Is Alizeh really the same strong, empowered and successful girl we were rooting for in Jaisay Apki Marzi? Or has she maybe left us a bit disappointed?
Jaisay Aapki Marzi has been produced by Six Sigma Plus. The project is penned by Naila Jaffri and directed by Saba Hameed. The cast includes Mikaal Zulfiqar as Sherry, Dur e Fishan Saleem, Javed Sheikh and Kiran Malik, Ali Tahir, Ali Safina in leading roles as part of an ensemble cast. This drama airs on ARY Digital.
Though we appreciate and duly notice our dramas shaking up the narratives they are presenting, specifically in the case of Jaisay Apki Marzi, commendably taking up the task of shedding light on narcissistic behaviour in society, focusing on how narcissists like Sherry trap people, how they mentally and emotionally abuse their partners – like he is hurting Alizeh, how Sherry is breaking her piece by piece. He love bombs her; suffocates her, causes distress and then just gives her a bit of breathing space and a few words of affirmation and love so he can confuse her and then blame it on her while his tantrums continue. Jaisay apki marzi also showcases how families contribute to a girl’s emotional abuse and how they fail to identify the signs either.
Missing The Coherency & Impact
While we understand and recognise the intention, we shall add – for us, it is missing the coherency or impact in the storyline. It is all a little forced, erratic and preachy. We have too many questions, in the case of the script writing, the plots, the sudden spikes in the characters actions and sentiments and again the skewed representation of successful women and their mindsets leaves us baffled, making us question; have our dramas still not caught up with the present day?
So here we go again with a take we wish we didn’t have to present to you – our bewilderment at the skewed, confused and all muddled up portrayal of a 21st century successful, working woman! It has seriously left us wondering why do we end up getting it all wrong, still? I mean we have plenty fine female examples and role models who are very sure about themselves, their careers, their personal lives and surroundings so why do we get to see the total opposite in our dramas?
Aren’t these dramas supposed to rather give us a more transparent portrayal, a glimpse into maybe what our society should strive for while ALSO presenting our current challenges? Because our problem is not presenting the real face of the facets of society but rather the technicalities in the portrayal itself and the lessons and messages immersed in them.
Is There A Possibility Alizeh Has Been Possessed?
In the previous episode of Jaisay Apki Marzi, we literally had to fight off the thought that Alizeh had potentially been possessed. A misogynistic, medieval, women shaming ghost had taken over her soul because what else can explain that sudden (sharp) and drastic shift of her thought process? From being sure of herself, questioning Sherry’s problematic behavior and not sitting around when he acted out to fumbling on about – “Sherry theek kehta hai, I think I am confused, I think mai identity crisis ka shekaar hou, mujhay behave karna nae ata, mujhay nae pata mai kya karti hou?” Didn’t that just seem to be out of nowhere? Yes, her mother and Sherry can be thanked for bringing her to this point but still it appeared to be rather erratic and forced.
This is where we really lost our marbles – “I should not have done this, I should have protected his honour, I should not have dishonoured him.” A *2 minute silence* please. Are we really back to propagating how women, no matter how independent, successful and despite being an adult bear the blame of dishonoring a man? Please lets just each learn to take care of our precious, fragile honours ourselves regardless of our genders, yeah?
Does An Educated Girl Really Think Like This?
Then we hear an educated, successful, enlightened girl claiming “Miyan biwi mai koi privacy nae hoti” Why, oh why are we continuing to be so careless with such dense, archaic statements? Because please, even a husband and wife are both entitled to their own privacy in certain matters. Doesn’t every relationship in one’s life need privacy? I mean a person needs SOME to stay sane, come on guys!
Okay before you say something, we agree these things do happen in reality, but the way we are seeing it in this drama, it might be the reality but definitely on steroids.
Natasha’s Toxic Sister-in-Law Behaviour & Missing Manners
And then we bring a glammed up, this time an educated, modern naand but she is still as toxic and intrusive as all the past not so modernized naands we have seen in our dramas.
Natasha is this assumably super classy, savy, business woman, Alizeh’s sister-in-law. What absolutely bugged us to our wit’s end was how uncouth and ill-mannered they showed her to be. Barging in her married brother and sister in-law’s room while they were not even present. And when she is reminded by Alizeh how its not just her brother’s room anymore – she once more, brazenly claims she has a right over everything her brother has and “mai har cheez uski ijazat kay baghair dekh sakti hou.” Umm, did we really hear that right? Because who says that! Somebody teach this wannabe diva some manners, please.
No, notorious Natasha, it is not just your man child brother’s room anymore, if you are as cultured and polished you claim to be, that’s literally the most basic lesson in being mannered. On top that, she is embarrassingly insecure.
While she may not have liked the fact that her future mother-in-law gifted Alizeh and her, the same dress – her scheme with Sherry was just plain cruel, just because she is so insecure about her mother-in-law’s fondness for Alizeh. We really want to understand how does she find the time to be this petty when she has all this business to carry out? Oh and just like her brother, she is also a pro at throwing tantrums. Well as she said Alizeh should really stop interrupting in her life, yes interrupting and not interfering – Only those who watched the episode will understand this gem.
It is just hard to stomach Alizeh’s sudden desperation and losing her self respect and might we also add, her logic in the drama specially because we were rooting for her to continue being the strong, successful and educated girl she showed us she was in the beginning. Even for Natasha, given her background, we hoped she would be different than the traditional toxic sister-in-laws but alas she is not.
