ARY Digital’s Dunk is not an ordinary drama revolving around a certain incident, a certain movement, or has a certain agenda. It is a movement in itself, that defies all those movements out there that bank on lies, rumors, and incorrect information. The way producers Fahad Mustafa and Dr. Ali Kazmi have stood by the one-liner by writer Mohsin Ali, and the manner in which director Badar Mahmood has executed that script will be remembered for a long time.
Why will it be remembered, you ask? Because it took the menace of alleged harassment head-on and showed to the world that being a woman doesn’t mean being right. Kudos to Sana Javed for breaking her ‘bechari’ persona and giving a performance that will be hard to match, by her or by any other actress in coming years. She plays Amal as if she was born to play it, and that characters in Khaani, Ruswai, Darr Khuda Se, and other plays were just a way to confuse the viewers!
With just one episode left, Dunk is moving towards an explosive conclusion where the truth will defeat lie, where the victim will be exposed, where the alleged harasser will be vindicated, after death. Bilal Abbas has been near perfect in the drama where his character Haider goes full circle, from someone standing by his then-fiancée to someone who stands by the truth. He comes out as the son his parents would eventually be proud of, for he did what his mother asked him to, and didn’t side with those who declared him to be a villain without listening to him.
The supporting cast isn’t far behind as well, from Laila Wasti to Shahood Alvi, Azekah Daniel to Fahad Sheikh, Saife Hasan to Salma Hasan, each character has been there to compliment the other. When Fahad Sheikh’s Safeer hugs his younger brother in the penultimate episode, it felt as if everything that wasn’t going in the right direction, began moving in that direction. Also, the scene where he explains to his former father-in-law that he didn’t regret doing what he did, that is divorcing his daughter, the reactions were spot on, and one hopes that Amal parents explode before her true face is revealed in court.
Did the abduction in the second last episode make any sense? Was it really necessary since the court was hearing the case where Amal and Haider are on opposite sides? The moment where Haider kidnaps Amal isn’t something the audience was expecting, but trust me, it has more to do with the storyline than the audience can imagine. It will not only vindicate Haider but also implicate Amal, something no one has been able to do so, despite her calling ‘wolf’ all the time.
And then there were the courtroom scenes where Yasra Rizvi was on top of her game. Standing in front of Rashid Farooqi, and facing huge names like Shahood Alvi, Saife Hasan, Bilal Abbas, and Sana Javed, she upped the ante with her flawless performance as a widow of someone who claimed his own life to prove his innocence. Yes, a section of the audience doesn’t believe that an innocent person would take his own life than face the music, but that’s how innocent people are. Their belief in their innocence is so strong that when no one else believes them, they falter!
What will happen next in Dunk now that there is only one episode left, with the truth having more points in its kitty? Till the last week, everyone was rooting for Haider but with the abduction, the sympathies are back in Amal’s favor. Will she use that in her defense like she used her parents, her husband, her in-laws, and former fiancé or will it help Haider? Why does her mother slap her in court? How difficult will Haider prove to be on the opposite side and how will he use the kidnapping to his advantage? Just wait for one more week and you will have all the answers!
What do you think