‘Ishq Murshid’: why Shibra and Shahmeer’s pairing is the perfect example of the ‘golden retriever, black cat’ trope
The internet is incredibly fond of categorising their favourite books and dramas according to their favourite tropes such as ‘rivals to lovers’, ‘academic enemies to lovers’, ‘she fells first and he fell hard’ and so on. Recently, I have noticed that tiktok users seems to have fallen hard for another trope which is called ‘Golden retriever and black cat’.
For those out there who aren’t as chronically online as I am, let me break down this trope for you. It is a character dynamic when two people with opposite personalities enter into a relationship with each other. One person is the black cat: someone who is poised, calm and reserved as a cat usually is. While the other person has the same energy as the golden retriever, clumsy, loud and has a cheerful personality.
While the internet seems to reserve these tropes solely for Hollywood or Korean dramas, I would like to present forward a drama that has developed a strong fan base online, and is the perfect example of why this trope is so good.
Ishq Murshid debuted last year in October starring Durefishan Saleem and Bilal Abbas in titular roles, and created an online storm with their spectacular chemistry and wholesome message. Even after the drama finished, fans haven’t stopped sharing their favourite screen cap, moments, quotes, and have even been pleading for a chance that we could get both lead actors in another drama together.
Durefishan Saleem plays Shibra, or as we would categorise her as the black cat in the pairing. She is headstrong and opinionated to the point that she even confronts politicians in a way that terrifies them.
Shibra is consistently badgered by her mother to settle down in a stable marriage, but she refuses to do so because of her passion of completing her masters degree in international relations, and following her father’s footsteps by entering in to the civil service field. She drives away several marriage proposals with her opinions, and is also not afraid to call out relatives with sinister intentions such as her phupoo, who was pressuring her father to help her unemployed son find a job in the government.
While Bilal Abbas Khan plays the fun-loving and endearing Shahmeer, the son of a politician. Although in the beginning of the drama he is seen as a cold-hearted and reserved man because of his father’s strong political connections, but how he falls in love with Shibra is the perfect example of why he’s the golden retriever of the relationship.
Although Shahmeer falls in love with Shibra when they first meet at her friend’s wedding, she immediately dismisses him because of her strong dislike of those who succeed because of nepotism. Shahmeer works hard to get in not only Shibra’s good graces, but also her father’s. He immediately adapts a new personality as the humble labourer Fazl Baksh, and gets a job as a simple clerk at her father’s office so that he could develop a strong relationship with the family. As the episodes progress, as the audience we keep falling for Shahmeer/Fazl Baksh even more because of how supportive he is of Shibra’s ambition, rather than standing in the way even when his own position is being harmed. When Shibra is sent to jail by Shahmeer’s father because of the way she taunts him for driving over a pedestrian and killing him, Shahmeer utilises his own connections to pressure him into letting her go.
Read more:Here are five Pakistani dramas with male leads that are so ‘written by a woman’ coded
Or when the phupoo threatens to make her son divorce Sukaina because of the father’s consistent refusal to help him find a job, Shahmeer discretely steps up once again to help the family out of this mess. He helps the son get a job, and threatens the phupoo to stay away from Shibra, Sukaina and their parents. He’s the perfect golden retriever to Shibra’s black cat, someone who helps out those he loves without any demands or expectations.
Ishq Murshid and the banter between the main leads
Especially how sparks fly off the screen every single time we see Shibra and Shahmeer/Fazl Baksh bantering over something silly, or even just sitting together and watching the stars, you feel like you’re imposing on their privacy. This is where I set my case that your honour, there is no better dynamic out there who embody the ‘golden retriever, black cat’ energy the way these two do.
Shibra x Shahmeer ~ the most adorable couple of ptv🥹💕I love these cuties so much😭💕#IshqMurshid #Durefishan #BilalAbbasKhan pic.twitter.com/EDetLuOq2A
— Aakliti (@yehxdooriyaan) November 21, 2024
ishq murshid shahmeer sikandar looking at shibra suleman #ishqmurshid #bilalabbas #durefishan #shahmeersikandar #shibrasuleman #shibmeer pic.twitter.com/YT4KuJmR6N
— taps media acc (@ayechupbeyre) September 23, 2024
Although the drama has been over for a while, it’s magic remains unbeatable because there is no gorgeous pairing out there like Durefishan and Bilal. Both of them brought a lot of charm and wit to the screen and that is why, more people keep going back to re-watch ‘Ishq Murshid’ over and over again. We’re just hoping that this isn’t just an anomaly, and we get more pairings like these to keep the internet a wholesome place.
