“Rang Mahal” is a daily soap on Geo, which arrived on the scene with little to no fanfare, replacing the star-studded “Mohlat.” However, the show has quickly emerged as a dark horse, not only bringing in ratings, but also presenting an interesting, gripping story written with intelligence. Written by Shafia Khan, the show has been directed by Zahid Mehmood and stars Ali Ansari, Hamayun Ashraf, Sehar Khan and Arooba Mirza in lead roles.
It’s refreshing to see that this show has not only one, but multiple confident, successful lead female characters. Even more refreshing is that Rayed’s fiancé, Sarah, is not only a career-driven woman, but she has several other great qualities as well. Sarah is self-assured, recognizing that she doesn’t need to marry a man who doesn’t want her. She knows her own self-worth and, even better, she is a kind-hearted individual. This is why, when she finds out from Hajra (Arooba Mirza) that Rayed (Ali Ansari) has gone through depression over the loss of a girl, she chooses not to break off the engagement – but not for the reasons we are used to. With her kind-hearted nature, Sarah decides that she cannot abandon someone who has been hurt emotionally and decides to “heal” him with her attention. Honestly, it’s sweet watching Sarah and Rayed together and Sarah appears to be half-successful with her attempts at winning Rayed over (though her behavior with the help was questionable).
Meanwhile, Mahapara (Sehar Khan) prepares to visit Lahore to take her exam, recruiting Hajra and Sarah to care for her grandmother in her absence. It appears that Mahapara will end up meeting Salaar in Lahore, where he will explain himself and declare his desire to marry her. It’s strange that in a love story focused on Rayed and Mahapara (Sehar Khan), Sarah appears to be better suited for Rayed and Salaar (Asim Mehmood) better suited for Mahapara. These two characters are just better partners overall. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the creatives attempt to do something different this time and Rayed and Mahapara are not reunited in the end.
In the next mega episode, Hajra is seen talking to Mahapara on the phone with Sohail (Humayun Ashraf) overhearing the conversation. Will this be a turning point in the show? Up until now, Hajra has had Sohail under control through threats of exposure – but will Sohail be able to use Mahapara’s non-death against Hajra now? And what does this mean for Mahapara in the long run? “Rang Mahal” is surprisingly a strong drama with a lot of scope to continue to grow, a lot of story left to tell.