“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference,”
The Road Not Taken – Robert Frost
Tan Man Neel O Neel is a drama that turned the story on its head in the last 10 minutes of the final episode. At that critical point in the episode, one could have taken the story anywhere. A happily ever after is what Pakistani drama viewers crave, yet, a happily ever after was not what they were going to get this time. What followed delivered a numbing shock to the senses and yet, one the nation agrees unanimously, we deserved, much like a resounding punch in the face, to shake us into our senses.
We reached out to the creators of this masterpiece from HUM TV and we are honoured to bring to you, thoughts from the makers and cast of Tan Man Neel O Neel on a message that must be set down in stone, committed to memory and repeated daily, just like a student recalls his school lesson.
That’s the critical nature of mob violence and its sinister call to action. It must be stopped, and now.
On speaking to Mustafa Afridi, the pen that scripted the story, he had this to say:
Mustafa Afridi:
Speaking about his vision for Tan Man Neel O Neel, Mustafa Afridi, the pen behind the story, shared:
“If even two or three people choose not to join a mob after watching this, I’ll consider my job done.”
On the reasoning behind the tragic finale, he explained, “I gave a lot of thought to how the story should end—whether it should be less distressing, whether an uplifting conclusion would be better. But then I realized that even within tragedy, there can be a kind of hope. And so, I wrote the ending that you saw on screen.”
He continued, “Sometimes, we must confront reality as it is. We have spent too long running from our truth, but at some point, we must stop and face the choices that led us here. Our silence—our willingness to look away—only gives more power to the oppressors.”
بس اینڈ کو لیکر میں تھوڑا الجھا ہوا تھا کہ کہیں دیکھنے والوں کے لئے بہت تکلیف دہ نہ ہو جائے اس لئے ایک امید کی اینڈنگ کا بھی سوچ رکھا تھا لیکن پھر خیال آیا کہ تکلیف میں بھی کوئی نہ کوئی امید ہوتی ہی ہے اسی لئے وہی لکھا جو سکرین پر سب کو دکھائی دیا
دو تین لوگ بھی کسی موب کا حصہ بننے سے رک گئے تو سمجھیں میرا کام ہو گیا
On asking whether reality is too hard to face onscreen in a drama that delivered romance, and happy moments as well, Mustafa Sahab explained his ethos further:
“It is necessary to depict reality at times. We have always been running away from our truth, but at some point, we must stop and face the realities that brought us here. Our silence and turning a blind eye only make the oppressors stronger.”
دیکھنا ضروری ہے ۔۔ ہم ہمیشہ سے اپنے سچ سے بھاگتے رہے ہیں کبھی نہ کبھی تو رکنا اور ان حقیقتوں کا سامنا کرنا ہو گا جن کی وجہ سے یہاں تک پہنچے
ہماری خاموشی اور آنکھوں کا بند کر لینا ظالموں کو اور طاقتور کرتا ہے
We also approached Sultan Siddiqui aka Sultana apa of HUM TV on her thoughts to wrap up the trilogy of 3 limited episode series on HUM covering the incidence of mob violence in 3 separate story lines, yet connected through the common thread of exploiting religion for the purpose of exacting revenge and using unsuspecting ordinary citizens for a sinister, selfish purpose.
Sultana Siddiqui
“I was deeply hurt inside. We hope this drama sparks awareness and shifts people’s perspectives.
This issue has weighed on my mind for a long time—how innocent people are brutally killed for the benefit of others. Mob lynching, in particular, is horrifying. When a mob is fueled by anger, they no longer see the person before them as human. They destroy lives without a second thought, and no compensation can ever undo that loss.
I kept thinking about so many lives lost—Mashal Khan, the Sri Lankan man lynched by a mob, the two brothers, and the women accused of burning the Quran. Again and again, we take lives in the name of religion and politics.”
She continues to tell us: “There are many more things in my mind which inshallah, if I get the chance, I will do them too and hopefully, you will like them.”
Director Saife Hasan had this to say about the final episode:
“I cried many times while editing the final sequence.”
“The first person you see in the photographs is Mashal Khan from Mardan University, and the man saluting his grave is his father. The two boys were from Sialkot. They were brutally beaten, and their bodies were left hanging. Even speaking about them brings me pain. Their names were Mugheez and Muneeb.”
He continued, “The Sri Lankan engineer, Priyantha Kumara, was also a victim of mob violence in Sialkot.”
Director Saife Hasan speaks of the final soundtrack released in the last episode of Tan Man Neel O Neel:
“The lyrics are all Mustafa Afridi’s. The vocals and composition are from Hassan Badshah.”
Sharing his thoughts on the story’s conclusion, he said, “People always say, ‘Don’t make it so dark, give a happy ending, offer some hope.’ But we realized that if we softened the blow, the impact would be lost. The people who were killed are gone, but those left behind live with unbearable pain. It’s crucial to make the audience feel that pain—deeply, in their hearts.
When I was in the edit room, working on the final sequence for 12 to 13 hours straight, there was one particular moment that overwhelmed me—I broke down crying. But Alhamdulillah, it was well received.”
“Our message?” he continued: “How people use religion and instigate death, and people lose their lives brutally.”
Saife Hasan on the final scene that sent shivers down one’s spine, when Sehar was being chased by the mob: “The first time, in the first take. I had kept the second camera there, she fell. Then after that, when we did the second take, I told her not to fall. But, kids are emotionally charged. So, she fell again. And, the second time, she got really badly hurt. Her hand was badly injured, her leg was badly injured and she was walking barefoot for two days. But anyway, all her hard work and all her efforts were rewarded Alhamdulillah. The world is talking about her, thousands of people are talking about her. Alhamdulillah.” rounded off the director with gratitude and all heart.
Ali Ammar who endeared us to his character Moon wrapped up the story with these thoughts:
“A story that dared to reveal the darkness that is visible to everyone, yet ignored by all. A few beautiful days, among a few extraordinary people, that redefined my identity and left an indelible mark on my life.”
Shuja Asad as our beloved Sonu Danger had this to say:
“Doing this drama is like a badge of honour for me.”
Syed Tanveer Hussain as taya has this to say:
“I am very happy that I have been able to participate in this series.”
“I would like to thank the Creator and Master who gives us the talent and the opportunity to bring it to fruition. For Saif-e-Hassan and for Mr. Mustafa Afridi, and all the actors whom I have shared the screen with, all of them are great and they have done a great job and overall if we talk about the drama what better message can a television, production house, writer, director, actor, give to society? Through this drama, the way tabligh has been done, this is the real tabligh, in which we are taught what is human, what is humanity. And when we are going against humanity, we have no idea that we are committing a crime. This drama has highlighted many things. If we accept it, we can build a very good society. .”
Nauman Masood on his character Ehsaan:
“When I got the script for Tan Man Neel O Neel… by the time I started reading the fifth episode, I said yes to the role of Ehsaan! I would say that Mustafa’s script was flawless. But the biggest thing was that Nadia Afgan recommended me to Saif. So Nadia and I did Jaffaa and Sehar was also a part of the project.”
“I think the first main pillar of this serial was the rape scene of the dancer Ali. That scene made everyone stand up and say that we could not even imagine that this would happen in the drama. We were all watching it. From that moment, I think it started to gain viewership. People’s attention was diverted to him. So, after that, when performances started coming, then of course, all the highlights were made.”
Insights on Ehsaan’s character:
“When I met Saif on the set, Saif said: I don’t want Nauman Masood. I have never been so happy in my life. Because everyone wanted Nauman Masood. What will I do if it is Nauman Masood, what will people appreciate? I was so happy that I said, give me five minutes. I had a machine and razors in my bag. I went quickly. I had a beard. I shaved my beard and applied oil in my hair. When I came in front of him, he said, this is what I want.”
“So, the truth is I am really grateful to everyone as far as my script is concerned, my performance is concerned, my team is concerned. A single person cannot do anything if there are no locations, if there is no cameraman if there is no sound engineer and if there is no direction. and executed it. I don’t think anyone else could have done it so beautifully.”
“As far as Mustafa Afridi is concerned, what can I say? We didn’t find a single line boring. I met Shuja for the first time. His performance was brilliant I worked with Tanveer, Laila Zubairi and Usman Javed. I was so impressed by him, his versatility, the way he showed multiple shades, very few actors can depict that. So he is a very good actor and then Laddu (actor Arsal). What a great performance. I was surprised and for a moment I really thought he’s a special child. And when fans spot me now, they say: This is not him. This is not Ehsaan. He was weird, he was oily, very sober.”
“As far as the last episode was concerned, we all did not know that it would be executed in this manner. I knew that I would die saving my children. I did not know that all of them would be killed like this.”
And he wrapped up with these thoughts:
“So I think on this note, I should say thank you. Thank you to the whole of Pakistan, to the whole Tan Man Neel O Neel’s team. And Inshallah, we will meet again soon.”
Nadia Afgan played Mehnaaz’s character and had this to say on Tan Man Neel O Neel:
I have so much to say about Tan Man Neel O Neel. Honored to be a part of the team that shed light on the devastating reality of mob lynching. This project has given me an experience that has left an indelible mark on my heart.”
Usman Javed as Kami in Tan Man Neel O Neel has this to say:
“You can’t truly understand a situation until you experience it yourself. Tan Man Neel O Neel has taught viewers a valuable lesson not to support those who take refuge in religion. This has helped create awareness, and by helping shed light on this issue, I am proud to have served my country in the best way possible.”
Laila Zuberi has this to say:
“I am proud to be a part of this heart touching play, and glad that I got a chance to do a different type of character, amazing experience working with Saifi and the team.”
Credits: Tan Man Neel O Neel was written by Mustafa Afridi and directed by Saife Hasan. It was produced by Sultana Siddiqui and starred Sehar Khan, Shuja Asad, Nadia Afgan, Nauman Masood, Tanveer Hussain, Leyla Zuberi, Usman Javed, Ali Ammar, Saleem Mairaj, Samiya Mumtaz, and others.
The OST was penned by Manj Soorma and Hassan Badshah, while the slower version was written by Mustafa Afridi. It was sung and composed by Hassan Badshah and edited by Syed Tanveer Alam.
We want seher khan interviwe and entire cast