Mera Yaar Mila De was promoted as an alternative to Mann Mayal and it has proven to be a surprisingly effective antithesis to the sob fest that is Mann Mayal. Having just watched episode 20, I’m thankful to say that the storyline is still engaging, though I can’t say the same for Mann Mayal. Daboo and Mushk are fish out of water in Karachi as they try to find Fahad in a city of 5 million people. On top of that, all their problems seem to have come to head at the same time. Chacha Basheer, Striker’s uncle, was kind enough to allow them to stay in his house for a few days, but it seems that our main characters have hit another snag in the form of Chacha Basheer’s renter, who has returned unexpectedly. Mushk and Daboo are forced to vacate the house and find somewhere else to live, which wouldn’t otherwise be a problem except for the fact that Daboo’s cash has dried up and Striker is unable to send them more money because of riots in Lahore.
Mushk’s reaction in the first scene of this episode seemed unprovoked; she was angry at Daboo for being a decent human being. Daboo was just trying to do something nice for her and planned an impromptu birthday party in record time. Mushk is unable to see Daboo’s kindness, instead she is reminded of her last birthday, which she spent with her cowardly lover Fahad.
Fahad is an abhorrent character, if he had the guts to go all the way to Lahore to save Mushk from marrying someone else, then why did he abandon her halfway? Mushk is a far braver character and was willing to put everything on the line for her love, including her family, her honor, and what little dignity she had left. Her goal is Fahad and she’s convinced that if they find him, everything in her life will fall in place. Meanwhile Fahad is being passive aggressive and lashing out at his mother, best friend, and his fiancée, yet he still doesn’t have the stones to refuse this forced relationship and try to reclaim his love. He’s content with pining uselessly for Mushk, while our poor heroine is leaving no stone unturned in trying to find him, aided with the help of our real hero, Daboo.
Daboo is the quintessential gangster with the heart of gold, who has made it his mission to help Mushk in whatever way possible. Faisal Qureshi has been amazing in his portrayal of Daboo and he is able to create chemistry with Sajal Ali. He is the real star of this show and without him playing Daboo, this show would not have been as successful. His mannerisms, the way he walks, talks, and most of all, his expressions make you believe that he is Daboo.
Sajal Ali is effective as Mushk, though the waterworks that are present from her in almost every episode are tiresome. I have to give her props though for at least choosing to play a stronger character than her previous drama, Gul – e – Rana, in which she cried constantly, but was still unwilling to speak up against her forced marriage. She isn’t quite able to create the same chemistry from her side with her co-stars, but her acting seems to have improved marginally. The actor who plays Fahad, Ahmed Ali, is all right in terms of acting skill, but he doesn’t shine, like his co-stars.
This episode is filled with tantalizing almost chance meetings between our lead characters, but alas, we’re left disappointed. The drama sends a wink our way as Mushk unknowingly encounters Fahad’s fiancée and even helps her by giving her a shawl to wear when her shawl is ruined. Daboo and Mushk are more evenly matched in terms of will and stubbornness and I would rather see them together than Fahad and Mushk. The drama gave a nod to this possibility when Fahad’s fiancée called Daboo and Mushk a nice couple, though, as of yet, there seem to be no sparks for a romantic blaze.
The pace of the story has slowed down since the beginning episodes, but it still continues to be engaging and watchable. I’m rather surprised that more people aren’t watching this drama instead of watching the aforementioned blot on our stained tablecloth of a Pakistani TV industry. I say this because Mann Mayal isn’t the only drama that recycles hackneyed plots that all involve a useless heroine that can’t do anything for herself; it seems Mera Yaar Mila De is at least a step in the right direction because the heroine isn’t a waste of space or a wallflower. Looking forward to the next episode and hoping that the story picks up!
