Once upon a time, a village belle loved a handsome man from the city. Later, though, they couldn’t get together because of some topsy-turvy happenings in their lives. Of course, people expect that in an unpredictable drama serial. So, Sang-e-Marmar did famously, and became one of the top serials last year.

The handsome Mikaal Zulfiqar and lovely Kubra Khan acted out those roles well. In fact, both young stars advanced in their estimations in the eye of the beholder. Now, they are facing a different angle in Alif Allah Aur Insaan. Married to the noble hero, she just can’t stand him. Her heart goes out to her only mehboob, who, not unlike ittefaqiya incidents in films, started working for her husband – happens all the time in the highly predictable TV fare. They call it a twist, but it’s more of a routine left turn. Mikaal and Kubra are doing it well, but the roles are reversed. As for Shahzad Sheikh, it’s perhaps, for the first time that he has some intensity in his role – maybe, that’s the real twist in his career.