Media Magick

Phaans is one of the most engaging psychological thriller with an ingenious plot. The best part of the play is the intriguing value and suspense attached with it, which is still prevailing making viewers inquisitive to know the actual culprit. The four possible suspects Sahil, Sahil’s father, Samad and Hashim equally looks suspicious. However the victim Zeba accuses Sahil for raping her that night. Well the autistic Sahil seems the least suspicious person to commit this heinous sin.  Cleverly written plot by Samina Ijaz, Phaans’s execution is quite poor despite of its powerful performances.

The major directional flaw is again with the setting. Zeba and Hashim belong to a lower class, Zeba’s mother is  shown to be Sahil’s family’s domestic help, having this background Zeba has a fully furnished house with a luxury of two to three rooms. She also have a proper writing table where she studies and Hashim’s house has a proper lush green lawn. Both house settings do not depict the social class from where they both belong. It may sound trivia but these shortcomings fail to create the world which writer is trying to make believable to us.

Again the most disturbing part is the typical formula addition of sister rivalry to the plot. Phaans having such a great intriguing plot needs to involve this typical ugly sister rivalry as a sub plot?  Why sister rivalry is such a favorite topic for drama writers that it needs to be part of every other drama plot? Why Pakistani women are shown so desperate that the only person they want in their life is either their sister’s husband or her fiancé? It takes away the whole idea of the play and leaves a bad taste. Zeba’s sister is the most annoying and needless character in this play.

The episode ends at a drastic twist with Zeba getting pregnant. This will surely lead towards the actual rapist as it would be easier to get him through DNA Testing. Zara Noor Abbas performance is quite powerful as a victim who is fighting to get justice for herself but facing hurdles from everywhere even at her own home. The most suspicious character is of Sahil’s father it seems a thorough dark character therefore the level of suspicion is much higher in his case. However one wonders what Samad was doing at that night on that deserted location? he should have been at the stage with his fiancé. Hashim’s expressions makes him dubious too.  Well our curiosity level is at its peak to know who actually raped Zeba?