‘Dunk’ has been one of the most controversial dramas in recent times, due to its storyline. It has been debated that this project attenuates the grievous situation of harassment cases in Pakistan. Although Fahad Mustafa, the producer of this project, stated that the show is based on a true story, netizens maintained that only the initial part of the play is inspired by a true event, whilst the succeeding plot is merely a work of fiction. A story based on the false allegation of harassment is highly insensitive and injudicious on the part of the creators, in view of the rampant sexual- harassment cases in the country.
Cast and Creators
‘Dunk’ is an ARY Digital drama, written by Mohsin Ali Shah and directed by Badar Mehmood. The project has an ensemble cast, including Sana Javed, Bilal Abbas Khan, Naumaan Ijaz, Yusra Rizvi, Fahad Sheikh, Laila Wasti, Azekah Daniel, Saife Hasan, Salma Hasan, Shahood Alvi and Gul-E-Rana.
Story
The show follows the story of a guileful and ferocious girl named Amal, played by Sana Javed, who accuses a male university professor Humayun, played by Noman Ijaz, of harassment.
Amal’s fiancée Haider, played by Bilal Abbas, is a young and impulsive boy. He makes Humayun and his family’s life miserable. However, he subsequently becomes aware of Amal’s malicious allegations against professor Humayun.
Meanwhile, the professor commits suicide due to immense social pressure and unspeakable sufferings of his little daughter and wife Saira, played by Yusra Rizvi. Upon this dejected revelation, Haider abandons Amal on their Mehndi night but does not reveal the reason behind his action. Devastated, Amal successfully gathers all the sympathies of the family while Haider becomes the victim of the wrath of his own family including his father and brother.
Subsequently, Amal marries Haider’s brother Safeer, played by Fahad Sheikh. She vows to take the most brutish revenge against Haider. The following episodes showcase the demeaning and cunning actions of Amal, as she ultimately forces Haider into marrying Minal, played by Azekah Danial.
In order to completely annihilate Haider, Amal alleges him of an attempt to rape. In short, she goes beyond every limit to satisfy her vengeance. But when Haider’s mother and his wife strengthen him to fight for his dignity, the tables turn. The last two episodes are mainly based on the end of devious Amal.
Performances
The performances of the actors in the whole show are phenomenal. Starting with Sana Javed, who convincingly plays the role of a vicious girl with an apparently angelic aura. Her acting and expressions throughout the drama are exceptional.
Likewise, Bilal Abbas Khan was highly appreciated by netizens for his incredible performance in the whole serial. The drama gives him the margin to showcase his acting skills. In a number of scenes, he delivers no dialogue and yet he binds the audience with his emotional and heart-tugging expressions.
Similarly, Yusra Rizvi did a marvellous job of portraying the role of a helpless widowed mother. Laila Wasti gives one of the best performances of her career. She nails the role of a strong mother who can face the whole world for her son. Azekah Danial and Fahad Sheiks’ acting is worth praising in the role of a supporting spouse. In the last episode, the acting of Amal’s parents, played by Salma Hasan and Saife Hasan, is heart-rending.
Direction
Badar Mehmood is one of the most acclaimed directors of Pakistan, with an extended list of exceptional work to his credit, such as ‘Balaa’, ‘Cheekh’, ‘Aisi Hai Tanhai’, ‘Ishqiya’. The drama is well directed and executed.
Few scenes from this show give the audience goosebumps, including Amal and the professor’s scene of false harassment and Amal and Haider’s scene of a rape attempt. The persistent pain of the professor’s family is rightly projected along with the guilt of Haider and his subsequent legal battle in search of justice.
The Last Two Episodes
In the last double episode, Haider records the confession made by Amal. He reveals her truth to her father, who is unable to absorb the rancorous truth and takes his own life. Devastated by her husband’s death, Amal’s mother reaches court to confront her daughter. This scene is over dramatised.
After the demise of her father, Amal acknowledges her malicious actions and reaches jail. On the other hand, the university committee acquits late professor Humayun from harassment charges. Haider lives happily ever after with his family.
The last episode is not full of surprises at all, as the viewers only witness two aforementioned events. The rest of the episode is filled with emotional redressal by the characters. The last scene of Saira on Humayun’s grave is exceptionally executed. It definitely tugs at the audience’s heartstrings.
However, the question arises: is the consequence enough? The punishment for the false allegations of an attempt to rape and harassment cannot be extended beyond 10 years at maximum. After a few years, Amal will return to her family. The only loss suffered by Amal is the loss of her father. A vicious protagonist, who killed two innocent souls, and made the life of almost every character of the show miserable, should have met a more severe punishment. Also, the drama was stretched and predictable.
Conclusion
Dunk as a drama is a well-directed project coupled with amazing performances and an unconventional story. However, the storyline of the drama is somewhat insensitive and insouciant with the contemporary situation of women in the country.
Currently, there is not even a single TV project that solely highlights the issue of female harassment and their subsequent struggle in society. In such a dire situation, there was no need for a megaproject on the topic of false allegations of harassment.
No doubt that fictitious cases of harassment exist, but in comparison to true ones, such cases are negligible. Nonetheless, other creators should step forward in creating more projects which rightly accentuate the topics of harassment faced by women and their subsequent suffering in this regard.
