Some actors truly make the viewer sit up and take notice. Whether it’s an action-packed scene or a more quiet, still one full of silent electricity, it’s the mark of a good actor to have the ability to keep the eyes of the audience glued to the screen. Khushhal Khan has this ability and is proving with each show that he is a Pakistani superstar in the making. It would not be a stretch to call “Wehshi” a showcase for Khushhal Khan’s acting abilities, as he has the most complicated, complex role. Though if we’re honest, each character in “Wehshi” has several layers and they are all complicated, three-dimensional characters. The writing in “Wehshi” is not flat and that’s what makes this show work. “Wehshi” stars Khushhal Khan, Komal Meer, Nadia Khan, Babar Ali and others in central roles while the screenplay has been written by Shumaila Zaidi and directed by Iqbal Hussain.
In episode 25, the full focus is on Asif’s (Khushhal Khan) heartbreak. Sobia (Komal Meer) and Aamir are getting married, their Nikkah set to take place. Muneera (Nadia Khan) is miserable, caught between her two sons and unable to understand how to avert disaster. Unfortunately, on the day of the Nikkah, Asif shows up at the very moment the vows are being exchanged. What follows is a heartbreaking confrontation between Asif and Muneera where Asif lays it all out, making it clear that Muneera has never put his interests before Aamir or Majid’s (Babar Ali). Asif has always come last and he is heartbroken that, knowing Sobia is the one thing he has wanted the most in life, Muneera still failed to safeguard her for him. In her own place, Muneera grovels, explaining her side and how she has always just tried to keep Asif safe under the same roof as her so he could have access to a good life. Their viewpoints are right in their own way. Truly what this boils down to is the importance of female independence and strength. Had Muneera had her own finances and her own confidence to stand up to Majid, Asif never would have been in this position – and Muneera never would have had to treat him this way to guarantee his safety.
These moments are the strength of episode 25, though there is a scene between Sobia and Asif, but this scene only highlights Sobia’s callousness as she warns Asif to stay away from her. But is she really as ruthless and heartless as she currently seems? There’s an agony in Sobia’s eyes after Asif leaves and she is, once again, left confused and hurt. With Asif away, it was “out of sight, out of mind,” but now with his return, are her feelings, once again, staring her in the face? Has she done something truly terrible by marrying Aamir? Will her selfishness and dreams of attaining the “best” come back to destroy her?
Honestly, while Khushhal Khan is the life and backbone of “Wehshi,” credit must be given to the other actors as well. Komal Meer is just wonderful as Sobia. Despite everything Sobia is doing, can we really despise her? She seems fairly broken as well on the inside and we can see that through Komal Meer’s great performance. Nadia Khan as Muneera is excellent! She’s not a weak woman, but her position in her own life is very weak and her desperation is brilliantly portrayed by Nadia Khan. Babar Ali is the perfect “real life” villain. This isn’t a demon man, a larger-than-life villain. This is that real life man who destroys childhoods and self confidence with his ruthless, selfish, narcissistic behavior. Between “Wehem” and “Wehshi,” Babar Ali is really getting the chance to show off his acting chops. Overall, “Wehshi” is another show to be applauded, a show that really highlights psychological abuse and depicts how neglect can create lifelong illness.
