Mor Mahal is a story that exemplifies how things roll & get ruined just on the basis of communication gap. Ever since the drama has begun, there’s everything that happens between the characters except communication & this is what happened in this episode too. I hate to say but this drama is turning out to be a disappointment with each passing episode because there’s no substance in the characters nor the situations.

I actually giggled when I saw Asif Jahan dressed appropriate for a fancy dress competition, it showed that he put in a lot of effort & a lot of thought went into his looks & appearance whereas he forgot that he had a stolen baby to take care of too. I think the kidnapping of Jamshed hasn’t been tackled properly because Asif Jahan made a promise to Surraiya that he would do everything to find him & ever since, he has worried about everything but Jamshed. It was only Surraiya who took things in her hands & protested, blaming Badshah Begum & Farrukh Zaad for the kidnapping of her son. Chalo, at least there was someone who was worried about that little fellow otherwise, the one who should actually be worried for him is too busy dressing up!!!

Dilawar Khan died, boo hoo, but are we supposed to feel for him as much as Asif Jahan felt because he was just introduced as an adviser to him, but seeing how the entire episode got dedicated to him left me confused. All I know is that no one in Asif Jahan’s family held a high opinion of Dilawar Khan, so not really sure if he deserved this much coverage. Also, I didn’t feel much for him because all this while, seeing Asif Jahan crying buckets for Dilawar seemed distasteful, especially because there were no efforts being made by him to find Jamshed, his new born that was kidnapped probably weeks ago, which should’ve been his priority but seems like Asif Jahan suffers from short term memory loss! I feel the chronology of the events isn’t right in Mor Mahal!!!

Taimur returned victorious, where Farrukh Zaad was ecstatic, Badshah Begum felt defeated. I hated the way Badshah Begum spoke about Taimur’s death, just because Akhtari reminded her that if Taimur becomes the ruler, Farrukh Zaad will have an upper hand over her. I guess Badshah Begum needs to understand that everything has a certain time limit & a date of expiry, it’s not like she is going to live forever, that she wishes to maintain her status by wishing to eliminate Taimur from everyone’s life. Also, being a mother of Asif Jahan, she has been a mother of the ruler for quite some time now, so, she should back out & let Farrukh Zaad taste her son’s success, what’s the point of waging a war against her own flesh & blood & hating him so much only because of the fact that she’s not on good terms with her daughter in law.

I actually find it funny that a man of Asif Jahan’s stature turns into bheegi billi in front of the ladies of his house & gets treated worse. Asif Jahan said that the ladies have no say in the matters of the state but it doesn’t seem to be that case, because when Taimur was fighting a battle with Shujat, both Badshah Begum & Farrukh Zaad played their part too where the former told Dilawar to kill Taimur & the latter told her brother to swoop in to protect her son. Also, Asif Jahan vigilantly pays heed to Shahista’s advises too, so when does his brain work or when does he put it to good use because seems like he forgets that he’s the ruler & he has the authority over everything!

Like I said in the last review, I will say that again, the communication gap forced Asif Jahan to get Taimur arrested because he assumed that it was Taimur who killed Dilawar Khan & then the same communication gap created a rift between him & his wife too. I actually didn’t think that Asif Jahan will be so insecure & will be such a coward that just one win by his son will make him dubious of his intentions & will force him to question his son’s loyalty. Just because Asif Jahan heard a few guys say that Taimur might end up killing him for the sake of throne, he got him arrested & smirked at his decision thinking that he scored a big win against his wife & his son!?!?! LOL!

Anyways, not sure what to expect because the preview of the next episode once again told that the communication gap will be stronger & will once again play a part in this drama. Looks like Akhtari will finally find out that Banki is posing to be Meher Bano, I actually would like to see how Badshah Begum will realize that it was her laziness that allowed all that to happen right under her nose as she didn’t bother visiting her favorite bahu once in all these months! Also, I must say that even though I like all the sets, I feel they needed more variety for filming this drama as it looks like all the characters keep to & froing within 2 – 3 rooms which makes everything looks tedious & yes, I do understand that they have tried to keep things realistic by showing us the natural & dull lighting to give feel of that era but please, bright karain isay, bright karainnnn!!!! Anyways, please share your thoughts about this episode of Mor Mahal.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so, I wish I could say that as much thought was given to dialogues, was given to the script of Mor Mahal too because the story is falling flat as the episodes are passing by & there’s nothing much happening in the drama to keep our interest alive & keep the viewers looking out for more. I wish I could say that the story had the substance that the dialogues of Mor Mahal have & honestly speaking at times such complicated dialogues do not hit home because the content of their conversations lack substance to begin with.

Even though the war between the states of Shujat & Asif is giving the story a much needed twist but I wish the bone of contention between the two brothers was something else because I actually had a laugh thinking that just because Shujat couldn’t get the ‘kaneez’ he was head over heels in love with & just because Asif grew possessive about his ‘kaneez’ that he had no idea about, they both decided to wage war at each other. Shujat circulated his own currency over an unknown woman & Asif called his son to fight his brother over an unknown woman too. I am sure even Meher Bano doesn’t know that she is the ‘fasad ki jarh’ here & so much has happened only because both the brothers are trying to prove Meher Bano’s ownership to one & another.

So, Badshah Begum wants Asif to have the rule over the state that falls under the rule of Meher Bano’s brother, that is why she is so keen on Meher Bano’s son as she sees him as a ticket to the grabbing of one more state but to see her wishing death upon her own grandson Taimur was actually disturbing. Just because Badshah Begum doesn’t want Farrukh Zaad to have an upper hand on her, she didn’t hold back in wishing to see Taimur dead because she would love to sacrifice her grandson but not see the mother of that grandson have a moment of glory & then Badshah Begum’s fixation with Meher Bano’s son makes her look paranoid & clueless because she herself has never visited Meher Bano to know where she is, especially when she has such high expectations of her! I always thought that the ladies of the house will stay involved in defeating each other but never knew that their personal hostility will put a dent on the state & affect its matters too & then I heard Asif Jahan say that the women of his family are not allowed to have a say in the running of the government & its matters!

Farrukh Zaad wrote a letter to her brother just so that he could protect her son Taimur & Badshah Begum wrote a letter to Dilawar Khan to tell him that she wishes to see Taimur dead if he defeats Shujat. Looks like Farrukh Zaad’s brother will make an entry in the near future. Well, it was actually amusing to see Asif Jahan being engaged in lovey dovey conversations with Banki but not worrying sick about the kidnapping of his new born, it was like a forgotten ordeal that he wasn’t bothered about. He promised Surraiya that he won’t sit still till he finds their son but I guess he forgot about his promise the moment he walked out of her room & came in contact with another woman of his house, be it Shahista, Farrukh Zaad or Banki!

I am not sure why the director & the writer didn’t really think things through & why didn’t they try to make the situations more engaging & meaningful. Till date the main focus was on the ladies & now when the focus has started to shift away, the events that are taking place are not really making much sense & are not sparking an interest either. I know the story of the drama will be covered in a lot of episodes but I wish they had kept the episodes lesser & had focused more on the substance of the story in other words, more focus on the quality rather than the quantity! Anyways, please share your thoughts about this episode of Mor Mahal (if you watched it)!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so, did I enjoy watching these 4 episodes? Somewhat yes. But was I thrilled? Sadly, no! Honestly speaking, when I saw the promo posters of Mor Mahal, I was excited to find out about the history considering it being a periodic drama but little did I know that I was signing up for an emperor who sadly doesn’t own a brain & a bunch of ladies who can easily swing & sway the emperor using their words. Episodes 6, 7 & 8 didn’t work for me at all but the latest episode 9 actually did & I am hoping that after the writer & the director have given us a complete knowledge about the ladies of the house & Asif Jahan’s shab-e-uroosi in all these episodes, they now make an effort & shift the story towards something meaningful, or if I put it in simple words, they shift the story outside the premises of Mor Mahal because I assume that will be a lot more interesting & in that hope, I am not giving up on this drama just yet. :)

As much as I was taken aback by Shahista’s bravery of having an affair with Asif Jahan right under Wazeer Begum’s nose, I was amused that even she had more brains than Asif Jahan & without a fault, Asif Jahan was seen following her instructions like a minion. It would’ve made sense if Asif Jahan was doing this with a single person but he is seen following the advice of every single person around him, which I think is a bit too much because an emperor like Asif Jahan should not only have a personality but a thought process of his own too & more than that I wish he was seen spending more time with the governors & the ministers than the ladies who seriously need to snap out of the fixation of bringing each other down!

As far as I know, Farrukh Zaad belongs to Asif Jahan’s family & she happens to be his first cousin as well, so in reality when it comes to the thrones, families like these always take utmost care of the bloodline, so if we consider that, Taimur happens to have the royal blood running through his veins, so why is it that Badshah Begum is keen on seeing Meher Bano’s son as an heir to Asif Jahan’s throne? Why is it that when it comes to Taimur, Badshah Begum doesn’t see him as her beloved grandson who can take the position of an emperor after Asif Jahan’s retirement? Is it just her hatred for Farrukh Zaad that is pushing her to be more inclined towards Meher Bano’s son or there’s something else, because if that’s the case then they have not covered that aspect properly. Also Badshah Begum’s fixation with Meher Bano’s son seems out of question because Meher Bano is an outsider & Farrukh Zaad belongs to her own family – yes, her concerns are understandable since Meher Bano’s brother seems to have a lot of power & she doesn’t want to upset him, also in order to guarantee Asif Jahan’s safety she wants Asif Jahan to give Meher Bano the rights of being his wife, but to have a wish of seeing an outsider’s kid as a ruler seems a bit irrational. Why doesn’t Badshah Begum want Taimur; her first ever grandson to become the next ruler, I am wondering?

Well, Asif Jahan seems to take his ladies quite seriously but to see him becoming possessive about an unknown servant seemed a bit too immature. Asif Jahan happens to be someone who doesn’t mind winning a woman over gambling, which shows that even though he might respect the ladies of his house, in general he does treat women as commodity, so if he saw that his brother was drooling over one of his servants, he shouldn’t have cared because he had no idea that it was Meher Bano that his brother Shujat fell for. Also, I wish the bone of contention between the two brothers was something substantial & not just a woman, like a battle & an establishment of a new currency over a wish for a woman that wasn’t fulfilled, I mean c’mon!!!

Initially I thought Shahista was only playing upon Farrukh Zaad by only being concerned about having her position secured in front of Asif Jahan but as the episodes progressed & more coverage was given to her, it went to show that she was playing it safe. She neither wanted to upset Asif Jahan nor she wanted to lose the trust Farrukh Zaad had in her, that is why when the timing was right, she instilled the idea in Asif Jahan’s mind to bring Taimur to Mor Mahal, which was her way of earning bonus points in front of Farrukh Zaad. Shahista’s plan that she devised in favor of Taimur & Farrukh Zaad failed initially when she thought that things will work as per her predictions but after that, she didn’t sit still & the moment she found the right opportunity, she pushed her agenda & she had so much of confidence in herself because she knew that Asif Jahan won’t be able to ignore her advice.

Banki is expecting & Badshah Begum is over the moon with the news of supposedly Meher Bano’s pregnancy because she thinks her dream will be materialized but this was the moment when I felt that there was a lot of communication gap between all these family members & what’s amusing is that no one works in order to cut back on that. It is actually quite funny that Badshah Begum hasn’t once visited Meher Bano ever since she has stepped into Mor Mahal, ohkay, she mustn’t have gotten an opportunity to do that but now when she got the news of her pregnancy, I find it hard to believe that Badshah Begum didn’t find it in her heart to visit her daughter in law & congratulate her personally as she was going to give her something she was eagerly waiting for. All Badshah Begum did was inquire about Meher Bano’s preparations of shab-e-uroosi (the most cringe-worthy word in my reviewing history) from Banki & Banki effortlessly lied to her. I find it hard to believe that so much time has passed by & no one has found out that Banki is playing the double role of both the master & the servant. Also, the way Shahista along with Farrukh Zaad sent Shola Jaan dressed as a woman to Shujat was another thing that I found hard to absorb because even after such a huge thing happened Asif Jahan was clueless about it & Shola Jaan unlike him/her kept it to himself/herself. Ohkay, we can give Asif Jahan the leeway because he might be busy running the state (supposedly) but how can I wrap my head around the fact that no one in Mor Mahal has an idea about Meher Bano’s absence, considering how she happens to be the favorite daughter in law of Badshah Begum.

Surraya had a baby boy & sadly, her happiness was short-lived. Dilawar’s advice worked against Asif Jahan, Surraya & Jamshed because the moment Asif Jahan announced Jamshed to be the heir to his throne, someone kidnapped him. I am not sure but I feel either Suleman or Akhtari have something to do with this, but not sure because may be some new character might get introduced through this situation & this is exactly what made things interesting & the 9th episode work for me because hopefully it marked the beginning of a new chapter & new challenges that Asif Jahan will have to face, which I am looking forward to.

Anyways, the introduction of Taimur’s (Umer Naru) character & the talks about the battle between him & Shujat gives me hope that may be the plot of this drama will improve & will give us something to look forward to because ever since it has begun, the story & the characters have been one-dimensional, so may be things are about to change. Asif Jahan shares so many relationships with so many people that it is hard to find acceptance to each & everyone of them but I did like seeing him with Surraya & also his relation with Shahista seems interesting, because Shahista has all of a sudden come to the forefront & I am interested to see how she will contribute to the story in the future. The director for sure has done a great job & the actors are doing an amazing job too but I feel the plot is a bit weak & the writer didn’t do well with the script but I am hoping for a change. I must say I liked the chemistry between Shahista & Asif Jahan, which goes to show that Jana Malik & Umair Jaswal have played their parts really really well & to be honest, these two actors are the reason why I tune to this drama. Anywyas, I have now started to feel that Sania Saeed has been wasted because the character that she is playing could’ve been played by any other actor. Seeing how Akhtari’s character was allocated to Sania Saeed made me believe that she will play a pivotal role in this story but so far she hasn’t done anything apart from some predictions, some suspicious smirks & some strolls within the palace.

In my honest opinion, I think Meher Bano is getting way more coverage than she deserves, everything is revolving around her, from her supposed pregnancy to Shujat’s love for her, to her becoming a pawn in the game that Shahista & Farrukh Zaad are playing, to Badshah Begum’s fixation with her, yet the coverage given to her character hasn’t been tackled properly & there are so many loose ends attached to her that her character & all the situations related to her do not sit well with me at all. Also, I found Farrukh Zaad’s character becoming weaker because all she does is send orders to Asif Jahan which he hardly pays heed to. May be with Taimur’s arrival, she will get some coverage & we’ll get to hear some meaningful conversations from her side as she happens to be Taimur’s mother, similarly, Badshah Begum seems sickly fixated with Meher Bano & there’s nothing else that she has spoken about & there’s nothing substantial that we’ve heard from her either which I hope will change too. Somehow, I still see a potential in this drama & for that reason I am going to watch it but let’s see if it improves or not. Please share your say about these 4 episodes of Mor Mahal.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so, I enjoyed watching this episode of Mor Mahal a lot because a lot has started to happen & unfold, which has made things quite interesting. Slowly & steadily all the tracks are being elaborated & the background stories of all the characters are being brought forward, which is a good thing because we are not left wondering or imagining things on our own & by doing that, they are helping us understand the situations & the characters better.

Farrukh Zaad is worried that the chances of her son Taimur becoming a ruler are getting quite slim, because Asif Jahan is now far more interested in Surraya & is eagerly awaiting the new arrival. Farrukh Zaad’s son Taimur has been kept away from his parents & the reason hasn’t been told yet but I am definitely looking forward to find why things are like that. Farrukh Zaad should thank Shahista that she is not only a servant to her but ends up brainstorming on her behalf too because even though Farrukh Zaad herself is quite far sighted & calm, Shahista’s say in her personal affairs matters a lot & opens up a new dimension for her to ponder & work upon.

I am still not sure if Akhtari has some supernatural powers or she is just making the most of her unusual aura to fool Badshah Begum. She did however feel something when she passed by the area where Meher Bano was hiding. All this while, nothing actually sparked an interest of mine in Meher Bano’s story but this episode changed that for sure. The way Meher Bano’s character is being linked to many things & how everyone is one way or the other dependent on her definitely makes her a central character for now. Asif Jahan is getting pressurized by Meher Bano’s brother to extend his family with Meher Bano. Farrukh Zaad is depending on Meher Bano’s bridal shawl to get back at Badshah Begum. Badshah Begum is also concerned about Meher Bano & seems like Asif Jahan also feels he should give Meher Bano a status of his wife. Even though Akhtari doesn’t know who she was talking to but even her paths have crossed with Meher Bano & now even Shujat Jahan is being associated with her too. I am sure this puzzle of connections will become harder & harder to solve & I am for sure interested to see that happening.

Looks like Asif Jahan has invited the wrath of quite a few people around him & things are going to get tough for him as well. The appearance of Suleman Shah brought an element of surprise & shock with his arrival. Looks like Asif Jahan is incapable of taking well-thought decisions & he lacks farsightedness too because the way he won Surraya from Suleman like a barter bargain was quite immature of him. Just because Suleman Shah didn’t show up all these years, Asif Jahan assumed that he was dead but now he should fulfill his promise because if he will back out on his word, he will not only lose his credibility but will give an uprise to a lot of personal problems.

Badshah Begum as per Akhtari’s orders wants Shujat to gang up with her as she wants Shujat to take over the throne after Asif Jahan, which again is an attempt to crush Farrukh Zaad’s dream of seeing her son Taimur as a ruler. If Taimur becomes a ruler, for Badshah Begum it would mean that Farrukh Zaad will have an upper hand & just because she doesn’t want it to happen, she is forcing her son Shujat to do the heavy-lifting. It was amusing that she chose to use a random girl as a treat or reward in order to attain what she wanted from her son. Badshah Begum knows that there’s a clash of egos between her sons & she wants eradicate that, that’s why she is using Meher Bano as a pawn to bring Shujat & Asif Jahan closer. Shujat’s ego is bigger in comparison to the power he holds, that is why he found it quite insulting seeing his wish not being granted by Asif Jahan, which once again is an invitation of some sort of trouble in Asif Jahan’s way.

Overall, it was quite an interesting episode & I loved the direction & also the acting of Umair Jaswal throughout the episode. He surely has captured the attitude required to play the character of a ruler like Asif Jahan & it is interesting to see him switching his dialogue delivery & the entire attitude in different scenes & situations. It was interesting to see him acting as a commanding ruler who yelled at Suleman Shah & then in the flashback scene, as someone giving in to the temptations of getting something that was of the most value to his rival. I must say the graveyard scene was scary & it was uncomfortable for me to watch, which shows how it was a result of a powerful direction, I actually felt some shivers, haha! I am glad that no coverage was given to Shola Jaan & yes, all this while when I heard Farrukh Zaad talk about her son Taimur, i thought he must be a 10 y/o boy who has a long way to go to attain the thone but to know that Taimur is 19 years old make me feel that both Asif Jahan & Farrukh Zaad look too young to be the parents of a teenager. I know I have said it before & I will say that again, I love the strong screen presence of Jana Malik in this drama, even though she has a very limited number of scenes in each episode but she catches my eye more than Meesha Shafi. Jana Malik for sure is flawless as Shahista. I’m definitely looking forward to the next episode. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Mor Mahal.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so, it seems that they are going to take things slow & will expose the important aspects about all the characters gradually. I think we all should get used to the comparatively slow pace but I definitely don’t mind that as there’s so much more to explore & find out that it is unfolding like a puzzle that will be solved as the story will progress.

Banki has pledged her loyalty to Meher Bano, that is why she is ready to do everything that Meher Bano demands & orders. Meher Bano is definitely not ready to give up on Kabeer (Zahid Ahmed) just yet & she is hopeful that he will return & might as well rescue her from this hell hole. Meher Bano can not bring herself to a stage where she will become a wife of Asif Jahan & for that, she doesn’t even mind sacrificing Banki’s pride. Banki knows that there’s nothing that she will say will make Meher Bano give up on what she has decided for herself, therefore, the only option that she is left with is going by what Meher Bano is suggesting. I am sure when the time will arise, Meher Bano will never back Banki as much as Banki will back her because Meher Bano is quite manipulative & she will definitely make sure that she doesn’t fall in an awkward position at all & if that happens, she won’t even think for a second before putting all the blame on Banki easily.

So, Farrukh Zaad alias Wazeer Begum is the first cousin & first wife of Asif Jahan & she is a mother of Asif’s Jahan’s son & the heir of his throne Taimur as well. Farrukh Zaad seamlessly brought Asif Jahan to her & made him feel guilty for ignoring her. Farrukh Zaad definitely knows how to play with Asif Jahan’s Achilles heel, also, she knows that she is not like other wives of Asif Jahan who might be dependent on him. Farrukh Zaad owns half of what falls under the ownership of Asif Jahan & that is why she is well aware of the power she holds. The subtle threat that she threw at Asif Jahan explained that she is one of those who do not like to be defeated & will never settle for anything less than a victory. Farrukh Zaad couldn’t tolerate the idea of Asif Jahan spending some time with Meher Bano & more than that, she had a score to settle with Badshah Begum, that is why she played her cards well & succeeded effortlessly in her mission.

Badshah Begum really thought that she had everything under control & Asif Jahan abided by her orders but she was disappointed to find out that nothing went according to her plan & Farrukh Zaad earned a point this time around. Badshah Begum is well aware of the deception Farrukh Zaad is capable of, therefore she was disappointed in Asif Jahan that he couldn’t comprehend his wife’s intentions properly.

I must say I am not sure if Shola Jaan & Dilbar’s scenes are added to evoke a comic relief because I felt there was a little too much coverage given to them than required. Also, both of them look more like caricatures that is why it is hard to take them seriously thinking they have a substantial role to play in the future because till now they are only seen gossiping about the events taking place in Mor Mahal. Shahista is true to her position & Farrukh Zaad definitely has earned herself a very loyal servant who is ears to all her problems & is a wall confining all her secrets. Not sure if Shahista does it out of her duty or she is loyal because she actually feels for Farrukh Zaad. I think out of all the servants, her character has stood out the most & I am looking forward to the contribution she’ll make to the story. It was interesting that before anyone else, Akhtari could see that Badshah Begum’s wish wasn’t materialized by Asif Jahan & she was defeated by Wazeer Begum this time around. Looks like Asif Jahan will be out of Mor Mahal for a while once again & he won’t be aware of the things that will transpire behind his back in his palace.

Overall, this episode was slow paced but was definitely interesting. However, I must say that there was a lot of focus & a lot of conversations dedicated to ‘shab-e-uroosi’ as if the only motive of Asif Jahan’s being was that. I really hope that Badshah Begum is faced with some other challenges that her focus (read fixation) from Asif Jahan’s ‘shab-e-uroosi’ is deviated. I really think that more than anyone else, Jana Malik has really stood out & has done justice to her character. Even though she is playing a supporting character & I really can’t explain what makes me say that about her character but she really has done an amazing job. Umair Jaswal was convincing as Asif Jahan once again & I am glad that in such a women-centric drama, they hired such a strong male to play the lead role as his presence is definitely not going to get overshadowed by so many females around him. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Mor Mahal.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Ohkay so, the production of Babar Javed, conceptualization of Imran Aslam, writing of Sarmed Sehbai & the direction of Surmed Sultan Khoosat, the most anticipated drama Mor Mahal made it to our screens tonight & I must say, it was enough of a prelude to let us know that we all are in for a great ride. The very first episode did introduce the situation of all the characters appropriately but I am sure that there’s more to all the characters & it will be revealed as the drama will progress. Right know, we got introduced to the main characters & I already can’t wait to find out more about them.

The story is about the ruler Nawab Asif Jahan (Umair Jaswal) who returns victorious to his residence Mor Mahal after accomplishing a mission in glory of his empire. On his return he is made to deal with his personal life situation where his mother Badshah Begum (Hina Bayat) orders him to meet his new wife Meher Bano (Sonia Nazir) & give her a status of his lawfully wedded wife. Asif Jahan feels a little hesitant as this happens to be a political marriage that took place in order to maintain the harmony between the two empires. Meher Bano’s brother gets her married to Asif Jahan for personal gains & Meher Bano finds it hard to accept that she was treated as a commodity for a barter bargain. The reason why Meher Bano hasn’t accepted her marriage to Asif Jahan is related to her past that she hasn’t been able to overcome till date. Meher Bano is still in love with someone (Zahid Ahmed) & she is unable to forget him.

Asif Jahan’s second wife wife Wazir Begum (Misha Shafi) awaits his arrival & is left disappointed after finding out that her husband Asif Jahan is going to follow the orders of his mother where he won’t be meeting her for now. Wazir Begum obviously has more loyal servants who actually feel for her & give her the hope & the validation she needs to keep her nerves calm. Wazir Begum still feels that nothing can distract Asif Jahan from thinking about her & their relationship is so strong that even his mother can not bring anyone between them but she is left in a great shock when she gets the answer given by Asif Jahan himself that his priority for now was meeting his new wife, Meher Bano & Wazir Begum will have to wait for him even though he was still in Mor Mahal.

The love Meher Bano has for her beloved is so strong that it pushes her to take extreme measures where without even thinking for a second, she forces her servant to cover up for her as she’d prefer dying than becoming a wife of someone she doesn’t love. Meher Bano leaves the palace & it still remains a mystery as to what happened to her but I am sure she must’ve fled from Mor Mahal successfully. Asif Jahan happens to come across Meher Bano’s Kaneez & just because he hasn’t met her before, he believes that she is his wife. Just a glimpse of her was enough for Asif Jahan to decide that he wanted to raise her status & give her the due rights of being his wife & sadly, the Kaneez had to follow the orders of Meher Bano as she is duty-bound to her.

Wazir Begum definitely didn’t take that news too well. She chose to poison herself in a hope that either she will be able to deal with the pain that Asif Jahan’s answer caused to her or she will be able to grab his attention & stop him from going to someone else. Wazir Begum definitely is not going to let it slide so easily & she will make sure that Badshah Begum gets the message loud & clear that she won’t let the political matters ruin what’s so special to her.

There were two more characters that got introduced in this episode & were of Surraya & Akhtari. Surraya (Fiza Ali) happens to be the first wife of Asif Jahan & she is also expecting their first child. She is lonely & miserable but the only thing that elevates her level from the rest of Asif Jahan’s wives is the fact that she is carrying his child. Surraya has lost hope that Asif Jahan will now come & spend time with her because she knows that Meher Bano & Wazir Begum will still be having more charm than her. She believes that depending on amulets will bring him closer to her husband. It looks like there’s a battle happening between the first two wives in a hope that at least one of them will be winning Asif Jahan in the end. The other character that got a little coverage was of Akhtari (Sania Saeed), I believe she happens to be someone who is quite close to Badshah Begum & looks like Badshah Begum doesn’t do anything without her consent & advice. I feel Akhtari will play an important role in changing the situations of all the characters in the future.

The very first episode of Mor Mahal was picture perfect & grand in literal sense of the word. I must say, the cinematography, the direction, the acting, the sets, the costumes, the overall styling of all the characters & most importantly the dialogues were phenomenal. It is a period/historic drama & they succeeded in taking us back to the Mughal Era that they were aiming for. I felt that watching the episode once wasn’t enough because there were so many details that I feel I couldn’t pay attention to & would love to see in great detail. Every frame was picturesque & I must say the characters picked up the attitude required to play such substantial characters. Umair Jaswal actually stood out the most because being a focal character he had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders to look like an actual ruler & everything about him starting from his his dialogue delivery to his body language to his composure made it seem that the casting directors made the right choice by assigning the character of Asif Jahan to him. Even though Ali Saleem & Jana Malik (Shahista) had a very limited screen-time but they both used it aptly & left a great impression as well. Misha Shafi looks beautiful & Hina Bayat picked up the demeanor of the mother of the current ruler perfectly too. Surmed Sultan Khoosat’s direction & the attention to detail is what made this episode such a visual treat & the hard work that went in to bring this project to us was evident throughout this episode. I am thoroughly thoroughly impressed & can’t wait to see more. Please share your thoughts about the very first & phenomenal episode of Mor Mahal.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.