“Mushk” continues to be a leader in terms of shows with quality content – and drama fans are certainly noticing this. The writing by Imran Ashraf and direction by Aehsun Talish come together to create a show with a different feel and depth to it. Starring Imran Ashraf, Momal Sheikh, Osama Tahir and Urwa Hocane in lead roles, ‘Mushk” follows the character of Mehek as she comes back to Pakistan from the UK and tries to adjust to life there again – all while trying to hide the truth about the young child with her. Last week, we were witness to Adam and Mehek planning their engagement as a ruse to allot Mehek more time to find Shayaan. This continues in episode 9.
Guddi (Urwa Hocane) may be a ruthless character, but she tends to serve as the eyes and ears of the audience. However, Guddi does not act or spring into action to defend the defenseless. Guddi is a woman who is self-serving and while she may be witnessing extreme situations, she is holding that information close to use at the right time. Zulekha (Zara Tareen) has become much more manipulative than viewers could have imagined as we see the doctor giving Zulekha’s husband (Hassan Ahmed) life-threatening injections, laughing as he tells him that he will be dead after five more injections. Zulekha and the doctor are clearly working together to end his life and, later, we see that the two are involved in a relationship of sorts. Guddi overhears this exchange and adds this to the list of things to use against Zulekha when she gets her ultimate revenge. Zulekha, after hearing about Adam, arranges Roshni’s engagement too and Guddi seems set to help Roshni escape with Saaqib (Raza Talish). But is Saqib really sincere about Roshni or will this escape end in misery for the innocent young girl?
Imran Ashraf continues to shine and win hearts as Adam. As sincere a character as Adam is, it becomes clear in this episode that he is this way because of his upbringing. His family is equally as kind and sincere, his mother and sister the spitting image of his kind demeanor. This family loves and cares for Adam and really, this episode is a testament to the fact that Adam has earned love and respect from every corner. The entire family is overjoyed at the thought of Adam and Mehek getting engaged. It’s both humorous and infuriating then to see Guddi reduce Adam’s respect to that of a “rental husband,” repeating these words over and over – but for what reason? Guddi appears to have a soft spot for Adam herself, but does not make a show of it in any obvious way. She does not spare him her harsh words, rather attempts to expose Mehek’s “chalaaki” (cunningness) by showing him the mirror as to how he’s being used by Mehek. Guddi’s words ring true though – Adam is deceiving his own loving family by covering for Mehek’s actions and is deceiving Mehek’s family as well. Is this behavior appropriate? Regardless of the intentions, why Is telling the truth not an option? But it’s difficult to be angry at Adam for his actions, as his heart is in the right place and he is such an endearing, lovable character.
Mehek (Momal Sheikh) is a character in herself. Guddi’s words about her are harsh, but the general viewer cannot help but marvel at how she has taken Mehek’s “pious” image and presented the ugly side to it. Mehek’s love for Shayaan may be as pure as can be. The two didn’t commit a crime by getting married. Their child is not an illegitimate child. This is all true. But Mehek is lying about her marriage and her child. She is lying about Guddi. She is lying about Adam. There is a lie coming from every corner and Mehek Is at the center of it. As a character, Mehek will have to do something soon to prove herself to be a “good” character, because as of right now, there’s just a world of selfish behavior coming from her end.
Shayaan (Osama Tahir) has problems of his own. As Sajjad’s (Sohail Sameer) dead body is discovered by Malik’s wife (Natasha Ali), she mourns the death of her true love, the man who was once so full of love and life and is now dead – because of his love for her. Knowing Shayaan is the only one who would care, she expresses her sorrow to Shayaan before anyone else is aware of the incident. He takes in the severity of this news and, when informed by Malik, he takes charge of the Janaazah, hoping to give Sajjad the respect in death that he did not receive in his life. This is a heavy burden for Shayaan, realizing the man he spent two years in jail with has now passed away, understanding that his companionship was keeping Sajjad alive. He also realizes the ruthlessness of Malik is much more severe than he could have ever imagined and one can imagine Shayaan is picturing himself in Sajjad’s place, realizing this could have been his outcome as well. Will Shayaan work with Malik’s wife to plot his escape? Will he ever be able to reunite with his wife and child?
http://thebrownidentity.com/2020/10/05/mushk-episode-8-adam-agrees-to-marry-mehak/
“Mushk” has several plots running parallel. For many shows, this would be an issue, giving each track equal screen time, but so far, “Mushk” is doing a great job balancing these scenes out in each episode. The performances are wonderful on this show, particularly those of Imran Ashraf, Urwa Hocane and Zara Tareen. Their characters make an impact each week, even when given only 1-2 scenes in an episode. While Sohail Sameer’s character meeting a tragic end is a disappointment, one can’t help but wonder how his death will propel the story forward now. One thing is for sure – “Mushk” keeps its viewers on their toes and is presenting the Pakistani drama audience with quality content that leaves the audience wanting more each week.
