Ayza has single handedly managed to brew up a storm and play havoc with everyone’s life. The biggest issue in these two episodes was Ayza’s car getting wrecked and the second biggest issue was Aima’s wedding to Hashim. Also, the problems related to Hamza and Hamnah’s marriage are a direct outcome of Hammad and Ayza’s grand wedding and Hamnah’s parents are right in thinking that this won’t be the first and last wish of Hamza’s parents. What a sad state of affairs. Except for Ayza none of the children take into consideration their parent’s wishes, which puts them in a very difficult situation. Hamnah and Hamza talk to each other so just like Ayza Hamza has managed to convince his fiancé too that they are not asking for much.
Hammad has been doing whatever he could do please Ayza ever since the two started talking to each other and now that they are married Ayza has no problem in showing Hammad and his family just how controlling, dominating and stubborn she is. I was surprised when Akbari asked Ayza to go back to her house, good to know that there is someone who can convince her! At the same time I was terribly disappointed in her when she lied to Hashim’s mother. The blatant lie she told her about Nasir not wanting both the sisters to get married in the same house was very upsetting. How can a grandmother do this to her granddaughter? I really do not understand that how can Aima getting married in the same house be troublesome for Ayza.
I really felt for Rafia in this episode, happiness is short lived and it did not take her long to find out that Ayza is not her good luck charm after all! I must mention something here that I actually liked about Ayza. Every time she overheard something or found out about something, she confronted or asked the person concerned immediately and did not keep it to herself. Even if all of it led to more problems but that is one characteristic of her character that stood out for me. For example when she overhears her Mother in law telling the neighbor that she wanted Hashim and Aima to get married, she immediately asked her Mother in Law about it. Normally in dramas if someone hears something like this, they will pretend they don’t know and confide in the person they trust most or start planning something in their own mind. Second example would be when she saw Anila’s call in Hammad’s phone, she asked him right afterwards. Also, when she found out the truth about her car and decided to leave the house she told everyone that she had found out. This of course is part of her blunt nature but something that I think is different from what we see normally.
One thing was proved today that Hammad is a very good liar! I was actually surprised at the way he immediately covered up for himself when Ayza asked him about Anila and later on how he lied to her about the car. I wonder where the Hammad/Anila track is going; right now it seems quite unnecessary. Mikaal Zulfiqar is a very good actor, he has done wonders in many plays but he does not seem to be giving his best to this particular character; it is definitely not coming easily to him and sometimes the dialogue delivery can be very flat.
Akbari’s double standards were yet another shocking revelation. Ayza is so liberal and Akbari never has a problem with anything she does but when it comes to Aima and Hashim she is constantly judging Aima and her parents.
The scene where everyone shouts at Zain one by one after the accident was rather odd. Everyone had something to say and they said it one after the other. But that does not change the fact that I actually felt for him and could totally imagine the youngest kid in particular being put through all this.
Overall, these two episodes were strictly okay. Mirat-ul-Uroos has its strengths and weaknesses. The strengths are that it the characters are well etched out and extremely relatable and it is a family drama. For me the biggest weakness of this play besides the predictable track has to be that most of the actors playing the lead do not fit in their roles. All these actors have proved their mettle time and again but in this particular play they seem like misfits. Sometimes very average scripts and characters are made memorable because they are acted out so well and sometimes one is just left wondering. I will however continue watching Mirat ul Uroos because it may not be a perfect package but it is also not the kind of play that can totally be missed once you start watching it.
Fatima Awan.
