At present, “Bandhay Ek Dour Se” has become “The Roshni Show.” The entire show runs on her manipulations and the other two lead characters, Umar (Ahsan Khan) and Maheen (Ushna Shah), are her puppets. Starring Ahsan Khan, Ushna Shah and Hina Altaf in leading roles, along with a great ensemble cast, “Bandhay Ek Dour Se” has been written by Faiza Iftikhar and directed by Ali Faizan.
It would have been great to see more bonding between Umar and Maheen, guiding Umar to realize Maheen was simply the better choice for him and a better fit for his family on his own. Instead, Umar is not only neglecting his wife, he’s resorted to mistreating her and verbally berating her over petty issues. What exactly is Umar showing Maheen attitude for? She did not ask for Umar to marry her and while Umar was under family pressure, he had a voice to say no. Did he choose to do so? No, therefore the blame for his actions falls directly on his own shoulders. He wanted to become the “savior,” particularly after hearing Zakiya’s (Saba Hameed) words for him – so what is his plan now? To carry on an affair with Roshni for the rest of his life and drown that image? It simply doesn’t make sense.
In episode 20, Umar confides in Mansoor (Kamran Jilani) that it would be ideal if Roshni would step away and move on with her life so he could be at peace. Maheen also secretly wishes Roshni would back away and let the two live their lives. But both Maheen and Umar are proving to be incredibly naïve and, sorry to say, very dim. Roshni begins pitting the two against each other by “giving up her position.” What position? She’s the “other woman” at this point and yet, these two bow down to her because she “sacrificed” her love. Once Roshni walks away, Umar begins his misery act again and Maheen, after speaking to Roshni, is overcome with anger, frustration and guilt. This is the entire premise of episode 20 and to say it’s frustrating is an understatement.
Roshni has become a highly unlikable character. While initially it seemed mildly easy to sympathize with her on a level, that time has long since passed. While Roshni has always been selfish, fickle and manipulative, one simply assumed it was due to wanting better circumstances for herself. How many of us don’t know an individual who is always on the search for the “best option”? Roshni came across as that sort of character, one who wanted the best available option for herself. But that’s no longer what Roshni is about. Roshni has become conniving, deceitful, manipulative and downright immoral in her behavior. Maheen and Umar’s marriage came at a time when she herself had broken up with Umar, so her behavior is highly deceitful. And what does she think she will get out of this relationship? She will not find acceptance in a family that belongs to Maheen. The irritation with Roshni would be more bearable if Umar and Maheen were more intelligent characters, but with their brainless reactions and seeing how easily they are manipulated by Roshni, the entire situation feels unpalatable.
http://thebrownidentity.com/2020/09/19/bandhay-ek-dour-se-episodes-15-16/
Kamran Jilani and Madiha Rizvi are the real stars of this episode, along with Noor ul Hassan and Saba Faisal. The storyline following Mansoor and Nazia’s inability to have children and Mansoor’s struggle with potential infertility is presented well. There’s a moment where Mansoor voices doubt to Nazia and asks if she will stay with him if his tests are not good. Feeling the weight of the moment and the mindset in which this step is pushing her husband, Nazia breaks down and asks Mansoor to go home, torn between her desire for children and her love for her husband. As stated each week, the real beauty of “Bandhay Ek Dour Se” lies in the ensemble cast and the family relations rather than the irritating, illogical “love” story. At this point, one can only hope Maheen and Umar begin realizing their relationship has potential, which may salvage the love story. But with Maheen giving up her space and going home next week, will that be possible?
