“Raqs E Bismil” is the sort of love story one looks forward to watching. This love story is not only intense, but is also meaningful with well-layered characters going through a solid story arc. Starring Imran Ashraf and Sarah Khan as the lovebirds, this duo is supported by brilliant actors like Saleem Mairaj, Furqan Qureshi, Anoushay Abbasi, Momin Saqib, Mehmood Aslam, Nida Mumtaz and many others. Written by Hashim Nadeem and directed by Wajahat Rauf, “Raqs E Bismil” focuses on unattainable love.
Sheheryar is now desperate to rid himself of Zohra (Sarah Khan), realizing that if he doesn’t divorce her, he will lose his own family along with all his inheritance. Unfortunately, he has also written a hefty amount in Zohra’s Haq Meher, something he’s not willing to pay. And so, he conspires with Tauqeer in a plan that ultimately backfires on both men. In episode 18, the greatest event to take place is Tauqeer’s attack on his wife, Laila (Zara Sheikh). Tauqeer grows overconfident in Musa’s (Imran Ashraf) absence and decide to strike while the iron is hot, hiring an assassin to shoot Laila in her bedroom while he’s out at a dinner. Unfortunately, Musa and Murad (Saleem Mairaj) pick up on the plot beforehand and Musa races over, reaching just in time to disarm the attacker. Musa’s arrival foils more than only one plan. Musa’s absence was exactly what Tauqeer and Sheheryar (Furqan Qureshi) were relying on, ultimately pinning Laila’s death on Musa and having him sent to jail, not only covering up Tauqeer’s crimes, but also avenging Sheheryar’s own personal vendetta against Musa. Sheheryar’s desire was to divorce Zohra on the grounds of adultery, hoping to accuse her of having an affair with Musa – and then have him in jail for Laila’s murder, so he would be unable to testify in Zohra’s favor. However, with their plan gone awry and Tauqeer now in jail for Laila’s murder, Sheheryar is, once again, in a sticky situation.
Fortunately for Musa, he has a loyal supporter in the form of Laila. She’s not only thankful to him for protecting her and saving her life, but she also simply has the utmost respect for him as a human being. And now that Laila is armed with the knowledge of Musa’s love story with Zohra, she wants to do what’s best for this duo, calling Sheheryar to release Zohra from his marriage for a hefty sum. However, will Sheheryar take the offer, considering his desire for control?
The beautiful part of “Raqs E Bismil” is that the central story – the love story – is one that is more spiritual than anything else. Imran Ashraf and Sarah Khan do not share screen space very often, which makes their longing and separation only more realistic and natural. This is a duo that not only loves each other, but also has an incredible amount of respect for one another and both actors do a wonderful job conveying this. An interesting reveal in this episode is on the end of Isa (Momin Saqib), who finally discovers who Musa’s “mystery woman” is – Isa’s own wife, Sakina. How will this affect Isa and Sakina’s relationship, a relationship that has finally begun to grow stronger? Honestly, the Isa and Sakina relationship deserves more attention. One would happily take more of them over Sheheryar and Tauqeer scenes, which we’ve had to suffer through. Still, one can’t complain much, as Sheheryar and Tauqeer’s scenes do serve a purpose. Sarah Khan is absent in this episode, the episode relying heavily on the performances of Imran Ashraf and Zara Sheikh, both of which deliver and perform exceptionally well. Imran Ashraf is the star of the show and he has taken a role and brought it to life with his performance. Would any viewer have expected to feel this deeply for Musa after his terrorizing first appearance at the beginning of the show? And yet, here we are, waiting with baited breath for Musa and Zohra to be reunited.