The story line of “Ishq Murshid” has left us swooning over the romance for weeks. However, such is the storyline of this Pakistani drama that audiences have been waiting for this romance gravy train to come to an end and for the ball to drop at any moment. This week, that moment finally arrives. Starring Bilal Abbas Khan, Dur E Fishan Saleem, Omair Rana, Noor Ul Hassan, Salma Hassan and others, “Ishq Murshid” has been written by Abdul Khaliq Khan and directed by Farooq Rind.
Episode 22 of “Ishq Murshid” is excellent in terms of moving the story forward and the performances by its lead actors. Salman (Noor Ul Hassan) has not only removed “Fazal Baksh” from his home, he has also removed him from the office, no longer interested in allowing the young man to spend any time near him or his family. Salman’s about-turn feels oddly out of character, considering only episodes earlier, he was seen discussing the possibility of Fazal Baksh and Shibra’s relationship. His reasoning for being so opposed to Fazal Baksh liking Shibra does not really “fit.”
Regardless, Shahmir (Bilal Abbas Khan) decides it’s time to remove the façade of Fazal Baksh and tell Shibra (Durr E Fishan Saleem) the truth. Shibra, on her part, is true in her love, standing by the man she loves despite her father’s opposition. Unfortunately for Shibra and fortunately for us, Shahmir does not mince words and tells Shibra about his double-life in clear terms, making for a tense, emotionally charged scene. We have seen Shahmir’s love, we have seen Shahmir’s planning, his genuine romance with Shibra and the sweet moments he has shared, not only with Shibra, but with her family. The setup for “Ishq Murshid” is such that, after 22 episodes, these scenes truly hit hard. While we love Shibra and Shahmir together, anyone in Shibra’s place would feel utterly betrayed and furious as Shahmir’s lie is that big. He has been deceitful and, quite honestly, Shibra should wonder – does she even know the man she loves? Yet, there isn’t any doubt that we, as an audience, want Shibra and Shahmir to end up together. What will be interesting is seeing how the story unfolds from this point on. Will Shibra be able to move past Shahmir’s lies and reacquaint herself with his real persona?
Bilal Abbas Khan and Durr E Fishan Saleem are in their element this week, their performances outstanding. Their expressions, reactions and body language truly encompass everything Shibra and Shahmir are feeling internally. While Bilal Abbas Khan has the meatiest role in the show and shines week after week with his acting in what’s essentially a double role, Durr E Fishan’s time has arrived. Shibra’s entire world comes crashing down around her in this moment and Durr E Fishan aces it with her performance. A special shout-out must be given to Rabia Noreen as Nargis. The comedic moments between Nargis and Shahmir are absolutely hilarious and leave us wanting more scenes between Rabia Noreen and Bilal Abbas Khan. “Ishq Murshid” has a strong episode with episode 22, but this is the turning point. Will “Ishq Murshid,” despite the reveal, continue to be as endearing and lovable as it has been up until now? Or are we headed down a path of misery?