“Dulhan,” directed by Adeel Siddiqui and written by Adeel Raza, premiered last week and stars Sami Khan, Sumbul Iqbal and Faizan Khawaja in lead roles. Initial thoughts on the episode were mixed, though the show has been presented nicely and Sumbul Iqbal came off as likable. Questions were raised about Mekaal, Sami Khan’s character on the show, and whether he was a stand-up guy due to his stalker-like behavior. Episode two sheds light on Mekaal as a character and answers that question for viewers.
As episode 2 begins, Mekaal (Sami Khan) visits Amal (Sumbul Iqbal) at work and she confides in him as to why his proposal was rejected. Hearing that her father is on board with her marriage, he visits her father (played by Mohammad Ahmed) at work. It’s at this point that Mekaal begins coming across as a stand-up guy, a man who will take Amal away from her oppressive world. Mekaal and Amal’s father hatch a plan to secretly get the two married and Amal is happy with the decision, particularly with how Mekaal visits her at work and picks out the wedding dress she has always wanted. Their love story begins winning the viewer over – but how would a drama progress past episode two with only happiness and lack of drama? Enter Shahmeer.
Amal and Mekaal get married in secrecy with Amal’s father and best friend present at the wedding. However, after arriving “home” with Mekaal, Amal waits patiently for him in her room, but is shocked when Shahmeer (Faizan Khawaja) walks into the room. When she begins screaming for Mekaal, Shahmeer informs her that Mekaal is long gone and Amal realizes he’s the same man who was harassing her on the road. It’s revealed that Mekaal and Shahmeer placed a bet to see if Mekaal could “trap” Amal and if he managed to do so, he would get Shahmeer’s car. Amal is now married to a man who does not consider the marriage valid, has burned the Nikkah papers and has left her at the mercy of Shahmeer, a man with intense anger issues.
http://thebrownidentity.com/2020/09/29/dulhan-episode-1-sumbul-iqbal-and-sami-khan-stand-out-in-the-pilot-episode/
This twist is an unexpected one and certainly takes the storyline into a tricky arena that could become controversial, depending on how it’s handled. The storyline almost reminds one of “Do Qadam Door Thay” with Sami Khan and Ayeza Khan, except much more intense and deceptive. The writer has certainly played up the shock factor and has reeled in several on-the-fence viewers who weren’t sure if this was a show to proceed with. The performances are decent so far, the best coming from Sumbul Iqbal and Mohammad Ahmed. With Mashal Khan making her entry next week as Mekaal’s girlfriend/fiancé, the drama quotient will only increase.