Mata-e-Jaan Hai Tu


Mata-e-Jaan Hai Tu is a Pakistani drama serial directed by Mehreen Jabbar, based on a novel of the same name written by Farhat Ishtiaq. It was originally aired on Hum TV from 2 March 2012 to 22 June 2012. The drama follows the lives of two Columbia students, Haniya Sajjad and Ibad Uzair. Haniya is a second generation Pakistani immigrant who loses her parents early on in the drama series. Ibad is a young Pakistani who has joined Columbia university for his master's degree after completing his bachelor's degree from NED University, Karachi and a brief stint at his father's business It has aired on Indian channel Zee Zindagi as Meri Jaan Hai Tu.

Plot

Haniya Sajjad a.k.a. 'Hani' and Ibad Uzair a.k.a. 'Aabi' meet as students at Columbia University, New York. Haniya has lost her parents and lives with her grandmother. Haniya and Ibad fall in love. But when Ibad, on a trip back home, informs his parents about this relationship, his father Uzair makes it clear that he will never accept it. As a dutiful son, Ibad decides to forget his love and marry the girl chosen by his father. When Ibad returns to the US, however, Haniya loses her grandmother and is left distraught. Ibad decides to marry her at once. He visits Pakistan to break the news to his parents. Uzair explodes in anger and, ignoring his wife Hajra's pleas, announces that Ibad is no longer part of the family. A saddened Ibad, on the way to the airport, rings up Haniya and tells her what has happened. To comfort him, Haniya promises that she will go to Pakistan and gain his father's forgiveness.

Deviations from the novel

Adapting her novel for the television screen, Farhat Ishtiaq has added a new sub-plot and fleshed out some of her original characters. In the TV series, Haniya and Ibad's love story is interwoven with a plot focusing on a married couple, Yamina and Adam. Ibad's best friend Adeel is a minor character in the novel but his role has been extended for the TV series. He is played onscreen by Ahsan Khan.

Cast

The drama has received positive reviews from critics who have praised the story and its execution by director Mehreen Jabbar. TVKahani in its review gave it 3 out of 5 stars: "Over all, Mata-e-Jaan is a decent show, but falls thanks to the great expectations everyone had from it. The serial would’ve been much better, had they paid more attention to the principal cast, and twitched things a little. This isn’t a must watch, but it does have its own sweet moments." The cinematography has also been very well received: "The execution of the scenes is smooth, like the slides that effortlessly slip into place to form a beautiful portrait. That brings us to another reason why this drama is a must watch." The drama was shown in Middle East on MBC Bollywood due to its popularity. It was aired on an Indian channel Zee Zindagi.

Broadcasts