“Sabaat” stars Mawra Hocane, Ameer Gilani, Sarah Khan and Usman Mukhtar in prominent roles. Pulling in the audience immediately, “Sabaat” got off to a strong start and maintained a level of quality for some time. Unfortunately, the storyline following Sarah Khan and Usman Mukhtar has left a lot to be desired. Still, “Sabaat” continues to have strong moments and some well-written characters, namely Mawra Hocane’s Anaya.
The most beautiful scene in episode 27 of “Sabaat” is the scene towards the beginning between Anaya (Mawra Hocane) and her mother (Seemi Raheel). There is something so beautiful about this family bond and the way these characters have been written is stunningly realistic. While they are a solid family that supports each other and they are “good,” they are not painted as angelic. They have their share of flaws and that’s seen when Anaya’s mother tells Anaya that her father used to be “awaara” and would stay out until the late hours of the night – until Anaya was born. Anaya smiles hearing this and wishes her father could’ve been around to meet little Ibrahim. Seemi Raheel and Mawra Hocane shine as this mother-daughter duo.
Anaya finally makes moves towards rejoining the work force, but is stunned when she realizes Jahangir, her boss, has been let go from his job. Credit has to be given to the character of Jahangir, a strong, confident, intelligent man who has ethics and treats Anaya as his own daughter. It’s refreshing to see a male character who does not figure into any romantic angle and walks the line of decency. Unfortunately for Anaya, Jahangir’s replacement is none other than the dreaded Yasir Qureshi, a scummy, sleazy man, one who made Hassan’s life miserable – and has grand schemes to do the same for Anaya. Immediately, he requests her to travel out of town for a conference and when she is there, he pays a visit to her hotel room. Much to Anaya’s horror, Yasir hands her a promotion letter, one that clearly comes with strings as he discusses her relationship status. This situation would be uncomfortable for anyone, but it’s even more uncomfortable for Anaya, a woman who is now a single mother and relies on her job. Anaya is also a woman who has strong principles and viewers do not have to think even for a second before understanding that Anaya will quit her job before allowing Yasir to exploit her. Mawra’s performance continues to be the highlight of the show. Not only has Anaya been wonderfully written as a character, but the sincerity with which Mawra has brought her to life is commendable. Anaya is a character that will be remembered long after “Sabaat” comes to an end for being a true representation of a strong female character.
On the other end, Hassan (Ameer Gilani) has begun to grow even more frustrated by the memory of Anaya and finds himself snapping at Atif (Abbas Ashraf Awan), realizing himself that Atif’s presence makes him feel worse – and vocalizing it. Atif’s days in Hassan’s life seem to be numbered. While Hassan is seen thinking about Anaya and drowning in misery, he tells Miraal that he’s ready for a divorce. Still, we know that he will change his mind once he realizes how Atif and Miraal conspired against his marriage. Will his regret come too late? Will Anaya be able to forgive him – and does he deserve that forgiveness? Despite Hassan’s frustrating turn, Ameer Gilani has done a wonderful job portraying this character.
Miraal (Sarah Khan) continues her yo-yo game between Ali and Haaris (Usman Mukhtar). While Ali discusses his marriage plans with his mother, who does her best to discourage him, Haaris continues pushing to rectify things with Miraal. There’s a scene between Haaris and Miraal where he asks her to reconsider and Miraal simply brushes him off, telling him outright that his misery brings her joy. There’s an expression that comes over Haaris’s face that really drives his misery home to the viewers – kudos to Usman Mukhtar for that subtle, but effective moment that manages to make an impact. Dr. Haaris is a character that has been criminally underutilized and Usman Mukhtar deserved more. The character deserved more. A psychiatrist who is unable to diagnose his own wife – there is so much to unpack here, including Haaris’s own insecurities and troubled past. Instead, he has simply been used as a punching bag for Miraal. What a shame.
http://thebrownidentity.com/2020/10/12/sabaat-episode-26-anaya-gives-birth-to-a-baby-boy/
Overall, this episode is interesting enough, but too little of worth actually happens. “Sabaat” is a show that initially took off at a great pace, but it has lost steam since then and one even wonders if it will wrap up in a satisfactory way. But despite it all, Mawra Hocane, Ameer Gilani, Seemi Raheel and Sarah Khan have all been performing very well. “Sabaat” seems poised to begin its wrap-up phase beginning next week. Let’s hope the show manages to get back on track and come to a strong finish.