''Meharun Nisa'', also known as ''Born Forbidden'', is an

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

language

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

. It was written by

Zafar Mairaj Zafar Mairaj (Urdu, Balochi language, Balochi, Brahui language, Brahui: ; born 11 October 1968) is a Pakistani drama writer, lyricist and short story writer. He primarily writes in Urdu but has also written in Brahui language, Brahui and Baloch ...

, directed by

Kamran Qureshi Kamran Qureshi FHEA (born 3 October 1975) is a British film and television director, producer, and academic. Qureshi is known for his films, TV shows and drama series on women, children and intersex issues. He is a Fellow of the Higher Educatio ...

and produced by

Iram Qureshi Iram Qureshi is a British film and TV producer, director and media academic. She is the recipient of 1st Indus Drama Awards and PTV Awards. Iram has also been an Assistant Examiner at the University of Cambridge since 2011 and a Senior Lectur ...

. Meharun Nisa is said to be based on a true story. The main character in the story is Meharun, who was abandoned as a baby. Born to a prostitute, she struggles to shake the stigma associated with the circumstances of her birth. The film was broadcast in 2004 on Indus TV Network in

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...

and in 2005 on

Zee TV ZEE TV also known as Z TV is an Indian Hindi language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It was launched on 1 October 1992 as the oldest privately owned television channel in India. History ...

UK & United States as part of film series 'Maa Aur Mamta', which consisted of 13 films including ''Meharun Nisa''.

Plot

While purchasing groceries in the market Yousuf's servant, Qadir (Akbar Subhani), overhears that a newborn baby (Hareem Qureshi) has been abandoned in the midst of piles of rubbish in the market. He hears that the baby has been left there as it is the child of a prostitute, and that such a child is left there every one or two months. He is told that it would have been better to have buried the baby, instead of leaving it for the animals. Qadir takes the baby to the home of rich man Yousuf, ( Talat Hussain). Zainab (

Bushra Ansari Bushra Ansari () is a Pakistani actress, comedian, singer, and playwright in Punjabi and Urdu cinema, who started her career as a child performer in the 1960s. Ansari won numerous awards during her career, including the Presidential Pride of Per ...

), Yousuf's maid, asks Qadir why he brought an 'illegal' baby to Yousuf's home. Qadir reminds Zainab about what Yousuf said when they found a dead baby in the drain. Yousuf had said that no baby is illegal and that only the actions of prostitutes who threw babies away should be seen as illegal. Zainab decides to bring the baby home and name her Meharun Nisa. Her husband Rajab Ali (Taj Niazi), a nasty, idle drunkard, questions Zainab about why she brought the baby to his home when they already had two children, Vikky (Humayun Bin Rather) and Rabia (Uzma Akhter Khanji). Zainab tries to appease him by telling him that Yousuf will bear the baby's expenses and that he does not have to worry about having less money to buy alcohol. English documentary filmmakers hear of Meharun's story and a documentary about her is made and aired on

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

. On watching that documentary, Alina (Samina Kamal), who lives in England, decides to visit Pakistan and ask Zainab if she and her husband can adopt the baby. Zainab was attached to Meharun, but she agrees in order to give Meharun a better future. Alina and her husband then bring the baby to England. Seventeen years later, Meharun Nisa (

Sara Loren Sara Hussain (), better known as Sara Loren (born 11 December 1985), is a Pakistani actress and model mostly, known for working in Bollywood, Hindi as well as Lollywood, Urdu movies and television. She is best known for playing a role as Barkha ...

) grows up and comes across the documentary. For the first time, she understands what happened in her past. She goes to Pakistan to meet Zainab, the lady who cared for her.

Cast

Principal cast

as Meharun Nisa (Adult) *

as Zainab * Talat Hussain as Yousuf * Humayun Bin Rather as Vikky (Adult) * Uzma Akhter Khanji as Rabia (Adult) * Akbar Subhani as Qadir (Yousuf's Servant) * Taj Niazi as Rajab Ali

Supporting

* Samina Kamal as Alina * Nabeela as English TV Reporter * Agha Sohail as English Translator * Rohit as Vikky (Young) * Asqa Shakeel as Rabia (Young) * Yousuf as Vegetable seller * Hareem Qureshi as Meharun Nisa (young) * Sajida as Midwife

Awards

The 1st Indus Drama Awards The 1st Indus Drama Awards ceremony, presented by Indus TV Network, sponsored by Dulux, took place on 23 September 2005, at PAF Museum, Karachi. The ceremony was recorded, and was scheduled to be televised in Pakistan and UAE on 1 October 2 ...

2005 * Winner: Best TV Series Award for Maa Aur Mamta * Winner: Best TV Series Writer Award for Maa Aur Mamta * Winner: Best TV Series Director Award for Maa Aur Mamta

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 3713444
Official Facebook: Meharun Nisa aka BornForbidden

Director's website
Pakistani prostitution film and television works Films about prostitution in India