Udaari is building into a powerful commentary on Pakistani society without falling into the trap of obvious clichés. This week provided another slice of the lives led by a segment of society that doesn’t worry too much about the Zardari’s and Nawaz Sharif’s of this world , a segment that has been so singularly failed by any sort of development that, apart from the gadgets like mobile phones, is still living in the 18th century . They don’t complain about the lack of clean running water or load shedding because they never had such amenities to miss them.
A stand out performance from the brilliant Bushra Ansari as Sheedan made this another must watch episode. Sheedan is so full of life and love, nothing brings her down and she has the courage of those who have always had fight hard for everything in their lives. Sheedan acts as the elder and arranges Sajda’s Nikkah to pa Imtiaz, celebrating their marriage with all the joy and generosity in her soul. Sajda’s marriage is the main focus of the episode and it is set to some wonderful, soulful folk tunes that put me in mind of the old dholki songs my aunts used to sing before the fun Bollywood dance numbers at weddings .The news of her husband Majid’s death cast a dark shadow on the wedding celebrations. It was heartbreaking to see Sheedan and her family suffers this loss.
The other dark shadows this week were Elyas and his mother. Elyas is a dangerous character, abusive and controlling, but the one good thing about people like him is that they are easy to spot. Elyas never hides who he is and I wonder why Meeran is so desperate to be with him? I can only guess he was the first man to pay her any attention, otherwise Meeran’s only family provides a much more stable and pleasant picture of family life than Elyas and his “middleclass” values. Elyas is just an extension of his small minded mother, convinced of their own value and full of jealousy and judgment for everyone else. Again Urwa manages to impress as Meeran, she has the whole silly, young, unthinking teenager down to an art. Harris Waheed who plays Elyas is very effective too, mixing menace with his attraction to the young Meeran; a fascinating combination for some young women.
Pa Imtiaz is a dream husband. Young, plenty of money and a friend to all; Imtiaz is also a caring husband and a surprisingly good father to Zebu, whom he is determined to continuously spoil with gift after gift. At first Sajda doesn’t know what to make of such extravagance and so much attention. She is not a fool, a sensible, honest woman; Sajda has worked hard to live a decent, respectable life without depending on anyone. I felt happy for poor Sajda, she has been so lonely and so starved of affection and companionship for so long that I wanted to believe Imtiaz was a mercy sent by Allah in this widow’s hour of need .Next week’s promos however prove I am wrong, my heart trembles just watching the scene of Imtiaz handsome face take such and evil cast as he talks to Zebu in a disgusting and totally unacceptable manner.
Ahsan Khan is simply brilliant in this role, and it looks as if this will be another landmark role for him. The way Imtiaz has won everyone’s good opinion and the way he has trapped Sajda is typical of such monsters. Unlike Elyas such devils don’t come with warning labels. It is a shame because it is already difficult to find a match for single mothers, who often live lives of loneliness because of such fears for their children. Sammiya Mumtaz has also given yet another sensitive and sincere performance as Sajda; it’s just that this has been her go to role for some time. She plays basically the same roles in Dukhtar and in Ali ki Ammi so nothing new there.
Director Ehtashamuddin deserves a round of applause for this wonderful episode. After Dayar e Dil ended I have been missing something and I think Udaari has filled that hole. The wonderful authenticity, the way all the tracks are blended and the great performances elicited are all due to the directors expert touch .The best part is the way the music has been used to enhance the story instead of taking it over.
This week we got to see the elite class band again. I have to congratulate Babar Zaheer the famous stylist, for Farhan Saeed’s look. Although he has a wonderful voice, I usually switch over the channel as soon as I see Farhan Saeed on screen but in this drama he actually looks kind of cute… I really like all the members of this band especially the girl with the pet, she seems the most authentic. The weakest link is Maryam Fatima Playing Farwa, her dialogue delivery lacks any inflexion and she really has to work on her expressions. Add to this someone has frightened her into using a bucketful of self-tanner which is pretty obvious when she creeps out of the house to meet her friends.
Udaari looks like another tour de force by Farhat Ishtiaq. I laughed, I smiled, I cried and then I trembled with apprehension for Zebu. Farhat Ishtiaq has always been a master story teller; I am just hoping she gets the dialogue right this time and takes this serial to the next level.
written by Sadaf
This review can also be found HERE
To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour – William Blake
I have heard you can see the whole world in a grain of sand, and that is how I felt after watching this week’s wonderful episode of Udaari. Meeran carries the burden of her birth like a rock on her back. The Zamindar’s nephew feels he has a right to assault her just because her family sings and dances, while Elyas and his mother look down on her because she is from a family of Mirasis .It’s as if she has no value at all. Just like any other human being she has her own little world of hopes and wishes, needs and wants but ‘respectable” society thinks of her as less than an ordinary woman because she comes from a certain family. Every one of us is a world in a grain of sand, no matter how lowly or high we suppose ourselves we are all created from the same clay.
It is a constant source of amazement to me how people come up with different ways of degrading and dehumanizing each other. If it isn’t caste, it will be skin colour, if it isn’t colour, it will be social class and anything else we can think up to put another person down. I have to say Urwa gave a surprisingly effective performance as a Meeran. I actually started to cry after a while. Elyas is just one degree of dreadful below the Zamindar’s nephew and his loud , vulgar mother , is the voice of large sections of society however much we might like to think she is a just a single, nasty character. From next week’s promo, Elyas’s abusive and controlling behavior is only going to get worse, I just hope Meeran realizes what a mirage his attention is and finds a better life partner. It’s not a wild guess that Farhan Saeed’s character Arsh might have a chance?
Bushra Ansari is brilliant performer and if there weren’t so many strong performances to talk about I would say she stole the show. There is a reason why Pakistan loves this talented actress. I loved her, unafraid and fierce at the Zamindar’s house, but always the loving mother who is easily mannaoed by her children. The one thing that never changes about Sheedan is her pride and integrity; she is a hard working woman who never begged a day in her life.
Sammiya Mumtaz as Sajda is also a pleasure to watch. Her story is nothing new so far but fits in well with the rest of the narrative. I have seen ladies of grand marble palaces argue with their maids and make them leave the house late at night but I have also seen other women send their driver to drop off a female servant out of concern for her safety. Ahsan Khan as Pa Imtiaz is a dream come true; handsome, young and his pockets full of money from Dubai. I wonder if Sajda would have married him if she had received some support from her family. So far Ahsan Khan is completely believable in his love and concern for Sajda and her daughter. He seems just a touch flamboyant for a simple widow like Sajda but it’s not an unreasonable match; both have known each other for years, both were married before and they all get along.
Director Ehtashamuddin deserves full credit for not playing up the melodrama and keeping a light hand on the empathy factor without losing the impact. Most dramas demand our sympathy with loud background music and a poor man singing AAAAAAAA (like he has a spoon stuck in his throat). This drama is going to touch on serious issues but Ehtashamuddin has thankfully given it a light, accessible feel. The music is wonderful, supporting the mood of its characters and the situation. I loved the authentic, folksy lilt to all the songs especially those picturized on Bushra Ansari at the wedding. I am so sorry ,last week I forgot to credit Hadiqa Kayani , who provided us with another lovely song this week .Writer Farhat Ishtiaq has written a fascinating well plotted story, which I hope will not just entertain but help to inform and open our hearts and minds. This week there were no repetitive dialogues and I watched the whole show enthralled. I especially loved all the efforts made: the settings, the clothes and the makeup all looked appropriate and added a lot to the flavour of the show.
Ok, today’s episode made me so angry that I cannot resist saying that Elyas needs to have his attitude slapped out of him and the Zamindar’s nephew needs it kicked out of him . There , now I have said it I feel much better .
written by Sadaf This review also appears Here
