This is not just a tale of a Pakistani drama that fell victim to flashbacks, skewed storytelling and main character flaws, it is a tale of unfinished stories – Gul Meher’s story, and under developed main character stories – Meeran and Nisa. But at the same time, Biryani must be lauded for picking up a thread that needed to be told yesterday – of cousin marriages, feudal lords, the traumas of the Urdu speaking community in Pakistan, multiple ethnicities residing under one roof and the strength of a woman – but the story is only half the battle, how you tell it makes all the difference.
The thing with Pakistani dramas, is that the 30 odd episode series is like a game of T20 Cricket. One never knows if the six we hit at the beginning will win the game, or the batting collapse in the 16th over will stagger the play to a point where die-hard cricket fans will switch off their TV sets or phones, where ever they’re watching, and descend into a state of self pity, rage, eventually catching the news next morning, or even X memes, to finally see and (mourn on) how it all went down.
Some promising drama story lines follow a similar route, and boy, is it heartbreaking. Because, if there’s anything a Pakistani loves as much as a good game of cricket, it’s a good drama watch. And if the fireworks are anything to go by, Biryani had it all layered superbly, with just the right mix of spices, including the aaloos, and simmering at the right temperature so that it all culminates into a burst of flavour towards the end.
But that was not to be. The batting collapse followed. However, like I always say, the good things first.
Biryani fielded questions on cousin marriage, feudal lifestyles, the plight of Urdu speaking communities in Karachi, their interaction with Punjabis, Sindhis and multiple ethnicities, languages, backgrounds from all over the country with the main players – Meeran and Nisa in transition, Mammoo and Baba Saeen gatekeeping their heritage and Gul Meher, dear Gul Meher, struggling to speak a truth that no one wanted to hear, but winning hearts in the process.
Biryani delivered romance, young, passionate and alive, in the endearing love story of Nisa and Meeran, two people who came together despite the wide disparity in their language, background or family life – just being and existing together, finding love in special moments, the story of unafraid youth that does not consider race, language, culture or ethnicity as a barrier. When the straight-thinking Nisa lost her heart, when Meeran found it, holding on to it like a precious gemstone, one felt these two had found the key to eternal happiness. The scenes were sensual, the visuals, raw and yet dreamy – from Meeran learning how to ride a bike, to Nisa, falling for him despite her loathing for anything feudal, their silly yet precious plans to marry after she pursued her career, life was perfect, but not quite.
But what set the drama apart was in the way it propelled the difference in the cultural background of these two lovers – despite a few storytelling misses, the narrative had our attention – Sindhi feudal vs Urdu speaking vs Punjabis, living together, side by side in one city, yet so far apart in their lifestyles and cultures, language and foods, that, despite our internal biases, drew us to them. It was as if the drama navigated the tough job of finding a meeting point for these souls as the solution to all the resentment mamoo harboured for his feudal neighbours, all the disdain Nisa felt for Tanveer and people like her, all the misconceptions (or truths) about Meeran’s life in the village – were they really misconceptions or had life improved, with the progressive Gul Meher educating young village women, and Baba Saeen empowering her to take charge.
The narrative seemed promising. But then came the first marriage, one Meeran hadn’t revealed to Nisa. And the tragic flaw unfolded in the story as Nisa decided to marry Rashid bhai. What followed was a story that went south, and the second Biryani took origin…one that wasn’t as well layered as the first one.
From Meeran never really apologizing to Nisa for not disclosing his first marriage, to Gul Meher being on the war path against cousin marriages, yet staying tied to Meeran as his first wife, to bringing these two young lovers together – the finale seemed wanting.
Our heroine Gul Meher was left with a school to run and a plaque with Meeran’s name on it. Meeran and Nisa lived happily ever after, but disappointingly, neither of them really came full circle, Nisa gave in to Meeran’s love, just because she discovered Rashid bhai’s treachery – a poor excuse for a love so deep as hers, and Meeran, poor Meeran, one questioned if he ever outgrew his 15 year old self when he married Gul Meher, as here too, it was Gul Meher who orchestrated his union with Nisa.
And finally, what of our Gul Meher? After fighting so passionately against cousin marriage, did she not deserve to be freed? Did the storytelling leave something in the final moments? Would Meeran really survive without Gul Meher or will this, Gul Meher’s final leave be his awakening, and journey into a young adult, capable of taking independent decisions, finally? Allowed to grow up without holding onto his ‘mother’s’ hand?
But then, questions remained… If cousin marriage was at the heart of the Biryani battle, why did Gul Meher appear so unhappy when she turned away from Nisa and Meeran? Was it all about self sacrifice, about handing Meeran the love of his life and steering him into adulthood, with no regard for her own happiness? For someone who stood up so staunchly against cousin marriage, did she not deserve to be set free? What a great message for all those who might be coerced into the same arrangement in future – how empowering for all the Gul Meher’s and Meeran’s watching – for the drama to deliver a final nail in the coffin of cousin marriages?
But it was not to be.
The messages in Biryani were deeply poignant, yet drifted into a series of interminable flashbacks and stretched storylines. And that brings us to the same question we asked earlier – the story is only half the battle, how you tell it makes all the difference. Leave it too long and you burn the dish, leave it too early and you end up with an under-cooked tale. The six in the beginning might have won the match if the tail-enders had kept up the pace.
But it was not to be.
Biryani left us with unresolved moments in a story that said so much with courage and honesty.
But even though the final flavour had something missing, all was not lost as we reassure ourselves with the thought that a Pakistani drama delved wholeheartedly into places and conversations that we have rarely seen on TV – of our shared heritage, the traumas of migration and the aftermath suffered by future generations. A nation carries a heavy weight on its shoulders when its souls battle for freedom although its people have been set free.
The precious lessons from Biryani? Nisa and Meeran’s story will open hearts and minds to a union of people from different backgrounds, language and culture – breeding a new nation, new communities that are neither Sindhi, Punjabi, Baluchi, Pathan or Urdu speaking, but a wholesome blend of all of the above – this too is possible, will say some like Gul Meher, while others might turn away, like Baba Saeen, and shun the entire debate. Which one will you be?
So whether the dish was undercooked or overdone, this is one takeaway from Biryani that might last a lifetime – Nisa and Meeran’s love story might just shift the dynamics for generations to come – true love overcomes all.
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Biryani is written by Zafar Mairaj and directed by Badar Mehmood. It is produced by Big Bang Productions. The cast features Ramsha Khan, Khushhal Khan, Sarwat Gilani, Laila Wasti, Javed Rizvi, YBQ, and more. It airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8:00 PM on ARY Digital.
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