Roshi continues to behave incoherently, Talha meets with another heartbreak and Meem Se Mohabbat is crawling towards a hero-heroine meet up that’s possibly in the stars – or Roshi’s wazifas?
Pace It
While the drama is delivering an engaging visual experience, the story could be accelerated beyond Roshi struggling to connect with the divine ‘Rishta powers’ for a solution to her life’s (failing) problems.
The scene is set however, for Talha and Roshi to meet; that too, with a mild history from Roshi’s side who witnessed the breakup scene. That plot twist was not only well played, but also added to the interest factor as we know that both hero and heroine meet up very soon.
Talha’s Luck Is Low
Talha’s life is not looking up as Sabeeka breaks the engagement and Mohid’s school also turns on the pressure. One wondered at the backstory though, why someone would just break off an engagement, but the makers have chosen to rush the plot there or will possibly reveal more later. One also wonders why and how the school could not be more supportive rather than laying all the pressure on Talha. It is still a mystery as to the trauma Mohid has undergone, though we now know it involved an accident. The fact we have been told he is undergoing therapy is a great and subtle addition to the narrative.
But where Talha’s story has us gripped; the drama chooses to show a rather sprightly, energetic, immature heroine who is (a bit too) obviously positioned intentionally as a intentionally opposite personality to our hero. And although we have seen such narratives earlier, especially in classic PTV plays, we are hoping for a different execution of the same.
The Guessing Game
The mind tends to run on even as the drama takes it slow: Will Roshi help Mohid overcome his trauma? Will Talha and Roshi clash because of her unorthodox and slightly defiant nature, will Sabeeka return in the picture, just as Roshi and Mohid both begin to like each other? However, these are questions for a later stage in the story. But it is interesting that the makers have planted the thoughts in audiences’ minds, second guessing the “what happens next” and hence, making sure we wait and watch… a word of caution here, after all, curiosity killed the cat, remember?
The Comic In the Comical?
Roshi turning to a wazifa to fulfill her wishes has been positioned as a comic twist to her ‘comical’ story. And Saleeka phoppo egging her on, while showing zero ‘saleeka’ in her behaviour is a plot that could have been better executed. Although we appreciate the conflict in the storyline that will be introduced through Saleeka, the narrative could have made better use perhaps, of injecting humour and comic into the story.
One also feels Roshi’s character could have been downplayed a bit. Her interactions lack relatability and seem quite over the top, which, if they were purported to be funny, haven’t quite hit the mark. It is critical that when our heroines are shown as light-hearted, funny, or downright defiant, they are portrayed in a manner that is credible, relatable, and not too over the top – for the simple reason that we want to relate to Roshi, she can be funny yet believable, impatient or silly, yet smart and sharp at the same time. Audiences can and should be made to laugh but without a generous dose of slapstick humour that seems a bit outdated in present times, they deserve that much.
Father-Son Bond
The bond between father and son: Talha and his father, is endearing to watch. It is great that our stories now portray a strong and communicative father-son relationship, breaking away from previous stereotypes.
The Great Outdoors and Indoors
Furthermore, it is also a visual treat to watch the interior and outdoor scenes in the storytelling. We finally see refreshingly new indoor spaces, the library itself where the dada was reading, and how Roshi reached out to grab her chosen books, was a great way to break the monotony. That, coupled with outdoor and aerial expansive scenes of the park, adding a generous touch of green to the frame, really upped the game for a viewing experience that wasn’t just about grand homes and gardens.
And perhaps this is why, because of the great visualization so far, we felt a bit cheated when Roshi and her sister’s scenes, (waking up in the middle of the night) were shown with the characters’ donning full makeup. Are we setting up a certain look for the character, who doesn’t even sleep without her makeup on? This omission in detail takes away from the scene and what it aims to deliver – a young girl, roused from sleep with a blaring alarm clock, and not totally with her wits about her, taking to the rooftop, then retreating back to her room, still not fully awake, yet in a frenzy to complete what she set out to do, plus the comic timing of it all – such a tediously shot scene, but the makers did not find it necessary to ensure she actually appears sleepy and a bit comical, half-awake, half-asleep in the middle of the night – well, because she seemed fully dressed to go out for a breakfast meet – courtesy the perfect makeup.
Meem Se Mohabbat has a lot going for it, and yet, a lot more could add layers and miles to the drama. We’re looking forward to Talha and Roshi’s encounter coming soon.
If you have something to add, do drop us a comment on the latest episode!
Meem Se Mohabbat is penned by Farhat Ishtiaq with direction from Ali Hassan. The drama airs on HUM TV as a Momina Duraid production with a cast featuring Ahad Raza Mir, Dananeer Mobeen, Asif Raza Mir, Zarrar Khan, Khadija Saleem, Faiza Gilani, Tehseen Wajahat, Rabia Rizwan, Zainab Mazhar, Muhammad Hunbal, Naveen Naqvi, Arshad Mahmood, Irfanullah, Neha, Abu Hurairah, Raana Zafar, Touseeq Haider.
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