Based in Punjab prior to partition, Bano is the
youngest daughter of Naseerudin’s family. As beautiful as the moon itself she
is nature’s child – shy, playful, desirous without a tint of deception or
greed. She and her family are a symbol of idealistic love that persisted in uni
-cultural Indian society before the partition. This may sound surreal, but the
work done in Dastaan doesn’t seem to leave a stone unturned in creating such an
ambience.
However, the dream of partition has already touched
those concerned. Hassan – a distant relative of Bano works with Muslim League
and rationally supports the formation of Pakistan. While Bano’s elder brother
Salim is a ‘Congressi’ who can never imagine betraying his Hindu friends or the
community they’ve lived in since decades.
Hassan through series of ‘hide and seek’ encounters
falls in love with Bano. His love for her is supernatural. ‘Aasmano se utaara
noor hai Koi’ say the song that laces their love story. Bano reflects it back as
his aspirations find a space in her heart. His love is liberation for her, it
gives voice to her undiscovered love for her ‘cowm’(community), and for
Pakistan. She too rebelliously helps Muslim league with their work. Their love is serene, as sweet fragrance in
the air, as dedication, innocent respect and dignity as it remains for ever.
Struggles that shaped the formation of Pakistan
place their root within the house. Women become the first subtle victims of
partition stress. Salim and Hassan have political debates and arguments that
build into hatred from Salim’s end. Bano, her sister-in-law and Hassan’s
‘Khala’ Suraiya, her mother Bibi and Hassan’s mother Rasheeda are silently torn
apart in this rivalry. They are made to choose between Salim and Hasan. With a hard
heart they pick the righteous Hasan. Each at their own level volunteers to
compensate the thousands of Muslim victims of riots in Bengal; and to peacefully
attain a place with out fear for the Muslims in India.
However, the inevitable takes place. Over the formal
announcement of formation of pakistan the agitated Hindus and Sikhs resort to
riots. Punjab and Bengal being the Muslim dominated states see outrageous
crimes rates. Along with others, Salim and his family become astonished victims
of betrayal by their childhood Hindu friends. The men are sliced into pieces;
the women are raped and brutally killed. At this time Hassan, who had left for
Rawalpindi with his mother , promising his fiancé Bano to return for her in a
few months succumbs in pain as the news of violence reaches him. His entire
family, his people and his Bano has perished. He too starts to live a soulless
life seldom with his past engraved in his heart and memories of Bano.
All the character’s in the serial are so genuine and
true to themselves that it is impossible to miss the strong catharsis that
takes shape. Each subtly carries their past in the present moment. Hasan keeps
up a smile for his mother but he can never love anyone like he loved the serene
Bano. Between them was the mischief of nature, the fragrance of first love that
quenches the soul. In absence of it Hassan has become a drowning man in need of
scaffolds.
He finds this in Pakistan, in working for it and in
Rabbia. She is a distant relative of Hassan and an inspired picture of
Pakistan. Rabbia witnessed partition from far; hence she hasn’t lost herself to
a hideous past like Hassan’s. A woman of dignity, poise and strength, she comes
to Hassan as a sudden breath of air, a will to live.
All this while, Bano is alive in Amritsar. She is
hostage to a Sikh named Basanta Singh. In love with the beauty of his conquest
he tries to gain her trust by a promise to send her to her Pakistan. Bano never
reverts the love back. This drains Basanta’s lies and patience and he resort to
having her forcefully married to him and bear his child. For five years Bano
lived in this hell, burns in daily violence that slowly and completely wipes
her identity, her purity, now reduced to a sole proud Pakistani against the
treachery of non-Muslims. Alive only in hope to see her united and just Muslim
nation she gets slaughtered and fights to preserve last this identity everyday
Bano’s condition is disgrace to humanity. A woman
alone can survive such hardships as she is catapulted from one world to
another. Yet again she is thrown into another world she fleets India with her
son. When Bano’s sacrifices in India when come to face the reality of Pakistan:
the disappointment drives her to insanity. Her past experiences have raised her
expectations from Pakistan so much so that she is unable to accept the present
for what it is.
Similarly Hassan is caught up in the turbulent of his
past and present. He had proposed his love to Rabbia with a promise to never
leave. But he is unwilling to betray to his duty towards Bano – his first love.
He tries his best to pull Bano out of her depression and convience her to marry
him. However Rabbia, sensitive to the situation, is against Hassan’s second
decision for genuine reason. Bano - having forcefully lived with another man
for five years and giving birth to a child she hates – doesn’t require a
marital consolation. All she dreams is a corruption free Pakistan.
Towards the end of it Bano liberates herself by
disposing an evil soul from Pakistan. The serial closes with Bano being jailed
for her crime and Hassan married off to Rabbia. The serial is an epic tale of
partition of India and its consequence which gives way to knowledge and
sympathy towards the past among people. An excellent show of its time Dastaan is
still highly appreciated and watched through the world in many languages.
No comments:
Post a Comment