Pakistani drama fans always have something to talk about and Hurmat on Hum TV is no exception. The drama starring Dananeer Mobeen and Shahveer Jafry has already had a very good start with the first few episodes getting millions of views on YouTube.

So what exactly is it that's drawing the audience in? Is it Dananeer's performance? Is it Shahveer's move from digital to acting? Or is it the family drama which is rather reminiscent of what many a Pakistani household has gone through? There's a bit of all of the above.

Hurmat Is Getting Millions of Views on YouTube

There's no doubt at all about the show's increasing popularity. The view counts for the Hum TV YouTube uploads (mid October 2026) are as follows: Episode 1 has passed 21m, Episode 2 is at around 13m, Episode 3 is at approximately 12.4m and Episode 4 is at just under 11.7m.

That gets the first four episodes to over 58m views collectively. Not bad for a drama that's only just started to air!

Of course the YouTube numbers are going to keep changing as more people come across the show. The initial reaction though does seem to be that Hurmat has definitely managed to catch the attention of a large audience.

Dananeer Mobeen Shines as Hurmat

At the very heart of the story is Hurmat (played by Dananeer Mobeen). She is a young woman growing up in a home where virtually every aspect of her life is controlled by her father.

From her education right through to her freedom to go out, Hurmat is subject to a raft of restrictions which leave her with very few real choices. That's the situation really that many people will be familiar with, in a family where a daughter's choices are always going to be subject to the dictates of family honour and the expectations of society.

Dananeer brings a certain softness to the character and you can see the frustration building up inside her. Hurmat isn't someone who suddenly goes all rebellious. She's a young woman who's gradually working out what she wants in life, even if it's not easy to express those wants.

Fans of Dananeer from dramas such as Sinf-e-Aahan, Muhabbat Gumshuda Meri and Meem Se Mohabbat will be familiar with her for her foray into a variety of roles. With Hurmat she gets another chance to play a role where the emotional arc of the character is as important as the plot.

Shahveer Jafry Takes on a Different Challenge

Shahveer Jafry's casting is another reason people were so interested in Hurmat. A lot of people will have seen him on his online videos where comedy and entertainment have been a major feature. To see him in a serious TV drama is quite a different proposition.

His role opposite Dananeer is a more conventional dramatic role where it's all about the expressions, the emotional scenes and the character work rather than the comic timing.

For anyone who's been wondering how he'd go about it, the opening episodes give us a real taster. There's still a long way to go with the story but his performance is going to be a big part of the drama as it unfolds.

The supporting cast also get a mention. Javed Sheikh, Anoushay Abbasi and Farah Hussain are all familiar faces and add considerably to the sense of family and community that the drama is built on.

What is the story of Hurmat about?

At its heart it's a story that Pakistani drama has come back to again and again in one form or another: a young woman who wants to make her own decisions and is at odds with the expectations of her family.

Hurmat grows up under her father's very strict rules. Her desire to go to university and to experience life outside the confines of her home is a source of tension within the family. As the story progresses towards university life she is in a very different environment, meeting new people and facing situations which in turn challenge all of the things she has grown up with.

And that's where it gets interesting.

The title of the drama Hurmat refers to honour, respect or sanctity. The story does though raise a key issue: at what point does protecting someone become about controlling their life?

In many Pakistani homes parents actually do believe that strict rules are the way to keep the kids safe. The kids on the other hand want the freedom to go about their lives, to study, to make friends, to make their own decisions about their own lives. It's not always easy to find that balance.

The early episodes are going into that conflict without necessarily giving us all the answers straight away. It'll be interesting to see if the drama gives Hurmat's own struggles and the fears that underpin her father's actions the same level of depth.

What are viewers saying about Hurmat?

As with any new Pakistani drama you've got a raft of opinions from the viewers.

Dananeer has certainly caught the eye and the family situation has provided plenty of fodder for discussion. Some people will no doubt see Hurmat's plight and find it very relatable in terms of the constraints placed on young girls in the name of family honour. Others will probably just see it as another variation on a theme that PTV has covered numerous times.

And that's a fair point. The 'log kya kahenge' mindset has been at the heart of so many dramas. The real issue is how you tell that story in a fresh way.

For Hurmat to be any good it has to go beyond the simple set up of a strict father and a daughter who wants her freedom. The characters have to be real, their decisions have to have consequences and the emotional tension has to be there.

The good news is there's absolutely space in the story for it to go into these issues in much greater depth as the episodes go on.

Who is behind the drama?

Hurmat brings together a team that will be very familiar to regular Hum TV viewers. It's written by Kashif Anwar, directed by Nadeem Siddique and produced by Momina Duraid Productions.

It has a proven production team and a cast that's a mix of well known TV actors and a very popular digital personality. It's got a solid basis.

It's on Hum TV on Mondays and Tuesdays (two episodes a week for the fans). There are also official uploads with English subtitles which makes it a lot easier for the international audience to keep up with the series.

Can Hurmat maintain its popularity?

Getting millions of views in the first few episodes is a good start but the real test for any drama comes later.

We've all seen dramas that start off with a good story only to become utterly repetitive after a couple of weeks. There's a tendency to drag a conflict out for far too long, characters simply stop making any kind of sensible decisions and the same old arguments go on and on without actually progressing the story in any way.

Hurmat will have to avoid those issues if it is to maintain its present momentum.

The story has the potential to be a real exploration of education, the pressure of family, independence and what honour actually means in the modern day. That's not in any way a bad thing. The problem is that potential is all it is at this stage. The writing has to keep developing, the performances have to stay on the money and the characters have to actually evolve as the story progresses.

For Dananeer it's a chance to make a real impact in a key role. For Shahveer it's an opportunity to demonstrate another facet of his talent. For Hum TV viewers it's a fresh story that brings together some well-worn social issues with a cast that's going to be of great interest.

Final Verdict: Is Hurmat worth watching?

If you're into Pakistani dramas about family, the social set up and the quest for individuality then Hurmat is one to watch.

Its opening episodes have drawn a large audience, Dananeer Mobeen is a very emotional presence in the lead role and Shahveer Jafry's casting adds another dimension of intrigue. More significantly the core issue at the heart of the drama is one that continues to be very much a part of many Pakistani families.

There's still a long way to go and four episodes don't really tell you whether Hurmat is going to be one of the year's biggest dramas. The story needs to keep surprising you rather than just going down the well-worn path of familiar stuff.

For now at least Hurmat has given the Pakistani drama audience something to watch, something to talk about and something to debate. If the subsequent episodes live up to the promise of the first few then this could well be an interesting ride for both Hurmat and the audience who will be following her story.

What do you think of Hurmat so far? Is Dananeer Mobeen the star of the show or are you more keen to see Shahveer Jafry's performance grow? Let us know in the comments on Agahi Talks!