The importance of a mother in a South Asian household is high. Our parents are the ones who have brought us up and put us in a position to succeed in life – and therefore, in our culture, our parents are put on a pedestal, treated with respect and given utmost importance. However, what are the rights of a wife? What if those same parents who sacrificed so much are also responsible for destroying the married life of their child due to jealousy? “Mannat Murad” is not an easy watch, nor is it necessarily a comedy show as initially advertised. Rather, “Mannat Murad” is a show that manages to grate on the nerves and trigger viewers, if only because it’s so close to reality. How many men are like Murad and how many families like Murad’s exist? Starring Talha Chahour, Iqra Aziz, Irsa Ghazal, Noor Ul Hassan, Uzma Hassan, Tipu Shariff, Ali Rehman, Faiza Gillani, Mizna Waqas, Ali Safina and many others, the story has been written by Nadia Akhtar and directed by Syed Wajahat Hussain.
In episode 22, Murad (Talha Chahour) leaves home after Razia (Irsa Ghazal) insists that he divorce Mannat (Iqra Aziz). With Mannat sitting angry at her brother’s home and Razia refusing to accept Mannat, Murad feels trapped and hatches a plan to run away from home. Hiding out at a friend’s, he wants both his wife and his mother to recognize his value and let go of their egos. While Mannat does exactly that, Razia continues to see Mannat as the enemy. But what’s important to note here is…..what has Murad done for Mannat in all of this?
Iqra Aziz and Talha Chahour are doing a great job with their roles, as both characters are lovable in their own way, despite their frustrating behavior. The ensemble cast is also performing really well, as we believe them in their roles, particularly Irsa Ghazal and Noor Ul Hassan. The thing about “Mannat Murad” is that it’s telling a story which needs to be told, a story which holds husbands/sons accountable for the happiness of their families. Mannat has done her part. She has done everything from attempt to pacify her in-laws, she has fought for Murad with her own difficult brother, Nafees (Noor Ul Hassan) and she has let go of her anger many times to bend towards Murad. But what has Murad done other than lie, hide and sit silent? Even in this moment, Murad is playing a game with his family – and Mannat. Murad is incapable of standing tall and telling his mother that he loves her, but she cannot control him like a puppet.
Unfortunately, it’s not just Murad, rather Murad’s entire family, barring his youngest sister (who is the only sane member of the family). As a viewer, one would encourage Mannat to run away and never return, as the entire family is toxic. Unfortunately, even then, Murad would be relegated to living a life of misery until and unless he speaks up. In such a situation, the only way Mannat could find happiness would be if Murad moved out of his family home – but would Murad ever have the backbone to do so?