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    Drama Review: Agar (If!), an Interesting Watch

    Written by: Hurmat Majid
    Posted on: November 25, 2022 | | 中文

    Hina Altaf as Hooriya and Usama Khan as Farrukh in Agar

    Truth be told, 2022 has been quite a decent year for dramas that are not your run-of-the-mill saas bahu (mother-in-law and daughter-in-law soaps) sagas. We had Raqeeb Se (to the rival in love), Dobaara (again), Sang-e-Mah (moonstone), Sinf-e-Ahan (women of steel), Parizaad (fairy’s child), Bakhtawar (fortunate) , amongst others, and all of them revolved around themes that are relevant for our society. Agar may soon join the list of these dramas, if the topic is treated intelligently. That said, the fact that these dramas are the exception and not the norm, is not lost on us. We hope that the dramas next year will be more realistic and relevant for Pakistani society.

    (L to R) Maheen Siddiqui, Juggan Kazim, Hina Bayat, Hina Altaf and Ahmed Randhawa in Agar

    The first episodes show a matriarchal household, where the eldest sister Annie (Juggan Kazmi) is shown to be over 30 and still unmarried. She is the principal of a school and portrayed as a balanced and mature person. The second sister Hooriya (Hina Altaf) is shown to be a rebel of sorts, who has no interest in studying beyond Bachelors of Arts (BA), and wishes to marry and settle down with a rich man. The youngest sister, Chandni (Maheen Siddiqui), is shown to be the runt of the pack, with the mother continuously asking her to do housework.

    The teaser suggested that the drama would contain an unusual message for young women, that marriage is not the end and be all of their lives. An aspect of the serial that we appreciate is the fact that an older woman is shown to be romantically interested in a man younger than her, who reciprocates her feelings. However, Junaid Khan may not have been the right guy to play the character, simply because he doesn't look any younger than Juggan. It may have been a better idea to pair Usama’s character with Juggan, in order to show the obvious age difference between them.

    (L to R) Junaid Khan as Shawaiz and Juggan Kazim as Annie with their colleagues in school

    Other members of the cast include Junaid Khan, Hira Soomro, Ali Abbas, Hina Bayat, Behroz Sabzwari, Ahmed Randhawa, Ismat Zaidi and Sehrish. The serial has been written by Madiha Shahid, directed by Ilyas Kashmiri and produced By Momina Duraid Productions for Hum TV.

    (L to R) Behroz Sabzwari, Ismat Zaidi and Junaid Khan

    After a decade-long break from acting, Juggan has come back to impress her fans through her admirable performance. The woman can act, and ‘Agar’ is an ode to her talent. From the first scene to the last, Annie holds the storyline together. Annie’s inclusion in the story ensures that the drama does not turn into one of the usual hackneyed storylines. Hina Altaf in Hooriya’s role, has done justice to it, and might evolve into a more credible character.

    Hina Altaf and Maheen Siddiqui in Agar

    The production quality of the drama is good. Mariyum Siddiqui, who has a pronounced English accent in real life, has worked hard to portray the character of belonging to a middle-class family. Junaid Khan is exceptional, just as he is in every role he does. However, we do object to him being cast as a younger guy, someone in their early to mid-20s, when he clearly is in his early 30s. We haven’t seen much of Usama on screen yet, but he is one of those fine young actors who usually does a decent job in the roles he plays.

    Agar’s first few episodes introduced its characters quite well, and each got a significant amount of screen time to portray their pasts. Another thing that viewers highly appreciate is the pace at which the drama is going. The two main romances in the story have already bloomed, as both the sisters are headed towards marriage. The men’s characters have been established, and there are not too many characters in the show commenting on Annie's age or relatives that wonder when she would be married off.

    Hina Bayat and Jugan Kazim

    ‘Agar’ has taken its time with laying the foundation and revealing its plotlines. Here’s to hoping that it will continue at a decent pace and not make the viewers wonder why they decided to start watching it in the first place.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021