Opening Thoughts – Shift In The Story:

Ohkay so, this episode of Surkh Chandni was nicely executed. I am glad that this episode ended on a very different note. I was relieved to know that they kind of moved the story forward after showing the suffering of everyone pretty much within this episode. While watching Surkh Chandni last night, I was thinking that dramas like these give the actors a great opportunity to showcase their acting skills but when it comes to the story & characterization, there is barely anything new there but by the end of this episode, I was actually happy that they are going to give a different direction to the story & from now on, it won’t be purely about the victim’s suffering but mostly about how the culprit will be nabbed. To show the entire journey & the process is still a better approach than just focusing on the suffering and supposedly buri kismat of the acid attack victim!

The Secret Is Out:

Jawad thought that by instilling the fear in Aida, he will be able to keep her silenced but he actually underestimated Aida. Yes, all that has happened to Aida has totally shattered her but then assuming that she will never tell the truth was basically Jawad’s misapprehension. Even though Aida has lost everything, the confidence, the courage, the motivation to live & all of that was realistically portrayed but I felt relieved when she actually shared everything with her mother, Rukhsana. Aida had to do this in order to feel less burdened. It was nice to see that even though Aida kept everything to herself & she didn’t want to make anyone worried, she confided in her mother & shared her fears with her. It was also nice to know that Aida’s parents didn’t let Aida feel that something about her had changed & that they were being burdened by her, rather they let her feel loved & secure because of which Aida was able to share such an important detail with Rukhsana.

Jawad told Aida that he was capable of hurting Amaan too & that was a reason enough for Aida to back out & stay silent because she loved Amaan so much to let anything happen to him. It was nice to see Aida finding some support & encouragement from a few people around her but then it was unfortunate that she was also being mistreated & being told that she was being a nuisance & nothing else by Mukhtar & Shumaila!

Mukhtar is someone who doesn’t really have a mind of his own & because he believes the white lies of his wife so much, he ends up doing all that she asks for because that is Mukhtar’s way of compensating & showcasing his love for her. Without even letting anyone know Mukhtar decided that he doesn’t want to file a case against the culprit. It is also because he knows that his father is financially dependent on him, so it kind of gives him the edge to make such decisions without consulting him.

Shumaila has her own thing going on with Jawad. She is an opportunist & since she has seen the kind of favours she gets from Jawad by helping him with his agendas, she is making the most of it. Mansha Pasha really has taken a challenging role & she is succeeding in making us all hate Shumaila due to her flawless acting. It is nice to see that Mansha Pasha has not overdone her expressions & has rather kept it very subtle which seems far more realistic.

So, Rukhsana ended up telling Safina about Jawad being the one who did this to Aida & I am glad the secret is finally out & no one will be making assumptions anymore. Even though it was heart breaking to see Aida taking the brunt for something she was not even responsible for in the first place, it was still good to see that she had a support system like Amaan who was ready to do whatever it takes to not only bring her back to life but also put the culprit behind bars.

I am glad that the writer has kept things a little unpredictable in Surkh Chandni like initially everyone bring totally cool with Aida & Amaan’s liking for each other, supporting them & not pushing Aida to marry a financially stable guy like Jawad & now Aida telling the truth. At times these things are always given a typical approach but Surkh Chandni is turning out to be different which is actually nice. I dreaded that it might take Aida 10+ episodes to expose Jawad but she took my by surprise & I hope I keep getting surprised like this in the future episodes too.

Closing Thoughts – Great Acting:

Overall, this episode of Surkh Chandhni was good to tune to. I am glad that the depressing phase is kind of over & now the battle will begin where Jawad will have to face the consequences & Aida will get the justice she deserves. Even though it is going to be a long journey I am glad things have started to make a progress. Sohai Ali Abro has nailed the character of Aida, she made me feel her pain every step of the way. It is also good to see Sohai Ali Abro not going overboard & rather keeping everything very subdued & realistic. Asad Siddique & Mansha Pasha are actually a treat to watch, despite their characters being annoying, their acting makes it all very interesting. Osman Khalid Butt is also doing a good job but at times it feels his larger than life expressions are best suited for a big silver screen & not a small TV screen, like he makes it obvious that this is him acting for a drama. The direction is apt so far & I am looking forward to the next episode as it promised a lot more drama. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Surkh Chandni.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza