Mujhay Jeenay Do
| Mujhay Jeenay Do | |
|---|---|
 Title screen | |
| Genre | Drama Social Issues |
| Written by | Shahid Nizami |
| Directed by | Angeline Malik |
| Starring | Gohar Rasheed Hania Aamir Mehreen Raheel Nadia Jamil |
| Opening theme | "Mujhay Jeenay Do" Vocals Arieb Azhar & Gulshan Jehan |
| Composer | Heer Waris Shah |
| Country of origin | Pakistan |
| Original language | Urdu |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 22 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Angeline Malik |
| Production locations | Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera setup |
| Running time | 35-40 minutes |
| Production company | Angelic Films in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs |
| Original release | |
| Network | Urdu 1 |
| Release | 22 July – 19 December 2017 |
Mujhay Jeenay Do (transl. Let Me Live) is a 2017 Pakistani television series that aired on Urdu 1. Written by Shahid Nizami, the series has an ensemble cast including Hania Aamir, Gohar Rasheed, Mehreen Raheel, Nadia Jamil, Salman Shahid and Iffat Rahim.[1]
The show revolves around considerable social and economic issues, highlighting deep-rooted problems in the villages of the less developed countries like Pakistan. The drama touches upon sensitive topics like:
- Child marriages, its consequences and how women are generally treated in the villages where people are less educated and follow their beliefs/traditions sidelining the dreams and ambitions of women.
- Maternal mortality because of orthodox practices where people don't seek medical help/facilities during child birth.
- Lack of family planning.
- Domestic violence.
- Marital rape and other family pressures.
- Polygyny - men having more than one wife simultaneously.
- It also depicts the patriarchy/ misogyny existing in the society/villages of less developed countries.
- Lack of education linked to close mindedness of the people. Resistance to change leading to the decisions like honour killing.
- Divorce or 'Khula' is still considered a taboo in the society and hence women have to bear the consequences, specially where their families and partners are dominating.
- Child labour.
The drama highlights the importance of education for everyone to improve the society and empowering women to break the existing social taboos and live their lives freely.[2]
Plot
Saira, a ten year old girl in a Pakistani village, is asked to marry Naseeb after her sister - Bushra dies in childbirth, leaving behind a newborn. Yasmeen is an educated lady, who has dedicated her life for the betterment of the women living in her village while her husband is based in city for earning a livelihood. Yasmeen is the only woman in the village who cares for the betterment of the women and she opposes Saira's wedding with Naseeb, as Saira is a child of a similar age as her son - Shahab; but Saira's family forcefully gets her married to Naseeb to look after the baby as she is attached him. Saira struggles in the marriage, especially as Naseeb grows abusive and controlling. Her childhood friend Shahab moves to the city but remains connected to her[3].
Naseeb later marries Shahina - ex wife of Mehmood, who mistreats Saira out of jealousy. Despite this, Saira grows up and secretly reconnects with Shahab, when he comes back to the village during holidays for enrolling himself in college. When Saira suffers a miscarriage, Naseeb becomes suspicious of her bond with Shahab. Yasmeen tries to help Saira by proposing an alternative where Naseeb can divorce Saira and she will accept her as her daughter-in-law. This proposal rages Naseeb and Saira's brother - Murad, who kills Yasmeen. Shahina eventually helps Saira escape, and she seeks freedom through khula (divorce).
Will Saira get a chance to live a life she always dreamt of? OR Will the society kill her dreams once again?
Cast
- Gohar Rasheed as Naseeb: Saira and Shahina's husband.
- Sabeena Syed as Bushra: Naseeb's first wife and Saira's elder sister.
- Hania Aamir as Saira: Naseeb's second wife and Shahab's love interest.
- Emaan Sher as younger Saira (child star).
- Mehreen Raheel as Shahina: Naseeb's third wife and ex wife of Mehmood.
- Sarmad Khoosat as Mehmood Alam: Shahina's ex-husband.
- Nadia Jamil as Yasmeen: Shahab's mother; Shahina's sister; Iftikhar's first wife.
- Raeed Muhammad Alam as Shahab (Shaboo): Saira's love interest.
- Omair Rana as Iftikhar: Shahab's father.
- Iffat Rahim as Saeeda: Shahab's stepmother; Iftikhar's second wife.
- Salman Shahid as Khuda Baksh: Murad and Saira's father (dead)
- Ali Tahir as Murad: Saira's brother.
- Farah Tufail as Khairi: Murad's wife.
- Minsa Malik as Sitara: Mehmood's daughter.
- Khalid Butt as the village's Molvi sahab.
- Usama Khan as Dawood: Shahab's best friend and Sarpanch Sahib's grandson.
- Rashid Mehmood as village Sarpanch and politician.
- Hassan Mir as Kashif: Murad and Khairi's son.
Production
The serial is directed and produced by Angeline Malik of Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain fame under her banner Angelic Films, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs.[4]
Nadia Jamil made her acting comeback after survival from cancer and her last appearance in Behadd (2013)[5]. Mehreen Raheel made a comeback to television after her last appearance in the 2015 series Tum Mere Kya Ho.
References
- ^ Irfan ul Haq (28 February 2017). "Nadia Jamil will return to TV in child marriage drama". Images. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
- ^ Shabbir, Buraq. "Mujhe Jeene Dou to tackle the issue of child marriage". The News International. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
- ^ Hareem Zafar (22 September 2017). "Drama Review: 'Mujhay Jeenay Doh'". Youlin Magazine.
- ^ "Mujhay Jeenay Do to air from 11th". The Nation. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ "Nadia Jamil to make a TV comeback with child marriage drama". FHM Pakistan. February 2017.