Jo Bichar Gaye – The Distress Escalates Leading Towards Anarchy
As the plot thickens and more layers unfold leading towards the events of 1971, the actors once again astounded us with their performances, wanting us to see more.
The Highlights Of The Episode
The sketch of the parallels between domestic and work lives makes this drama more engaging. All the elements are precisely knitted and director Haissam Hussain has perfected the recipe of adding the right amount of emotional vulnerability, which reflects in each character, along with highlighting their beliefs and ideologies.
The episode outlines events of the period as the National Assembly Session is postponed and due to lack of trust and patience, organized mobs of East Pakistan group together with ammunition supplied by the Indian side, conduct regular strikes all across East Pakistan.
The drama makers have tried their best to portray a balanced narrative through Sonia (Maya Ali) but since, it is a narrative by a Pakistani, Captain Z.I Farrukh, and brought to life onscreen in Pakistan, we cannot deny that it may carry some biases. Overall, they have attempted to represent diverse opinions without leaning towards a certain group of people.
The drama shows that the Pakistani army refrains from drawing first blood, but when the Mukti Bahinis start firing they were forced to retaliate.
On the other hand, from the Bangladeshi side, two visions are represented with Shil’s point of view leaning heavily towards extremism while Rumi is shown to be an idealist. Rumi’s vulnerability is represented through his eyes which visibly show him anxious and distressed with the current situation, realizing that the eventual fallout means widespread bloodshed. But the question arises – did Rumi know that the peaceful mob will turn into a violent one & that’s why he has a heavy heart, or he can feel the reins of change slipping from his hands?
The episode continues to narrate the overbearing political atmosphere and tension. Even those who want to have nothing to do with the war find themselves encircled in chaos and anarchy. Nadia Jamil’s role as a distressed mother won our hearts. She eloquently essayed the role of a mother of two young children who are eager to go their own ways but she desires nothing but their protection and welfare.
The Performances
The drama has an impeccable cast, each actor fits into his/her role perfectly. The week’s highlight was Captain Salahuddin’s character played by Rana Majid. A solid, impressive performance that made you fear for the safety of his character, feel for for his dedication & friendship, then admire him for his fearlessness & courage.
Similarly, Wahaj Ali and Maya Ali as Rumi and Sonia, respectively won our hearts once again. Their relationship is most endearing & it is magical how they are aware of each other’s feelings & want to comfort & protect one another. The way Sonia attempts to comfort Rumi even after an argument was a delight to watch. Their dynamic adds miles to the story line and has us fully invested in the outcome.
The Direction
Action sequences were deftly shot. The moment when the army truck was surrounded and fire was opened, the sense of utter dread and despair, the urgency in Captain Farrukh’s tone and the sense of panic in Colonel Fakhruddin’s demeanour, all added to the growing unrest within the frames. The subtle build up to the climax has audiences on the edge of their seats.
Needless to say, Jo Bichar Gaye is meeting our expectations and we urge you to tune in for a compelling and great work of art if you haven’t already.
