Tonight’s episode of Sabaat yet again suggested that this drama is not going to deal with mental illness seriously like many other Pakistani dramas we have watched in the past. My expectations while watching Sabaat are completely different now. In the beginning, I was expecting it to be more meaningful and well-put-together but now it is pretty clear that Sabaat is another mediocre drama with a star cast. The production values are impressive and Sarah Khan has definitely put in a lot of effort to look and act differently this time around but the character she is playing does not have enough to offer. Miraal/Dr.Haris track is more likely to be a love story since they are not just meeting in cafes but also talking on the phone after working hours! Anaya and Hasan’s relationship is gradually turning out to be the better aspect of this drama although Hasan’s idea of inviting their friends at the office was such a bad one! Anaya’s relationship with her parents remains the best part of this drama but I honestly think that the writer needed to put in more life and substance into Miraal’s character. Miraal could have been a complex and grey character but so far she comes across as a brat who needs to get a life, nothing more and nothing less!!
Anaya and Hasan
All the scenes covering Anaya and Hasan’s track were realistic. The conversation with Anaya’s parents and the sweet romance in the office made their scenes likable. Some of the conversations were stretched and could have been chopped down. It is however strange that Hasan continues to ignore the fact that Anaya and Miraal simply cannot work in the same office especially considering the fact that Miraal is her boss. The writer has already established the fact that Anaya cannot work anywhere else since the last time Hasan tried to work elsewhere, there was great opposition. Anaya for now is putting up with everything in order to keep the ‘peace’. Sadly, Anaya too in a way is turning out to be one of those people who simply let Miraal get away with everything. Hasan thought it was alright to invite their friends to the office without informing ‘the boss’, that was like asking for trouble! Even when Hasan suggested it, I was hoping that Anaya will tell him that this was not a good idea but she went along with the idea. This confrontation was definitely not needed and could have been easily avoided!
It was good to see Anaya sharing her problems with her father and it would have been even better if they got the chance to talk about it. Hasan’s mother also sensed that Miraal might be the reason behind Anaya’s sudden absence. For now, Hasan and Anaya are being ‘nice’ because they do not want to cause more problems for Hasan’s mother. I hope that things change in that department since both these characters have strong personalities and they are educated, they can easily move out of the house and stay in touch with Hasan’s parents. People live independently after getting married, there is nothing unusual about it therefore this whole issue now seems more forced than ever. Hasan and Anaya can live a simple life peacefully free from all the unwanted insults and trouble since they are definitely not dependent on materialistic things for happiness.
Miraal and Dr.Haris
There was only one scene in this episode that covered Dr.Haris’ attempt to make Miraal understand what she needed to do in order to change her thinking and attitude. Miraal did not pay much heed to his advice in fact her dialogue ‘aap meri counseling kar rahe hei ya mujhe depressed kar rahe hei’ was funny! She is so used to hearing what she wants to hear that these polite reality checks make her ‘depressed’!! So basically, Miraal wants Dr.Haris to make her happy – essentially do what everyone else has been doing for years, which is fundamentally the root cause of her mental disorder. Miraal’s scenes tonight clearly suggested that she is also falling for her doctor. She doesn’t want to listen to him and is still quite focused on ‘eliminating’ Anaya but she enjoys talking to Dr.Haris! Showing gradual change in Miraal’s attitude would have made this track more meaningful otherwise Haris could have been Miraal’s love-interest only, why introduce him as the therapist?
Haris’ creepy friend continued to play the role he played in the previous episode. It is truly upsetting watching such a big production house normalizing such behavior. Surely, these scenes are not adding much to the story but give the wrong impression about the profession. Yes! This must happen but why show it so casually like there is nothing wrong with it.
Miraal is no longer seeing ‘naani’ therefore I am assuming that Haris has been able to make Miraal feel less insecure but then is that a good thing? Doesn’t Miraal need to understand that she will eventually be left alone if she doesn’t change her ways? This track is seriously confusing! Any guy Miraal would have fallen for could have made her realize the things, Haris is trying to make her realize. He hasn’t done anything yet which a businessman or an engineer couldn’t do – if you know what I mean!! More than once in this episode, Miraal blamed Hasan’s shadi for making her mentally upset! So basically these 3 sessions with Dr. Haris have not changed her thinking at all.
Final Remarks
Tonight’s episode of Sabaat had some likable scenes, Anaya/Hasan and Anaya’s family’s scenes are always refreshing. The progress in Miraal’s track wasn’t too impressive. Hopefully, a huge loss in business will turn out to be an eye-opener for Miraal! As I said, I don’t have high expectations from this drama anymore. Mawra Hocane and Ameer Gilani look cute together, hopefully, they will move out of this house and start a new life! This drama definitely needs to pick up pace and a change is much-needed.
Can someone please tell me why this employee wanted the day off? His dialogue delivery wasn’t audible. I think I know what he said but not too sure!
Did you watch tonight’s episode of Sabaat? Do share your thoughts about it.
Is employee ney ek din off liya hai and the reason was key mujhey suit laundry karwaana hai. Itni bari company mein kaam karta hai aur suit ki dry cleaning key liye off???? How. Mujhey maaro mujhey maaro. I am fed up of this drama now. It is totally unethical to romanticize with patient. Aur tou patient khud hee dil hee dil mein khushi mana raha hai. Uff. Apt review
That is what I thought he said but wasn’t too sure! Well, big companies do that unfortunately, they don’t pay the employees enough and it also went well with what Dr. Haris was saying to Miraal lekin ye na bhi dikhate tu kher thi unless this will come to haunt Miraal at some point, which I doubt! Also, why doesn’t he just switch jobs he seems like a hardworking and talented man? Yes, Dr. Haris ko doctor nahi dikhana chahyeh tha ye bilkul ghalt hei. Thank you, Waqar.
Jee bilkul he might have been competitor jo key Miraal ko business mein takkar dey sakta tha ya they both started to like each othet despite being business rivalry. Per inhon ney tou pious professionalism ka mazzaq bana diya hai. Our writers don’t believe in research as it takes a toll over them. Hence, we have such mediocre dramas like this one. Meri mbs ka dukh hai mujhey tou. Aur tou Ali ka ab zikar hee nahin hai. Why miraal did not share with Dr. Ops lover Haaris about Ali’s ditch…. i think writer bhi bhool gaya hoga.
Doctor aur patient walay scenes tu kafi undermine kiye hei inhu ne. LOL don’t waste your mbs baad mei forward kar ke dekh liya karei.
Jee zaroor sister. And i would like to bring in your knowledge regarding a person named M. AHMED, who has used such a filthy language against aapi Zahra. Kindly block such nasty people who disrespects other. They can have constructive criticism but foul language is unfair. It is against ethos
Waqar thank you so much for all your support and concern. That is truly unfortunate. I am sure Zahra must have blocked him, she is also a moderator. It is terribly sad that people cannot express their views in a civilized manner.
seriously?? he said dry cleaning was the reason for his day off, now I do know that this drama is going down hill, there is no hope left any more
and yahan mere boss mujhe meri shadi ke din bhi office bula rahe hain
Another amazing review by you Fatima. You are so so right about Haris and Miraal track, I mean what good is this therapist? He should have been a client of Miraal’s or even a common family friend. And what’s up with Usman’s hair? He needs a makeover. I loved him in Ana. His talent is wasted in Sabaat. Hassan and Anaya’s scenes were cute but just as you mentioned this whole situation could’ve been avoided. Good observations. Keep writing these insightful reviews.
Thank you so much Farah for liking the reviews and for commenting. I really liked him as Altamash too although the character was grey, it had a lot of appeal and Usman Mukhtar definitely had more screen presence. Exactly! Hasan and Anaya can conveniently move out, why is Hasan even trying to please his father. He can take his mother into confidence and move out without fighting with anyone!
I intend to, keep reading and commenting.
Fatima I know this is pretty late but I wanted to ask, did you complete watching anaa? How did you feel about it?
Barely! It dragged a lot in the end, the story completely went off track. I watched the last few episodes and was really disappointed by how they ruined such a good drama.
I would say that they come up with a story about mental ilness but trps made them do this. They turned this drama into a mediocre play. Already people here don’t take psychiatrists seriously and now they are showing a doctor getting involved with his patient. Actually it’s ok for Miraal to feel attracted towards him but absurd for a doctor. If they wanted to show that then they should have shown that Haris was Miraal’s class fellow or they know each other and just meeting after a long time and Haris just happens to be a psychiatrist. That way it would have been more digestible. Infact it would have been justified too for Miraal’s character because i think she would never go to a psychiatrist just because her friend asked her to go. Sarah khan did her best but the character itself doesn’t have much to offer. She doesn’t act crazy enough and i knida already know to what extent she will go. Hassan inviting his friends to office was totally a planted situation by the writer so Miraal would tikk off but what she did? She shouldn’t have held back and should have come out all guns blazing. She should have insulted Hassan and Anaya in front of their friends. The flaws in writing is somewhat disappointing. Girl like Miraal should be unpredictable or like you said should be grey character. She should have some good in her so as Audience we can sympathize with her. She is just a spoiled brat but writer is trying to show she has mental issues. She doesn’t have mental issues because she always behaves like this. She doesn’t have variations in her attitude like she should love his father but it doesn’t look like she cares about him.
Anyways i watch it on 2x because it becomes boring. Spot on review.
Ahsan I feel that our writers have never taken mental health seriously because it requires a lot of research. Even in some of the best dramas, for instance, Inkaar, in the end ‘love’ and a mother’s protection/supervision were supposed to cure an evil-minded psychopath like Rehan Chaudhry. I feel that in Pyar Ke Sadqay, the writers approach is much better, she is not telling the viewers about the challenges Abdullah and Mahjabeen have but it is being shown which is always a good idea.
Well, she was having delusions and she is clearly a narcissist but then I don’t think any psychiatrist or psychologist can change a narcissist since that is, unfortunately, a trait that simply doesn’t allow you to do self-introspection.
2x is a good idea, best way to watch this one. What a waste of star cast and good production value. I also like the actor playing Miraal’s dad, hopefully we will see him in a substantial role sometime soon.
Thank you for liking the review and for the detailed comment, I appreciate it.
Thank you for the review.
Haris-Miraal session was off putting. I can see lack research on this side this the setting of session is away from reality.
Hasan should ask his father to let Anaya work elsewhere.
When Miraal entered the conference room while Hasan and friends were enjoying lunch reminded me of a coworker who would have issues when u dont invite to friends lunch (while he is an older colleague and not part of the friends circle).
I think Hasan will move out.
You’re most welcome Pakistani. I agree with you completely, no research whatsoever, I was expecting more substance from this track.
LOL!! Interesting.
I hope he does, he totally should.
pls share with us what you think why the employer wanted the day off, i wanted to know why Miraal agreed so easily, i wasn’t expecting to see Hassan’s friend to come with the friends for lunch
this is another drama that isn’t going to go the way we expected but a lovely review thank u
Shameem as Waqar pointed out he said that he needed to get his suit washed, which means he only has that single outfit that he can wear to work.
Thank you so much for liking the reviews and for commenting.
Reading this review is such a breath of fresh air after reading the extremely insane comments of fans applauding Miraal’s behaviour and saying they feel sorry for her because she’s not mentally okay. I mean wow. She’s an egotistical spoiled brat who has way more than she deserves and takes it for granted. She simply does not want to change her attitude and has no intention in doing so. Other than that, I think it’s high time we stop glorifying such toxic characters because the actor/actress playing that is favourite. Minal Khan is playing a similar character in Jalan and people are criticising her character for that and before you tell me, Miraal is different, let me stop you there. Miraal knows how much Hassan loves Anaya, yet she’s hell bent on getting her out of his life, she’s just as bad. PLEASE STOP GLORIFYING HER ACTIONS.
Uffff that is so true! I don’t understand those comments. I think they are people who follow celebrities on social media and simply love dramas and celebs for their promotions bcz Sarah has been promoting this drama so much. Hardly any sane comments in the YouTube comments section. That is why our producers keep on churning out these pathetic scripts coating them with star casts! Thank you Fatima for being the voice of reason.
You are probably right Ayesha, that can be the only reason. I tried really hard to ‘understand’ Miraal but the fact is that there isn’t much to her character. You’re most welcome, keep reading and commenting.
LOL!! Really? I hardly ever read those comments but I am surprised that people are liking the character and even feeling sorry for her. I think there was a lot of room there to make viewers actually feel for her character but it just doesn’t have those dimensions to it. I agree with you completely, it is alright to praise the performances if they are up to the mark but I don’t understand how someone can like such a character especially because it isn’t even well-written, more of a caricature. Of course! I agree she needs professional help but I do feel that even that won’t help her much unless she really wants to change herself.
Thank you for liking the review and for commenting.
Hassan is good his acting is good but couple doesn’t match director’s selection for the character Anaya is not good many beautiful girls are there in drama industry haniya Aamir suites for this or any other but mawra Hussain is not a good choice her voice is also not good it seems to be suffered from cold or flu
Hassan is good his acting is good but couple doesn’t match director’s selection for the character Anaya is not good many beautiful girls are there in drama industry haniya Aamir suites for this or any other but mawra Hussain is not a good choice her voice is also not good it seems to be suffered from cold or flu
I didn’t get what the employee was saying. We watched that part like three times and still didnt get what he was saying. They deliberately put loud music when he was giving the reason. Must be a lame excuse. -___-
Anyways, the episode was weird and I agree with your review. For some reasons I feel Usman Mukhtar scenes are chopped down for more reason than just the love track of his character. Warna whats the point of having him and not giving him scenes. Also he looks more like a life coach than a psychiatrist.
Aanaya and Hasan who were so strong and independent when they were single and students, totally became spineless after coming together. I just dont get it. Also what was the hurry to get Aanaya in the office right after shaadi? Why couldn’t she take some time off and “fit in” in the new lifestyle. Both Hasan and Aanaya are too good to be true, aur yeh baat mujhse hazam nahi hoti.
I know!! And as far as I know, therapists/psychiatrists are not so easily available! They would go insane themselves if they keep on listening to the problems of their patients after working hours too. But then this is not the usual therapist/patient relationship, they want to ‘frandship’ with each other LOL!!!
I like Hasan and Anaya because they are balanced characters but I agree with you, for now, they are too good to be true, and they are not doing anyone a favor by being that way!
Even I couldn’t catch the excuse that employee was giving while asking for a leave, but I guess there must be something to it as it was given the screen-time. I found out only in the comments that dry cleaning was the reason he gave, which is what I thought he said but wasn’t sure.
The scenes at Anaya’s home are always the best part of the episodes so far. The conversation that Anaya had with her mom, dad and both in several scenes was the most realistic thing about this drama. When Hassan suggested to invite their friends for lunch in office, I was not sure why they chose office….they could’ve done it at home or in a restaurant or anywhere else on a weekend. They already know that Miraal is going to be in office but still they went ahead with it. Every office has the process of booking a meeting room, while their office doesn’t seem to have any. Neither Hassan book a room for their re-union, nor did Miraal for her client meeting! Cafeteria was always an option! Also, Miraal is allowed to have her friend over in office while Hassan and Anaya are not. May be the writer wants Hasan’s friend to report the incident to his boss, that is what this guy is doing since in the whole drama. Reporting incidents where he should not.
Miraal’s friend’s outfit when they were walking in her office was inappropriate for an office environment, for a moment I thought they’re walking out of a gym but then noticed Miraal’s formal wear and also their conversation suggested they were in office. Miraal’s conversation with her friend in office and at her home showed Miraal could also act like a normal girl, at times and can have normal conversations too.
The way Miraal spoke to Anaya in the meeting room was no way a boss would do in real life situations. No one asks people to walk out of the meeting the way she did. I understand the whole idea was to make Anaya feel bad but still could’ve been done in a better way. The way Anaya told Rizwan sahab to not discuss her personal matters was good.
Miraal and Dr Haris’s conversations are unlike any therapist sessions. It would’ve been a good idea to show Haris as her friend who also happens to be a therapist rather than she approaching him for medical help and then turning out to be friends turned lovers.
The way Miraal and her father treat her mom is very bad. The promo showed Anaya telling Miraal that she could also say things but upbringing comes in between…..which is so apt and a slap on her face!
Hello Sheetal, interesting insights like always :) I really think Anaya and Hasan need to do more than just lafzo ke teer chalana haha!! They should move out, get another job – give a loud and clear message to Miraal that she is not in charge!
Its drama is realistic…but why you r not understanding.mr haris and other doctor are frnds and frndship is based on such type of gossip ..why u keep hate for this drama…especially you noticed that there is no tune added in drama .while others dramas have tune louder and talked less…
Your comment makes me sick! If any professional especially doctor talks about their patients like that it is not normal, it is sickening. This comment only shows your ignorance nothing else.
The problem is that they are behaving like college guys at their work place. Though I understand that such things do exist in real life, but it is not ok to normalize these scenarios casually.
We don’t want dramas to glorify and normalize such behavior. Such ‘realistic’ scenarios are uncalled for. I am not keeping hate anywhere, trying really hard to be neutral actually LOL!!
nice review fatima as usual. I had 2 problems – first one the role of Usman and the whole usmaan-miraal track is not handled well, but as I read somewhere, it seems too many scenes of usman are being cut, and they want to slow down the development of the love story after the backlash. second the reason for leave given by employee was funny, i mean even if he has just 1 suit, still, u cant ask for leave, and u get it done on holidays.
Rest everything was fine. this drama has a very calm feel and direction, really unlike yaqeen ka safar by the same director and that was so intense. Im watching all the lead cast for the first time, and have become a fan of all, they all have been excellent in their roles. Usually i hate negative characters, but here Sara Khan’s look , style, her body language and acting has made it the best part of the serial. Drama has become very slow, but still i dont feel bored. The pace is fine for this kind of story.
Thank you tiger. I think only the ‘romantic’ scenes will be chopped down if they want to do that which means there weren’t enough scenes dealing with Miraal’s mental health issues in the first place.
I am glad you are enjoying watching this drama and don’t have the same issues with it which most of us do. I think Sarah Khan has given it her best but the character itself is just plain shallow which is sad because I was looking forward to Sarah playing a complex role for a change.
I didn’t wantch the full episode cuz the love doctor’s pseudo soothing words uttered in a perfect monotone put me to the sleep of death…death of my hopes from this drama. Miraal is now irredeemable, her (fake)lecturer friend useless, her father a fool and her mother a prop. Anaya was a refreshingly candid and natural character but now she’s just another enabler. Hassan, Anaya and her parents are sweet but the plot is proving to be the holy grail of turtles. In short, the drama is boring and the characters dull but Thank God your reviews are neither. They’re always worth a read even when a drama stops being worth a watch. Keep up the good work.
LOL!! You’re right N, the dialogue delivery was just as bad as this track. Thank you so much for liking the reviews and for sharing your views here. I look forward to reading your comments.
Hey Fatima, I am a Psychologist and all I want to say is that your diagnosis about Miraal is 💯 right. She is a narcissist and you are also right about the whole track & how it has been shown. What a disgrace. I don’t ever comment but after reading your reviews previously and this one I just wanted to say that the drama is completely off track but you are on track. Writers should perhaps get guidance from reviewers like you. Have you studied psychology? I have read your reviews and your understanding is impressive.
Hey Dr. Adila, thank you so much for your appreciation. I am so glad that the ‘diagnosis’ has been verified by a professional since clearly the writer does not intend to go deeper into these details, although this was such a good opportunity to do so. Yes, I have studied Psychology as a major for more than 4 years. It was my favorite subject, always wanted to be a psychologist but ended up doing my Masters and M.Phil in a totally different subject – long story;) I still read books and stay in touch with it though. Human behavior, its variations, how the mind works, it is so intriguing.
Thank you so much for liking the review and more importantly for commenting, it means a lot to me.
The only thing i am concerned with, why didn’t Dr. Haris tell Miraal NOT to take a GEHRAAAA SAANS in washroom…? I mean Miraal was concerned about the atmosphere of Haris’ clinic and herself chose to breath inside….eeeewww
😂😂😂
What a fresh air….
Hahaha Baat tu such hei!
Hi everyone! I am a clinical psychologist who used to love watching dramas but I am losing my interest in them these days. Just wanted to drop in and say I have been reading the reviews on this blog and other blogs, the observations of the reviewer here are the ones that are the most well explained in reference to the central character Miraal and what her issues are. I can testify that this psychiatrist Harris is doing more harm than good! We are not trained to do what he is doing. I will be watching this one and reading these reviews. Thank you.
Thank you so much Seema, I think having a background in psychology helps. So glad that we have an expert opinion here which verifies that a therapist shouldn’t be doing what Harris is doing. I hope the writer/producer is reading this and will not take these issues so lightly! They should just stick to making typical love triangle dramas if they cannot do justice to such topics.
Your appreciation means the world to me, I will definitely be looking forward to your feedback.
wow, i was not expecting this from usman mukhtar, both altamash and his role in janaan were entertaining but he seems so bored on set, like one of those librarians in the movies who are half asleep