Intense love stories with root worthy characters are an immediate hit in the world of Pakistani dramas. “Ishq Murshid” came along like a breath of fresh air with a sweet love story, a beautiful lead pair and a stellar original soundtrack. Such has been the success of “Ishq Murshid” that the finale will be playing in theaters. But have the past few episodes been of the quality viewers have come to associate with this show? “Ishq Murshid” stars Bilal Abbas Khan, Dur E Fishan Saleem, Noor Ul Hassan, Omair Rana, Salma Hassan, Hira Tareen and others in a story written by Abdul Khaliq Khan and directed by Farooq Rind.
In episode 30, Salman (Noor Ul Hassan) has been murdered by Haroon (Adnan Jafar) in jail, leaving Shibra (Dur E Fishan Saleem) not only distraught, but completely disgusted with the “love of her life,” Shahmir (Bilal Abbas Khan). Meanwhile, Dawood (Omair Rana) realizes Farah’s connection to Zubeidaa’s murder, bringing an end to his marriage. Later, he is arrested for Salman’s murder while Haroon has Shahmir’s ear, brainwashing him against his own father. Shahmir, on his part, is not particularly happy with himself and speaks to his mother-in-law (Salma Hassan) regarding Shibra’s refusal to go back home with him. While Shibra’s mother does not blame him…….do we, as an audience, blame Shibra for her reaction?
The answer is yes and this is where the writing, acting and direction has all snowballed in the past two episodes. While Bilal Abbas Khan is a brilliant actor and we’ve gone hoarse praising him week after week, his performance this week is atrocious. There is a great moment where Shahmir looks in the mirror and sees Fazal Baksh instead of his own reflection – this is a great touch to show us where Shahmir is emotionally.
Unfortunately, that’s not what we’re seeing in Shahmir’s demeanor and it has to be said, with great regret, that this is due to Bilal Abbas Khan’s performance this week. What is Shahmir’s thought process? Is this a plan? Is he trying to trap Mehreen and Haroon? Even if this is the case, it does not excuse his deadpan, uncaring demeanor when arriving at Salman’s funeral. It does not excuse his reactions while talking to Shibra in private. It is cold, unfeeling and makes Shahmir appear as detestable to the audience as he does currently to Shibra. How could the man she love behave like this? How could Shahmir trust Haroon, of all people, over his father? How could Shahmir just let Salman rot in jail and allow him to be murdered by his enemies – who are staring him straight in the face and he’s ignoring? It’s illogical and the fault lies with everyone – the actor, the writer and the director. This episode is not praise-worthy.
Now is there something praise-worthy in the episode? Yes, it’s Dur E Fishan Saleem’s performance. She has done an excellent job emoting and conveying her anger and disbelief towards Shahmir – disbelief and anger that we, as an audience, also currently feel. With only one episode left, can anything really be salvaged here? Is there a way to rectify Shahmir’s character? Or will “Ishq Murshid,” which has been such a treat for fans, wind up being a disappointment?