Wow!! What an amazing finale this was, poignant and gratifying! It was definitely worth the wait and reminded me of the reasons why I fell in love with this drama in the first place. This ending was so good that I have even forgiven Zubeida for all the torture she put us through. Her dialogues in this episode were superb. Pareesa’s dialogues when she talked to the press about child abuse were soul-stirring and right on point.
Muqabil had to be one of the most entertaining and unpredictable dramas of this season. It was also one of those very few serials which keep you at the edge of your seats and keep you coming back for more. The story went off track a few times and the pace of the drama slowed down in between but overall Pareesa and Arman in particular always gave the viewers reason to tune into this drama every week. Both these characters were different in many ways, they were etched-out in a very interesting manner and the fact that Mohsin Abbas Haider and Kubra Khan gave phenomenal performances made them even more appealing. Mohsin Abbas Haider played this character so well that there were times when the viewers felt more for Arman than they did for Pareesa.
The only aspect of this drama which could be termed as a weakness was that there were very few scenes which showed Mahmood in a negative light, although these scenes were impactful but it would have been better if there were more such scenes. All those encounters Mahmood had with Pareesa in which he felt he was entitled to be forgiven were right on point, more such scenes would have given the right message about someone like him who thought he deserved to be forgiven so easily. Asif Raza Mir however was brilliant as Mahmood especially those expressions he gave when Pareesa was dressed up as a bride and every time she gave him a reality check were unforgettable. The good thing about the ending was that Mahmood was not forgiven in the end neither was he shot by someone else.
Muqabil also had a strong message for all the parents out there in particular and it was put forward in an intelligent manner without putting the viewers to sleep! This message was not repeated over and over again but the writer definitely let the viewers draw the conclusion from whatever they saw on screen in every episode. The last episode however put this particular message forward in a beautiful manner; there couldn’t have been a better way to end this story. Shehnaz took a big step forward by letting Pareesa talk about her past in a press conference. Her apology was sincere and her actions even more so. The support Pareesa’s family showed and most importantly the change in Pareesa’s personality was shown impeccably. There was a time when Pareesa could not even mention what happened to her even in front of her parents but now she had the courage to speak out against child abuse in front of millions of people. The whole message of the show was summed up in a very touching manner when Pareesa poured her heart out in front of the press. Although, the change in Arman’s behavior was sudden but it was convincing and most importantly satisfying! It was convincing because tonight we saw the Arman we were introduced to initially therefore what he did today was completely in line with his character. It was satisfying because all of us wanted Pareesa and Arman to have a happy ending.
Saba Hameed was brilliant as the cold and mechanical yet somewhat concerned Shehnaz and although there were times when you questioned her actions, her character got the perfect ending. Saife Hassan played the cool yet sensitive father flawlessly. Kubra Khan and Mohsin Abbas Haider definitely deserve tons of praise and an award for their performances. Mohsin Abbas Haider’s performance in particular was mind blowing throughout the show. Watching Asif Raza Mir play a role which was unlike any other he has ever played was definitely another plus.
A big thank you to the writer Zafar Mairaj for giving us a drama which was different and engaging. The director Ali Hassan deserves tons of praise for doing complete justice to every single scene and making this drama a visual treat. This drama gave the viewers hope that Big Bang Entertainment will be giving us quality entertainment in the future too.
I would highly recommend this drama to all those viewers who did not watch it while it was on air and I would like to thank all those wonderful readers who read the reviews and commented every week.
Do share your thoughts about this last episode and the drama as a whole.
