitness But Fixated On Sheba’s?
The mother-son bond leaves out Sheba and while Naazish lavishes all her love on Sallu, for Sheba, it’s only the wrath of a fitness trainer that shines through. And why didn’t any one tell her about Sheba’s attempted suicide? The drama is written in a different reality mode and I get it, it is Faseeh Bari at the writer’s desk, but I still want to shake Naazish into some sort of action, or reaction – hoping it comes soon!
3. Is Imtiaz In Love With 2 Women At The Same Time?
He’s missing his wife, preps the bedroom with flowers upon her return, and – the guy is great at multi tasking you gotta admit – also texting Nazish 2 in a parallel universe, to hold out for a bit while he repairs his damaged marital ties. And he seems genuinely interested in both the women in his life, not willing to let go of either – such men exist, yes? Or maybe men like Imtiaz thrive on the challenge of it all?
4. Badrika and her Father Inhabit a Different Planet From Faryal
This one has me puzzled – Badrika’s father is defintely experiencing a form of depression, PTSD or both, but why is Badrika encouraging the dysfunctional relationship between herself and dad. Is she onto something we don’t know? Is this a form of healing? Guess I’m going to dial the therapist for this one, should it be able to demystify the mystery or wait for the drama to unfold?
5. Are There Too Many Characters In the Story, Say Yes!
Between Warda, Sanam, Sufiyan, Kumail and Rohail – I bet I’ve missed some, my brain goes missing a character. Thank goodness Nazish 1 and 2 is just one name less to remember but yeah, you guessed, it’s actually Saba Mufti! If you know you know!
6. Uroosa and Nazish – The Sister Bond That’s Not Romanticized And Yet I Love The Feels
The share a room, they don’t ask questions or expect answers – they’re simply there for each other without any grand gestures or toxicity. They mentally compare each other’s husbands – the grass is always greener on the other side by the way, and then carry on, knowing the other will always be there no matter what – well, because, they are sisters – predictably opposite in nature and yet, always by each other’s side when they’re needed.
7. You Think It’s a Gen Z Drama But is It?
With an ensemble and lead cast flooded with Gen Z actors, the story is surprisingly holistic – Imtiaz and Nazish have their own thing going and so do Aamir and Uroosa. But then we have Sheba, Sallu, Zayan and Badrika along with other characters who give us an insight into the world of young adulthood – and then wait a minute, there’s Faryal and her husband – it’s as diverse as it gets. So if you spot a Gen Z post, look deeper, there’s more to the story and it’s keep us watching.
8. A High Five For The Urdu Expression In the Script
Tum Larkay Bhi Na fields dialogues that are wholesome-ly Urdu in all its glory. When Uroosa says ‘nazron mein hakarat’ I loved the vocabulary. But seriously, Urdu dramas need to evoke, slice it just right – the language should be grounded enough so we don’t have to look up a dictionary, and yet, rich enough for one to appreciate the expression and usage. Also, not retorting to English expressions halfway through is just such a game changer – watching for the pure joy of Urdu striking the ear in all its glory.
9. The Real Life Relatable Friends Bond
Sallu and Zayan emit real life friend feels. They share a raw, honest yet super relatable bond – when Sallu anticipated his pizza right after Zayyan was mugged, and when Zayyan laughed at his friend then treated him to ice cream right after his phone was snatched as well, it struck a chord – nothing cringe about this relationship, it’s as real as it gets – life’s like that and the characters seem to spill off into real life.
10. Parenting Mode On
It’s not just Sallu and Nazish’s bond, but also Sheba and Imtiaz who share something special as father-daughter. Badrika too, has her role cut out at home where she has her father eating out of her hand, literally. On the flip side, Aamir telling off Zayyan brings home the father-son friction and the interesting bit is not that these roles exist, but that we didn’t notice them as fully blown out story tracks because you know what, they seemed to fit right in as part of a home we’ve lived in – 100% reality check without the in-your-face-lessons. We’ve all been a Sheba or Sallu or Zayyan at home, or know them. And Badrika? Maybe that too, but that’s a whole new level of intense.
11. There is No Black and White In This One
Everyone’s a shade of grey. From Zayyan being rude with Badrika to everyone taunting her insensitively on her sari mode, no character is wholly white or black – even Imtiaz, the two timing husband seems to be catching on to audiences – it’s an art to play and pen the characters that audiences manage to warm up to despite their dark deeds – well, because, they’re not so dark too. Like Aamir taking Uroosa for ice cream straight after telling her he’s more in his zone without her sister in the house – a bit too close to reality? Oh well, if it hits the same, then the writer probably got it right. It’s just a Tum Larkay Bhi Na world and we’re just living in it.
12. Shout Out to the Gen Z Vibe
When Sheba, Zayyan, Badrika, and Kumail planned their outfits and dressed up for the meet-up, the scenes shot in parallel delivered a sharp edit and deservedly need a shout out. Well done Yasir Nawaz, the vibe was real, the anticipation, palpable and even the conversation at the meet up – awkward, broken and Gen Z coded served all the right emotions.
13. The Sibling Rivalry That Sticks Out
Sheba and Sallu’s relationship – the brother-sister mode that’s never on pause, always hostile, never calm let alone bordering on the positive. This brother-sister duo have it for each other and even though we hope their shared DNA matches off at some point in their lives, the rage is real for now and revenge is sweet too – Sallu telling on Sheba, and Sheba keeping him out of the know on the meet-up, then Sallu getting her into trouble was just a mini-trailer of what these two embroil themselves in a daily basis.
And that’s all folks. Tum Larkay Bhi Na is giving out real life feels and it’s doing it with an intriguing take on relationships, the conversations that drive us and the emotions we strive hard to ignore – it’s a deep dive into the lives of characters we relate to in one way or another and yet, the drama tells a story that is not only layered, but also engaging. Drop us a comment if you have something to add on Tum Larkay Bhi Na.
Tum Larkay Bhi Na starring Aina Asif, Sami Khan, Ayesha Shah and Ali Dayyan is directed by Yasir Nawaz and written by Faseeh Bari Khan. It is a project of Momina Duraid Productions and airs on HUM TV.
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