Umm-e-Haniya tackles familial and societal issues

No matter how much our society progresses, there are entrenched stereotypes that don’t allow women to associate with certain professions. Though working women are no longer looked down upon in all the cases, society has set a limit for them to choose their career from. If a woman decides to be an astronaut, a pilot or a sports person, she will have to face a series of questions and comments not just from her family but society as well. And this is exactly what Geo TV’s latest drama, Umm e Haniya sheds light on, starring Neelam Muneer as an aspiring cricketer, Rumesa.

A young, ambitious girl, Rumesa wishes to join the national cricket team for women. She is one of the 40 girls selected out of 400 from all over the country for training and trying their luck. Rumesa’s father, brother and even her fiancé are very supportive of her but her mother and sister-in-law are completely against her desire to pursue cricket as a career. While this is unfortunate, it is encouraging to see that almost all of the men around her are accepting and supportive of her dreams and take a stand for her.

Two episodes down, aired on Wednesday and Thursday, Umm e Haniya has touched upon multiple familial and societal issues. On one end is Rumesa, who finally gets the permission to stay in Islamabad for 6 months while she receives her training (after facing disapproval from some family members). On the other, her friend Roohan (essayed by Danial Afzal Khan) loses his family and house after marrying the girl he loves. He was engaged to his sister’s sister-in-law and when he breaks this engagement, his brother-in-law divorces his sister, resulting in hate from his mother and sister who close their doors on him.

Towards the end of the second episode, we see Rumesa and Roohan exchanging thoughts over why parents don’t support their children in following their dreams. What the coming episodes hold in store is yet to be seen.

Directed by Tehseen Khan and produced by Babar Javed, Umm e Haniya stars Wasim Termizi as Kamil (Rumesa’s fiancé), Rabia Noureen as Naila (Rumesa’s mother) and Hashim Butt as Rehman (Rumesa’s father) in pivotal roles.