By Maliha Rehman
It’s quite evident that the drama, Idiot, which has just begun airing on Green Entertainment, is a social commentary. The protagonist Gulzar, enacted by Ahmed Ali Akbar – the so-called ‘idiot’ – doesn’t mince his words while spelling out harsh truths and pinpointing societal vices. The beauty of the narrative lies in the fact that Gulzar’s monologues on righteousness don’t tend to drone on and on.
The audience absorbs the moral of the story without getting the feeling of sitting in a lecture.
The direction by Anjum Shahzad and script by Kifayat Rodani are very, very different. The story veers between past and present. The younger Gulzar, aka Guddu, is intent on taking care of his pet dog, despite his father and brother’s admonitions. His daadi – Atiqa Odho – takes his side. The older Gulzar is a young man who returns home to attend his sister’s wedding. He is very evidently the black sheep in the family who no one seems to understand. His elder brother clearly dislikes him and his parents seem to be resigned towards him. The scenes, shifting between two time zones, keep the pace interesting.
One particularly gripping scene from the first episode is a throwback to the past; when Guddu’s elder brother angrily takes hold of his pet dog and starts beating it with a stick. A distressed Guddu takes his dog and disappears from his home for several hours while his family searches for him in vain. Eventually, he returns home and his daadi consoles him. The message, that people need to be kind to animals, rings out clearly.
The drama will undeniably be bolstered by strong performances by its stellar cast. At the same time, the initial episode has only introduced the audience to Gulzar’s idiosyncrasies. The female lead, played by Mansha Pasha, is yet to make an appearance. One looks forward to her story and seeing her on the screen again with Ahmed Ali Akbar – the two actors last acted together in the brilliant Laal Kabootar.
For now, Idiot’s story is yet to set off on one particular tangent, where a main issue is highlighted and events begin to take place that lead towards the conclusion. One wonders if Idiot is simply going to be portraying a series of events rather than focus on one particular issue? The Pakistani TV drama audience is accustomed to the latter format but if narrated intelligently, a script moving through different disconnected events, could turn out to be an engaging watch.
On the other hand, it could turn out to be not very riveting, without the identification of one particular plot-line. We tend to gravitate towards good vs evil narratives, where the protagonists eventually win over the antagonist. Idiot certainly doesn’t seem to be following this cookie-cutter storyline. Whether the drama’s distinctive format continues to appeal depends on the storytelling in later episodes.
So far, so good. Idiot is a unique watch. It’s also been shot in a beautiful setting with the young Guddu’s family living up in the mountains. The visuals grip you. But where will this story go? The first episode makes you curious.
What do you think?