Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi

Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi is a Pakistani television drama series produced by Abdullah Seja under the banner of iDream Entertainment. It features Danish Taimoor, Dur-e-Fishan Saleem, Nauman Ijaz, and Atiqa Odho in leading roles with Laila Wasti, Shahood Alvi, Hammad Shoaib, and Zainab Qayyum in supporting roles. The series originally aired on ARY Digital from 11 May 2022 to 14 December 2022.

Despite numerous controversies surrounding it, the show made history by crossing one billion views while still on the air. It was the first drama series in Pakistani history to do so.

Plot
Mehak is a young woman living a peaceful life with her father Akram, her mother Naheed, and her younger sister Nida. Mehak is engaged to her cousin Ahsan, but Ahsan's mother, Andaleep, doesn't approve of Mehak, while Ahsan's father Rehan does approve of her. One day, Akram finds a young, rich, arrogant man harassing someone on the road, and when he goes to confront this man, the man points a gun at Akram. This man turns out to be Shamsher. Mehak and Rehan plead with him and bring Akram back to the car, but Shamsher sees Mehak and instantly falls in love with her.

Once Shamsher finds out who Mehak is and where she lives, he tries multiple evil ways to get Mehak to marry him, including getting Akram arrested for a while and kidnapping Ahsan on their wedding day. Exhausted by having to live in constant fear and concern for the lives of her loved ones, Mehak finally gives in and agrees to marry Shamsher. When Mehak rings him to tell him the news, he is beyond thrilled. Shamsher promises to love Mehak and protect her till his last breath. Shamsher's father, Dilawar, is a wealthy and arrogant man who is also extremely powerful and influential. He disapproves of Mehak since she is poor and believes she is after Shamsher's wealth. Shamsher's mother, Mehwish, and his brother Dara, both agree to the alliance because they are helpless in front of Shamsher. Dara's wife, Farwa, hates Mehak because Farwa's sister Sofia wants to marry Shamsher. After all, Mehak disrespected her on one occasion.

Dilawar, after having tried everything in his power to prevent the union, then hires a hitman, Sheru, to kill Mehak on her and Shamsher's wedding day. He orchestrates an accident and the sinister plan is successful. Believing that Mehak is dead, Shamsher and Mehak's family are heartbroken. But, somehow, Mehak manages to survive. When Akram finds Mehak alive and well, he sends her to Multan to an old friend's place as he does not want Shamsher to find out that she is happening, but Sheru sees her, much to his shock. Akram conceals the truth from his family as he believes it is the best option.

Ahsan shoots Shamsher, heartbroken by Mehak's sudden supposed demise and enraged by Shamsher's past actions. Shamsher is in critical condition at the hospital. Dilawar gets Ahsan and all the men in Mehak's family arrested as punishment. Shamsher's mother, aware of the role her husband had to play in Mehak's death, feels remorseful and goes to meet Mehak's mother and seek her forgiveness for the atrocities committed by her son. Mahek's mother (who just discovered that her daughter is alive) grants forgiveness to Shamsher solely because he will stay as far away from their family as possible. Shamsher's mother agrees and leaves. On the way home, she gets a call from her husband that Shamsher has regained consciousness.

After he recovers, Shamsher is still depressed and miserable without his one true love, so his family plans to send him abroad for a while. On his way to the airport, Shamsher suddenly changes his mind and asks his friend to drive him to the nearest train station so he can completely vanish for some time and try to find peace on his own. He gets on the train to Multan, and when he reaches his destination, he is greeted by Sheru. Dilawar has sent Sheru to keep an eye on Shamsher and keep him out of trouble. Shamsher and Sheru run into Mehak at the Mazaar in a twisted turn of events. Shamsher feels a whirlwind of emotions as he is thrilled to find Mehak alive but also shocked, confused, and angry at her betrayal. Sheru then goes on the run from Dilawar. Shamsher flies Mehak's family in from Karachi, and they marry privately. Shamsher and Mehak come home, and Shamsher's family is astonished to see Mehak alive and well. None more than Dilawar, who is infuriated by this alliance.

An enraged Dilawar starts searching for Sheru, and when Sheru is found, he confesses to Dara that Dilawar told him to kill Mehak, which Shamsher and Mehak overhear. Shamsher, devastated and feeling betrayed, confronts his father and leaves his home with Mehak forever. Dilawar freezes Shamsher's bank accounts and credit cards, making Shamsher poor. Shamsher, who regrets his past violations against Mehak and her family, allows Mehak to leave him. However, she decides to stay and give their relationship a chance.

Shamsher then finds a job as a salesman, while Mehak finds a job at an IT company. Shamsher starts to change into a better man seeing the error of his ways, and regrets his past actions. He begins to develop a civil, gentle, and mature persona. He becomes kind toward Mehak and her family. Mehak also establishes a soft spot for him.

Mehwish then gets sick and yearns to see her son again before she dies. However, Dilawar, being hurt by Shamsher abandoning him for an ordinary girl, refuses. Mehwish then dies, and Dilawar is heartbroken. He holds Shamsher responsible for his wife's death as she passes, yearning for him to come back home. He ridicules Shamsher and kicks him out at the funeral. Ahsan then decides to marry Nida to redeem himself for rejecting Mehak when she needed him most. Dara constantly tries to talk some sense into his father, who hates watching his brother suffer and wants to make amends with him. Shamsher and Mehak grow closer and closer. Dilawar then calls Sheru to kill Mehak, but Sheru doesn't kill her, as he is a changed man after losing his son; instead, he seeks her and Shamsher's forgiveness. Shamsher gives Sheru a gun for protection, but later, Shamsher finds Sheru dead. Shamsher then confronts Dilawar, telling him to stay away from him and Mehak or face legal action.

Ahsan gets a job at the same place where Mehak works. Ahsan and Nida start roughly in their married life but later accept each other. Mehak, after seeing how much Shamsher has changed and how much he cares for her, starts to develop feelings for him. Mehak is then revealed to be pregnant, but Dilawar hires another hitman to kill Mehak. After Shamsher and Mehak leave the hospital, Shamsher sees someone from far away pointing a gun at Mehak. Shamsher comes in front of her and takes the bullet. Dara discovers this and tells Dilawar that the people he sent to kill Mehak shot Shamsher instead and that he is critical. This leaves Dilawar shocked and devastated as he fears losing his son, and that too because of his stupidity and pride.

At the hospital, Mehak yells at Dilawar and breaks the news about her pregnancy, leaving him even more guilt-ridden. Shamsher then regains consciousness and professes his love to Mehak, as does she for the first time. And right then, after hearing Mehak's confession, Shamsher takes his final breath. Dilawar and Mehak are both crushed.

There is a shift to the Nawab mansion two months after Shamsher's death. Dilawar reminisces about all his past actions and recalls his wife's and son's warnings to him about potentially losing everyone because of his pride. So, a completely shattered and guilt-ridden Dilawar, unable to process his son's loss, commits suicide after publicly confessing to all his sinister crimes. Dara is heartbroken as he has lost everyone he loves in a few months. Sofia then apologizes to Mehak for everything she has done to her and Shamsher. Dilawar's lawyer then tells Mehak and Akram that Dilawar left 50% of his entire wealth to Mehak, but Mehak donates all of it. There is a three-year time jump; while celebrating the second birthday of her son (named after his father, Shamsher), Mehak turns to a portrait of her husband, Shamsher, and she talks about how she can never forget what he did to her before their marriage and how she tries not to make her son aggressive and angry like his father. Still, Mehak also says she will always love Shamsher and keep him alive in her memories.

Main

 * Danish Taimoor as Nawabzaada Shamsher Dilawar: Mehak's husband; Dilawar & Mehwish's youngest son; Dara's younger brother
 * Dur-e-Fishan Saleem as Mehak Shamsher née Akram: Shamsher's wife Akram & Naheed's oldest daughter; Nida's sister

Recurring

 * Nauman Ijaz as Nawab Dilawar: Shamsher and Dara's father; Mehwish's husband
 * Atiqa Odho as Mehwish: Shamsher and Dara's mother; Dilawar's wife
 * Laila Wasti as Naheed: Mehak's Mother
 * Shahood Alvi as Akram: Mehak's Father
 * Laiba Khan as Nida: Akram and Naheed's younger daughter; Mehak's sister; Ahsan's wife
 * Hammad Shoaib as Ahsan: Andaleeb's son; Mehak's ex-fiancé; Nida's Husband
 * Zainab Qayyum as Andaleeb: Ahsan's mother
 * Farah Nadir as Erum: Mehak and Nida's aunt
 * Adnan Shah Tipu as Sheru: Dilawar's servant (Dead)
 * Tipu Sharif as Dara: Dilawar and Mehwish's oldest son; Shamsher's older brother; Farwa's husband
 * Ayesha Toor as Farwa: Dara's wife; Sofia's oldest sister
 * Shehzeen Rahat as Sofia: Farwa's youngest sister
 * Emmad Butt as Shahmeer: Shamsher's friend

Production
The show was earlier titled Ishq-e-Junoon. The first and second teasers were released on 16 April 2022.

Critical reception
Before the series premiere, dawn. com expressed disappointment over the teasers by writing, "Despite the mess that was Ishq Hai, producers are rehashing the tiresome trope of obsessive, violent love again."

On its premiere, the series received criticism and negative reviews due to the romanticized portrayal of obsession and toxic masculinity. While reviewing the first episode negatively, a reviewer from The News International described the show as, "another run-of-the-mill play with more style than substance."

Viewership
In September 2022, Daily Pakistan reported that Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi was one of the most-watched shows in Pakistan and all over the world

Awards and Nominations
Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi has been successfully able to sweep major nominations at Lux Style Awards.