Syed Mansoor Qutab
Hum TV has always been on the forefront of raising and discussing social issues in Pakistan. Ishq Zah-e-Naseeb is another show that depicts the very same issues. This hit production by Momina Duraid takes on several of these social issues that plague our society.
In this drama, we find ourselves discussing mental illnesses that ail even the highest functioning individuals in our society. Zahid Ahmed’s role of Sameer/Sameera, someone who has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), is thrilling. He takes on the role with sheer brilliance, as he transitions between an unstable Sameera with trauma issues, and Sameer, someone who is an entrepreneur with professionalism in his place of work, and in a social environment. Sameer’s ailment stems from the trauma of losing his parents and a childhood friend. Zahid Ahmed’s acting is chilling, and breath taking.
Zah-e-Naseeb moves on to Gauhar’s life, whose life is defined by the pressures of societal norms. She was in love with Kashif, who is instantly rejected by Gauhar’s family because she is expected to marry her cousin Jahangeer, who uses her family’s tragedy of a huge debt to his advantage. He coerces them to marry their daughter to him, as payback for the paid off debt.
Another social issue highlighted is toxic masculinity. Jahangeer, the cousin of the female protagonist, uses his male privilege to get what he wants. When Jahangeer does not get what he was eagerly working towards, he uses violence as a form of retaliation.
The drama symbolizes how love can fix a lot of things, such as making a woman walk after years of paralysis. It shows how despite the innate nature of a person, if love is pure, it can change ideologies, and upbringings.
Hashim Nadeem’s writing depicts the worst of society in the most poetic of ways. Through all of this, we can still find time to love. No mental illnesses, no physical ailments, no societal pressures can put a pause on happiness. Truly a 5-star show.
