LOST INNOCENCE: THE FIGHT AGAINST CHILD MARRIAGE
Maye Ri is the subject that has been the talk of the town for a while now. It’s on-aired on ARY
Digital. The topic of child marriage was revealed to the audience in the first ten episodes of this
Big Bang Entertainment show, leaving them both shocked and intrigued. Two cousins who were
fifteen years old when they got married was the tale told by Maye Ri. Since the serial glorified
child marriage, many viewers were against the idea. Later on, the serial veered away from the
main problem and towards family politics. When the main characters Annie and Fakhir had a
child, the serial took a surprising turn. The thought of child marriage and the serial’s exaltation
of a romantic relationship between two teenagers—who are far too young to be thinking about
such things—were too much for the audience to accept. However, as they both get divorced,
the drama finishes with a shocking revelation for the audience. Many people in the audience
were upset because they didn’t want to witness this conclusion. Conversely, the second set of
viewers endorsed the notion that they split up and that Annie, the lead actress, began to
advance academically while raising her child.
The serial writer made a commendable effort to address a delicate issue that is pervasive in
today’s society. Numerous children in our nation have suffered as a result of the issue of child
marriage. A 2018 UNICEF report states that about 18% of Pakistani females get married before
turning 18. Keeping this fact in mind, the story was not particularly well shown, despite the fact
that the theme was created and chosen with total care. It was no different than the soap operas
that we had been watching for a while.
The lead actress was given the opportunity to advance in her life, which is a positive conclusion,
but the most difficult aspect came with being a parent. The kid, who would ultimately suffer
from his parents’ split, was ignored, despite the fact that many spectators thought their divorce
had a happy conclusion. To put it briefly, the show covered two themes rather than just one.
The first was child marriage, which is evident, and the second involved teenagers having
children at a very young age and the difficulties they face.
A few works of art produced by our industry must not be overlooked while we examine this
drama and its details. They simply stuck with the main theme, highlighting it perfectly. The true
masterwork that ranks first is Udaari. The theme of Udaari was the sexual abuse of children.
Moving further, Sang-e-Mah which was produced in 2022 captivated audiences with its
depiction of the tribal areas’ jirga system and the ways in which the powerful influence choices
for their own benefit. It’s a lengthy list, too. Similar serials have been produced in the past that
cleverly and directly addressed the subjects without deviating from the main theme.
In conclusion, this television series made a respectable attempt to draw attention to a
significant social issue plaguing our society, but it appears that our industry professionals will
need a little more time to refine and improve their work.
