TVTALk
There are no weeping willows in this power play of intrigue and suspense; the women of Mor Mahal are much more than a pretty face!
Pakistan’s television is crowded with plays that continue to portray women in regressive roles, roles that reaffirm a woman’s dependence on a man, whether he is a father, a husband or a son. They continuously reinstate the belief that a woman is incapable of leading a happy (single and financially independent) life on her own. This couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to women of the 21st century and television needs to narrate more stories of women who fight the system and defy the misogynistic odds. Luckily, every now and then a strong character does come along.
In a recent interview with Instep, veteran actress Sania Saeed maintained, “I know so many women who do something about the injustice they face. Whether they are acid burn victims or regular women, women are fighting for their rights every day but according to TV, all women are suffering and letting their suffering continue.”
Television, it seems, has a confined set of roles when it comes to female representation. Therefore, it is always refreshing to see some strong, interesting female characters. Amidst tragic heroines and weeping widows dominating the small screen, plays that come across as a breath of fresh air include, for one, ongoing drama serial Dillagi, which depicts the female lead Anmol as a strong, independent girl who takes everything that life throws at her as a challenge. Another play Udaari also portrays women as breadwinners who are both strong as well as confident. However, it is Mor Mahal that adds intelligent and powerful women to this list of unique female figures, women who have a strong influence on the life of the male protagonist.
Starring Umair Jaswal and Meesha Shafi as the lead pair, Mor Mahal is a period drama set in the subcontinent and curiously merges fact with fiction. Nawab Asif Jahan (Jaswal) is the ruler of the fictional state of Jahaan Abad and his life revolves around these practical and resilient women who reside in his harem. The domineering queen and mother of the Nawab, Sarwat Jehan (Hina Bayat) embodies matriarchal power while his first wife Farrukh Zaad (Shafi), is an epitome of beauty, seduction and glamour. Her constant power play against her mother-in-law forms the essence of Mor Mahal. Accompanying her is the master plotter Shaista (Jana Malik) – Farrukh’s kaneez-e-khaas, who is the keeper of dark secrets.
Other women surrounding the life of Nawab Asif include his second wife Surraya, an elegant ex-courtesan whose pregnancy gives rise to gossip and conflict in the Mahal, and his third wife Meherbano, who is not happy with the fact that his brother married her to Nawab against her will. Even though these two women are not as strong and manipulative as the rest, their role is impactful in the sense that the Nawab’s life revolves around them.
Underneath all the splendor and magnificence lurk jealousy, longing, murder and a desire for power. The women of the harem are aided and fortified by a throng of kaneezes and eunuchs as they collude through diabolical means to manipulate the Raj.