|Alif Finale| |Analyzed by Qursam Fatima|

Alif Finale

Analyzed by Qursam Fatima

"Just above our terror, the stars painted this story

 in perfect silver calligraphy.

And our souls, too often abused by ignorance, 

covered our eyes with mercy."

Aberjhani, a well-known poet & historian quoted this above written stanza in his book I made my boy out of poetry. I must say that his words are well relatable with our highly proclaimed writer, Umera Ahmed who always scented our soul with her words.

-Appreciation

I'm starting my last review of Alif from the exact words which was written in my very first review. I once again claim, Alif was not just a drama, it was enigma. It was truly a masterpiece and every single person associated with this dream project proved it wholeheartedly. A serial having spiritual storyline, brilliant direction, appealing productions and show-stealing actors, surely lives forever in the hearts of viewers.

-Plot

Alif was a story of two periods. From Abdul Aala to Qalb e Momin, It was a roller coaster of emotions in which each character moved from selfishness to selflessness. The story started from a letter box and ended on the calligraphy board. This story was an attempt to break free from the captivity of the self. Throughout the play, all the characters appeared to be struggling with their Nafs.

-The Writer & Director

Let's stand together and applaud Umera Ahmed. She is the master of writing two-period stories. Each of her stories opens a new window of thought. Whether it is a romantic story and a spiritual storyline, she creates magic in every plot. She always uses simple and slick words with powerful message. In Alif, she blends romance and spiritual story together. Religious and spiritual aspects are rarely highlighted in our drama industry. Dramas that are not only seen but also understood are nothing short of a blessing. Those writers are in fact blessing who pen down such unusual topics. Umera Ahmed is absolutely a blessing for readers & viewers!

A good script is completely wasted without a sound director. In Drama making, the director plays the role of a father who stands as a roof over story and characters. For Alif, I must say, Haseeb Hassan was a perfect choice. His astute direction made the whole drama more worth watch. With his magnificent direction, it seemed as if million candles were lit that glared every scene. The direction, graphics, camerawork, location, background score and cinematography of Alif was awe-inspiring. The magician behind every magical aspect was absolutely Haseeb Hassan!

-The Characters

Apparently, Alif was a story of famous film maker Qalb e Momin and an actress Momina Sultan but actually it was a story of only one character, Husn e Jahan. The lives of all the characters were seen around Husn e Jahan. The past story was about little Momin and his family Husn e Jahan (Mother), Taha Abdul Aala (father) Abdul Aala (Grandfather). The present story was revolved around full-fledged Qalb e Momin (Hamza Ali Abassi) and Momina Sultan (Sajal Aly). The writer combined the stories of both periods with great skill. All the characters in this story were strived to stay on the path of Allah. To love Allah, to calligraphy in His glory was included in Taha's genes. Husn e Jahan resorted to Taha to find the love of Allah. She made a mistake. She tried to seek the love of Allah through man. In the last episode, Husn e Jahan's mystery has been finally solved by Momina. Qalb e Momin was a character who wrote letters to Allah to fulfill his wishes. But after the death of his father Taha, he started blaming his mother for all the mess in his life and also stopped writing letters to Allah. His strong relationship with Allah was broken. He was one of those who hide their painful past under the guise of their achievements. He became Film maker!

Sultan was another most important character of Alif. His character was written in support of Husn e Jahan. He was the most positive character who deeply & unconditionally loves Husn e Jahan and he did everything for her better life.

Momina Sultan was emerged on the screen as an ordinary actress. As an actress, she appeared to be struggling with financial difficulties. She kept moving forward with courage, holding every pain firmly in her grip. From an ordinary actress to an Oscar winner, her journey was phenomenal. The most impactful message from her character was that she didn't repeat the story of Husn e Jahan. She decided to go on her spiritual journey alone. A journey where only Allah is with her!

Abdul Aala was somehow a complicated character. He was quite proud of his religion and calligraphy. But Yes, he had changed after losing his son Taha. He did not repeat the mistakes (made in Taha's life) in the life of the Momin. He allowed Momin to live according to his will. All of his dialogues were impressive, deep, thought-provoking and life-influencing.

Master Ibrahim was another character who was written in support of Husn e Jahan and Momina Sultan. In the whole play, His interaction with Momina was sweet and heart-warming. He was the only person who understood Momina's thinking.

Rest of the characters like Jahangir, Surraiya, Faisal, Husn e Jahan's mother, Aqsa, Tina, Dawood, Shelly and Neha played their part very well.

-Few Questions

The first question that came to the minds of all viewers regarding Alif is about Taha.

Allah's love does not stop you from loving human beings. After the marriage, Taha (who owned a strong character), like a weak man, began to blame Husn e Jahan for every defeat. I could not understand why Taha left Husn e Jahan. Was he angry on selling paintings he made? Because Sultan has been arrived? Or does he want freedom from the imprisonment of his own life? The woman, for whom he was ready to leave his dear father, could not hear a single word of her when leaving. Why? He was not a conservative man at all!

Another question that came to every viewer's mind after watching the last episode is that why did Abdul Aala marry Husn e Jahan's second? She had come to Turkey from Pakistan only for Momin and Dada separated her from Momin again. Why? Was this to take her out of Taha's grief? When Momin stayed with Dada for so many years, why didn't he remove the misunderstandings from Momin's mind about Husn e Jahan?

There were few questions that should be answered during the play.

-The Actors

All the actors performed brilliantly perfect. Sajal's eyes spoke before his words. Before Hamza's words, his eyebrows were fluttered. Manzar Sehbai's hands movement were worth-noticing. Saife Hassan's polite smile made his every glimpse more beautiful. Kubra Khan played the role of a mother with great affection. The impressions of her still face reinforced her character. Ahsan Khan did very well for Darvaish's performance. Pahlaj Hassan continued to shine like a star in all of his scenes. Smiling innocently, rolling his eyes and writing the letter with conviction was the most lively part of the whole play. Saleem Mairaj and Lubna Aslam's eyes remained in tears in most of the play. This fact made their acting memorable. All the other characters also played a pivotal role and did complete justice to their characters. The wardrobe of Sajjal and Kubra were pure ethnic and artistic. Their makeups were also very aesthetic.

-Conclusion

Overall, Alif was simply a masterpiece. This drama will live in people's hearts for years. Our media is in dire need of making more plays like this. Another most beautiful aspect of Alif was its location and ost. Shuja Haider wrote and composed it brilliantly. All the calligraphies were pure spiritual. The journey of Alif started with the light of Allah and ended on the shining light of His Noor. And at the end His light illuminated thousands of hearts.

|Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp|

-Al-Noor: 35

...............................