“Dulhan” has gone into full force, speeding towards its finale. With the last episode airing next week, this latest episode is action-packed. Starring Sami Khan, Sumbal Iqbal, Faizan Khawaja and Mashal Khan in lead roles, “Dulhan” has been written by Adeel Razzaq and directed by Adeel Siddiqui. We have seen that Amal is now being protected by Mekaal, a man not only dealing with his guilty conscience over his mistreatment towards her, but also a man deeply in love with the woman he once refused to acknowledge as his wife. With Shahmeer now heavy on their trail, episode 26 brings the show closer to its conclusion.
Episode 26 has been well-written, not only delivering action-packed sequences, but also depicting realistic, logical reactions from all of the main characters. Mekaal (Sami Khan) heads back to Amal (Sumbal Iqbal) and doesn’t realize he’s being followed by Shahmeer (Faizan Khawaja). Arriving back at the apartment with flowers for his wife, Mekaal finds Shahmeer pushing his way into the room behind him and the two begin to argue. It’s admirable to see how Mekaal has rectified his attitude towards the situation, realizing he’s equally responsible and now finding his purpose in protecting his wife. The two men fight with Amal watching on in horror as Shahmeer not only hits Mekaal, but later pulls out a gun. As the two fight over the gun, it goes off, wounding Shahmeer in the process. Mekaal takes Amal from there as Shahmeer’s friend rushes him to the hospital. Once at home, Mekaal is not in denial and discusses the situation with his mother, realizing she will now be alone – as will Amal. He makes the two vow to protect each other as he bows his head, ready to serve his time for a crime he didn’t intend on committing. Sami Khan is simply wonderful in this episode, enacting these heavy scenes effortlessly, making it seem as though the actor is actually going through these emotions. Sami Khan proves with each show that he’s one of Pakistan’s most dependable yet underrated talents.
At the hospital, Shahmeer’s family waits for news of Shahmeer’s condition, furious at Mekaal for not only shooting Shahmeer, but betraying Annie (Mashal Khan) on this level. Fortunately, Shahmeer’s friend proves to be a somewhat stand-up guy in the end, not having any vested interest in covering up Shahmeer’s crimes. He speaks honestly to Shahmeer’s father (Sheheryar Zaidi) and fills in all the holes regarding Shahmeer and Mekaal’s bet all the way to the gun face-off. We saw it in the last episode and here, we see it yet again in Shahmeer’s parents – logical thought processes. Sheheryar Zaidi and Annie Zaidi both perform well in this scene. The duo are shocked not only at what Shahmeer and Mekaal have done – but they also realize that Amal has been the innocent in this entire situation. Unfortunately, Annie misses this discussion, still fueled by her hatred for Amal, continuing to be blind in her view that Amal is responsible for her life’s mess.
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Coming back to the realistic depictions in this episode, Kusum (Shaheen Khan) is one such example. Despite vowing to protect Amal, this situation simply isn’t that easy. Kusum may recognize that Amal is innocent, but she’s unable to completely accept Amal as, ultimately, she sees Amal as the person who has ripped her family apart. This is realistic. Likewise, Annie’s anger towards Amal is valid, as she sees Amal as an intruder in her marriage, a stranger who has come between Annie and Mekaal, childhood sweethearts and cousins. But, as Amal makes clear, tired of taking nonsense from this family, Amal was Mekaal’s first wife and Amal told the family the truth before Annie and Mekaal’s marriage. Therefore, in her eyes, Annie is the “characterless” one, a woman who married someone else’s husband. It’s these small scenes, these nuances and moments of depth that sets “Dulhan” apart. The show is a thriller, but it’s also an interesting examination of human emotions and behaviors. Episode 26 is a thoroughly entertaining one and now, with Mekaal in jail, the audience is left wondering how the show will wrap up. Will Amal forgive Mekaal and live a happy life? Or will Mekaal serve time, repenting not only for Shahmeer’s death, but also for the pain he inflicted on Amal? We will have to wait and see!