Written by: Hurmat Majid
Posted on: March 10, 2021 | 
| 中文
Mani and Farhad in Khuda Aur Muhabbat
The third season of Khuda Aur Mohabbat started airing last month and Pakistani viewers are watching in throngs. With episodes getting over 20 million YouTube views on average, one has to wonder what is the appeal of this drama. Written by Hashim Nadeem, the multi-million-rupee project comes with an all-star cast, with Feroz Khan and Iqra Aziz replacing Imran Abbas and Sadia Khan as the main leads.
The Cast and Crew of Khuda Aur Muhabbat
This time, Aziz is shown to be the one from an affluent family, while Khan is from a lower socio-economic background. The theme, however still revolves around unrequited love and man’s discovery of God. Mahi (Aziz) and Farhad (Khan) are shown to meet at Mahi’s best friend’s ongoing marathon wedding in Lahore, while they are both originally from Multan. The friend Rida (Meher Bano), is the daughter of the extremely wealthy Saith Nisar (Javed Shaikh). and Mahi is shown to be haughty while Farhad seems to be diligently working. Although there are moments of tenderness that linger between the two, is largely acknowledged that Mahi does not reciprocate Farhad’s feelings. If the trailers for the drama are anything to go by, it appears that Farhad may not necessarily get Mahi’s love, but will find a greater path to self discovery in an attempt to ease the pain of his heart.
Khan and Aziz have both done justice to their roles, as expected of them. Even though it initially seemed like Aziz had been typecast as a naïve yet bubbly girl, she manages to convince the viewers that she really is an upper class snob. On the other hand, viewers are still waiting for Khan to showcase more range as the show progresses, but for now, he is just a one-dimensional boy in love. Meher Bano and Javed Sheikh have both done justice to their roles, but the latter has played the same role many times. One would expect something new or creative, but that talent has not been utilized. Noorul Hasan as the oracle has been marvelous, and we can see that that television darlings Rubina Ashraf, Usman Pirzada, Junaid Khan and Hina Bayat will all have bigger roles to play in the drama.
Iqra Aziz as Mahi
From the start, viewers know that the drama has been written to showcase the grandeur of the production and setting, rather than focus on the development of the story and characters. Four episodes in, the drama is moving quite slowly, but all of that has been overshadowed by the grandeur and opulence that it projects, with wide camera angle shots and elaborate wedding sets that look good enough for royalty.
That said, there is hope that the next few episodes will showcase a better writing quality. In the earlier episodes, Farhad (Khan) is shown to be a typical young adult boy who is insecure, reckless and not quite ready to enter adulthood, until he sees Mahi (Aziz) and suddenly decides to lose these character traits, perhaps in an attempt to woo her. Another question that viewers may ask is why an otherwise well-connected billionaire (Javed Sheikh) is relying on, and indebted to, someone he does not know.
Feroz Khan as Farhad
These are some of the major flaws, which one watching the show with a critical eye can see. If the purpose of viewing the show is entertainment, the flaws can be easily overlooked. And that may be the case, given the positive reviews. In fact, the unusual success of ‘Khuda Aur Muhabbat’ have led many to question the validity of the online ratings, and whether the show’s success can be attributed to the hype around it or a carefully crafted interest in the drama
This show leads viewers and critics to a discussion about the production quality of a show versus its content. The show runners have put careful thought in the way the scenes have been shot, the quality of the wardrobe, the emphasis on continuity in the serial and all other production-related processes.
A Scene from the Shrine
In-turn, even if the story is now quite predictable, people are enjoying the show because of the way it has been shot and executed in an almost escapist way. The audiences enjoy watching the characters of the drama reach for the unattainable. Whether it is the woman they can’t have, the car they can’t drive or the house they can’t live in, people enjoy witnessing a lifestyle much grander than their own, while placing themselves in either protagonists’ shoes.
An Aerial View of Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore
However, viewers are not passive or ignorant to poor storytelling. With the rise in socially conscious dramas, there is still most likely a market of viewers still interested in the story of unrequited love, as well as those who are drawn to experiences of spirituality. The final verdict is that while the drama may be forgettable in terms of its plot and characters (which are loosely based on the developments of the previous seasons), it may be worth watching for its dazzling location and the hope of love surviving despite all obstacles.
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