Sang e Mah Episode 9 & 10 – Thought-Provoking Dialogues

Ohkay so, the kind of emotions you go through while watching Sang e Mah goes to show how skillfully this drama has been written, acted & directed. Sang e Mah is definitely a masterpiece that deals with human emotions in such a unique manner. Although everything that is being elaborated may be a fantasy, but the realism in the portrayal of feelings & emotions makes it strike a chord so much. Sang e Mah has so much to offer, it is a multi-faceted story with each one of the characters having so much to contribute through their journey. Props to Mustafa Afridi for writing it just so beautifully & Saife Hassan for directing it equally well.

A Fresh Start

So far, Hilmand’s perspective has been elaborated. He overheard the conversation between Hakeem Guru Baksh & Marjan Khan; which was crystal clear & didn’t leave an ounce of doubt in Hilmand’s mind that his biological father was actually killed by his step-father; someone who lied to him & played with his feelings, someone who made him believe that he actually was a father figure to him all his life. I must commend the attention to detailing because the timeline was established perfectly during their conversation & made it easier to understand that Hilmand actually turned against Marjan Khan a couple of years ago. There definitely is more to this story but when it comes to Hilmand, this is everything that he ever wanted to know & he can not bring himself to give Marjan Khan the benefit of doubt!

Marjan Khan has definitely been trying his best to get rid of Hilmand. Although he may not say it, one after another he has been trying to create such circumstances where even a small mistake would cost Hilmand his life. This is enough to believe that maybe what Guru Baksh said was the truth & Hilmand has been right in his judgment of Marjan’s character. The way he appointed guards to protect Hikmat was yet again a move by him which would end up resulting in Hilmand’s death, with the guards being left to testify that he tried to harm Hikmat, that is why they shot Hilmand in his defense. Marjan loves Zarsanga a lot but he definitely resents Hilmand a lot more, hence the scheming & plotting against him!

Shehrzaad has fallen in love with Hilmand & she has fallen hard. The way she worded her feelings for him was simply beautiful & more so, her friend showed her the kind of perspective she actually was in need of. Although, it is a bit too early to say but somehow, it would be interesting to see how Shehrzaad may help shape Hilmand’s perspective, how she might end up saving him from being just so lost. Hilmand definitely is restless & he needs someone to make him calm. The way Shehrzaad’s character has been established, she is definitely capable of doing that.

I absolutely loved Zarghona’s conversation with Shah Sahab. The beauty of that conversation & the way those dialogues were written so profoundly, left me teary-eyed. More than that, I loved seeing how vulnerable Zarghona was & how she actually wasn’t afraid to admit that. She was definitely tired & burdened, therefore she went to Shah Sahab to help her find a way. It was beautiful how simply he told her to let go of the hatred she had in her heart & how easy it was for Zarghona to follow his advice. Mustafa Afridi gets full points for writing such meaningful dialogues. I loved how throughout Zarghona’s expressions & actions, it was made obvious that everything that she did was related to her love for her only daughter Gulmeena because of which she also understood that she was being unreasonable in putting the burden of her hatred on Gulmeena’s shoulders. Zarghona’s actions had made things difficult for Gulmeena but she decided no more.

Zarsanga & Zarghona’s conversation was another favorite moment of this entire episode for me. The way they spoke about their parents, recalled some beautiful memories & decided to let go of the ill feelings was absolutely sweet. Zarghona may have shed her burdens but the way she spoke about Gulmeena & Hikmat’s wedding showed that it put Zarsanga in a sticky situation. She has been worrying sick about what Jirga’s decision would be for Hilmand, but then again, she also knows the reason why Hilmand has not been on talking terms with Haji Marjan. There is a lot on Zarsanga’s plate but unfortunately, nothing is under her control. Another facet to this entire situation is the possibility of rivalry between Hikmat & Hilmand, which definitely as a mother she dreads the most. Gulmeena was quick to figure it out but Zarghona didn’t see it that way & she thought Hilmand will back out but she may be sadly mistaken.

Hilmand came up with this plan of Gagh only to face Haji Marjan in a Jirga. For him, this is the only opportunity, the only chance through which he will be able to avenge his father’s death. Therefore, even if Hilmand would ever want to back out from this Gagh for the sake of Hikmat, Zarghona, Gulmeena as well as Zarsanga, he will never do that only because of Marjan Khan. He has been entirely focused on how he can bring Marjan down, that is why he didn’t seem a bit too convinced when members of the Jirga showed up, asking him to deal with the family matters behind closed doors. Hilmand only wants to defeat Marjan, that is why he is ready to forsake everyone, even his younger brother Hikmat’s commitment to Gulmeena.

Thought-provoking Dialogues

This entire episode of Sang e Mah belonged to Sania Saeed for me. I can’t even tell how many times I felt overwhelmed with emotions seeing her smile, being happy, feeling finally free by letting go of the life-long burdens. Another brilliant performance was of Harshali’s father, the way he felt disappointed & helpless but had a glimmer in his eyes the moment Zarghona spoke about freeing Mastaan, it was simply a treat to watch. Hania Amir has been absolutely adorable as Gulmeena & I really like how many layers there are to her character as well. I love her sensibility & how she doesn’t shy away from calling spade a spade. There was a lot of warmth in her & Zarghona’s relationship too, which was brilliant. Gulmeena felt a lot more at ease & comfort after seeing Zarghona free from all the negative emotions. Samiya Mumtaz also gave a very convincing performance, it was a treat to see both Sania Saeed & Samiya Mumtaz as sisters, recalling their childhood.

The preview of the next episode did suggest that maybe Hikmat might find out about Marjan, therefore he might retaliate. It would be interesting to see how the story will progress now that Hilmand has found out about Hikmat & Gulmeena’s relationship & also the fact that there is no jirga that he has been looking forward to. Sang e Mah is a masterpiece, there is absolutely no doubt about that. While watching this episode, I kept on noticing how beautiful each & every frame was, how carefully it was put together, how brilliant all the performances were. However, one thing that weighs heavier on the scale are the dialogues for me, Mustafa Afridi should take a bow for such beautifully worded thoughts, it just takes this drama to another level. Please share your thoughts about these episodes of Sang e Mah.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Zahra Mirza

Zahra Mirza got associated with Reviewit.pk in 2012. After moving to Australia, Pakistani content was a way of staying connected to the roots, language & Pakistani culture because it felt home. Eight years ago, review writing began as a hobby but has now turned into a passion.

6 comments

  • Thanks, Zahra for the review. I have below comments for Episode-9.
    It was another interesting episode. Hilmand’s recall for the discussion between Gurubaksh & Marjan khan was penned down precisely with words. The actor playing Gurubaksh did so well from walking into Marjan while boys cleaning the gun barrels till the whole discussion with Marjan. When the revelation happened to Hilmand that Marjan has poisoned his father, Atif there, performed very well by pushing himself to the column at his back and sliding down gradually with all the right expressions on his face. I like the facial expression & fake innocence of Sabz Ali while delivering the dialogue, “kaunsi jagah oil ki bottle hai,” “kaunsa Godam”…..Hahaha. Another highlight was the “Tu Tu main main” kind of words exchange between Hilman & Zarghona, before Hilmand actually start the past story.
    Another one was the interaction between Zarghona-Gulmeena past Hilmand’s meeting with Zarghona. Here also a “Tu Tu main main” kind of words exchange was found. Gulmeena trying real hard to bend her stiff mother with her little experience & more emotions but on the other hand Zarghona is more into emotions and this makes her stiffer each day while looking at the people around her, who actually were the reasons for her loss.
    Unexpectedly, the interaction between Shaherzad & her Boss made me surprised more. The Boss is actually very close to her and they two have very good chemistry. Dialogues there were penned very beautifully. “jis din aapko logon ki baton se farq parne lage to aap shrink hone lagte ho, phir app bonay ban jate ho aur tab ek phoonk hi kaafi hoti hai aapko zameen pe girane k liye”. What a good way to describe the absence of confidence for making a self-decision of any kind.
    The next interesting dialogue was about one-sided love. One-sided love is always been given very low importance until you hear this, “Ektarfa Mohabbat mein hi insan hanste hanste ekdam ro parta hai. One-sided love is purer & selfless and has its own feelings. Lastly, the park scene between Shaherzad & her Boss was very eye-pleasing. The bench with white Trees above & around it, Shaherzad sitting on it, then her boss joining her, and the whole discussion there was good to watch. I liked the whole park atmosphere very much, especially the white trees around the bench

  • Thanks, Zahra for the review. I have below comments for Episode-10.
    This episode was more interesting than the previous one. The major highlight was the consultation of Zarghona from Shahji. Zarghona approaching him means she considers him purer than the other religious leader in the village. His summary of enmity passing over the generations was the crux & I could not leave it without iterating; “Log aulad k liye viarasat mein nafrat chor jate hain aur aulad bhi ise amanat samajh k apni aulad ke liye chor jati hai.” And the way he proposes a way of taking out enmity with an example pf white lime paint (choona), was marvelous. While painting anything with white liquid limestone (choona), if one does not cover the gaps of the surface with proper putty or repair it first, the liquid limestone will come out by water & expose the gaps very badly. Similarly, if you do not mend the broken relationship first but just feel guilty about yourself & walk ahead on the right path, will not make your peace of mind. The broken relations will keep on haunting you.
    However, even after this beautiful lecture by Shahji, Zarghona could not be able to take out the enmity from her heart to spare Mastan when his parents came to her doorstep. However, when she turns to leave them there, she saw Gulmeena looking at her mother with no surprise but expecting the same answer from her. Here, it reminds Zarghona that she is transferring enmity to her daughter & her daughter will do the same to her kids. Affected by shahji’s words, here she spares Mastan Singh. The warm reaction of Gulmeena to her mother’s change in attitude is a clear indication that children take love more easily than enmity.
    Zarghona-Zarsangha meet was very emotional & the story about her Daji & Amma with Gur ka halwa & dodhe, was the another highlight. In this emotional scene, humor comes out as when they were kids, they expect “aur sham hone tak hum kisi doosre jhagre ki duawein mangte the, tak halwa khane mile.” Also, the dialogue, “hum bare hoke chote hogaye hain, kash hum bare hi na huye hote.”
    Badam Gul’s scene with a kid taking three times halwa by deceiving Gulmeena, was a LOL for me.
    Hilmand’s opening scene of self-talking about halal dunba referring Gulmeena when he make Gagh & then the same becoming haram as he is snatching the love interest of his brother, was beautifully penned. And lastly, referring himself with Lady Diana who was at right & loved by people but claimed to be killed by her mother-in-law, was marvelous. He is also on the same path as Diana to get killed. That’s why he tells the jirga people to make Fateha for Diana, which means for himself.

  • Zahra Ji,

    A well written review.

    There will be a twist in this tale, and that is, Marjan Khan has not killed Hilmand’s father, it is Zarsanga who killed him.
    The “kutte ka keh key, bandha maar diya” dialogue hints at Zarsanga, because, she would have asked Marjan Khan to get the poison to kill a dog, which he assumed was what it was for. Having said this, Marjan Khan will find ways and means to eliminate Hilmand.

    Looking forward to your reviews.

    Thank You and Regards,
    Ketan

  • Good to see some religious person in positive character, otherwise our writers have taken the responsibility of defaming everyone with dadhi (beard) and chadder.