15 Unnecessary Yet Necessary Thoughts I Had on Case No. 9

Case No. 9 recent episodes just went from a message-based narrative on anti rape trial courts to take on a social media angle that threatens to blow up the proceedings, leaving the court case, a minor part of the grand total of events that transpired so far. The storytelling moved at a fast-pace, something Case No.9 has always been credited with, but one wondered if we really needed to see all the details played out outside court, or maybe, this is how real life happens? Ummm, maybe not? Read on as we disect our thoughts, 15 of them to be exact!

The episodes were all about the impact of social media on cases such as Seher’s where victim blaming, social pressure, misuse of power and privilege by the accused and lack of proper evidence serves to weaken the case of the rape survivor, and hence, make it a necessity to impose public pressure on the accused or his family in order to deliver justice, or at least, a fair hearing.

But here’s what went through my mind while watching the latest episodes…

1. Shahzeb Khanzada’s entry in the show as himself…an attempt to blend real life into reel life or perhaps a risk, ahem, chance, the creators were willing to take in order to gain maximum traction in final episodes? Tell me if it hit the jackpot or, went horribly wrong?
2. Uroosa and Abrar seem to be the valuable side-kicks for our main characters and they definitely need more screen time. After all, it was Abrar who discovered the mobile numbers with the switched identities, a key evidence in Seher’s case, and Uroosa who fended off Mr. Kamran over the phone and also made sure Seher spoke to her father before the show – a game-changing move that gave Seher confidence to carry on, which she did with flying colours.
3. But then why did Beenish proceed to reveal crucial evidence in an online talkshow rather than in court? Or, wait a minute, is Beenish going to leak the evidence on social media without a source so that the judge can’t put it on her? Now that’s a clever move, if there was one!
4. Shahzeb and his team countering Kamran’s request that he wants to appear on the show with Seher and that an alleged rapist and a rape survivor can’t appear side by side was great education for the general public, however, it felt a tad contrived and ahem, self glorified – yeah we know social media has rules, but we also know the audience wants to see them together and sparks will fly and… that’s exactly what the creators plan to show in episode next, possibly? So yeah, we got that plot line, even though you meant it to be a surpise/sensation?
5. But the main question is… how can a case under trail in the anti-rape trial court appear online on social media? Would that not lead the judge to dismiss the case, is it even allowed that the two parties make the case public and engage in a public debate on the events that were, by all aspects, considered, confidential proceedings?
6. Seher stating that a first time offender is still an offender, and just because he has a clean record doesn’t mean he can do no wrong for the first time? Hmm, that one hit the nail and threw me back to Logic 101, a course one should do well to sign up for in college. Say less.
7. Shahzeb asking Seher if she still wanted to proceed and then counter questioning her was an attempt to keep things neutral, just so no one assumes the news is partial, as opposed to Mr. Adeel Malik’s earlier podcast which seemed to lay the blame on Seher entirely and already assumed Kamran is innocent – a solid case to show that ahem – not ALL social media influencers are the same. Some play by the rules! P.S. Read between the lines!
8. Seher supporting Kiran and acknowledging that it is not easy for a woman in her place to take a stand was as significant as Seher stating that Rohit did nothing revolutionary by standing up for her, he had no choice. But it was, in fact Manisha who needed to be lauded for her brave and steady support throughout.
9. Seher acknowledging the mental torture her family suffered throughout was a tear jerker for sure and it brought home, in a real sense, what families such as Seher’s have to suffer through, and the need to be kind and above all, human. It is not lack of evidence but the pain we make these people go through that prevents them from seeking justice in court in the first place.
10. Would Case No. 9 have served water-tight storytelling goals if the arguments were restricted to in-court proceedings? Did the social media podcasts turn it into a social media circus, one that now undermines the struggle of a real rape survivor who would never want to step into the public courts and suffer the trolling and judgements Seher had to face?
11. Or, on another note, did Case No. 9 open up the playing field by allowing Seher to tell her story to the masses who would now exert pressure on the justice system to hand out a just sentence in the court of law – the power of social media cannot be denied.
12. In a real world, would the Kirans and Rohits of this world really stand up to the Kamrans amongst us? It’s good to see it played out onscreen though, one must never lose hope!
13. And no, I haven’t forgotten inspector Shafiq and his lot. Justice served and Karma, Makafat e Amal and all, is what we don’t want to miss in the final episodes. So SP Zoheb, please do your thing, it’s now or never.
14. Kamran’s gloating face that it’s not everbody’s job to face the media (when Seher froze at the onset) was about to turn on its head and we couldn’t wait for it, but also wondered, had this guy not learnt anything from his past experience with Beenish? Once bitten, twice shy is obviously not a thing in Kamran’s world.
15. And finally, Bukhari not receiving Kamran’s call was the icing on the cake, but one wondered if this was the final undoing as he would have surely stopped Kamran from appearing on Shahzeb’s show… in other words, the game is never over till the last ball is bowled and one wonders if Bukhari threw it away too early?

And so, who’s to blame for the final reckoning? Bukhari for giving up too early or Kamran for calling it too early and possibly about to hand it on a platter to Seher on the talkshow? Over confidence is a thing and Kamran has more than his fair share! Drop us a comment to give us your final prediction on the final episodes of Case No. 9 or… a 16th unnecessary thought?

Meri Zindagi Hai Tu: Episodes 17 and 18 Review