Zee5’s Dhoop Ki Deewar Recap: Not Bad

Dhoop Ki Deewar is a Zee5 Original Pakistani drama. Dhoop Ki Deewar are directed by Haseeb Hasan. Now, if you’re thinking Pakistani dramas are anything like Indian soaps, you are highly mistaken. They spare the dramatic twists and flashy music with less-than-believable storylines and trashy CGI. Pakistani dramas root themselves in the reality of their lives, choosing humble backgrounds as their settings and actors who know what they are doing.

I was first introduced to Pakistani dramas by my mother, and it quickly became our way of spending time with each other. The first one I watched was Zindagi Gulzar Hai starring Sanam Saeed and Fawad Khan, and to say that it was a masterpiece is an understatement.

Dhoop Ki Deewar follow two characters, Vishal from Amritsar, India, and Sarah from Lahore, Pakistan. The creators of the show have done a beautiful job with drawing a parallel between India and Pakistan.

Sarah’s family is shown enjoying the flashy, over-the-top Indian soap operas, while Vishal’s mother discusses the beauty of Pakistani plays. Sarah tries and learns Bollywood songs, while Vishal tries imitating Atif Aslam. Each of them is more than willing to accept all things Indian, except when it comes to the cricket match. For them, when it’s an India vs. Pakistan cricket match, it’s time to get down to business.

Both families are busy preparing for their own country’s inevitable win in Dhoop Ki Deewar. Things around both households are tense as the match progresses and it’s all down to one ball. We see India win that night, and as Vishal’s family celebrates the win, Sarah’s family is more than just dejected.

However, worse news awaits them both. A cross-border firing has resulted in the death of both their fathers, who were colonels in the Indian and the Pakistani Army respectively in Dhoop Ki Deewar. The episode goes on to show how not only the media and friends but also their own family can turn into opportunists when given the chance. Vishal and Sarah struggle with the same emotions. The mothers maintain a calm facade for the sake of their family, even as they are unable to sleep.

Late into the night, Sarah comes across a video where Vishal talks about how brave his father was and that it was a message to the enemies to stay within their limits. Sarah is offended by his statements and the abuse that the Pakistani army is made subject to in the comments in Dhoop Ki Deewar. She uploads a public comment saying that Vishal’s father was not the only brave one. This escalates into a long argument, which is trending by morning. The media is hungry for more content, and both Sarah and Vishal go on to give a public statement. While this immature feud goes on, the mothers try to placate the clashing egos.

On the other hand, distant family members approach the family with their own ulterior motives. Dhoop Ki Deewar comments on a lot of things simultaneously: death and loss, family dynamics, and the ultimate futility of enmity between countries. Towards the end of episode two, we see Vishal and Sarah come to an unspoken truce as they delete their public comments. Vishal’s aunt asks his family to sell off the family home and give her her share while Sarah’s uncle asks them to move to Karachi with them, while slyly referring to the remuneration they will receive from the government.

Final Verdict: Dhoop Ki Deewar

All in all, the concept is impressive and the way the parallels between the two families have been drawn is great too. Most of the actors are great on-screen, although the male lead is disappointing in Dhoop Ki Deewar. This show, on the whole, is definitely quite a bit more dramatic than the other Pakistani dramas I have enjoyed. Dhoop Ki Deewar promises great things, but I already know it won’t be a favourite.

Stream it here on Zee5.

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