Ohkay so, the story took a massive twist with this episode, it was intense but real. Who would’ve thought that this drama would not only be a breath of fresh air but it will question the chauvinist mentality so openly. The way the message that has been embedded in this story is coming across, is not only interesting but it is something that actually does make you ponder about what the writer is trying to tell here. I love these sort of dramas where the message gets relayed without things becoming too preachy & the fact that the writer took the responsibility to show us the other side of the picture is just brilliant!
Sassi never would’ve imagined that the father that she idealized all her life would turn out to be the biggest hindrance in achieving her dreams. It was so obvious that she saw everything through Khayyam’s eyes & that is why, she ended up shaping her character in a way that she assumed would be approved by her father. Sadly, now when she is forced to wake up & smell the coffee that her father Khayyam Sani is not as unconventional & is just as typical as other men, she is shaken to the core because for her, it is like she is being told to re-live her entire life with different set of standards, different mind-set, different dreams, different aspirations, different ideology – only because the man she followed is not happy with her choices!
Finally, it felt like luck was on Qasim’s side & he was brought back into Mumtaz’s house, despite not wanting to. It was good to see the considerate side of Khayyam because he genuinely seemed concerned for Qasim & couldn’t really put two & two together as to why was Qasim sleeping at his shop. I love the subtlety of Qasim’s character, like he is always just so engrossed in his own thoughts but is still far more aware of what those who love him, expect from him. Qasim can’t take Sassi out of his mind but just because Mumtaz has said no, he can’t think beyond that & he wouldn’t even try to change or influence Mumtaz’s decision. I loved when Qasim came back he was expecting a warm welcome from Sassi, but just when he didn’t get it, he was clearly upset. It is interesting how Sassi brings out this different side to Qasim without him even realizing because he is always just so calm & composed but when it comes to Sassi or anything related to her, it seems that he is under a spell; with no control over himself & his emotions whatsoever. The way Qasim snapped at his colleague went to show that he just can not contain his emotions if there’s anything that has to do with Sassi, yes, when he is in front of her, he really can be calm without showing her the signs of the storm brewing inside him!
So, Sassi finally got to channel out her anger & her frustration because she thought it was a high time she should tell Khayyam what was bothering her & why. It was so realistic that Sassi targeted Sonia Jahan’s photos in Khayyam’s room because she knew they were like his Achilles Heel & it would hurt him the most, probably just as much as she was hurt. Khayyam actually thought that he would play the typical dad with no-means-no attitude & it will work on Sassi but she got him familiar with the truth in such a way that even Khayyam couldn’t imagine. I loved the fact that Sassi didn’t tell Khayyam directly that his fixation with Sonia Jahan was what got her fascinated by her personality too, she in fact brought in Mumtaz to tell her father about his double standards. Every single word that came from Sassi was based on the bitter reality that Khayyam himself was oblivious of & probably the one who is so good with words was left speechless because the girl standing in front of him, confronting him, looking him into his eyes had a valid point & there was nothing that Khayyam could say that would change the truth that he was a hypocrite.
To be honest, I actually thought that Mumtaz would understand Sassi, especially after the stand that she took for her but the way Mumtaz went to console Khayyam saying that he wasn’t at fault made me feel like I lost quite a lot of sympathy that I had for her because honestly, she has inflicted this upon herself & since she doesn’t see anything wrong with the way Khayyam treats her, then there’s no point in seeing her as a victim. I feel if Khayyam is a wrong influence on Sassi, then so is Mumtaz because she showed Sassi what a wife should not be, how a mother should not be & most importantly, what a woman should not be – hopeless, clueless, with no control & zero self-respect. I always thought that it was Khayyam who influenced Sassi’s behavior towards his mother, which actually is true but then seeing how Mumtaz behaved I felt she herself has left quite an impression on Sassi, an impression enough to teach her that no woman should become a doormat like Mumtaz. So, this is what Sassi conveyed to Khayyam & even Mumtaz but if only they both could understand their faults in stead of blaming it on someone else like Khayyam did or brushing it under the carpet like Mumtaz!
Qasim finally tried to have a conversation with Sassi but since she is so not in the right place emotionally, she even saw Khayyam’s shadow in Qasim. Who would’ve thought that the girl who wanted her partner to be like Khayyam & the one who didn’t see Qasim as a man enough like Khayyam, would be so shaken by what she experienced that just the faintest similarity that too being a result of her own assumption would make her turn away from someone like Qasim who has been her support for such a long time. Sassi really is not getting what turn her life has taken & she is leaving no stone unturned to make it obvious to everyone around her, thanks to Khayyam that along with so many other things, he taught her consistency as well!
I so wanted to know what Khayyam’s answer to Sonia Jahan’s question was but they left it for now, however even after hearing so much from Sassi, Khayyam just stood there looking at Sonia’s performance without batting an eyelid as if this was his birth right & it had nothing to be ashamed of. I actually felt like banging Khayyam’s head on the wall when he once again blamed Mumtaz for turning Sassi away from him, like seriously, this man is literally blind to his own faults, to such an extent that even after so much has happened & the havoc that Sassi has created, all he could deduce out of it was that everything happened because of Mumtaz & she turned Sassi against him? It is shocking that even such a clear cut reality check from Sassi couldn’t make him think about his own faults, but I really wish he goes through something so huge that would actually make him realize how wrong he has been, probably all his life!
Overall, this episode was brilliant, I just couldn’t keep my eyes off the screen as the performances were outstanding & everything was just so intense. Sajal Ali should actually take a bow for breathing life, heart & soul into Sassi’s character & for conveying her with so much of perfection & clarity. It is definitely not easy playing a character like Sassi but Sajal has shown what she is capable of. Noman Ejaz, Irsa Ghazal & Bilal Abbas Khan have given such amazing performances that seeing them on screen is nothing less than a treat. O, so looks like Sonia Jahan has a secret that she is hiding which will probably be revealed in the next episode – another chapter that would unveil the double standards of men I believe, so looking forward to it. Absolutely loving this drama so far & just can not wait for the next episode already. Please share your thoughts about this episode of O Rangreza.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
PS: First & foremost, I would love to thank my dear friend Fatima Awan for covering for me while I was away. :) I would also love to thank all the dear readers for their kind wishes & prayers on the birth of my baby, I went through all the comments & it really warmed my heart. Thank you so much, it means a lot. :)
Also, Eid ul Azha Mubarak to all the Reviewit Readers. :)
