With every project, HUM TV takes the viewer’s expectations to a higher altitude. And the hopes from Raqs-e-Bismil are no less. Ever since the initial teasers released, the vibrant colors, the mesmerizing visuals, the hi-octane drama creatively tangled in the screenplay, the heart melting emotions, the alluring OST, and the electrifying chemistry between the lead pair caught the attention of one and all. So did the show meet expectations? Let’s Analyze
The premise: Raqs-e-Bismil takes off with a Syed household headed by Peer Qudrat-Ullah Shah (Mehmood Aslam). He is a father of two sons Moosa (Imran Ashraf) and Essa (Momin Saqib). Rauf keeps the momentum high right from the word go when Moosa and Essa gatecrash their cousin Sakina’s (Anoushay Abbasi) wedding. Sakina faces the heat as her boyfriend Kamran (Taha Humayun) isn’t a Syed. The situation aggravates further when Peer Sahab forces his decision on Sakina to get married to his younger son Essa.
The supremely talented storyteller Wajahat Rauf emits the right signals that he promised with the first look. He stirs the audience imagination by attempting a tale of a doomed love. Rauf along with his writer Hashim Nadeem embellish the play with intriguing characters and inspiring sub-plots. He makes sure that the writing is tight; the pacing is right and at no point does the narrative deviates into unnecessary tracks. He handles his performers with compassion and intelligence. The production designs are executed with magnificence. The apparels and styling of the characters are on point.
Love is a strange beast in Raqs-e-Bismil’s universe; you never actually identify its various facets and complications. It’s borne out of a wordless moment, a shift of gaze, and a shy glance, here in the case of Sarah Khan’s eyes on which the first episode concludes.
One of the highpoint of Raqs-e-Bismil is, undoubtedly, its lead actors. Imran Ashraf, in a new avatar, outshines himself as Moosa. He sheds his inhibitions and delivers a flawless performance. The crackling chemistry between Imran and Sarah as seen in the promos surely got many hearts racing. There’s always a fresh vibe when viewers watch something new on-screen. It provides them with a break from the tried and tested pairing. It even helps actors to bring out their fresh side. We can’t wait to witness the confrontation between them in the next episode.
In a big project where each actor plays an important part to take the narrative forward, the supporting actors need to be good. And they are! Anoushay Abbasi’s portrayal of Sakina deserves brownie points. Momin Saqib’s presence is refreshing. Mehmood Aslam is dependable. Nida Mumtaz and Javeria Abbasi perform their respective parts well.
Raqs-e-Bismil succeeds in evoking emotions; it’s a refreshing experience backed up by a wonderful script, good actors, and great directions. It will be interesting to see how the narrative unfolds and balances its pace in the upcoming episodes. But for a first episode, it’s a flying start!
A quote that is my bible: “I never lose. I always win or I learn.” Doing something new everyday excites me, keeps me going. “Who am I?” is a question that I like asking myself every now and then, making a deliberate effort that I have a new answer for it every time. Therefore I constantly strive to surprise the industry with facts and truth through meaningful writings.