“Sinf e Aahan” has been lagging lately with little focus on any one story and too much emphasis on the army training sequences. Starring Sajal Aly, Yumna Zaidi, Kubra Khan, Syra Yousuf, Ramsha Khan and others, the story has been written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Nadeem Baig. While many believed this would be the perfect female-centric show, it has been slightly disappointing with too many female characters and too little time given to their individual stories.
It always seems that the story only moves forward when the girls are back at home, visiting. This only cements the belief that “Sinf E Aahan” should have only focused on their training for the initial episodes and then moved on to depict their professional lives and how they balanced their professional and personal commitments – which is something that needs to be depicted. It would have been wonderful to see, on-screen, how women can handle their profession while also keeping their families happy. Episode 20 is a great pick-up from the past few episodes as the girls are back home, reconnecting with their families.
Episode 20 gives attention specifically to Pariwesh (Ramsha Khan) and Shaista (Yumna Zaidi), something which has been lacking recently. With Pariwesh winning the shooting competition against the Sardar’s son, she has returned home a hero. It may be idealistic, but the way both the Sardar’s son and the Sardar himself react to Pariwesh’s win is so heartwarming, it brings viewers to tears. Giving back her father’s land papers, the Sardar blesses Pariwesh and says she has made them all proud. Their land being taken away has been an issue for Pariwesh and her family, so the impact of this scene is not lost on the audience. Pariwesh has essentially fulfilled her duty to her family as a bread earner, winning back what was once lost. Ramsha Khan and Zahir Lehri as Jamal give standout performances this week!
Of course, the story also gives fans a long-awaited moment between Shaista and Kamil (Junaid Jamshed). While Shaista has always had a problem with her engagement to Kamil, we have seen in recent episodes that she is upset about her engagement breaking off. So what exactly has Shaista’s problem been with Kamil who, even according to Shaista herself, loves her and has always been a supportive partner? At the end of the day, the bottom line all comes down to…..being asked. Shaista’s problem has always been that this engagement was forced on her. She was never asked her opinion and now that this culture is changing within her household, she is able to recognize that Kamil is her own choice after all. It’s sweet to see Shaista express this to Kamil, as he has truly done everything in his power to keep Shaista happy – even if that meant stepping back. This is a root-worthy couple and Yumna Zaidi and Junaid Jamshed have enacted their parts really well this week.
What this episode shows is that when proper focus is given to stories, the stories do manage to make an impact. This is what has been lacking up until now. We are given a small window into Rabia’s (Sajal Aly) issues with her ex-fiance and how she no longer has a desire to make it work, along with Kiran’s (Sonia Mishal) small steps towards making her marriage work. Hopefully these stories and the rest with Aarzoo, Nathmy and Mehjabeen are given proper attention as well. This is a step in the right direction – but it should not have taken twenty episodes to get here.