“Jeevan Nagar” is an excellent show about what can only be described as small town politics deriving meaningful discussion. Starring Sohail Ahmed in the lead double roles as Laali and Babbar Shah, “Jeevan Nagar” also stars Rabia Butt, Noor Ul Hassan, Kashif Mehmood, Khalid Butt, Tahira Imam, Kinza Malik, Amna Malick, Saqib Sumeer and others. The story has been written by Awais Ahmed and directed by Kashif Nisar. At the heart of it, “Jeevan Nagar” is a meaningful show, but the focus is on a goon, Babbar Shah, and an intersex, Laali – who share the same appearance.
The highlight of episode 9, and the last several episodes, is Laali’s training to “become” Babbar Shah. While we’ve often seen these duplicate roles with one taking over the other, but the entire process of this transformation is incredibly involved and it’s great to see the attention to detail. Laali’s comedic dialogues with her kidnappers lightens the atmosphere and makes for a funny scenario which should be incredibly tense, as we see in the scene where they cut Laali’s face. Laali’s habit of referring to Raja Plaster as everything but his name and giving her kidnappers curses shows Sohail Ahmed’s range as an actor, particularly when we see Babbar Shah on the other side.
Munni’s fight for animal rights is a nice addition, as often animals are mistreated when used as a tool to provide for one’s family. While the owner mistreats his “property,” Munni’s heart goes out to this living creature and she kidnaps it – for its own good, of course. What ensues is pure entertainment as Babbar Shah arrives to settle the manner and, unable to refuse Munni, leaves the animal there with her. The chemistry between Sohail Ahmed and Rabia Butt is unexpectedly sweet and the two work really well together. In this episode, a lot about Babbar Shah is revealed as we realize he’s a “gunda” who kills his enemies, sure, but he’s not a killer by choice. Each death affects him -but does that absolve him of his crimes? Sohail Ahmed has really done an excellent job with his double role and proves he’s one of our best talents.
There’s a really sweet scene between Nida (Amna Malick) and Yasir (Hassan Mir) where the two are discussing their marriage. Yasir flat out refuses to take dowry and watching Nida’s reaction brings a smile to the face. In a society where it’s expected that women will bring items for “their own comfort” from home, it’s refreshing to see a couple loving and respectful of one another and able to have these meaningful conversations. Both Amna Malick and Hassan Mir are naturals as this young, innocent-in-love pair.
And of course, we can’t forget Hanif (Khalid Butt) and his daughters. Fakira has passed away and his daughters continuously encourage Hanif to go through his belongings to find anything of worth that they can use – a bedspread, some clothing, etc. These are simple minded people with needs they want to fulfill. However, Hanif does not see anything of value coming out of such a trip. However, Hanif’s luck changes when he stops by, in passing, and discovers a trunk full of gold. This leads to an ethical question for this family – can they sell this gold? Who will buy it without accusing them of robbery? This is an interesting plotline and one that makes us worry for Hanif’s family, hoping there’s a positive outcome.
The best thing about “Jeevan Nagar” is that it’s making these small, but important points in simple scenes without dramatizing or sounding preachy. These are conversations that should take place in day to day lives, discussions which can change society and its mindset. Whether it be dowry, animal cruelty or caste discrimination, we rarely see such issues discussed on our screens. Each and every actor is doing an excellent job, but Sohail Ahmed and Rabia Butt are the performers who truly stand out. “Jeevan Nagar” is a show which only gets better with each episode. What will happen when Laali does finally take Babbar Shah’s place? We’re eager to find out!