Replacing the most popular drama serial of the season, Mera Humsafar, Hadiqa Kiani’s latest drama serial, Pinjra, has made a solid entry this month with a plot that we have been waiting to see on our screens for a long time. Focusing on the lives of teenagers the drama shows the problems they face during their puberty days. It emphasizes that the style of parenting should be changed with time. Gone are the days when parents used to control the lives of their kids. Today, the time demands that parents should maintain a friendly relationship with their kids and shouldn’t impose their will on them. The decision should be taken with mutual consent.

Four episodes down, the drama has raised the bar with an engaging script and superb performances by the cast. Coming to the main plot, Pinjra is a story of two families, their way of parenting, and their impacts on the lives of children. On one side is Jawaid’s family – dominated by a controlling father, Jawaid (Umair Rana) who keeps a close tab on his children and doesn’t allow them to breathe in the open air. His wife, Khadija (Hadiqa Kiani), is an educated woman but she has agreed to live a life under the strict supervision of her husband. They have three kids – the older one is Azaan (Asher Wajahat) - a sensible dude who is the most disciplined child in the family. The daughter, Abeer (Aina Asif), is a rebellious wicked kid who often deceives her parents. The youngest one is Abaan (Ahmed Usman), the poor child who is a victim of controlled parenting. He is artistic by nature. He loves to indulge in art and music but his father discourages him a lot. On the other side, there is Wajiha’s family. She is a single mother of two kids – Dua and Fardan. She is an air hostess by profession and has recently come out of an abusive relationship. She understands her kids well and gives them the liberty to live life on their terms. She is the kind of mother every child deserves – her friendly too and understanding nature are notable characteristics of her personality.

So far a lot of developments has made in the drama. Jawaid thinks that Abaan is not taking his studies seriously and he makes arrangements to send him to the hostel. Khadija initially opposes the decision but Jawaid easily convinces her to let him go as it is good for his future. Abaan gets devastated after hearing the decision and he attempts suicide. Azaan feels helpless as he can’t convince his parents to not send his brother away from home. After Abaan’s suicide attempt Azaan comes out as his savior. He promises his father that he will take special care of his brother and gives him tuition. He guarantees Jawaid that Abaan’s grade will improve with time.

The recent episode belongs to Azaan as he not only helps his brother but deals with Abeer’s problem with sanity. In school, he finds out that a guy is interested in Abeer and she also reciprocates his feeling. The guy doesn’t lose his cool after finding out about it. He talks to his sister and gives her a piece of advice to stay away from all this nonsense as it will affect her life badly.

Acting-wise, all have put their best foot forward. In the recent episode, Asher Wajahat has done a decent job of essaying a role of a sensible boy. The young boy, Ahmed Usman, is a gem of an artist. His expressions are brilliant. He is the young fellow beaming with talent making a mark with each performance. We loved him in Pehchan and now in Pinjra, he is getting maximum applause for a brilliant performance.

Aina Asif is phenomenal too – her character demands a slight mischievousness and she brilliantly brings it on with eyes and killer expressions. Coming to veterans, Hadiqa Kiani never fails to impress us. She shines in the role of a dutiful and well-organized housewife. She tries to keep a check on her kids' activities – her controlling behavior has created a bar between her and her kids but still, she manages to be available for them emotionally and physically. Umair Rana has played his part well. Sunita Marshal’s part is something I am looking forward to the best. She is putting up a great example of a modern-day mother. It is good to see such empowering characters on screen. Sunita has done a fab job and I want to see the progression of that character as the story moves on. The drama has just started and there is a lot more to come in it. If you haven’t watched Pinjra yet, do watch it now. It is high on our watch list.