“Mohabbat Tujhe Alvida,” an emotionally charged love triangle, comes to an end this week. This is a show that came with huge expectations, particularly due to the repeat casting of Zahid Ahmed and Sonya Hussyn as lovebirds Shahaan and Ulfat. Completing the trio is Mansha Pasha as Shahaan’s second wife, Shafaq. Written by Abdul Khaliq Khan, the drama has been directed by Barkat Siddiqui. This show has been a whirlwind of emotions for viewers due to the sometimes lovable, sometimes detestable characters. Sonya Hussyn’s Ulfat has been the star of the show, but has often been a character that one hates in one moment and then cries for in the next. The finale winds things up in a similar manner, leaving the viewer smiling during some scenes, but feeling irritated by others.
Ulfat (Sonya Hussyn) now realizes that she is dying and, in an effort to leave her loved ones without pain, she attempts to turn them all against her so that they are left without remorse after she’s gone. She not only turns her son away from her by being a “bad mother,” she also takes Shahaan to court for their son’s custody – and loses on purpose, wanting Shahaan to hate her simply for the act. Through all of this, Shafaq (Mansha Pasha) stands by Shahaan’s side, having been forgiven after forcibly staying in the house and asking feebly for forgiveness. We will come back to this later.
Of course, these lies can’t remain hidden and so it doesn’t take much time for Shahaan to realize Ulfat is sick, rushing to the hospital to see her. Despite all their issues, he now realizes the past several months have been a result of Ulfat’s illness as she pushed them all away. This does lead to a few beautiful sequences between the once besotted-in-love couple as he remains her support and she relies on him in her final days. The episode comes to an end with Ulfat passing away during a romantic moment with Shahaan.
The finale is sad. There’s no other way to say it. But it’s possible that the sad ending was necessary as there was really no concrete “right” way to end the show. “Ulfat and Shahaan’s love will live on through her death” seems to be the thought process here and it’s effective to some point, but after everything this couple has been through, why couldn’t they just be happy together with their son? Ultimately, Shafaq ends up with everything and Ulfat ends up with nothing – not even her life. Why is it that the woman who broke up a happy home due to her own selfish desires ended up with the happy ending? Is this really justice? Considering what Shafaq did, how did Shahaan forgive her so easily? Yes, Ulfat destroyed her own life, but her weaknesses were preyed upon by Shafaq, a woman who knew how to get her way. What the show essentially did at the end is punish the victim and reward the villain. Zahid Ahmed and Sonya Hussyn’s performance are the winners of the show, sharing fabulous chemistry as Shahaan and Ulfat, lighting up the screen together. One can only hope this pairing is utilized again in the near future in a show that’s worthy of their talent. “Mohabbat Tujhe Alvida” is a show that was, overall, a disappointment, but did manage to deliver some beautiful sequences, a great OST by Sahir Ali Bagga and some strong performances from Sonya Hussyn and Zahid Ahmed.
