ARY’s Cheekh began as an ambitious project. The drama centered around the theme of sexual harassment and abuse and the importance of raising your voice even if you have to go against your own family members. The first few episodes were gripping and had you on the edge but as the drama progressed, it became mundane the point that it almost became a chore to watch the drama.
Though the characters were wonderfully written, especially Shayan, who we all agree was like a breath of fresh air in the Pakistani drama scene, the overall script of the drama weakened as the drama progressed. The storyline was also becoming depressing as Mannat continued to fight against her brother-in-law, Wajih and lost every time. However, as the drama heads towards its end, viewers got an unexpected twist and the drama caught our attention once again.
SPOILER ALERT
The last episode saw Shayan killed by his brother, Wajih after they get into a heated debate with each other. As soon as the accident happens, Wajih bolts from the crime scene while Mannat rushes him to the hospital. In her quest for justice for her friend, Mannat experiences her third loss. She first lost her child in a miscarriage caused by Wajih. Then she lost her mother and now her husband. In between all that Mannat was also admitted to a mental hospital after she lost her case to Wajih. While we agree and accept that the drama’s makers tried to be as realistic as possible, the question is did they become a little too realistic?
Though I myself am of the opinion that the drama rightfully portrayed the situation of such cases in our society, my colleague appeared to have a dissenting view and argued that what was even the whole point of fighting the case, that too against her brother-in-law when in the end you’re left with nothing. He argued that the drama went overboard and situations like these don’t happen in real life. Whatever your opinion may be, the fact remains that women who dare to raise their voice are subjected to vilification by men who are more powerful than them. For example the case of Khadija Siddiqui.
On the whole, Cheekh had its shares of highs and lows. The acting by the lead cast was brilliant. Saba Qamar, Bilal Abbas Khan, Emmad Irfani, Aijaz Aslam and Azekah Daniel all gave brilliant performances. The scenes which featured both Saba and Bilal were powerful, to say the least. Both the actors were phenomenal in their roles and deserve standing ovation.
Though the drama became a drag in the middle with a lot of pointless scenes, the plot was intriguing and made you think about how unfair society is towards victims, especially those of sexual violence. The way the rich and influential are able to maneuver the law as per their liking and get away unaffected is food for thought and the drama portrayed that brilliantly. It also highlights how the law is not equal for everyone and anyone with an iota of influence can get away from being punished.
With the latest development, it looks like viewers will be tuning into the series once again to see if Mannat will get finally get justice.
