he latest addition to the repertoire of plays is Mann Jogi, starring Bilal Abbas Khan, Sabeena Farooq and Mirza Gohar Rasheed. The drama series was penned by Zafar Mairaj, directed by Kashif Nisar and produced by Sultana Siddiqui. It started airing on Saturday, August 3.

To cut to the chase, Muhammad Ibrahim, played by Bilal Abbas, has been brought up and raised by Muhammad Ilyaas, a cleric at a mosque. Adnan Shah Tipu portrays Muhammad Ilyaas.

Hailing from an extremely poor background, Ibrahim is responsible for giving the call to prayers and the maintenance of the mosque. All his family members, it is revealed, perished in an earthquake.

The first introduction to Ibrahim is of an extremely subservient and nervous young gentleman who has very reluctantly agreed to marry his foster brother’s ex-wife Alia, played by Sabeena Farooq. Alia has been divorced by her husband, Chaudhry Shabbir, portrayed by Mirza Gohar Rasheed. Shabbir is a headstrong and hot-headed politician in the making.

Shabbir has only been married to Alia for a short while when it turns out that his political opponent’s wife knows his newly-wedded wife. One day she comes to visit. Shabbir’s political rival, Chaudhry Zubair hails from an influential family that has been active in politics for several generations. In contrast, Shabbir is a new entrant to the game of power.

Shabbir bears a grudge against Zubair mainly because of a past incident; he was once ridiculed by Zubair’s father. He has not forgotten it since. While Shabbir has risen through the ranks, he is unable to match the political clout and influence of his rivals. This is their fourth generation in politics.

Shabbir is not ready to put the political rivalry aside. He strictly forbids his wife from interacting with Zubair’s wife. The two women are old friends and school fellows.

Brilliantly acted and scripted, this is a welcome change from the usual fare we see on television every day.

One day, in the market, while Alia is buying shoes for her husband’s foster brother, Ibrahim, who is under the guardianship of Muhammad Ilyaas, her friend persuades her to visit her house. This is caught on camera because a procession headed by Chaudhry Zubair is passing by. The moment Shabbir sees the video, he divorces her. His mother tries to intervene and dissuade him but to no avail. Later on, he repents and decides to marry off his wife to his foster brother for one night, so that he can later marry her again.

However, the next morning, he discovers that the two have disappeared. The story is off to a promising start and might become more interesting as the play progresses. Shabbir, hot-headed and having anger issues, has to pay the price for his temper. Although he regrets divorcing his wife in the heat of the moment, it is too late now.

Ibrahim, on the other hand, is not ready for the marriage. He wants to spend the rest of his life in service to the mosque under the guardianship of the man who gave him refuge when all was lost. He is depicted as an honest, upright and deeply religious person who finds himself at an unexpected juncture in his life.

How will the story unfold set against the political background? Given Shabbir’s hot-headedness and vindictive nature, it appears that he will leave no stone unturned to reach his former wife.

Brilliantly acted and scripted, this is a welcome change from the usual fare we see on television every day. Zafar Mairaj is a seasoned writer and. With Sultana Siddiqi teaming up with Kashif Nisar, the audience are in for a treat.

Sabeena Farooq of Kabuli Pulao and Tairay Bin fame is rapidly gaining popularity. She has also sung the OST of this play along with Sahir Ali Bagga, so we not only have an actress but also a singer in the making. With her sensitive, understated acting and her pairing with Bilal Abbas Khan, the play promises to be a hit.

Let’s wait and see how the story unfolds. Will Shabbir seek revenge against his foster brother? Will Alia find a new life with Ibrahim? Is she better off without her controlling and hot-tempered former husband used to having everything his way? Will his political rivalry with Chaudhry Zubair escalate and turn into something uglier?

Let’s wait and watch how this pans out. Tune in every Saturday to watch the drama unfold.

The writer is an educationist and can be reached at gaiteeara@hotmail.com