Day 4 & done with Dastaan. Still surprised at how much they had to share till the end of the drama even. No one could’ve predicted what would’ve been the ending of this serial but whatever happened seems completely justified.
In my honest opinion I think the drama was very gripping till the 18th episode but later on I didn’t enjoy watching it come to a level of family politics. I am also glad that it just didn’t end at that note & in fact showed how Bano contributed the way she could to at least help & inspire people around her. Luckily, Rasheeda escaped from being the only hated character of the drama & that place was over taken well deservingly by Sultana. No doubt she just did what any mother would do but I am glad Rabia was different. As the story moved forward I developed a certain level of respect for Rabia’s character & her wisdom which clearly she didn’t inherit from both her parents but had it as an exclusive trait & strength of her own.
I thought Bano would find peace when she will come to Pakistan but it was upsetting to see no improvement in her mental state in fact it seemed that it worsened as the time progressed. I say that because she took the trauma of 5 years pretty well but now when she came to Pakistan, she should’ve at least forgotten what happened & should’ve worked her way towards the betterment of her dream land – her Pakistan. I know it was Bano’s hope that kept her going when she was trapped with Basant Singh but to see her hopes shatter every single time she came across something unexpected was heart breaking.
Bano was a patriot to the level of devotion but it was sad to see the smallest of the small details take a toll on her state of mind. I think it would’ve been a little more appreciable in my opinion to see her walk towards the acceptance of what her country was. Having said that, after when she starts working, I found that part the best again because those were very serious issues which were conveyed in such a short time but with a brilliant impact. They showed how the system of dowry compelled the helpless parents to keep their daughter’s unmarried. How the elite class crushed the poor & needy beneath their greediness. How people who got the freedom forgot they had to pay the price & justify why they were entitled to it. How those who sacrificed everything were forgotten by the flow of few tears. How the fixation with English was a symbol of mental enslavery. How disowning your mother tongue was nothing but a confession of your complexes & in the end how turning away from the teachings of Islam was the sole reason of all the social evils that people were sunk in. I loved how effortlessly they highlighted the issues which weaken the nation & this is exactly the state of Muslims in Pakistan & all over the world.
I am still a little surprised that whenever the name of Dastaan came under discussion all I ever heard was about Bano, Hassan & their love story but I never actually came across a comment on the issues that this drama highlighted & the lesson it carried to give away to those who watched it. For me, Dastaan was something more than Bano & Hassan & it was an experience from which I learned a lot, it would be an understatement to say that Dastaan is an experience of it’s own & is a journey which was supported by the characters but the message is independent of any character. I feel I am taking the story of hope & sacrifices with me more than anything else.
I must say the way Rabia took responsibility of Bano when she was with them was heart warming. She thought that it was her duty to take care of someone who lost everything to make it to this country. Hassan till the end thought Bano was his responsibility or more like a liability & he labeled himself as guilty whereas this wasn’t the case. I would’ve enjoyed a little more conversations between Bano & Hassan to see how he tried to bring her back to the normal life. After the little speech of hope Hassan gave to Bano, I thought they would actually show them as a pair who worked to enlighten the people & will share the story of Bano with the nation to keep it’s people on the feet but nothing of that sort happened. I think this was ignored because Hassan was surrounded by the issue of marriage at his hand. He was being convinced by everyone around him to get married to Rabia & for this Bano’s progress came to a halt.
Kaleem was once again a dark spot in Bano’s life but he had a pivotal role to play because his murder was what made Bano come to terms with the fact that Basant Singh died & people like him vanished too. This is what made her believe that she is past that stage & she did what she had to because in her perspective Pakistan was now free from people like him & Pakistan was on it’s way towards a brighter future. I think Bano & Hassan had two parallel paths & I sussed it beforehand that they would never be together again because I believe in realistic endings so for this I rate this 10 on 10!
So, my verdict is that it was a time well-spent on this serial. The story was brilliant but a special appreciation should be given to the director for having such a to-the-point & accurate approach in dealing with a script like this. Never came across any such drama where the whole cast was perfect & everyone lived the character assigned to them. Starting from those who had major roles to play to those who came for guest appearances, everyone justified & contributed towards the success of such a perfect drama.
In the end, I would like to thank all those who recommended Dastaan to me & those who actively responded to all the reviews. This level of appreciation & encouragement means a lot to me & I am actually overwhelmed by the warmth I received. You people rock & thanks for being with me on this.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
