~~||Writing in the Sand||~~ - Page 23

for my part i liked the episode ..... definitely better than the last one .... and ahhh what satisfaction watching the mother cry .... *sigh* 😆😆😆

Seniors,

First an apology-I am taking this liberty to intrude here with a kind permission of Skepji-I have been watching this thread silently for quite sometimes and was feeling little awkward to step in. It happened this way. I have read Skeptical's wonderful writing in other forum related to Indian tele serial 'Pavitra Rishta".When I was searching her other articles through her "My post", I stumbled upon –'writing in the send', came to read here and immediately felt awkward at seeing intimate nature of the chat thread. By then I have noticed Arwen's " Meri zaat zara" links and was tempted to watch it. The very first link (epi.5 part 1) had held me spellbound and I am hooked to this serial irrevocably.

I want to thank you all for revealing to me this wonderful serial which would have remained a total zilch to me otherwise.

It is a pity that in India we (at least common people like me) are absolutely blanked about the existence of such a wonderful medium of art flourishing in Pakistan. If anything is to go by this serial, then the level and quality of Pakistani Drama is far more subtle, well developed and aesthetic then our loud and distorted T.V.serials with overstretched plots in exploitation of commercial interests.

Way beck in early teen I have enjoyed 'Tanhayian' and "Dhoop Kinarey". But then there was absolute blank. I am sure we must have been unexposed to many wonderful productions in between and it is a loss.

If you permit, I do want to occasionally write about my impressions on this serial and your expounding there on which will be a great gain to some one as uninitiated as me. I would be unobtrusive and sporadic. Of course, only if you do not feel too much intruded.

Thanks again.

Samarth.

Welcome Samarth..................... good you have made your presence felt.

@Samarth - welcome 🤗 skep has already introduced me so i wont go in to that except i am really glad to see u here and i m happy that u've enjoyed the serial so far 😊

btw have u been able to watch the first four episodes of the serial? not to mention the title song? all of it is available on youtube and if u are unable to access youtube than i'll send u the direct links here on IF 😊

btw plenty of other dramas and teleplays r on youtube ... i highly recommend Aanch ... Ankahi ... Andhera Ujala ... Zard Dopehar ...Dhoowan ... Ghanti (this one was only a 2 hr long long play actually) etc 😊

take care and welcome once again .... do drop in as often as u can 😊

Hello Sammy,

Thanks for your warm welcome.👍🏼

I am a working professional from India. Though I have done mechanical engineering I am in different vocation.

Arwen, I have watched previous four episodes on You-Tube but they are not of the same quality. 👏

Skepji,

I have told you about a friend who knows Urdu and might be interested but so far I have not mentioned this thread to her. I didn't know…crowding might not be liked here... I have asked her only the meaning of "meri zaat zarra e benishan he" and she has explained to me somewhat. So far I have watched the episodes with my wife (she is immensely enjoying this serial). We have caught up till 11 episodes (we are stealing the time from other things and my work) and as soon as I become up to date, I want to write on some impressions which are already swelling with each one.

Thanks again.

Samarth.

hi samrath welcome abode,u r welcome to this thread as arwen and skepy already mentioned,u r so right about quality of indian soaps which made me see this serial ,thanks to skepy and arwen,do go thru some earlier posts explaining title song meaning in detail,or it could be in our other chat thread which is dedicated to skepy's poems....

All the actors are unknown to me and hence I will refer them with their character names.

Saba: I am impressed most with this actor and her casting. She is beautiful, expressive and yet serene, intelligent and yet unassuming, in short every thing, this character would demand. Even her tallness is somehow beautifully conveying the uprightness of the character. She is absolutely natural in carrying all her scenes. She is educated and obedient (The way she is smilingly and naturally receives Shakeela's errand in spite of MIL's visible dislikes…). She is captivating Arfeen with her sterling qualities, playfulness , sincerity and intelligence, -( aap to dara rahe ho…, if you are so possessive then may turn suspicious… an ominous thought turned true.)

In her refutal to the allegation in front of Arfeen She is truthful and most convincing with every expression during the encounter.

In a rare incidence of anger she is again winning the scene naturally ( agar main sachi hui to unhe bhi usi tarah jute mare jaye jaise ki mujhe mare gaye…)

And then the carriage of trauma at being beaten in public with glazed eyes, disbelief at seeing all her dear ones turning against her one by one and final resignation to the fate. She has lived the role and the title Song with complete sincerity.

In between she had showed a silent contempt to her disbelieving family ( … meri her cheez khairat kar de, jaise aapne mujhe khairat kar diya …)

And her final refutation to all allegations in a calm but annoyed voice with slightly pursed leaps…Maafi?...Kis cheez ki?...

Character: She has never stopped loving Arfeen. She can not stop loving Haider. And in the end she is discharging her final concern for Arfeen's unhappiness with sending Sara to Him. This is not for Sara's welfare (she could have as well sent her to her own family). But she knew that in sending Sara to Arfeen and implied marriage to Haider, she is some what assuaging Arfeen's life long grief. (Here is one puzzle for me. When she knew Arfeen is alone and in deep sorrow why had she never revealed herself to him? Or she never knew about the altered feelings and her own 'acquittal'?)

Arfeen: The actor is portraying the role with commanding grip in all the shades. First he shows the exuberance of youth with a slightly selfish streak but madly in love with Saba, Then deeply hurt at unimaginable blow and rushed in to another disastrous marriage- to escape. And then he is enacting the old age with a congealed sorrow and guilt. His intermittent scenes of youth and old age are striking and he fits the role very well. It would be interesting to see his reactions when the betrayal of his own Mother will be revealed.

The Character:

He was shown somewhat self-centered (initially) but never close minded as other members of his immediate family. The pain at the time of divorce and afterwards is palpable. And some how, I felt, Arfeen did not believe his mother's witness (in spite of divorce) right from the beginning-at least in sub conscious mind. See the way His sister's ironic outburst after the divorce, is showed reverberating in his mind- " Jhuthi thi naa tabhi to bhaag gayee agar sachhi hoti to usi tareah khadi raheti….." (forcefully demonstrated to us viewers in three repeated scenes). And the fact is not lost to him that it was Saba Who stood there upright right until everyone else had run away- including himself. He is also shown returning the rosary to his mother, which has slipped from her fickle hand after the oath. This is a nice way of depicting his subconscious thoughts without much outward fuss of a typical Indian serial (oh how many times this will have to be repeated!).

This character is evoking empathy. Because not only he is left to sorrows for the whole life but has extra burden of guilt for the deeds perpetrated by others. If Saba is consigned to reduced circumstances and sadness, at least she has lived with a clear conscience, while Arfeen is condemned to loneliness with a very heavy heart. More over Saba had the part compensation of watching her love incognito while Arfeen has lost his love for ever.

Aksa: The character is surely inconsistent in its development. Previously she was all love and compassionate to Saba but suddenly she is shown being derisive and unsympathetic to Saba besides being selfish too. This is illogical but I think there is a thematic need to distort this character along with mother (again uncomfortably inconsistent).For if Her own family is not showed disowning Saba at crucial time then Saba would have no visible reason to forbid Sara's return to her own family later and whole second track would have been slightly jeopardized or artificial. Though, this is not an enough reason for this inconsistency.

Music and Song- Absolutely complimenting the theme of various scenes and different moods- Simple but soulful and heart wrenching or playful.

Please pardon this initial outburst of voluminous posts as I am writing for 13 episodes at one go. This will taper off.

Please comment on my wrong takes or erroneous angles or missed contexts. Thanks.