By Maliha Rehman
Audiences love a sweet romance played out to the tune of a lilting soundtrack.
Add in a motley crew of very talented actors and an expert director holding the strings, and it’s likely to result in a top trending drama. This is essentially why the initial few episodes of Ishq Murshid on Hum TV network have been such a success.
Directed by Farooq Rind, written by Abdul Khaliq Khan, with Bilal Abbas Khan and Dur-e-Fishan Saleem, the drama is feel-good, peppered with romantic interludes and humorous repartee, and it leaves you smiling. You also end up humming the very melodious OST all the time – that’s Farooq Rind at work right there. The director has a knack for fitting the OST into a drama’s narrative, making it memorable. He did so in his hit Pyar ke Sadqay and he’s working the same magic in Ishq Murshid.
Like the earlier drama, Ishq Murshid also stars Bilal Abbas and Omair Rana. But other than that, the stories are vastly different. In Ishq Murshid, Bilal plays Shahmeer Sikandar, scion of a powerful political dynasty. His father Dawood, played by Omair Rana, currently helms the political party but is hopeful that Shahmeer will soon take over the reins. Shahmeer is well-versed in political dynamics although his relationship with his father blows hot and cold – he is very willing to help with the political obstacles but resents his father for having remarried his mother’s nurse while she was ailing. It is evident from the onset that he misses his deceased mother – played by Samiya Mumtaz – visiting her grave regularly and imagining having conversations with her.
Shahmeer is rich and powerful but he takes on the avatar of the impoverished, bumbling Fazal Baksh in order to get to know Shibra – enacted by Dur-e-Fishan Saleem. Shibra is strongly principled, forthright, openly disdainful of wealth and showmanship and Shahmeer comes across her at a friend’s wedding, where she rants at length against the custom of taking dowry. He is so smitten that he decides to transform into Fazal Baksh, somehow contriving to get employed by Shibra’s father – a government clerk, also strongly principled, played by Noor ul Hassan. After winning Shibra’s parents’ trust, he manages to begin living in a room in her home on the pretext that his landlords had kicked him out.
Added into the mix is Shibra’s mother – Salma Hassan – who has struck a maternal bond with Fazal Baksh, his sister Sukaina – Hafsa Ehsan Abbasi – who discovers Shahmeer’s true identity, Shahmeer’s friend Faraz and his wife – Awais Sulaman and Srha Asghar respectively – Hira Tareen as Mehreen, the daughter of a rival political party in love with Shahmeer and a cantankerous Phuppo and her spineless son.
The plot is only beginning to thicken and there’s a lot that grabs your interest. At the same time, the script isn’t without its loop-holes. For one, Shahmeer taking on a fake identity and managing to fool the parents of the girl he loves into taking him into their home is classic stalker behavior and should essentially not be romanticized. Also, why does Shibra’s sister accept Shahmeer on face value, deciding quite quickly to support him with his romantic goals? Is it normal for a middle-class, moralistic family comprising of two ageing parents and their two daughters to take in a young man into their home and trust him so completely that they invite him to their dinner table? Is there any point to the vegetable seller who also keeps surfacing as a waiter and a man selling bhuttas?
If one had to nitpick, why does Shibra especially come to meet Fazal Baksh, on the pretext of having gotten intimidated by a few taunts from her mother? Bilal and Dur-e-Fishan make a refreshing on-screen couple. Paired together on TV for the first time, they look great together and have an endearing chemistry. However, the romantic moments could have had been written more logically.
More than anything else, the drama stays afloat on the basis of the performances. Bilal Abbas is exceptional as always, transforming effortlessly from the deceptive Shahmeer into the quipping, flirting Fazal Baksh. Suited and coiffured, he is the politician’s son, geared towards ruling his dominion one day. And then, in a crumpled shalwar kameez, waistcoat and lopsided hat, he is the poor clerk, winning over Shibra’s family, having entertaining conversations with her and gazing at her adoringly when he thinks she isn’t looking. This role, with its many nuances, is testament to Bilal’s talent. He is one of those rare actors who understands the details to a character, performing it with a finesse that affirms his position as one of the country’s leading TV heroes.
Dur-e-Fishan is a breath of fresh air. She’s your quintessential romantic heroine, the gorgeous girl-next-door, very likely to roll her eyes and call out Fazal Baksh on his antics, flaring up with righteousness when something goes against her morals. She is straightforward, with a soft corner for her family and an incisive sense of humor. Dur-e-Fishan is entirely believable as Shibra and also, so different from the usual spate of TV drama heroines. She isn’t laden with makeup or burdened with heavy jewelry and blingy clothes or stuck with melodramatic dialogues. For all of its faults, Ishq Murshid’s dialogues are entertaining and Dur-e-Fishan does great justice to her role.
Also, this drama comes at a good time during the actress’ career. She is also simultaneously being seen in ARY Digital’s Jaisay Aapki Marzi, where her character is currently bearing the abuse and pressures hurled at her by her husband and in-laws. From playing the subjugated young wife in one drama to the flippant heroine in the other, Dur-e-Fishan’s two disparate roles exemplify her versatility and her promising future as a popular drama heroine.
The supporting cast is a strong one. Noor ul Hassan is a pro at playing the honest father and Salma Hassan, at the traditional, doting mother. Omair Rana is yet to show his colors in a role that may end up being very grey and even villainous – one looks forward to it especially since he has quite a flair for playing Bilal Abbas’ evil father figure!
The one star of the drama, not visible to the camera but very much there, is director Farooq Rind. He intuitively adds shades to his characters, moves the story along and plugs in that dreamy soundtrack again and again. One hopes that the story doesn’t lose pace and begin dragging. One also hopes that Shahmeer’s stalker-like behavior isn’t highlighted to the point that it becomes too difficult to ignore.
So far, though, there Ishq Murshid has certain ingredients that work very well for it, slotting it as a TV rom-com and a sweet weekly watch.
What do you think?