One of the many problems prevalent on this place called earth is that related to those who adopt and those who are adopted. Perpetual misery hovers over the hearts of both the parties. Parents fear that the child might abandon them after encountering the truth, and the child, if happens to find out the truth, spends the entire life in a state of identity loss. Pakistan has produced numerous drama serials on this topic such as ‘Pehchan’, ‘Mehndi’ and ‘Ghuroor’, all of them depicting the characters leaving their up-bringers after finding out that they are not their real children. Sonia Rehman does so in Pechaan. Amina Hussain falls into depression in Mehndi, and Ali Tahir in Ghuroor sets off on a journey to find out his real parentage. Dhund’s 5th episode, besides telling the story of a restless ghost hailing from Muzaffarabad, addresses the above-mentioned issue too.
An old man, Jamal (Arjumand Azhar) hesitates to reveal the truth to his adopted daughter regarding her family in fear of losing her, while the girl Hira (Jinaan Hussain) is suffering from identity issues throughout, at times going to the extent of considering herself an illegitimate child. No other person to talk to, she shares her problems with a friend of hers named Moiz (Yaseen Ali), or at times, tries to evoke the spirit of her dead mother so that her questions may be answered. Moiz’s advices based on greed and wealth-lust, however, are in constant clash with Erum’s loyalty to her up-bringer.
Coming towards the ghost story which has to be the real concern of the series, the restless ghost communicating with Maria and Nana Syed this time is one who is not resting in peace because she carries the guilt of selling off her daughter owing to poor financial conditions. Another reason for her restlessness can be her disobedience to her religion, for being a Muslim woman named Lala Gull, she has gone against the following Quranic statement:
“Don’t kill your children for fear of poverty. We (Allah) provide for them and for you. Indeed, their killing is ever a great sin.” (Al-Quran 17:31)
The questions regarding who the sold child was, to whom it was sold and what link is between the stories can be answered by watching with full concentration the episode, directed with artistic finesse by Farrukh Faiz, and having a clean and fresh look, for which we owe the cameramen and DOP.
The aesthetic element in this episode is provided by the inclusion of Marina Khan, playing the character of Humaira whose story is linked with the plot in the way that she wants the interior designer Maria to have a look at the new house she has bought, and from the shop where she sells flowers and pastries, Moiz comes to buy bouquets for Hira. This elegant character of a middle-aged woman is made all the more admirable by the performer being Marina Khan. The director has given us a treat by casting her who when utters the word ‘pastry’, makes us feel as if a delicious, gooey eatable is melting in our mouths. Such is her enunciation.
What makes Dhund an important piece of work is the information it keeps providing by referring to the beliefs of our society, and by hinting at some significant historical events such as the 1857 revolt or the partition of East Pakistan. In this episode, the reference is towards the 8th October earthquake of 2005, which resulted in mass destruction of the northern side of Pakistan. The ghost we have in this episode happens to be one of the victims of this earthquake, presenting an interesting amalgamation of a realistic event and a mysterious element. The belief in this episode is that which is associated with dying people. People on death-beds claim that they are seeing the ghosts of their loved ones who have arrived to take them to heavens, and the scene presenting this belief has been beautifully shot, the blurriness of the arriving figure suggesting the closing eyes of the person about to leave the world.
A fine direction makes itself conspicuous, especially in the first, breakfast making scene, and through the way the cast keeps growing better and better. This time, Maria Wasti and Mohammed Ahmed have been accompanied by Arjumand Azhar, Jinaan Hussain and Marina Khan who are ranked among the popular actors of Pakistani drama industry.
Whereas the scripting is concerned, Dhund is mysterious, historical and comical, hence a mixture of genres carefully and adeptly dealt with.