# Gulbahar drama: Sanam Saeed's second-marriage twist draws backlash, plus timing and cast Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/entertainment/gulbahar-drama-sanam-saeeds-second-marriage-twist-draws-backlash-plus-timing-and) Type: News article Author: Searchable Editorial Published: 10 Oct 2026 Updated: 10 Oct 2026 Retrieved: 10 Oct 2026 > Eight episodes in, Hum TV's Gulbahar has viewers asking why a childless couple chose a second marriage over adoption. Dawn Images says its women are 'not okay'. Cast, story and when to watch. **Gulbahar**, the Hum TV drama starring **Sanam Saeed, Emmad Irfani and Komal Meer**, is trending on Google in Pakistan this weekend, and most of the talk is not praise. Eight episodes in, its turn towards a second marriage has drawn a sharp review in Dawn Images and a wave of criticism from viewers, while the episodes keep pulling more than a million views each on YouTube. ## What Gulbahar is about The serial is written by **Aliya Bukhari** and directed by **Mehreen Jabbar**. It follows **Sara (Sanam Saeed)** and **Sheharyar (Emmad Irfani)**, a successful married couple who cannot have a child. Under pressure from Sheharyar's family, led by Sara's sister-in-law Shehnaz Aapa (Sabahat Bukhari), Sara herself arranges for her husband to marry **Diya (Komal Meer)**, a much younger woman left orphaned after a gas explosion. Diya's aunt, who resents her over an old family grievance involving her husband Mansoor (Shahood Alvi), pushes her towards the match. Saife Hassan also appears. When the teaser came out in August, early reports described a childless couple weighing adoption, which is part of why the twist has landed badly. ## "The women of Gulbahar are not okay" That is the headline of a [Dawn Images review by Fatimah Mazhar](https://images.dawn.com/news/1195980/the-women-of-gulbahar-are-not-okay) published on 10 October. Her case, in short: the premise is regressive and the bigger problem is how the women are written. Sara is defined by her childlessness and gives in when she could have drawn a line; Diya exists to solve someone else's problem rather than as a person with her own wishes; Shehnaz judges women by their husbands and sons; and the aunt is a villain with no depth. The men, the review argues, are mostly passive, and the women end up complicit in shrinking themselves. Mazhar notes that the writer and director have described the show as a story about love and possessiveness, but says it has not yet given its women any room to push back. ## How viewers reacted The backlash online goes further, [Minute Mirror reported](https://minutemirror.com.pk/gulbahars-second-marriage-twist-sparks-backlash-641893/) on 9 October: - Many asked why a second marriage is presented as the answer to infertility when adoption was available. - Some were disappointed in the lead actors, especially Sanam Saeed, who is known for strong female roles. - One viewer who has been through infertility criticised how the show portrays it. - Others objected to a story built around a much younger, orphaned bride and called it provocative for the sake of it. ## Gulbahar timing: when and where to watch - **Channel:** Hum TV. Episode 1 aired at **8pm PKT on Wednesday 16 September**, according to the channel's promo. - **Days:** new episodes this week came on **Wednesday and Thursday** (episode 7 on 7 October, episode 8 on 8 October). - **YouTube:** each episode goes up on [Hum TV's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@HUMTV/search?query=gulbahar) at **9pm PKT**, with English subtitles. Episode 9 is promoted for **Wednesday 14 October at 9pm**. - **Views:** when we checked on Saturday afternoon, episode 1 had about 6.9 million views on YouTube, and episodes 7 and 8 had about 1.7 million and 1.6 million within two days. Whether the drama changes course is the question for the next few episodes. More TV and film news is on our [entertainment desk](/news/entertainment). ## Frequently asked questions **What time does Gulbahar air?** Gulbahar premiered on Hum TV at 8pm PKT on 16 September 2026 and airs on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Episodes go up on Hum TV's YouTube channel at 9pm PKT; episode 9 is due on Wednesday 14 October. **Who is in the cast of Gulbahar?** Sanam Saeed (Sara), Emmad Irfani (Sheharyar), Komal Meer (Diya), Sabahat Bukhari (Shehnaz), Shahood Alvi (Mansoor) and Saife Hassan. It is written by Aliya Bukhari and directed by Mehreen Jabbar. ## Sources - The women of Gulbahar are not okay (10 Oct 2026) (Dawn Images): https://images.dawn.com/news/1195980/the-women-of-gulbahar-are-not-okay - Gulbahar's second marriage twist sparks backlash (9 Oct 2026) (Minute Mirror): https://minutemirror.com.pk/gulbahars-second-marriage-twist-sparks-backlash-641893/ - Sanam Saeed and Emmad Irfani's Gulbahar teaser (28 Aug 2026) (Minute Mirror): https://minutemirror.com.pk/sanam-saeed-and-emmad-irfanis-gulbahar-teaser-hints-at-an-emotional-story-of-love-and-longing-620083/ - Gulbahar episodes and promos (checked 10 Oct 2026) (HUM TV on YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/@HUMTV/search?query=gulbahar How to cite: "Gulbahar drama: Sanam Saeed's second-marriage twist draws backlash, plus timing and cast", Searchable, 10 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/entertainment/gulbahar-drama-sanam-saeeds-second-marriage-twist-draws-backlash-plus-timing-and