A story that is as unpretentious as it is relatable. Dil Wali Gali Mein has crept into the hearts of many as it takes on their post-iftar drama watch, anticipating a few smile moments. After all, what else do Ramzan dramas have to offer every year?
But what audiences weren’t expecting, was a crash course in navigating relationships, young and old. From Deeju’s father Bilal, who is the new-age super dad, to Ishtiaq who carries a sad yet wise air, Anwar bhai who is always to the rescue and Mujji, dear Mujji, troubled in family and love, we also get Durdana who is the epitome of intimidating mother in-law, Lubna, stuck in a time capsule, Tamkinat, the perpetual trouble maker with her own demons to fight, to Deeju – navigating all life throws at her with a steadfast perseverance – broken one moment and determined the next. Dil Wali Gali Mein is the culmination of the masterclass that is Zafar Mairaj x Kashif Nisar with star-studded performances from every cast member who takes on the screen.
And this is why, if you’re short on time, the one Ramzan drama to watch with your post iftar cuppa is… Dil Wali gali Mein.
Humor and A Heavy Dose of Reality
The drama plays a fine balance of light humour with not so light reality bites. Tamkinat is borderline toxic with any human being who crosses her radar (except her mom), yet in her attempts to make every living being look pathetic and pained, there is an injured woman who hurts deep on the inside. Tamkinat’s coming to terms with her infertility, her self-image, and her appearance has left her with scars that run deep enough that she doesn’t care how she makes others feel, be it her brother or sister-in-law.
Least of all her husband Ishtiaq.
And Uzma Hassan has played this character with great sensitivity, interspersing the in-your-face insensitive remarks with an undying loyalty towards her mother whom she sides with great gusto, followed up by comical retorts that nudge the funny bone with its relatable real life feels. Is there a Tamkinat in every household? Sadly, the drama is certainly based on real life characters we might know or have been.
What’s Not To Love!
But what lies at the heart of Dil Wali Gali Mein is the young couple navigating their new-found relationship with a maturity that might leave many older couples confounded. When Deeju says she needs ‘space’, when Mujji tries to access some private moments for the two of them, when both of them do not reveal the full details of their (mis)adventure to their families – police station et al, there is an unsaid wisdom, an inner patience in spirits that are too young to fathom all the family politics, great and small, coming at them at the speed of lightning. From Deeju being commissioned, unknown to her, to replace Shazia as a teacher (and hence save the school extra labour), to Mujji being treated as a non-entity by his own family, both these young people try to make it work by listening to each other, communicating in the sea of voices and generational trauma and family politics that threatens to kill their fledgling marital status.
Mujji’s mother is a mother-in-law to be reckoned with, while Deeju’s mom is no less perhaps, in her own way. Both sets of families do more to hamper rather than help the settling in process for this young couple. Mujji’s mother has her own mannerisms, approaching a problem from a vantage point where she is used to calling the shots and coercing people to submit to her will, Deeju’s mom cries foul and promises an ominous end to a love story that should have never begun, with Deeju’s sister Cookie adding to the toxic feels.
This young couple has a mountain before them, and even if they succeed in climbing it, the view from the top might just be as daunting – surviving on a meager income, away from family might not be the best option, but they will try, even if it’s the last thing they do, to save their marriage.
Bringing Something New
Dil Wali Gali Mein offers up the concept of a young couple separating from their nucleus family – an idea that, till today has been frowned upon in Ramzan dramas – leaving the pack is tantamount to a cardinal sin and the guilt that accompanies such an action leaves the ‘perpetrators’ open to perpetual judgement calls with the moral brigade telling us that ‘happily ever after together’ is the right way to do things. But when Mujji says that he grew up in a home which was, in all respects, a school really – the feel of home hugely missing from the equation – when Deeju asks for an attached bathroom and some privacy in her in-laws home – one wonders if this is really worth moving out? But the creators think it is, and the story has brought us to a point where we do not judge Deeju and Mujji anymore, but rather, support their small wins, as they set out to give their relationship another shot – far from the madding crowd.
What We Love The Most!
But what really endears one to the screen and screenplay, is Deeju’s dad, Bilal – the father who is with his daughter through thick and thin, the shoulder she cries upon, but to whom she saves unburdening her harrowing ordeal at the police station. In Deeju, we spot a young girl who, despite being deeply hurt and disappointed, still cares enough about her husband to protect him before her family, not to offer up more information than required, and focuses on solving the issue at hand rather than making it worse.
When a young girl returns home after marriage, it does not necessarily mean she is calling things off – it just means she needs some time to think and reassess the situation so that she doesn’t land in the same crisis situation again. It is because she wants to make things better in her relationship going forward, and for that, she needs time to think things through – Deeju is giving audiences and young couples just the right and responsible messages.
And so is her father.
When Bilal wants to ensure his sister Durdana addresses his daughter’s concerns, when he asks Deeju to confide in him, it is to merely help her navigate long term solutions, to open up her heart to a person she trusts, not necessarily someone who will provoke her to break relations or add toxicity to her already perplexed mindset.
Deeju and her dad are all shades of the rainbow in a father-daughter relationship that spans the spectrum of love, trust, understanding, communication, maturity and everything a young girl could want in this bond – Deeju has it all in Bilal.
Where Bilal stands tall beside his daughter, Deeju’s mother is burdened by her own past traumas. And even as we note her discomfort, her fear of doom – God forbid if her daughter calls off her marriage, Deeju’s sister Cookie is equally hard to please. Yet there is a greyness in both these women as they seek to inform Deeju that they wouldn’t do anything to hurt her, even though they might question her life decisions; they are family, and families stay together despite differences of opinion – relatable much?
What has further enamoured Dil Wali Gali Mein with audiences, or should, is the ‘no fluff’ relationship expectation that both Deeju and Mujji spin off to onlookers.
Deeju’s confides in her father that Mujji was the best option amongst all her suitors because, at least his heart was in the right place. Mujji was told by Anwar and rightly so, that his reasons for marrying Deeju were more to escape the daily grind in his own house – a sad reality and also, something we normally attribute to young girls who marry to escape the shackles of a restricted family life. Mujji endears us in his silent suffering, his desire to make things right for Deeju and also, his battle between sticking up for his new wife and siding with his mom – a situation many young and newly married men will relate to in desi households.
The Performances that Drive the Story
The performances in Dil Wali Gali Mein are driving the narrative. From Saqib Sumeer delivering an endearing character as Ishtiaq, who is far-sighted, perceptive and wants to help Mujji thrive in his marriage, yet has his own cross to bear with Tamkinat, to Usma Hassan with her inner demons and tongue-in-cheek reactions to Deeju and Mujji, Sajal Aly and Hamza Sohail are throwing expressions that have yet again proved that these two can slip into character with unnerving ease – Hamza garnering immense sympathy as Mujji who is truly lost yet never gives up on life, to Sajal giving us shades of a young girl who will not back down yet, gives in to her husband when she feels he means well, but is totally cornered at the moment – these two together, in navigating the toughest part of newly married life, are already handing out messages to young couples on how to listen to the other person and resolve conflicts by communicating, setting aside their egos when it matters most.
And speaking of egos – Durdana Siddiqi aka Saba Faisal as Deeju’s mother-in-law deserves mention here. If it weren’t for an ego that looms over possibly every decision she takes, life might be simpler. But alas, those who are caught in this ego death trap know there’s no way out. Hers will be a hard lesson to learn. Here’s hoping she melts before Deeju’s heart freezes over. Despite her ego struggles, Durdana has a lot on her plate, and no one sees beyond the tough exterior she wears, to perhaps glimpse a lone-ranger inside, waging all her battles with perhaps Ishtiaq by her side. What people like Durdana fail to understand is, that they don’t need to go it all alone. Let down your ego Durdana, and life will be a little less hard.
Add to that the positivity that is Anwar aka Ali Jan, the friend we all need when we’re in a soup. Anwar not only helps out Mujji but also ensures he gives him some tough reminders on taking critical life decisions – he’s the perfect balance of what a friend should be, tough on the outside, soft on the inside, and his sensitive thoughts on women and their challenges after marriage add so much positivity to the story, especially since they come from a male character.
Which brings us to Cookie essayed by Gul Mehar Bano, Deeju’s younger sister who can be such a pain with her prolific truth bombs aka perpetual snide remarks about Mujji and her harsh take on Deeju’s situation, if words could break bones, she does it, everyday with Deeju. But even as one wonders if she’s being too brutal, we suspect there’s a hint of truth in what she says? Cookie strikes the perfect blend of a sibling we all hate to love, but you know what, she is what she is, we’ve seen her, know her and been her – such is the nature of sibling relationships – you know when you know – they hand out life’s difficult truths in large gulpfuls – too big to handle, too bitter to swallow, yet, they exist, and much as we’d like, cannot be wished away – we’re referring to the sibling, not the difficult truth, which is easier to get rid of btw!
Gul Mehar Bano, Ali Jan and Abid Ali respectively as Cookie, Anwar and Bilal are delivering credible performances.
The Messaging
Dil Wali Gali Mein throws light on the need for privacy in a newly married couple’s life – a narrative writer Zafar Mairaj zeroed in on in Kabli Pulao as well – two different couples at different stages of life, yet their needs were the same, and how the need for privacy is not something to be taken lightly. When Anwar says to Mujji that many young couples attempt to stay in a motel to get the privacy they cannot get at home – the message probably rings a bell for audiences.
The drama continues to slip in messages without being overtly preachy.
The state of Urdu and regional languages and our emphasis on learning English is highlighted in a comical manner as Tamkinat chides a child for pronouncing ‘bakhar’ instead of bukhar(fever), and then, the minister visiting Durdana to complain that teachers insist children speak only in English at home with the result that the child’s dadi scolds her for not knowing any Punjabi.
We hope the message resonates with many though this one is a slow and steady movement to reignite passion and love for languages that will become extinct if we do not grant them inclusion in our institutions of learning.
Dil Wali Gali Mein is lighting the path towards resolving misunderstandings between couples with affection, patience and communication. It also places the onus on both men and women to take responsibly in a marriage – just like Ishtiaq tries to explain things to Tamkinat, with patience and even a sad kind of love, and Mujji opens a dialogue with Deeju even when they are living apart – the drama is giving us a story, unshackled by previous tropes – toxicity might exist, relationships might show a crack, but there is hope, and love and good old fashioned sense guiding the characters to find their way out of the darkness.
Dil Wali Gali Mein holds up a candle to help light the way on how to mend relationships yet doing it all without fluffing up the story but instead, keeping it real and sliding in smile moments in between a brutally relatable take on life – just like its characters.
Dil Wali Gali Mein airs daily at 9 PM on HUM TV! Written by Zafar Mairaj and directed by Kashif Nisar, the drama is produced by Momina Duraid Productions. The stellar cast includes Sajal Ali, Hamza Sohail, Saba Faisal, Saqib Sameer, Uzma Hassan, Munazzah Arif, Arham (Child Star), Maham Naz, Abid Ali, Adnan Ali, Jannat Ul Firdous, Gul Mehar Bano, and others.
