Written by: Hurmat Majid
Posted on: February 17, 2023 | 
| 中文
Adeel Hussain and Sanam Jung in Pyari Mona
2023 has kicked off on just the right note as far as television dramas are concerned. The best thing about the year is the introduction of the mini-series format on television, and the second best is the diversity on screen when it comes to stories and characters. One such drama promoting a diverse storyline is Pyari Mona. The drama revolves around the life of an overweight woman.
Directed by Ali Hasan, the drama could have been a terrible idea had it not been pulled off the way it has. To start off, Saman Jung, who plays the titular role has not been shown to be a ‘bechari’ in any way. Secondly, they have not made her overweight appearance ugly or unappealing. Mona is shown to be beautiful, confident and a person who has decided to live life on her own terms. While she is overweight, Mona has not been shown as someone who has health issues or is unfit, for she is shown cycling and playing with her niece to get the point across that she is not dangerously overweight. Lastly, Mona has not been depicted as the odd one out in society. She is shown to have the same kind of everyday problems that any of us may have; from not being able to land a good job, to having horrible bosses or a mom that she has a difficult relationship with. It is the realism of Pyari Mona which is the drama’s true strength.
Other than Sanam Jung, the drama features Adeel Hussain, Sabeeka Imam, Uzma Beg, Mohammad Hunbel, Adnan Jaffar and Mashal Khan in prominent roles. Another reason why the drama is garnering such glowing reviews is that the side stories on the show are interesting and relevant to the times. We see Imam as Samiya, the thinner, prettier elder sister that Mona has, who in a traditional drama would have the perfect life but here we see her struggling with having to live up to the expectations everyone has of her. We see Hussain as Babar, who is truly a grey character. He’s Samiya’s husband and a fitness freak, and one can tell that there’s something dubious about him. However, his portrayal is more nuanced and not painted purely in a negative light, for he cares for his wife and his concern for Mona is genuine.
Adeel Hussain and Sabeeka Imam
While most Pakistani dramas would have portrayed Mona’s mother, played by Uzma Beg, in a negative light, but in this play, she is measuring her children’s success or failure against society’s unfair standards. She cares for her family and has a loving relationship with her husband.
Adnan Jaffer and Uzma Beg
Adnan Jaffer’s depiction of Khalid, Mona’s father, could easily be awarded the father of the year award. Not only does the father not regret having daughters and no sons, but also empowers both his daughters. He allows Mona to move to a different city, live alone in order to pursue a career and be independent. He reassures Mona that no one will be able to marry her off without her agreement and consent. He tells Samiyah that he is there for her, and she should try therapy for her insomnia and depression. He is also shown to be a loving and a caring husband.
Sabeeka Imam as Samiyah and Adnan Jaffer as Khalid
Mohammad Hunbel has been on television playing side roles for the past couple of years, but in Pyari Mona he plays Mona’s best friend turned possible love-interest, and no one could have performed the role better. He’s the kind of best friend all of us wish we had, and while he loves hanging out with Mona, he also loves his mother and actually listens to her without mindlessly agreeing with everything she has to say. We really hope the role would open more doors for Hunbel, who has a lot of potential as an actor.
Sanam Jung and Muhammad Hunbal
While Sanam Jung has garnered a lot of criticism for choosing to play Mona, which meant wearing a fat suit, as opposed to an actual overweight person being cast, we understand why she chose to play the role. Jung depicts Mona beautifully, for the character comes naturally to her. The last time we saw Jung as an actor was in Mein Na Janoo opposite Zahid Ahmed around two years ago, and the drama failed to have any impact. She has since been back to hosting shows on television.
In terms of production, the show has done quite well. The editing on the show, however, could have been a little better, as some of the scenes are choppy. That said, we don’t skip any part of the episode or feel the need to watch the show at double the speed. In fact, we are as invested in the side stories as we are in the main.
Mashal Khan and Adeel Hussain
So overall, five episodes down, Pyari Mona is leaving quite an impact on us, and we hope it will continue to do so. Kudos to MD productions and HUM TV for thinking out of the box and bringing us a show we are truly enjoying.
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