Pamaal, starring Saba Qamar and Usman Mukhtar, is set in the lush green Murree hills. It is the story of Malika, a cheerful, bubbly girl who loves to write. The play starts with Malika winning the award for the best writer and then goes into flashback mode, where she begins narrating her story.
The seasoned actress Saba Qamar is always a delight to watch on screen, and viewers are fortunate to see her in two different plays airing presently. Pamaal started on a promising note and appeared to be different from the usual fare initially, but a couple of episodes in, quite a few anomalies can be noticed.
Cupid strikes when a chance encounter with Malika leaves Raza smitten, and he proposes in their second meeting. Saba’s first cousin (her maternal uncle’s son) is also extremely interested in her, and since the two have been brought up in the same house, they are very close. Fondly called Aani, he is quite disappointed when Malika chooses Raza and rejects his proposal.
Malika reciprocates Raza’s feelings as well, but once the honeymoon period is over after their marriage, she discovers that there is more to him than meets the eye. The script, however, has quite a few glitches, for example, the scene where Aani tries to become a little too friendly with Malika in front of her husband, and she reciprocates. Then, the two disappear, leaving her husband behind.
In our culture, such informality between cousins might be acceptable in certain households, but in the larger context, no husband will tolerate such informality, especially if he is newly married. This seems to be at odds with Saba’s character as well, who, instead of being careful, barely knows her husband at all and becomes overly friendly with Aani in his presence. He takes strong objection to it, and quite rightly so, in my view.
Rather than portraying Raza in a negative light, Saba appears to be the culprit in the writer’s eyes, who, although portrayed as a sensible and stable person, at times behaves rather foolishly and irresponsibly
Then, there is another scene in a restaurant, where somebody Raza knows approaches him and comments on his wife’s physical appearance in his presence during the first meeting. Then he shakes her hand, and understandably, Raza is extremely angry. That is very strange too, because there is a certain element of respect that friends have for each other’s spouses in our culture, and yours truly has rarely come across a situation where somebody attempts to get so familiar with a friend’s spouse at the first meeting.
Another example is when Saba hires a maid without conducting background checks at the suggestion of a neighbour whom she barely knows. Her husband is understandably furious. Hiring someone without checking up on their references and background is a definite recipe for disaster.
The script has quite a few glitches, and some of the scenes appear to be at odds with the protagonist’s character. Although the script is meant to portray Raza as a narcissist, some of his reactions seem perfectly normal, keeping in view our societal norms. Saba, on the other hand, comes across as rather foolish and extremely gullible, seeming incapable of watching her own interests.
The play comes across as rather shaky, and the script has a lot of loopholes. Although the outdoor locales are a treat for the eyes, the narrative leaves a lot to be desired.
The supporting cast is adequate, and there is good onscreen chemistry between Saba and Usman. Aani is also effective as the cousin who is quite miffed as Saba chooses Raza over him. The plus points are that the outdoor locales of Murree have been captured well, and the two protagonists, as well as the supporting cast, act well and appear credible.
The glitches are a shoddily written script and poorly developed characters. Rather than portraying Raza in a negative light, Saba appears to be the culprit in the writer’s eyes, who, although portrayed as a sensible and stable person, at times behaves rather foolishly and irresponsibly.
The holes in the script are being slowly revealed as the play progresses, and it is quite evident that the writer is grasping at straws in a desperate effort to sustain the momentum. It is a pity to see an actress of Saba’s calibre being wasted in a role that has not been properly developed and a narrative that does no justice to her talent.
Let’s hope the play takes a turn for the better and the writer regains her grip on the story!