Meem Se Mohabbat delivered some thought provoking moments this week. While Roshi’s journey became more relatable and less OTT (thank Goodness), Talha also came off as, albeit the sharp, forbidding young boss, but also the key anchor in a story that still needs superheroes to save the day – and the promo tells us, he will!
Roshi in Trouble
What stood out as a tangibly relatable plot line was Roshi succumbing to pressure from Shariq to ride off into the sunset (birthday party), rather carelessly yet understandably, young girls might see themselves in Roshi, finally(?). Roshi’s antics– a tad defiant, yet innocent, insanely gullible, yet relatable, silly, yet endearing antics have finally made us warm up to her character.
Dananeer is doing a believable job in recent episodes, at striking the balance between clever young girl who gets into a scrape because, well, she believes in herself and in her power to move mountains. Youth is a double-edged sword, it achieves, yet, always juggling a tipping point between smart and silly – Roshi is that juggler in Meem e Mohabbat.
Some of her antics will come off as plain big- brained schemes meant in good faith e.g. Calling Dr. Gopal to move the appointment, while some will come off as a tad frivolous, e.g. sending off that email, and then again, some as plain defiance; striking a bond with the ‘suss’ Shariq who is any young, unsuspecting girl’s worst nightmare.
Shades Of Haseena Moin
Meem Se Mohabbat however, seems to be a cross between Haseena Moin’s Ankahi and Dhoop Kinare, moving from angry boss hero to a bumbling young heroine who is chided, set straight and hence, turns defiant till she errs to the point of no return – handsome boss saves the day of course. However, the scenario in the recent episodes where Shariq tricks Roshi into going to the dodgy party with him was well executed and quite believable, hair-raising as well for sure.
Note to young girls, invite a friend along, trust your first instincts to run and tell a friend or family member exactly where you’re going and with whom!
The drama made all these points crystal clear, and we hope everyone’s listening. Predators like Shariq exist and so do young girls like Roshi. Roshi’s defiant nature was reminiscent of how young people behave when they are met with criticism (Again, a classic Haseena Moin heroine trait). And even though a young girl might seem very headstrong and sure of herself, she failed to call out Shariq for owning her work as his own and was also fooled by his birthday and late office sitting plan.
At the if day, there is no harm in taking from classic projects like Haseena Moin’s as long as one makes them their own and relevant to the times we live in. And hopefully, Meem Se Mohabbat might do that.
Did Shariq Get Off Too Lightly?
What was doubly interesting was how Talha saved the day when he came upon Shariq and Roshi in the office working late and how he removed her from the project and changed her seating. But we wonder why Shariq got off so lightly. Why was he not sent a warning by Talha or, is it that, as Shariq put it, workplaces are not educational institutions, and adults should be treated as adults?
However, in this case, Shariq’s behaviour, making a young intern stay back late alone, should not be part of the office manual and he should have been reprimanded, even though Talha might not be suspecting the worst. But a shout out to his words of caution to Roshi – “don’t stay back with anyone, not even me.” Again, he did drop her home though. How can a girl protect herself in the workplace and still learn to trust? Meem Se Mohabbat is asking questions.
Great Chemistry
Talha’s father and Roshi’s relationship is a breath of fresh air. The fact that he called her out for fibbing with Dr. Gopal was a needed add in the script, however, he too, needs a dose of laughter in his life and these two – Dananeer and Asif Raza Mir seem to share prize chemistry onscreen.
Looking Ahead
As the drama progresses, we hope Roshi’s character is not undermined or compromised at the expense of making her appear foolish and Talha, a superhero. While we appreciate men like Talha in our lives, the forbidding hero might be a charm of the past, unless he shows space for growth and many more dimensions in his character. Having said that, Ahad Raza Mir is carrying the show and we’re enjoying the subtle shades coming off as he struggles to ‘temper his temper’ yet understand Roshi is but unable to discern between the intents of shady young men like Shariq.
Perhaps it is nostalgic to have a character like Talha onscreen if he doesn’t take over the narrative entirely and Roshi too, grows to be a power to be reckoned with. If you’re watching Meem Se Mohabbat, tell us what you think about the recent episodes. Is Roshi’s character and current predicament a relatable sketch of how real life plays out at times.
Meem Se Mohabbat is penned by Farhat Ishtiaq with direction from Ali Hassan. The drama airs on HUM TV as a Momina Duraid production with a cast featuring Ahad Raza Mir, Dananeer Mobeen, Asif Raza Mir, Zarrar Khan, Khadija Saleem, Faiza Gilani, Tehseen Wajahat, Rabia Rizwan, Zainab Mazhar, Muhammad Hunbal, Naveen Naqvi, Arshad Mahmood, Irfanullah, Neha, Abu Hurairah, Raana Zafar, Touseeq Haider.
