An astoundingly insensitive scene from Moray Saiyaan has been messing with my head for the past two months

It showed the height of insensitivity. It showed a lack of respect for culture and religion

I saw this about two months ago and had been trying to write about this since then.

I barely watch any Pakistani TV serials anymore but it was one of those days when you have a sudden urge of browsing through all channels until you find something worth watching. This is when I heard Moray Saiyaan’s remarkable OST sung by Quratul-ain Baloch and stopped.

What I saw next was a scene my mind couldn’t absorb or even completely comprehend. So I see a young couple sitting by a grave, talking about what flowers the girl and her dead mother loved. Next, the guy talks about what flowers he expects on his grave after his death. At this, the girl gets furious and stands up, asking him not to have any sort of expectations. While standing up, she throws a plate full of rose petals away due to which the guy’s shirt is now dirty (I don’t even understand how that happened). The guy is now enraged and is asking the girl to clean his shirt because it was irritating him. “Zubariya issey saaf karain, mujhey aesi cheezoun sey chirr hoti hae.”  In the next few seconds I see a brown stain on his shirt which I think got there miraculously.

At this, Zubariya, the female lead (whose head scarf has now fallen off) wets a corner of her dupata and begins to clean his shirt with it (Oho, so romantic. 100% couple goals. Wow, OMG). Please remember that all of this is happening beside the girl’s mother’s grave. And guess what happens next? The guy takes out his expensive phone from his pocket and then the couple takes a selfie because after all, it’s not every day that the two love birds get to romance in such a mesmerizing location (i.e a graveyard).

Watch it here (6:00 onwards):

On researching a little today, I found out about the story line. The drama is about a young couple and the complexities of life they face during the time period between their Nikkah and Rukhsati.

Dear writers/directors/producers, in a country with a television history of iconic dramas like Tanhaiyan or Shehre-Zaat (or hundreds of others), this scene was nothing but a disappointment. I was astonished beyond belief. If Nasir Khan Jaan was doing this, it would have made more sense but…

I’m not sure what you were trying to present to the audience, but it was in no way cute or funny. It showed the height of insensitivity in your drama. It showed the lack of respect you have for your culture or religion. Fitting in every latest fad in your drama’s scenes for higher ratings is in no way acceptable.

I’m sorry but I took this scene way more seriously than I should have. If you thought this scene would be funny then please imagine this happening by your decaying bones. Imagine someone coming to your grave for making a prayer but then forgetting about you because obviously taking selfies is so much important. I’m sorry but it has been two months and this scene is still messing up with my brain on serious levels. 

The author is an undergraduate Computer Sciences student. She perceives herself as a conservative, yet determined individual. She believes in diversity, and is always willing to try different fields of work.

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