Daily Times

Drama serial ‘Ghalati’ has been directed by Kalim Rajput who has made the drama as intriguing as possible. Born in Mirpurkhas, Pakistan and studied from National College of Arts in Lahore, Kalim Rajput has established himself as a well-known director in the Pakistani media industry. Some of his best projects are ‘Nail Polish’, ‘Dhamki’ and ‘Shanakht’, which revolve around the casualties city bombings brings with them.

Recently, there has been a lot of buzz about dramas that address certain issues happening across Pakistan. One such TV drama, which educates the audience, is ‘Ghalati’, aired on A-Plus twice a week. The story revolves around Saim and his cousins, Zara and Sanam. Zara is in love with Saim, whereas, Saim and Sanam are interested in each other. Zara and Sanam are sisters; however, Sanam has always lived with her aunt, unaware of the fact that Zara’s mother is also her mother. Only the elders in the family know that Zara and Sanam are sisters and they don’t feel that it is important that any of the children know about this. On the other hand, Zara lives at Saim’s house with her mother, as Saim’s father took them in after Zara’s father died.

The story kicks off when one afternoon, Saim’s father announces his surprise engagement to Zara, which comes off as a shock to Saim and Sanam. Saim, being a very obedient son, does not object against his father’s decision. Later on, when he does discuss it with his father that he does not want to marry Zara, his father announces that they now shall hold his nikah to Zara the next day. This makes Saim and Sanam take drastic measures and end up getting married secretly at the next morning. Saim under strict pressure from his family ends up getting married to Zara as well.

The main issue addressed in this drama is how elders and parents fix their children’s marriage without their consent. They instil their children’s minds with fear, making them unable to voice their opinions. This attitude from parents force the children to take extreme measures, which can sometimes result in bigger problems. This drama aims to educate elders against forced marriages and concealing the complete truth from the children, especially in serious matters. It also informs youngsters to not only have the guts to voice their opinions in matters that affect their life, but also to avoid extreme measures as the consequences can be hurtful for everyone.

Agha Ali plays the male lead in the drama along with Sania Shamshad and Sidra Batool as female lead who plays Zara and Sanam, respectively. All characters have done a tremendous job as performers. Overall, the way ‘Ghalati’ has progressed, shows how common and serious this issue is and why it should stop. The only way this can be done is by educating the audience on the severity of the matter and also give solutions to solve them, which this drama has so far successfully addressed.