The much-awaited small screen biggie Raqs-e-Bismil (literal translation: dance of the wounded), has been keenly awaited by the audience ever since its announcement in August. Produced as a joint collaboration between Shazia Wajahat and MD Productions, the drama has all the ingredients of a potential success; from the fresh and an exciting lead pair of Imran Ashraf and Sarah Khan, a stellar supporting cast which includes the Lollywood superstar Zara Sheikh, Wajahat Rauf’s directorial vision, and a script written by the Khuda Aur Muhabbat fame writer Hashim Nadeem.

The initial teasers of the drama have been released by Hum TV and they give a glimpse of what to expect from the story.

A Story Of Contrasts

Producer Shazia Wajahat has described the drama as, “an intense story of love and passion between two souls from different worlds.” And judging from the teasers, Wajahat Rauf appears to have hit the right creative chords in his treatment of what looks like a love story that include some high-intensity thriller elements to it.

Most of the focus of the teasers was on Moosa, the character played by Imran Ashraf. He appears to be a man who doesn’t hesitate in getting physical to get his point across. Some bits of Moosa manhandling the character played by Anoushey Abbasi, going so far as to tie her up to a tree as a form of punishment, is a preview of the limits the character can go to.

Interestingly, there is also a softness to Moosa that the teasers have made a point to show. His interaction with the heroine of the drama played by Sarah Khan show Moosa to be a man completely devoted to the woman he loves. This is in contrast to how the character appears to punish others for falling in love. There is also this intriguing dialogue said by Anoushey Abbasi where she curses Moosa to fall in love with someone only to end up never be united with them.

The biggest win for the teasers is their background score. It elevates the mood of the teasers, making them more engrossing and impactful. The teasers have definitely piqued the audience’s interest because they are promising a love story that appears to be both unconventional and intense.

Casting Win

Fans of Imran Ashraf and Sarah Khan are in for a treat as the two-promise spectacular on-screen chemistry judging by the teasers. The characters that they are playing hail from two different worlds and this stark contrast in their characters make the pairing even more dramatic and intriguing.  

The supporting cast of Raqs-e-Bismil includes big names like Zara Sheikh, Saleem Mairaj, Mehmood Aslam, Anoushey Abbasi, Momin Saqib, Nida Mumtaz, Gul-e-Rana, Javeria Abbasi and Furqan Qureshi. It is definitely a stellar cast that is known for always delivering their A-game when it comes to performing their characters on screen. The audience are likely to be in for a treat with such reliable actors coming together for a project of this magnitude.

Problematic Writing?

Dialogues penned by Hashim Nadeem seem to be impactful and are staying true to the drama’s cultural set-up. Some of the dialogues with patriarchal content have been presented with gusto, like the character played by Mahmood Aslam’s saying, “Larki ke qadam aik martaba ghar se bahir nikal jayen to phir usay badnaami ki rahon par agay bharnay se koi nahi rok sakta,” displays the misogynistic mindset existing within the society.

It would be wrong to judge an entire story as being problematic based on one dialogue shown in the drama’s teaser. However, we will be looking forward to seeing whether the drama manages to justify and balance this kind of patriarchal misogyny with something progressive.

Final Word

Raqs-e-Bismil promises to be a gripping tale of two contrasting worlds blended together through diverse characters, superlative performances, winner background score, and impactful dialogues. The drama is expected to go on-air soon on Hum TV.