Tan man Neel o Neel did not give us the ending we wanted.
It gave us the ending we needed.
It shook us to the core. Every dark, crumbling bit of our insides shook, yes after the final five minutes that’s what our insides felt like, dark and crumbling.
It was a story of intolerance, bigotry and mob violence but it was also a story of hope and courage.
Let’s start with the courage shown by Sultana Siddiqui, Mustafa Afridi and Saife Hasan.
Producer, director and writer came together to produce a heart-wrenching, thought-provoking piece of work. It required brave hearts and bold minds to call out the mass intolerance that exists in our country.
The real-life images of victims of mob violence which were deftly interspersed in between the scenes of the drama’s final moments were a harsh reminder of what happened in the recent past: victims of bigotry and brute judgment.
Faraway in rainy Seattle, as I loaded the dishwasher, I cried for Raabi and Sonu, and I applauded the courage of the makers of this drama
The drama also touched on aspects hardly ever conveyed before in Pakistani dramas – male rape and the reality that it is not just our women who are at risk, but also our men.
It was the story of people who still loved and lived for art, music and dance. The tale of a sensitive and proud male dancer, who chose a profession he enjoyed and fell in love with a girl with gusto and ambition.
A story of simple hope and vibrant ambition.
It was a tale where parents listened and respected their young daughter’s choices: of partner, of profession.
A story of old love and young love, of jealous rage and real repentance (Ehsan, then and now.)
And of course, it was the story of how dark and terrifying our judgmental society can be, blood stained proof of mob violence.
Many of us in North America find great comfort in Pakistani dramas which keep us connected to our Land of the (somewhat) Pure.
Faraway in rainy Seattle, as I loaded the dishwasher, I cried for Raabi and Sonu, and I applauded the courage of the makers of this drama.
I appreciated the vast and nuanced talent shown by the actors in this drama. From Kaami’s strategic villainy to Ehsan’s suffocating guilt, from Moon’s vulnerability to Mahnaz’s eager romanticism and so many more brilliant performances.
The characters became real for us.
But above all, this is the message that came to rest in my mind.
We are an unruly, bigoted society but we are also a country with gifted individuals and a brave voice. This drama is a testament to that courage. While we owe it to our people to continue to be aware of our grave shortcomings, truth is that intolerance pervades many cultures and countries.
India’s Modi has created fear in the hearts of film makers who would have previously spoken out in louder voices against the intolerance the pervades contemporary Indian society.
The US today is igniting fear in the hearts of minorities across the spectrum. Race, religion, gender – the vulnerability is immense today.
Being brown, Muslim and female is just a part of it: so many are exposed to the prejudice that is leaning towards an official status.
You don’t have to be undocumented to be scared. You just have to be human.
The land of brave, the home of the free doesn’t feel so free anymore.
But humanity is still on display as compassionate voices continue to speak out here in the US and this drama we speak of is proof that they continue to speak out in Pakistan as well.
While judgement and intolerance does not only exist in Pakistan, that’s no excuse for the fact that it does exist.
And that mob violence is a dangerous reality.
As we acknowledge this darkness, let’s also give credit where it is due.
The Pakistani drama industry in throbbing with talent.
Let’s celebrate our gifted drama makers who have had the courage to present the facts and the sensitivity to captivate our souls.
Like the naturally perfect layers of an onion, the chapters in ‘Tan man Neel o Neel’ were neatly peeled away to reveal layer after layer of marvellous story telling.
Sultana Siddiqui, Saife Hasan and Mustafa Afridi, we thank you for your beautifully nuanced work.