Yes, many know Bilal Abbas Khan to be seamlessly switching between Shahmeer Sikander & Fazal Baksh but did you notice his 3rd persona in Ishq Murshid? No? Read on to find out!
Ishq Murshid is brought to our screens by Moomal Entertainment and MD Productions. The narrative is written by Abdul Khaliq Khan who wrote Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hai and is directed by Farooq Rind, who was also behind the directorially acclaimed Hum Kahan Ke Sachhay Thay. At the forefront of this compelling saga stand Bilal Abbas Khan as Shahmeer and Durefishan Saleem as Shibra, their portrayals breathing life into the central characters. Surrounding them, an ensemble cast graces the screen, featuring luminaries such as Samiya Mumtaz, Omair Rana, Noor ul Hasan, Salma Hasan, Hira Tareen, and Adnan Jaffar.
Ishq Murshid is not just showcasing romance but is also touching upon the mystical and comic bits as it strings us along intriguing political agendas, familial relationships and a sort of Jekyll and Hyde situation. With 5 episodes down, audiences are raving about Bilal Abbas Khan’s performance and his versatility of switching up his 2 characters so seamlessly! And we agree, the duality is commendable. He is truly making Fazal Baksh and Shahmeer Sikander come alive. But wait, there is also a 3rd persona….keep reading to find out!
Let’s touch base on the 3 personas Bilal is depicting wonderfully while he steals the show!
Ruthless & Mysterious Shahmeer Sikander
Shahmeer Sikander isn’t just a politican’s rich UK grad son, he is one rather, who carries the art of politics within. He believes politics runs in his blood: “Jin kay khoon mein badshahat hoti ha unhen ghulam nai banaty, Mein Zubaida Sikander ka beta hoon siyasat seekh kar nahi, ley kar paida hua hoon” As audiences, we are curious to see which side and kind of politics is he going to be veering towards – the corrupt and shady, or the righteous and just for the people? Will he follow in his father’s corrupt ways or his mother’s aspiring ways? With fervent passion, he talks about his late mother’s political party with, (we hope and would like to believe) a will to carry out his mother’s legacy.
But while he attempts to save his mother’s legacy and that is, her political party – he has emerged to be brutal, ruthless, politically savvy and shrewd. Butt that’s not all, he is also mysterious, complex and someone nobody dares mess with! He is a force to be reckoned with. He is not afraid of anything, as he says: “Ajj tak kuch aisa dekhan nae, tou kuch nae kehsaktay!” He truly is unhinged.
Goofy & Quirky Fazal Baksh
Bilal as Fazal Baksh, the government clerk earning a meagre income is goofy, kind, rather quirky but optimistic and puts others first instead of himself. He is an entertainer but also a smooth operator. Every time he appears onscreen, he leaves us smiling with his unpredictable shenanigans. Driven by his chaotic stories, his over enthusiastic self, Fazal Baksh leaves an impact as one of the most prominent characters in the drama, one that audiences are doting on. Each time he concocts a new, rather, strangely humorous anecdote and we are left intrigued, curious to know what’s coming next in his series of stories. Fazal Baksh is a scene stealer – truly funny and entertaining.
Simply, His Mother’s Son Shahmeer
It doesn’t strike you immediately, but as you fixedly watch Bilal Abbas switching between Shahmeer and Fazal Baksh, there are moments when he unknowingly reveals his 3rd, perhaps more real (and truly relatable), persona. Even though his mother, Zubaida Sikander has departed this world, she hasn’t left Shahmeer’s side, despite her passing, she is her son’s confidante, one he longs to talk to, about everything happening in his life, the one he rushes to, to disclose his feelings, the events transpiring in his life and his ambitions and dreams, ones he has been born with, bestowed to him by his mother – whose party he staunchly believed in and will protect at all costs.
When we see Shahmeer visit his mother’s grave or when he talks about his mother, lovingly remembers her – he is not the same ruthless, mysterious Shahmeer Sikander, nor is he the goofy, quirky Fazal Baksh. Here, he is melancholic, calm, simple, honest and just a son who confides in his mother. shares with her, the highs and lows of his day and misses her with all his heart. He is simple, optimistic yet vulnerable in the most endearing way, and Bilal Abbas Khan has nailed this third persona on-point, just like the other two.
Did you guess this 3rd persona of Bilal in the drama correctly? What did you think instead? Do let us know if you agree!
