Ohkay so, this episode of Sang e Mah didn’t really take the story forward but gave an insight into Zarghona’s past in a lot of detail. However, in general, it did seem like a filler episode with more & less similar situations that have already been covered in the previous episodes. Sang e Mah continues to be interesting so far, but now it is at the stage where every episode must develop the story further & show us how their lives are being impacted by whatever is happening.
The Flashbacks
The main focus remained on the importance of Jirga & how everyone in Las Peeran put Jirga on a pedestal where they always relied on its decisions & took it as the final verdict. It also emphasized that the dwellers of this community have always had strong faith that no matter what happens, the Jirga will always find out a solution & will be fair in their judgment. The flashbacks have shown how Zarghona also was of the same opinion but because she did not agree with Jirga’s decision, she lost faith in it completely. However, before that, she continued to plead & looked forward to it thinking it was the only option for her. I kind of liked that out of everyone, Zarghona had this courage to reject Jirga & its decision on the whole & since then, she has taken everything under her control. This is exactly why after Hilmand’s Gagh, she has never once shown keen interest in Jirga & has not even bothered to wait for it. She has decided that she is perfectly fine with Gulmeena & Hikmat’s marriage, therefore she has no issues proceeding with it.
In this episode, Hikmat actually showed some courage & felt it was high time that he stood up for himself. It is unfortunate that he has been a pushover for as far as he remembers, this is why he knew he had to do something instead of letting others make the decision of his life on his behalf. Hikmat may not be too smart but at least after this interaction with his father, he will feel a little confident that he did what he could & didn’t just sit there allowing Marjan Khan to belittle him like he always does. After the preview last week, I thought Hikmat will turn against Marjan after meeting Hilmand & finding out about his reasons but it seems it was purely personal & had nothing to do with Hilmand’s ill feelings towards Marjan. Also, Hikmat himself is now carrying baggage against Hilmand & it won’t be unlikely if he does something irrational to settle the score. He has already started thinking on those lines, now the time will tell how far Hikmat will go!
As I get to know Zarghona & her story, I feel more for her. She definitely has not had it easy & she is a perfect example of how circumstances toughened her. Awal Khan never truly respected her but on the other hand, Asad ullah actually showered her with love that she deserved. This is exactly why even after so many years, she seems lonely & still mourns his loss. I really find it interesting how in the flashback scenes, there is a vulnerability in Zarghona’s body language & a fear on her face but now, she is a completely different person altogether. It also feels a little selfish on Marjan’s part that he hasn’t cut ties with Awal Khan & has rather appointed him as his assistant to do the dirty work for him. This might be another reason why Zarghona has a bit of resentment towards Marjan. Zarsanga definitely isn’t the victim in this situation as she is making it out to be. She has always been selfish, she displayed it in her matters concerning her sister, therefore I don’t blame Hilmand because Zarsanga may have been emotionally unavailable for him too!
Shehrzaad continues to believe everything that Zarsanga tells her, although she has not really lied to her perspective & way of conveying things definitely makes her look like a victim in front of her. This is why Shehrzaad has a soft corner for Zarsanga & actually feels for her. There is no denying the fact that both Marjan & Zarsanga have been kind to Shehrzaad but their portrayal of facts is a little twisted to strengthen their case. Shehrzaad is still trying to put the pieces together, but she continues to get tangled a bit more. Things are definitely not as simple or easy as they seem to & she will probably learn it the hard way.
I feel we missed out on Mastaan’s reaction after Zarghona freed him. They have shown Harshali & her parent’s reactions but Mastaan hasn’t been given the coverage to show what he has been feeling. He still didn’t warm up to Harshali but it is understandable since he spent almost 20 years turning away from any such emotion that had anything to do with love & warmth.
Sabz Ali & his mother have become somewhat an integral part of the story. He continues to tell everything to Hilmand & his mother does the same. I thoroughly enjoyed her interaction with the members of the Jirga. She actually made a lot of sense when she spoke about the unfair treatment handed out to her son & now Hilmand. This entire situation has definitely put everyone in an awkward position & if they do not do anything, it will weaken their importance in Las Peeran. This is exactly why they all seemed so awkward & tried to beat around the bush because they knew she was right!
Brilliant Direction
This episode of Sang e Mah was a bit slow with some of the conversations & situations seemingly repetitive. I wish to see more interactions of Hilmand & Shehrzaad though. I also found Samiya Mumtaz’s performance a little too dramatic & unconvincing, especially when Zarsanga cries in front of Shehrzaad. Also, I fail to understand why Zarsanga has not once met Hilmand after the incident of Gagh? There has not been a single interaction between the mother & her son. Let’s see when that happens. I will definitely commend Saife Hassan for directing this drama beautifully. I couldn’t help notice how beautiful each shot was, the camera work is brilliant. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Sang e Mah.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.