“Qayamat” is a show that rakes in high TRPs each week, but has essentially been piling on since its start – until now. With the lead character, Ifrah, now taking matters into her own hands, the stage has been set for the perfect revenge against brutality. Starring Ahsan Khan, Neelam Muneer, Amar Khan and Haroon Shahid in lead roles, “Qayamat” has been written by Sarwat Nazeer and directed by Ali Faizan.
In episode 25, Ifrah (Neelam Muneer) has left Rashid’s (Ahsan Khan) home with baby Sana, furious at Rashid after he slaps her. While Samra (Amar Khan) may have tolerated this behavior, Ifrah is unwilling to accept this. Unfortunately, as loving as Ifrah’s parents may be, they both take turns convincing Ifrah to return back to her husband and “change him” with her love and attention. One wouldn’t wish such parents on their worst enemies. While these parents seem kind and harmless on the surface, their mindset is horribly problematic and that was evident not only when they broke off Samra’s engagement of choice, but when they chose to marry Ifrah to the same man responsible for Samra’s death. On his part, Rashid (Ahsan Khan) is given an earful by his father (Shabbir Jan) for letting Ifrah go, particularly because the money he’s so egotistical about is no longer his – it belongs to Ifrah’s father. This knocks Rashid down a few pegs and he visits his aunt and uncle and brings Ifrah and Sana back home. All is not well though, as while Ifrah does fulfill her “duty” to Rashid as a wife, ironing his clothes and cooking for him, she’s simply not interested in forgiving him and accepting him in her life.
Quite honestly, as a viewer, I found myself hoping that Rashid would not change. One hoped that Rashid would continue being rude, would continue watching his raunchy item numbers, would continue visiting women outside the house and would continue scheming to hold on to his money. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews (repeatedly), the story of “Qayamat” is very much similar to that of “Bikhray Moti,” both starring Neelam Muneer. The difference in the two is that while “Bikhray Moti” was hard-hitting, issue-based and ranks as one of the best dramas of 2020, “Qayamat” is more melodramatic viewing sprinkled with some great scenes – courtesy Neelam Muneer and Ahsan Khan. Still, one had to find themselves wondering why Neelam Muneer essentially signed the same role twice – and found themselves hoping the outcome would be different from “Bikhray Moti,” which found Neelam’s character making peace with her situation and accepting her husband for the sake of the three children. This was acceptable with that show, because the character had three kids to think about, kids who genuinely needed her in their lives and were attached to their father as well. However, with “Qayamat,” things are beginning to head in the same direction. But is that necessary or justifiable? Rashid was abusive with Samra and has now turned abusive again, hitting Ifrah. And is it possible to come back from such an action? He’s not only a terrible husband, but also a terrible son-in-law, selfish and has many bad habits. Does Sana need such a father? Does Ifrah need to sacrifice her life in order to care for Sana? As Taaya mentioned, even the courts would take Ifrah’s side against Rashid, considering his behavior. So what would tie her down to him?
While there’s still hope the story will have a different ending, the previews for the next episode show Rashid changing his ways and growing soft-hearted towards Ifrah. As an audience, should we continue to support injustice in our shows and allow our shows to push this concept of “accept your situation and compromise” rather than encouraging our youth to escape toxic relationships? Of course, it’s Neelam Muneer and Ahsan Khan’s performances that carry this show. While Neelam Muneer excels in roles like this, playing the outspoken, brazen Ifrah with confidence, Ahsan Khan manages to take a cruel, abusive character and give him a comedic spin. Rashid may be a “bad” person, but that doesn’t mean his dialogues don’t leave the audience in splits. It’s the performances of these two actors that bring viewers back for more each week.
