‘Behlawa’ - Another bait
By Fariduddin Ahmad
A sordid tale of poverty, unemployment, disregard of merit system and ambitions brewing in poverty with many other social conflicts were the factors ‘Behlawa’ was about. The serial depicted the hollowness and bitterness that exists in the lives of those who have not been rewarded accordingly. ‘Behlawa’ based on a 15-episode run just finished on PTV. It was something different than the glossy TV plays being presented these days on different channels. It was more a convincing real life story behind the poignant portrait of social injustices.
The issue-oriented drama was set in a crowded lane of Lahore by an intelligent and articulate writer Amanullah Nasar. The drama was unique as it drew the immediate attention of the viewers on seeing the theme, which read "I saw a thousand deaths dancing naked on the sand dunes of my hopes’, just after the title.
Aamir (Ehsan Talish) and Bilal (Faisal Qureshi) were the two symbols of the injustices, killing of merit prevailing in our society that despite of their being suitably educated they were not able to get any employment because they had no proper connections. Aamir was a good player also but was not taken in the national team because there were influentials to pressurise the selectors. While the parents maintain genuine expectations specially in the lower and middle class that having educated their children they will soon get the much needed financial support from them to avert the days of miseries. They consider this as investment and nurture the hope of suitable return.
Abdul Ghani (Khayyam Sarhadi) a mill worker and a single parent had brought up a daughter Husna (Maria Wasti) now of marriageable age and a son Aamir, now an engineering graduate. He had spent all that he could afford for the education of his son.
Frequent skirmishes and chiding between the son and a disgruntled father who was pinning his hopes towards some relief and improvement in life besides marrying the daughter.
Unemployment, specially of young and educated youths, bread frustration and depression often leading them to un-social and criminal activities since there is no dearth of exploiters who readily absorb them. Both Aamir and Bilal fell into the company of one such exploiter Mazloom Yar (Khalid Ahmad) who instigated them against the top men and those who matters. Aamir, a bit more reactionary and emotional got involved into a murder and was sought by police. In an encounter with police party led by ASP Suhail (Asal Deen Khan), he was killed by his own men.
It can not be denied that every human being is possessed by a conscience, an inner voice, which compels him to sympathise. It was considered by all that Aamir was killed by Suhail, although it was not so, rather he wanted to get him alive. When Suhail visited Ghani to condole the death of his son and to clear his position, a cool and compassionate man had to face the fury and allegations from an aggrieved Husna.
Suhail kept on visiting Ghani from time to time to share his grief and also to make them believe that he was not the killer of Aamir. He also witnessed their poverty as Ghani accidentally damaged his hand in the factory, and the family was facing a difficult time. Meanwhile, Bilal who was interested in Husna since long, on being asked by Ghani to marry Husna showed his inability as yet because he had no means to support her.
In a greater step of sacrifice, Suhail asked for Husna’s hand in marriage, although he was attached with another girl since long who was out of the country these days.
Emotionally, it was an extremely difficult decision to accept Suhail’s proposal for Husna, since she acutely considered that he was the killer of her dear brother. Abdul Ghani, however, managed to convince Husna to accept this offer as the best considering their state of poverty.
A helpless Husna had to marry Suhail despite of having no chemistry between them. The anguish and frustration that the two went through for considerably long time became a battle of nerves for them. But their catastrophic journey came to an end when she discovered the meaning of self sacrifice and need for a redemption.
There was another story lurking in close vicinity where poverty and helplessness was again in conflict with the ambitions. Marium (Arshia Awan) and Mishal (Sara Chaudhry) were the two daughters besides an unemployed brother Bilal of the mill supervisor Deen Muhammad (Farooq Zamir). Marium was of subdued and homely nature, who understand the pain and affliction of poverty. As against this Mishal, having stepped outside the house was dazzled with the glitter, wealth and glamour. But the family resources were just enough to provide the barest means of living wherein her dreams and ambitions could not be fulfilled.
In the quest of her ambitions and desire Mishal came across another girl Reeha (Natasha Husain) a top model. There were too many common factors between the two. Reeha was also a poor girl from a broken family. She was also ambitious with silvery dreams right from childhood. In order to fulfill her dreams, she took to entice men of means and attained whatever she wanted.
Reeha introduced Mishal to her friend Mirza Yusuf. Yusuf usually kept one girl or the other in his company to impress his friend and to develop business contacts. He had been pulling along with Reeha for long on false promise of marrying with her. As he met Mishal, Reeha fell off from his choice. Like Reeha, he kept on dragging Mishal also on false promise of marriage that could not see the day even after Deen Muhammad begged him with folded hands to take his daughter as wife since it has become a matter of honour for him.
Another character that need to be referred is that of labour leader Mazloom Yar very well enacted by Khalid Ahmad. These leaders are like double-edged sword. They exploit labours, incite them and then extort money from the employers to quell their violence. Unemployed and dejected boys fell easily in their traps through their glibly tongue who then put them into various types of crimes with their share in the booty in lieu of protection.
Producer Director Farooq Mengal in association with executive producer Musarrat Misbah deserve full credit for setting the drama in real world with no glamour, no inches long eye lashes or shiny cars. Plays based on strong storyline does not need the crutches of glamour, but still can gain popularity.
Although a drama can not change the society because there is too much apathy yet it can create some impact. It is therefore the responsibility of our writers that they should deal with issues, which are relevant to the people and to the society at large. Restricting themes to elite class only laden with glamour does not fulfill the need.
Lyrical composition as also the music by Sajjad Ahmad was well directed, occasionally rising to peak levels enveloping the whole scene. Noteworthy was a flash of Dadra by Begum Akhtar in the ninth episode. It was a trip down the memory lanes for the music lovers.
Acting by the entire cast was superb, specially that of the newly found Sara Choudhry (Mishal). Maria Wasti had a sensitive and negative role, which did suited her than amorous and playful role. Set against a depressive atmosphere, the serial was an overall success, but needed an undivided attention because it focussed many a details.
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