“Neeli Zinda Hai” continues to keep viewers engaged with its horror theme. With six episodes, the writing and direction keep the audience on their toes, wondering what will happen next. Starring Mohib Mirza, Sonia Mishal, Urwa Hocane, Mohammad Ahmed, Kinza Malik and others, “Neeli Zinda Hai” manages to keep its horror quotient while also telling a realistic story. The drama has been directed by Qasim Ali Mureed and the story has been written by Adeel Razzaq.
In episode 6, Sumbal is seen having hallucinations, lashing out and losing her temper with Minal and locking herself in her room. Initially it strikes the viewer as odd, because Sumbal has always been loving and attentive towards Minal, especially because she’s been her only support over the years. But one thing quickly becomes apparent – Neeli (Urwa Hocane) is behind it all. Neeli’s intentions are fixated on getting Minal. She is kind-hearted when it comes to the child and is there to care for her, feed her and offer her company. But she’s also seen brainwashing Minal against her own parents, all while controlling Sumbal’s moods and frame of mind.
It’s due to Sumbal’s (Sonia Mishal) distressed state that Aman (Mohib Mirza) decides he needs to visit a psychiatrist to discuss his wife’s state and even brings back pills for her – which Sumbal does not appreciate. There’s an interesting discussion that takes place between the doctor and Aman where the two are seen discussing the South Asian talk of ghosts and spirits, something which is actually correlated to mental health. Sonia Mishal and Mohib Mirza share great chemistry and are giving sincere performances.
Meanwhile, Nageena (Jinaan Hussain) continues trying to “catch” Neeli. Neeli isn’t dim though and she reveals herself to Nageena, strangling her and lifting her off the ground that not only scares viewers, but also leaves Minal and Nageena terrified. Nageena’s reasons for being in the house are revealed. Nageena has a child that appears to be in the hospital, hanging between life and death, and Dilawar has agreed to cover the expenses if Nageena captures Neeli. This, of course, increases sympathy for Nageena and also sheds light as to why she’s so short-tempered with Minal – she has her own problems.
Of course, last but not least, Bano (Kinza Malik) continues trying to use taveez and visiting a “holy man” to break Aman and Sumbal’s marriage. However, Fahim (Mohammad Ahmed) is on to her and realizes what she is up to, threatening to expose her to Aman if she does not stop. While one automatically wonders why he doesn’t just expose her to Aman, it’s also understandable that Fahim doesn’t want to lower Bano’s image even further in his son’s eyes. Mohammad Ahmed is always an excellent performer and even with limited scenes here, he manages to steal the show.
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The big reveal in this episode is that Neeli was married and had a child of her own who she lost. A brief glimpse is shown of Neeli married to the man she loved (Osama Tahir), both happy on their wedding night – but it’s quickly revealed to be her imagination and we see that she was apparently forced to marry another man, one who appears to have been abusive. What happened to Neeli? While that will be revealed with time, Urwa Hocane is doing a brilliant job as Neeli, oozing mystery and a haunting, scary aura throughout each scene without the use of makeup or any horror cliches. It’s evident that Neeli will push Sumbal to the point of being considered unstable in an effort to “attain” Minal. So far, Neeli is a great watch, one to look forward to each week!