Go ahead, call me delusional, off my rocker, or what you may please, but I am totally into Mataa-e Jaan. Whether others enjoy it or not, whether there is chemistry between the lead pair or not, whether the hero or heroine suit their roles or not, all these issues do not seem to bother me. Unlike its predecessor Humsafar, where a formulaic plot was elevated above the rest with the help of a strong screenplay, artistic cinematic treatment, great acting, and an overall glitzy packaging, here, in my opinion, the strong script with it mature approach to relevant contemporary issues, superb onscreen narration, excellent cinematography, deft handling of the intertwining tracks, and overall good acting, all come together to ensure that Mataa-e Jaan rises above the specifics of physics, chemistry, and physiology.
Today, as I watched Adam and Yamina wrangle over the culmination of their marriage, I found myself cheering for Yamina as she refused to yield her ground and forged ahead with her plans to make Adam pay heavily for his misdeeds – you go girl!! Finally, we see an educated girl, using her brains to tackle life’s curveballs in a sensible and rational manner, without resorting to bouts of self-pity and OTT crying and sobbing. Even though she is advised to “forgive and forget” Adam (huh?) and return to New York with her sister and grandmother, she stands her ground and vows to make her soon-to-be-ex pay. She might rue her decision later, but for now—girl you have my vote for the strongest, most empowered female lead on TV these days.
Moving from the travails of one sister to the trials of the other, Haniya and Ibaad’s romance received a serious reality check with Uzair Farooq’s blithe announcement of Ibaad’s engagement to his cousin. Seamlessly moving from New York to Karachi, it was great to see the oh-so-cool Ibaad finally lose his temper and confront his parents. Clearly the man has hidden depths! However, Uzair Farooqui is nobody’s fool. He totally roughshod over his son’s vehement protestations and rushed him to the engagement party. This was such a well-done scene. Ibaad’s arrival, him receiving the news of the impending engagement party, the showdown between Ibaad and Uzair, and Ibaad’s tense but very tender exchange with his mother, Hajra. The choicest scene for me was when a visibly discomfited Ibaad refused to put the ring on Anoushey’s finger, the accusatory look he gave to his mother, and Hajra’s pleading look back, begging him to not lose his cool – Wah!
As has now become the norm for Mataa-e Jaan, the narrative was again fast-paced. Even though so much happened, I never felt rushed. Almost effortlessly the story moved from New York to “Chicago,” back to New York, and on to Karachi. The three tracks were beautifully interpolated. What is interesting here is that even though this is ostensibly Haniya and Ibaad’s story, Adam and Yamina’s track has never been relegated to the back seat. Their characters are equally, if not more, fleshed out than Aabi and Haniya’s. In terms of acting, for me, this was Adeel Hussain and Hina Bayat’s episode. Those few moments towards the end were truly powerful. Not many words were exchanged between the mother and son, but so much was said—exquisitely done!
Another great episode and another well-spent Friday afternoon! Keep’em coming MJ & Co!
Written by SZ~ [email protected]
Follow me on Twitter: SZ_DramaPakistani (@sz_dp)
