The first teaser of the sequel to Sang-i-Mar Mar was released recently and promises to be dark, ominous and sinister like its predecessor. Sang-i-Mar Mar had dark and threatening undertones. The script seemed to have been penned along the lines of a Shakespearean tragedy with violence, bloodshed, enmities and intrigues at its forefront. The characters were all larger than life. Top-notch performances from actors only raised the bar for other television productions. To refresh your memory, the last episode showed Sania Saeed shooting her son-in-law (Paras Masroor as Torah Khan) who had single-handedly destroyed her family to avenge his mother’s death at the hands of Noman Ejaz (Gulistan Khan). Paras played the antagonist with remarkable finesse and ease, living in the skin of his character. It was an award worthy performance, reminiscent of Saif Ali Khan’s role as Langra Tyagi in Omkara, who in his quest for vengeance; destroys everything. Sang-i-Mar Mar had a star studded cast. All the characters in the play, including Sania Saeed, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Omair Rana, Tipu Sharif and Uzma Hassan, to name a few, gave stellar performances, cementing its position as a blockbuster with skyrocketing TRPs.

The sequel too has quite a few interesting characters to be played by Zaviyaar, Noaman Ejaz, Atif Aslam (the singer), Hania Amir, Sania Saeed and Kubra Khan. The teaser opens with Atif Aslam crooning a song that seems to set the tone for the entire play. It promises even more conspiracies, intrigues and trickeries than the first season. Atif Aslam makes his debut with this play in a role that is as mysterious as it is unconventional. The sequel has the markings of a dark Shakespearean tragedy with murders being committed in the dead of night, larger than life characters, riveting dialogue, a star cast and a powerful script by Mustafa Afridi.

Shakespearean tragedies are still enacted on stage and in theatres all over the world and have been translated into a number of languages and adapted for the small and large screen. The themes in those ring true as greed, avarice, lust for status and power and over vaulting ambition still resonate with the viewers.

Shakespearean tragedies are still enacted on stage and in theatres all over the world and have been translated into a number of languages and adapted for the small and large screen. The themes in those ring true as greed, avarice, lust for status and power and over vaulting ambition still resonate with the viewer of today. Vishal Bhardwaj (the Indian choreographer/ director) adapted three Shakespearean tragedies for the Indian screen including Maqbool, Omkara and Haider. All three set the box office on fire with their scintillating plots, power packed performances, riveting dialogue and solid scripts, proving the cinematic genius of Bhardwaj.

Similarly, plays like Sang-i-Mah are raising the bar with their unconventional storylines, mind-boggling characters that change their colours like chameleons, powerful dialogues and formidable performances. Our television productions have an international following and are hailed as trend setters and ground breakers with sensitive, understated acting, believable and realistic characters, solid scripts and stellar performances. Plays like Raqeeb Say, Dil Na Umeed toe Nahin, Dar Si Jati Hai Sila and Parizaad have engaged audiences with their storylines, performances, scripts, screenplays and direction.

Sang-i-Mah has the makings of a blockbuster and promises to entertain, enthral, mystify and engage in equal measure. Dark and disturbing characters always attract and intrigue viewers because of their unpredictability. They force the viewer to think, examine and analyse the character critically and are far more challenging to write, shape and develop. More and more fresh faces are now appearing on the small screen and television productions are becoming much more commercial but it is encouraging and heartening to see that there is a section of the audience that appreciates unconventional plots and thought-provoking characters. Parizaad is a shining example of this. Its unconventional storyline has won the public’s favour although the story is essentially about an underdog and lacks the oomph and glamour considered by some the staple of television viewers.

At first glance Sang-i-Mah looks like a worthy offering.

The writer is an   educationist and can be reached at

gaiteeara@hotmail.com