Bilal Abbas is a handsome and capable actor but he’s overacting in ‘Ishq Murshid’: Waseem Abbas

Actor attributes show’s success to Bilal’s on-screen chemistry with costar Durefishan Saleem

Veteran actor Waseem Abbas recently shared his two cents on Bilal Abbas’s performance in the hit drama serial Ishq Murshid and strongly advised him to refrain from “overdoing” the role. During the candid conversation with host Mukarram Kaleem who brought up the drama’s popularity, Waseem appreciated Bilal’s on-screen chemistry with his co-star but felt that it sometimes got overshadowed by an occasional overacting.

“I would say that he it (the drama) has the prayers of a murshid (religious guide),” Waseem offered with a laugh. “Honestly, the episode I have watched that we are going to discuss now…Farooq Rind is a very big director, a big name who has made incredible TV plays.”

As per the actor, the latest from Rind has baffled him by prioritising narrative over reality. “I don’t understand how a reasonable man has rented out a room to a young and handsome boy and his daughter and him can romance each other on the rooftop for eight or so minutes,” Waseem contended.

He went on to highlight the inconsistent logic underlying this portrayal, saying, “It’s not in a room, no. They choose a place in the open where if they were to get caught, there would be no room for excuses.”

Touching upon Bilal’s craft, Waseem said, “At certain points, Bilal Abbas overacts,” before describing a scene from the drama where he insists the former’s acting is excessively done and fails to match the conversation’s tone. He added, “The play has amassed a billion views. He is a very handsome actor, he’s done a lot of good work, a very capable actor, no doubt about that but he’s overplaying his character [in Ishq Murshid].”

Remarking on the widely adored on-screen chemistry between Bilal and his co-star Durefishan Saleem, Waseem shared his theory as to why the series became popular. “I think people are hooked on the romantic scenes between the two. They both look very nice romancing each other,” he maintained that the show’s romance was ‘covering’ a lot of its faults.