Yet again, what a disappointment.
Ever since I saw pictures of Gar Maan Reh Jaye on Instagram, I was more than intrigued at what this series held. Well, I confess, seeing random captures of Hyderabad on noorohassan, had me going: “Yeh dil mangay more.” Well, depends what that dil is maango-ing, but nonsense aside Mona Haseeb’s story of a widowed father with three single daughters takes mazloomiyat to a wholly different level.
Instead of seeing the same bewa, besahara, kamzoor (mashara kay hawalay say), bozoorg khatoon with her jawaan-jahaan betiyan, Haseeb gives us a mazloom Abbu. A man conflicted between his duty to family and the very real pressures of putting food on the table. In perfect melodramatic mode, Abba-jaan talks to his marhoom-biwi ki tasveer and laments his daughters’ imperfect upbringing. They fight, they argue, they talk back, after all, they’re bin ma ki betiyaan.
In fact, this is where our saga begins with an introduction to Nissa (the eldest) and her two sisters. Ek anpad, ek middle school pass, aur ek high school pass. Their innocent antics and playful banter were, I am certain, meant to be endearing instead I couldn’t wait for them to shut up. Sorry ladies, this ain’t Bol and neither of you is Mahira Khan.
As much as I understand the need for new faces (which I appreciate) these girls just didn’t have the chemistry that Kashaf-Sidra-Shenilla had in Zindagi Gulzar Hai. Their body language, diction, make-up, and acting just didn’t cut it. To make matters worse, we have to sit through twenty-odd episodes of Nissa (or is it Nisha?) and her kahani. No wonder Abba has a tête-à-tête with a photograph, wouldn’t you if that bunch of screeching monkeys greeted you at the door?
So why hang on, you ask?
Well, two very flawless reason. Even though both the older actors were on top of their game, I have to say I am surprised by Hina Bayat’s versatility. Momentarily I was wondering if this was the same actress who played Zarina in Humsafar, Mehr-u-Nissa in Shehr-e-Zaat, and Ghazala in Zindagi Gulzar Hai. I had begun to expect a very typical role, that of a rich, sophisticated woman of means, from Ms. Bayat (her other roles in Ishq Gumshuda and Uraan would easily suggest that she is the actress of choice for the khaandani biwi/maa), so, seeing her as Nissa’s lalchi and paan-chewing saas was a welcome relief. Khursheed Begum knows what she wants and something tells me she gets it too. For a role that borders on caricature, Bayat’s performance wasn’t as understated as it could be, but it was definitely the highlight of this episode.
Similarly, Noor Hassan has a come a long way from his marriage-breaking days in Humsafar. His acting has matured and he seems more mellow, which is why I want to see more of him as the ghoos-taking cop. That uniform, that beard, Masha’Allah, I can see the stalkers on Instagram fawning over your adaas, NH. Surma laga lain, nazar na lag jaye. Seeing him as Farrukh the police-wala definitely adds to the appeal.
Other than these two the acting and story are so-so at least for now, but the sets and locations definitely make-up for it. Seeing Nissa and Ahsan framed next to that haveli ka darwaza was a visual treat. The dusty, sandy, galis with their Shah Jehani columns and cusped arches, which are so easily visible in rural Sindh were beautifully translated to screen. Yet, the camerawork and cinematography could have been crisper and tighter alas they fall prey to the acting.
For a first episode, Gar Maan Reh Jaye was a hit and miss. Well, mostly miss, but let’s see if they can up the ante next week.
Until then,
Rab Rakha
RB (Tweet me!)
