Gumn – First Episode, First Review. Hold on tight as this one’s a rocky ride! And one in which you need to hit pause if you need that glass of water, or chai break! You don’t want to miss anything, trust us!
Storytelling
Three different time frames, two stories in different time zones, running parallel to each other – yet Gumn successfully manages to tell the story, keep audiences engaged and build enough curiosity for us to anxiously anticipate episode next and want to get to know more about the story of Maya and Rayyan.
Well guess what, we wouldn’t expect anything less from a project directed by Sarmad Khoosat.
The Plot
Maya wins the harassment case for her client but gets involved in a road-hit accident herself the very same night. The guy Rayyan, whom she hits with her car is the person who stopped her from committing suicide in 2013. But someone is keeping an eye on Rayyan and might not want him alive. From just being a harmless medical student a few years ago, how did Rayyan end up developing deadly enemies? Is this mishap somehow connected to the murder of Maya’s father who was also a lawyer, known for his honesty and integrity? Gumn is handing us a mystery thriller, one that won’t let us skip a scene.
Timing Is Everything!
Despite the fact that the drama timelines events from three-time frames: 2013, 2015 and 2021… yet the execution, editing and story flow is seamless. Even if one encounters moments of confusion, things become clear the very next instance.
The cut from frame to frame, and from one time zone to another is screened with poetic storytelling, as the lives of two people in two times zones is mapped out, making us believe they are both in the same place, … Maya wins the case and is surrounded by the media. The next scene shows Rayyan and his sister in the car, stuck in traffic due to a crowd gathered for a cause. We naturally assume it is the same crowd, but is it really?
Building A Story, Piece By Piece
The story keeps building up in bite-size events till we reach the end of the 2nd episode. The final scene is one of Maya’s cars hitting Rayyan on the road. As one watches the events unfold, it is almost as if a dense fog has been lifted from our mind, and the reality that we were actually watching events that transpired in two different time zones hits us, making us admire the cleverness of the creator who kept the viewer engaged with great genius, and without making one feel lost in transition, steadily built up curiosity and then … boom, handed out a totally unexpected twist in the tale.
Performances
Tooba Siddiqui as Maya and Feroze Kadri as Rayyan have delivered impressive and mention-worthy performances.
Messages & More
The drama also shows how the police force and lawyers can be at odds with each other and when the opportunity presents itself, they won’t give up on a chance to exact revenge. Women harassment, being a female lawyer and getting snickered at by fellow colleagues are also themes portrayed in the narrative.
If you haven’t watched the drama yet, do give it a go, you might just find yourself anxiously awaiting the next episode, just like us!
