By Maliha Rehman
It’s a mad, mad, mad world where man meets jinn, and the two fight, scheme, manipulate – and sometimes, they fall in love.
Jinn Ki Shadi Unki Shadi (JKSUKS) airing on Hum TV Network is unlike the usual TV fare. The drama skips out on the emotional dialogues, realistic scenarios and domestic turmoil intrinsic to narratives on TV. It is experimental, hilarious and maybe a little bit scary – and the audience has connected well with the drama’s wacky world.
For director, Saife Hasan, JKSUKS offered a break from some very heavy-duty scripts that he had worked on previously. He had just wrapped up the sensational Tann Mann Neel o Neel, where he had expertly delivered a riveting, heartbreaking story with strong, underlying messages. And earlier, he had helmed Zard Patton Ka Bunn, another poignant story layered with messages and a very serious storyline peppered by moments of humor and romance.
While both these earlier dramas had received both critical and commercial acclaim, Saife admits that he was feeling tired. “They had both been dramas with very serious storylines and sad undertones and I just wanted to try my hand at something fun now. And we did have a lot of fun shooting JKSUKS, simply working on bringing out an entertainer.” He adds, “A lot of effort still had to be put into every scene, in order to keep the story gripping and interesting. There were times when actors Wahaj Ali, Arslan Naseer and I would improvise with the script, adding more to a scene so that it could be more impactful. And we had 42 feet high cranes on set, so that the actors could be carried to heights.”
The utilization of these cranes can clearly be seen in the drama, with the trio of jinns – enacted by Sehar Khan, Tamkenat Mansoor and Syed Jibran – perching atop tall trees and huge rocks, while spying upon the human family that has encroached upon their home!
Perhaps it is the effort that has been put in to the shooting process as well as the twists and turns in the script that have ensured that the drama resonates with a wide audience. While JKSUKS has been compared often with the 90’s children’s classic drama Ainak Wala Jin, the drama is being watched by people of all age groups. “I had felt that this drama would perhaps be watched more by children, but surprisingly, everyone’s watching it!” says Saife.
Credit also goes to the drama’s cast: JKSUKS is headlined by an ensemble of some of the country’s most-loved actors. Wahaj Ali and Sehar Khan are in leading roles, accompanied by Arslan Naseer, Sidra Niazi, Romaisa Khan, Syed Jibran, Tamkenat Mansoor, Nadia Afgan and Irfan Motiwala. It’s a very talented entourage, adding nuances to the madcap storyline. Also, some of these actors – Wahaj, Sehar and Arslan come to mind – have heavy duty fan followings who eagerly wait to see them on TV. These fans play an important role in bringing up viewership ratings during a drama’s initial run – of course the views only continue to remain high, if the drama is a good one, as in the case of JKSUKS.
Having said that, with the present day TV audience well-versed in international content, a drama with supernatural elements needs to invest in high-end special effects. In this case, JKSUKS has faltered sometimes. There are times when you appreciate the magic on-screen – in a recent episode, Sehar Khan transforms seamlessly into Syed Jibran’s character – and at other times, the special effects seem to be on a budget – case in point: the make-believe darbaar of jinn’s seems to be right from the ’80’s.
“It’s been a challenge,” agrees Saife. “The jinn’s darbaar was going to be in a forest, according to the script. We decided to create this set because so many other scenes had been shot outdoors, in forestlands and gardens. Drama budgets are limited and we just tried our best.”
Saife Hassan tends to work most frequently with writer Mustafa Afridi, with whom he shares a longstanding friendship. The two are known for brainstorming together as they put together a drama. Is it trickier working on a script written by someone else, as in the case of JKSUKS? “I was present as a script editor when JKSUKS’ story was being written,” says the director. “Shamoon Abbasi, Syed Nabeel, Sara Ghulam Nabi and I were all actively involved in the script development. So even this time, I was well-acquainted with the script that I was taking on.”
From hard-hitting emotional storylines to a feel-good entertainer, JKSUKS’ popularity is testament to Saife Hassan’s flair for telling varied stories. For the actors, too, the drama has brought in accolades and showcased their versatility. Who could have thought that an off-the-wall supernatural comedy would be enjoyed so much? It shows that the audience’s palette has expanded and they are increasingly open to new storylines.
And how will the man meets jinn romance reach its happy ending? We will see.
What do you think?