A new drama is quietly making its way to television, and Rutba has already given viewers a very brief but rather intriguing first look.
Written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Haseeb Hassan, the upcoming ARY Digital drama brings together Hiba Bukhari and Talha Chahour for the first time, with Ali Tahir also appearing in the teaser. The drama is produced under Six Sigma Plus and Next Level Entertainment.
The teaser is quite concise and this perhaps, is the purpose. Instead of giving away the story, the teaser delivers fleeting glimpses of characters, their expressions and emotions and leaves us with the feeling that there is a lot more going on behind the scenes. The teaser shows Hiba Bukhari and Talha Chahour in what can be assumed to be a very emotionally charged setting and then, right from the start, Ali Tahir adds another dimension in just a matter of seconds.
Interestingly, the only substantial dialogue we hear comes from Ali Tahir, and it revolves around marriage, responsibility and the respect a man owes to the woman he brings into his nikah. The dialogue gives the teaser its emotional direction without revealing exactly where the story is headed. It also feels very much in line with the kind of moral and relationship driven themes audiences often associate with Umera Ahmed’s writing.
The drama looks promising visually as well. The shots are clean and carefully shot in an almost cinematic manner under Haseeb Hassan’s direction. There is some softness in the way things have been visualized here, but the expressions of the actors in addition to their silences give a hint that the actual story would be carrying some weight beyond what we have seen in this teaser.
And then there is the pairing
Everyone will be watching Hiba Bukhari and Talha Chahour sharing the screen for the first time – easily one of the biggest talking points of this first look. Talha appears noticeably different from some of his previous roles, while Hiba’s brief appearance leaves enough room for curiosity without telling us too much about her character.
Rutba currently presents us with more questions than answers, and maybe this is precisely the effect that a good teaser ought to have. We won’t know the full picture until the drama airs, but the teaser has made an emotional impact on its part.
Keep an eye out for more details, as more teasers and the official airing date are expected to be revealed soon. Until then, if you haven’t watched it already, catch up on the first teaser of Rutba below.
