Sang e Mah: A Shakespearean tale of revenge with a cultural twist

Read time: approx 5-10mins

It's no secret that Sang e mah is an adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. However, it is impressive to see how culture and the concept of Gagh have been highlighted to fit with a Pakistani audience. This tale of revenge, the poetic dialogues, the scenery and the young love all point towards a Shakespearean tragedy.

Sikh representation

In the very first scene of the first episode, we see Mastaan Singh (Omair Rana), a Sikh praying in the Gurdwara while Gurbani can be heard in the background. Mastaan plays a pivotal role in the drama and his portrayal as a Sikh is something an audience is seeing for the first time on Pakistani television. The key aspects of Sikhism are highlighted in the drama, particularly the 5 Ks which Gulmeena is seen to mention during an episode. Mastaan's physical representation of a Sikh shows he has a long beard, wears a turban and carries a kirpan (steel sword). And it's the fact that he is the only one in the village that carries a sword which makes him a prime suspect in the attack on Hilmand. I think this subtle inclusion of having such different religious characters incorporated meaningfully into the storyline is going to set a new benchmark in the industry and point towards a changing shape in the industry.

Oppression against women

Sang e mah highlighted the oppression of women in the form of Ghag which is a Pashtun practice of forced marriage. A man who wishes to marry a girl can announce this whenever he wants to without the girl's consent. This automatically means the girl is bound to the man irrespective of any age gap or any other factors. From this point forward, no other man can ask for that girl's hand in marriage. It's like marking your territory... Interestingly, this cultural aspect completely goes against what is Islamically right- the consent of the bride and her guardian. The announcement alone is sometimes used to exact revenge on the girl's family. The man is not obliged to marry her but the girl is forever considered to be "off the market" and no longer "marriage material".  

I ask you why is this not looked at in the same way as rape? In both situations, there is no consent and one is left humiliated. It is applaudable that the writer included this angle in the narrative to shed light on something that many people (including myself) didn't know about. It was powerful to see Gulmeena (Hania Aamir) and Sheherzaad (Kubra Khan) go to the women's houses in the end and encourage them all to fight for their voice in the jirga. Zarghuna (Sania Saeed) was seen leading the women towards the jirga and asked the men seated to make space for the women. The women all came with one aim: to tell their stories of Ghag and to make this punishable in the future. This proved to be impactful and in the end, a learning lesson for those who still may practice Ghag.

Sania Saeed as the fierce Zarghuna

We absolutely loved the fearless character of Zarghuna as played by Sania Saeed. She's a one-woman band and the leader of the pack! The men in the village definitely are scared of her when she makes an entrance. We love how she was able to take a stand for herself with her relationship with Awal Khan (ex-husband) who was abusive towards her so she divorced him. Usually, we see women who are victims of domestic abuse (especially those from the village areas) stuck suffering quietly for many years in these relationships. But Zarghuna empowers all the women of the village. Sania Saeed's body language, stature, way of speaking, and riding on a horse makes her character bold on-screen and we love her character's powerful representation. 

Atif Aslam's acting debut

Initial teasers of the drama serial introduced Atif Aslam in a pivotal role in a very interesting get-up. This attracted many people who are fans of his singing to now watch him on television as he takes up acting. Atif Aslam's debut has proven to be the most impactful character in Sang e mah. He plays the role of Hilmand whose only aim is to avenge the murder of his father. He's either seen in the graveyard talking to his father's grave or with his friends. Hilmand often speaks poetically with power and meaning. Atif Aslam's dialogue delivery as Hilmand has been phenomenal to watch- he just takes the scene away! We have never seen a debut so impressive! To land your first drama between veteran actors like Nauman Ijaz, Sania Saeed and Samiya Mumtaz and to create such an on-screen impact amongst them is just commendable. Some people say that the drama's success is purely down to Atif Aslam's debut and performance...👀 Nevertheless, Hilmand's character will most definitely be missed on-screen now!

Hilmand-Sheherzaad

Okay, but do you not sense some sort of magic when it's a Hilmand-Sheherzaad scene? It's from the very first interaction between the two that has sparked an interesting connection between the characters that has you coming back for more. These two don't necessarily share the typical romantic scenes- they share much more than that. 

Hilmand's character plays a significant role in Sheherzaad's life, he always has advice for her that forces her to think from a different perspective and fight her inner battles and fears. Their relationship has no name but their connection speaks volumes. They share companionship and the ability to sense that the other is worried about something. It's the moment when Hilmand called out the doctor's actions to Sheherzaad and she was completely lost for words as to how he knew. As Hilmand would say "our lost souls have found each other".

There was just something magical when Hilmand wrapped his shawl around Sheherzaad- physically and spiritually protecting her. But it definitely did comfort her and made her feel at ease. We all yearn to be understood and protected in the way that Sheherzaad now feels safe in Hilmand's company. It's the way she doesn't have to say anything and he knows there's something on her mind she's afraid to speak about. They help each other talk it out and the other is always there to listen.

We absolutely loved when Hilmand and Sheherzaad had a heart-to-heart about their future. For the first time, it was Sheherzaad that confidently took the scene away here. She began to express Hilmand's importance in her life and a future with him.

Haji Marjaan-Zarsanga

Haji Marjaan (Nauman Ijaz) came in as a saviour for Zarsanga (Samiya Mumtaz) many years ago when her own husband Nasrullah Khan did Gagh on her. Haji Marjaan is an honourable man who is there to protect his wife Zarsanga. For many years, he has tolerated Hilmand's cold attitude and behaviour towards him as he wrongfully believes that he killed his father. But it is, in fact, Zarsanga that had poisoned Nasrullah Khan as revenge. Haji Marjaan always took the blame and beleived that he will probably be killed but was ready to accept any punishment to save his wife's reputation amongst the villagers. 

Haji Marjaan and Zarsanga's relationship is all about companionship- till death do us apart. This was strongly portrayed in the last episode where, to protect each other from the punishment of the Jirga, they committed suicide together. 

Criticism

The drama serial has received a lot of criticism about the stereotypical Pakhtoon representation. Why couldn't they cast Pashtun actors? Does Sang e mah show Pashtuns in a violent and negative light? Zarghuna is not afraid to use a rifle, in contrast, Haji Marjaan is never shown to be violent yet he still holds power.

In the very last episode, Haji Marjaan gives his turban to Hikmat saying he should make a decision at the jirga which can give everyone justice and save his mother's reputation. Hikmat barely showed any exertion of power or decision-making at the jirga. He didn't really have any powerful dialogues or actually make his presence aware in the scene. He had scope to deliver one last powerful performance but unfortunately, that didn't really show due to the lack of dialogue for his character.

The heartbreaking ending of Haji Marjaan and Zarsanga came to the audience as a surprise- almost everyone was expecting the death of Hilmand in line with the ending of Hamlet. It was saddening to see the couple that had stayed strong together through thick and thin gave up so easily? This almost sounds like Haji Marjaan did not trust Hikmat in granting his mother justice at the jirga...? It also feels like a death was necessary to the end of the drama? It most definitely gave us Romeo and Juliet ending feels but didn't fit in line with these characters. In all fairness, what Zarsanga and Haji Marjaan did could be said to be justified now. But, I was expecting them to courageously come to the jirga hand-in-hand and face whatever the consequences would be. It also feels slightly empty from Hilmand's side- he never had the chance to embrace Haji Marjaan or feel guilty for blaming him for his father's death all these years.

How did you like Sang e mah? What kind of ending were you expecting?