Though mellower, I thoroughly enjoyed this latest episode. Having received two huge shocks, one right after the other, I loved the way Bilqees quietly ruminated on her behavior in the past, comparing it with her children’s acts in the present. Even as she is very hurt and shaken to the core, it is fascinating to watch Bilqees navigate her way through these crises. Maintaining an outwardly crusty demeanor, she publicly rationalizes everything, giving no hint of the crumbling taking place within. Right after her very brusque phone call with Mumtaz, where she cannot resist asking how Sultan looked as a groom, she offers mithai to a customer, happily announcing her son’s wedding. Later when Iqbal inquires about the mithai she is quick to brush him off, offering all kinds of random reasons, refusing to acknowledge, even to her own husband, her mixed feelings about Sultan’s marriage. With the range of emotions she displays, the depth of understanding she brings, and nuances to she adds to a very complex character, Bushra Ansari is simply brilliant as Bilqees Kaur.
Back in Lahore, Sultan and Soha got married; given how long it had taken for Shafaq and Hassan to get hitched, I was afraid that this marriage too would be stretched out, but thankfully this one took place post-haste. Soha showed her maturity as she resisted the urge to point fingers at Farrukh, taking the blame upon herself for the rushed marriage. Hassan proved himself as a true friend as he paved the way for a smooth start to their relationship, first by fibbing to Sultan and later very maturely explaining the complicated aspects of relationships and marital life to Soha. I say this every week, but honestly it is so great to see friendships being portrayed so well. Excellent job by Adnan Ahmed and Faiza Iftikhar. Ahsan Khan, Fawad Jalal, Syra Yousuf, and the actress playing Shafaq are doing justice to their characters.
After being MIA, Mumtaz was back. It was sad to see the darker aspects of her relationship with the paindu Zia. We had suspected as much earlier, but to see the reality and the pain behind those warm smiles was hard to see. But again, it was great to see that rather than cowering in fear, she stood her ground and went to attend her brother’s nuptials – truly Bilqees Kaur’s daughter. Nadia Afgan is fabulous as Mumtaz; she makes her so real that I am really interested in knowing how a strong-willed girl like Mumtaz ended up marrying such an uncouth guy.
The other Afgan, Shazia, is doing well in her role as the completely oblivious Sobia. I wonder what will it take for her to be shaken out of her stupor… surely she can’t be that blind to the vibes between her sister and her creep of a husband? Saleem Shaikh is playing the villainous behnoi to a tee. The one big turnoff here is the amount of smoking shown. Surely there are more creative ways to depict a baddie/stressed out guy. Can our writers/directors/actors rise up to this challenge?
With Bilqees having issued orders for Peeno to vacate her room for the new bahu, the countdown is on for the Soha-Bilqees showdown. How will Soha reconcile her fantasies of a white bedroom with the reality of Bilqees’ very blue-collar household in Jackson Heights? How will the my-way-or-the-highway Bilqees deal with Soha’s no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is attiude? How will the mild-mannered Sultan deal with these two strong-willed ladies?
Clearly my interest is piqued – can hardly wait for the next installment!
Written by SZ~ [email protected]
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