''Surkh Chandni'' () is a 2019

Pakistani Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...

crime-drama television series produced by

Humayun Saeed Humayun Saeed (born 27 July 1971) is a Pakistani actor and producer. Describing himself as a method actor, Saeed is primarily known for his work on Pakistani television and cinema and is the recipient of several accolades, including Lux Styl ...

, Shahzad Nasib, Samina Humayun Saeed, and Sana Shahnawaz under the production banners

Six Sigma Plus Humayun Saeed (born 27 July 1971) is a Pakistani actor and producer. Describing himself as a method actor, Saeed is primarily known for his work on Pakistani television and cinema and is the recipient of several accolades, including Lux Style ...

and Next Level Entertainment. It is directed by Shahid Shafaat and written by

Asma Nabeel Asma Nabeel (,1970s – 1 July 2021) was a Pakistani screenwriter, poet, producer and creative consultant. She wrote scripts for Pakistani dramas such as ''Khuda Mera Bhi Hai'' and ''Khaani''. Education She had a Master's in Mass communication ...

. The series originally started airing on

ARY Digital ''ARY Digital HD'' () is a Pakistani television network available in Pakistan. ARY Digital was founded by a Dubai-based holding company Pakistani businessman, Abdul Razzak Yaqoob and Salman Iqbal (ARY). The network is focused towards on Pak ...

on 11 June 2019, and the last episode was shown on 24 September 2019. The story focuses on the subject of acid violence, with

Sohai Ali Abro Sohai Ali Abro ( ) is a Pakistani actress, dancer and model, who appears in Pakistani television serials and films. She is known for her roles in serials such as Geo TV's '' Saat Pardon Mein'' (2012), Hum TV's '' Tanhai'' (2013), ''Khoya Khoy ...

as Aida, an acid attack survivor, and

Asad Siddiqui Asad Siddiqui () is a Pakistani actor, who started his acting career while studying for his MBA. The nephew of actor Adnan Siddiqui, he appeared in notable television projects including '' Gumrah'', ''Khuda Dekh Raha Hai'', '' Shikwa'', '' Daree ...

as the perpetrator. It also has

Osman Khalid Butt Osman Khalid Butt () is a Pakistani film, television and theatre actor, writer and choreographer. He is best known for his role as Wali Sohaib Khan in '' Diyar-e-Dil'' (2015), Faaz Ibrahim in '' Chupke Chupke'' (2021) and Malik Shahzain in '' Eh ...

as Aida's love interest and

Mansha Pasha Mansha Pasha (; born 19 October 1987) is a Pakistani actress and television presenter. She is known for her supporting roles in several critically and commercially successful television series, including '' Shehr-e-Zaat'' (2012), ''Madiha Malih ...

as Aida's sister-in-law (antagonist).

Plot

The story starts with Aida, who loves her cousin Amaan, and he also loves her. They both want to marry each other. However, Jawad, a guy from Aida's neighbourhood, sends his proposal for marriage to Adia's home, which she rejects. Amaan comes with his mother, who decides to marry earlier due to this incident, to which the family agrees. On the other hand, Jawad, in a fit of fury, doesn't accept that Aida has rejected his proposal and decides to take revenge. He makes a plan and incorporates Aida's sister-in-law, Shumaila, into it. He asks Shumaila to bring her to the beauty parlour on her wedding day and throws acid on her. One side of her face burns completely and is admitted to the hospital. Amaan and his mother take full care of her and support her. Jawad worries his name will be revealed as a preparator but pulls Shumaila on his side as she is the only one who has seen the attacker. He fulfills her desires, which she couldn't due to poverty. After getting discharged from the hospital, Aida returns home. Everyone in her neighbourhood blames her, and her brother Mukhtar doesn't believe her when her people question her character. She tells her mother that Jawad has done this and forbids her to tell it to anyone. Her mother tells it to Amaan, who decides to bring his end but fails. They lose the case in court due to a lack of preparation and Shumaila's deception. Shumails goes against Aida, which undermines her honour further.

Cast

as Aida *

as Amaan * Hassan Ahmed as Mukhtar *

as Shumaila *

as Jawad *

Huma Nawab Huma Nawab is a Pakistani actress. She is one of the most popular actresses of her time and one of the most successful Pakistani TV actresses of the 1980s and 1990s. She played major roles in TV dramas '' Chand Grehan'', ''Aahat'', '' Nijaat'', ...

as Safina; Amaan's mother *

Rashid Farooqui Rashid Farooqui is a Pakistani actor who appears in Pakistani films and television series. He is known for his villainous roles, such as Inspector Ibrahim in Laal Kabootar. Career Rashid Farooqui started his career as a theatre actor and late ...

as Badar; Aida's father *

Lubna Aslam Lubna Aslam is a Pakistani actress. She has appeared in a number of television serials and advertisements. She has worked with directors such as Babar Javed, Mehreen Jabbar, and Haissam Hussain. She has mostly appeared as a liberal mother. Mo ...

as Rukhsana; Aida's mother * Gul-e-Rana as Humaira; Jawad's mother * Rashida Tabbasum as Rehana, a social worker * Hajra Khan as Aida's lawyer * Saleem Mairaj as Jawad's lawyer

Reception

In an article by ''Dawn Images'', the reviewer praised powerful moments, the chemistry of the lead couple and the finale for sensitively dealing with the issue of acid attacks but criticised the pace. ''

Express Tribune ''The Express Tribune'' is a daily English-language newspaper based in Pakistan. It is the flagship publication of the '' Lakson Group'' media group. It is Pakistan's only internationally affiliated newspaper in a partnership with the '' Intern ...

'' lauded the direction of Shafaat for portraying the realistic journey of the survivor, the performances of the cast members and Nabeel's script. Hareem Zafar of ''Youlin Magazine'' praised Abro and Butt's performances and raw and realistic depiction of the household.

Accolades

References

{{ARY Digital Programs 2019 Pakistani television series debuts Pakistani drama television series Urdu-language television shows ARY Digital original programming