Neeli Kothi has started well, with great cinematography, a vintage feel, and an intriguing story. The first episode introduces the characters, shows their bond, and reveals the family’s flaws. It portrays a mansion, Neeli Kothi, which holds many secrets and stories within its walls. The episode begins with Neelofer (Atiqa Odho) narrating the story of the mansion and how changing relationships have changed its fate and the lives of those who live in it.
The new drama serial has earned its acclaim, with viewers enjoying its plot and the mid-century vibes it evokes. A user posted on X, hoping that the drama serial is a good watch throughout.
I absolutely loved expisode 1 of #NeeliKothi. This was refreshing with a great cast. I am not making any comparisons, but this did give off modern day #DhoopKinare vibes in a way. Does anyone else see it? I hope the rest of the show is as good as episode one. #PakistaniDramas pic.twitter.com/1zddU0f7YP
— SophiaQ (@SophiaAQ) December 9, 2025
Another user stated that the storyline of the drama serial is interesting and posted:
#neelikothi : everything about the opening is stunning!!! the vintage vibe, the ost, the visuals 🥹🤍 plus atiqa playing the novelist of neeli kothi?? the plot looks so interesting already, i’m hooked! pic.twitter.com/ISXyjdtZiy
— ࣪ ִֶָ☾. (@tuliipanes_) December 8, 2025
So far, we have only seen Zara (Anmol Baloch) and Zaid (Talha Chahour) having casual fights as academic competitors; their relationship is confusing. Zaid is the adopted son of Akbar Ali (Usman Peerzada) and his second wife, Neelofer, while Zara is his granddaughter from his first marriage. The plot details the mansion that was gifted to Zara’s grandmother-in-law upon her marriage, which she later gave up after divorcing Akbar Ali.
What appears to be a small, happy family hides a history that calls the main leads’ relationship into question. What relationship do Zaid and Zara have, given their extensive family tree? The viewers are already hooked to see who’s who and what’s coming out of it.
Viewers are frustrated by the confusing family tree, as they cannot determine whether Zaid and Zara are cousins or whether Zaid is Zara’s uncle. A user posted on X and stated that they would enjoy the drama serial once they had done complete research on the family. They posted:
bhaiii kon kiski maa hai kon kiska nana hai samajh nahi arha ke ep enjoy karun ya zara zaid ke khandaan pe research karun pehle 😭😭😭 #neelikothi
— ࣪ ִֶָ☾. (@tuliipanes_) December 8, 2025
Although Zaid and Zara are the same age, Zaid’s father being Zara’s grandfather does not sit well with the involved audience. One pointed out that Zaid was adopted after Neelofer was unable to bear children, giving enough time for Zara and Zaid to share the screen as age fellows. They posted:
I was so confused how Akbar Ali is Zara’s nana when it was only his 30th anniversary 😭😭 then I got to know Neelofar is his second wife so yeah that cleared it😭😭#NeeliKothi
— 🦁 (@harleysbaee) December 8, 2025
Where Zaid and Zara are bound to have a romantic relationship, netizens are unable to make sense of out knowing that Zaid is Zara’s uncle. A user posted:
Am i misunderstanding the family tree or is the new HUM drama #NeeliKothi a love story btw the girl and her ADOPTED MAMU !?!&?
— Sowa🌸 (@sowhat568) December 9, 2025
Another stated that the only purpose of showing Zaid as adopted is to justify his romance with Zara. They posted on X:
So that means Zaid is basically Zara’s mamu 😶🌫️
Zaid ko shayad sirf adopted iss hi reason ke liye banaya hai..ohh— zaxana 🇵🇸 (@ReshiZainab2) December 8, 2025
