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TV drama Sang-e-Marmar is a necessary critique of Pakistan's obsession with 'ghairat'

TV drama Sang-e-Marmar is a necessary critique of Pakistan's obsession with 'ghairat'

The drama serial is a haunting reminder of the fact that an honour killing doesn't stop at one
10 Mar, 2017

Last night, Hum TV’s Sang-e-Marmar ended with a finale as gripping and thought provoking as the entire serial. It gave audiences a fine critique on the nature of revenge and what honour culture ultimately leads to.

Writer Mustafa Afridi leads his characters through a maze of moral dilemmas, teasing the audience’s expectations with the familiar motifs of love triangles, manipulating villains and innocent victims but avoids an easy romantic ending, giving us a surprising twist instead.

Sang-e-Marmar has been an entertaining and engaging drama from start to finish, proving once again that the ratings game can be won with quality productions that don’t wallow in clichés.

Stellar performances make Sang-e-Marmar a story well told

Noman Ejaz plays Gulistan Khan, head of one of the most influential families of their village
Noman Ejaz plays Gulistan Khan, head of one of the most influential families of their village

Superficially the Gulistan Khan family is one of the most respected and influential in the village, but theirs is a house built on sand. Their wealth is based on interest and money-lending, their middle son is not only a thug but a rapist who preys on innocent women, while Khan himself is the unrepentant murderer of his own sister-in-law Rakshika.

Director Saife Hassan translates this story through the restrained lens of cold reality, minus any frills or distracting colours. Given a brilliant script, Hassan has maintained the suspense and thrill of this story till the last episode. Sang-e-Marmar is jam-packed with stellar performances from a cast that has done complete justice to some difficult roles.

Noman Ejaz is a masterful actor and his performance as Gulistan Khan is an authentic portrait of the complexity of human nature. A man of contradictions, Khan despises petty cruelties and although the authoritarian can be quite kind and forgiving to those who don’t break his moral code, he is unrepentant about beating his sister-in-law to death for her “behaya” dancing in the rain.

Also read: Nauman Ijaz will make his cinematic comeback with 'Maidaan'

Sania Saeed owns the finale with understated power
Sania Saeed owns the finale with understated power

Sania Saeed is simply outstanding as Gulistan Khan’s wife Shamim and owns the finale with understated power. Similarly Tipu Sharif, Omair Rana, Uzma Hassan, Najib Faiz, Kaif Ghazanavi, Sharmeen Ali and Beenish Raja have made each of their characters uniquely memorable and indispensable pieces of the main narrative.

Mikaal Zulfikar brought a lot of star power to the show even though Aurang was not quite the romantic hero the audience expected. A weak man, Aurang was strong enough to destroy his father’s ledgers (that detailed the debts owed to him) but not strong enough to stand up to Palwasha or his sister Bano.

Mikaal Zulfikar was not the conventional romantic hero as Aurang
Mikaal Zulfikar was not the conventional romantic hero as Aurang

The breakout stars of this serial and perhaps this season may well be Masroor Paras and Kubra Khan. Kubra Khan has given us a beautifully controlled performance as Shireen, endearing this character to millions. Shireen is no bholi larki nor is she the typical mazloom aurat wronged by society, although trapped by circumstance she is stubbornly determined to be the master of her own destiny.

Afridi is one of those rare male writers who understand the female psyche: from the bonds of sisterhood to the desperation of woman completely alone. Shireen is willing to endure a beating to the death to protect her friend Durkhaney but her patience finally gives way, and she allows herself to be blinded by anger and jealousy to accept Tora Khan’s proposal.

Kubra Khan and Masroor Paras shone in their roles
Kubra Khan and Masroor Paras shone in their roles

Tora Khan is arguably one of the most fascinating characters created by Afridi and Masroor Paras has done complete justice to this flawed, sad man. There is no denying Tora is a villain; directly or indirectly he is responsible for much of the murder and mayhem, but Paras shows us his pain as well as his anger.

Thankfully, unlike the current fashion for empathizing with rapists and villains to the point where their 'suffering' becomes equivalent to the victims, Afridi does not hesitate in calling a spade a spade and does not allow Tora to escape his own responsibility in choosing the course of revenge.

Haya and ghairat are more than just buzzwords in Sang-e-Marmar

Haya (modesty) and ghairat (honour) are constant themes in this story and the words pepper every other conversation between the characters because these concepts lie at the root of the brutality they inflict on each other.

The finale was as gripping as the entire serial
The finale was as gripping as the entire serial

Unlike personal dignity which is maintained by individuals through restraint and self-control, honour culture is about reputation and is always backed up by threat of immediate violence if disrespected. All of the murders depicted and the domino effect of retribution are deeply rooted in the concept of maintaining an image of public 'honour'. Sang-e-Marmar unflinchingly appraises the insidious nature of a system that controls women forcing them to pay for the mistakes of others.

Apart from Sang-e-Marmar, there are two more dramas on air dealing with the issue of vani: A-Plus TV’s Pinjara and another Hum TV serial Sammi. While each story differs, one striking feature they share is the way sisters are bartered to save a brother. In each case, formal law enforcement and state authorities are undermined by local and tribal authorities and decisions are made are according to what is most convenient to the men involved. Such message oriented dramas are a welcome change and may well serve to educate and hopefully raise awareness.

Comments

Tasleem Dad Mar 10, 2017 02:37pm
In Sang-e-Marmar each character was absolutely amazing ,, thumbs up... Overall theme was awesome ,, rightly presented the society evils . Good job. Credit goes to the whole team.
Recommend
saqib Mar 10, 2017 02:47pm
A drama that aces in everything! Masterful
Recommend
farhan Mar 10, 2017 02:53pm
This was the best drama of the season. What an acting by noman ijaz, sania saeed and paras masroor (torah khan).. Hats off to the writer mustafa afridi and the director saife hasan. And all the cast members have done amazing performance.
Recommend
mobi Mar 10, 2017 02:53pm
Very good drama serial, unfolding the stark realities and negativity of our society. This drama gave strong messages on "the curse of sood (interest), jhooti gawhai (false testimony) and gherat kay naam per katal (murder for the sake of honor). Much better than routine family problems and love triangles dramas. Stunning performances by Nauman Ejaz, Sania Saeed and Masroor Paras.
Recommend
Omar Sadiq Mar 10, 2017 02:56pm
Was very sad to see this wonderful & enthralling drama come to its conclusion. Noman Ejaz & Sania Saeed were as always the icons, with Masroor Paras aka Tora Khan, stealing away the thunder from all in this drama.
Recommend
Fazeel Mehboob Mar 10, 2017 03:03pm
Going to see this right now..
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Muhammad Abbas Mar 10, 2017 03:33pm
Obviously this drama was very thrilling. Performance of all the actors and actress was phenomenol, especially noman ejaz, sania saeed and masroor paras
Recommend
Nomi Mar 10, 2017 03:47pm
Absolutely wave of fresh air to the minds and hearts. Such a fantastic piece of Pakistani content. Simply mind blowing.
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Syed Waqar Ali Mar 10, 2017 04:07pm
Wonderful and quiet acting by Nauman Ejaz and Sania Saeed. The drama was a good reflection of our society. Well done by all.
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Rizwana Mar 10, 2017 04:33pm
Kudos to Sir Mustafa Afridi.
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Akram Mar 10, 2017 05:45pm
Amazing drama in so many respects. Great script with so many layers and nuances. Tight screenplay. Thought provoking dialogues. Characters with such depth. Masterful casting. Lilting background music. Memorable OST. Easily one of the best dramas in recent years. Nauman Ijaz and Saania Saeed - Kya kehnay. Kubra Khan and Masroor Paras - mind blowing. The director managed to bring the best out of Mikaal Zulfiqar. And to think Pakistani audiences still waste their time on the rubbish produced by Star and Zee. Keep up the great work Hum TV!
Recommend
Najam Mar 10, 2017 05:48pm
Superb drama
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Najam Mar 10, 2017 05:48pm
Tora Khan was best
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Puma Mar 10, 2017 06:07pm
This has to be one of the most confusing dramas I have seen. Aurang , who was educated , ended up turning into a spineless coward. Left his father, When Bano was beating Shereen Aurang did not stop Bano, since his Wife did not want him to interfere. He had no courage nor honor. Is education supposed to turn a person into a coward ? Why would anyone send his child to school if he is going to end up like Aurang. Torai , the person with a darker skin complexion and a way way darker heart. He had absolutely no moral reasons for doing what he did . Three people died because of his action. Is this drama supposed to show that a person , who is supposedly ugly , is also an evil person ? Isn't that what we already believe ? He was supposed to have a golden heart not a dead rotting heart. Sadly this drama has so many plot holes (Where did bulbul go ? Is Aurang going to come back now that he knows Torai killed his brothers ? )
Recommend
abdulla hussain Mar 10, 2017 06:39pm
A really good serial that kept the audience glued until the last scene of the final episode. This drama has given a good example of the famous saying "as you sow so shall you reap" Bad deeds are not free from payback in the same coin. Gulistan Khan and his wife played superbly.
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Srehman Mar 10, 2017 07:29pm
Absolutely brilliant !!!,I hope people who indulge in this kind of revenge behaviour change their way of thinking ,hats off to the writer ,director and cast ,ten out of ten ,no doubt
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IG Mar 10, 2017 07:37pm
@Puma Well said mate, this is what i think..... the plot was not consistent,... did not show the typical story, so many loopholes, did not represent the culture nor any lesson given at the end. Also bulbul was the main culprit, he got away with it, and what happened to Durkhanai ?
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Rkhan Mar 10, 2017 07:49pm
Referring tora khan son of a mother hailed from bengal was black and hated by gulistan khan she (mother) was beaten up by gulistan for dancing and succumed to death. This racial feeling was beatifully depicted by mustafa afridi that resulted in ultimate disaster of gulistan khan's entire family. One great thought provoking drama for us to hate racism. A really must watch for all.
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fayza Mar 10, 2017 07:51pm
@Puma I think you got it all wrong. Maybe it is because you don't have an understanding of the Pakhtun village culture and how flawed humans are, as there is no black or white but just grey. Apart from the great acting of the actors involved and superb direction of the director I feel the writer has done an excellent job of fleshing out the characters so brilliantly with all their strengths and weaknesses that he should be given the most credit.
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khurram Khan Mar 10, 2017 07:58pm
@Srehman If Masroor Paras was in India, he would have become an overnight sensation. I still think that being a newbie, he was simply awesome. His role was very powerful and his acting skills are just amazing. I think, he can be a good villain of Pakistan showbiz industry just like India had Shakti Kapoor, Amrish Puri and Ranjith. Drama was awesome. hats off to all the cast. I somehow did not like the end. Character Sheereien did not deserve that bad beating. She was an innocent person but she suffered in the entire drama.
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Sanjay shreemali Mar 10, 2017 07:59pm
Fabulous list.I have watched most of them,rest will be watched at the earliest.As far as ranking goes,Durr E Shahwar is my choice for number 1.
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khurram Khan Mar 10, 2017 08:03pm
Torai Khan aka Masroor Paras is next villain for pak showbiz industry. But please use him smartly. He is a great actor.
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AdNan Mar 10, 2017 09:02pm
10 out of 10, what performance brilliant script and direction. We are miles ahead of Bollywood and so called indian Tv when it comes to acting , scripts and concept
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riz Mar 10, 2017 09:10pm
the surprise was Toora Khan, Masroor Paras was awesome,, he will have a great career awaiting,, one of the best find,,
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aliakbar Mar 10, 2017 10:08pm
this serial was real nice and enjoyed all the episodes as the story was moving around but i was little unhappy with the ending
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Love peace Mar 10, 2017 11:09pm
5 STARS!
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Javeed Mar 11, 2017 12:47am
The brilliant 27 episodes were wasted by a thoughless 28th episode! They builded so much to the climax but for nothing! The last episode doesn't deserve a place in the drama. Please rewrite & reshoot the climax!
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shahid Mar 11, 2017 01:49am
An excellent series with a stunnign last episode. Thanks all who contributed to the making of this series.
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Aamer Mar 11, 2017 02:15am
Great serial to create awareness that was much needed to build great social culture. Please pass on our thanks to whole team including writer, director and special Thanks to Noman Ijaz, Sania Saeed "Ap legend hoo" with lots of respect from deepest of my heart ❤️ Love you all from overseas Pakistani!
Recommend
Anu Ludhianvi Mar 11, 2017 02:42am
This drama is stellar ... lajawab all the way!! The actors are gifted to dipict human emotions as they have done, story grabs you from the very first episode. I especially enjoyed the awe inspiring locales, local scenery. Reminded one of Diyar-e-dil which also had breathtaking views! Wow! As an ex-pat desi, I am loving it.
Recommend
Anu Ludhianvi Mar 11, 2017 02:53am
@Puma Your comments echoed a lot of what I felt. Especially about how our society looks at skin complexion ... was pleasantly surprised the story addressed it. We all probably have experiences related to it. I remember my Naniji telling a story about a distant uncle who left home because he had an arranged marriage to a woman who was too dark complexioned! The beauty of Sang-e-Marmar is that it made us all ponder about this issue and many more. You are also right about Aurung, I believe he is a flawed hero and Mikaal did full justice to the role.
Recommend
shdhsn Mar 11, 2017 02:55am
After a long time, waited every week eagerly for the next episode. Excellent script and cast has done 100% justice to their role. Each and everyone one of them- 5 out of 5 Stars.
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Anu Ludhianvi Mar 11, 2017 02:57am
@fayza Very well said about the uncertainties of human nature and family pressure type situations so common in society. Aurung always stands up for the women in his home and yet fails at that crucial moment! Was difficult to watch.
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Chaman Mar 11, 2017 03:14am
Could someone please tell the lyrics of Bengali song played for Toora's mother. (Rain song). Please help
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hasrat Mar 11, 2017 03:33am
Best production, acting and directions. Most of all it was presented in a very powerful and subversive way. I understand that the story and theme is the preograitve of the writer but as a viewer I got disgusted. The final message was to walk out of your heritage with the love of your life. Those who stayed within the values, no matter how innocent, would be burnt down and live in the eternal abyss.
Recommend
Shazia Mar 11, 2017 04:03am
A masterpiece by hum tv
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Chaman Mar 11, 2017 05:48am
Anyone know the Bengali song been played in this song on Rakshi? Please
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x0haib Mar 11, 2017 09:00am
Qazi Wajid's performance in a cameo role sent chills down my spine. Amazing Actor !
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Abdul zaheer Mar 11, 2017 02:53pm
Best drama and best performance of all actors. Deserving congritulate whole team.
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Zarbakht Mar 11, 2017 05:54pm
Sang e mar mar was good drama to watch. Every character was simply amazing, specially Noman Ejaz and Sania saeed were superb. But in the last episode it seemed that production team was in a hurry, at least they should have added 2/3 more episodes for so many events which were covered in last episode.
Recommend
Sam Mar 11, 2017 08:35pm
No doubt wonderful drama. Sania saeed is show stopper (although not a big fan of her). The way she adopt the standing sitting and getting up postures of an old lady. The way she walks, she talks, awesome! . Back to drama , something is missing at the end , it could be more better. That end doesn't satisfy me.
Recommend
Vijay B. Mar 11, 2017 10:40pm
Your review (all praises) and the reader's most positive postings has got me wanting to see Sange-mar-mar so bad and Sameem too,
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rifat Mar 12, 2017 08:27am
I loved this review ..it was absolutely spot on with a perfect analysis of the main threads of this powerful drama...for me sana saeed totally stole the show ..she was the silent force that kept the family together after one tragedy after another and it was so believable that she would turn into a lionesss and hunt down torai - the man who had killed her loved ones. One of the most touching moments for me was when her diviorced daughter comes home and is crying and sana tries to feed her a nuwala only way Sana could hold the family together was to hold in her grief...
Recommend
sid.noonari Mar 12, 2017 09:35am
This is the best play show I have ever watched. No single word was spoken in English. It was complete and almost true representation of Pushtu tribe family. Hats off to Numan Ejaz and the guy called Toraa khan. All actors did excellent job. Please show us such dramas in the future.
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harris Mar 12, 2017 03:27pm
Beautiful piece of art... Glaringly showing the contradictions between our culture and religion.. How religious principles were used to forward cultural agendas, how the pious and the sinners are both very human... beautiful representation of life's great contradictions and wonderful job done by the whole team... Now that is a Pakistani drama leaving a lasting powerful image on our thoughts...simple yet profound...
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Sunny Mar 13, 2017 06:23am
phenomenal acting done by all characters. TORAH khan you nailed it. I just felt bad for shireen. the writer didn't do justice to her character.
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Vijay B. Mar 14, 2017 10:16am
For the first time in my life I binge watched anything (All 28 episodes of Sange Mar Mar .) fell in love with Shireen (Kubra Khan) and her friend, Could not help it since both come across as ever so lovely and ever so lovable.Their beauty, and the LOVE and innocence they portrayed are phenomenal, brought tears to my eyes many a time during that marathon watch. The sweetest dialogue "You did not notice me when I was little, so I became big hoping you will notice me now. One thing I did not quite grasp is "So Bano the only darling daughter was married to her paternal uncle's son Tora Khan? Moreover he being the one whose parents Gulistan Knan despised? And then again Tora khan's daughter gets married to Aurang her paternal uncle's son? Are there no restrictions among the Pakhtoons against marrying their first cousins even on the paternal side of the family?
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Puma Mar 15, 2017 11:38am
@fayza Holy Cr-p. Ze Pakhtun yama. Anyways, the problem is that the whole plot of the drama did not revolve around moral ambiguity. i.e. Shades of Grey .The author had certain things he wanted to promote e.g. Empowering women, Education etc. But in doing so he created characters that were extremely inconsistent. Torai had to be one of the most morally vague characters I have seen. because of his Action Gulistan Khan looked like a lesser evil since he even admits that he had no idea her mother would have died. Now compare the two actions 1) Breaking a womans legs and 2) Killing 1 person and conspiring to kill 2 other people. Which of these action is "more" evil ? Clearly Torai Khan was way more evil than Gulistan Khan. Gulistan Khan hated education and did not wish to see women empowered but he ended up becoming the lesser evil in the end.
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