Dil Dhoondta Hai Phir Wohi- A drama that quietly breaks you
Read time: approx 5-10mins
If there’s one phrase that truly sums up Dil Dhoondta Hai Phir Wohi, it’s this: a breath of fresh air. At a time when so many Pakistani dramas feel repetitive or overly safe, this one dares to be different - not just in storyline, but in intent. It tells a deeply emotional story while quietly educating its audience about early-onset dementia, without ever feeling preachy or sensational. This isn’t a drama that relies on shock value or exaggerated twists. Instead, it trusts its viewers to sit with discomfort, confusion, and emotional heaviness - and that trust pays off. Let's explore the best bits of the drama...
Pacing That Feels Real - Not Rushed or Dragged
The pacing of Dil Dhoondta Hai Phir Wohi deserves special mention. The first two episodes alone create a strong emotional impact - something many dramas struggle to achieve even halfway through their run.
The escalation of Ali's (Zahid Ahmed) symptoms feels frighteningly realistic. When he experiences tremors and collapses at the end of the second episode, it marks a turning point. This is no longer something that can be dismissed as simple forgetfulness. The shift is handled with sensitivity, making the reality impossible to ignore.
Zahid Ahmed and the Courage to Choose Difficult Stories
It comes as no surprise that a project like this is led by Zahid Ahmed. He’s one of the few actors who consistently chooses scripts that challenge him rather than protect him. Dil Dhoondta Hai Phir Wohi is another example of his willingness to step into uncomfortable territory and explore characters that demand emotional restraint, vulnerability, and depth. He is one actor who is always ready to push himself into 'deep waters' with character choices, which consistently prove his versatility in an industry that thrives on glamour and familiarity.
What makes his portrayal especially effective is how quietly it unfolds. The early signs of dementia are there - forgetfulness, confusion, subtle lapses - but because his character is young, everyone around him (and even he himself) dismisses it as stress. That denial feels painfully realistic. There were multiple scenes that were emotionally moving and felt so realistic coming from him. Early-onset dementia is rare, and this drama captures how easily it can be overlooked, mislabelled, or ignored.
In doing so, the story doesn’t just entertain; it educates.
Scenes That Are Hard to Watch - and That’s the Point
As the drama progresses, it becomes emotionally heavier, not because it’s trying to shock the viewer, but because it refuses to look away. There’s a scene where Ali (Zahid Ahmed) can’t even lift a spoon to eat his rice because his hand is shaking - a quiet, heartbreaking moment of realisation.
Even more devastating is the scene where he doesn’t make it to the toilet in time. Watching a grown man tremble like a child, terrified he’ll be shouted at or punished, is gut-wrenching. It’s the kind of scene that makes you stop what you’re doing and just sit there. These moments are deeply uncomfortable - and exactly why they matter.
Zahid x Zara
Okay, but I actually love the pairing of Zahid Ahmed and Zara Noor Abbas. I feel that, acting-wise, they are on a similar level and complement each other well in terms of giving an impactful performance. Their romance feels refreshingly authentic - not overly dramatic, not performative, but grounded and believable.
One of the most powerful scenes is Ali's (Zahid Ahmed) emotional breakdown over his daughter’s death. The raw outpouring of grief reveals just how much unresolved trauma he’s been carrying. It adds a crucial layer to his character and makes everything that follows even more devastating. This isn’t just a story about illness; it’s a story about grief compounding grief.
I think the bond between Ramsha (Zara Noor Abbas) and Ali (Zahid Ahmed) by the end of the drama just goes to show how unbreakable they are - even though it gets to a point where Ali is unable to recognise his wife, which clearly causes Ramsha (Zara Noor Abbas) pain. I think the biggest turning point was proven here when Ramsha (Zara Noor Abbas) said no to marrying her boss at work because her heart still beats for Ali (Zahid Ahmed) only.
An emotionally intelligent child?
Ahmed, the son of Ali (Zahid Ahmed) and Ramsha (Zara Noor Abbas), really isn't just one annoying whining child in every other drama. This child is here to match his parents completely!! From the start, I could sense this child probably has some trauma himself, but is a very well-behaved and sensible child. The child is so emotionally intelligent that he understood why his father lashed out when he came home and saw his mum's friend's daughter playing with him, and why this triggered pain and trauma in his dad, thinking about the loss of his own daughter. The next day, when Ali (Zahid Ahmed) apologises to Ahmed, the child is so sweet and calmly listens and simply smiles at his dad and says, it's okay- because he understood why his dad got upset. Since when is a child so sensible and understanding of his parents' traumas?
The child definitely treads carefully, making sure he doesn't hurt his dad in any way, which we saw when he was making an anniversary card for his parents, but was scared to share this with his dad, worried he wouldn't like it. I wish we saw the anniversary card and understood perhaps why he wouldn't like it, but I'm going to take a guess and assume Ahmed drew a family with the daughter whose passed away.
I was very happy to see that the child's arc included bullying at school and handled this sensibly at the start of the drama. However, I think as the drama went on, the child got less and less dialogue and screen time. I liked it when he opened up to his phupo Muqaddas (Noreen Gulwani) about what was happening at school with him...part of me wishes that she stayed there longer for him because it felt like they both needed each other.
I think the child actor carries his character with such sensitivity that it really highlights his brilliance as a child star and ultimately shows he's their son through and through. I really hope to see him again in dramas in the future, more mainstream.
Strong supporting cast
I really liked the character that Noreen Gulwani stood for in this drama as Muqaddus. She never really did anything wrong, no matter how many times her brother tried to accuse her of inappropriate things. I think her character always stood up for herself right until the end. She wasn't completely a bechari. She and her mum stood by each other as one team in the house, mostly before she got married. She was finally able to escape the marriage and refused to go back, no matter what "daagh" she gets on her name; she stood by herself. Even right at the end, when her brother comes to apologise and repent for his wrongdoings, she holds back her mum here to not "give in" so easily because she is aware of his two-faced nature.
I think Neha was a good choice for the character. She was reactive in the right way to Ali's (Zahid Ahmed) behaviour, his escalating conditions, where he was physically trying to get close to her, thinking she was his wife. A character like Neha, typically, would've gone down the route of breaking Ramsha-Ali's (Zara Noor Abbas - Zahid Ahmed) marriage for selfish needs. However, this didn't happen. Neha tried her best to maintain professional boundaries in light of Ali's (Zahid Ahmed) sensitive nature that was progressively getting worse, leaving her sometimes helpless and cornered. At the right moment, Neha stepped away from the job, knowing how emotionally attached Ali (Zahid Ahmed) had become to his daughter Mirha. Neha was always one call away to help with Ali (Zahid Ahmed) in his last days.
It was a pleasant surprise halfway through the drama to see Zara Noor Abbas's real-life husband appear opposite her on screen - Asad Siddiqui as Murtaza. Wouldn't we all love to have such an understanding boss like Murtaza? He was very thoughtful in catering to Ramsha's (Zara Noor Abbas) needs, always thinking about how to pay her for her work at a time and place that suited her and her lifestyle. Although he was interested in her emotionally, he never came across as pushy, always as a friend and support system whenever she needed, and I think Ramsha (Zara Noor Abbas) appreciated this due to her ongoing worsening home life situation. Murtaza's (Asad Siddiqui) conversations with his mother about Ramsha (Zara Noor Abbas) were always respectful. The most eye-opening scene was when Murtaza (Asad Siddiqui) told his mum about why he supports Ramsha (Zara Noor Abbas) and does so much for her. He sees a woman's struggles and then, out of curiosity, asks his mum if she would still be accepting of Ramsha (Zara Noor Abbas) if life ever gave him that opportunity to step up for her.
