Dil Kya Kare takes a turn for tragedy

– THE NEWS INTERNATIONAL

The mega-episode aired this week took the story to the next level with absolutely brilliant performances by the entire cast, Shamim Hilaly especially.

In the mega episode aired on Monday, Mehreen Jabbar’s Dil Kya Kare took a turn for the tragic. One has to say that tragedy is part and parcel of most Pakistani TV dramas but it is almost always presented in a loud and mind numbing way; death in the average Pakistani TV play makes you cringe and want to change the channel because there is wailing, shrieking, shouting and misery in its most exaggerated form. It’s usually so overdone that it becomes a caricature of the situation. This episode was next level for its delicate storytelling and the absolutely brilliant performances of the entire cast, Shamim Hilaly especially. When she sobbed at the loss of her son, I’m sure that every single viewer must have cried with her. One saw this woman, usually so bright, optimistic and strong, bent over under the loss of her son and daughter in law; one saw Bibi aging in an instant. Her body language changed. It was an extremely powerful scene.