Shehr e zaat has not been an easy drama to review , anything involving such a heady, intoxicating mix of religion, social commentary and acute observation of human nature was never going to be instantly digestible.Each episode hung around me like some elusive aroma I had to define before the next one began.Let me begin by saying this was not the perfect ending or what I had hoped for but just as Falak learns what the saints and sages have always reminded us: nothing is perfect except Allah and our wishes are like grains of sand blown along the vastness of time. Tabinda leaves Salman, We do not see her leaving and we do not see her taking the valuables from the house. All we see is Salman Anser’s surprise, his shocked disbelief and then his dawning realization that the letter left for him on a coffee table was true. It was sadly predictable to see him licking his wounds with the Mother he had so rudely turned out of his house in the last episode. How often children feel they can openly abuse their parents and yet when all hope abandons us they are the one harbor in a sea of misery.
I cannot praise Mikaal Zulfikar enough, words fail me. He usually plays these give a damn ,playboy characters with such throw away ease that you forget how talented he is .Wow just wow, he covered such a range of emotions in two minutes that in an average drama it would have taken two episodes to cover. If I could I would give him a standing ovation , this was not an easy or sympathetic role yet by the end of the episode you see the once arrogant , proud ,Tiger of a man laid low like a wounded beast and despite myself I felt a trickle of pity seep from my reluctant heart. On a lighter note (and my regular readers know there is always a lighter note), I cannot help mentioning Mikaal’s perfect looking hair. How does this happen? Come hell or high water his hair looks immaculate,the one time it was tousled just a bit and it still looked good….Even Mahira’s hair was out of control now and then depending on her characters mood but Mikaal seems to possess some secret weapon …none of us have :)
Falak’s journey has reached a point where she too can pity Salman without desperately hoping for reconciliation. She thinks she does not care for him and even when she visits him in the hospital and he begs her to stay or visit him again she leaves him with a grace and equanimity that he does not deserve.When she comes home and stands in front of her mirror the past comes back to remind her how they came to this parting of the ways. I guess Sarmad loves his mirror scenes and Mahira did an excellent job. I cannot help but be reminded of Asher staring at the hospital mirror in Humsafer as he tries to make sense of his feelings for Khirad .In Falak’s case the viewer gets the feeling of release , here at last was some of the indifference she had been hoping for. Obsessive love or even regard for another’s opinion can so often become its own subtle form of bondage, a constant walk on the edge between heaven and hell. I freely admit to being soppy and weeping through Falak’s prayer as she also lay weeping on her prayer mat. “Why does he want me back now? When I am not asking for him, Allah” she says. To say I enjoyed the scene where Falak turns down an offer of reconciliation from Salman would be an understatement. Enjoyed is a very small word, let us use exulted instead. Falak says she has become numb, a block of ice as she discusses this with her Naani .I am not sure her Naani gave her the right advice but there is one thing backing that advice up which trumps all others,the Quraan. The human heart is a capricious thing , blowing hot and cold with every event,there is only one consitant ,everlasting source of wisdom and that is Allah. Allah asks us to forgive, it is as simple and awe inspiringly , monumental as that. Allah asks us to forgive. How jealously we human beings guard our forgiveness for others but expect it to flow like rain from the heavens for us
A part of me really hoped for something better for Falak but despite all her hard earned indifference Falak still cares for him . Her parents are understandably upset at any reconciliation, still she returns to her errant husband but on a new stronger basis than mere attraction. The scene where she throws the bust of Salman to the ground was very satisfying and his almost childish confusion at her actions showed how far he has to grow. This was your “Mohabbut’ he says , ‘ No it was just a symbol’ she replies ,the real thing of value is their relationship which they must now build. I am glad that Falak and Salman’s daughter was shown painting and making little figures so that no one got the impression that these things are somehow intrinsically bad.The bust that Falak made was only bad because of the obsessive earthly love Falak associated with it. As Imam Ghazalli says in his masterpiece the Alchemy of Happiness:” the effect of Music and dancing is deeper in proportion as the natures on which they act are simple and prone to emotion, they fan into flame whatever love is already dormant in the heart, whether it be earthly and sensual, or divine and spiritual”
For some reason there was no mercy for Mehrunissa, played with great style by the ever talented Hina Bayat. I cannot agree that Falak’s mother is the source of her troubles. My hackles naturally rise when parents of any sort are mistreated or blamed as I really adore my own. I understand that she did not give Falak a strong spiritual foundation and that was wrong. It has also taken her a long time to grow and soften but there are plenty of people who give the best religious tarbiyat and yet their children turn out to be monsters and vice versa. Personal responsibility should also figure into this equation. I have personally witnessed heedless, arrogant parents produce, sweet, loving religious minded offspring simply because Allah is Raheem and that is his will.This could have been a dreadful character but Hina somehow softened her to where we all wish to advocate for her. I missed Nadia Afghan in this episode but she was perfection in the last few episodes.
This entire serial is a beautiful work of art. Though I cannot always agree with Umera Ahmed’s vision, her writing is both spiritually moving and deeply sincere. Every phrase was poignant and intellectually stimulating and as always with Umera Ahmed’s work, unforgettable. As a viewer I want to say thank you to Hum TV and Seventh Sky production houses for bringing us this wonderful, thought provoking serial.
The best part of this serial has to be the flawless direction by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, for respecting the intelligence of the viewer and bringing us so close to Falaks incredibly simple journey. Yes I know the last two episodes were stretched a bit but we only noticed because the rest of the serial has been so stellar. Sarmad ji you cannot complain if we complain sometimes, because you are the one who has spoiled us with such heights of perfection…we want cake everyday! Mahira was the perfect choice for Falak, she has made leaps and bounds as a performer and has won our hearts. She has carried this serial and made Falak not some strange, foolish creature in a story but a living, breathing person; we can all see a reflection of ourselves in.
Allah ki mohabbut ke sivay har Muhabbat par Zawal hai….
Written By Sadaf~
