Mere Qatil Mere Dildar is one of the more popular drama serials on air these days. Starring Mehwish Hayat, Adnan Siddiqui, Ahsan Khan, Sajal, Shagufta Ejaz, Farhan Ali Agha, Affan Waheed, and Badar Khalil, it is directed by Asim Ali and presented by MD Productions. When the first couple of episodes aired I enjoyed the way the story began. I loved the melodic OST. I liked the pairing of Ahsan and Mehwish, and the ratings indicated that many others thought so as well.
The story began with Maham, who belongs to a middle class background. She lives with her mother, an older married brother and a younger brother. After completing her MBA, Maham works in an office, where she meets and falls in love with Omar, a rich colleague. After some familial objections from Omar’s side, the two eventually get married. Omar’s widowed aunt, however, refuses to accept Maham, because she wants her own daughter to marry Omar. She, therefore, makes life almost impossible for Maham, beginning with asking her to quit her job.
Adding more masala to the story is Adnan Siddiqui’s track. He plays Bakhtiyar, Omar’s married older brother, who makes Maham’s life a living hell. He was interested in her before she got married and now that she’s in his house it’s like open field day for him. To make a long story short, over time Omar’s family is successful in creating enough confusion that he divorces Maham, and is talked into marrying his cousin.
So far I was going along with the admittedly convoluted story. But here’s where it became really absurd. After her divorce, Maham’s sister-in-law transforms into the top contender for the wicked witch of the East award, making Maham responsible for all the household chores. Her brother who, treated her like a daughter before, now loses his brain and starts seeing things solely through his wife’s eyes. Maham, at her end, cries all the time. Okay I understand that getting divorced is not a joke, but still… she is educated, why not go get a job again? Surely there are better alternatives than doing laundry and cooking and sobbing nonstop. After a few more twists, we see Maham deciding to be “strong” and take control of her life.
But, wait! Maham’s way of asserting herself is beyond bizarre. She decides to go ahead and marry her evil brother-in-law to teach her once former-but-now-in-laws-again a lesson?? This is seriously problematic!!! Is this what a woman oriented story means these days?? Is this the moral we are supposed to take from this – in order for a woman to seek justice she should not be expected to depend on herself, her family, her education, rather she should stoop to the lowest level possible and destroy another woman’s home to seek revenge? Wow – talk about taking the phrase “sleeping with the enemy” a little bit too literally!
Given the number of women in our country who suffer through similar unfortunate circumstances, this is what we want them to take away? Is this how we go about empowering our female audiences? Rather than presenting an inovative way forward why is MD Productions churning out the same old drivel? Wrapped up in a glitzy package we see the same old regressive messages being reinforced: A woman’s education means zip zero zilch. She is nothing on her own. In order to assert herself she must have a husband, even if he is the root cause of her misery.
If this is how a strong woman is being defined in Pakistan these days, then, NO THANK YOU, I’m very happy as a weak woman.
Written by SZ ~
