The first few episodes of Mann Mayal showcased a very different Mannu then what we’ve seen over the past few weeks. Maya Ali started out on a strong note- giving a controlled performance but thanks to this sorry excuse for a script, she seems to have lost interest and has reverted to her clichéd roti shakal and whiny face for the upteenth time. This is the reason I stay away from her dramas- she tends to annoy me without speaking a word. Hamza Ali Abbassi never took this role seriously- he has zero chemistry with both his leading ladies- his achas and overly protective ways make him seem like a brooding older brother. Ayesha Khan is at the stage in her career where she’s churning out flop after flop with her cringe-worthy performances. The supposed voice of reason Jamil has turned into a swashbuckling man of the moment- somehow everyone’s life revolves around him. Salahuddin’s complete dependency on him is questionable. Mannu’s blind trust on him is again beyond me. And Jeena- who has been prick- teasing him for her own selfish reasons seems a little too oblivious to the fact that she is putting herself in a very risky situation. It takes a second for a man to snap and if that happens, Jeena may well realize how easy it is to get burnt by the fire she’s playing with.
– [ ] 27 weeks later, the story plummeted into mind-numbing insanity. The last two episodes showed the inevitable- Salahuddin expressing his undying love for Mannu and convincing his parents of the same. Salahuddin’s cheekiness was nauseating- I am perfectly on board with seeing a divorced woman being married again but the way Mannu is living with her ex is despicable. Jeena just doesn’t get it- Salahuddin didn’t waste a moment to move on and his family too did t seem particularly perturbed over her exit. Jeena thinks once she gets Mannu out of the way, she’ll have Salahuddin. She teams up with Mikael and seduces him with the object of his desires- money. This woman is really something else- she’s manipulating both Jameel and Mikael to her advantage while cussing at bechaari Mannu who’s trying to fight her conflicting feelings of *gasp* love.
So Mannu is planning on her return home and Salahuddin is planning his wedding with a naive Mannu – who’s going shopping for a wedding outfit under the pretext that it’s for Salahuddin’s friends wife… Yeah right! I’m sure Tipu and Tania know better than to fall for such a random story… The kids were MIA today and since the writer felt Mannu wasn’t bechaari enough, she decided the kids needed to be taken away from her so Salahuddin could be a hero again!
So now that we know the drama didn’t end at Episode 24 nor Episode 27, it’s anyone’s guess how far this goes… Mondays are becoming rather glum with this never ending conundrum…
Kanwal Murtaza
