While many viewers watch Pakistani dramas to disconnect from reality, this has also contributed to the brain-drain in Pakistani dramas with illogical plots, overacting and the dreaded lagging, zoom-in shots and flashbacks. When a show like “Kuch Ankahi” comes along, Pakistani drama viewers who are looking for quality genuinely breath a sigh of relief. There is something so subtle and just realistic about the treatment of this drama, telling real stories about real people. Starring Sajal Aly, Bilal Abbas Khan, Mira Sethi, Mohammed Ahmed, Irsa Ghazal, Vaneeza Ahmed, Babar Ali, Adnan Samad Khan, Sheheryar Munawar, Asma Abbas, Ali Safina, Qudsia Ali and others, the show has been written by Mohammed Ahmed himself and directed by Nadeem Baig.
In episode 4, Sufia’s (Vaneeza Ahmed) return has brought chaos into the household. While Sufia dotes on her nieces, she has also jumped into the battle for her inheritance – though Agha Ji (Mohammed Ahmed) stands firm that she was disowned by their father and has no such claim. Meanwhile, Tufail, Agha Ji’s brother, calls and clarifies that he never sent a notice and it was sent by his son. Things seem to be settling down a bit for Agha Ji in terms of family drama. Or are they? Sufia stirs the pot by demanding Samiya’s (Mira Sethi) marriage takes place immediately, doing ruksati instead of a simple Nikkah. Vaneeza Ahmed’s arrival has been worth the wait, changing dynamics. Sufia is an interesting character. She herself had a love marriage and has been strong enough to fight her battles – but recognizes that Samiya isn’t. Is she pushing this Rukhsati to pull out Samiya’s strong side and force her to fight for herself? Or is she just tired of seeing her family floundering around, waiting for this marriage that continues to drag? Either way, Sufia makes some good points, even if they are points that are unpalatable to Aaliyah (Sajal Aly) and Tania (Qudsia Ali). On the other hand, Aaliyah and Salman’s (Bilal Abbas Khan) fight comes to a head with Salman declaring he will now move into her house to trouble her – which will obviously make for hilarious viewing, so that’s something to look forward to.
There are some great moments in this episode worth talking about. First, Mira Sethi’s performance as Samiya has seemed somewhat underwhelming until now, but with episode four, we can see exactly what sort of daughter Samiya is. She feels saddled with a burden, the burden of being a daughter, and doesn’t want to add to her parents’ burden. She feels obligated to do as she is told as repayment for her parents keeping a roof over her head, despite the fact that her father is so supportive and has meaningful heart-to-heart conversations with her, instructing her to do what’s right for her. How many girls in South Asian society feel this weight on their shoulders? The scenes are simple, but convey so much about Samiya as a character.
There are some wonderful “human” characteristics within the characters on this show, not conforming to behaviors associated with particular genders. Watching Salman take care of household chores, listen to his mother’s nagging about getting married and even being scared of dogs are all things we’ve become accustomed to seeing in female characters on screen. Seeing these traits in Salman are what make the character so lovable and so realistic. Likewise, Aaliyah’s independence, resourcefulness in fixing her own problems and encouraging others, particularly Samiya, to kick toxic relationships to the curb puts Aaliyah in a bracket that we generally see in male characters. And while we know that this is truly reality, women and men having different shades to their personalities, seeing it on screen is refreshing and sets a great example for young minds watching. “Kuch Ankahi” is a wonderful watch and continues to be one of the best shows currently on television. Hopefully it can keep up this quality throughout the course of its run.
