Humor, pathos, familial tensions, misunderstandings, a romance eight years in the making, a straightforward blackmail, an impending marriage, and a countdown to a family reunion – all ingredients ensuring a lip smacking entrée were present by the heaps in this latest installment. Yes, this was yet another delicious serving from the chefs at Bilqees Kaur da Dhaba. Don’t know which recipe book they are working from, but Faiza and Adnan are not faltering in keeping their weekly fare updated as they keep churning out one superb meal after another. Pandrah hafte ho gay magar pait nahin bhara … kya khusboo hai aur kya zaiqa hai… wah maaza aagaya!
Deliciously presented, in these fifteen weeks Faiza and Adnan have shown us many facets of human nature, the complicated ways in which different minds think, understand, and react to similar situations. On the one hand we have the take-no-prisoners attitude from the bold, confident, and outspoken Soha, on the other we see the very unsure, insecure Sultan. Soha knows what she wants and pursues her goals with a zealous devotion. With her nudging things have started changing for the better in the Bhatti household, but in helping them work through their issues she has unknowingly alienated her own husband. Sultan, who has always felt lost in that crazy family of his, sees Soha’s involvement in his family affairs as her pulling away from. He had thought of marriage as a way of getting away from his crazy bunch, but in fact Soha’s meddling into everybody’s affair has placed him smack dab in the middle of the very mess he was trying to escape. Fed up, he seeks refuge in Liz’s company, but here too, he seems uneasy. A throwaway phrase that pops up in their conversation, tum logon ke liye, hints at the root of his problems – he knows not who he is, knows not where he belongs, and knows not what he wants. Needless to say Ahsan Khan and Syra Yusuf are rocking as Sultan and Soha.
Though Soha might have messed up her relationship with Sultan, she’s certainly made life a lot more rangeen for Peeno and Inayat. How adorable was Peeno with her makeover, and how fabulous was she as she was sharmao-ing with Inayat. Finally!! Now if only someone could convince Inayat that he is the ideal candidate for The Extreme Makeover. Thank you, Adnan, for returning to us the brilliant Sadia Imam and the equally superb Kashif Mahmoud. Welcome back, you guys!
Talking of brilliance, what a nuanced performance this is from Bushra Ansari. Her dialogues delivery and her body language are excellent, but even when not talking this thespian can emote like no other. Her expressions, when Soha was talking about missing her dead parents and comparing her feelings to Anjuman’s, were worth a thousand words. As a woman, a mother, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a breadwinner, Bilqees has so many different, and difficult, stories to tell, and tell them she does with such élan and ease that it looks effortless. Truly, Bushra Ansari is a living legend.
Apart from these scene stealers, we continue to see tantalizing glimpses of the other daughter in Gujranwala, Mumtaz. I like the way she’s not been forgotten amidst all the happenings in New York, but I do wish we could see and know more of her relationship with her uncouth and abusive husband Zia. After watching her being abused week after week, I don’t know what is better: that Bilqees keeps sending her money, to keep Zia happy, or whether it is all for the best if Zia does indeed follow through on his threat and divorce her. After all, what is the marriage worth if the wife is being continually abused and treated like a cash cow?
Written by SZ~ [email protected]
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