It’s always great to see Pakistani dramas that explore different subjects and push people to think outside their comfort zones. I have always been an Ayesha Khan fan but Mann Mayal and a few of her recent roles have been so facile and downright awful that I had lost all hopes of seeing her in a good drama with a decent script. I could say that it’s next to impossible to judge Khuda Mera Bhi Hai by it’s first ever episode but this serial is definitely pushing all the right buttons and I have a feeling that it will leave a very positive impact on people’s viewpoints. Directed by Shahid Shafaat and written by Asma Nabeel, this drama looks extremely promising by the looks of it. The first episode managed to highlight some of the most pressing issues of our community that require immediate attention.
The drama opened up with the introduction of the female lead character Mahagul (Ayesha Khan) – a strong minded, mulish woman. They showed Mahagul dragging her friend Sanam away from her abusive husband after suffering at his hands for three whole years thereby, enlightening the issue of domestic violence. Mahagul’s mother played by Saba Hameed lives a separate life from her husband because he lied about his previous marriage and hit her. Surprisingly, neither mother or daughter are bitter but Mahagul in particular is very opinionated and refuses to back down from her principles on anything. She is also shown talking sympathetically to a girl working on the side of a busy road. Being brought up by a single parent, the character Mahagul breaks all stereotypes of single parents especially women not being able to cater their children properly.
They also introduce the character of Zain, played by Muhammad Jibran, who’s a liberal young man who enjoys a good relationship with his father and has recently returned from the US. Zain is instantly attracted to Mahagul and develops a very strong liking for her. His mother, Arshi (Irsa Ghazal) on the other hand is shown to be a forthright villain right from the first episode. She develops a strong disliking for Mahagul and despises her strong attitude and strong-headedness. Another good thing about this serial is that not all men are shown as villains. Zain’s father (Mehmood Aslam) is a friendly sort who makes an extra effort with his sons to make up for their mother’s strangely distant behavior.
They did start off condescending a very big social dilemma; domestic violence, there were parts where I lost interest and I thought the drama could have done without. Overall, it did leave me wanting to know what is to come next so I refuse to give up on the drama just yet. As the weeks progress, it will surely be interesting to watch how Asma Nabeel explores the eluded miseries that transgenders have to face in our society.
