Saath - a Serial by Mashal Peerzada

Saath - a Serial by Mashal Peerzada

Review by Imtiaz Ali Khan

EDITOR'S NOTE: Saath airs on HUM TV which is available for free viewing via JUMP TV in the US and the world over

SAATH a new sit-com directed by Mashal Peerzada and produced by Talking Filmain, is an entirely new vision for light comedic TV in Pakistan.

Starring newcomers Sanam Saeed, Sheherzade Sheikh, Seerat Jaafri, Saad Azhar, Ali Jan, Haider Murtaza and singer Ali Sher, the show is based on a young married couple and their friends and family. A simple concept and no doubt inspired by western sit-coms such as Friends and Seinfeld, what marks SAATH as so different from other comedies on Pakistani TV is the tone and treatment.

A pacey, story-driven comedy about real life, the show effortlessly blends charming humor with touching moments of poignancy, a quality that makes it both relatable and endearing.

Peerzada, as both Director and Writer of the show, has developed characters who are real individuals and who retain their personalities, traits and characteristics in each episode, never stepping out of character.

A far cry from the senseless innuendo and pun ridden humor of most comedy shows, SAATH has a wholesome, youthful feel, that leaves the viewer with the pleasant sensation of having spent a nice evening with a group of friends. The story is engaging and each episode leaves you dying to know 'what happens next'.

Performances are generally strong especially those of Azhar (J.J): the somewhat sarcastic, reformed ladies man whose believable characterization seems effortless; Saeed (Alia): the entirely over the top, marriage-obsessed diva who has an incredible comic flair and creates this over the top character in a wonderfully underplayed and effective manner; and Ali Jan (Umer): the lay about with hidden depths, whose comedic timing is pure genius. As I'm sure is the case with any new series, the actors, I feel, have yet to hit their stride and truly become their characters.

To be sure the show has its flaws; one wonders if the treatment and concept might be just a little too westernized for the current Pakistani audiences. However, if that is so, it will prove to be a big step towards opening them up to a wider variety of entertainment.

Production house Talking Filmain, (known for such shows as 'BUS YUNHI') run by Adil Sher, Nasir Khan and Rizwan Saeed has set a bar for itself to provide quality, different and indeed ground-breaking entertainment such as their reality show 'POUNDS' - a first of its kind. With this high aim in mind, Peerzada and this young production house have developed a show that truly shows us the impact of story driven comedy and is hopefully the start of a new trend. SAATH airs on Hum TV every Wednesday night at 7:30 Pakistan standard time.