Flying high this drama season is ARY Digital’s addictive soap serial, ‘Benaam’. The story has gotten so popular since its broadcast that it has become an ultimate rating magnet, garnering as high as 9.1 TRP in the time slot of 7:00 PM-8:00 PM.
Penned by Tahir Nazir and Seema Sheikh while directed by Ali Masood Syed of Hum TV’s Dil Tanha Tanha fame; the story starring Komal Meer, Anoushay Abbasi, Babar Ali, Nadia Hussain, Noor Hassan, Saad Qureshi, and Imran Aslam, is indeed an unusual one.
It has romance, some thought-provoking life lessons, and showcases unconditional bonds that give their all and ask for nothing in return.
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While many might think that Benaam drama of ARY is a typical tale, the soap opera is so much beyond that. Its plot depicts how one must remain hopeful in adverse times and fight through the darkness to eventually achieve all their dreams.
Orphans Twin Sisters Searching for Sunshine
Benaam is a moving story of young, twin sisters Aimal (Anoushey Abbasi) and Aiza (Komal Meer.) who soon become orphans after their father, Haroon’s (Waseem Abbasi’s) death. But they are high-spirited and are determined to not succumb to the obstacles life throws at them.
Little did they know that their father, who was a white-collar worker and was vying hard to make ends meet, was not their real dad after all. After his death, they move to the house belonging to their real father, Taimoor (Babar Ali) who is extremely kind-hearted and a humble human.
Dealing with an evil stepmother and sister
Contrary to him is his wife (Nadia Hussain) and his daughter Laiba (Shazeal Shoukat); both being self-absorbed, petty, and cold-hearted. Frustrated by the harmless presence of Aimal and Aiza in their home, they are hell-bent to make the lives of the twins miserable. The two girls are unaware that their Uncle Taimoor is their father. But since they have nowhere to go, they bear the atrocities of the selfish women in the house.
Treating them like servants, the two ladies take advantage of their poverty and helplessness, only to consider them as an unwanted existence that is a threat to their family.
Standing up to a bully and a harasser
However, there is yet another villain in the story who is the worse of them all, their ex-landlord and the brother of Rabia-, Babar (Imran Aslam) who is an unscrupulous goon, an aimless divorcee, and a tyrant. He has eyes on Aimal and consequently, leaves no stone unturned to harass her. He ambushes her outside her workplace, touches her without consent, and threatens to kill her if she refuses to marry him.
But our heroine is strong and stands up to him. So far, she has been successful in repelling him. But what will happen next? Will she be able to escape his web of intimidation? We are super curious to find out.
Selfless friends in dire times
Nevertheless, Aimal and Aiza’s life is also blessed with people who care for them and realize that they deserve all the love in the world. One of them is Umer (Saad Qureshi) who turned out to be a savior for their father when he needed help. Aimal has a fondness for him too and admires his kind nature. He adores her immensely and hunts her down when a glitch in their love story temporarily separates them.
Then there is Haider, Laiba’s cousin and fiancé, who has a tender spot for the two sisters and especially Aiza. He observes how his aunt and Laiba torture the two sisters and thus, stands up for them whenever needed. He detests his wife-to-be and is eager to escape this direful nuptial.
But the pressure of his mother and the burden of his uncle Taimoor, rescuing them in their tough times, stops him from breaking the engagement.
The present twists and the expecting turns
No one knows that Aimal and Aiza are Taimoor’s daughters. Thus, Laiba and Rabia are ignorant of the status of the young girls in the house. Constantly attempting to throw them out of the home; they intend to subdue them with their latest conspiracy that involves depicting them as thieves in the eyes of Taimoor.
The recent episodes reveal how Babar continues his oppression towards Aimal. His lewd behavior and stubbornness towards her are cringe-worthy and are being supported by his sister. But will he succeed in marrying Aimal?
From the early promos of the drama, we know that the blossoming romance between Haider and Aiza will irk Laiba, and ultimately, Rabia will plan a scheme to marry Aiza to her wretched brother.
An unconventional cast and powerful performances
Ary digital’s Benaam drama has a string of stars never-seen-before on screens and thus, providing us a diverse dose of content to enjoy.
Anoushey Abbasi’s acting chops are impeccable as Aimal and the budding star Komal Meer appears as a cute firecracker on-screen. Saad Qureshi as Umer is essaying a self-sacrificing lover to his best and Noor Hussain as Haider has swayed the audience off their feet.
Nadia Hussain often plays negative roles and her character as Rabia in Benaam is amongst her finest villainous avatars. We love Babar Ali the most in the story. He is now a regular actor on the small screen and the veteran star is playing the role with grace and sheer aplomb.
What will happen next in the lives of Aimal, Aiza, Umer, and Haider? Keep watching Benaam witness how the story next unfolds.
