Sanjha is written by Samira Fazal, has a star cast of Resham, Imran Aslam, Fahad Mustafa, Sabreen Baloch, Noman Aijaz and many many more. And yet, it’s not really given the credit that it deserves. Why?
The main issue here would be the storyline – an innocent, naive, girl from the gaon is sold to a brothel in the city by her brother-in-law. Not exactly the type of topic that you would want to show on prime time television. This is most likely the reason that Sanjha is aired on Thursdays, when most people don’t really tune in to watch.
But, this is a huge injustice to the drama. All we really needed was a disclaimer at the beginning of the drama saying “Warning: the following is rated PG-13” or something along those lines, and Sanjha could have easily been aired on a 9 o clock slot on the weekend. But alas, Pakistan’s non-existent ratings have once again caused another drama trouble.
Why am I getting so emotional over this? Because Sanjha is a masterpiece, despite it’s dark and sinister theme. The issue of social trafficking, while a bit taboo in our society, is beautifully shown through the eyes of a young girl whose only concern in life is to have a sturdy roof over her head.
I’ll admit, I was skeptic on whether I would watch Sanjha when I first saw the promos for it. The main lead, Suhaee Abro, is a newcomer to acting, and my patience usually runs thin in the face of bad acting. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I watched the first episode. The viewers got insight into everyday life in the gaon, and it was a treat to watch Sabreen Baloch and Rehan Sheikh’s incredibly natural acting.
But by this point in the drama, that is, episode 7, the main storyline has finally been shown, and it is extremely hard to watch the suffering of all these girls, particularly Sanjha, or “Reshmi” as she has been renamed. I was literally biting my nails this episode when one of the girls was handing the milk containing drugs over to Sanjha.
But before any damage can be done, Mumtaz (Resham) shows up to save the day. In the light of her bruised ego, she decides that she’s not going to sell Sanjha, but use her dancing skills to make a profit and prove that she was a valuable investment. So is this how Sanjha gets to meet Noman Aijaz’s character? And what role will Fahad Mustafa and his mother play in her story? The remaining story is still a mystery, and I for one am anxiously waiting to find out what happens.
–Sarah AKA Noorie
