Let me begin by admitting that this is an unabashedly biased review – I LOVE Sanjha. While I may not leave everything by the wayside to watch it as soon as the first part gets uploaded on youtube, like I do with Humsafar, I do set aside time in a very cramped week to savor each episode, paying attention to every frame, every dialogue, and every nuance of this beautifully told story. This is my guilty pleasure for the week.
Unlike so many other serials currently on air, Sanjha actually has a story to tell. It has clearly defined characters, a great director (with a great eye for cinematic detail), and a fabulous ensemble cast. The story began with a young girl, Sanjha, who leaves her village to come to city to be able to afford a new roof to the replace the old one on her sister ‘s house. Having gone though various trials and tribulations, Ep 10 finds Sanjha, now renamed Reshmi, having made her dancing debut as the latest find in Mumtaz’s establishment. Her dancing skills saved her from being sold the first time around, and some clever maneuvering by Weedu came to rescue her the second time around. Weedu and Sanjha are the unlikeliest of pairs but their bonding is really special to watch. However, with Dr Ammar entering the picture, as Reshmi’s hero, Weedu is compelled to confront and acknowledge his growing feelings for Sanjha. An attempted suicide, by one of Mumtaz’s new girls, hands Shabana the perfect opportunity to twist Mumtaz’s arm and get her permission to observe the going-ons in the kothi-khana as she conducts research for her new book, based on the life and experiences of the girls living there. Meanwhile, Nasim has left the village and come to Karachi to look for her sister Sanjha. With no inkling of how to go about finding her, she is misled by the aunty who had initially brought Sanjha to the city. It is heartbreaking to see her wandering through the streets with a useless piece of paper,which she thinks holds the key to finding Sanjha. The episode ends on a cliff-hanger where Nasim has seemingly stumbled on to what looks like where Sanjha is presently living. Will she succeed in finding Sanjha?
What makes this a standout is the stellar acting by each and every one of the cast members, led by the absolutely superb Resham. I knew she was a good actress, but here she is outstanding. Even as she plays the over made up, tough and foul mouthed Mumtaz, she underplays her role and brings a quiet dignity to her character. Suhaee is endearing as the innocent Reshmi and she dances with a passion that is a joy to behold. Imran Aslam is growing in confidence with every serial he does. One cannot help but feel for Weedu as he struggles to care for his mother, and his relationship with Sanjha is charming in its innocence.
Samira ji’s dialogues are hard hitting and deserve special mention. The exchange between Mumtaz and Shabana highlighted the bitter realities that we don’t want to confront. The conversation between Dr. Ammar and Weedu also hit home the fact that issues cannot be resolved by airy speeches, rather, any solution offered has to take into account the harsh ground realities. Finally, kudos to Farooq Rind for pushing the directorial envelope, whereby rather than becoming yet another run of the mill story, Sanjha can rightly be appreciated as a piece of cinematic art.
While this serial may not be included in the top ten lists of popular shows, I would not be surprised if it has has a greater after-life than many of the shows currently on the charts. Like almost all the Bollywood/Hollywood art films that earn critics’ praise but fail to garner popular attention, this serial too caters to a niche audience. It is to HUM TVs credit that they have backed this play indicating strongly that they are cognizant of the needs of a section of the audience that enjoys and appreciates the opportunity to engage with beautifully told stories such as that of Sanjha.
Written By SZ~
