Mausam… Zindagi ka? Yadoon ka? Lamhon ka? Kiska…?
In a world of lackluster stories and same old, same old formulas, where the tried and tested reigns supreme, Mausam is a flicker of hope. Jaisay shamma kay akhiri lamhon mein shayad kabhi umeed nazar aati ho waisay mujhe Mausam mein umeed ki kiran nazar aa rahi hai. Kyun…?
Mausam isn’t a “new” or “original” story, but how many of our stories truly are? It isn’t “modern” (whatever that means for the people who use it rather liberally), it isn’t slick, in fact, it is the same old love triangle: two sisters, one man. Far from the innovation we so desperately want, so desperately seek. Yet, this ostensibly mundane and to some extent boring story has kept me engrossed for sometime now!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z_lwrf19ok
I first thought of reviewing Mausam a while back but then decided to err on the side of caution (I had Bashar Momin as a scare y’all!) before embarking on a full-on reviewing exercise. What actually surprised me was that where Laa was getting loads of attention and false accolades and Ahista Ahista became paisa vasool television, Mausam wasn’t getting the attention it rightly deserved.
For twelve weeks now, this story has more than just piqued my interest. Yes, yes, I agree Hashir’s mother can’t act to save her life (Aunty-ji you’re best playing Romaisa’s evil saas), but the rest of the cast is on point! Saman (Hareem Farooq), Fazeelat (Naila Jaffery), Faisal (Yasir Mazhar), Rabia, Shazia (Yumna Zaidi), Hashir (Ahsan Khan), and even Mehreen (Shazia Naaz) were at one stage or another blowing the competition away. The subtle raised eyebrows, the fading smiles, those breaking hearts were so beautifully captured on film and rendered on many a television set.
Aliya Bukhari’s script draws upon the same two sister-one guy triangle with a case of mistaken identities and perpetual loss and suffering in sight. Yet, after almost half the series down, I cannot help but admire the way she decided to write the characters. For instance, even though Shazia is all shades of evil, I still cannot come to hate her. Similarly, Saman is helpless, I know this, I see this, but she still seems silent and strong. The third player Hashir has yet to shine, but something tells me the second half belongs to him.
Of course, all this would not be possible without a stellar cast and irrespective of the naysayers, HUM TV I applaud you for your casting, it was new and fresh and at the same time had reasonable acting talent. Okay, okay, Romaisa’s saas isn’t that bad after all. Nigar, I found, was a drag the first few episodes especially the tension between her and Hashir but as the series continues I see her fitting into the role fairly well. The same goes for Shazia Naaz, her he-loves-me, he-loves-me-not, I’m going to sacrifice myself for him spiral had me going nuts (seriously woman WAKE UP!) and now I can forgive her this obsession (if only momentarily).
Naila Jaffery, Anita Camphor, and Humaira Zaheer remind me of Samina Peerzada, Sakina Samoo, Rubina Ashraf, and Bushra Ansari from Mera Naseeb. If Anita Camphor is loud and garish, then, Naila Jaffery and Humaira Zaheer hold their own with silent, strong performances.
Yumna Zaidi and Hareem Farooq are both very well suited to their characters. The former in all her evil ways still retains a hint of masoomiyat. Every time Mehreen and Nigar chide her, I see in Shazia’s eyes the realization of her actions. So there’s still some redeeming here, but hey, I might be completely wrong. Hareem, Hareem, Hareem… TUSSI CHA GAYE HO! I first saw Ms. Farooq in Siyaah (read the full review here, if you’re so inclined, and if horror floats your boat wait till you see my review for Woh Dobara on DP) and I liked her at times terrorized and at times terrorizing performance. She brings a certain introverted charm to Saman that no other actress could have. I see in her a silent Sanam Saeed, the kind that’s strong and practical. Both these girls are not only well cast but do justice to their roles!
It doesn’t end here after a rather long dry spell Mausam (rather aptly) keeps on giving.
The soundtrack with its mellow tone focuses on the lyrics and brings us back to the central theme: Yeh phool dil ka nahi khil sakay ga. Truly no one is happy in this series. Not Hashir, not Saman, not Faisal, not Shazia, no one (lead cast ho ya supporting cast). The editors and music director worked well using the melodic chorus of the OST as the background score at various junctures, a fact I appreciate very much.
Equally impressive is the art direction and cinematography. Every shot is beautifully framed with colours bursting forth and capturing the screen in perfect balance with the neutrals. This coupled with beautifully shot sequences make Mausam a definite star amongst this season’s dramas. Attention to detail is what made Humsafar a pleasure to watch, and I finally see HUM TV coming back to what they do best.
Their signature style let’s call it the “Humsafar Effect”, which lately they’ve drifted away from, is what audiences expect (or at least have come to expect) from them. In Mausam, they return to what makes them the “class apart” channel. Behind every frown, under every veil, I can see Momina Duraid’s exacting eye for detail, which is what made HUM TV a success. Sometimes returning to your roots is a good thing, it allows you perspective on what you do well and what you don’t.
After twelve weeks, Mausam, Khawateen-o-Hazrat, is a return back to HUM TV’s forgotten roots. I cannot predict what will happen next but I, personally, have enjoyed the ride so far even though it has had its awkward moments (quite a few might I add). I hope you’ll watch and enjoy for what it is, a emotional saga of young love or should I say almost love.
If and when we meet again.
This is RB signing off (Tweet me!).
