In terms of big-budget television shows, “Khuda Aur Mohabbat” has been a magnum opus for the Pakistani small screen. With a star-studded cast, grand sets, lavish costumes and a beautiful OST, “Khuda Aur Mohabbat” has lured audiences in, not only in Pakistan, but also in its surrounding countries. Starring Iqra Aziz, Feroze Khan, Junaid Khan, Hina Bayat, Usman Peerzada, Sunita Marshall, Rubina Ashraf and many others, “Khuda Aur Mohabbat” (3) has been written by Hashim Nadeem Khan and directed by Syed Wajahat Hussain. In the latest bulk of episodes though, has the show managed to lose its spark? Let’s discuss.
Episode 21 focuses on a few things, the first being Mahi’s (Iqra Aziz) continued stay in her new home, a home where she is not welcome by her mother-in-law (Hina Bayat). One can’t blame Taimoor’s mother for her hatred towards Mahi and yet, none of this is actually Mahi’s fault. It’s nice to see Sikandar (Junaid Jamshed) warming up to Mahi, appreciating her for how she interacts with his children and carries herself despite her grief. If anything, the Sikandar and Mahi scenes have quickly become the highlight of “Khuda Aur Mohabbat” at present, their subtle chemistry winning viewers over. Will Sikandar and Mahi actually be a story arc to come or will Sikandar’s loyalty towards Romana (Tooba Siddiqui) be the stronger bond?
Romana herself continues to pray for her union with Sikandar, hoping for this dream to become a reality, despite realizing how different their worlds are. This is how she meets Farhad (Feroze Khan), drawn in by his “aura,” believing he has the power to grant her wishes. This storyline is bizarre, quite frankly. Noor Ul Hassan’s dialogues as this spiritual man are nonsensical in nature and don’t actually hold any relevance to religion whatsoever. Couldn’t the team have dug deeper and found some nice scripture for him to recite or quote instead of these vague stories? Romana’s attraction to Farhad is simply beyond comprehension. Farhad hasn’t done anything to earn this “respect” from Romana other than look sullen and miserable, Romana stating that his pain is so deep, she believes his prayers would be answered. Feroze Khan is the star of “Khuda Aur Mohabbat” and won viewers over immediately, but this current track just isn’t “gelling.”
Last but not least, there’s a beautiful scene between Farhad’s father (Waseem Abbas) and Sajjad, Farhad’s brother, where the two hash it out regarding finances. It’s beautiful to see Farhad’s father express the importance of Sajjad’s education and his desire to see him in a higher position, begging him not to leave his education behind. This is the dream of many fathers, to see their children succeed in life, to do better for themselves than their fathers did. Both actors are wonderful in this scene – and quite honestly, it’s these sequences that make the audience more angry at Farhad for what he is doing to his own family for a girl who was never even interested in him. His mother has fallen in, his family grieving and all because Farhad couldn’t come back to reality after being rejected? This is upsetting.
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Overall, “Khuda Aur Mohabbat” continues to be an interesting watch, but the pace needs to pick up soon. The story has been fairly stagnant since Taimoor’s death and there has been little movement. The stars of the show at present are Iqra Aziz, who is wonderful as she depicts Mahi’s journey as a young widow, and Junaid Khan as Sikandar. Moving forward, it’s still not clear whether Farhad’s “curse” will ever become a thinking point for him, something for him to repent on – if anything, there’s an odd moment where Farhad “grants” Romana’s wish, her wish being to become a part of Sikandar’s life. Is this alluding to yet another wrench in Mahi’s future? And if so, is it Farhad’s prayers that will be “credited” for it? This isn’t a comforting thought.
