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Why Mor Mahal is proving to be a hard sell to Pakistani audiences

Why Mor Mahal is proving to be a hard sell to Pakistani audiences

Complaints about performance and gripes about set and lighting are getting more mileage than its masterful storytelling
Updated 01 Jun, 2016

Mor Mahal, the fantasy drama set in pre-industrial times, takes us back in time to the kingdom of Jahanabad and introduces us to the lives and intrigues of the royal palace.

The first episode had all the makings of a classic tale with elements of grand splendour as well as political machinations within the harem to gain favour, control and sometimes just the upper hand.

Mor Mahal's first episode came to a dramatic end as Farrukh Zad downed this vial of poison
Mor Mahal's first episode came to a dramatic end as Farrukh Zad downed this vial of poison

First, a recap

For those who came in late, the theatrical end of the first episode with Farrukh Zad (Meesha Shafi), the Nawab’s first wife, consuming poison turned out to be a ploy to keep him from his new wife. While the Nawab (Umair Jaswal) offers his ministrations to her, his newest betrothed Meherbano (Sonia Nazir) risks her life in trying to leave the palace grounds instead of serving as a pawn in this marriage of state.

In Meherbano's attempt to escape, we are introduced to the nether regions of the palace with its own hidden pathways, dark secrets and mysteries. The tehkhana and the cemetery where she runs into Badshah Begum’s favoured practitioner of the black arts Akhtari Begum (Sania Saeed), all hint at the hidden, criminal underpinnings of the kingdom. One where loyalty is rewarded and any sign of dissent is met with that imperious refrain, “Off with their heads”.

This access to the dungeons also proves to be her undoing. Meherbano is unwittingly privy to Nawab Asif Jahan’s discussions with his Commander-in-Chief Dilawar Khan as the echoes of their speech reach down the sinuous corridors of the underground dungeon. The heir apparent to the throne seems to be the most pressing matter, with his Commander advising the Nawab to cast favour upon his pregnant second wife Suraiya Begum (Fiza Ali).

Nawab Asif Jahan isn't above conniving to sustain the upper hand
Nawab Asif Jahan isn't above conniving to sustain the upper hand

The conferring of such an honour sends the harem into a tizzy, with Farrukh Zad gunning for her son Prince Taimur to take the throne and Badshah Begum hoping to halt her son’s intentions by coercing her younger son Prince Shujaat to come out of his stupor of aiyashi to take on the hukummat. The prince, however, has other pursuits on his mind.

In Jahanabad, nothing is as it seems...

At this sixth installment, new characters and deceptions are introduced, which darkens the outlines of their backstories.

Prince Shujaat, played fairly languidly by Shah Fahad, is a charming rake interested in all the indulgences a royal palace can offer. Even Badshah Begum isn’t immune to his charms. Though she chides him, she gently concedes, ‘Dil bhar jaye toh aa jana, hum thumare muntisir raheinge. (When you've had your fill, come my way. I will wait for you.)

Prince Shujaat emerges as a threat to Nawab Asif Jahan's claim to the throne
Prince Shujaat emerges as a threat to Nawab Asif Jahan's claim to the throne

Even the earlier introduced characters don’t seem to be who we thought they were. Nawab Asif Jahan may love his first wife, but doesn’t trust her with his life or the kingdom. And he isn't quite the honourable king who gave his pregnant mistress a place of honour. The appearance of the jowari merchant sheds light on how Suraiya actually became his Begum. With this revelation, Suriya’s insecurities assume a deeper shade of helplessness.

The revelation of Asif Jahan’s other spies in the harem was definitely a surprising twist. The King has his own vices, whether justified by a need to control information and power, or maybe just his pleasure. He is as apt at playing the field as he is the game of chess. His shrewd scheming, winning a woman as gambling debt, a cemetery strewn with corpses of dead shehzadis who dared to escape hint at a temperament similar to King Shahryar of One Thousand and One Nights, and not only because every episode ends with a cliffhanger.

A masterful tale

The strength of Mor Mahal lies in writer Sarmad Sehbai's weaving of a masterful tale. Each episode unfolds like complex origami, with each fold forming the foundation of things to come. The echoes in the tehkhana, the appearance of the jowari, the lies and deception now brought out in the half-light and the continued importance of the urrusi dupatta interweave the different strands of the story strengthening the narrative.

For once, we have a drama that is rooted in our history. Framing techniques from ancient texts and Egyptian romances and plot devices like mistaken identity allow the story to feel authentic to those times.

Mor Mahal takes inspiration from our rich history
Mor Mahal takes inspiration from our rich history

The conversational styles of the harem members and the royal family's taunts are stylized ways of showcasing contempt. The symbolic use of poison, food testers, the dead cat, the empty cradle are all ingenious ways to convey the characters' real intent and make for great visual storytelling.

So then why isn’t the audience hooked?

Complaints about wooden acting, overacting, anachronistic props, lack of lighting get more mileage than the storytelling. It's true that writer Sarmad Sehbai has little regard for how his work gets accepted (or not) by audiences but some of the problem does lies in Mor Mahal's lack of accessibility – the language is archaic, there is no central romance and the audience is unable to relate to the characters.

I feel the acting isn't wooden, it's unaffected. Audiences aren't just used to such performances. For me, a king that exudes gravitas without reducing it to Shehenshah-esque mannerisms is refreshing. Though with dialogues threatening ‘deewar mein chunwa diye jaaoge’ (I'll have you walled in alive), maybe Nawab Asif Jahan's character will take a grave turn.

Mor Mahal falters in its pacing. For audiences used to more contemporary narratives, the distance of time and place is hard to overcome, something director Sarmad Khoosat needs to take into account. This slow pacing distracts viewers and gives them ample time to Google ‘wrought iron in ancient times’ and then complain about the candle stands.

For all the grumblings about dark interiors, when was the last time you saw a tehkhana with strobe lighting? The lighting in that scene as well as the menacing crocodiles was a perfect reminder of a crueler time when people were thrown to the dungeons with regularity. The threat of such a fate was enough for Meherbano to reveal her true identity.

As for them missing central romance, the entrance of Prince Taimur (Umer Naru) hopefully will fill in that gap and give the viewers a couple to root for.

Where Mor Mahal does falter is in its pacing. For audiences used to more contemporary narratives, the distance of time and place is proving to be hard to overcome, something director Sarmad Khoosat needs to take into account. This slow pacing distracts viewers and gives them ample time to Google ‘wrought iron in ancient times’ and then complain about the candle stands.

The audience already has to travel the distance of time to enter the royal realm and believe in their lives. That we are all emotionally distanced and can’t relate to any of the characters too is keeping audiences at bay. So far, the only human character seems to be Shola Jaan (Ali Saleem) whose desire for the urrusi dupatta and playfulness with it made you actually connect with him.

But then again, audiences are just proving that they like to cry foul at the hash they are served but will only continue to watch it. Horse to water and all that.

Aakhir mein, jaan ki aman paon toh kuch arz karon:

Speed up the pacing with sharper edits that bring the threads of 45 episodes closer to 25 will give the whole drama an aspect of a thriller - one that marries fiction, tradition and fantasy into one riveting package.

You even have crocodiles. Now make them bite.


Sadaf Siddique is a freelance writer, avid reader, film and drama enthusiast and sometime drama queen, not necessarily in that order.

Comments

Ijaz Jun 01, 2016 01:39pm
The reason why this absurd drama has not caught on is simple. There is no historical context to it - it is purely fiction but even fiction has to be rooted in some reality: so is this drama pre-moghul or late moghul /pre British. The reason why this is important is that all art has certain anchor points to reality. Then there are the over the top costumes and absurd dialogue. Basically this is a poor attempt to emulate the success of the Turkish drama Muhteşem Yüzyıl (Magnificent Century)
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Satt Jun 01, 2016 01:46pm
Why are you forcefully feeding Urdu to common people of Pakistan which speaks Punjabi,Pashto,Sindhi,Balochi.
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charu Jun 01, 2016 02:33pm
Watched it on youtube...looks classy but lacks soul....just like Bhansali movies intial episodes can be watchedlike an extended fashion show after a first few episodes the only people who will watch historical show are people with some interest in history and lifein those times...the story, the costume, the art work is so OTT and unrealistic...queens wore expensive clothes but they were still hand made and simple and theking did not have biceps and six packs straight out a gym In this respect, the best shows have been shows like noorjahan on DD and recently siyasat on Epic
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Shah2u Jun 01, 2016 03:14pm
It should rather be renamed; Bore Mahal!
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Khwarezmi Jun 01, 2016 03:47pm
@Satt Urdu is our national language understood by all and so it is natural to use it. Also, in Urdu you will find 800 years of Muslim history and culture. Even Allama Iqbal gave his message to our nation in Urdu. Frankly, I am getting tired of this discussion. We have had it before. Urdu is and will remain our national language. Period! Now move on.
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Hassan Jun 01, 2016 04:09pm
@Satt Humsafar, Dhoopk Kinarey, Zindagi Gulzar hai, Tanhaiyaan, and when u can produce idiotic foolish punjabi movies where rest of the people cannot understand it, then at least Urdu is ur national language,
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Hassan Jun 01, 2016 04:43pm
@Satt this urdu drama has made marks in India Saudia and other countries, which other language drama got popular in the history??? this is our national language respect it, btw go and search comments for Zindagi gulzar hai and humsafar people fell in love with the language and r learning Urdu, Zee zindagi channel have launched a full time urdu dictionary keeping in view the love and appreciation from the audience.
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ahmad Jun 01, 2016 05:12pm
the starting episodes don't hook you plus people are not interested due to its 'supposed' similarity with 'Mera Sultan'
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sanjay Jun 01, 2016 05:12pm
@Hassan zee zindgi is one of the least popular channel in india , see BARC trp ratings it is not even in top 10 channels
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someone Jun 01, 2016 05:50pm
@Khwarezmi Exactly the point. How come an Indian language is the national language of Pakistan instead of local languages of punjabi, saraki, pashto, bruhi, balochi etc.?
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Uzair Jun 01, 2016 06:09pm
@Satt, to address the ignorance, they all speak Urdu as well, I have traveled from Karachi to Kashmir and have seen Urdu spoken by everyone.
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Pakistani Jun 01, 2016 06:20pm
@Khwarezmi completely agree it's a national language and a symbol of unity a pushto speaking can't go to sind and start talking in sindh so it's urdu that's understood and spoken in almost every part of Pakistan. We are a nation who feel pride in a foreign language that is english, but accepting our national language is hard for them
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MSR Jun 01, 2016 06:23pm
@Satt Reasons for urdu are: 1. Pakistan is a mautiethnic country where no single speaker of one language forms a majority hance urdu is the lingua franca of the nation which is used as a means of communication between different ethnicities of the country 2. If u make this or any serial for the entire nation to watch in one of the regional languages then u would need to make and dub it in all the other languages of the country so that others can underatand as well 3. Each of the major languages have their own tv serial and even film industry hence those languages have not be ignored (as u might be thinking) 4. Urdu has been accepted by nearly all as the link language in Pakistan unlike in india where Hindi is not acceptable in many parts of india e.g. tamil nadu 5. Urdu is not an alien language in Pakistan, prior to independence it was use da sa link language in present day paksitan and was also the official language of some of the regions of the country e.g. Punjab
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Pakistani Jun 01, 2016 06:25pm
@someone this reflects your mentality, if Punjabi becomes national language than you will have problem that why Punjabi are taking over. I am push tun bur I have no problem accepting urdu as my national language
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MSR Jun 01, 2016 06:27pm
@someone If that is your logic then Sindhi should not be one of the recognised languages of india as it is not a local language of that country but of a region which is now completely in pakistan.
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OmarFL Jun 01, 2016 06:29pm
@Satt Your argument is pretty lame. But on that line what is in fact a real problem is the amount of English dialog in our "Urdu" dramas.
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Umar Khitab Jun 01, 2016 06:33pm
Good to see that all those hyped up , over rated artistes being exposed.....A waterloo for all these directors, actors, actresses....
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MSR Jun 01, 2016 06:35pm
@sanjay U might not be wrong but this in no way means that pakistani serials are inferior to indian ones infact its the othwer way round (at least for us palistanis). Indian soap operas are unncessarily lengthy spanning over decades in real live and making unwanted and unrealistic jumps of 20 years in reel life. Plus the makeups, dresses are over done and story lines are extemely unnatual. Maybe indians like such serials thats why zee zindagi has lower TRPs in india. However despite this, I know many indians both muslims and non muslims aloke who are fond of Pakistani serials and prefer them over the indian ones.
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Ayesha Jun 01, 2016 07:49pm
Acting is very off in this drama.. it seems so fake that it's hard to watch. Plus there isn't any historical connection. Just a random drama with not so great story line.
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Ali Jun 01, 2016 08:00pm
@Satt Because Urdu is the national language and is widely taught in schools and spoken in cities. The others are regional languages not spoken between provinces.
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Samad Chaudhry London Jun 01, 2016 10:32pm
I started to watch it but after 2 episodes I was bored.
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Khurram Aziz Jun 01, 2016 11:37pm
Seems a failed attempt to lure the "Mera Sultan" audience .... they need to get out of domestic politics & do some factual stuff. Plus, lots of interior doesn't seem like ancient.
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Mona Jun 02, 2016 12:03am
Brilliant Analysis Sadaf. Thank you It's like you secretly heard a conversation I was having with my mother about this play. We were talking about the same issues that you just mentioned.
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Z Jun 02, 2016 08:31am
Can't overlook the sets. The sets look extremely low-budget. The whole thing is set in one very modern-looking house. You can see all the modern fittings being covered up, the indoor swimming pool being turned into a romantic-looking historical fountain/pool of some sort, the modern-looking veranda of a not too big house being shown as the entrance of the palace. This is the most unbelievable element of the drama. The Nawwab looks like the ruler of the neighbourhood, not the kingdom. As for the rest -- nice dialogue, nice acting, so-so story, but terrible set.
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Najaf Jun 02, 2016 08:33am
First of all this serial is over the top, too loud, I gave up on it after watching 3 episodes most of the actors are over acting , it appear to me is lack of direction and since it's a period drama most characters are out of control. This is the ongoing problem with GEO TV grand productions, lot of money being spend on these productions but one can't find where the money is spend
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raheel Jun 02, 2016 09:48am
It's badly acted and under-produced...that is why it's a fail...do not expect this article to lift the ratings, if the content cannot keep the audience engaged for more than a few seconds, it's quite simply a fail! Bin it! Book it! On with the new...Next!
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Ali Hassan Jun 02, 2016 01:14pm
I am in Love with this serial.....well done Sarmad and team ......I want season Two after this season ends
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Moderate Voice Jun 02, 2016 06:56pm
Pakistani version of Game of Thrones?
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nasr Jun 04, 2016 09:27pm
@Satt What! What!
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nasr Jun 04, 2016 09:33pm
Complaints about performance and gripes about set and lighting are getting more mileage than its masterful storytelling. I had that feeling before the drama started on the tv. The photographs spoke a lot.
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SMirchID Jun 05, 2016 11:27pm
Stop hiring Meesha Shafi! Saw a comment from someone else on a different website that I have to praise, she is the epitome of free loading on her connections. Incredibly untalented but is featured everywhere simply because she has the right friends in the right places.
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