approx read time: 10-15mins Mrs & Mr Shameem... a drama I literally have no words for! The drama brings together the powerhouse performances of Nauman Ijaz and Saba Qamar through an unconventional and gripping storyline. The couple face quite literally every problem on the cards together but come out stronger in the end...Let us explore the performances and taboo themes intertwined that stem from true masculinity, opposing common stereotypes... Poster Title I'd like to actually put some emphasis on the drama poster title. What does it really suggest to an audience? Did you notice that typically we say Mr & Mrs but the drama is actually Mrs & Mr? Was this intentional? The "Mr Shameem" is written in italics which to me seems really feminine. The "Mrs Shameem" is written in capital which I think suggests bold dominance. Now, if we were to match these up to the characters of Umi and Shammo, who would you say represents which title? Casting Okay so what i
The controversy surrounding drama serial Aye Musht e Khaak
Read time: under 5 mins
Aye Musht e Khaak has been trending and all over social media with a lot of controversy surrounding the direction and script of the drama... let's take a critical look at the popular drama and why it's trending for all the wrong reasons...
Unhealthy obsession with Feroze Khan's toxic character
Many fans are particularly obsessed with the rebellious 'bad boy' image that Feroze Khan has made for himself in the industry through his popular drama serial Khaani.Feroze Khan is also repeatedly seen in such negative roles in drama serials Gul e Rana and Ishqiya. Whilst none of his dark roles deserve to be justified or glorified, negative roles have bought him immense popularity amongst fans. This unhealthy obsession with the toxic characters he is seen to continuously play can sometimes unintentionally have the wrong impact on viewers. Feroze Khan's typical characters are seen to be spoilt brats who harass a girl in the name of love- his passion implies to an audience that it is okay to do such things when in love. This however is not okay because over time girls glorify such characters and men are made to believe that they can go to such drastic-borderline psychotic measures to prove their love for a girl.
Personally, I have always been a huge fan of Feroze Khan but I am starting to see a pattern in the characters he is playing on-screen and believe he is being type casted by directors. Due to the fact that he can play this role very well he keeps getting offered similar roles that demand more psychotic behaviour and violence. I wonder why his positive roles for example in Dil Kya Karey and Wo Aik Pal have failed to make an impact. Sadly, this means there is little range for Feroze Khan to prove his versatility which every actor needs to show in the industry to really stand out over time. In the future, I'd like to see Feroze Khan succeed in a new and more unique role that stands out for him in his whole career.
Glorifying violence and abuse in the name of love
Aye Musht e Khaak is repeatedly shown to glorify violence in the name of love with Feroze Khan's character displaying borderline psychotic behaviour. Mustajab had a fight with Dayyan before leaving for America, he attacked Shiza, and then he was screaming at his mum whilst driving. Feroze Khan's acting is doing very well and he may just be sticking to the script- but the direction of this drama is really questionable. Was the director expecting such backlash? Will the drama take a turn to explain the actions of Feroze Khan's character? It's quite disturbing to see such scenes go on air with the majority of the audience being in Pakistan where such things are already problematic- the director really didn't think about how a Pakistani household may act upon seeing such things on TV. It gives off a negative influence in such households where it is already seen as wrong for a girl to stand up for herself in front of a dominating male.
In a viral scene that has been criticized as soon as it went on air shows, Mustajab dragged Shiza into a room by the neck and screamed in her face at the top of his lungs. In this scene, Feroze Khan is shown to be sweating, his pupils dilated and bloodshot veins on his forehead popping. This intensity in particular was actually quite frightening to watch and sounds wrongful to be for 'entertainment' purposes. This scene particularly had me stop doing what I was doing and glued to the TV in shock as to how such a scene was allowed to air on TV. Although some say this was a particularly good scene between Feroze Khan and Nimra Khan, critically, what was shown on-screen shouldn't have been so easily aired. Feroze Khan is practically strangling Nimra Khan- I wonder how these two actors felt shooting this particular scene.
So far, all this drama has emphasised is that a guy can chase a girl and go to any extreme measures without being stopped-and it's perfectly normal. In reality, a guy's anger issues are not a measure of how much he loves you.
Viral memes leave the drama a laughing stock
In this viral scene, Mustajab is speaking to his wife Dua about plans to leave for their honeymoon soon whilst the mother-in-law is also present. Dua responds by saying she can't leave for their honeymoon as it is soon Ramadhan. Mustajab's atheistic character fails to understand what Ramadhan has got to do with a couple's honeymoon. An awkward silence fills the room as Dua asks her mother-in-law to explain to her son why they can't go on such a trip during the religious month. The sensitive topic in a casual discussion in the presence of Mustajab's mother felt very inappropriate.
A few fans are saying that it is good that the drama has started to properly touch on these topics and most people in Pakistan are like Mustajab. A lot of fans have taken this viral scene in a funny way by adding emojis and making memes of how carelessly the topic was presented on TV. This scene was hilarious when it wasn't meant to be and people started following the drama for the comical scenes that have gone viral.
Aye Musht e Khaak continuously seems to be circulating in the media every week with a new controversial discussion around its latest episodes. Do you agree with the criticism it receives?
