'Do they think audience is dumb?': Fans allege ‘Tere Bin’ makers used poor editing to save face

Tere Bin makers were under grave pressure to salvage an apparent clickbait promo they aired last week that hinted at marital rape between their beloved characters Murtasim Khan (Wahaj Ali) and Meerab (Yumna Zaidi).

However, the new episode, much to the audience's shock and surprise, cleared the air with 'WhatsApp quality' voiceovers explaining the protagonists’ internal thoughts about breaching their no-intimacy contract and then regretting it. The creatives behind the drama essentially made what people thought was marital rape into consummation but then the couple had afterthoughts – hence, Meerab’s devastating state.

However, to fans, the change in plot looks like an attempt to save face from all the backlash – and that too, is done rather abysmally. The clip shows Meerab sitting on the floor with smeared kohl all over her face and tears rolling down her cheek and fans find it hard to believe that consensual sex would result like this. Murtasim, too, goes into an inner monologue where he blames Meerab for “not being able to stop herself” but he should have been her protector.

Apart from how unbelievable it sounds for them to go from Meerab slapping her husband to consensual sex, users also pointed out how the voiceovers behind the visuals did not sound like Wahaj or Yumna either.

It seems like the visuals say a different story and the audio a different one – and on that, Twitterati called out makers for thinking of the audience as “fools” who wouldn’t figure out their editing tactics. They also highlighted how the makers cut out Meerab’s scene with Haya – all to save Murtasim but completely ruin Meerub's character arc.

Even other fans, who believed that there was no editing and it was the actual plan, felt betrayed by how the makers changed the narrative for their favourite show and their favourite couple. Some even stated how dangerous it is to depict women, who are barely able to walk, cry and run for their lives after having consensual sex because that is not how intimacy should look like. “The writer Nooran Makhdoom should be banned,” wrote a user and many fans agreed.

It’s safe to say that Tere Bin is now officially ruined for its fans.

“Her traumatised expressions and her walk is screaming she was sexually assaulted. Girls, if you want to praise Murtasim, go ahead because that is what they have shown but don't make a fool of yourself by saying that there was no marital rape written in the script,” wrote a user.

“She was definitely raped. The writer just added a cheap voiceover so it doesn’t look like it,” shared another user.

Frustrated at the poor editing, this user simply asked writers and directors to make better stories. “If you remove the background voices and then look at Meerab, her face, and her body language doesn't show guilt but devastation. Yumna Zaidi portrays it with such perfection that even these voice-overs couldn’t cover it up. So, next time try to make better stories.”

“It felt like an episode of ‘You Got Pranked.’ They've done such a shoddy job of covering their mess. I give my salutes to those who believe what we saw today was the real story,” wrote a tweep.

“It's way worse than what was insinuated last week in Tere Bin. They thought last-minute dialogue editing would save this drama but no, Yumna Zaidi and Wahaj's acting showed what actually happened. Shame on you. It's an injustice to Yumna Zaidi's character,” wrote a user, implying that now Murtasim will be lauded for feeling guilt and saving his marriage while Meerab’s pain will be sidelined seeing how she still calls herself “Murtasim Khan’s wife.” 

Nevertheless, there is still room for celebration given social media pressured makers into changing the story – regardless of how nonsensical it may seem. “I'm hearing the internet girlies made Geo TV remove marital rape from the new Tere Bin episode and replace it with some illogical plot development! A win is a win!” wrote a user.

“By win I specifically mean: women were pissed and noisy and called marital rape an unnecessary plotline and it was written out. The bigger win will be when we go back to dramas that have at least some spirit and soul, if not require brain cells to watch.”