Pakistani Dramas

Drama Review | Sang-e-Maah | Episode 23

Posted by Shabana Mukhtar on

 

 

Sang-e-Maah Episode 23 Written Update and Review

This episode was all about revelations, revelations and confessions. Wuthout delving too much into all, I will briefly summarize it here.
 

A mother meets her son after ages

Haji is about to take an oath that he had killed Nasrullaj (or not) when an unexpected member joins jirga. Zarsanga arrives at jirga despite all the efforts that Haji Marjaan has put in. The opium hasn’t worked in Haji’s favour. The inevitable is about to happen. Haji Marjaan is as shocked to see Zarsanga as could be.
 
He’s like: what did you do, Zarsanga?
 
Just look at his face.
 
 
Superb acting by Noman Ejaz, especially the way he staggered when he got up to take the oath… This man is a legend for a reason.
 
The real shock, however, comes from Hilmand. While Zarsanga lovingly caresses her son’s face, Hilmand plants an affectionate kiss on Zarsanga’s forehead brushing aside everything that he has against Haji Marjaan and by extension Zarsanga.
 
Sheherzade is in tow, and this maa-beta milaap is very emotional, indeed.
 
And then, Zarsanga announces something that very few would have expected. 
“I killed Nasrullah, not Haji Marjaan,” Zarsanga says.
She walks on to be in the center of the jirga, leaving the trio in shock. The look on their faces is just priceless. And, I was like: O teri?
 
This is followed by a long monologue by Zarsanga where she explains how Nasrullah did ghag on her, and it was her idea to kill Nasrullah. OMG! This was so shocking.
 

Hilmand’s grief and self-doubt

Hilmand takes off from jirga and wanders in the jungle alone. This was one of Atif’s best moments (but then, which one isn’t?). The way he staggers through the jungle and breaks down and weeps, it just takes your heart and breaks it into a million pieces. Excellent acting, brillant direction and superb cinematography. I loved how the camera zoomed out to show Hilmand in the middle on nowhere away from everyone else.
 
Just look at him. He is the same man who wore a dazzling blue jacket and sang “Kadi Te Hans Bol Ve” about 18 months back and just drove us crazy. He looks like a different person altogether.
 
 
Later, we see Hilmand talking to himself as usual, and he questions whether his mother was lying or telling the truth.
 

Truth or another lie?

Hilmand isn’t the only one who doubts Zarsanga. As Badam Gul narrates the whole jirga story to Gul Meena, the vulnerable heroine questions why Zargoona never discussed something to huge and important with her. She has the same question in mind.

Did Zarsanga lie to save Haji Marjaan?

This is enough to instill a doubt in our mind, that Zarsanga may have lie to save Haji Marjaan from Hilmand’s revenge.

And the truth is…

Zarsanga and Zargoona are talking, reliving their past and Zargoona consoles her sister.

Zarsanga: Jaisa baap waisa beta. Tum ne Gul Meena se kaha hoga na ki Hilmand ke baap ne tumhari behen pe ghag kiya, aur Hilmand ne tumhari beti par.

Zargoona: Main tum pe rashk karti thhi, tumhari dushman nahin thhi. Tum Haji Marjaan ke liye laR rahi thiiN aur main Asadullah ke liye, jisse hum mohabbat karte thhe. Hum dono ek si hain.

That last bit “hum donon ek si hain” still rings in my head. I think it takes a sibling’s relation to another level. All our young lives we strive to be different, but as we grow old, we realize that we do want to be equal to, similar to our siblings. 

Or maybe that’s just me.

It was a very tender and vulnerable moment.

The loving couple

Haji Marjaan still isn’t happy about Zarsanga’s decision. He still takes responsibility of his actions. Even though he hadn’t poisoned Nasrullah, he was the one to procure the poison from Guru Bakhsh. Zarsanga, on the other hand, takes full balme-she was the one who came up with the idea, and she was the one who poisoned Nasrullah. I was thinking the whole time-yeh kaisi mohabbat hai jo dono ek dusre ko bachane ki koshish kar rahe hain? 

I still don’t have the answer, probably because it is rare in our age.

Hilmand’s family

The episode ends as we see Nasrullah’s father stealing a bird from a little boy and beating him black and blue. This is only to prove his power and superiority over the poor boy. Later, the old man remembers his late son.

Nasrullah mera beta thha.

I was like: that explains so much.

And the episode ends.

I’m sure Hilmand will meet his grandpa now. Ab udhar jhagda karega. I have never seen such a jhagdaloo hero 😀

Review

This episode was quite overwhelming, in a good way. It was such a well-planned narrative. Not only did some old truth were revealed, but we also had some new subplots unfolded. The two sisters Zarsanga and Zargoona talked about how Nasrullah and Hilmand both were shameless, evil mean who did ghag on a girl. And later, we see Nasrullah’s father stealing a bird from a little boy and beating him black and blue. So, this runs in their blood-message received. It was so subtle and yet so powerful.

I have said this before and I will say this again: Sang-e-Maah is that kind of drama that you would want to binge and finish in one sitting; that kind that you want to watch without having to take notes for reviewing later; that kind that you want to watch and learn the art of story telling. This drama is almost perfect, very close to the recent perfection that was Chaudhry & Sons.

~

Until we meet again, check out my books on Amazon. You can subscribe for Kindle Unlimited for free for the first month, just saying 🙂
 

Shabana Mukhtar

Published by Shabana Mukhtar

Software Developer, Certified Overthinker, Decidedly Underachiever, Amateur Writer, Sitcom Lover

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