While Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar has never been my
favorite writer, I cannot help but appreciate his craft and talent. Despite the
huge hype surrounding them, I was unable to get hooked onto either Pyaray Afzal or Sadqay Tumhare, two of his past block busters on TV. However, this
time around I am very much on the ‘Meray
Pass Tum Ho’ watcher’s bandwagon; religiously following and commenting on the
very addictive play. What’s more I insist that our female playwrights should take
a leaf out of his book (script rather) and his depiction of a hurt and dejected
man’s emotions onscreen.
So this drama that
has arguably become the biggest television hit since Humsafar, tells the story
of Daanish who has been left high and dry by his beautiful wife for a rich and
suave billionaire. As Daanish was humiliated and ditched by Mahvish the nation
cried with him. Young and old, men and women alike hated the cold-hearted
mother who left a small and super cute sleeping child to walk away with her
boyfriend. As much as I was enjoying the amazing production, what made me pick
up my pen, rather laptop, was not the stellar cast or the amazing direction
that makes it such a pleasure to watch. It is rather this playwright’s brilliant
and bold portrayal of the plight of a heart-broken man.
Let’s take it
from the beginning, when Daanish finds out he has been deceived and his wife is
having an affair behind his back he is shattered and even goes into denial for
sometime. He pleads and begs her to stay back but just as Mehvish is about to step
out of his house and his life, he gets back at her and how with a most humiliating
and cringe-worthy one-liner. As life
moves on the writer shows a post-divorce Daanish slowly and steadily taking charge
of his life and bringing about some changes to it. Whether its quitting his job
or selling his house, he is up and about and not dwelling on the fact that the neighbors
very well know he is lying and actually has been dumped by his spouse. Credit
also must be given to the writer’s portrayal of the protagonist as a sensitive
man whose heartbeat starts to race when he spots Mehvish with Shahwar at a
restaurant. But his sadness and pain do not affect his self-esteem. He is sure
his recent investments will be profitable for him because he feels God will favor
him after the tragedy he has been through in his marriage. He communicates the
same to his son as well. He feels God will love and favor him now that he has
been through such a big tragedy.
In sharp
contrast to this are the uncountable female characters in our plays who are dejected,
tortured and betrayed by their on-screen spouses. These characters either make
a spectacle out of themselves by turning into a weeping mess or resign to their
supposed bad luck by going into self pity and bechargi. I don’t remember any female character in our plays who
feels God will not let any other calamity reach her after a tragedy such as
this. If anything we are normally shown that after a marital tragedy of any
sort more pain and misfortunes are
awaiting the affectee. If the argument is given that such is the reality than
by the same measure men who have been dumped don’t immediately go on to become millionaires
in real life too.
I remember a
distantly similar situation in a play featuring Savera Nadeem and Faisal
Quraishi. The wife faces a tough life alone in her susral as the husband is forced to go abroad to earn for the
betterment of the family. He finds a love interest and secretly marries her
there as well for some visa gains. In all this misery the wife gets close to
his best friend back home and rather than cheating decides to take a divorce
and remarry. Only she is ditched by the friend and left alone to lead a
miserable life humiliated by her own family, in-laws and husband. The husband
never ‘forgives’ her she pays for years with every ounce of her dignity and energy
for the minor mistake which was quite justified. My question is why do women
show other women suffering no matter who’s mistake it is? Why don’t women gang
up on men who are in the wrong just the same way the entire world seems to be
reprimanding Mahvish in MPTH. Yes, its
reel life not real but that’s the whole point. Here is a chance to convey our
stance and send out a message to the society.
Humayon Saeed’s
character is hurt to the core but he is not unsure about his position in any
way. He knows he has been wronged and does not doubt himself even for a minute.
Whereas, in a recent play after the female protagonist comes out of an abusive marriage
and remarries a nice guy, he obviously dies within months! Why? Cant good
things happen to women? Why do they have to be sufferers even if they are in
the right?
Dramas and
movies give the creative liberty and power to writers that can help uplift people
and send across constructive messages to the society. Why can we not show women
a more dignified and positive way to deal with failures and struggles in life
be it a broken relationship, an unjust susral or any other misfortune.
As the story of MPTH is now almost ending and Mahvish
has seen her downfall we see virtually the entire society, including her 5
years old son and the her boyfriend’s butler, condemning her and at times saying
to her face that what she got is what she deserved. KRQ uses the power of his
pen to convey that a woman who betrays will be punished by karma and denounced
by the society at large.
I wish female
playwrights would also put across similar messages that those men who betray or
mistreat their wives are not only seen in a negative light by their peers but
more importantly stand wrong in the sight of the Creator.
Sadly, when a
woman is betrayed or ditched by her husband she is still condemned in real and
reel life. Because she must not have been good enough or done enough for him so
he was forced to stray. Whereas to the point of being infuriating no one in
this script even distantly suggests that maybe Danish gave his wife some
reasons to leave too. He was too possessive and clingy or too complacent about
his career. Why couldn’t he weave his stock market magic while being with her?
In my head if I
role reverse the situation, fellow men will be telling Daanish if only he had
lost some weight and dressed better, he would not have been ditched for a far
trimmer and suave Shahwar!
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