After this episode, I have absolutely no compunctions in saying that I now count Bilqees Kaur among my top ten all time faves. Yes, I realize it’s not yet ended and could always make an about turn and go all whacko on me, but from what I’ve seen so far, I have to say this is shaping up to be a top-notch serial. It may not be number one on the charts, but for me this is a perfect blend of timely social commentary, light romance, and understated comedy –a complete package.
Beginning with Sultan telling Soha about what he perceives as his dysfunctional family and his dictatorial mother, to Iqbal’s ill health and Soha caring for him, to Peeno’s heart wrenching private anguish about her colorless life, to Bilqees’ ruminations about her hawk-eyed upbringing of her children, to Kuljeet becoming a sounding board for Anjuman’s anxieties, to Sultan and Soha’s playful exchanges, this episode was an excellent illustration of why I love Bilqees Kaur. Things kept happening in quick succession, the somber moments were followed by lighthearted ones, there were no overlong scenes, in short no hiccups in the narrative. Working with Faiza Iftikhar’s superbly written script, aided by his technical team and his cast of fabulous actors, led by the inimitable Bushra Ansari, Adnan Ahmed is now definitely up there as one of our better story-tellers.
As we’ve seen all along Sultan definitely has issues with his family – yes they are indeed weird, and that’s putting it mildly, but then watching him tell Soha to stay aloof, questioning his mother’s motives and her as dominating, and disregarding his father’s ill-health, I couldn’t help but wonder if this is what Bilqees expected when she wished for her son to be highly educated, that he get so uncomfortable with them that their working class ethos turns into a source of embarrassment for him? Is this why parents’ wish for their children to be better educated than they are? Isn’t Sultan being too judgmental and letting his distaste for their lifestyle affect his appreciation of his mother’s hard work? Does he not see that his father and brother were weak men and perhaps incapable of making ends meet, if left to their own devices?
On the other hand, watching Bilqees reflecting on her reasons for being such an overly strict mother, it is evident that in trying to keep the past from repeating itself, Bilqees is being very unfair to her children. She’s the one who eloped and married outside her religion, so why is she punishing her children? Doesn’t she see that she is in effect forcing them to rebel? All her hard work being reduced to a naught as she has allowed the shadows of her less than illustrious past cloud her present reality. Her tough exterior and sharp tongue, perhaps once a way of keeping intrusive questions at bay, are now so much a part of her persona that even her own family is resentful and has turned against her.
Peeno is another one caught up in her own miseries. Aided in part by her own simplemindedness, she, once a vibrant young woman, is now reduced to living a wretched life. Soha’s arrival, and her lighthearted relationship with Sultan, has thrown Peeno’s bland life into sharp relief. She’s now beginning to make demands of Inayat that she perhaps has never made before. Whether she continues to draw succor from Soha’s presence and start asserting herself is something that remains to be seen.
At this juncture of the story, Soha’s appearance has definitely shaken up the family dynamics. She is not afraid of saying it as she sees it. How will her straightforwardness fly in front of Bilqees’ my-way-or-the-highway tendency remains to be seen. Also, the big thing to look forward to next week is Soha’s cooking test. Will she pass and win Bilqees’ approval? Looking forward to the next installment!
Written by SZ~ [email protected]
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