Mata e Jaan Hai Tu: A new age drama

So far a lot hasn't happened between Haniya and Ibad, but their chemistry is palpable.

Bilal Mughal March 13, 2012
Humsafar fever is over. The drama may be remembered but the excitement has ended before you can sigh "Khirad". But there is a new drama on the block! Hum TV's Mata e Jaan Hai Tu is  based on a novel by Farhat Ishtiaq who also wrote Humsafar.

Honestly, when the promos for the show were first aired I couldn't even understand the name Mata e Jan properly!

So, what got me hooked?

The cast.

Over time, directors have understood the importance of faces that brand the drama.

This drama stars: Sarwat Gillani, Adeel Husain, Sanam Saeed, Junaid Khan and Sajida Syed.

In the show Sarwat Gilani plays Hainya, a girl next door who experiences love for the first time when she meets Ibad played byAdeel Hussain (who has been called Pakistan's John Abraham). Hussain has been criticized for overacting but one hopes that he will perform well under the watchful direction of Mehreen Jabbar.

According to one viewer Neeraja Unni Rangmunch,
"Sarwat has an expressive face and portrays a gamut of emotions effortlessly. She is an absolute delight to watch as she plays a custom fit role of Haniya''.

The audience can relate to Haniya. Characters like hers help win the hearts of viewers.

[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbLL2T4-X18]]

So far a lot hasn't happened between Haniya and Ibad, but their chemistry is palpable.

Apart from the lead characters, Sanam Saeed, who plays the role of Haniya's sister, needs to have a more vibrant character. She seems to be reading from a script.

[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE0CXPar-Ik&feature=related]]

Director Mehreen Jabbar has shot a beautiful drama but I am a little hesitant about her style. Can the casting and details match Bollywood standards (which we always claim to not compete with but still do!)?  I hope so.

While we reminisce about the good old days of Tanhaiyan and Dhoop Kinaarey, the sad fact is those days are gone. But the good news is that a new age is coming; an age where it’s not impossible but really difficult to get someone to sit in front of the TV for 45 minutes. An age where we skim through episodes on YouTube, and read blogs about the show before watching them.

Perhaps Mata e Jaan is a drama of this new age.

Due to an editing error, an earlier version of the post incorrectly implied that 'a lot has happened between Hania and Ibad'. The error has now been rectified. 
WRITTEN BY:
Bilal Mughal Bilal works for a leading telecommunications group and has a degree in Systems Engineering.
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (35)

Umayr | 12 years ago | Reply Okay I've watched 9 episodes and somehow stumbled upon this blog while trying to find out what the title means...I think the drama is pretty good so far in every way...this drama surely surpasses previous records in production value...one thing people don't realize is that its not easy shooting at public venues in foreign countries, there are procedures and permits and blah - Mehreen Jabbar successfully delivers a brilliant piece in terms of production. The script is pretty tight, though could have been slightly better. Living in Canada, I too will say that Hanniya's character, dressing, dialogues as a 3rd generation desi are very unconvincing, however, Yamina is spot on! Sanam Saeed is very natural in her role, 'loving her work. Ahsan Khan fails to impress as usual. The guy in the main lead is a refreshing change after the faces we see repeatedly. Keep up the good work! A new era of quality Pakistani serials has surely arrived!
sadaf | 12 years ago | Reply Sorry , but I’m just not feeling this “romance” between, Abby and Haniya. As an Expat Pakistani, raised in England and now living in the states, their romance seems fake. Haniya’s character seems more like a Pakistani girl visiting the US not a third generation Desi. I know plenty of Pakistani Americans with very traditional values and they don’t let men wonder into their bedrooms, nor do their “traditional” Nannijan’s wish them good luck on a date. It is a really unauthentic relationship , and Ibaad is so annoyingly perfect it’s untrue. The only good thing is the relationship between Adam and Yamina. Yamina is a much more authentic character and the Adams of this world are sadly cross cultural. I hope it gets better
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