Asma Nabeel, the writer, reflects on the fact that viewers want a happy ending for Mir Hadi, despite the fact that he’s a criminal.
Spoilers ahead
In a complete shift of balance, drama serial Khaani – which until now was more about Mir Hadi and Khaani – has become all about the power play and politics between Arham and the Mirs.
The episode begins with Iffat (Seemi Pasha, who plays Arham’s mother) who’s weeping over the betrayal she feels she has suffered due to Khaani’s lies and over the fact that Arham’s life may be in danger if he pursues Sarim’s murder case against the powerful Mirs. Her fears are justified as the mild-mannered Arham goes up against the powerful and ruthless Mir Shah; it is only natural that the thought of losing her son makes her very anxious and afraid. But her father in law, played by Qavi, reassures her that she must be strong for her son and forgiving towards her daughter in law, who by the way she is still unwilling to forgive. That is partly because of the false pretense under which Khaani married Arham and more because Khaani’s true story has exposed Arham to risk.
On the other side of the story, Mir Shah is centrestage and he senses the odds building against him. The local SP drops in with a warrant to arrest Mir Hadi and Mir Shah is furious at his audacity. It’s a scene made stronger by Mahmood Aslam’s brilliant acting and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that he is the highlight of this episode. His rage and disbelief at the loss of power, which is evidently slipping from his hands, is expressed very effectively. What is unclear at this point is the power that is fueling Arham’s actions.
We know how the system operates in Pakistan and Arham would have needed a power greater than Mir Shah to have reopened the case against Mir Hadi; but that clarity is not offered. As far as we knew, till the last episode Mir Shah’s politics was strong and he had the power to win the upcoming elections. Now all of a sudden the local SP, who once wouldn’t even dare sit next to Shah jee, is threatening and taunting him. This shift is a bit inexplicable. Arham and his family may be rich but they are still not visibly powerful, certainly not enough to overthrow the mighty Mir by reopening a case.
Mir Hadi’s arrest of course is very fair in the larger scheme of things but it does not explain the impact of his remorse and redemption on his life. He is regretful of what he has done; he has been doing the tauba tilla. That should account for something, if not too much. Hadi looks back at the green dome of the shrine when he is arrested and being taken away. It does look like he is silently appealing to God for mercy. Plus, if he were brave enough to face fair consequences of the crime he had committed, he would have surrendered.
As a love-story, Mir Hadi and Khaani’s story reached a climax and should have ended the day he realized his misdeed, let her go and resigned to a life at the shrine. But it’s not really a love story. As a story of power play and politics, the story should see justice served not just to Mir Hadi but to Mir Shah as well. One can only hope that’s what we get to see in the remaining three to four episodes.
“Yes, he is regretful but his regrets are very introspective. For the world he’s the same Mir Hadi, and for Khaani he is the same Mir Hadi,” Asma Nabeel, writer of the play, explained when we spoke. “I’m just very surprised with the public reaction,” she continued. “They want a love story, which is shocking for me as a writer. No doubt Feroze has done a brilliant job but at the end of the day Mir Hadi is a criminal. Maybe society is regressing because it is so forgiving and forgetful of crimes. There is rarely any accountability.”
It’s good to know there is a writer unwilling to give in to popular demand against realistic and inspiring story telling.
