Ohkay so, this episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan was phenomenal. I loved how everything has been unfolding in this drama at every stage, like they are making us feel for the characters every step of the way & are revealing the true colors of some of the characters as well, which makes it such an interesting watch because you are forced to decipher everything as it comes as not everything is explained in detail but just a few hints here & there make you understand and think about the entire scenario, which is amazing. The director has shown what an amazing grip he had on the script & that is why he succeeded in getting the best out of all these actors & making all the situations insightful, which has turned Alif Allah Aur Insaan into a complete package.
So, Raani now known as Reena Begum’s dreams came crumbling down when she had to face such dire consequences only because someone else praised her for the talent she had which she was oblivious of. Nigaar Begum made sure to draw a line that too in a very harsh manner to kind of teach Raani a lesson that she shouldn’t cross that territory which Nigaar designed for her. I loved how for a brief moment they showed Raani’s mother thinking about her daughter even when she wasn’t feeling well & the next moment they showed Raani terrified, thinking about the one person who is all about comfort – her mother. For that brief moment Raani looked like a little girl in the park who gets scared if she loses her mother’s sight & this is what Raani was going through, she knew that she burnt all the bridges when she made the choice of moving to Nigaar’s realm, but now she was realizing that it wasn’t going to be easy, it wasn’t easy not being able to see or speak to her mother of all the people.
The conversation that the rest of the courtesans had about Nigaar, Raani & their own fate was heart wrenching as it described how helpless they were & how empty they felt from inside. The fact that they all felt bad for Raani showed that they knew Nigaar in & out & they were very well aware of what Nigaar’s colorful past where she stepped on others to come to this position that she was now enjoying the bounties of. I loved how each & every other conversation, be it the one that the courtesans were having or Raani’s notes to herself, revolved around the comparisons of what life was like inside or could be like outside this brothel. As harsh as it may be, but the reality check has struck Raani & she now knows that she didn’t make a right choice. I loved how there was a scene showing Raani standing behind iron window bars, it depicted that a free bird was now caged and she was restless because she isn’t used to this kind of life. I can’t wait to see what life has in store for Raani, how she will pave her way out of this golden cage. I want to see that if Raani will assure Nigaar that she won’t be taking her place ever, will Nigaar grow a little courteous towards her? I know Nigaar has made some very bizarre choices in the past to get where she is at this stage but I want to see if she will make any exceptions for Raani?
So, Nazneen has all of a sudden started showing interest in Basit. I think I would’ve found it a bit convincing if Nazneen had paid attention to Basit without anyone’s suggestions, like then her feelings would’ve seemed genuine but now it’s like just because she is under the influence of her friends, she is seeing Basit through a different perspective. Nazneen was introduced as someone who does what she deems right & doesn’t listen to anyone, so to see her following her friends’ instructions wasn’t in line with her character. Yes, this happens, like usually its the friends who push you into something that you have never paid attention to all your life but the sudden switch in Nazneen’s attitude was a little hard to digest. In the preview, when I saw the scene where Nazneen complimented Basit, I thought that would be just the beginning & she will take things slow that too after she will genuinely develop feelings for him but I was taken aback when I saw her openly hitting on him every chance she got while completely ignoring the fact that Basit was uncomfortable. I understand, Nazneen is quite self-absorbed & she is immature like spoiled to think about anyone else but to see her being completely oblivious of Basit’s discomfort was once again displeasing. This entire scenario as much as I thought would be interesting has had a shaky start, I do however feel that Shammo’s curse that he blurted for Nazneen will come to haunt her & may be that will be her undoing & we will see a change in her attitude, her nature & her overall personality but right now, things are still not as appealing as I thought they would be.
Even though things were awkward for Basit but I liked seeing his take on this entire scenario where Nazneen was getting a bit too frank with him & he was drawing a line. Not sure how long Basit will be able to ignore Nazneen’s advances but it was actually quite mature of him to remind her that she was engaged & that they had parallel paths. The way Basit’s attitude changed after Malik Hashmat’s call did suggest that for a moment he actually forgot about the differences between Nazneen & him & he also forgot that Hashmat has entrusted his daughter to him, but all of a sudden his phone call served as a reality check & Basit was forced to face the reality. I also enjoyed the conversation that Malik Hashmat had with his wife, it was interesting how he had so much of confidence on Basit & wasn’t actually bothered about the fact that his daughter could do something to displease him, whereas his wife on the other hand was far more practical & realistic as she could feel that so much of freedom & independence might push Nazneen to focus on other things in her life, which she can not afford to.
I loved the note at which the episode ended, I am glad they didn’t drag things & made it happen a bit too quickly, which was Shammi’s encounter with Raani at Nigaar’s brothel. I so want to see if Nigaar will now grow jealous of this little detail too that Shammi knows Raani or she will ignore it because if that happens, then Shammi will definitely be able to help Raani in getting out of this jail. Shahzeb’s scene was strictly alright, like even he has now realized that he is not Nazneen’s priority & even though he is hurt, he is trying to hide it from his mother but Zaitoon can see that Nazneen is becoming an emotional burden for Shahzeb.
Overall, I loved this episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan, I enjoyed the direction of this episode the most, like the director has executed this drama with so much of perfection that a few little praises just aren’t enough. Ushna Shah once again stole the show, it was absolutely heart-wrenching seeing Raani crying out loud in fear & then shedding a few tears because she was saddened by the turn her life has taken. All of Raani’s thoughts are so easy to understand & the credit goes to Ushna for making this possible. Shehzad sheikh definitely shone in this episode, I feel no other actor could’ve given this sort of treatment to Basit’s character which Shehzad has. The preview of the next episode seemed interesting however, I will say that I am not looking forward to Shahzeb & Baba Jee’s conversation, lol. Basit will be sharing his feelings with his friend, which means he will get affected by Nazneen’s sudden interest in him. Things are looking promising & I can’t wait to watch the next episode. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.