“Ishqiya” is one of those shows that keeps bringing the viewer back for more. With a great cast including Feroze Khan, Hania Amir, Gohar Rasheed, Ramsha Khan and Shabbir Jan, this is a show that has kept viewers on their toes. However, in the past few weeks, the show had become repetitive and sluggish in content as Hamza continued to harass Hamna each week without any real movement. Fortunately, episode 20 is not only an eventful one, but it also pushes the narrative forward.
(Read Sophia Qureshi’s review of Dil Ruba here.)
Two major events take place in episode 20 of “Ishqiya.” First, Rumi (Hania Amir) and Hamza (Feroze Khan) discover that Siddiqui Sahab (Shabbir Jan) has been hospitalized. Rumi is furious when she realizes she has been lied to and her father has been keeping the severity of his illness from his daughters. She lashes out at her mother while Hamza consoles her – but viewers can see a break in Rumi at his point. Rumi has always been strong for her family, she has always been somewhat of a bully in a loving way, always wanting to take care of her family. Rumi and her father were a pair, a father-daughter duo that shared a strong bond and the thought of losing her father has left Rumi broken and angry. In her grief, it’s nice to see how Hamza is supporting her and consoling her. But like always, just as viewers get comfortable believing that Hamza has fallen for Rumi and will now leave Hamna alone, Hamza crosses his path and Hamza, once again, shows that his desire for revenge is still thriving.
The second event in Ishqiya to take place is that Hamna (Ramsha Khan) finally comes clean to Azeem (Gohar Rasheed). This is a big moment, one we’ve been waiting for since almost the start of the show – and it was worth the wait. Hamna has been timid, quiet and annoyingly silent on her troubles and while it was clear that honesty was her only way out, Hamna stretched the issue out to a point where it was detrimental to her marriage. Realizing this, Hamna confesses to Azeem that her past has been what held her back – the past being Hamza. A look of shock crosses over Azeem’s face, replaced by anger as the severity of the situation settles in. Azeem is angry and tells Hamna that by lying, she has not only committed a sin, but has also made him a part of it. Azeem is not aware that Hamza has been blackmailing Hamna, but the details aside, he now understands the dire situation Hamna’s actions have gotten the four of them in.
Azeem’s reaction is what makes him so likeable as a character in Ishqiya He does not threaten physical violence or hurl verbal abuses. He simply tells Hamna how badly she has disappointed him and then leaves the room, choosing to spend time alone to think over the situation. Later, when he finds out Siddiqui Sahab is in the hospital, he takes Hamna there to see him without wasting a moment. When they arrive, Hamza approaches Hamna before Azeem steps in and takes Hamna away. Hamza immediately realizes something is amiss by Azeem’s usually kind, friendly behaviour replaced with cold, angry looks.
(Watch the episode here.)
While Ramsha Khan and Feroze Khan perform well in this episode of Ishqiya, Hania Amir and Gohar Rasheed are the stars this week. Hania Amir does a great job with the emotional scenes, depicting the pain and grief of a daughter in shock with sincerity. Gohar Rasheed simply steals the show as Azeem, playing a role that’s strong and lovable at the same time. Azeem is a good man, but he has also been betrayed and that conflict is displayed in Gohar Rasheed’s performance. With Siddiqui Sahab’s demise, Hamza and Azeem’s face-off is set to intensify and it’s clear that Azeem will step up and protect Hamna and Rumi. This was a strong episode.