On the request of many DramaPakistani.net members, I decided to write part two of the review of Ek Nazar Meri Taraf. I have been following it off and on but never got around to writing about it. So here goes:
First and foremost, as I noted in my previous review, this drama serial has tried to raise some serious issues regarding young widows and how they have every right to get on with their lives (after their iddah is over). Alishba Yousuf has commendably portrayed Sifat, a person who has no friends, who is told how to lead her life by her mum-in-law on a daily basis, and whose own brother is not even willing to accept his responsibility towards her. She is so lonely that she sends messages from her deceased husband’s phone to her own, and hence, has “conversations” with him. However, her elder brother-in-law Faris, played by Babar Ali, convinces her to continue her education, and thus, she starts going to college.
The main reason this drama serial has not gotten much acclaim, or even gotten into the top 15 of the week, in my opinion, is the horrible side track played by Mahnoor Baloch, Noman Ejaz and Nimra Bucha. It may have ended now, but it certainly left a bad taste in my mouth. To top the whole thing off, this track came smack in the middle of Sifat’s husband’s death – I remember fast forwarding the entire episodes of this drama serial, trying to get to Sifat’s scenes, which were barely given 5 minutes in total. I feel this “imbalance” put off the viewers to a very large extent. Had the side track been interesting, viewer interest might have been retained. But Sifat’s long-drawn-out iddat portrayal and sickeningly physical scenes between Mahnoor Baloch and Noman Ejaz (what a waste of talent!) effectively ensured that this drama serial did not get popular with many viewers.
Even now, only a select loyal viewers are still watching the show, as it shows Sifat’s trials one after another. Honestly, after all this time, I was expecting things to get a little better for her. Or, at least, it should have been shown how she completes her education, and gets on her own two feet. However, she is still being shown as a doormat, who has accepted her circumstances the way they are and is constantly manipulated by other people. It is a total black-and-white characterization, where the mother-in-law and sisters-in-law are evil and Sifat and her younger brother-in-law are holier than thou. In terms of acting, Babar Ali has fared the best, while Alishba has had the same injured expression for the past few episodes.
In short, this cause-oriented drama serial failed to grip many viewers because it tried to juxtapose two totally unrelated story lines. The veteran cast was totally wasted while the newer cast did not impress. My suggestion to the writer, director and production house: if you want to focus on a cause, do NOT distract viewers by introducing bland side tracks of extra marital affairs. Side tracks are essential but they should blend with the story! Enough said!
Written by Drama Buff ([email protected])
