'Dhoop Ki Deewar' review: Sara, Vishal start developing romantic feelings
The eleventh and twelfth episodes of the Haseeb Hasan-directorial Dhoop Ki Deewar were released on ZEE5 Friday. Our protagonists Sara (Sajal Aly) and Vishal (Ahad Raza Mir) earlier found companionship in each other while dealing with the demise of their respective fathers. This week, the pair seems to be developing romantic feelings and this is going to surely complicate things further. Here's our review.
New character introduced to help lead characters realize their feelings
Vishal's aunt tries to set him up with her husband's niece Neha, who was introduced last week. She seems to be illogically keen on getting engaged with Vishal, and makers use this one-dimensional character to make Sara jealous. While rejecting Neha, Vishal says he loves Sara but later tells his mother it was just a ploy. We'll soon find out if it's the truth.
Sara is naive enough to think eve-teasers will excuse her
One good thing is the makers don't stretch that storyline and Neha leaves by the end. On the other hand, Sara gets harassed on the street and is naive enough to think eve-teasers would differentiate between her and other women because she's the daughter of a martyr. Again, the need for a "mard" to be at home to safeguard the women gets emphasized.
Implying women need men to protect them is disappointing
Sara's grief that she was harassed despite being a martyr's daughter is misplaced and the implied message that women need men in their lives just to protect them from other men is backward. Vishal's mother offers momentary hope when she says she has been protecting herself all these years when her husband was away serving the country. So, his death doesn't change anything there.
Amna's growth impresses the most, this week's episodes get 3/5
The best moment this week was a small scene featuring Sara's mother, Amna (Savera Nadeem). Portrayed as a meek, homely woman, she has been slowly standing her ground. This time, she takes the boost from Sunanda (Samiya Mumtaz) and refuses to give a loan to her kin outright. The friendship between the mothers is the best part of the show right now. Verdict: 3/5.
