Ohkay so, Day 2 & 6 episodes down so far. So much has happened in the story & what more has to come, I can’t predict. This is what I am loving about this drama that nothing is predictable & they have took me by surprise at times pleasantly & at times sadly with the turn of events.
I resumed watching the play when Bano decides to join Muslim League & becomes an active member of the campaign. Surraiya while taking in consideration her husband’s detest, does what she think is suitable & the least she could do. Giving away her jewellery as a token of support to fund Muslim League’s campaign was heart warming. Even though later on she seeks for her husband’s forgiveness but the way she stands by her decision spoke volumes about her character.
Hassan faces what Saleem wanted him to face but despite all that, his family manages to seek Bano’s proposal. At that moment when Bano senses that her eldest brother Saleem isn’t happy with her engagement, she tells Faheem to help her call off the engagement. This showed how much Bano kept her family close to her heart. It also went to show the seeds of respect, courtesy & compassion Bano had towards her family. Even though she loved Hassan with all her heart & wanted to be with him but just because her brother seemed unhappy, this made her believe that sacrificing her love for her brother’s dignity was the right choice.
Saleem’s character was worth sympathizing with because his mental state was a representation of a lot such Muslims who actually took Hindus as being their well-wishers. Saleem was so brain fed by Raam & Ravi that he was even ready to give away his only sister in a marriage to him. Again it shed a light on the acceptance Muslims had of Hindus & how inter-religion marriages were done to save the families & give a name to the friendship they shared. The time when Saleem learns about his friend’s intentions & cries in helplessness was executed brilliantly. He then understands that whatever the supporters of Muslim League said was right because Congress was a Hindu dominant political party where no one ever intended to help Muslims in this hour of need. Saleem’s frustration surfaced when he wished that Bano had gone away after being married to Hassan, leaving his family shaken in shock because a family member who had so much faith in his political party was at a loss of words, making all the others burdened with worry.
The episode in which the whole family fights & dies was absolutely gutting. I took it fine but the moment Faheem pleads to Bibi that she should strangle Bano to death was what made me teary & overwhelmed. Samina Peerzada & Sanam Baloch should take a bow for such brilliant performances. It was heart-wrenching from there onwards. Surraiya’s last moments were heart-breaking & the way all of them die in just a jiffy tell us about the painful reality that we can not even imagine of. Bibi’s last interaction with Kaminee & her last moments were depressing. The guy who lead the caravan & motivated them had a very small role to play but it was again a powerful performance. The moment he died showed that at that particular time no one was sure of how much time they were left with & no one knew that would they ever be able to make it to their new found home – Pakistan.
What Ravi did to protect Bano was again an unpredictable turn but then I wished if he had manned up a little earlier when Saleem seeked for some help, then things wouldn’t have been the way they were. Raam’s murder by Ravi himself was a proof that Ravi at least once in his life thought of them as a family. Later when that Sardar brings Bano home made it a bit more realistic because I am glad they just didn’t just show that all the Hindus & Sikhs were against Muslims. There were many such Sikhs who actually gave shelter to Muslims & protected them.
I think the recent entry of Basant Singh & his mother is my least favorite so far. I believe they have gotten a lot more screen time than they actually deserve & things are getting a bit slower from now on. Not sure what his intention is but at least it makes the drama a bit light hearted again. It was sad to see Rasheeda & Hassan worry about their family but after not getting any heed of them, sadly Rasheeda kind of moved on but Hassan was naturally stuck in the past showing how sensitive he was. Hassan’s proposal to Bano & then their parting was impactful. Who would’ve thought that when they will see each other again, they’d have suffered so much. Bano’s first ever letter to Hassan was filled with warmth & hope. Little did she know that Basant had no intention of posting it in the first place but at least if this gave her restless heart some peace, then it was worth it.
So far the drama’s going strong. I love how they have again & again labeled Pakistan as ‘Paak Zameen’. We really can not imagine what this partition meant to the Muslims living at that time & how much of a blessing they took it as.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
