Written by: Hurmat Majid
Posted on: July 28, 2021 | 
The poster for Dour
Viewers have a lot to look forward to, with all three major entertainment channels currently releasing new productions. Among these new productions is Dour. Written by Saji Gull, directed by Mazhar Moin and produced by 7th Sky, the drama airs on GEO Entertainment every Monday. The show boasts an illustrious cast including Sania Saeed, Azfar Rehman, Hina Altaf, Ali Abbas, Saleem Mairaj, Nayyar Ejaz and Iffat Omar.
Adla Khan, Nayyer Ejaz and Hina Altaf in 'Dour'
The story of Dour revolves around two families; Asma (Altaf), her father Sabir (Aijaz), her sister Yasmeen, and Yasmeen’s husband Shokat (Mairaj), all belonging to the working class. Asma is in her final year at college, studying on a scholarship. Sabir is a tailor who previously made puppets for a living. Yasmeen and her two daughters are experiencing turmoil brought about by Shokat’s constant greed. He often sends Yasmeen back to her father, demanding money or other expensive gifts, in exchange for taking her back. Asma, on the other hand, is depicted as independent and feisty but still very caring towards her father. On the other hand, Mrs. Ehtasham (Saeed) and her two sons; Abaan (Rehman) and Romaan (Abbas) belong to an affluent family. Abaan is wheelchair-bound in the wake of an accident he had several years ago. The accident not only left him crippled, but also bitter and frustrated. Romaan handles a large chunk of the family’s business, while Mrs. Ehtasham takes care of the rest. The lives of the two families intersect when Abaan visits Asma’s college during an event, and is mesmerized by her beauty. However, there is a hint that Mrs. Ehtasham and Sabir knew each other in the past.
Azfar Rehman as Abaan
Although the plot seems like a typical girl-meets-boy story, the twist in the storyline makes things interesting. Both Mrs. Ehtesham and Abaan are portrayed in a negative light, which borders on sinister. A brief look into their troubled pasts suggests that the story has more to offer than a typical romance, with the expected hint of family drama.
Six episodes into the drama, it is clear that Sania Saeed’s performance has kept viewers eagerly anticipating what comes next in Dour. The actress has transformed herself completely. Wearing a grey wig and colored contact lenses, Sania Saeed portrays a character and a role that she has not done in the past. The actress has completely shifted her demeanor, from her gait to her appearance, and there seems to be something dubious and insidious about her character. Saeed was last seen as Hajra, the steadfast and faithful wife in Raqeeb Se, and in comparison, the character of Mrs. Ehtesham bears no resemblance to her earlier role. Not many actors in the industry have the ability to transform into different roles this way.
Sania Saeed as Mrs Ehtasham
Shokat’s is a cookie-cutter role for Mairaj. He is one of those actors that are continuously type-cast by the industry, despite having great acting potential. Altaf, on the other hand, has a long way to go in terms of developing her acting skills. She has repeatedly taken on the role of a woman rescued from destitution by a rich man, only to find herself in an even stickier situation. Even in these roles, the actress lacks depth and finesse.
Hina Altaf as Asma
Iffat Omar’s character, as Sabir’s sister and Asma’s aunt, is quite unpalatable. While the role certainly demands a dramatic performance, the character is at times overbearing, and this needs to be modified. Rehman is doing justice to his role, as his performance depicting a bitter young man is quite impressive. Ali Abbas has also carved himself a niche as the ‘nice guy’. Apart from his performance in Ghisi Piti Mohabbat, the actor has done a series of roles where he is the man who could do no harm.
In terms of production quality, the show fares reasonably well, even though some areas show room for improvement. It needs to be pointed out that 7th Sky Entertainment dramas in general, need to work on their wardrobe department. Good characters often go to waste because of glaring flaws in their wardrobe, and the same may end up happening to Romaan. The audience cannot take him seriously due to his questionable appearance, which becomes quite distracting. A similar pattern has been seen with Dilnasheen's wardrobe in Fitoor.
Hina Altaf and Sania Saeed in 'Dour'
Overall, Dour has the potential to leave a lasting impression, especially since the story has been written from a slightly different angle, but only if GEO chooses to treat it well. 10-minute recaps and excessive flashbacks — which have become the channel’s modus operandi — will definitely make audiences lose attention, especially with alternative offerings on other channels. However, if the drama is edited and presented well, it will be a good litmus test to see how open audiences are towards approaching a familiar story from an unfamiliar angle.
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