Fans say Qubool Hai to the much loved Muslim social drama!

Amongst all, Muslim community is acknowledged as one of the well-established and prosperous community, however, it represents just about 15% of the total Indian populace. Yet, the ever palatial and traditional religion has been unsuccessful to occupy a central space in the Indian television industry. 

Down the line, Urdu dialect channels like Zee Salam, ETV-Urdu and the government owned DD-Urdu have somewhere been ahead of the game.  Interestingly, they came up with shows that touched the Muslim community and its culture. Indeed in an overwhelmingly Hindu society, Muslim social films and serials of yesteryear have been very popular and appreciated by the audiences.

Remember the ever captivating show 'Heena' that aired on Sony TV, featuring the very gorgeous Simone Singh? The much cherished show commenced in the year 1998 and went on till the end of five years in 2003. This particular show which was based on the trials and tribulations of a Muslim lady Heena Mirza outstandingly achieved a humongous fan-following across the nation.

So it becomes quite evident that the Indian audience always prefers to watch something other than the usual story. The present trend of television shows focus on women centric shows with stories which have a regional foundation depicting the rich society of  Rajasthan (Balika Vadhu), Gujarat (Sanskaar - Dharohar Apnon Ki), Punjab (Veera) and Haryana (Kaisa Yeh Ishq Hai… Ajab Sa Risk Hai).

In the present scenario, producer-director Gul Khan has endeavored to be distinctive by producing a show that explores the Islamic culture than the religion.  'Qubool Hai' by Gul Khan which launched in October last year, aims at changing the perception of Muslim women in contemporary times through the eyes of the three protagonists- the gorgeous, intensified and progressive NRI Zoya (Surbhi Jyoti), the very charming Ayaan (Vikrant Massey) who falls for every beautiful face and the anxious Asad (Karan Singh Grover) who learns to love in the long run. Qubool Hai is an excursion to courageously accept what God has given us. However, Muslim influence can be witnessed in the composition, illustration, cuisine and etiquette of Bhopal City. Besides this the Muslim social show likewise showcases sentiment and an extraordinary flavor of Urdu dialect. 

During its inception, with flat TRPs, the show wandered off for a considerable while. Anyhow, bit by bit, Qubool Hai turned magical and obtained the most astounding TRPs amongst the recently secured well-doing shows.  In its 10^th week, this show emerged as a number one fiction show on Zee TV that accounted a TVR of 3.4, pushing 'Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke' in the second position. Not just that, even during the on-going IPL season, when rest of the shows were battling for TRPs, Qubool hai was in solace, exhibiting an elevated TRP, from an insignificant 2.6 to an exceptional 3.2 rating.

In a rat race to grab more eyeballs, the show has successfully injected all the possible elements in the show, including a stereotypical vamp Tanveer (Amrapalli Gupta), who is showcased possessing a sinister nature. The more she is being disliked by the fans for causing an obstacle between Asad and Zoya, it becomes more evident that the show is doing an exemplary job!

In spite of several attempts, Asad (Karan Singh Grover) is unable to get rid of the myth that he has harbored over the years. He believes that he is made of the same ilk as his father, who betrayed his mom. Consequently, he fears falling in love with the wrong woman.

On the same hand, the interesting plot of the story- where the main leads Zoya and Asad are on the verge of getting married appears to serve as a catalyst to keep the audiences tied to the show. In the forthcoming chapter of the show, you will notice that Asad arranges a lavish EID Party, inviting the big names and tycoons of the city, in order to help Zoya (Surbhi Jyoti) discover her lost father!

The interesting twist and turns in the tale has left the viewers baffled on what will happen next? This curiosity amongst the audience has helped the show to reach 7213 points last week (Week 31)!

Needless to say, the high voltage dramatization on the show is being slurped up joyfully by the audience and it seems that Qubool Hai has infused a fresh lease of life into Indian Television!

Monica Varma