By Maliha Rehman
In ‘Jaan e Jahan’, the drama produced by Samina Humayun Saeed and Sana Shahnawaz of Next Level Entertainment which has just begun airing on ARY Digital, you wind your way through a lavish, grand haveli and then, in contrast, through a middle-class home where a wedding is about to take place. You meet a motley crew of characters and figure out the many layers to them; the good, the bad, the ones who look good but are really quite ugly. You notice all this in the first two episodes.
And you wait for the romance, promised by the drama in so many teasers, to begin unfolding.
The drama stars Hamza Ali Abbasi and Ayeza Khan, seasoned actors and an on-screen pair which became memorable in the 2013 drama Pyarey Afzal. It marks Hamza Ali Abbasi’s return to TV after a very long sabbatical. It also features a colorful ensemble cast; among them, Savera Nadeem, Noor ul Hassan Muhammad, Kinza Malik, Haris Waheed, Raza Talish and Asif Raza Mir in what seems to be a cameo. The script is written by Rida Bilal, direction is by Qasim Ali Mureed and together, they’ve spun a riveting story in the initial two episodes.
Hamza Ali Abbasi is Shehram, doted upon by his father, the affuent, wise and good at heart Mir Shah Murad. Shehram lost his mother at a young age and since then, his father remarried. His stepmother is Kishwar – Saveera Nadeem looking regal, floating about in jewels and fancy clothes – and he has two step-brothers, Tabraiz and Abdul, enacted by Haris Waheed and Raza Talish respectively.
While the family, living in their lavish home in Hyderabad, appears to be happy from a distance, there are frictions that run deep. Kishwar seems to dote on her stepson but she is actually deeply resentful of his bond with his father. She fears that Shehram will gain complete control of the family wealth while her sons will be left with nothing. Tabraiz is very evidently a troublemaker, misbehaving with servants and random women he sees on the streets. He is constantly reprimanded by his father which makes him sullen and very, very jealous. To the best of her efforts, Kishwar tries to maintain the peace between her sons and their father but their interactions are often heated.
On the other end of the spectrum there is Mahnoor, played by Ayeza Khan. She is on the verge of getting married but is uncomfortable with the attitude of her in-laws and future husband. They are openly disdainful of her family and taunt them frequently. When a guest from the groom’s side misbehaves with Mahnoor’s younger sister, she slaps the boy, resulting in a fallout and the wedding getting cancelled. The incensed groom hails from a powerful family and he later tries to abduct Mahnoor, only to get saved by her father who arrives at the last minute. Noor ul Hassan Muhammad and Kinza Malik, playing Mahnoor’s father and mother respectively, are distraught and at this point, Mir Shah Murad – Mahnoor’s father’s employer – invites him to shift with his family to Hyderabad where he could take on new responsibilities at the company factory and also ensure that his family remains safe.
Mir Shah Murad, while going about his day’s work, is not well. His doctors have told him to avoid stress, which is usually induced by his wayward younger sons. Kishwar, after appearing to be the docile, adoring wife and stepmother in most of the first two episodes, has words with her husband where she demands that he pays more attention to her younger sons. He, in turn, points out that she hasn’t raised them well. The next morning, as Kulsoom prepares to give her husband his morning medication, she is shown staring intently at her reflection in the mirror. Her shadow passes over the mantle menacingly, sweeping over the framed photograph there of Murad’s first wife. Later that day, after taking his medicine, with Shehram pressing his legs and falling asleep by his bedside, Murad passes way. Has he been murdered by his wife? The insinuation is certainly there.
At this important precipice, leaving you guessing, the second episode of Jaan e Jahan ends. Qasim Ali Mureed has set the pace of the story very well. The execution is detailed and extremely fine-tuned. The actors perform well and the characters look gorgeous, with so many layers to them that you look forward to seeing them getting unveiled.
The promo of episode three – and when the second episode ends you immediately tune into it – show a funeral and a meeting between a desolate Shehram and an agitated Mahnoor at what appears to be a mazaar, where his shawl seems to catch fire and she saves him. How filmy – how wonderful too!
It’s undeniable that romance is one of the biggest selling factors in a drama but not every narrative wields it well. However, the very absorbing style of storytelling in Jaan e Jahan makes one look forward to the sparks flying when Shehram and Mahnoor meet.
It’s a beautiful start to the drama. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
What do you think?