Written by: Hurmat Majid
Posted on: March 14, 2023 | 
| 中文
Maya Ali and Bilal Ashraf in Yunhi
In a year that has begun quite well for television dramas, Yunhi has failed to make its mark, but is it because the drama is competing against some really good shows or because the drama itself has glaring and unforgivable flaws?
Yunhii has been produced by MD Productions and is shown on Sunday prime-time spot on Hum TV. It has been written by Sarwat Nazeer and directed by Ehtashammudin. Maya Ali plays Kim and Bilal Ashraf plays Dawood, the lead couple on the show, but there is no chemistry between them. Other than these two, the show has a large cast, including Deepak Parwani (who has returned to television dramas after many years), Behroz Sabzwari, Khaqan Shahnawaz, Maha Hasan, Tahira Imam, Tazeen Hussain and Uzma Beig.
Bilal Ashraf, Maha Hasan, Khaqan Shahnawaz and Behroz Sabzwari in Yunhi
The drama is a classic boy-meets-girl story where Kim comes with her father to meet her long-lost relatives, bringing back some complicated family history. It is a hackneyed plot with glaring flaws!
Deepak Perwani, Manzoor Qureshi and Tahira Imam
The first thing that does not work for the show is the portrayal of the period it has been set in. While the show is supposed to have been about 2023, but Kim is oblivious to Pakistani customs, for something as simple as how we address our elders, the play gets it wrong. Kim calls her aunt "Iqbal", even five episodes down the road, despite having been in Pakistan for quite a while and knowing that her behavior is being frowned upon. Secondly, although she has repeatedly said that she has "done her research" about Pakistan, but somehow thinks it's okay to take a lift from a total stranger and ride his bike or go out in the rather conservative neighborhood in jeans and a tee shirt.
Maha Hasan, Maya Ali and Khaqan Shahnawaz
The house is extremely old and the way the family dresses and speaks is extremely old-fashioned. Had they shown these to be the early 2000s or even the 90s, the setting, Kim's behavior and people's mindsets and reactions would have made sense. But then they're showing people looking for Type-C chargers, which clearly indicates that they intend to show the present time.
Secondly, Bilal Ashraf is not pulling off the role of a "young" doctor who has "just gotten a job". He looks like someone well in his 30s, who should be a specialist by now. And same is the case with Kim's portrayal, Maya does not have the "fresh out of college" young 21-year-old's persona. Making the whole thing look very awkward.
Bilal and Maya
It's high time that our writing and casting are better synchronized. And finally, the most glaring flaw of them all is Maya Ali's acting. While the actor recently took umbrage with critics for being "too harsh" on actors, especially when the actors are "putting a lot of hard work" into their characters. However, contrary to her claim, it looks like she did not put any effort into creating Kim's persona, but still expects appreciation for her performance. Drama makers wish to make us believe that Kim is an America-born young girl of Pakistani origin, and yet Maya does not even attempt an American accent. Moreover, she doesn't fit the role of a young girl, but that is the fault of casting and the Director’s flaw.
Uzma Beig, Khaqan Shahnawaz and Laiba Khurram in Yunhi
In scenes where she should look confused, she seems standoffish, in scenes where she should look smart, she acts rude and in scenes where she should look defensive, she looks confrontational instead. She has simply given a poor performance!
With that said, not everything can be blamed on the actors, here one has to remember that the director Ehteshamuddin, has years of directorial experience under his belt, and yet he seems to have decided that his actors did not need any direction.
Behroz Sabzwari, Tahira Imam and Maznoor Qureshi
In terms of production, it is okay, but the inability to be attune with the cultural norms, makes the whole experience difficult for a viewer. For me, Yunhi is one of the biggest failures of the year 2023, and the fact that it has come at a time where we have such strong dramas on television, has only amplified its flaws. Had it come amid shows that were poorly produced than Yunhi, it could have been a breath of fresh air. But then again, isn't it a good thing that channels are discovering that putting two popular actors on television together without strong storylines, scripts and performances to back them up will create a show that flops badly. We hope Hum TV and MD Productions learn something from this and spend some time on figuring out what actually resonates with audiences.
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