Two thoughts that you cannot escape from while watching the drama. One is that it is a Cinderella story, but with a guy being the one treated badly. The second thought that you encounter often during the two episodes is the feeling of watching a male version of Hala or Mere Humsafar — Anas edition.
But that does not compromise the story.
The execution, the performances, a strong female lead, and the cinematography save the drama.
Anas, played by Farhan Saeed, lives with his grandfather and uncle. He is constantly mistreated by his chacha’s family and also suffers abuse from time to time. Anas is also made to do all the housework and not given enough money or share of the family resources. He takes care of his dada, who loves him deeply but cannot do anything for him because he is also dependent on his son.
Ansa, played by Sana Javed, lives with her bhai and sister-in-law. She is also denied her rightful share in both the property and rental income. Unlike Anas, she is vocal, does not give in, and fights back. She is trying to figure out a way to pay her college fees, which her brother has refused to pay.
Anas and Ansa are classmates. Thanks to being the top two students academically in class, they start interacting with each other.
The story, though a bit typical and predictable at the moment, still holds your interest thanks to constant twists and turns, characters doing what you did not expect, and strong performances. Like Shehreen, played by Zoya Nasir — at the onset, you think she is being nice to Anas, but she turns out to be as toxic as the rest of her family.
You keep waiting for Anas to take a stand for himself, but that does not happen. So, the drama is playing with the audience’s emotions, bringing them to the point where they are dying to see if Anas stands up for himself eventually or if Ansa steps in to save him.
It will be a refreshing twist if Ansa is the one who guides Anas and gives him the courage to break out of this cycle of misery.
The cast, while delivering great performances, do not match college student roles. Portraying them as university students or even as adults enrolled in evening classes might have helped enhance the credibility of the narrative.
Our dramas need to put in more effort towards scripting according to the actors cast rather than expecting viewers to accept them as college students – a role which they simply do not fit.
We also wish the team had been more creative with Haris Waheed’s role. We have seen him in similar roles earlier and with his immense talent, we were hoping to see more variation in scripting.
The drama stands out for its cinematography and camera angles. The visuals are refreshing and one cannot miss the cinematography. It also supports the emotions onscreen, so the screenplay does not rely solely on dialogues and performances. The lighting and camera work are playing a significant role towards making this possible.
The drama addresses men’s mental health, how a man might also need help, the issue of inheritance, and the treatment of older parents in the household.
With such great themes, Bas Tum Saath Ho holds potential to win audiences and critics both, in the coming episodes.
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Bas Tera Saath Ho airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8p.m. on ARY DIgital. The cast ensemble includes Farhan Saeed, Sana Javed, Zoya Nasir, Saba Hamid, Salman Shahid, Haris Waheed, Rizwan Ali Jaffri, Faran Tahir, Shagufta Ejaz, Tipu Sharif, Aliya Ali, Syed Mohammed Ahmed, Sabrina Naqvi, Hammad Sheikh Kashmiri & others. The drama is written by Saira Raza and directed by Qasim Ali Mureed.
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