Right from the beginning, Qayamat appeared to one of those dramas which follow a riwayati or typical storyline with domestic abuse, spoiled men and saas-bahu tensions sprinkled with lots of masala and sensationalism to shock audiences and keep them hooked. Fifteen episodes later, my initial assumptions were proven right because that is exactly what Qayamat is about.
Qayamat revolves around Rashid (Ahsan Khan), a spoiled overgrown man child who does not know how to walk or talk and is often spotted hanging out with an escort Pari (Sana Fakhar). Kudos to Ahsan for portraying him in the slimiest possible manner. Even Bollywood actor Zarina Wahab praised Ahsan for his performance in the drama.
When his parents Nargis (Saba Faisal) and Mukhtar (Shabbir Jan) are unable to find a match for him because of his attitude, they forcefully marry his cousin Samra (Amar Khan) to him. Nargis is not happy with the marriage because she wanted a ‘baray ghar ki larki‘ for Rashid and Samra is from a “low background” even though she is Mukhtar’s brother Fayyaz’s daughter. Basically, just the usual stuff.
Fifteen episodes of the drama have aired so far and in the latest episode, Samra passes away after Rashid pushes her, causing her to fall and go into early labour. Her death was a little rushed and unbelievable considering the drama’s timeline was messed up and we had no idea how many months had passed since she conceived. All we know is that the stage is now set for Rashid and Samra’s sister Ifrah (Neelam Muneer) to get married and look after the newborn, who they have named Sana. It seems that Neelam has decided to play similar characters considering her character in Bikhray Moti, her last release. In that, she also married her sister’s abusive husband to protect her nieces and nephews and give them motherly love.
Samra’s death has left Rashid stunned, though we don’t get to see much of his shock and emotions over his wife’s death. Like Samra’s demise, his reaction to his wife’s death is rushed, flawed and underdeveloped. It would have given audiences some relief to see him at least regret his actions and attitude towards Samra. But we get nothing.
In the meantime, Ifrah and Rashid’s brother Jawad (Haroon Shahid) have put their marriage on hold till things settle down. However, Rashid’s mother and khala hatch a plan to get Ifrah married to Rashid because one they don’t really like her and two so they can get a ‘heeray jaisi larki‘ for Jawad. As expected, Ifrah is going to end up getting married to Rashid and will spend her life caring for her niece and feeling miserable about her life. Moreso, her actions will also help redeem Rashid and make him a better human being.
If I am truly honest, Qayamat doesn’t have anything new to offer. It is a typical Pakistani drama repackaged differently. I’d be surprised if Rashid also doesn’t die at the end considering how much our dramas like to kill off the evil characters.
What makes the watch worthwhile is the performances. From Shabbir Jan to Neelam Muneer to Ahsan Khan, each actor has given a brilliant performance, adding life and layers to the characters. Saba Faisal, in particular, is phenomenal as Nargis, the family matriarch. Her expressions and body language are absolutely flawless and will have you glued to the screen.
Despite is predictability and run-of-the-mill storyline, Qayamat is gripping and makes for an entertaining watch. But what irks me is that the first ten minutes of every new episode is the last ten minutes of the previous episode. Geo does this with all its dramas, and frankly speaking, it’s pretty annoying.
Written by Sarwat Nazir and directed by Ali Faizan, Qayamat airs every Tuesday and Wednesday on Geo Entertainment.
