The drama Main Manto Nahi Hoon has sparked debate after recent episodes suggested a romance between the lead characters. Viewers say the script crosses lines by showing a student–teacher relationship.

The story follows Mehmal (Sajal Ali), a young woman from a violent and controlling family. She fights to continue her education against her father’s wishes. At university, she meets her professor Manto (Humayun Saeed), a quiet writer who shares his name with the famous author Saadat Hasan Manto.

Hints of romance appear in recent episodes. In one scene, Mehmal’s aunt teases her for often talking about her professor. In another, Manto grabs Mehmal’s hand while trying to protect her from her cousin Farhaad (Azaan Sami Khan), who stalks her. Farhaad’s guards later beat Manto up for interfering.

Fans quickly reacted online. Many said Sajal and Humayun should not have accepted the script. “I don’t understand how A-listers agree to doing stuff like this. Do you people not read scripts?” wrote one Instagram user. Another Sajal fan added, “I expected a better choice of project from you.”

YouTube comments also called out the problem. One wrote, “Even though Manto is a strong character, I feel very uncomfortable watching a professor and student romance. The 20-plus age gap makes it worse. I hope Mehmal ends up with Farhaad or someone her age.”

Others highlighted the respect teachers deserve. “Teachers are like your spiritual parents. Students have their dignity too. Such a poor script,” said another user. Some viewers even called the storyline dangerous, warning it could damage the way people see teacher–student relationships.

The drama has top-class acting, a big budget, and a strong cast, but fans say the writing overshadows it all. Written by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar and directed by Nadeem Baig, the series features Sanam Saeed, Asif Raza Mir, Saba Hamid, Saba Faisal, Saima Noor, and Azaan Sami Khan in supporting roles.

Main Manto Nahi Hoon began airing on ARY Digital on July 18. The show released its 12th episode this weekend.

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