by Sophia Qureshi
At times, I wonder if it’s actually our society that fixates this much on marriage or if it’s just our dramas. Is Dil Ruba really a representation of our society? Of course, each viewer watches a show with their own life perspective. But let’s take the case of Junaid (Shehroze Sabzwari), a man who has attempted suicide over Sanam and has finally gotten back on his feet. In episode 11 of Dil Ruba, we see that he’s now driven educationally and wants to get on his feet to improve his future, as well as his parents. The only thing he asks is that his parents not push him for marriage, because he’s still upset over what happened with Sanam.
Now, again, we come back to perspective and life experiences, but in my books, there’s no room here for a discussion on marriage when an individual is not emotionally stable yet. Junaid’s parents should have backed off, but instead, overhearing this conversation between Junaid and his wife, Junaid’s father walks into the room and announces that he’s arranged Junaid’s marriage to his niece. Junaid protests and his father says it’s not up for discussion. His son has finally recovered from a terrible point in life and his way to handle the situation is to force him into marrying someone against his will? This is ridiculous.
This is not the only bullying we see in this episode of Dil Ruba. Sanam (Hania Amir) is still not only still mourning over the loss of Razi (Nabeel Zuberi), but she’s also now confirmed to be carrying his child. With everyone overjoyed that Sanam is carrying Razi’s “akhri nishaani,” they all celebrate in a befitting way – they begin asking around for suitable proposals for Sanam so they can marry her off.
After seeing her misery and how she has been mourning her husband, they think the only way she can attain happiness is to be married again. The idea is so bizarre, it’s hard to digest – and thankfully, Sanam also thinks so and puts a stop to the chatter, telling her family that she will not remarry.
Phupo, on the other hand, continues her relentless attempts to convince Sabeeh (Mohib Mirza) to marry Sanam. This is actually an angle that makes sense and viewers can truly sympathize with Sabeeh’s dilemma. His mother wants Razi’s unborn child to stay in the family close to her. However with Sabeeh’s past feelings for Sanam, her harsh words and “betrayal” and, of course, Razi’s warning to him, Sabeeh is unable to open that door. His internal struggle is one that is understandable and Mohib Mirza’s performance is convincing, making his grief more palpable to viewers.
Ayaz (Asad Siddiqui) continues his harassment and Sanam’s brother intervenes, growing suspicious of Sanam, which causes her additional stress. She finally turns to her neighbor, Ayaz’s friend, and asks for his help. He steps in to save her “izzat” in true hero style and threatens Ayaz not only verbally, but also with a gun. While it’s great to see a kind, “good citizen” sort of character, the brandishing of a gun took the situation to a different level, one that most likely will not end well.
To add to that, in the preview for next week’s episode, it’s clear that Sanam’s brother will now take this good neighbor to be a suitor. Of course Sanam, a widow and an expectant mother, will now be accused of having bad character by her once-trusting brother. That’s logical – except it’s not logical at all considering her brother trusted Sanam blindly – and would have continued doing so since her husband died and she was not thrown out of the house for any reason.
I’m having to suspend my intelligence here and there with this show and I’m not happy about that. What does deserve praise is Hania Amir’s acting, which is shining through with the emotional scenes. She has now been given the scope to show her acting range and she’s much more endearing now as this scared, conflicted, sad widow.
Episode 11 of Dil Ruba wasn’t particularly exciting, but there is something to be said about this show – it isn’t slow. There’s always something happening, which certainly sets it apart from other shows. It’s just a matter of how the show moves ahead from this point on and will it be realistic?
Sophia Qureshi is a Pakistani tv show commentator and a Bollywood buff based in the United States. Follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/SophiaAQ