The first episode of Sang-i-Mah, the follow-up to Sang-i-Mar Mar premiered on January 9 to critical acclaim. Directed by Saife Hassan and written by Mustafa Afridi, it is set in the fictional village of Lasbirah. Haji Marjaan Khan, played by Nauman Ijaz, is an affluent and well-to-do Pathan, greatly feared and respected by the villagers. He heads the local council and is expected to resolve all matters related to the villagers after appropriate consultation. His wife is played by Samia Mumtaz (Zarsanga). Her sister is played by Sania Saeed (Zargona) who has a daughter called Gulmeena (Hania Aamir).

Zaviyar plays Hikmat Ullah, Hania’s first cousin and Haji Marjaan’s son. He is besotted with the lovely Gulmeena and is ready to move heaven and earth to marry her, even willing to resort to ghaag, a ritual where a man fires a gun thrice outside the house of a woman to stake his claim over her and warning others to stay away or proceed at their own risk.

Hilmand Khan (played by Atif Aslam), at first presumed to be Marjaan’s eldest son, despises him. It is later revealed that Marjaan is not his biological father. Hilmand spends most of his time beside his father’s resting place. It is implied that he was murdered by Marjaan, which explains the animosity between the two. A flashback reveals that Zarsanga had an extra-marital affair with Marjaan and eloped with him, taking Hilmand with her whom Marjaan promised to raise as his own. Allusions are made to Marjaan’s dark and sinful past and skeletons in his closet, to be revealed later on.

The outdoor locales, background music, excellent direction and stellar acting by all the lead characters place this play in a league of its own. Comparisons will inevitably be drawn to Sang-i-Mar Mar but the two are poles apart. The rivalries and feuds which plague the tribal demographic are a common theme. Successive generations continue to pay the price for the enmities that are deeply entrenched in the culture that it is virtually impossible to uproot them.

Family honour is inextricably linked with ghaag, as the victim is stigmatised thereafter and considered an outcast. Her entire family has to pay the price. It is a direct attack on the family’s name and honour. 

Family honour is inextricably linked with ghaag, as the victim is stigmatised and considered an outcast. Her entire family has to pay the price and it is a direct attack on the family’s name and honour. When a villager, Sabz Ali, commits the crime and later claims that he was drunk at the time, Hilmand comes to his rescue. Sabz Ali is then pardoned but given one hundred and twenty lashes for being inebriated. Marjaan knows that Sabz Ali is lying and later on, reveals the truth to Hilmand. Hilmand is furious at being tricked by Sabz Ali and gives him a piece of his mind, when he comes to express his gratitude.

Atif Aslam, as the dark and brooding angry young man hell bent on vengeance, loses no opportunity in this game of one-upmanship with his stepfather. He holds his own against stalwarts like Nauman Ijaz, Samia Mumtaz and Sania Saeed, getting into the skin of his character. Some of his dialogues are reminiscent of the soliloquies in Shakespeare’s plays. These soliloquies are meant to give the viewer an insight into how deeply vindictive and vengeful he is and how the enmity and hatred harboured by him threatens to destroy everything. If anyone can undo Marjaan’s power and influence and be his nemesis, it is most likely his stepson.

Hikmat’s parents approach Zargona with a proposal but she refuses to give her daughter’s hand in marriage to their son and loses no opportunity to insult them. When Hilmand learns about Hikmat’s desire to marry Gulmeena, wheels start turning in his mind. In an effort to turn the tables on Marjaan, he commits ghaag by firing thrice outside Gulmeena’s house, staking his claim over her and clearly announcing his intention to marry her. He warns all potential suitors to approach her at their own risk and in the final confrontation scene with Marjaan, blatantly challenges him.

The face-off between the two sets the tone for the rest of the play, which promises melodrama and action in the coming episodes. The dialogues are powerful and impactful. With allusions to past events, the mystery around the central characters can only get more intense.

The breath taking views of Swat, conspiracies and treacheries surrounding the lead characters in addition to the skeletons in their closets will be revealed as the play unfolds slowly.

Sang-i-Mah is available on HUM TV.

The writer is an educationist and can be reached at gaiteeara@hotmail.com.