Social media justice has taken off in recent years, celebrities being convicted of crimes by the common man despite the court ruling otherwise – and yet, is the court’s verdict always the correct verdict….or is the public opinion always accurate? It’s a loaded question, one that gives birth to many thoughts in many different directions. “Grey” strives to tackle this story, one which deals with an accusation and how the lives of those involved are impacted as a result. Starring Sami Khan, Sabeena Farooq, Zoha Rehman, Paras Masroor, Noreen Gulwani, and others in leading roles, the story has been written by Rida Bilal and directed by Sohail Javed.
The first episode opens with the “perfect,” happily married family life of Salar Khan (Sami Khan) as we see him with his wife, Zoya (Zoha Rehman) and kids in his beautiful home. However, moments later, a report emerges on national television that he has been accused of harassment by model Imaan Mansoor (Sabeena Farooq). This comes as a shock to his wife, but at the same time…..she is not particularly convinced of Salar’s innocence. She gives him the benefit of doubt as the father of her children, but makes it clear that she cannot vouch for his innocence, insinuating that there may have been a misstep in the past. Salar’s working life is also affected, his co-stars feeling uncomfortable in his presence.
Imaan comes from a troubled family home herself with an abusive father and a mother she perceives as a weak victim. We see Imaan’s mother making veiled accusations that Imaan may not be telling the truth – but is this accurate or is Imaan’s mother a part of society who does not want to believe women or does she possibly want to sweep things under the rug? Of course, we come to the power of the media as well with Noreen Gulwani as a reporter, refusing to write a story without evidence – while, on the other hand, it’s a blogger who leaked the harassment story in the first place without Imaan’s permission.
Harassment is a finnicky subject, because with the standing women have had in society for centuries, we’re at a point where the world wants to stand with women, support women and trust women blindly. That being said, the story of “Grey” appears to follow the path of accusation vs. truth. Who is telling the truth? Was Imaan actually harassed? Is Salar Khan the straight-cut man he appears to be or is he, in fact, a harasser? Or could there be a situation which is not black and white, rather “grey,” a truth which lies in the middle of both Imaan and Salar’s version of events? This is the track “Grey” appears to take with its narrative and quite honestly, the first episode is gripping and promises for an exciting watch. This could be worthwhile!