# Ishq Murshid (2023) Review: A Rich Man's Humble Disguise > Ishq Murshid is a breezy Pakistani romance in which a wealthy young man hides his identity to win the woman he loves, lifted by Bilal Abbas Khan's charm. Canonical: https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/ishq-murshid-review/ Published: 2026-07-24 Last updated: 2026-09-25 Author: Kaiser Khan — Founder & Editor Language: English Review basis: direct-viewing Spoilers: none Rating: 4/5 ## Verdict Yes. It is an easy, warm-hearted Urdu romance with genuine star chemistry, best for viewers who want comfort viewing rather than a heavy family saga. ## Is Ishq Murshid worth watching? **Yes. Ishq Murshid is a charming, crowd-pleasing romance that became one of the biggest Pakistani drama events of its season, and its popularity is easy to understand.** Bilal Abbas Khan carries the serial with a light, funny, quietly romantic lead performance, and his scenes with Dur-e-Fishan Saleem have a spark that many longer-running love stories lack. The reservation is length: at 32 episodes, the disguise-driven plot has to be stretched, and the middle of the run repeats its misunderstandings more than it needs to. ## What is Ishq Murshid about? Shahmeer (Bilal Abbas Khan) is a prosperous young man who falls in love and decides to win the woman he adores on her terms rather than with his money. To get close to her, he disguises himself as a kind-hearted man of modest means looking for work, and takes a job at her father's office. The fun of the premise lies in watching a privileged man try to live as an ordinary one, and in the tension of a secret that grows harder to keep with every episode. [Ishq Murshid](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/ishq-murshid/) is a Pakistani serial in Urdu, directed by Farooq Rind, which aired on Hum TV. The supporting cast includes Omair Rana, Zarmeena Ikram and Samiya Mumtaz. This review covers the complete story: a single season of 32 episodes broadcast across 2023 and 2024, and the serial has ended. ## Bilal Abbas Khan's double game The show rests almost entirely on its lead, and [Bilal Abbas Khan](https://celluloidscore.com/stars/asia/pakistan/bilal-abbas-khan/) is well cast. The disguise premise effectively gives him two roles to play at once: the confident, wealthy man he really is and the humble, slightly awkward persona he adopts. He finds comedy in the gap between them without winking at the audience, and he plays the romance with a sincerity that stops the setup from feeling like a gimmick. Dur-e-Fishan Saleem is his match. She gives the heroine a steady, principled warmth, and the serial is at its best in the unhurried scenes where the two simply talk. The chemistry is built on glances and small kindnesses rather than melodrama, which is a refreshing change for the genre. ## A fairy tale told with a light touch Ishq Murshid belongs to a long tradition of romances about a rich suitor in disguise, and it knows it. Farooq Rind keeps the tone brisk and generous, and the serial avoids the relentless suffering that defines many Pakistani family dramas. A darker strand involving power and corruption sits in the background, adding stakes without turning the show into a lecture. The music does a good deal of work, too. The title song became a hit in its own right, and the serial uses it to cue the romantic high points, giving even routine episodes a lift. ## Where the length shows The weakness is structural rather than tonal. A premise built on a single secret can only sustain so many near-discoveries, and around the midpoint the serial begins to circle, with supporting characters and side plots filling time before the central story moves again. Some of those secondary characters are drawn broadly, and viewers used to tighter streaming seasons may be tempted to skim. ## Who should watch Ishq Murshid? This is ideal for fans of feel-good romance, for Bilal Abbas Khan's admirers and for newcomers to Pakistani drama who want something lighter than the genre's weepier classics. Committing to 32 episodes is a real investment, but the format suits steady, episode-a-night viewing. Content is family-friendly by the standards of the form: some conflict and threat, no graphic material. If you enjoy it, three good companions: - [Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/kabhi-main-kabhi-tum-review/), another recent romance built on a lead pairing with unusually strong chemistry. - [Parizaad](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/parizaad-review/) for a more reflective story about a young man whose circumstances shape how he is loved. - [Humsafar](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/humsafar-review/), the classic Pakistani romance that set the template for a generation of serials. ## The verdict Ishq Murshid is a warm, confident romantic drama that earns its huge following through performance and tone rather than twists. It runs longer than its story strictly requires, but Bilal Abbas Khan and Dur-e-Fishan Saleem make the time pass pleasantly, and the serial delivers exactly the comfort viewing it promises. **Rating: 4/5** ## Related title - [Ishq Murshid (2023)](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/ishq-murshid/) ## Editorial - [Editorial standards](https://celluloidscore.com/about/editorial-policy/) - [Report a correction](https://celluloidscore.com/about/corrections/)