With tormented women being a backbone for most Pakistani entertainment channels and their serials, the recent upsurge in content made to raise awareness on social issues is a sign of times changing. Staying in the same lines of taking initiative where it’s most needed, is Angeline Malik’s Mujhay Jeenay Doh.
Focusing on the plight of child marriages, the serial gives a bird’s eye view of the various problems going on in the village. While on one side we find Malik Shahbaz as the staunch feudal lord of the region who uses power as a tool to suppress, we see Shaheena (Mehreen Raheal) turned into an object for Muhammad (Sarmad Khoosat) to beat black and blue if she doesn’t adhere to what he says.
However, amidst the grim situation – which at times is so overburdening that you might want to pause for a moment – Mujhay Jeenay Doh also introduces Yasmeen (Nadia Jamil) as the savior in the serial. Not only does she seem like the only educated woman in the show, her being the voice of reason gives other women some hope in the village too. However, would her direct challenge to patriarchy be silently accepted? That’s what we’re wondering about.
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Having said that, the show lacks coherence in regards to what angle it wants to take up. There are child marriages, yes, but does a representation through dolls getting married really do anything anymore? Amidst shows like Baaghi running on the same channel, one wishes that a stronger plot was taken up to make the viewers aware of the main narrative, right from the first episode.
Mujhay Jeenay Doh is taking things in the right direction and that’s where its strength lies, but we’re still waiting on more episodes for the story to turn out the way it needs to
