This latest episode of Zun Mureed once again showed the difficulties Tabbasum had to face only because she refused to be beaten up and asked for some respect in return for everything she had done for her husband and his family. Tabbasum isn’t asking for much but Sajjad’s ego won’t allow him to admit that he was wrong and Tabbasum had no choice but to seek protection from the authorities. Sajjad’s ego stands in the way of a reconciliation and Mariam continues to do whatever she can in order to make sure that Tabbasum doesn’t come back to this house. Sajjad’s mother already wants that he should divorce Tabbbasum. It is truly upsetting to see these seemingly educated woman deriving pleasure out of someone’s suffering and this someone is not only their immediate family member but is also the person who looked after the house and at least one of these women for many years! Mariam and Bi Jaan have nothing to gain from making this situation even worse except control (of course!!). This entire situation has been shown realistically because unfortunately in a joint set up there are plenty of women like Bi Jaan who do not let their degrees stand in the way of their ignorance! They only want Tabbasum out of Sajjad’s life because they can’t see him giving his attention to her!
This drama aptly shows the problems a woman is most likely to face if she sends her husband to jail for beating her up. No one cares what Sajjad did, everyone is focusing on the fact that Tabbasum punished him for what he did to her. It is a common practice not just in our society but in many countries to blame the victim instead of the perpetrator and this practice is even more common when the victim is either a woman or someone from a minority group. If a woman musters up the courage to take a stand for herself, she will constantly be judged for doing so by majority of people including her own family members. Now with the freedom of media and the popularity of social media, the battle becomes even harder. It is good to see that the writer has shown that there are also people who applaud such women and acknowledge the fact that it is important for a woman to do whatever it takes to protect herself. Many of the scenes tonight showed how everyone was continuously judging Tabbasum and feeling for Sajjad. Tabbasum’s bhabhi’s remarks about the school principal who invited Tabbasum to come talk to her students showed that no matter what a woman achieves, some people will judge her based on her ‘marital status’! There are very few people who understand what Tabbasum is going through and even fewer who genuinely want to help.
Tabbasum was finally reunited with her children after Mariam figured out that Sajjad might give in to the pressure if the kids gave him too much trouble. Mariam’s husband is the only one who understands the situation but no one wants to listen to him! Fari and her class fellow’s conversation highlighted some important aspects of domestic abuse but these two actors are definitely not well-suited for the roles they are playing.
Zun Mureed’s script is faultless and some of the performances are right on point too but Nadia Khan continues to be the weakest link! I don’t understand why she chose to play such a role when she cannot compromise on her make-up and styling and I am also wondering why the producers thought that someone like her who still has a long way to go could have done justice to such a powerful character! Our drama industry is filled with talented actresses who could have done complete justice to this role. Amna Mufti’s script is intelligently written which is the only reason why it gives you a great deal to talk about and something to look forward to every week.
I am waiting to see if Tabbasum will eventually go back to Sajjad’s house. Right now it seems highly unlikely! How many of you watched tonight’s episode? Do share your thoughts about it.