‘Tan Man Neel O Neel’ is all about a young woman determined to become a social media influencer, gentle men who aspire to become dancers, and the importance of speaking up against injustice
While it’s true that Pakistani dramas are starting to make some reasonably good content, there have been some instances where every now and then some show comes out where the main story is all about some toxic man child and a bheegi billi who is helplessly devoted to fixing him.
But here enters ‘Tan Man Neel O Neel’: a gripping mini series which has a resounding messages we don’t think Pakistani content has addressed before. Starring Seher Khan as Rabbi, an aspiring content creator who dreams of having a large following on her social media accounts, she joins hands with an aspiring dancer Sonu (played by Shuja Asad) who also hopes to gain fame as a dancer. In the midst of their friendship as well as blossoming romance, there are several profound themes in this drama that make it so much more enjoyable.
Rabbi’s wholesome relationship with her mother
We have witnessed very little instances of positive mother-daughter relationships in Pakistani dramas where the mother actually cared and deeply supported her daughter’s dreams, no matter how absurd they were. Rabbi and her mother are the heart of the show with how she supports her daughter’s dreams to become a famous influencer, despite the backlash society gave her for that. When Rabbi uploads a TikTok video of her singing a ghazal, she happily shares the feedback with her mother, who is overjoyed to see her daughter trying to make her dreams come true. What is even more endearing to witness is how the mother defends Rabbi from relatives, after a male cousin taunts her for trying to go viral on social media.
mothers passing down the lesson of a girl’s silence, taught by their mothers and pushed by society for ages. Shutting down their curious thoughts, beliefs, and questions with ‘ladkiyon ko to bilkul bhi nahi bolna chahiye,’ Rabbi representing the rage of women—#TanManNeelONeel pic.twitter.com/bNEyKGPfSN
— ᯓ✦ (@bluemoonxstar) January 13, 2025
Gentle men who aren’t toxic to the women in their lives
Shuja Asad has done a brilliant job at playing Sonu, who aspires to become a famous dancer just like his mother. Unlike the men in Rabi’s life like her cousin, Sonu is gentle and caring to the women in his life and he is also the sole person who supports Rabbi’s dreams other than her mother, and even hires her to make videos of his dancing team.
Male sexual violence and the importance of community
One of the most extraordinary things this show has done is highlighting male sexual violence, and how hard it is for men, especially those who come from professions like dancing, to seek justice against their abuser. In the first episode, we see that Moon is raped by a powerful man, and how the trauma from that violence breaks him down. Instead of icing him out, Rabbi urges Sonu to seek out his friend and help him put his abuser behind bars. In episode four, when Moon goes to the police to file an FIR, he is told by the police officer that such crimes like what he faced were quite common within his profession, and filing a case would work against his favour. But both Sonu and his mother urge Moon to push forward with his case and stand by him in support.
Read more:
‘Tan Man Neel O Neel’ highlights the often overlooked issue of sexual abuse against men
‘Tan Man Neel O Neel’ airs every Saturday at 8 pm only on Hum Tv.
