re: -HUMSAFAR-
Agreed that Dhoop Kinare had a lot more layers to it then Humsafar does. But then I would not compare a Farhat Ishtiaq to a Haseen Moin of the 80s. Later on Haseena’s writings also became a lot more fluffy.
But I would take the liberty of comparing Sarmad Khoosat to a Sahira Kazmi. I do think that he has taken a simple story and told it simply which is tough to do when you are working with quite a few newcomers. Sahira also had that art of working well w/ newcomers and letting them carry the scenes where the emotions did not seem forced but rather relateable. case in point the nikaah scene and the chess scene - very simply directed with hardly any dialogue baazi but at the same time very compelling.
I think reducing Sarmad’s craft of story telling to a mere saas-bahu story is belittling it.