“Mushk” continues to go from strength to strength with great writing from Imran Ashraf. The show has been directed by Aehsun Talish and stars Imran Ashraf, Urwa Hocane, Momal Sheikh and Osama Tahir as the main leads. Episode 8 is an episode that’s very heavy on conversation and while there’s a lot of insight into characters given, several minutes could have easily been edited out to make the episode sharp without periods of drawn out conversations. “Mushk” is a show with multiple tracks, so let’s break episode 8 of “Mushk” down into discussion points, first beginning with Adam and Mehak’s relationship.
- Adam and Mehak
Dada Ji has now officially requested Adam to marry Mehak, using his age and desire to see Mehak married off as an excuse. While at any other time, Adam would have been over the moon with happiness, this is not the case at present. Perplexed, Adam takes Dada Ji’s leave and struggles internally with what is being asked of him. Adam approaches Mehak and asks her what he should do, considering she’s already married and with a child. Mehak asks Adam to send over the proposal to buy her some time and Adam agrees, a decision which makes both Dada Ji and Mehak happy. While Adam is a wonderfully sincere character who seems to prove his loyalty to Mehak again and again with each episode, Mehak is one that finds herself continuously topping a list titled “Selfish.” Mehak has been dishonest about her marriage and child to her own family, but is now dragging Adam and his family into her lies as well. While Mehak would get in trouble, why is honesty not a choice for her? Dada Ji is not speaking to her at this point anyway, so considering the truth has to come out eventually anyway, Mehak’s behavior is frustrating – and, quite honestly, it just makes her unlikable.
- Sajjad and Shayaan
This is by far the most disappointing moment in the episode. The track between Natasha Ali and Sohail Sameer came as an unexpected surprise in episode 6 and left viewers wanting more development on this particular story. Personally, I found myself hoping Sajjad’s years in confinement would come to an end and he would be able to extract revenge on Muqaddar Khan (Aehson Talish) somehow. Unfortunately, that’s the direct opposite of what has happened with Sajjad’s death. It’s evident through the episode that Sajjad is not well and in his neglected state, he becomes critical enough to pass away. This takes place too quickly and imparts a feeling of grief and hopelessness on the audience. It’s possible that Sajjad’s death and the torment he endured simply for loving a woman will become Natasha Ali’s character’s drive to help Shayaan escape. At this point, one can only hope Sajjad’s death serves a greater purpose and won’t render this character as forgettable. Sohail Sameer performed very well and hopefully viewers will be able to see more of him in flashbacks in upcoming episodes.
Shayaan (Osama Tahir) has been released from his confinement on the condition that he will marry Muqaddar Khan’s young, minor daughter. In order to escape, Shayaan agrees, but quickly realizes that escaping isn’t as simple as he thought it would be. His every movement is being watched and guarded. He sees Mehak in his dreams and struggles to find a way out of his current situation. Osama Tahir is going from strength to strength, showing a different side as a performer to the audience.
- Zulekha, Roshni and Guddi
While Zulekha (Zara Tareen) struggles to convince Roshni that Saqib (Raza Talish) has abandoned her, Guddi realizes that this is the perfect angle to use for her revenge. She is on to Zulekha’s lies and begins pointing Roshni in the right direction. Guddi speaks to Saqib on the phone and realizes he still has feelings for Roshni, making her goal to reunite the two lovers that much easier. All three actresses perform well in this episode, but as always, Urwa Hocane’s performance stands out. She has managed to bring out the many layers of Guddi, playing a balancing act between playing her as a deceptive character while still making her likable.
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- Closing Thoughts
Episode 8 doesn’t rank particularly high on the list of the best episodes for this show. While it does move the story along a bit, the episode is dedicated more towards development and laying down a foundation for upcoming episodes. The OST has been used beautifully in this episode as well. With Sajjad’s death, the preview shows Natasha Ali’s character discovering his body. How will she react and what actions will be prompted from his death? It also seems Mehak will have to answer Zulekha’s questions regarding Mehak’s closeness to “Guddi’s baby.” With Zulekha becoming suspicious, Mehak definitely needs to act fast to get her problems sorted out. Overall, “Mushk” continues to be a strong show, though some choices are not sitting well – specifically Sajjad’s death.
