Fans breathe a sigh of relief as ‘Main Manto Nahi Hoon’ finally ends

Controversial Humayun-Sajal starrer show wraps up after months of criticism

The Khalil-Ur-Rehman Qamar drama that was making headlines for its controversial plotline has finally come to an end. The show premiered its last episode on ARY digital on Saturday and fans had a bag of mix responses. 

An overwhelming majority was glad that the show had finally come to an end. “Today is the best episode because it is the last episode,” penned one YouTuber commenter. “I believe the writer should now stop working on these scripts. He(Khalil-Ur-Rehman) only works on dialogues and not on the story.” While another claimed that the music was the only redeeming factor, “Today’s instrumental music was better than the whole drama,” they wrote. 

The drama was previously criticized for its portrayal of a problematic romance between a teacher and a student. Public opinion had held that Manto (Humayun Saeed) and Mehmal (Sajal Ali) should not be romantically involved with each other due to their disbalanced power dynamics and the respect a teacher-student relationship demands.  

Now that the show reached its conclusion, many had a problem with the ending too. “I waited so much for this ending,” wrote one with a disappointed laugh. “Best of luck, do not make a drama like this again.” Another was simply not impressed. “This drama has completely lost its charm,” they penned. “The romance between Mehmal and Manto feels forced and awkward. Sajal’s character just looks uncomfortable and messy throughout.” 

On the other hand, Miss Maria(Sanam Saeed) fans demanded justice for the character. “Manto should have been with Miss Maria,” they wrote. “They ended up showing a teacher-student romance.” Another wanted to see Miss Maria and Hazrat’s end, “What is this?” they wrote. “Miss Maria and Hazrat's wedding should also have been shown. It’s an incomplete ending.” 

However, fans made sure to acknowledge the good the show had offered. “The drama should be awarded for best cinematography and best background music,” wrote one user. Another praised the writer’s decision to keep writing despite the controversies surrounding it. “Salute to the writer for going against the wishes of the audience,” they wrote. “It really takes courage to produce such a masterpiece which is difficult to comprehend.” 

The show was written by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar and directed by Nadeem Baig. It was distributed by Six Sigma Plus and Next Level Entertainment. The drama featured a star-studded cast with Humayun and Sajal taking the lead and Sanam Saeed, Asif Raza Mir, Saba Hamid, Saba Faisal, Saima Noor and Azaan Sami Khan in supporting roles.