“Magar woh mera beta nahin hai!!!” At last the ugly truth was out!! The relief that Faisal felt at finally being able to tell the truth was palpable, but also evident was the immense pain and mental torture that he was going through. Adeel Hussein was brilliant today as the haunted Faisal. He had married his beloved but instead of enjoying the happily ever after, he found himself living through a never-ending nightmare. Critics, who think Adeel Hussein can’t emote, need only view this episode to see how well he essayed Faisal’s dilemma. He loves his wife but cannot bring himself to love her child. How long is he to be punished for behaving like a mere mortal rather than a saint? Humans, even well-meaning ones are wont to make mistakes, and Faisal is no exception.
Today’s episode was the best one so far. Faisal just cannot will himself to overlook the fact that the child in his care is not his. While he’s trying to clear his head and work through his conflicting emotions, Azaan manages to slip away. He is later found by the police, who hand him over to the grandparents whose suspicions are now confirmed – there is something seriously amiss in Faisal and Ujala’s relationship. This turn in the story compels Faisal to confess the truth to his father. Now the burden of how to best deal with this horrible truth is shared between the father and the son, rather than just Faisal alone. Whether his father’s decision to send Azaan away to boarding school is the right one is something that time will decide; and whether that time will be enough for Faisal and Ujala to work through their problems is something that we have to wait till next week to see.
The sensitivity and the aesthetic sensibility with which this very emotional story has been handled is something that we seldom come across in Pakistan TV plays these days. Director Anjum Shahzad has resisted the temptation to over tell the story and for this he deserves a round of applause. Shahzad has also managed to extract a great performance from the child actor playing the role of Azaan; the child was heart-wrenchingly adorable as he asked his grandfather why he was being sent away. Aamina Shaikh has been acknowledged as a capable actress and today’s episode was no exception. She was very good as the mother conflicted by the love for her child and the pain she sees her lover/husband going through. But it is Adeel Hussein who has really surprised me. He was good in his final confrontation with Aamina Shaikh in Daam, but then average in Mera Naseeb, where the role didn’t require too much from him. But here, he is exceptional. The scene where first he was driving around trying to clear his head and then finally stopping to throw up was very well done. Similarly his confession to Firdous Jamal, and the scene where he and Aamina Shaikh were on opposite ends of the door, each helplessly crying for their lost love was superbly executed.
While I thoroughly enjoyed Mora Piya today, what really irritated me was the very loud background music. There is more than enough drama in the story that it does not to be artificially enhanced by overly loud music. I don’t know if it is possible to fix it at this late stage, but if at all possible, please do it – my ears will be eternally grateful.
