Written by: Hurmat Majid
Posted on: October 21, 2019 | 
| 中文
Sajal Ali as Momina (Left) and Hamza Ali Abbasi as Momin (Right)
Alif promises to explore the gritty truth behind Pakistan's film industry and the psychological and philosophical struggles of those who work in it — but will it deliver? Alif, Geo TV's biggest drama of the season, is produced by Samina Humayun Saeed, and directed by Haseeb Hassan of Mann Mayal and Parwaaz Hai Junoon fame. It is written by Umera Ahmed, author of Meri Zaat Zara-e-Beneshaan, and is simultaneously the first Urdu fiction to be turned into an audio book. Three episodes in, and viewers are mildly interested as to how the plot progresses — or that's what social media chatter suggests.
The first three episodes have given us a glimpse of the characters and their relationships to one another. It seems like the concepts of Ishq-i-Majazi (love for another human) and Ishq-i-Haqiqi (love for the Divine) are important to the show. To say that the main characters are placed on two extremes of a social as well as psychological spectrum, would not be incorrect.
On one hand, we have Momin (Hamza Ali Abbasi) a film director, notoriously wealthy and a playboy. He's shown to be riding on the success of the last film he produced, and is currently casting for his upcoming project. While he is secretly betrothed to Neha (Sadaf Kanwal), a costume designer and social climber, no one knows about his marital status. The characters around him are both put off as well as in awe of him. Yet, when asked if he's happy, Momin seems baffled and unable to answer the question.
Sadaf Kanwal as Neha and Hamza Ali Abbasi as Momin
On the other end of the spectrum is Momina (Sajjal Ali), a struggling actor who is barely making ends meet, who is also the sole breadwinner of a family of four. Her mother (Lubna Aslam), who was once a small-time actor herself, her ailing younger brother (Hadi bin Arshad), a former child star currently in need of a kidney transplant, and her father (Saleem Mairaj), who used to be a makeup artist for one of the leading female actors of her time — Husn-i-Jahan (Beauty of the World).
Momina is looking for a significant role in a drama or movie, not for fame but for the money and connections that could come with it. However, even when she gets the chance to audition for a part in Momin's upcoming film, she refuses to give up her dupatta as a sign of modesty, thus putting her in crosshairs with Momin.
Sajal Ali as Momina
Husn-i-Jahan, is an enigma who haunts each episode, though we do not know much about her. An actor who seemed to have once ruled the film industry, she seems to connect the two drastically different worlds to which Momin and Momina belong. But Jahan’s identify was eventually revealed in the last episode.
Each episode heavily leans on flashbacks, but one cannot initially tell the flashback from the present. At first, one gets the impression that the flashback and the present are running concurrent to each other, which may be a deliberate move on the writer and director’s part. However, by the third episode one realizes that the scenes shot in Turkey, showing a young boy, his grandfather, and his mother are from the past – Momin’s past, to be specific. From then on, the flashbacks become significant to the continuation of the plot.
As it progresses, the focal point of the story seems to be the shift in Momin's nature, from a sweet, sensitive boy to a shallow womanizer. From the way he callously views women in his films, to the way he treats his grandfather's calligraphy with utmost reverence, we see a lot of focus on Momin's internal conflict, and the philosophical implications of it. And the question remains as to whether he can reclaim that boyish sensitivity again.
Manzar Sehbai (Left) and Hamza Ali Abbasi (Right)
The drama spends a lot of time on exposition, which sets it apart from its counterparts. This evolution develops the viewer's interest in the characters, and allows one to invest in their journeys. However, at the same time, the play may not be everyone's cup of tea, if it favors the heavy exploration of Sufi and philosophical concepts over the plot itself.
That said, if done right, the drama may end up opening the door for more mainstream drama serials that choose to exploring retrospective, philosophical, and meaningful questions.
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