Mann Mayal is fast becoming a never-ending Zulm ki dastaan. Although I’m a tad relieved we have thus far been spared thappars that have made a permanent place in our dramas. With Mannu channeling her inner diva, she seems to have accepted Mikael with all his faults since she feels trapped between a rock and a hard place. I really wish Mikael had more layers to his character- his extremism is simply irritating the hell out of me. Similarly my rife with Salahuddin’s bechaargi continues- he has witnessed time and again how shamelessly Kooki and Jamil mistreat Ifty’s father. Plus, for some odd reason, he feels compelled to put up with their insults. It’s almost as if he is allowing this to continue as a way of punishing himself for not being man enough for Mannu. Okay, he felt insecure, insufficient in front of her massive wealth but wasn’t he planning on making a better life for himself? Surely there are better ways to self-destruct.

So finally we got a glimpse of Mannu’s family. Isn’t it convenient how all of them were MIA and suddenly are showering her with love? Also, I’m not too sure about the magical impact of Mannu’s departure but somehow Chachi Churail is now reborn as Chachi Chaploos– she seems to be overly concerned about Mannu- more so than her mom who didn’t seem too bothered to talk.

Mikael insists he wants Mannu to play a double role- one of the ideal bahu during the daytime and his party mate at night. Mannu seems initially conflicted but embraced the Parvati bani Poo masquerade with aplomb. But it doesn’t end there, Mikael is also using Mannu to his financial advantage- having her act as an intermediary to scam his parents out of their money. Of course, his mother sees right through it and she even gave a little speech about how Mannu should not shed her good habits for the sake of her God-forsaken son. Is it just me or do Mikael’s tantrums of “Mujhe office nahin jana” sound too forced? Speaking of forced, I’m beginning to realize everything is falling into extremes- Kooki , Jamil, Ifty, Mikael are one end of the spectrum and the meek Mannu, Salahuddin, Bia are another.

The whole scene around Ifty’s father’s diaper was irrelevant- I feel like the writer is forcing us into seeing just how evil these people are. Yes, we get it. We can be spared some of the trauma- it’s not like we need to see it a 100 times to believe they are satan’s disciples. Maybe we’ve gotten too spoilt by the likes of KQR’s flawless writing but at best, Mann Mayal is a half-baked attempt filled with caricatures. Maybe the story will pick up pace once Salahuddin and Mannu realize they are not enslaved by their surroundings and can actually rid themselves of their misery. Can we please just move on? These 8 episodes have been a challenge to review simply because nothing new seems to be happening. At this point, the only reason to tune in is in the hopes of the story being revived with the introduction of Jeena. But a part of me is almost afraid it will be yet another love triangle cliché. Maya Ali continues to give a solid performance week after week and has been the surprise package here. I expected so much more from Hamza Ali Abbasi but it seems like he’s just not that into it. I’ve seen White-walkers emote better than his Salahuddin! You can get a pool of talented individuals together but a weak script becomes their undoing. The Director, the DOP, the actors- I can’t blame them for not delivering because truth be told, the script leaves much to be desired.

Kanwal Murtaza