“Dulhan” continues to pull in viewers with its unique storyline. Starring Sami Khan, Sumbal Iqbal, Faizan Khawaja and Mashal Khan in lead roles, the story has been written by Adeel Razzaq and directed by Adeel Siddiqui. Focusing on the character of Amal, played by Sumbal Iqbal, the story followers her relationship with two men and how these two men have worked together to leave her life in shambles.
Episode 6 takes strides forward in a few different ways. First, Amal (Sumbul Iqbal) is seen taking precautions against running into Shahmeer (Faizan Khawaja) again while her friend helps her through her trauma. It has to be said that the actress playing her friend’s mother has become notorious with highly negative roles, so as soon as she appears on-screen, it is already evident that she will cause trouble for Amal – but how? Amal ends up running into Shahmeer on a dark road on her way home and the man is adamant to have his way with her out of “zidd,” but suddenly, Mekaal (Sami Khan) comes to her rescue and fights Shahmeer until she can make her escape.
It would have been nice to see some guilt on Mekaal’s part immediately after the marriage abandonment. Instead, we simply saw him laughing and behaving as if nothing happened – except when confronted by Shahmeer, during which time the two were seen arguing over ownership of the car. These two men have had more emotions attached to the car rather than toward Amal. This is why the angle with Mekaal suddenly jumping in to save and defend Amal against Shahmeer comes across as almost unbelievable. While it’s nice to see that Amal has a defender against Shahmeer in Mekaal, one cannot forget that Mekaal was an equal partner in a very disgusting plan, one in which he took so far as to marry Amal and then leave her at the mercy of Shahmeer, a man who had very much evil intentions (and was not her husband). Amal’s father’s death also happened as a result of Mekaal and Shahmeer’s actions. Is it possible then for Mekaal to suddenly turn hero? Would it be logical or digestible? That remains to be seen, but the way Mekaal’s empathy has suddenly awoken out of nowhere has not been handled well and one wishes it had been seen earlier.
The clash between Shahmeer and Mekaal has reached a height where their families now have to interfere, particularly when Shahmeer tells Annie (Mashal Khan) that she cannot marry Mekaal. The families sit the two boys together to get to the bottom of things, but Shahmeer arrives with a plan already in place. He tells his father that Mekaal has promised another girl that he will marry her. When Mekaal calls her to prove his innocence, she backs up Shahmeer’s story and Mekaal is shocked when the family turns against him, believing that he’s been playing a game with their daughter. Of course, Mekaal has been playing a game, but Shahmeer has been an equal participant – and the game is entirely different.
http://thebrownidentity.com/2020/10/27/dulhan-episode-5-sumbul-iqbals-amal-faces-a-dilemma-as-she-comes-face-to-face-with-both-shahmeer/
It’s interesting when the two heroes of a show are both negative characters. Neither one of these men is worthy of Amal nor is either man sincere about her. While Shahmeer is obsessed with the idea of “getting” her (but definitely not in a respectful way), Amal is married to Mekaal – but he burned the Nikkah papers to destroy the evidence. Both men are wayward in their own ways, but it does seem that the writing is pushing Mekaal’s character towards a potential redemption arc. The leads of the show are all doing a fabulous job with Faizan Khawaja playing a negative character to perfection as Sami Khan straddles the line as Mekaal with his boyish charm and deceptive intentions. Sumbal Iqbal is perfect in her role and while Amal is too defenseless, it’s not unbelievable considering her lack of support – and it’s also great to see the attitude Amal holds towards Mekaal, not allowing herself to see the good in him after his behavior. Mashal Khan is also a natural, but what part will she play moving forward? Overall, “Dulhan” is a captivating thriller that keeps the viewer wondering what will happen next.
