With Zee Zindagi in India airing our Pakistani dramas, Indian viewers are being introduced to old dramas. But not just Indian viewers - a lot of Pakistani viewers have taken this time to re-watch (or watch for the first time) some gems for the second time. When "Ishq Gumshuda" originally aired, it was at a time where I was unable to watch the show in full, therefore I only watched it in bits and pieces with my mother-in-law, not really registering the details. When I saw that it was airing on Zee Zindagi, I was reminded of what a popuar show it was and decided to watch the show from start to finish again. It also helps that Haissam Hussain is my favorite director, which was a huge push to revisit this show. Was it worth the 17 back-to-back episodes? You bet!
The Story:
The show focuses on three childhood friends, Ali (Hamayun Saeed), Aalizeh (Sarwat Gillani) and Neha (Aamina Sheikh). Not only are the three friends, but are woven together by their parents who serve as a close-knit extended family to each other despite not being blood related. Throughout the years, Ali and Aalizeh's parents have always assumed that Ali and Aalizeh would eventually get married. This assumption rang true with everyone in Ali & Aalizeh's life, from their families to their other friend Neha to even their co-workers and the casual observer of their friendship - an assumption that was entirely lost on the two themselves. One day, when Ali's mother mentions her "khwaahish" of seeing Aalizeh as her daughter-in-law, Ali realizes his strong feelings for Aalizeh. However, when Aalizeh comes to know of the "rishta talk" between their parents, she becomes upset and refuses to speak to Ali. At this time, Neha tries to play peacemaker, only to be dragged into the mess. Ali, in his embarrassment at being rejected, makes amends with Aalizeh by telling her that he's actually in love with Neha and proposes to her. Neha is initially hesitant, but reluctantly agrees to marry Ali (though understanding the situation). Aalizeh is overjoyed at the idea of her two best friends in love and getting married and whole-heartedly participates in their wedding.
The situation becomes complicated immediately, with Aalizeh internally realizing her jealousy and loss after seeing that Ali & Neha now have a life of their own, one that does not include her (as closely as she had once been). In her misery, she begins to act out, worrying her parents and everyone around her, including Neha and Ali. Ali's persistent interest in Aalizeh's life is not lost on Neha and this creates a rift in their marriage. On the other end, Aalizeh begins spending more and more time with a new "older" friend (Javed Sheikh). But what will be the outcome of this friendship?
When one watches a Hussaim Hussain drama, the viewer is instantly drawn into the world presented before them - whether it be a period piece set in partition times (Dastaan), an imaginary tale set in an imaginary world (Aik Nayee Cinderella, Noor Pur Ki Rani), a comedic household (Aunn Zara) or.....a realistic world with realistic characters and painfully realistic emotions, which is what we see in Ishq Gumshuda.
The world of Ali, Aalizeh and Neha is compelling, not only because of their realistic friendship, but because of their realistic relationships. Whether it be Aalizeh's incredibly loving yet worldly parents, Ali's doting mother, or Neha's worrying parents, each relationship hits home. These people could be our very own parents. We also see how, despite not getting his first love, Javed Sheikh (I can't remember his character's name) still lovingly cares for Pari (Samina Peerzada) with all his attention. These are REAL relationships, REAL emotions and REAL situations.
My husband happily sat with me while I watched this show and enjoyed it possibly as much as I did - and that's saying something, because he rarely ever does.
I've read some reviews saying that this show is slow or this show doesn't have a ground-breaking story - but really, why do we watch these shows? For melodrama? I can watch Star Plus for that. I watch these shows for beautiful stories with real emotions, great performances and the magic that comes from those depictions - and Ishq Gumshuda scores on every level there.
The Performances
While Hamayun Saeed has always been a great performer, I could never call myself a fan. Once he began calling himself the self-proclaimed "SRK of Pakistan," I was more or less turned off. However, no one can deny that this man is an incredible actor when he puts his mind to it. In Ishq Gumshuda, he IS Ali. You feel Ali's pain, anger, confusion and then conflict between the two women in his life. While he tries to do everything "right," his version of right, Neha's version of right and Aalizeh's version are not always the same thing. He does a great job of making Ali a "good guy" - a lesser actor and Ali could've easily been seen as a bad person.
Sarwat Gillani as Aalizeh is the show-stealer. She is perfect in this role. Bubbly, carefree, a firebrand and a rebel, her happiness is short-lived when she feels her own life spiraling out of control after making the biggest mistake of her life - letting her first love go. From that point onward, Aalizeh desperately clutches at straws, trying to salvage her world. It's Sarwat's peformance that makes the crazy, confused, wreck of a person that Aalizeh is....lovable. You cry for her. You feel for her. You want there to be a good outcome for her. Kudos to Sarwat for this performance.
This was Aamina Sheikh's second role and she does a good job with it. She plays the role of Neha perfectly. Neha is essentially your "good girl," but how much does a good girl have to take before she realizes she's being taken for a ride? When does she put her foot down and say ENOUGH? And it's in this role that Aamina makes us feel for Neha. Neha isn't a doormat, she isn't a lovesick puppy, she isn't a domestic goddess. She's a living, breathing girl who is nice by nature but willing to stick up for herself, even if that means against her two best friends. Aamina's performance is great, though she has much less screen time compared to Sarwat.
The supporting cast is ALL excellent, namely Hina Bayat, Asif Raza Mir and Javed Sheikh. These three take their roles and cast a spell with their maturity, dialogues and poetic realism. The scene towards the end between Asif Raza Mir and Hina Bayat is a stand-out one! Shamim Hilali and Samina Peerzada are also nice in smaller, but equally important roles.
Bottom Line: Ishq Gumshuda is a show that has been spoken about possibly less than other popular shows - but it's equally as beautiful and heartfelt. I always feel you can't go wrong with Hussaim Hussain's shows and he proves me RIGHT every time. Don't miss this one (like I did)!
Happy watching!
Confession: I do like Humayun Saeed and am disappointed that he doesn't seem to be acting these days. I think he is a very talented actor and would like to see more of him.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, I might not have agreed with you. After Ana, Riyasat, Yaad To Aayen Ge, etc., my brain spun into a weird sort of Hamayun Saeed irritation. But I don't deny that he's given amazing performances in several great dramas. I think I needed this break though. NOW, I would love to see him in a drama, though hopefully playing his age. I really enjoyed seeing him in "Main Shahid Afridi Hoon." I feel like there's a lacking of an actor of his stature on screen these days, especially with Fawad Khan taking a break from TV.
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