It is a rare occurance to feel sad when a Pakistani drama ends because usually it’s a relief to see the misery conclude. However, Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi (DNUTN) is such a peculiar drama that it stood out throughout its 24-episode run so much so that viewers were anxious to see how the story would wrap up. Last night’s episode left avid followers happy but it also left them in a void, majorly attributed to the dearth of content of substance. There aren’t many stories like DNUTN where social issues and stigmas get addressed without sugar coating and theatrics.
On one hand, DNUTN pointed out the many levels of human resilience, will power, sacrifice and selflessness with characters like Allah Rakhi, Sawera, Zulfi, TM, Jimmy and Najma Begum. On the other hand it unveiled the horrific face of society where humanity is dead; parents are selling or abusing their children in the face of adversity, those responsible for the safety of the citizens are involved in women trafficking and sex trafficking, corruption is eating away the core of law and order. It exposed sexual predators like Naeem Sherwani, who prey on young girls and cloud mindsets of impressionable father-figures; DNUTN exposed teachers who should be an example of morality, are ill-treating pupils and misuse of authority is the norm.
Though a section of our society (perhaps, those who file complaints in PEMRA against the drama) might not be pleased with the notion that parents can make wrong decisions for their children, it is not completely baseless. The drama showed how Allah Rakhi’s parents agreed to a child marriage, which was evidently a bargain deal to save their elder daughter’s marriage. Naseem Zehra was pressured to make reckless decisions in order to escape a predator and a forced marriage. That’s not all. Zulfi was repenting for the same mistake i.e. not trusting his sister. And most of the girls in that brothel were a victim of the same game. Can we really say it’s a groundless blame just because people presume it allegedly “shakes the foundation of our family system”?
Read: Video: Yumna Zaidi talks about nine month break during the shoot of Dil Na Umeed Tou Nahi
DNUTN concluded with a beautiful note where all the victims became survivors with their own will power. Some repented and redeemed themselves, while others moved on to rebuild their lives. Naseem Zehra became the catalyst to bring the change in her household, but it was also notable how writer Amna Mufti pointed out that Qazi sahab admitted that he realized his mistakes only when he witnessed the evil side of Naeem Sherwani as a sexual predator, otherwise he was ready to set his family and home on fire.
A few instances didn’t sit well and I may be corrected if I’m wrong. Baba Ranjha got arrested in the end, perhaps because he was part of a child trafficking ring, however, it made me wonder why Jimmy and TM waited for years, presuming that they’re the ones who finally got him arrested. They never showed who was the big boss behind the ring, though it is as close to reality as it can be, because there is always a bigger fish who gets away. My only and biggest disappointment was that Naeem Sherwani was not confronted for proposing a child marriage and being a pedophile. He didn’t meet an end he deserved and that felt like a prick in a beautifully knitted story.
Nonetheless, kudos to Kashf Foundation, writer Amna Mufti, TV One and director Kashif Nisar for making this masterpiece. The drama featured some of the finest performances by Naveed Shahzad, Samiya Mumtaz, Yumna Zaidi, Yasra Rizvi, Wahaj Ali, Omair Rana, Naumaan Ijaz, Noor ul Hassan, Kashif Mehmood and all child actors who breathed life into these characters that will be remembered for a long time. Here’s a wish and hope that mainstream channels create opportunities to tell such meaningful stories so that writers and actors can become a part of content that has substance and soul.
DNUTN deserves all the praises for highlighting the dark and grim realities of our society and showing us that there is always dawn if we hold onto hope in our hearts. As Faiz rightly said: Dil na umeed toh nahi, nakaam hi toh hai… lambi ha gham ki sham magar sham hi toh hai.
Watch the last episode here:
