Pyar Ke Sadqay, the drama that left viewers in smiles and tears. This fan has something to say about the takeaways from the narrative, scroll down to get in on the full debate visavis Mahjabeen and Abdullah and tell us if you agree.
Starring the exceptionally talented Yumna Zaidi, and the versatile heartthrob Bilal Abbas Khan, directed by the uber creative Farooq Rind and written by the amazing Zanjabeel Asim Shah. Produced by Moomal Entertainment and MD Productions
Ordinary Yet Extraordinary
The story was about 2 ordinary people, yet they are different from others. In the beginning, we had mixed thoughts about them, some of us were convinced that Mahjabeen has some mental issues, many of us were just enjoying the charming characterizations. Gradually, the characters warmed up to the audience and we started loving (and waiting for) each and every interaction.
Pyar Ke Sadqay ended last week, but was it a happy, satisfying end for viewers?
Yes, it was a happy ending … but satisfying? Not really. I believe that our stories are inspired from life and the people who live it. Whatever the circumstances, people always learn from them, and grow with them. For me, the most important element a drama should have is the individual journeys of the characters with respect to their situations within their own space and place in the story. And unfortunately, Pyar Ke Sadqay couldn’t convince me that my main leads had reached the end of their journey, except for some characters, but those some were not the main leads.
The Journey of Abdullah & Mahjabeen
We saw Abdullah in the beginning as a young, innocent and confused boy who cannot take decisions himself because he is afraid of his stepfather who physically, verbally and mentally, abuses him up and attempts to suppress his personality. Bilal played with what he was handed (in terms of the character), and he played it very well. But unfortunately, Abdullah, the innocent, confused boy, remained the same right till the very end.
Mahjabeen was also a young, innocent, and maybe mentally challenged ‘laadon mai pali’ daughter of a middle class couple who weds Abdullah. I followed her progress and growth as a character right from her Suhag raat scene, (when Shanze calls Abdullah).
She gradually becomes more sensible within her space, when she first thought that she is expecting, (and even after that), when she senses Sarwar’s ‘wrong’ intentions and tries to tell Abdullah.
It was very uplifting to witness the growth and maturity in Mahjabeen’s character with each successive episode. And even the last episode, the Abdullah-Mahjabeen interaction (when she recalls the insults she suffered at the hands of Abdullah, when he asks her to go home), was a thought provoking insert.
But here’s the problem: Why did they have to recreate their first meeting in the last episode, exactly as it was at the beginning?
Why did they revert to the same simple, innocent souls they started out as, in the final scenes. Why did Abdullah’s character not evolve further? I was expecting to be treated to a brief time-leap and witness Mahjabeen and Abdullah as mature parents of a child, teaching him/her about how to be strong, independent, yet true to his values. How to fend off harassers and bullies and be that amalgamation of two wonderful souls!
The fact that the journey stopped there for the main characters, for me, was a downer on Pyar Ke Sadqay. However, that is not to take away from some great messages which is what made the drama so endearing for us all!
Pyar Ke Sadqay is a drama that used its comic element in a very productive manner by giving insightful, sensitive messages to the audiences.
Harassment of any kind in the household is one message which is successfully portrayed by Sarwar’s character who was harassing both Abdullah and Mahjabeen.
Girls education is a message given by our much-loved Munshi Sahab (though Mahjabeen had no interest in studies). And a great message of parenting is given by Mansoora. She has successfully shown that parents with weak personalities, or insecurities, transfer weak personalities onto their children as well. Mansoora is one character who can definitely be called one of the most iconic characters of television, and Atiqa Odho played it phenomenally! The scene when she confronts Sarwar was the highlight of the last episode.
Dark Character Revolution?
From Pakistani dramas giving us villains that we wouldn’t sympathize with in our darkest dreams, to the notable streaks of ‘Grey in Pyar Ke Sadqay’s Sarwar’, the narrative steered audiences in a new direction. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Sarwar was the harbinger of hope for negative characters to finally gain a token of sympathy from audiences.
Where Sarwar’s mother stood out as the dark avenger, Sarwar himself, despite his designs on Mahjabeen, evoked audience sympathy for his deprived background – a mother who used him throughout his life, and life choices in which he had really no choice (marrying Mansoora for one).
To crawl out of this miserable existence, (for clearly, Sarwar deserved more), and though nothing justified his actions, he gave us reasons to understand what drove his dark designs. It goes without saying that Omair Rana manifested all shades of grey in Sarwar with a subtlety & sensitivity that will serve as a turning point for dark roles in our stories, forever after.
BUT…Dare We Find Fault With A Story That Touched Our Hearts To The Core?
In a nutshell, Pyar Ke Sadqay was a great show, but for me, the ending could have been pulled up a notch. I highly recommend it to everyone because it’s one of those rare stories that trended in all 30 episodes (including in India). The story and the characters of Abdullah and Mahjabeen have endeared us for a lifetime. Perhaps they have even joined the ranks of the evergreen jori of Ashar & Khirad, Dr. Asfi & Dr. Zubia and so many more memorable onscreen pairs!
