Zakham Episodes 25&26 Review – A Disappointing End

These two episodes marked the end of this drama which failed to make much sense in all the duration of its airing. There were some good pieces of acting, some strong characters and a nice family environment of the drama but the storyline was seriously lacking, and veterans like Faisal Quraishi and Shabbir Jan could not make up for it,nor could the brilliance of performance by Madiha Imam.

The second last episode was wasted on a non sensical issue by Sultan as if he had just come to Pakistan to take away Takbeer’s daughter which is beyond reasoning as Musa and his family were so wholeheartedly accepting of Fatima that taking away a fatherless child from her mother was never meant to be an issue, but quite many scenes and minutes were spent away on this. Then miraculously Khawar was discovered by the police and saved even though it suspected him on bring a mafia head earlier. Then he enters when he is spoken about in a conversation and Takbeer takes a stand for him that she never could for Musa. All her family wants her to get rid of him but she pays no heed.

Once outside, Khawar did another extremely impulsive attempt at suicide but was saved and became all remorseful. It was very bizzare the way Takbeer went on to see him repeatedly in the hospital and prayed for his safety and all, but on another level, it makes kind of sad sense. A woman is never weak but a mother always is. There is always this fear that your second husband might not love your child as much as his or her biological father. This deep rooted fear does make women take decisions like Takbeer did and it has nothing to do with feminism or not, but everything to do with the deep , instinctive, self sacrificing love that every woman has for her child.

Musa was not given closure and was probably the most unfair part of the whole plot. Someone who loved so unconditionally should not have been left in he middle of nowhere like this. shehzad Noor did pretty well for his first major role , but there should have been some sort of an ending given to his story. An explanation, an apology or a discussion of fears, something should have been shown from Takbeer’s side for him. Without that, the viewers are in as much of a limbo as Musa himself.

It cannot be said that this drama made for an interesting watch or consumed a meaningful hour, because it really did not. However, some good performances were a part of it right from the start.

It was advertised in the form of a play showing mental illness but it failed miserably in that aspect. Mental illness needs to be researched and studied thoroughly before setting to show it in some way or the other. People in our society are extremely orthodox about this issue as it is. Sufferers face years of agony before speaking up in the fear of rejection, so showing a villainous personality with mental disorder is not going to help anyone.

Madiha Imam does deserve a special mention in the last review. She was very good in her acting from day one. Actually it was only her who made the drama bearable. Her character and its portrayal was very relatable as someone who tries to please her loved ones before herself, a woman torn between her heart and her duties, a girl embracing motherhood for the sake of her dead sister’s child, a mother who believes in risking her own love for the sake of her daughter’s union with her father. So many women in this world face these dilemmas daily and just like Takbeer, relationships, motherhood, obligations and responsibilities almost invariably always win. Hats off Madiha Imam for making Takbeer’s struggles so real.

Mehwish Mansoor