Imran Ashraf is back and this time he has double the reason to be happy.
Not only is his play Mushk gaining popularity with every episode, the viewers are appreciating his writing prowess as well. It reminds the audience of the golden era of Pakistan Television when people used to leave everything for dramas and were not disappointed in the return.
Spotlight feels that amongst all the dramas on air at the moment, Mushk is the best one and there are as many as seven reasons for that. We are sure that by the time you are on the last reason, you will also be convinced that ‘East or West, Mushk is the best!
Imran Ashraf’s double duty
We have seen him bring many characters to life but Imran Ashraf as a writer has been an under-rated person. He did write Tabeer but since then he has been playing the ‘human chameleon’ who can make you fall in love with him, or provoke the audience into hating him, depending on his performance.
In Mushk, he was nowhere to be seen in the first three episodes but that was because he wanted to establish the players, before making his grand entrance. Once he came into his own, there was no stopping him both as an actor and as a writer. He not just proved the idea wrong that good actors can’t be good writers but also stated the fact that good writers can act in their own plays and also give space to others to perform as well.
The dialogues he has written in the play carry the filmi flair and it would take a filmi person to understand the meaning of what he wants to convey. A simple scene where he goes to buy a cold drink for Mehek conveyed so many emotions that you end up praising the writer and his understanding with the director.
Aehsun Talish the surprise package
When he entered acting, people confused him with PTV News Caster Tauseeq Haider; he had big shoes to fill as he was the son of the great Agha Talish, the versatile character actor. Those who knew his acting prowess fell in love with his voice and that’s why when Samina Peerzada was in search of someone who could dub Zeeshan Sikandar’s dialogues in Inteha, the search stopped with Aehsun Talish. He then ventured into direction and added many feathers into his cap; be it the ISPR sponsored Wilco, the CSI inspired Code Name Red, HUM TV’s classic plays Alif Deewana, Allah Aur Insaan and Tabeer, Aehsun Talish has been there, done that.
His fans were missing him in front of the camera and by playing Muqaddar Khan, he has managed to satisfy his acting genes as well as appear as an actor for his fans. He is not only the main antagonist here, he plays it with so much craftiness that you tend to hate him every time he makes an appearance. It is usually hard for a director to act in his own play, but Aehsun Talish manages both the jobs with perfection; had his father been alive, he would have been proud of his son.
The mysterious plot, masterful execution
When was the last time you saw a play that left you wanting for more; a drama that revealed something new in every episode; a product where everything was not what it seemed. With its mysterious plot, masterful execution, and filmi treatment Mushk manages to take the audience back in time when things were simple but still deadly at the same time. The first episode ended with Osama Tahir’s character reveal, the second one told the audience how his character was imprisoned in the first place; the third episode revolved around his character’s apprehension as well as Guddi’s ouster while in the fourth one, Mehek reveals to Adam that she struck a deal with Guddi to avoid his family’s suspicions about the baby.
With so many twists and turns, with a pace that rivals the fastest dramas on air, breathtaking cinematography by Adeel Khalid, and Nadeem Rehman’s smart editing, Mushk promises to stay in demand for a long time. Like the many dramas of the day, the story starts and ends without any ‘Fade In, Fade Out’ a technique that has destroyed our TV industry as well as films; it seems like a well-thought-out project that has been executed with love, and not just to deliver stuff to the channel.
Each lady has a different shade
Usually, in our dramas, actresses have not much to do; and when they do get a chance to lead the cast, they end up either crying or making others cry as per the requirement. Mushk changes that perception as it pits powerful female characters against each other and the result is explosive.
The beautiful Momal Sheikh leads the cast as the mysterious Mehek who married her boyfriend while studying in England, had a kid with him, and in order to avoid her family’s suspicions asked Urwa Hocane’s Guddi to accompany her to her village as the child’s mother and her companion. This is Urwa’s first drama in the last 4 years but the way she essays the joyful Guddi is a treat to watch.
And then there is Zara Tareen who plays Mehek’s Tayi who believes that there is more to Guddi than it meets the eye. She banished her out of the village after she refused to serve her tea and then ensured that nobody followed her to the station, not even Mehek. What makes her character complete is that it has a backstory of its own; her husband was a womanizer who used to beat her, before becoming bedridden due to undisclosed reasons. She became nasty because of his ‘illness’ and also because she feels that she hasn’t gotten her due despite being the elder son’s wife.
Veteran Actors Show Their Skills
The first frame of Mushk featured the great Qavi Khan as a Coolie, whereas the legendary Manzoor Qureshi plays the cool and calm patriarch of the family. Qavi Khan has been part of Pakistan Television for nearly six decades whereas Manzoor Qureshi in his capacity as both an actor and a director has featured in numerous successful projects most notably the original Kiran Kahani in the 1970s.
The way Qavi sahib delivered the dialogue Ya To Yeh Bachay Ki Maan Nahi Aur Agar Maan Hai To Insaan Nahi was something only he could have understood and delivered perfectly. Manzoor Qureshi also manages to emit positive energy despite sitting on a real-life pressure cooker situation where the elder son’s wife and his own granddaughter are at loggerheads for Guddi who isn’t even part of their family.
Youngsters Are Not Far Behind
In Pakistani dramas, youngsters are usually cast in minor roles, and their characters aren’t allowed to develop or overshadow the major players, but not in Mushk. Here, Raza Talish and Seher Khan not only get a chance to prove their mettle but also emerge as part of a conspiracy that is yet to be revealed on screen.
How is Raza Talish’s character related to the major characters, who is Seher Khan’s character and how does their situation fit in the drama. Then there is kid actor Sami Khan who plays the servant in the haveli and knows about one or two secrets that aren’t known to all. Thankfully, he doesn’t play his usual irritating self and manages to portray a character that is inquisitive but helpful at the same time.
To Die For OST & Background Score
Finally, there are the players who are active behind the scene; without any doubt, Naveed Nashad is amongst the best OST composers in Pakistan, and the Mushk OST is amongst his best works. Not only does it bring back Ali Zafar to HUM TV (his last OST featured multiple artists) it gives the singer something worth his mettle.
Penned by Aehsun Talish and then adapted for background score by Mohsin Allah Ditta, Mushk OST adds value to the drama. The best part is, in some of the sequences it is so intelligently positioned that you forget about the expressions, the dialogues and the action on screen and nothing but the music remains etched in your mind.
from HUM TV – Watch Dramas Online https://ift.tt/2FwXgIT
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