While films have often faltered at the box office, riding precariously on weak plots and baseless characters that have been void of anything remotely of ‘depth,’ television, on the other hand, has been utterly sublime. ‘O Rungreza’ is the latest bud to sprout in our field, and with the first two episodes out, the drama has swiftly set itself in stone as really quite marvelous. With a smashing cast of Nouman Ejaz, Sana Fakhar, Sajal Ali, Bilal Abbas Khan and Irsa Ghazal, ‘O Rungreza’ has unraveled its first layer with an intertwined story plaited around a family who breathe shairi.

The family is built on an interesting hierarchy of chauvinism, with Nouman Ejaz as the house-head

He spends his time penning poetry and nostalgically gathering forth in groups of men around the mohalla, who take joy in inhaling his words – an essence of ‘rang,’ prefixing the drama’s title ‘O Rungreza.’

Sajal Ali as Sassi is brilliant -she’s feisty, fearless, (albeit rather rude), arrogant but is still lovable

Her relationship with her mother is turbulent, and she is her father’s daughter. She pines to be everything her father is and projects a misogynistic trait channeled from him.

Irsa Ghazal is her mother – She’s kind, calm and quiet and is a stark opposite of Sassi

She’s neglected by Nouman Ejaz, who relishes in writing all day and dreaming of an actress played by Sana Fakhar

Her khala’s son is Qasim, played by Bilal Abbas Khan, the dashing boy in love with Sassi, whose sensitivity and empathic nature is heartwarming

He has a rather ‘pushover’ demeanor that allows him to be easily dictated by an authoritative Sassi, who on numerous occasions clouds his judgment to get her way. Qasim works as a dyer at the nearby darsi.

Sassi is aware of his affections for her, and she uses it to the utmost advantage; his feelings for her are all too palpable

An arc that unfolds is a two-fold parallel in O Rungreza

We have the father and daughter who are both chauvinst in personality and incredibly dominating. Then we have Qasim and his khaala, who are both soft and easily wounded.

They’re simple, sweet and think from the heart

The song that mounts the entire drama is also really lovely! Have a listen below

Dramas have delved into a plethora of complexities that thrive within families, transcending class, gender and breaking all hindrance. They have continually evolved, submerging into water and resurfacing cyclically with stories that have hit home. While dramas like ‘Humsafar,’ ‘Dil Lagi’ and ‘Diyar E Dil’ told the tales of inner-city families, other stellar dramas like ‘Sammi’ and ‘Udaari’ told crisper stories that lingered hushed in lower society pockets. Here’s hoping ‘O Rungreza’ doesn’t disappoint.

So sweep up some time on Friday evening for this lovely show! And while there have only been two episodes, the drama is swiftly becoming a MangoBaaz favorite.