# Alif (2019) Review: Faith, Film Sets and Longing > Alif is a Pakistani spiritual romance about a man torn between worldly ambition and faith; slow and polarising, it is lifted by mood and Sajal Aly's performance. Canonical: https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/alif-2019-review/ Published: 2026-07-22 Last updated: 2026-09-24 Author: Kaiser Khan — Founder & Editor Language: English Review basis: direct-viewing Spoilers: none Rating: 4/5 ## Verdict Yes, with reservations. Viewers who enjoy reflective Pakistani drama will find it rewarding, but its slow, contemplative pace will test anyone expecting brisk melodrama. ## Is Alif worth watching? **Yes. Alif is one of the more ambitious Pakistani serials of its era, a romance that treats faith as a source of drama rather than a lecture, and Sajal Aly gives it a luminous emotional centre.** It is atmospheric and sincere in a way that many family melodramas are not. The reservation is pace: across 24 episodes it lingers, repeats and sometimes drifts, and viewers who want plot momentum may lose patience before the story's rewards arrive. ## What is Alif about? At the centre is Qalb-e-Momin (Hamza Ali Abbasi), a successful, self-assured man whose worldly life has drifted far from the faith of his family. His path crosses with Momina ([Sajal Aly](https://celluloidscore.com/stars/asia/pakistan/sajal-aly/)), a young woman working in the film world to support her family, who has her own reasons for wanting a different life. As their stories intertwine, the serial follows two people searching, in very different ways, for meaning, dignity and a kind of peace that success has not given them. Kubra Khan and Ahsan Khan appear in a parallel strand that deepens the story's themes of love and devotion. [Alif](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/alif-2019/) is a Pakistani drama in Urdu, adapted from a novel, and it draws heavily on Sufi ideas: the title refers to the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, a symbol the serial returns to throughout. This review covers the complete series, a single season of 24 episodes, and the story has ended. ## A spiritual drama that avoids the sermon Pakistani television has a long tradition of moral storytelling, and much of it spells out its lessons. Alif is more patient. It lets music, silence and ritual carry ideas that dialogue alone could not, and it stages doubt as a real dramatic conflict rather than a problem to be solved in one speech. The contrast between the glossy, transactional entertainment world and the quieter spaces of devotion gives the serial its structure, and the production is noticeably more polished than much of the prime-time competition of the period. The serial is also interested in the distance between public image and private belief, a theme that suits a story partly set among people whose work is performance. That gives it a gentler, more questioning tone than its devotional premise might suggest. ## Sajal Aly holds the centre Sajal Aly is the main reason to watch. She plays Momina with a controlled, unforced sadness, a woman who is practical about her circumstances and quietly hopeful about something better. She rarely raises her voice, and her stillness makes the serial's big emotional turns feel earned rather than staged. Hamza Ali Abbasi has the harder task, playing a man who is arrogant and unlikeable for long stretches before the story asks the audience to invest in his search. His performance is committed, if occasionally heavy-handed in the more overtly spiritual scenes. Kubra Khan and Ahsan Khan bring warmth and gravity to their storyline, which some viewers will find the most affecting part of the serial. ## Where the pace becomes a burden Alif divides audiences largely because of its rhythm. Some episodes unfold like a meditation, which suits the material, while others feel stretched, with conversations and flashbacks that revisit ground already covered. The symbolism can become heavy, and viewers who do not connect with its devotional register may find the later episodes repetitive. Give it three or four episodes to settle; if its mood has not won you over by then, the rest is unlikely to change your mind. ## Who should watch Alif? It suits viewers who enjoy slower, reflective Pakistani drama, admirers of Sajal Aly, and anyone curious about stories rooted in Sufi thought. It aired on Geo Entertainment in 2019 and 2020. Content is mild, with emotional family conflict and discussion of faith but nothing graphic, so it works for most adult and teenage viewers. If it speaks to you, try these next: - [Parizaad](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/parizaad-review/), another serial about a man's long search for dignity and meaning, told with a similarly philosophical streak. - [Humsafar](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/humsafar-review/), the classic Pakistani romance, for a more traditional and faster-moving love story. - [Mere Paas Tum Ho](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/mere-paas-tum-ho-review/), a 2019 hit from the same moment in Pakistani television, far more melodramatic in style. ## The verdict Alif is not an easy binge, and its slowness will frustrate some viewers. But it is a sincere, handsomely made drama that takes spiritual questions seriously and gives Sajal Aly one of her finest showcases. For patient audiences, it is a rewarding change from routine melodrama. **Rating: 4/5** ## Related title - [Alif (2019)](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/alif-2019/) ## Editorial - [Editorial standards](https://celluloidscore.com/about/editorial-policy/) - [Report a correction](https://celluloidscore.com/about/corrections/)