Kirkira ho gaya woh lams tujhe paane ka

Saath jis ke tujhe khone ka waswasa na mila

These verses from Khayyam’s poetry seem to be the gist of the play, for if scrutinized, it is realized that besides being the story of a yearning lover Qasim and a maltreated wife Mumtaz, O Rang Reza is a tale of idealisers as well, who are into people to the extent of worshipping them.

Sassi’s statement ‘Shadi karoon gi tou koi aisa hoga jo bilkul abba jaisa hoga’ and Khayyam’s gesture of feeling the touch of the cloth left by Sonia Jahan (Sana Fakhar) depict that a chain of idealisers has been formed. Sassi idealizes Khayyam and Khayyam idealizes Sonia Jahan, while it is believed that idealizing human beings always turns out to be disappointing. One fears if Khayyam’s poetry will turn out to be self-referential, for in the verses:

Kia tamasha hai yeh ke aaj wafa walon ko

Apni chaahat ka khareedar be-wafa na mila

Kirkira hogaya woh lams tujhe paane ka

Saath jis ke tujhe khone ka waswasaa na mila

The idea is very well-reflected that the real joy lies in yearning. When you procure the person you long for, touch him or her, the charm is lost. One keeps burning when the desired person is not within reach, and that burning is what one relishes unconsciously.

In the second episode of O Rang Reza, Khayyam’s wish of having his ideal Sonia Jahan before him has been fulfilled. Sonia Jahan makes her entry at a poetry recitation gathering as a result of Sassi’s efforts to get her contact number and invite her by inveigling her into believing that it is actually her father Khayyam who wishes to meet her. Sassi, being an idealizer of her father, has endeavoured to bring him happiness by making him meet his ideal, but this extreme doting on him, so much so that the mother’s emotions are not brought under any consideration, neither her worth in the house is given any importance makes us fear if Sassi will get a good reward for all her efforts in which there lies an imbalance. Similarly, Khayyam’s desire of seeing his ideal before his eyes too, has been fulfilled, but when one comes across his verse ‘Use iss baar jafaaon ka aasra na mila’, we are inclined to reflect that will this sudden arrival of Sonia which has taken place without any hurdle or without any pride from her side, continue to give joy to Khayyam? Will this dream that has come true continue to provide perpetual happiness? Or will this unusual occurrence lead to an unforeseen incident?

The real beauty of the episode lies in the aspect that the background music given by Irfan Chaudhry has a pivotal role in making the viewers think deeply. In every scene, the background music is apt and seems to express well the unspoken. For instance, the plaintive melody where Mumtaz introduces herself to Sonia Jahan in an embarrassing way touches the heart and stimulates one to sympathize with Mumtaz. It runs in complete coherence with the diffident smile of Irsa Ghazal. The haunting music when Sassi says ‘…Wohi ada, wohi awaaz, wohi style’ while referring to her father’s attributes and expressing the wish to have them in her husband not only depicts the bleak future of Qasim who does not resemble Khayyam in any way, but also insinuates that Sassi’s psyche is complex and has a dark side to it. Similarly, in the last scene when Khayyam and Sonia are having a conversation and Mumtaz is peeking inside, the music played arouses suspicion. It makes the viewers think if things will go perfectly fine or not. One wonders if Mumtaz will take a stand for herself one day or will Sonia Jahan perform an unpredictable act. On the whole, the musician along with the actors seems to be fully immersed in the story.

Considering the circumstances being encountered by them, all the characters of ‘O Rang Reza’ seem to be on the verge of something. A close contact with Sassi and her offhand manner of asking to hold her hands has made the fire of love burn brighter in Qasim’s heart. One fears what brutalities Mumtaz will have to face whose husband was already indifferent to her, and now has obtained the woman he loved. However, if Mumtaz is a neglected wife, she brings herself into prominence as a mother in this episode by showing that she keeps an eye on whatever her nephew and daughter do. Kareeman too, is making her character visible by discussing what is going on in the house and showing that being an old maid, she has a right to indulge into the matters of the family.

All the actors are performing marvellously and appear to be engrossed in the story. Whether it is the result of a good script, a diligent director or the good education of the performers, one cannot guess, but it seems to be an equal effort from all sides.