So, after a couple of fast paced episodes, this episode seemed to be a bit on the slower side – with less action and more reflection. Oh, that is except if you count Master Sb who seemed to be very active –wandering around the mohalla, confronting and being confronted.
Mushq is ecstatic that the wedding to Qureshi did not take place and is reassured of Fahd’s love for her. In the scene where she is twirling round and round in joy I felt like jumping up and stopping her as I would when my kids do that because watching her was making me dizzy!
Anyhow, Master Sb confronts Qureshi and asks why he backed out of the wedding at the last minute. Qureshi, with his freshly dyed mustache and waggling eyebrows, is indignant and in turn tells Master Sb off who then learns that Dabbu Bhai was the one who was actually behind the whole ‘baraat not showing up’. Master Sb is also told that the mohalla has been talking about him (do they ever talk about anything else but Master Sb and his gharana) and want him to leave the mohalla but that it would be in his best interests if he left himself without being (physically) forced to.
Master Sb comes home and takes out his anger and frustration on Mushq who escapes into her room when Dado intervenes and Master Sb promptly locks her in. Chalo bhai, Mushq locked in again. I winced when he grabbed Mushq by her hair and am glad we were saved from having to see him beat her up with his stick, thanks to Dado.
We see Master Sb meet Dabbu Bhai and ask meray saath aisa kyun kiya. Becharay (not!) Master Sb, kabhi Qureshi se kabhi Dabbu se wohi sawaal. I think we are meant to really feel sorry for Master Sb but I do not feel bad for him as I think he is also partly to blame for bringing these situations upon himself. But that’s just how I feel. I get Dabbu Bhai is shown to be very good at heart but this whole guilt trip he is having over the Master Sb incident is getting a bit much. When he beats up Qureshi (haha) and backs off when Qureshi’s daughter pleads with him I just feel that the writer is trying too hard to show how good at heart he is and this in my opinion is taking off edge of the gunda/dada of the mohalla impression that we were earlier given. Ah but then he isn’t a gunda is he? He is a ‘social worker’ remember?! Go figure!
So déjà vu. Mushq is locked up again, imploring Dado and Zeba to let her out, Dado bebass and Zeba – I am not sure how I feel about Zeba with her glasses and the distracting ringlets. She is not evil but does not seem to feel Mushq’s pain or have much sisterly hamdardi. I wonder if she has more to offer to the story. We already know Mushq blames her for her plight saying if she hadn’t run off to Abba with the letter then she would have been on the train and off to Lahore.
I suppose the turning point in the episode was Striker’s advice/solution to the whole issue except it left me confused. I found it odd. Confusing. Misleading. The answer to stop the mohalla’s wagging tongue is that Dabbu Bhai gets married. Initially I thought to Mushq but that doesn’t make sense. Does he mean that Dabbu Bhai should
get married in general, to someone so that people stop linking him to Mushq?
Mehru’s scene with Dabbu Bhai also failed to make an impact. What is Mehru really after? When she is thinking to herself about how all her mehnat is going to go to waste and she will be left khaali haath she hardly came across as a lovestruck girl. What is her motive behind having Dabbu wrapped round her little finger? When she says kitna
samjhaya tha apnay dil ko! Iss dil ki na..ulta latka daina chahyay ya phir kaan marornay chahyay it made me laugh out loud envisioning a dil having ears and being hung upside down.
Thor kay desi bhai‘s conversation gives us an insight into the potential entry of Aslam bhai into the mohalla. Asal politician tau yeh he hain with his words of wisdom, jab do laug lartay hain tau faida teesray ka he hota hai. Rise of third bhai maybe?
Seems like Master Sb has taken the mohallay walay’s words to heart and meets with an estate agent to have his house sold within 5 days. Dabbu Bhai makes a call to the estate agent which sounded very gunda like. Sorry, I meant social worker-ish!
As I mentioned earlier, I found this episode a bit slow. And that is okay as long as it picks up pace in the next one. Ahmed Ali is really not working for me and I have a feeling his character will be done away with or will get sidelined soon but then I could be wrong. The episode was pretty much about how Master Sb in his be-bassi has dethroned Dabbu Bhai who in a jhatka seems to have lost his hold over the entire mohalla. In next week’s preview we see Aslam Bhai make his entry. Master Sb gave me pause many a time today thinking he will finally have the heart attack I keep bracing myself for and in next week’s episode seems like it really does happen. Ooops.
Sajal Ali did not have a lot of screen time (relatively) in today’s episode as it was more focused on Dabbu Bhai and Master Sb. I truly believe Faisal Qureshi can carry off any role he is given so I have no problem with his acting but I am unsure I like the way his character is developing. I liked how Dado was short with the neighbour who came
looking to gossip. I must say, it is a very vaila (faarigh) mohalla. Waisay how come nobody in this mohalla has caught Fahd making it to Mushq’s bedroom window, not once but twice?
I suppose the next couple of episodes will focus more on a faceoff between Dabbu Bhai and Aslam Bhai but I hope that track does not get dragged out much and there is also some development on the Mushq-Fahd-Dabbu Bhai front. How did you like this episode? Please do share your thoughts!
Kunwal Javid