“Mushk” stars Urwa Hocane, Imran Ashraf, Momal Sheikh, Osama Tahir and Zara Tareen in lead roles. Written by Imran Ashraf and directed by Aehsun Talish, both who also star in the drama, “Mushk” tells a layered story with different tracks running parallel. At present, Mehek, Guddi and Adam are on their way to reunite Mehek with Shayaan.
Mehek (Momal Sheikh), Guddi (Urwa Hocane) and Adam (Imran Ashraf) continue on their way to meet Shayaan (Osama Tahir) in near-silence as all three are burdened by their own thoughts – Guddi morose over the heartbreak she faced at the hands of her family, Mehek anxious at the prospect of meeting Shayaan and his reaction and Adam troubled not only by the thought of losing Mehek, but also by what he witnessed between Guddi and her family. When they finally arrive, Mehek is overjoyed at the idea of being reunited with her husband, but both she and Guddi are left shocked when they witness Shayaan’s Nikkah taking place. There are some sequences that are unbelievably frustrating, even though you understand why they happen that way. The sequence where Adam and Guddi stop themselves from confronting Shayaan is mind-boggling, because Guddi is not the type to stay quiet – or follow Mehek’s orders. Mehek is an educated, (once) confident woman who is not only a wife, but a mother. She is also a mother who has been forced to play stranger to her own child, so to see her walk away from Shayaan quietly instead of confronting him after all this time….it’s simply unpalatable. Will she play stranger to her son forever? Why wouldn’t she fight for the right of her son to be acknowledged by his father? Mehek has been a frustrating character from day one and what makes it even more frustrating is that both Adam and Guddi choose to remain quiet as well, simply because Mehek asks them to. The trio begin their long journey back home, more troubled than they were on the way. Momal Sheikh, Imran Ashraf and Urwa Hocane all make an impact particularly through their silence, the stress and tension in the air palpable even to the viewer.
And yet, one would suppose all of this is necessary in order for viewers to get a realistic view of Shayaan’s marriage to his little child cousin. As hard as it is to watch, this is the reality of the situation. It’s also interesting to see Muqaddar Khan (Aehsun Talish) seem downtrodden and heavy-hearted after the Nikkah. He has been in full villain-form from the get-go, so it’s certainly a nice change of pace to see Muqaddar Khan’s thought process and why he wants a particular (secure) kind of future for his daughter. On the flip side, his daughter is now a young bride, too young to be married, and unsure of how to behave or even sleep without her mother or father present. It’s so difficult to watch this scene between this young child bride and Shayaan, who has a soft spot for his cousin (as a sister), but is absolutely repulsed when she asks him to hold her hand, in innocence, so she can fall asleep. “Mushk” is painting a strong picture of how such traditions exist and continue despite modern society moving on.
Zulekha (Zara Tareen) has been showing her soft side with her daughter, comforting Roshni through her pain. This makes viewers feel sorry for what’s to come as her husband (Hassan Ahmed) is seen gaining his strength, ready to begin his revenge on Zulekha. Whatever Zulekha has become, it has been a result of her husband’s abusive, disrespectful behavior and now he is back to extract his revenge on his once-victim.
Mushk Episode 18: Urwa Hocane Excels As A Glimpse Of Guddi’s Past Is Revealed
Overall, this episode leaves an impact with Shayaan’s story and the conversations between Guddi and Adam. Osama Tahir, Urwa Hocane and Imran Ashraf all perform very well. One simply wishes Mehek, as a character, would develop a backbone and behave like someone who has lived abroad for a long period of time. She is completely lacking any trace of independent thinking and logical reasoning. She is all complaints and no action. Still, now with Mehek back home with the idea that Shayaan has betrayed her, will this open another window for Adam? Or will Adam begin to open his eyes towards Guddi?