To call “Bikhray Moti” a heavy show would be an understatement. The show deals with several intense, serious topics that are a grim reality in our society. Starring Neelam Muneer, Yasir Nawaz, Wahaj Ali, Samina Ahmed and two immensely talented child actors, the show has been written by Edison Idrees and directed by Shahid Shafaat. Up until now, there has been little relief from any angle, only beginning to lighten up in the past couple of episodes courtesy Samina Ahmed and Faiza Gillani’s track. With this episode, viewers are finally able to see the trickle of light at the end of the tunnel – and it’s beautiful.
As the episode begins, Shehzaadi is seen jumping from the window to escape Malik (Saleem Mairaj) and his goons. Fortunately, he does not see her, but unfortunately, Shehzaadi hits her head badly and winds up in the hospital. Zulfi (Yasir Nawaz) has finally stepped up as a father figure and is pulling his life together – and changing is attitude towards his children. Realizing how his kids depend on him, he has started to transform into a loving, protective father. Shehzaadi’s troubles seem to come to an end in this episode as she receives a divorce from Malik and Malik is arrested for marrying an underage child. A particularly root-worthy moment here is when Malik’s own wife (Farida Shabbir) encourages the police to take him, standing up to Malik herself and making it clear that she is no longer scared of him, realizing that she must protect her own daughter. Malik’s wife has been a gem of a character and she is one that manages to make a strong impact in a small role. Farida Shabbir deserves a round of applause. While Saleem Mairaj has done well as Malik, he wasn’t actually given much scope to perform.
Jaanu is a character that viewers have been rooting for since the beginning, played by Anas Yasin, a very talented child actor. In this episode, Jaanu is seen confiding in Zulfi regarding the treatment he received at the hands of his Taaya. Zulfi, in a very strong moment, declares that Jaanu no longer needs to call Tufail (Rashid Farooqi) his Taaya as he is no one to him or Jaanu. Children need to be loved and protected and in this moment, Zulfi proves that he now truly has Jaanu’s best interests at heart and will defend him from anyone that threatens his well-being. Yasir Nawaz is brilliant in this scene, pulling at the heartstrings and bringing the viewer to tears during this father-son moment.
Shamsa (Samina Ahmed) and Suggo (Faiza Gilani) are unable to get along and this comes to a head when Shamsa demands Tufail throw Suggo out. Suggo knows how to manipulate things to her advantage well, so she manages to spin the entire situation around and Tufail asks Shamsa to return back to Zulfi’s house. As he loads her back onto the bus, Shamsa has visibly given up and is in a state of defeat – one that has tragic consequences when Shamsa is found dead on the bus. It’s hard to feel sorry for a character like Shamsa, considering everything she has done to Zulfi’s entire household. An entirely negative character, one can’t help feel this is her karma, while also feeling sad for a mother that has been abandoned by her children.
Finally, Gulzar (Waseem Abbas) and Shehnaz (Shaista Jabeen) come face to face again when Gulzar realizes the weight of his mistakes. Downtrodden and sad, he heads to Hyderabad to get his wife back. In a surprisingly different scene, Shehnaz makes it clear that while she wishes Gulzar well, she no longer wishes to live with him as his wife. Gulzar is shocked and lands on Ayeza’s (Neelam Muneer) doorstep, unsure of what to do. Ayeza, despite it all, is tearful over her father’s heartbreak, but at the same time, it’s refreshing to see that no one blames Shehnaz for her decision – not even Gulzar. These are characters that have been through life’s hardships now and have grown a lot since the beginning of the show. Waseem Abbas does a fabulous job in this episode!
http://thebrownidentity.com/2020/10/14/bikhray-moti-episode-21-jaanu-and-shehzaadi-suffer-from-emotional-trauma/
Overall, “Bikhray Moti” is a show that has been progressively miserable, without a doubt. But this is a show that one could also classify as essential viewing and, quite honestly, it’s a show that deserves much more attention than it has been receiving. It’s clear that the show is now nearing its conclusion and one is left wondering if Ahad (Wahaj Ali) will ever figure into Ayeza’s life? Or will Ayeza, like so many in the past, be forced to compromise with her life, put her past with Ahad to rest and move on in life?
