Did I say last week’s episode was my favorite? Well, scratch that… this latest episode has to be the best one for me! Unlike most serials, which by this time tend to lose steam, Mataa-e Jaan has acquired a new lease on life. The original story, of Ibaad, Haniya, Yamina Adam, Uzair, and Hajra, has shifted focus and evolved into a gripping tale, of Yamina, Shoaib, Uzair, Hajra, and Haniya’s lives. Among these, Yamina and Shoaib are (hopefully) headed towards their happily-ever-after, and the Hajra-Uzair-Haniya triangle is shaping up to be quite the thriller: What happens when Hajra and Uzair find out Haniya’s true identity? Will they be able to forgive Haniya? Or, has Haniya gone a bit too far – should she have come clean about her past by now? How much longer can she/should she prolong this charade?
I (think) I know the answers to the questions above, but I’m still intrigued to see how these are narrativized on screen – in short, this is storytelling at its best and I am hooked. Excellent job by Mehreen and the rest of Team MeJ!
This episode, yet again, belonged to Hina Bayat. She is beyond fabulous as the long-suffering Hajra. Here is a mother who’s had to bear more than her fair share of pain. Initially her husband dictated her life, then fate stepped in made its own cruel choices for her. Nonetheless she has continued to plod on, living a drab, colorless life like a zombie. Uzair is miserable as well, but he’s suffering more from having to live with the realization of the choices he forced upon others. Both, Hajra and Uzair, were simply going through the motions, till Haniya comes in and lights up their life like a beacon.
Call me a sentimental fool, but two scenes, a) when Haniya calls Hajra Mama, and Hajra’s response to that endearment, and b) when Uzair refuses Haniya’s request to call him Uncle, asking her instead to call him Baba, and Haniya’s response to that admonishment, were the standouts for me. Hina Bayat, Javed Shaikh, and Sarwat Gilani rocked it today.
This episode also marked the end of Adam’s role in Yamina’s life. While I was thrilled to see a potentially happy ending for Yamina, I was kind of disappointed at the rather tame way Adam made his exit. If all he wanted to say was goodbye, why was he stalking her? Also, did anybody else think he looked unsteady on his feet and doped out of his mind, when he came to bid farewell? I thought this rather strange because earlier when he’d been following Yamina, he looked fine, and was sans those strange dark circles under his eyes. These inconsistencies apart, I must say Junaid Khan was superb as the seemingly soft and charming, but really dark and menacing Adam. Sanam Saeed has been great as the strong-willed Yamina. I hope we continue to see more of her in the coming episodes.
From the precaps it would appear that all the suspense, regarding Ibaad, is finally going to be put to rest, and with Adeel coming to Karachi, it seems the story is about to start wrapping up. How we come to know Ibaad’s fate is the hook for the next episode. Looking forward to next Friday!
Written by SZ~ [email protected]
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