Qubool Hai 2.0 Review: A Beloved Television Soap Opera Comes Back To Life

Qubool Hai 2 Review: The once-hit television drama Qubool Hai is back on the small screen, this time on the OTT platform of Zee5, and we get to see two of our favourite TV actors, Surbhi Jyoti and Karan Singh Grover, back together as a couple.

I still remember the days when the soap opera used to air every weekday evening, and everybody in my house would be glued to the TV screen. At least in the first year of its run, the show became the talk of the town for being one of the firsts to focus on the Muslim community. Qubool hai was also credited for pioneering Muslim oriented programming in Indian television, and soon shows like Jodha Akbar on Zee TV and Beintehaa on Colors followed.

Qubool Hai 2.0 is produced and written by Mrinal Jha, the very same person who was behind the creation of the original show as well. Qubool Hai 2.0 is directed by Glen Barretto and Ankush Mohla, and stars Priyal Gor, Vishal Nayak, Nehalaxmi Iyer, Mandira Bedi, Arif Zakaria, Kavita Ghai and Gulfam Khan, amongst others. The web series is 10 episodes long, with a run-time of 25 minutes each. Most of the shooting for Qubool Hai 2.0 took place in Serbia, which is the premise of the show as well.

What is The Plot of Qubool Hai 2.0 About?

Fans of the original show will feel a sense of déjà vu since Asad (Karan Singh Grover) and Zoya (Surbhi Jyoti) meet under very similar circumstances in the web series – Zoya is looking for her father and chances upon Asad, a man who is not exactly what he seems to be. In the very opening scenes of Qubool Hai 2.0, the audience is given the backstory that sets the plot into motion. Asad is a well-known shooting champion who is all set to represent India in a tournament happening in Serbia, while Zoya seems to be preparing herself for her wedding with Salman Ansari (Ankit Raj). But soon enough we realise that Zoya is getting ready for something different altogether: on the D-day, she decides to run away from her destination wedding.

As fate would have it, the two protagonists cross paths and Asad somehow gets tangled up in Zoya’s mission of going to Pakistan to find her father, who is also the defence minister of the country. Secrets start to unravel as they travel to Islamabad together and Asad’s identity as an undercover spy for the Indian government is also on the verge of being exposed.

The Verdict: A Decent Watch

Karan Singh Grover and Surbhi Jyoti’s chemistry is bang on and the latter’s natural acting undoubtedly steals the show. Jyoti as Zoya, with her famous 'Allah miyaan what's wrong with you' dialogue is reminiscent of her OG character and bubbliness kind of reminded me of Geet from Jab We Met. Although one cannot say the same for Asad's character. In comparison to Jyoti, Karan Singh Grover looks stiff and out-of-place – he carries the same expression throughout the show. Which honestly is pretty disappointing seeing the range of performances that KSG has delivered on television over the years.

Each of the episodes is a cliff-hanger, which makes Qubool Hai 2.0 a good binge-watch. The series itself ends at a pivotal moment, so one can perhaps expect a new season somewhere around the corner. There are themes of patriotism and betrayal peppered everywhere in this cross-border show. And although the plot has quite some loopholes and editing anomalies, a willing suspension of disbelief is all you need to make Qubool Hai 2.0 a fairly entertaining watch.

Picture Credit: Zee5

Views expressed are the author’s own.