While the message of “Mujhay Qabool Nahin” has focused on abuse and the rights of women, the treatment has not been ideal. Following the lives of Maira and Mishaal, two sisters married to two brothers, Maira was immediately thrown into an abusive marriage. The abuse took many turns from physical, verbal, emotional and even reached the point where Maira felt she was being “sold” to her boss. Unfortunately, the key players have moved in circles, often reciting dialogues, having a change of heart and then reciting those same dialogues one episode later, making the viewing experience exhausting. However, with the finale, the show takes a positive turn and leaves the viewer feeling satisfied with the conclusion – and the message. Starring Sami Khan, Madiha Imam, Sidra Niazi, Osama Tahir, Saba Faisal, Azra Mansoor, Ahsan Khan, Mohammed Ahmed and others, the story has been written by Adeel Razzaq and directed by Aabis Raza.
In the finale, Nudrat (Saba Faisal) rejects Najib’s proposal, feeling it more important to be there for her family, her daughters and her mother-in-law (Azra Mansoor) at this time. While Najib handles this well, stating they can still be friends and support one another, this is the one moment in the finale that does not sit well. Nudrat has spent her entire life alone, raised her children alone and now has found a confidant and friend in Najib. While it’s understandable that she could feel uncomfortable at that age, her reason for refusing Najib does not come across as sound or well thought through. What her mother-in-law explains about the rights of women and, particularly widows, to remarry is a beautiful, educational moment and well-executed, but the outcome and Nudrat’s decision feels like a set-back of sorts.
Still, in the finale, many emotional apologies are made, specifically by Azra Mansoor’s character, who has been the matriarch of the family who has allowed the men to mistreat all the women around her up until now. Fortunately, the show sends a strong message that it’s never too late to change mentalities. Ramsha also leaves home, fed up her father and Salman’s (Sami Khan) behavior, choosing to join her mother at Nudrat’s home….which is becoming a hostel of sorts, at this point with so many people living under one roof. Realizing they are outnumbered, Salman and his father visit Nudrat’s home and ask Maira (Madiha Imam) to return home. Madiha Imam’s acting in this scene is excellent, facing off with her father-in-law and husband, making it clear that she has the right and backing to refuse. There are so many women who deserve and need to hear Maira’s response, recognizing that living as Salman’s wife is a caged life, having a child with him is a trap and returning home with him would be allowing herself to return to that cage – and for what? The execution of this scene is stellar, particularly when Maira calls out the small trickle of hope everyone still has that she will reunite with Salman – even while recognizing how much she endured by staying with him.
In the end, Salman is sentenced to three years of jail time while everyone else begins rebuilding their lives. Maira allows Mishaal (Sidra Niazi) and Arsalan (Osama Tahir) to take ownership of Affan, her son, which brings new meaning to their lives while she still remains in Affan’s life. And in a happy twist, Maira and Aatir (Ahsan Khan) are reunited. The confession scene between the two is, once again, beautifully executed. While Maira’s decision to grow personally and professionally, removing herself from any emotional bonds right away, was a good one in the moment, it’s great to see a woman go through hardship on-screen and still find happiness. Aatir is, essentially, a woman’s dream, a character who is, quite honestly, unrealistic. And yet, he’s a character we love to see on-screen, one who allows us to dream that true love is still out there, loyalty does exist and even after going through misery, women can still find light at the end of the tunnel. Ahsan Khan did not have much to do in terms of acting in “Mujhay Qabool Nahin,” but as a character, Aatir has left us grinning from ear to ear.
Sami Khan’s performance deserves a shout-out as Salman, a most detestable character. He has played a villain in the most natural, realistic way, leaving us seething with anger each week. Madiha Imam has also given her all to her role as Maira. Madiha has been making conscious attempts to play women breaking free of their constraints and finding happiness after this and “Chauraha” last year and we hope to see her in more empowering roles. “Mujhay Qabool Nahin” isn’t necessarily a show that has been one to rave about. It has been a hard watch, offering more misery than not. However, in terms of finales, it has ended on a strong note, allowing us to look past the negatives and focus on the positives, particularly the strong messaging in the end. Considering this show wound up on the list of disappointing shows only earlier this week, this does show how important a good finale can be to the final opinion of a show.