Bitter Sweet Endings!

Our childhood Disney fairy tales taught us that the world is a place where people are either black or white, there are no shades of grey – fast forward a few years and the Bollywood flicks told the exact same stories; there's a bad guy and a good guy and of course a lady in distress; good guy likes the lady, bad guy makes things tough for them, good guy beats bad guy and the two love birds live happily ever after. The characters and their dialogues vary but the crux is basically the same, add some special effects, ultra motion and even a few animations, mix them up with some cheesy numbers and you get a Bollywood masala movie! To make a long story short, life is not all black and white as the film/drama makers portray it. Perhaps showing variations of grey on television is difficult and that is why story tellers don't tread near a territory that could be complex.
The plays on local television seemed to move along the same lines, however there has been a change recently, ever since we moved away from the 'saas-bahu' inspired themes we have been slowly going forward towards more solid story lines, ones that show people changing, learning, growing – inspiring us to think along the same lines and associate with the characters being shown on TV.
One such story that came to a beautiful ending was 'Main Abdul Qadir Hoon' (MAQH) which showed the life of a young man in search of his true identity. Moving along different paths was what fate had in store for him, the friends he chose, the family he had, the conditions he had to face and the decisions he took keeping his morals and conscience in check made him a different person than what his peers thought him to be. Abdul Qadir rose above the rest and decided to take the path God chose for him, he ended up changing and shaping the lives of people around him including his own mother, making them realize their own mistakes and drove them towards being better human beings. What Abdul Qadir didn't know was that he would have to face many hurdles along the way – this was one play that showed the various changing faces of a human being. AQ was never a 'bad' guy; he tried different things and adopted many avatars in search of the one that would fit him most perfectly. Sarwat Nazir penned down a beautiful script that really has touched the lives of all those who followed MAQH and Baber Javed transformed it beautifully in a drama. Asif Raza Mir too has been trying to break free of the evil, rich husband character he was being offered ever since his return to show business by producing dramas which portray him differently. The ending of MAQH was a happy one; Abdul Qadir got the partner he sought, he also succeeded in keeping his mother happy and broke free of the 'extremist' label people were labeling him with.
Not all endings were happy though, 'Khuda Aur Mohabbbat' (KAM) ended in tears and tragedy. KAM was the perfect example of how a strong script can make up for weak acting. Imran Abbas and Sadiya proved many people wrong, who had the notion that these two were the wrong choices for such an emotional story by bringing out the best in themselves. The story was addictive and indulging but didn't seem to connect with today's world, after all would a present day boy do all Hammad did for the sake of his love? Nevertheless, the play was beautifully shot and the last episode reduced many to tears. There is however, another ending to Hammad's story and that will take place in the UK. The sequel to KAM will be on air in a matter of weeks and according to the novel, Imran Abbas will find new love, a non-Muslim girl whose life will turn around and love will change her. Hammad will give her the name 'Iman' and will they live happily ever after? We'll keep the suspense alive for those who haven't read the novel; brace yourselves for more twists and turns in this character's life!
I kept 'Mera Saaein' for last, not because this was my favorite or had a huge star cast but because its ending was neither tragic nor a happy one. A murder can never be appreciated but in this case Malik Wajaht's demise didn't sadden me, the end was a mixture of sorts – Shazmeen, played beautifully by Sunita Marshal, was not stable emotionally and she resorted to revenge. She stood victoriously over her husband's body as he struggled to breathe; her sanity had diminished as soon as Wajahat married her best friend and she resorted to making their lives a living hell. Things were pushed further when Noman Ejaz killed Faisal Qureshi because his wife and Qureshi were getting close. Naina (played by Amena Shaikh) sensed danger and asked Shazmeen for help, the two decided that Naina should flee the country to a safer place and before leaving, Amena rubbed off the last traces of Malik Wajahat by aborting his child. The last episode hinted that this was not the end; surely a sequel will follow this play too.
As older shows are concluding, newer ones have started commencing. Mastana Mahi is one of them and features the beautiful Mehreen Raheel as the leading lady. Mehreen has been away from the television screen for quite some time now and this would be a welcome change. After all, not every character can be played by Amena Shaikh, Sanam Baloch or Ayesha Khan, can it? This is a story of a conventional landlord and politician. Aadil (played by Fahad Mustafa) the son of a known politician from Sindh, lives in South Africa where he finds Aleen (played by Mehreen Raheel). Adil shows interest in Aleen but does not get a positive response. Saddened, he returns to Pakistan and takes over his uncle's seat in elections when the latter is killed in a blast, and his mother fixes his marriage with his uncle's ten-year-old daughter, Sakina. Fate has something else in store for him; he returns to South Africa and come face to face with his first love. The cast of Mastana Mahi includes Fahad Mustafa, Mehreen Raheel, Deepti Gupta, Saifee Hasan, Anita Camphor, written by the talented Samira Fazal and is directed by Roomi Insha.
Another new play is titled Umm-e-Kulsoom with Amena Shaikh as the protagonist. This is the story of a purdah observing girl, who hails from the middle class, her life changes and she is faced with better opportunities and she chooses to mold herself accordingly. The cast includes Amena Sheikh, Faisal Qureshi, Sami Khan, Saleem Mairaj, Urooj Fatima, Hassan Ahmed, Aiman Tariq, Jahan Ara Hayi, Zaheen Tahira, Kunwar Nafees, Ismat Zaidi, Afshan Qureshi, Noshaba Javed, Hajra and Neelum Muneer. A star cast with a noted director and a talented writer is bound to catch our attention!
It's a man's world!
by ALIZEH

The drama serial Mera Naseeb is fast gaining popularity among the soapaholics, thanks to its interesting storyline. The serial has captivated TV viewers with its crisp dialogue and excellent acting talent as it reflects the harsh reality of a male-dominated society that we can all relate to. The protagonists of the play, Shazia and Nazia, played by Sanam Saeed and Saira Yousuf respectively, portray the plight of young girls belonging to our part of the world. Sad but true! No matter how progressive we might call ourselves, our society is largely weaved with conservative values and norms. The destiny of Pakistani women does not lie in their own hands; they are denied the right to make their own decisions. Sometimes, it is for their own benefit, as parents know what is best for their kids, but mostly it is simply a stubborn adherence to tradition. Shazia and Nazia are childhood friends (cousins) and since they were born at the same time, they believe that their lives are linked by similar fates. Both get married together too, and as soon as they tie the knot, a whirlwind of challenges and obstacles comes in their way. While, Shazia stands by her husband as he loses his job and home, Nazia has to put up with an annoying mother-in-law who leaves no stone unturned to boss around and ridicule her innocent young bahu. Nazia's husband fits into the Pakistani ideal of the all-powerful and austere Mijazi Khuda. Why can't the media stop propagating this stereotype of the Pakistani man who thinks it is his right to shout at his wife without any reason? In today's day and age, the media plays a vital role in influencing and shaping the various factions of society; whatever they show is subconsciously absorbed by the people and exercised in their own homes. In a society where women are subjugated to mental and physical torture, these dramas only add fuel to the fire. It is a man's world indeed. A man can get away with everything, even cheating on his wife is pardonable, but any such disloyalty from women is unforgivable. Mothers-in-law who watch these dramas start rubbing in the fact to their bahus that they are the only ones who are nice to their daughter-in-law. That's not true. There are a lot of nice and soft-natured mother-in-laws and husbands in Pakistan. Why don't our media ever depict them in their dramas? Why is only one extreme portrayed and the other ignored? If only they would start airing and projecting good characters and break the monotony of the evil Saas and Shohar, our society will be encouraged and motivated towards a positive change.