Mere Paas Tum Ho ARY DIGITAL – This year we saw an array of hit Pakistani dramas on our screens like DO BOL, ANAA, RAANJHA RAANJHA KARDI, CHEEKH and the list continues. But, there is this on going drama “Mere Paas Tum Ho” which airs on ARY DIGITAL that seems to be the biggest hit of the year.
According to Wikipedia, Drama serial Mere Paas Tum Ho has broken many rating records. Episode 1 and 3 of Mere paas tum ho got 10.9 TRPs and 15.5 TRPs, which is the 2nd highest ever first episode and first highest ever third episode ratings of any drama in Pakistan.
Episode 18 and 16 of Mere Paas Tum Ho got 23.9 and 22.6 TRPs, which is the 2nd highest and 3rd highest ratings of any Television program in 2019. Episode 17 of Mere Paas Tum Ho got 24.9 TRPs, which is the highest ratings of any TV program of Pakistan as well as of any TV program in 2019.
But, does it deserve all this fame? We will discuss a few things about this drama serial which will makes you think about so many reasons why this drama is overrated.
1: MISOGYNY
Why is this drama so popular? Well the first answer that popped up in my head while asking myself this question was, an unpopular belief of a woman cheating on a man or giving up her family for another man. Many people are watching to condemn Mehwish and reinforce how bad and wrong it is for women to cheat or leave their family.
While others are watching just to see how miserable is it going to be for Mehwish after such a sinful act. which again reinforces the same idea in a society where its pretty much okay for a man to do everything she has done.
“Frailty thy name is woman” is not at all true. It was just Hamlet’s rage for his mother and nothing else. But, because of the unpopularity of such a thing as betrayal by a woman, it is seen as a big thing and is picked and pointed out very quickly to condemn. But, in real life it is equally bad for either of the genders to do so.
In the drama itself, you see that Mehwish is not the only one cheating on her spouse. Shahwar is doing the same damned thing but, no one cares, he is a man. Even if we have something bad about Shahwar, that is because he is a part of whatever had been done to Danish because of him. Not because of him cheating on his wife who is still alive and in an ongoing Nikkah with him.
The whole Pakistan celebrated when drunken Shahwar told Mehwish “God doesn’t like women who get divorce”. Not a single one said anything about what God doesn’t like about a man who has provoked someone else’s wife. In this drama, this woman is so suppressed that even a man like Shahwar (who himself is doing the same thing) can say stuff like that to Mehwish. And everyone would agree to whatever he says to her because again, it does not matter whether he is doing the same thing or worse, nobody is gonna point finger at “him”.
2: Mere Paas Tum Ho Is Way Too Slow
Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar has penned this drama in a way that it sure keeps the audience sticking around, waiting for another episode or an update about the next episode throughout the week. But, its extremely disappointing to see nothing happening in the story for weeks.
You may say that this drama is all about the dialogues but, again they are the same twisted words said again and again in different ways.
3: Danish Is Nothing Special
If you just get out of the box and look at Danish from above, you will find out he is only special because most Pakistani men are jerks who treat their wives like their possession in a negative way which does not favor or empower them in any way.
Women are always expected to invest more, give more and learn to live with whatever their husbands provide them and decide for them. If a woman puts her desires or wishes above any of her “expected roles” than she is a bitch. But if a man flips himself an omelette, he is a hero.
As a husband, it is a man’s supreme duty to understand his wife, help her even in basic house-holding chores. Prophet never told men to act like pharaohs. One of the most neglected Sunnahs is helping out your wives in household chores. Ayesha is reported to have said, “He did what one of you would do in his house. He mended sandals and patched garments and sewed.” (Adab Al-Mufrad graded sahih by Al-Albani)
Moreover, Danish is most of the times “passive aggressive” which is way worse than being a man who states his likes and dislikes clearly and discusses upon them for a mutual settlement. Instead of trying to maintain a face of a nice a guy who seems to allow his wife everything but, would take her on a guilt trip every-time he gets a chance. There are a couple examples in another article I wrote on “Mere paas tum ho Danish”
Danish somehow forces Mehwish to believe that days are never going to be better for them with his constant laziness. He had a lot of spare time (because he worked from 9 to 5 with two holidays a week) which could be utilized in making more money. He could empower his wife to work if he was finding trouble in making the both ends meet but, his tiny brain allowed him to take bribes instead of all this.
An unreal thing about all of Danish’s story is his instinct which he never used before. He becomes a millionaire overnight because of his instinct and luck which was buried somewhere all those years he was married to Mehwish.
4: Mehwish is Just Too Unreal
This drama Mere Paas Tum Ho clearly shows that its written by a man cuz it clearly “FAILED” to portray the feelings of a woman. It is true that Mehwish wanted more than just love from Danish because of course, who doesn’t? As a girl, I would personally buy clothes and make up no matter how poor I am. We want to look good which again is not our fault. The first thing people judge us for is the way we look. But, Mehwish’s character is way too unreal. She seems to have the “id” personality trait judging from borrowing money to buy a necklace costlier than all the money she has ever held in her bare hands.
Then is smitten over a married man for money in just 3 meetings. In 4th she sleeps with him and in 5th she is ready to leave her husband and child for his money. All of this makes it really hard for us to connect with the character because this is a pretty abnormal behavior. And if she has any psychological disorder than there is no point of this drama. Of course, what do you expect from a person who is mentally unfit, any lesson?
She is a woman, not a ping pong that keeps jumping from one side to another. Mehwish had left Danish for whatever reason, but she is clearly an impatient mad bitch to leave Shahwar specially when she knew his whole life and career is doomed and is now roasting in prison. What do you expect from a man who is in a jail and doesn’t know for how long. What was she expecting? an invitation to live with him in jail? or give her the money he no longer has? She should have waited and supported Shahwar, a man who was about to make it all legal and halal and was ready to commit to her for lifetime after being beaten by her ex husband.
But, nah! One sentence from a depressed, bewildered man in prison made her shift the team immediately. And then She somehow calls Salman, a guy from her university whom she hadn’t contacted in years and not Anoushey, the one who started it all. Where is Anoushey by the way?
5: Hania – A Standard Pakistani Good Girl
A good girl who has no other job than getting into Danish’s business and slipping in to the role of Rumi’s mother. She calls Danish in a very informal way and language which is okay because she is going to mend our broken Danish in later episodes. And tell some nice girl things to Mehwish to make her feel even more terrible about herself.
6: Rumi is A Kid who’s been to School for Just 5 Months
A kid who just got admission in a school suddenly grows an ability to decide whats good for him and moves to boarding where he lives happily without his mother and father. He also knows whats best for his dad and decides to get him and miss Hania married.
Rumi is so brilliant to judge his mother at a glance how she came out of a rickshaw instead of a big car. He also observes her stance and tells her father perhaps “she was there to apologize”. WOW!
This is also an insanely unreal character who is way ahead of his age which may be a result of bad parenting or an excessive access to his parents’ matters.
7: The General Influence of Mere Paas Tum Ho ARY Digital
Even though this drama is presenting a different side of the world and real life where people are so used to men cheating on their wives. It shows how a man is affected when his woman cheats on him. And women are not the only ones who get devastated. But, Khalil ur Rehman has literally confused it by showing that women who cheat deserve worse punishments than men who do so.
And even the act itself is worse that all sort of people start seeing Mehwish as a woman who cheated on her husband and now have a right to disrespect her. Starting from the security guard who refuses to tell her about her ex husband in an insulting manner which he would have never done if the roles were reversed to Hania who tells Mehwish how offended she is over what she has done, to Mehwish’s university mates who kick her out of their house even when she had nowhere else to go and even the man (Shahwar) who himself is cheating on his wife gets to say bad stuff to her face.
People who are watching this drama pass comments against women in a way it frees men from any moral responsibility. The blame is instantly shifted on a woman in our society because of course, “women provoke men”. Such sorta belief must be challenged and needs to end right here.
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