Wajahat Rauf’s drama makes you want to be a better man!
OMAIR ALAVI PUBLISHED 26 JUN, 2021 07:32PM
It seems Shazia Wajahat and MD Production’s Raqs-e-Bismil is moving towards a befitting conclusion; the story is moving in the right direction thanks to the writer-director combo. Director Wajahat Rauf presented whatever Hashim Nadeem wrote and had there not been a synergy between them, things would have gone awry. Since the drama is promoting love, most of the audience is gripped to their seats and wants a happy ending for the lead couple. But the father of the leading man seems to have other ideas, which might bring the two characters face to face, again!
The Story – Zohra is closer to Moosa than ever!
Zohra aka Zari (Sarah Khan) is completing her iddat at Moosa’s place while Moosa (Imran Ashraf) is searching the whole city for her. He gets to meet his ex-fiancée Sitara (Faria Hasan) in a hospital, who asks him to return home, but he refuses, without disclosing the reason. He leaves Madam Laila’s employment after he finds out that she agreed to pay Malik Sheheryar (Furqan Qureshi) for Zohra’s freedom, but keeps her in the loop. Laila (Zara Sheikh) however visits her husband in prison, reveals his plan and its failure to him, and tells him that she would be setting him free by divorcing him.
In the meantime, Sakina (Anoushay Abbasi) befriends Zohra whom she knows as Zari, without her realizing that she might be the reason why Moosa was cast away. One day, after watching Zohra praying from afar and finding out that she takes classes from Peerni (Nida Mumtaz), Peer sahib (Mehmood Aslam) is impressed with her simplicity and decides to get her married to Ahmed (Umer Alam), the young man who reminds him of Moosa. That’s before Sakina overhears Zohra talking to Anna (Gul e Rana) on the phone while referring to herself as Zohra, instead of Zari.
The Good – Imran Ashraf, Sarah Khan lead a perfect cast
Imran Ashraf and Sarah Khan look like a match made in heaven in Raqs e Bismil, and carry their tracks like a pro; he, as a lover who leaves his love because she asked him to, and she as the beloved who is now in his house due to fate. Every time either of them makes an appearance on the screen, you want him or her to meet the other one as soon as possible and get married without any delay. While he is presented as someone who is pious, religious, and in love, she is shown as someone who is compatible with him but belongs to the bad part of the city. Will they come together anytime soon is a question that can be only answered by the makers, but the viewers want them to meet sooner than later, and end up together even before that!
One must also mention Zara Sheikh here who made her TV debut after shining in films, and ruling the hearts of an entire generation. Not only has she impressed as film star Laila, she looks every bit like the yesteryear actress who married the wrong guy to stay relevant. Nida Mumtaz and Mehmood Aslam make a perfect couple who fight regularly over their kids but also respect each other, and the way Nida Mumtaz’s character has behaved since Zohra’s arrival, its exemplary and eye-opening. Yes, the Sajid Shah and Furqan Qureshi track may not seem irrelevant, but who knows one of them might be behind the conflict that would elevate Raqs e Bismil from a good drama to a great one.
The Bad – Too much coincidence is not good for the audience’s health!
Too less of Saleem Mairaj, Rashid Farooqi, and Momin Saqib in the last two weeks might not be good for the audience, but too much coincidence can be bad for the audience’s health. Zohra coming front of Faizi’s car was ok, her ending up in the mazaar where Moosa’s father is the Pir was acceptable, her entering Moosa’s house as Zari seems logical, but Sakina’s entry into the frame at the very moment when Zari refers to herself as Zohra, that’s too much. Although she could have been shown as suspicious of a friend named Chanda, but she wasn’t and carried on with her carefree attitude.
Also, as the play moves towards a conclusion, it restricts itself to rooms, be it hospital room, business room, bedroom, or any other without any outdoor scenes. Does make the play look a little low budget which is bad considering the better scenes of Raqs e Bismil were mostly outdoors. And finally, being a book lover myself, I would have loved to see Moosa quote a book here and there, carry one with himself or read a few before it was suddenly declared in the last episode that Moosa loves books. Yes, I might have missed it but it would have been better had it been emphasized before.
The Verdict – Viewers want Moosa to meet Zohra before it’s too late!
It seems that two weeks will be too little a time for Moosa and Zohra’s possible reunion (happy if alive, sad if dead), since Raqs e Bismil is about to end. Will the Peer sahib accept Zohra after learning that she is not Zari, will Moosa get to her on time before he loses her for the second time, will Sakina play the good person for a change and unite Moosa and Zohra after learning of the latter’s identity, will Malik Sheheryar be stopped before he does something rash, and will Peerni play an important role in getting her son back to his rightful position, such questions arise in the minds of the audience? With Imran Ashraf and Sarah Khan playing long lost lovers who have realized their love for each other, its better they are united quickly, and in an appropriate manner, one that is dramatic,
