Is historical TV drama Mor Mahal Pakistan's answer to Game of Thrones?
From the very first scene of the mega serial Mor Mahal, we
are ushered into a historical time that is as cruel as it is glamourous:
there's a brutal hanging overseen by Nawab Asif Jahan (Umair Jaswal) in
his military escapade, and it's so matter of fact and mundane, the
dullness the Nawab's eyes is so apparent, that it's clear he's done this
many times before. Read more: How Ali Xeeshan's grand costumes bring Mughal TV drama Mor Mahal to life
With the urgency of war and matters of the state settled, we're shown
that Nawab Asif Jahan begins his journey back home to Mor Mahal. The
Mahal itself is a buzz with the anticipation of his arrival. News
travels fast within the harem — servants, maids, ladies-in-waiting and
guards who are often eunuchs form an extensive network of news and
gossip, where information is currency. We are introduced to multiple
characters, their motivations as well as the masters they serve in an
organic manner.
Badshah Begum (Hina Bayat), the Nawab’s mother, hopes the Nawab will
consummate his marriage of state with MeherBano (Sonia Nazir) after his
long absence. This marriage of convenience was arranged under duress by
Badshah Begum, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by either the Nawab or his
newest wife.
Hina Bayat as Badshah Begum, mother of the Nawab
Meherbano, still reeling from the shock of being coerced into this
marriage is unwilling to forgo her earlier love. She refuses all and any
overtures to play the blushing bride and plots her escape, leaving her
unwilling yet relenting kaneez, Banki (Kinza Hashmi) in her stead.
Meanwhile the Nawab’s other two wives await his arrival as
well. His first wife, Wazir Begum Farroukh Zad (Meesha Shafi) is the
Nawab’s beloved and she wastes no time in preparing for his imminent
arrival dressed in a splendor of jewels, brocades and ornate headgear.
His heavily pregnant second wife Surraya (Fizza Ali) in her insecurity
has taken to taweez and dum ka paani in the hopes of gaining favour with the Nawab.
This is what we know so far: the Nawab (Umair Jaswal) has
three wives. He loves first wife Wazir Begum Farroukh Zad (Meesha Shafi)
best, second wife Surraya (Fizza Ali) is currently pregnant and his
third marriage to MeherBano (Sonia Nazir) is a marriage of convenience.
As far as first episodes go, this one does a great job of introducing
all the characters as well the multiple hierarchies within the harem.
Writer Sarmad Sehbai has added a poetic touch to the literary dialogues.
While this form of idiomatic Urdu hasn’t been heard on our TV screens
in a long time, it serves to set the drama in a historical context and
feels very much of that era.
The rhyming rhythms of the eunuch’s speak, the ingratiating tones of the kaneezes,
the imperiousness of Badshah Begum and the lush flourishes of Nawab
Jahan’s conversation with MeherBano are all steeped in a rich literary
tradition.
Beautifully shot and exquisitely styled, the drama is a step back in
time to a world of riches, glamour as well as the machinations of power.
Ostensibly a fantasy-drama, it still draws extensively from Mughal
influences with touches of Egyptian, Greece and Turkish influences. The
judicious yet novel use of song and dance also gave cultural flavor to
the drama and looks like we are in for at least 25 other thumris in this drama!
Umair Jaswal’s TV debut as Nawab Asif Jahan is remarkable.
He imbibes his looks and speech with authority, which reflects his
stature as king. Meesha Shafi too, impresses with her confidence and
poise.
For now, everything is flush with a touch of royalty, though one has to wonder if some of the clothes and designs were too costume-y.
Director Sarmad Khoosat (Humsafar, Seher-e-Zaat) has a knack
for telling stories with great emotional depth. Here too, you can see
that he uses visuals to tell the story. For instance, Wazir Begum’s
ornateness directly contrasts with the simplicity of Banki’s beauty. The
thematic use of the colour red throughout the episode too - in the
blood, the flag of the Sultanate, the urusi dupatta, and the
production design melds nicely with the narrative. He doesn’t overdo the
symbolism nor does he veer towards melodrama, at least not yet.
Fiza Ali as the second wife of the Nawab
Khoosat also manages to get remarkable performances even from
first-time actors. This is Umair Jaswal’s TV debut as Nawab Asif Jahan
and his body language and enunciation is remarkable. He imbibes his
looks and speech with authority, which reflects his stature as king.
Meesha Shafi too, impressed with her confidence and poise. She also
stood tall in clothes that looked like they would swallow her whole.
However, a niggling question remains. With so much emphasis
on love triangles and love interests and jealousy and what not, is its
historical setting the only thing that separates Mor Mahal from
mainstream dramas?
The entire cast is a refreshing ensemble of amateurs, professionals,
theatre and TV actors who are all making their marks in roles big or
small. The other stand outs include Ali Saleem, Kinza Hashmi and Jana
Malik.
This episode ended on an ominous note; there are hints that trickery and deceit will follow. As Banki noted, “Yahan jis kisi ne apne aap ko pehchan liya who is janat se likala gaya” (Whoever seeks to assert oneself is banished from this kingdom).
Still this is just the beginning of a 45-plus episode mega-serial and whether Mor Mahal
can maintain its pacing and plot intrigue remains to be seen. The one
niggling suspicion that I can’t seem to put to rest is this entire blame
of the Nawab’s vulnerability lies on the shoulders of ‘scheming
womenfolk in his harem’.
We've all seen the parade of saazishi saas's, manipulating wives and majboor shohars on our TV screens. Granted none of them toppled a kingdom, but is it only the setting then that differentiates Mor Mahal from the current crop of dramas?
Good Pakistani dramas excel at the examining the domestic sphere and
human relations. They still however struggle to show a life outside of
that sphere. Mor Mahal revolves around a kingdom so one hopes that future episodes will examine more fully the lives of rulers.
For now we can bask in the warm glow of candles casting both light
and shadows. Stay tuned, it looks like it is going to be one heck of
trip back in time.
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