Written by: Hurmat Majid
Posted on: April 07, 2022 | 
| 中文
The poster of Badshah Begum
There has been a lot of hype surrounding Badshah Begum, because it has been in production for a long time. We had high hopes from the drama serial when we saw the trailers, but it would not be wrong to say that we have been let down by weak storytelling, poor direction and lapses in production. The premise of the show alone is responsible for garnering the views that the drama is getting.
Zara Noor Abbas and Shahzad Nawaz in Badshah Begum
Set in the fictional town of Peeranpur, the story revolves around the ruling Peer family. Peer Shah Alam (Shahzad Nawaz), the current gaddi nasheen (the trustee or the administrator of any shrine), abandons his seat and moves to the city with his first wife and two daughters (Zara Noor as Jahan Ara and Komal Meer as Roshan Ara) and son (Hamza Sohail as Shahmeer). He leaves behind in the village his second wife and the two sons from her, Shahzaib (Farhan Saeed) and Murad (Abul Hassan). The second marriage had taken place due to family pressure, while the first was a marriage of choice.
Abul Hassan as Murad and Farhan Saeed as Shahzaib
Abandoning his gaddi meant that Peer Shah Alam left his son Shahzaib in charge of his seat, and his sister Hakim Bee (Saman Ansari) as the caretaker of the Badshah Begum’s throne. The Peer family has another claimant to the throne, an estranged cousin named Qaisar (Yasir Hussain), who claims to have a daughter who will one day take over the title of Badshah Begum.
Yasir Hussain and Farhan Saeed
With the threat posed by Qaiser to the Peer family’s claim to the throne, we see Shahzaib contacting his father in the city, hoping to install himself as the peer and his step-sister Jahan Ara as Badshah Begum.
Zara Noor Abbas as Badshah Begum
On paper, the story certainly has good bones and the premise of a town led by a matriarch with the peer as a sidekick, rather than an equal is interesting. One is hooked to the show for the story line alone, and even though the opening scene is a letdown, one continues to watch the show, hoping for it to pick up some pace. A scene here and there is well-executed enough to keep audiences interested, but mostly the show leaves one wanting for more. More action, more finesse, more drama, more oomph!
Ali Rehman and Farhan Saeed
With a star cast that can hold its own in any drama, one can only blame the direction and weak writing for the lack of punch that the story has. Another big concern is about how violence is shown in a very off-hand manner in the show, with Badshah Begum ordering for a woman’s legs to be broken in the first episode, and Qaisar callously running a child over with his car in the latest episode. Even these scenes, which could have had a great impact if executed properly, leave the audiences feeling confused and disgusted.
Komal Meer and Zara Noor
Another great lapse in the show came when Badshah Begum was stabbed in an attempted murder, and she loses no blood, there is no wound, and there is no care given to her in any of the following scenes. In fact, it is Badshah Begum who manages to kill her own assailant. Lapses in production aside, one also fails to see the relevance of the attack in general in the drama plot.
Ali Rehman and Komal Meer.
In the latest episode, we see Bakhtiyar (Ali Rehman Khan) roaming around the haveli like he owns the place, even though he is an unwelcome friend of the two sisters. One wonders how an unknown man can roam the haveli unattended, even though there are supposed to be strict rules about women’s purdah. Furthermore, we see him meeting Jahan Ara and having a good 2-minute conversation with her, even though she is now destined to be Badshah Begum and men are strictly prohibited from seeing her.
Shahzad Nawaz as Peer Shah Alam
As far as acting is concerned, Farhan Saeed, Zara Noor Abbas, Ali Rehman Khan, Hamza Sohail. Shehzad Nawaz, Saman Ansari and Yasir Hussain have done justice to their roles. It is refreshing to see Saeed in an avatar different from his usual boy-next-door good guy roles. Ali Rehman Khan has also done well in the goofy aloof city boy, and Hamza Sohail is a good addition to the Pakistan drama industry’s lineup. His role here contrasts with the one he had in Raqeeb Se, and he has managed the transition well. We also wish to see more of Saman Ansari on screen as she nails her role in Badshah Begum. If there’s one actor who we have mixed feelings about, it is Komal Meer. She’s really good in some scenes and wanting in others, and we aren’t sure if she is to blame or if it's a lapse of direction.
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