FEW topics arouse such a mixture of emotions or create such hot debates. This month it has been on everyone’s lips and in everyone’s mind. Everywhere you go — iftars, suhoors and family gatherings — it is the plat du jour in most of the Arabic world. I don’t mean the ongoing conflict and problems in the Middle East, but a TV series, "The Family of Hajj Mitwalli" which is being broadcast on a number of satellite channels.
The stir created by the series is inescapable — to the point where some of us, who can’t bear the thought of being tied down to a daily drama, have been tempted into following the events of the series. For those of you who haven’t been hit by Mitwalli Mania (there is no other name for it) here is a brief outline of the plot. The story revolves around a man (what doesn’t?) a wealthy trader, married to three women, each living in her own flat and each of whom he visits on a regular pre-determined schedule. The series explores a number of issues surrounding polygamy, through the lives of each of the women and their children.
Instead of turning it into a tragedy-ridden series, the writer has cleverly chosen the path of comedy, almost at times to the point of melodrama. The scenario is hilarious without however descending into the realm of superficial comedy a la Jim Carey. Many delight in the plethora of idioms and sayings that pepper the episodes. As is the case with all such series, it ends each day on a high note that makes us wait anxiously for the next day’s events. With the exception of the lead role of Mitwalli played by Noor El-Sherif, the rest of the cast is mostly new faces, which some argue has been the secret ingredient in the series’ success.
Whatever the magic is, whether it is the topic of polygamy itself, the acting, the scenario (or the unusually exceptional set-decoration), there is no doubt as to the phenomenon it has produced. Not only have the cast members become overnight sensations and been the guests on a number of talk shows and late night shows, but also the topic of polygamy itself has been re-opened for wider discussion among a wide variety of people — from businessmen at meetings to family members at social gatherings. Even newspapers have reported the phenomenon. Just last week, Al-Hayat wrote that farmers in Iraq hold Mitwalli in high regard and he has made them braver in voicing their desires for a second wife. Never mind that the series itself, as the writer himself has said, is merely a representation and not a true picture of the lives of most people in this situation.
No matter what your view of polygamy may be — from necessity creates an exception to the argument that love surpasses all considerations and everything in between — in the past month we have heard them all. Some women’s organizations have condemned the series for making the situation worse and engendering a desire in men to imitate Mitwalli whom many admire.
Meanwhile, the actors, the writer and the director of the series bask in the sunshine of the attention pouring down on them. As the saying goes, any publicity is good publicity. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that this series really lit a match under the topic of polygamy which soon blazed into an all-out bonfire. It is all well and good that a series should voice and reflect some of the social issues in the Arab-Muslim world — the question is, where is it going to take us? Will any issue be resolved or will we forget this topic as soon as the curtains close on the last episode?