Parwarish Episode 29: The fathers are the stars of the show

In a drama where the kids have kept us hooked, it’s the dads who stole the spotlight this week.

Parwarish continues to stand tall as the magnum opus of Pakistani television in recent years. With each episode, it chips away at the familiar formula and leans into something much more grounded: the messiness of modern parenting, the weight of intergenerational silence, and what it takes to actually show up for the people you love.

Episode 29 did all of that - and then some.

This week, we saw Sameer caught in a moment many parents fear. He’s arrested at a drug party, just when his father, Sulaiman, is already barely holding it together after Wali’s shooting. But instead of exploding or turning away, Sulaiman walks in, calm but heavy. No yelling. No slaps. Just a hug, a look, and the kind of presence that says, I’m here, but I’m hurting too.

ARYDigital/YouTube

Later in the episode, during a conversation with Aniya, Sulaiman speaks briefly about forgiveness, and in doing so, helps ease some of the weight she’s been carrying. It’s a subtle moment, but one that shifts the energy within the family.

ARYDigital/YouTube

Then there’s Maya. Her mental health has been unraveling for weeks now, and we’ve seen her father, Shaheer, do just about everything wrong from the start - minimize her, silence her and shame her. But in this episode, something shifts. When Maya finally breaks down, Shaheer doesn’t offer a lecture. He doesn’t try to fix it or dismiss her. Instead, he pulls her in for a hug, and in his arms, we see the first real act of care Maya has felt since this entire journey began.

ARYDigital/YouTube

Viewers react

Following the episode, viewers online were quick to celebrate both dads. One user pointed out, “Now Maya’s father is winning our hearts. Sameer needed that hug from his father at that moment and the director gave it to us.”

Another rightfully pointed out, “two fathers won the internet today, Suleiman instead of giving corporal punishment, he hugged Sameer, which made him truly regret it by heart. [...] Maya’s father, who was always against her, finally stood for her when she needed him…”

Parwarish - a breath of fresh air

There’s something deeply powerful about how Parwarish is letting these fathers evolve. Shaheer hasn’t magically transformed, he’s still deeply flawed. But he’s coming around and that counts for something. He’s not evil, just a man raised in a system that taught him to suppress softness. And Sulaiman, with his continued steadiness, reminds us that strength doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful.

In a television landscape that often fails its men and its daughters, Parwarish continues to be a drama we will all remember.