Zard Patton Ka Bunn fielded its latest episode, another eye opener, on issues that should have already opened our eyes, but unfortunately, Sleeping Beauty has struck hard on the Pakistani conscience. Rani is no more. Many other Rani’s have met a similar fate, but who’s fault, is it?
Was it the lady, Rani’s employer, who flung her against the wall and made sure her broken bones cried out her punishment? Was it Arshad, Rani’s father, who sent her underage daughter to work in the city, exploiting the need of the privileged and also, helpless with the rising cost of living? Was it Nasreen, Rani’s mother, who kept on having multiple children so that each one could help contribute towards the family income? Was it Dr. Nofil, who left Rani alone in the hospital and decided he couldn’t fight with the system? Or was it Nasreen, who broke a cup, or used her employer’s bathroom without permission, and hence, paid for her disobedience?
Zard Patton Ka Bunn Did It Again
Zard Patton Ka Bunn is doing it again, not naming any one culprit for a social injustice, but telling all of us that we are, in fact, partners in crime. While Meenu upholds the banner for her fight to gain #Justiceforwomen, she rightly calls out Dr. Nofil for laying the entire blame on Nasreen’s shoulders.
The Dialogues That Hit
Nasreen, the wretched woman, symbolic of all women who are conditioned to being downtrodden, beaten, overcome through violence and threats utters:
Ye Uski Maar Khaane Ki Umar Tau Nahi, insinuating that all women reach an age where they will be subjected to a beating…? Meenu, infuriated at Dr. Nofil, seeks validation from the maulvi sahab:“Zyada Bachay Paida Karne Kay Zimmadar Kaun Hain, Mard Ya Aurat?” The narrative goes on to reveal how government hospitals will treat patients free of cost, yet, in the case of abuse, physical harm or torture, a police report must be filed first.
Domestic Abuse: More Than Just Filing A Police Case
The finer nuances of the story are more complex though, it’s not just about filing a case and the victim’s word against the perpetrator, it’s the ability of the victim to report the abuse, or not, the pressures that work to suppress the truth, surfacing in the form of Rani’s employer bribing her father, Rani’s father threatening her mother and an underground system that works against revealing the truth – several young girls have been victim to this domestic abuse, as was reported by the villagers, and they have always got away from it.
Village vs City: Meenu vs Nofil: Us vs Them
What the latest episode of Zard Patton Ka Bunn brought to the fore front, was that till now, we assumed the drama is largely of not wholly a village-centric story. But now we see that city dwellers are equally answerable for the part they play in the crimes for which we demand justice. Perhaps a long, hard look at our own lifestyles, behavior patterns and social conditioning might trigger us to advocate for change in our inner selves as well. It’s not about us vs them, the village people against city dwellers, it’s about all of us, there are no two sides.
And the culmination of this message will be the cause that both Dr. Nofil and Meenu will fight for eventually. Very soon, it will not be a city dweller against a villager, but a more holistic approach to find solutions for all the Ranis of the nation. Was Dr. Nofil justified in giving up and deciding to leave. Does no infrastructure mean no medical help for the villagers?
Episode Wins
Zard Patton Ka Bunn continues to give us breathtaking scenery with symbolic frames, especially the road leading in and out of the village, set against green fields and rapeseed flowers, adding the yellow, director Saife Hassan knows how to get the best from his rural settings. The Soundtrack belting out Zard Patton Ka Bunn amidst a visually stunning landscape, added to the emotional feel of the scene. Similarly, writer Mustafa Afridi’s dialogues resonate deeply with audiences, nudging viewers to look inwards, or in the mirror, to pause before they use that hashtag next time, demanding Justice for a social wrong.
Who is really responsible for the deaths of all the Rani’s amidst us? The answer might surprise and shock, and if we truly seek the truth, our finger might betray us and point to a person we least expected!
Catch Up More On Drama Gup With FUCHSIA
Zard Patton Ka Bunn is penned by the talented duo of Mustafa Afridi & Saife Hasan. The project is produced under Momina Duraid Production & Kashf Foundation. The cast includes Sajal Ali, Hamza Sohail, Rehan Sheikh, Samiya Mumtaz, Ali Tahir, Adnan Shah Tipu, Saad Azhar, Syed Tanveer Hussain, Chaudhary Muhammad Usman, Mubashir Mehmood, Adeel Afzal, Najma Bibi, Zaryab Haider & others.
