DRAMA REVIEW
In its finale, Udaari puts shame
where it belongs with the
rapist
F
or a drama based on the very sobering subject of
child rape, Udaari managed to end on a surprisingly celebratory note. Defying the entire mazloom
aurat stereotype that our TV dramas love to perpetuate,
the women of Udaari don’t just manage to survive but
actually triumph over their circumstances. Although it is
a close call, Zebu finally gets the justice she deserves
but it is not without a fight. Rape is the strangest crime,
one where the survivor feels the burden of shame for
an act she/he had no consent in, and too often society
works to protect the abuser. Farhat Ishtiaq's beautifully
written, well researched story touches on all the difficulties faced by those who have suffered this most heinous
of crimes, but what sets it apart is how it shows a path
out of the cycle of abuse.
A stellar team
Udaari began as a slice of Pakistani society, and with
such a large cast of players it could easily have diluted its message with time-filling side tracks. However,
the writer kept the focus on the main theme and made
each character an integral part of moving the plot forward. The always outstanding Bushra Ansari kept viewers laughing and crying as Sajjo’s best friend Sheedan,
while Urwa Hocane has gave a fabulous performance
as Sheeda’s daughter Meera. Meera evolved from a
shy, insecure young girl, ashamed of her Merasi roots,
to a proud singer, accepting her own identity and helping Zebu through the rape case. It is these wonderful
bonds of love and friendship between women; working to lift each other up instead of pulling each other
down that makes this drama so different. Bushra Ansari
kept viewers laughing and crying as Sajjo’s best friend
Sheedan, while Urwa Hocane has gave a fabulous performance as her daughter, Meera. Meera grows into a
proud singer, accepting her identity and helping Zebu
through the rape case. It is these wonderful bonds of
love and friendship between women; working to lift each
other up instead of pulling each other down that makes
this drama so different. Ahsan Khan’s acting has been a
study in excellence from the beginning to end of this serial, bringing the manipulative evil of Imtiaz frighteningly
to life. What made this last episode especially gratifying
was the way the burden of shame finally shifted to its
rightful place: firmly on Imtiaz’s shoulders. At last, it was
he who hid his face in humiliation and disgrace as the
truth of his guilt came out. Similarly Samiya Mumtaz has
given another powerful and memorable portrayal as a
woman facing every parent’s worst nightmare. Like a lot
of women in a difficult situation, Sajjo thinks she can limit
Imtiaz by guarding her daughter but she learns the hard
way that such predators can never be controlled or negotiated with. When Sajjo leaves Imtiaz, she makes her
first and most important choice; even though she has
no resources or family help, she takes the steps necessary to get her daughter out of harm’s way. Director
Ehtashamuddin has elicited some phenomenal performances from his cast and kept a tight rein on the story
line and pace of this serial. Sexual assault of a child is
an incredibly tough subject to translate to the screen and
it is to the director’s unending credit that he maintained
the impact of the act without resorting to lurid details or
graphic scenes. That restraint and subtlety are what kept
8 | BOOM