As Pakistani producers continue to spin short form content with limited episode series coming by ever so often, one thing’s for sure, this genre is here to stay! Hashtag might just be another addition to the stories we binge-watch over the weekend with a 4-episodic series that pushes murder mystery wrapped in TikTok influencer mode – not too long, not too short, in fact, just right for the Pakistani drama viewer on the go!
However, limited episodes series have evolved as we speak, and they’re not just about packaging the story in a ‘Speedy Gonzales’, breezy kinda watch, but also, about the narrative itself. From mystery, suspense, to social messaging, the genre has expanded to give us sharp storytelling in cleverly bundled, and oh so digestible chapters.
So, when Hashtag dropped on our screens, one was already intrigued with a cast featuring Usama Khan, Maha Hassan, Ali Ansari, Sabeena Farooqi and Raeed Mohammad – a mix that ensured casting and storyline was for the young at heart, or… the oldies who need to know what the young at heart are up to in broad daylight, (and moonlit nights), yet a safe distance from prying ‘adult’ eyes.
That got your attention? It was meant to. Straight off the bat, the first thing that hits you about Hashtag is how the creators have taken pains to outfit the cast, ensuring that there is no resemblance to any character they have played in the recent or ‘ever’ past! That’s why, when Usama surfaces with a long hairdo, Maha Hassan and Sabina Farooq don outfits befitting many TikTokers we unsuspectingly collide into on our feeds, and Ali Ansari hides behind a bespectacled look, we’re already teleported into the world of Hashtag; ring lights, influencer events and all… there’s no mistaking the social media world has taken over, yet one not without a sinister past and present.
Without giving too many spoilers, the story managed to pull in viewers from the get-go with a murder mystery that grabbed audiences’ curiosity instantly. They say you either get the audience in episode one, or lose them forever. WIth Hashtag, the audience stayed on for the big reveal, coming later of course, the intriguing yet true-to-life characterizations and performances, as well as the engaging storytelling.
While the drama served multiple messages layered within the story line and characters, which we’ll come to in a bit, what unfortunately, (un)revealed itself too soon, was the guessing game, and this was the dash towards uncovering the face that committed the crime. Here, Hashtag was like an aborted game of Cluedo, where the crime and criminal were an easy guess for most viewers who are seasoned mystery thriller fans, and hence, the real flavour, the suspense and the whodunnit thrill seemed to have been snatched away too soon, almost as if we were treated to dessert before the final course was served.
You will guess the killer by episode 2, if only because the character seems too unassuming, innocent and pristine clean.
But, hold on there. The great thing about Hashtag and the saving grace of the drama, was that despite not being able to cloak the killer well enough, the story had so much more to offer that one kept watching, not just to finish all 4 episodes, but also because the motivations that guided the characters’ actions, the characters themselves, and the challenges they encounter are a lens into the reality we inhabit everyday!
Xara, Rasha, Imaad, Nick, DJ Rocky and Naveed (even Seth raees for that matter), are people we have seen or been, or know of. Where young social media influencers have been the subject of much criticism and scrutiny (often due to their own revealing lifestyle choices and drive to get ahead of the game), the narrative does not judge their actions; good or bad, through a moral stance. Rather, the story and the characters do the talking. Where their actions and decisions are questionable, the desperation for views and viral shares drives influencers to engage in both risky and perhaps shady ethical practices, one also gets to see them as people who take their careers seriously, often, professionaly (if not always) and many of these young people, though raw, rough at the edges and unmentored, are the sole breadwinners for their families (young girls included). Time and again, narratives have cemented the reality that these influencers are a powerhouse of financial stability in a society that must support and facilitate them, acknowledge their existence and create frameworks for sustainable and compliant industry practices in order to raise standards, rather than marginalizing them or wishing them away.
Hashtag also moved beyond the much touted narrative of parents who slaughter their children’s social media dreams. Where Rasha and Xara’s parents were comfortable with their daughters’ social media as a profession, in fact, proud of their online presence, they seemed to be oblivious of the dangers these young people often expose themselves to, while seeking original, unseen and out-of-the-box content. The desperation for viral views to gain overnight success was both relatable and real – something we have often witnessed in real life.
Often the threats and unseen dangers in this profession don’t just come from other influencers or ‘men’ but even from law enforcement agencies who do not recognize social media as a well established profession.
Well, because, maybe it isn’t? At least, not in our society.
What Hashtag seemed to suggest without suggesting anything outwardly, is how social media is a lucrative form of revenue for young people, but it needs to be regulated and structured by creating more awareness about this field, and hence, respect for those who take it on as a full time job – the effort is still a work in progress.
Young people engaged in this profession walk a very fine line, unoblivious, or perhaps uncaring of the dangers they expose themselves to, as well as the (sometimes) unethical manner in which they might trespass someone’s privacy for the sake of gaining viral views. The incidents in the drama aptly mimic not any one but general incidents we might have seen from real life TikTokers and influencers to drive views.
The script also messaged (without seeming too overt), which is a great way to message, that often, these influencers carry so much power that they can make or break careers, public personalities or even, undercover stories, merely through the power of one live feed. Revealing the truth by resorting to your social media handle, whistle blowing or even, calling out a criminal act by making it public and naming and shaming the culrpit online is often the preferred course of action rather than resorting to the police or law enforcement agencies.
Hashtag genuinely poses a question that is everpresent in our conversations surrounding social media: Is it because of the emotional high and surety of instant revenge, or mistrust of those who execute the law, that social media has taken over as the new court of law?
Mehreen Jabbar’s projects have always ensured minority representation and here too, the presence of Nick’s character essayed by Usama Khan was both impactful and refreshing to watch. Usama delivers all the nuances in Nick, nudging the audiences into feeling a range of emotions, from sympathy, suspense and a sense of relatability – Nick is a person that could easily step out of the screen and walk among us, he could, essentially be one of us, and that’s how alive he felt onscreen. This character will surely add to the bag of tricks Usama has up his sleeve – 2025 could be the year he hits it out of the park!
In summary, Hashtag is an objective look at the social media underworld; the good, the bad and the ugly, in 4 seemingly real life, raw-feel episodes. Mehreen Jabbar’s penchant for non-linear storytelling keeps us invested in the timeline of events in Hashtag and despite having guessed the killer early on in the story, the drama has enough in it to keep one going right till the end!
Some standout performances from the entire cast can by no means, be ignored. Hashtag tells us that short form content is here to stay and whether the mystery quotient matches up or not, the social messaging in the story will keep one invested throughout the watch!
We give this one 3 .5 stars out of 5 for an OG watch that you won’t regret over the weekend. Stream it? Certainly!
Hashtag is a 7th Sky Entertainment presentation, produced by Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi, directed by Mehreen Jabbar, and written by Shah Yasir. Aired on Geo Entertainment during Eid, the four-episode drama stars Sabeena Farooq, Maha Hasan, Usama Khan, Ali Ansari, Raza Zaidi, Raeed Muhammad Alam, Ali Rizvi, Akbar Islam, and Birjees Farooqui.
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