Daagh is another hit given by Sarmat Khoosat! The cast has notable stars like Fahad Mustafa, Sana Askari, Shama Askari, Yusra Rizvi, Firdous Jamal and the female lead Mehar Bano, who is a newcomer. Every actor in this show has played their character to perfection. Each character has its own story and we can see the characters evolve overtime. The flow and pace of the show is pretty smooth which makes the show more intriguing. The light touch of the melodious title song also adds life to the emotionally heavy scenes and makes it more interesting to the viewers.
This drama reflects a social issue still very common in our society nowadays. It is disheartening to see that people still have such orthodox views about having daughters and not sons. It is a modern world and such views should be eradicated from society as daughters are no less than sons in the era.
The promos of this show did not look promising as it seemed like the ‘same old story’ about how shameful it is considered in our society to have no sons and only daughters. For some people in our society, daughters are considered a huge responsibility and are condemned. The whole blame of producing daughter also goes to the mother’s shoulders. It is saddening to see that such people still exist in our society who put all the blame on the woman.
This drama revolves around Murad played by Fahad Mustafa and Emama played by Mehar Bano who met in university and fell in love. Emama’s father is shown as a stern man who has no love for his three daughters as he considers them a huge burden. He is completely against the marriage as he wanted to get Emama married to his sister’s son, Mushtaq and thinks that Emama has marred his reputation by marrying Murad whom she ‘supposedly’ had a fling in the university. He breaks all ties with her after her marriage. Murad’s mother is not happy at first with Murad’s marriage as she also wanted him to marry her sister’s daughter Deeba (played by Sana Askari) who has always been in love with Murad, but accepts Emama for her son’s happiness.
Emama has only one fear in her life and that is of having daughters as she has seen her father’s attitude towards her mother and incessant taunts all her life, for not being able to produce a son. Murad was a huge support to Emama at first and assured her that he would never change his attitude towards her for having daughters. But after 9 years and four daughters, we saw a different Murad altogether. Suddenly, all he worries about is the huge responsibility of his daughters. He does not blame Emama or demean her in anyway but his attitude towards his daughters is far from affectionate. Emama’s mother in laws’ attitude is very cold towards her and her daughters and her verbal taunts and constant reminders of her worthlessness have no end. The only member of the family who is polite to Emama and her daughters is Rehana, Murad’s elder sister. She had helped Emama and given her courage at every step. The only problem in her life is the lack of children. And that is why when she asked Murad and Emama to give their newborn daughter Soha to her, they agreed. Emama gave her daughter to Rehana with a heavy heart in the hope that this act will make a place for her in her mother in law’s heart. But even after her sacrifice, her mother in law is still adamant on getting Murad married to his cousin Deeba to fulfill her wish of having a grandson. Murad, who has always disliked Deeba refuses but finally gives into the pressure and emotional blackmail done by his mother. His wish for a son makes him give in to his mother’s demand for the second marriage.
You cannot help but pity Emama’s character. First, she saw her father craving for a son and now Murad. She is shown as a timid and introvert woman who bears it all without a word. This quality manages to annoy the viewers at some point. Murad is shown as a supportive husband but turns selfish in a weak moment. Rehana is another positive character in this show while Murad’s mother and his younger sister Noureen are selfish and had made every attempt to make Emama’s life miserable.
To sum it up, this show is a good combination of cast, story, director and screenplay. Although, the story is not new but this show still manages to grab the viewers’ attention. The newcomer Mehar Bano has also done a good for a newcomer and Fahad Mustafa is phenomenal as usual! Sana Askari is seen at her best as Deeba who is in love with her cousin to the point of obsession. This show is definitely worth watching!
Mariam Shafiq
