''Sang-e-Mah'' (
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 ...
: سنگِ ماہ, ) is a Pakistani television series, and second series in the trilogy preceded by ''
Sang-e-Mar Mar''. Having central plot line inspired from
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
'', it is written by
Mustafa Afridi, directed by
Saife Hassan
Saife Hasan is a Pakistani TV director and actor. He is best known for the drama serial ''Dil ki Madham Boliyan'' (2005) and ''Ehd-e-Wafa'' (2019). He has directed the drama serial '' Bari Aapa'' for which he was nominated for the Hum Award for ...
and produced by
Momina Duraid
Momina Duraid (, born 30 June 1971) is a Pakistani director and producer. She is a senior producer and creative head of television network Hum TV and CEO of her own production company MD Productions. She has produced and created several series ...
under her banner production
MD Productions
Momina Duraid (, born 30 June 1971) is a Pakistani director and producer. She is a senior producer and creative head of television network Hum TV and CEO of her own production company MD Productions. She has produced and created several serie ...
. The series revolves around the mysteries that unfold when a young man Hilmand decides to avenge the murder of his father. It focuses on the oppression of women in the form of 'ghag' in tribal areas and also deals with interreligious harmony. It features an
ensemble cast
In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that comprises many principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17
Structure
In contrast to the po ...
of
Nauman Ijaz
Nauman Ijaz (Punjabi and ) is a Pakistani television and film actor, anchorperson, and television presenter. He is the recipient of several accolades, including 10 Lux Style Awards, 7 Hum Awards and a President's Pride of Performance award, wh ...
,
Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam (; born 12 March 1983) is a Pakistani playback singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He has recorded many songs in both Pakistan and India, and is known for his Belting (music), vocal belting technique.
Born in Wazirabad, Waziraba ...
,
Sania Saeed
Sania Saeed (born 28 August 1972) is a Pakistani actress and television host who works mainly in television and theatre. Saeed is the recipient of numerous accolades including one PTV Awards, four Hum Awards and four Lux Style Awards.
She f ...
,
Samiya Mumtaz
Samiya Mumtaz () (born 1970, Karachi), is a Pakistani film and television actress. She has performed in several TV dramas. Her accolades include two Hum Awards and three Lux Style Awards nominations.
Early life
Mumtaz was born to Khawar an ...
and
Omair Rana
Omair Tahir Rana (born 31 January 1978) is a Pakistani actor and theatre director. He also directs plays in educational institutes, notably ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film), One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'' (2014) and ''Life of Galile ...
with
Kubra Khan
Rabia Iqbal Khan () known by her stage name Kubra Khan (; born 16 June 1993), is a Pakistani actress who works in Urdu television and films. She made her debut in 2014 with the film ''Na Maloom Afraad''. Khan is described among the nation's hi ...
,
Zaviyar Nauman Ijaz and
Hania Aamir
Hania Aamir (born 12 February 1997) is a Pakistani actress and influencer who works in Urdu television and films. She began her acting career with the comedy film ''Janaan'' (2016) and made her television debut with '' Titli'' (2017) with later ...
in supporting roles. This marks the television acting debut of Aslam who played the main role of Hilmand Khan, and sang the soundtrack of the series as well.
The series had a cinematic launch on 8 January 2022, while it premiere on
Hum TV
Hum TV HD is a 24-hour Urdu general entertainment TV channel based in Karachi, Pakistan. It was founded by Sultana Siddiqui and Duraid Qureshi. It is owned by Hum Network Limited and traded on the Pakistan Stock Exchange as (HUMNL).
Hum Net ...
on 9 January.
''Sang-e-Mah'' earned widespread critical acclaim for the cast's performances, Aridi's script including the engaging storyline, strong characters, and impactful dialogues but was faulted for stereotypical portrayals of
Pashtuns
Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghan (ethnon ...
, with TRPs ranging from 4.4 to 9.3, throughout its run. At the
22nd Lux Style Awards
The 22nd Lux Style Awards were held on 6 October 2023 in Karachi, Pakistan. The ceremony was hosted by Saba Qamar, Dur-e-Fishan Saleem, Fahad Mustafa and Ahmad Ali Butt.
'' Kamli'' led the ceremony among the films by winning three awards wh ...
, it won Best TV Writer and Best TV Director out of seven nominations.
Premise
A transcendent tale of love and retribution.
Sang-e-Mah follows the story of a family who belong to the tribal regions of
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# ...
. The drama will reveal how people have to sacrifice their lives and love because of an untruthful tradition.
Plot
The story is set in the fictional town of 'Laspiraan'. Hilmand (
Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam (; born 12 March 1983) is a Pakistani playback singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He has recorded many songs in both Pakistan and India, and is known for his Belting (music), vocal belting technique.
Born in Wazirabad, Waziraba ...
) usually spends time at the grave of his father, Nasrullah Khan. Hilmand wants to get revenge on Haji Marjaan Khan (
Nauman Ijaz
Nauman Ijaz (Punjabi and ) is a Pakistani television and film actor, anchorperson, and television presenter. He is the recipient of several accolades, including 10 Lux Style Awards, 7 Hum Awards and a President's Pride of Performance award, wh ...
) because Hilmand believes Marjaan killed Nasrullah to marry Hilmand's mother Zarsanga (
Samiya Mumtaz
Samiya Mumtaz () (born 1970, Karachi), is a Pakistani film and television actress. She has performed in several TV dramas. Her accolades include two Hum Awards and three Lux Style Awards nominations.
Early life
Mumtaz was born to Khawar an ...
). Zarsanga and Marjaan's son and Hilmand's half-brother, Hikmat (
Zaviyar Nauman Ijaz), is in love with his cousin Gul Meena (
Hania Amir
Hania Aamir (born 12 February 1997) is a Pakistani actress and influencer who works in Urdu television and films. She began her acting career with the comedy film '' Janaan'' (2016) and made her television debut with '' Titli'' (2017) with late ...
), daughter of Zarsanga's sister Zarghuna (
Sania Saeed
Sania Saeed (born 28 August 1972) is a Pakistani actress and television host who works mainly in television and theatre. Saeed is the recipient of numerous accolades including one PTV Awards, four Hum Awards and four Lux Style Awards.
She f ...
).
Zarghuna hates Mastan Singh (
Omair Rana
Omair Tahir Rana (born 31 January 1978) is a Pakistani actor and theatre director. He also directs plays in educational institutes, notably ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film), One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'' (2014) and ''Life of Galile ...
), since Mastan killed Zarghuna's husband Asadullah Khan. Zarghuna rejects Hikmat and Gul Meena's relationship, so Hikmat goes to do "Ghag", where he will go to Gul Meena's house and make an announcement that Gul Meena can only be Hikmat's bride. But, Zarghuna discovers that Hilmand did the Ghag instead. Mastan goes to kill Hilmand, but is stopped due to his father's death. It is revealed that Mastan's father, Hakeem Guru Baksh, gave Marjaan poison to kill Nasrullah.
Meanwhile, Sheherzaad (
Kubra Khan
Rabia Iqbal Khan () known by her stage name Kubra Khan (; born 16 June 1993), is a Pakistani actress who works in Urdu television and films. She made her debut in 2014 with the film ''Na Maloom Afraad''. Khan is described among the nation's hi ...
) learns about the Ghag and comes to Laspiraan to gather research, since Sheherzaad is a reporter. When she comes to Laspiraan, she and Marjaan start bonding and she meets Hilmand, who gives Sheherzaad his blanket. Sheherzaad then remembers being harassed by her cousin Haider (
Shamil Khan
Shamil Khan (; also known as ''Shamyl''; born March 1978 in Islamabad)
is a Pakistani film and television actor.
He's best-known for his film debut in the Punjabi language, '' Larki Punjaban'' (2003).
He also appeared in the Hum TV
Hum ...
) when she was young. Mastan finds Hilmand and stabs him, but at the hospital, Haider and Sheherzaad reunite since Haider is now a doctor.
After seeing Haider, Sheherzaad uses the nurse's help to move Hilmand somewhere else for safety. It is also revealed that Marjaan got Zarghuna married to his servant, Awal Khan (
Syed Muntazim Shah
Syed may refer to:
* Seyd, alternative for Sayyid (name)
* Alternative for Sayyid, an honorific title
* Ahsan Ali Syed (born 1973), Indian businessman
* Ghulam Murtaza Syed (1904-1995), prominent Sindhi politician
* Ibrahim Bijli Syed (born 1939) ...
). But when he was abusive towards her, she divorced him and married Asadullah, who was Awal Khan's younger brother. Seeing Sheherzaad as his daughter, Marjaan goes to Haider's house and tells his wife the truth about Sheherzaad's past with Haider. The nurse leaks this to the hospital and Haider is arrested.
After Hilmand recovers, he calls a "jirga" (meeting) for Hikmat being responsible for the attack on Hilmand, even though Hilmand knows Mastan did the attack. Hilmand threatens Mastan to testify against Marjaan so Hilmand can get his revenge against Marjaan, but if Mastan doesn't, Hilmand won't let Mastan get married. So, Mastan's fiancée Harshaali Kaur (
Najiba Faiz) convinces Mastan to do what Hilmand says.
At the jirga, Hilmand says Hikmat didn't do anything and Mastan says when his father was dying, he didn't say anything about giving Marjaan poison to kill Nasrullah, but he said for Mastan to get married. Mastan also reveals that he attacked Hilmand. Zarsanga decides to go the jirga herself and decides to tell the truth there, with Sheherzaad running after her.
At the jirga, after failing to produce evidence against Marjaan, Hilmand asks Marjaan to say under oath on the hand of Shah Sab that he did not kill Nasrullah. Marjaan proceeds to do so but the moment he was to say the words, Zarsanga appears and stops Marjaan. Marjaan asks Zarsanga to go but she refuses to leave. Hilmand goes to meet her mother and tells her that Marjaan killed his father and her husband. At that moment Zarsanga reveals that she killed Nasrullah. Hilmand runs into the forests after listening that and everyone in the jirga are shocked.
Hilmand goes to his father's village to verify what his mother has revealed as he feels that she had lied to save Marjaan. But after meeting Mashallah Khan (Asif Khan), his grandfather, the true character of his father is revealed and he is broken. Mashallah Khan on the other hand, intrigued at Hilmand's coming to meet him after all these years, send his sons to Laspiraan to know the reason. He gets to know about the confession of Zarsanga and now starts plotting to extract hefty amounts from Marjaan. On the other hand, Sheherzaad is looking frantically looking for Hilmand. She implores him to accompany her to the city but he is completely broken and leaves the place.
Mashallah then calls another jirga on Zarsanga for killing his son Nasrullah. Zarsanga tells Sheherzaad she doesn't want to attend the jirga. The day before the jirga, Marjaan gives his turban to Hikmat, saying he should make a decision which can give everyone justice and which can save Zarsanga's respect and also making Hikmat the new Haji and the new leader of Laspiraan. At the jirga, Hikmat comes wearing the turban in Marjaan's place. Then, Zarghuna, Sheherzaad, Gul Meena, and all the other women in Laspiraan suffering Ghag arrive at the jirga.
Gul Meena then shares her Ghag story, when Hilmand arrives. Mashallah Khan says he wants a share in some money for Zarsanga's death because he wants blood for blood. But, Hilmand reveals papers for some land so he asks for a whole share and all the money from Mashallah, so he and his sons leave in silence, and the elders decide to put an end to Ghag immediately, and whoever does Ghag after this will be punished immediately. Hilmand reveals to Hikmat that the papers were fake.
Hilmand and Sheherzaad come home to find Marjaan and Zarsanga lying dead together. The night before, Marjaan and Zarsanga both decided to kill themselves to save themselves from embarrassment. Hilmand comforts a crying Sheherzaad.
A few years later, an elderly Awal Khan asks a young kid named Marjaan Khan where his father is. The young Marjaan points Awal Khan to where his father is and Awal Khan tells him that Mashallah Khan's sons have done Ghag again. The father is revealed to be Hilmand, who is now Haji Hilmand Khan, and he turns around and looks at Awal Khan, implying that Hilmand will give his uncles a good punishment.
Cast
Production
In July 2021, Saife Hassan announced in an exclusive interview that he is going to revamp the ''
Sang-e-Mar Mar'' with a new season.
He revealed the Sania Saeed, Nauman Ijaz, Kubra Khan and Samiya Mumtaz as leading actors. Hassan also announced that it will be a trilogy and after ''Sang-e-Mah'', he will make ''Sang-e-Siyah''.
Sania Saeed, Nauman Ijaz and Kubra Khan respire their roles from ''Sang-e-Mar Mar'' while Nadia Afgan, Hania Amir and Samiya Mumtaz joined for second season. There were also rumours of the singer Atif Aslam to be part of the series; his casting confirmed in late August 2021. Before Aslam, film actor
Bilal Ashraf
Bilal Ashraf (; born 10 October 1979) is a Pakistani actor, producer, and visual effects director. After studying visual effects at Franklin Marshall College, he started his career as a visual effects director and then pursued his career in a ...
has been cast for the lead role of "Hilmamd" however, he turned down the project due to date conflicts.
Previously, the role has been rejected by
Ali Zafar
Ali Zafar (; born 18 May 1980) is a Pakistani singer-songwriter, actor, model, producer, screenwriter and painter. He started out on Pakistani television before becoming a popular musician, later also established a career in Bollywood and h ...
and
Fawad Khan
Fawad Afzal Khan (born 29 November 1981) is a Pakistani actor, producer, screenwriter, songwriter and singer known for his work in films and television. Khan is a recipient of several accolades, including a Filmfare Award, two Lux Style Awards ...
for unknown reasons. While discussing about the story, Hassan revealed that the first part of the trilogy will focus on
Pakhtoon family issues and will also tackle problematic traditions such as forced marriages.
The first teaser of the series was released on 10 December 2021.
Principal photography
The
principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
began in
Islamabad
Islamabad (; , ; ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Bu ...
on 13 August 2021.
The series was shot majorly in
Bhogerr Mong Valley located near
Balakot
Balakot (; ; ) is a town in Mansehra district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The town was significantly damaged during the 2005 Kashmir earthquake but was later rebuilt with the assistance of the Government of Pakistan.
Geography
Balakot is l ...
, Dadar located near Balakot and
Shinkiari, and some regions of
Azad Kashmir
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (), abbreviated as AJK and colloquially referred to as simply Azad Kashmir ( ), is a region administered by Pakistan as a nominally self-governing entitySee:
*
*
* and constituting the western portion of the larger ...
where shooting was done extensively which began in October 2021 and ended on 6 December 2021.
Some of the initial sequences were filmed in the
Gurdwara
A gurdwara or gurudwara () is a place of assembly and place of worship, worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhism, Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and rel ...
of
Nankana Sahib
Nankana Sahib (; ) is a city and capital of Nankana Sahib District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is named after the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak, who was born in the city and first began preaching here. Nankana Sahib is among ...
, which were filmed after receiving the permission.
Soundtrack
The official soundtrack of the series is performed by Atif Aslam on the lyrics of Fatima Najeeb with music composition by Sahir Ali Bagga.
Reception
Critical reception
In late December 2021, the series received appraisal for its teasers which, promising a powerful story with larger than life characters and touch of
Shakespearean tragedy
Shakespearean tragedy is the designation given to most tragedies written by William Shakespeare. Many of his history plays share the qualifiers of a Shakespearean tragedy, but because they are based on real figures throughout the history of Eng ...
. The serial had views of all teasers and trailers were as high as 8.3 Million. ''
The News International
''The News International'', published in broadsheet size, is one of the largest English language newspapers in Pakistan.
It is published daily from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/ Islamabad.
An overseas edition is published from London th ...
'' while reviewing the first episode praised the storyline and characterisation stating that, series features an intriguing storyline and convincing characterisation. In another article, the newspaper praised the dialogues of the series by describing them as, "powerful and impactful." Aneela Khalid of ''
Independent Urdu'' reviewed the first two episodes, criticizing writing of Mustafa Afridi for blurring the lines between 'ghag' and 'love', leaving viewers confused, but praised the tackling the evil custom of 'ghag' and its potential to spark change. On premiere, the series faced criticism for stereotyping
Pashtuns
Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghan (ethnon ...
, but Sania Saeed, the show's lead actress, has defended the series, arguing that it offers nuanced and complex portrayals of the community, avoiding caricatures and stereotypes. Mehreen Odho of ''
DAWN Images
''Dawn'' is a Pakistani English-language newspaper that was launched in British India by Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1941. It is the largest English newspaper in Pakistan, and is widely considered the country's newspaper of record. ''Dawn'' is the f ...
'' compared it with
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's ''
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
'' and praised its writing and characterisation. In a review by ''
The Friday Times
''The Friday Times'' (TFT) is a Pakistani English-language online publication based in Lahore, Pakistan.
History
''The Friday Times'' was first published in May 1989. TFT's founder-editor Najam Sethi and publisher Jugnu Mohsin, a husband-and- ...
'' published in April 2022, the reviewer praised the performances of Saeed, Aamir, Khan, Aslam and Ijaz. The on-screen chemistry of Aslam and Khan was also praised. While reviewing the last episode, ''The Friday Times'' praised the writing while noticing the female portrayal and the evolution of some characters.
Television ratings
YouTube Views
As of 23 August 2023, the first episode generated 28 Million+ views and last episode had generated 12 Million+ views on YouTube.The total views of all Episodes on YouTube are 299 million+ as of 23 August 2023.
HUM TV
Hum TV HD is a 24-hour Urdu general entertainment TV channel based in Karachi, Pakistan. It was founded by Sultana Siddiqui and Duraid Qureshi. It is owned by Hum Network Limited and traded on the Pakistan Stock Exchange as (HUMNL).
Hum Net ...
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
asset record
Accolades
Broadcast
The show is distributed worldwide by the following TV channels:
* HUM TV
* HUM TV Mena
* HUM World
Notes
References
External links
*
* {{IMDb title, 16978710
2022 Pakistani television series debuts
Urdu-language television shows
Hum TV original programming
Pakistani drama television series
2022 Pakistani television series endings
Television series created by Momina Duraid
Television series by MD Productions