'Dil Dhoondta Hai Phir Wohi' is as real as it gets

Ramsha faces life’s hardest truths all at once in DDHPW

If you are looking for a television show that offers an escape from reality, Dil Dhoondta Hai Phir Wohi might not be the show for you. The drama, airing on Express TV, follows Ramsha and Ali, a couple dealing with one challenge after another, showing life in its raw, unfiltered form.

Written by Rida Bilal and directed by Adnan Sarwar, the drama stars Zahid Ahmed as Ali and Zara Noor Abbas as Ramsha. The cast also includes Faizan Sheikh, Rubina Ashraf, Noreen Gulwani, Mohammad Ahmed, Shaista Jabeen, Mahenur Haider Khan, Samia Butt, and Ikram Abbas.

Ali is diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a condition that slowly affects his memory, behaviour, and ability to work. As his condition worsens, he becomes increasingly agitated and is no longer able to work at his firm. Meanwhile Ramsha is left to manage everything at home. She becomes his primary caregiver, navigating his unpredictable behaviour, including moments when he says things like “leave me alone” or “I don’t want to talk to you.”

One particularly gut-wrenching moment comes in episode thirteen when Ali tells Ramsha, “I feel like I have not seen you in years.”

Watch a clip of the intense moment here: 

On top of caring for her husband, Ramsha must find work to keep the household running. Their child faces challenges at school, including bullying, and finding a trustworthy caregiver becomes another layer of concern.

 

 

 

 

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Early in the series, it is revealed that the couple had a baby girl, Dua, who passed away in infancy. Ali’s dementia sometimes causes him to ask for Dua, leaving Ramsha torn between following medical advice and facing her own grief. She breaks down in front of the doctor, saying, “What about me? She was my daughter too?” highlighting the emotional toll of caregiving.

The drama also shows complicated family dynamics. Ramsha and Ali’s parents are distant at times, adding pressure on the couple and making Ramsha’s responsibilities feel heavier. These overlapping challenges reflect a truth that is rarely addressed on television: life does not deal problems one at a time. It is messy, relentless, and sometimes overwhelming.

Dil Dhoondta Hai Phir Wohi does not simplify these struggles or offer easy resolutions. It is a depiction of life’s multiple pressures hitting at once, and it captures how one person can be expected to manage far more than they should. Ramsha’s character is at the centre of this realism, embodying the daily grind of care, grief, and survival.

 Watching Ramsha and Ali navigate their world is difficult at times, but it is also an honest portrayal of life as it is.