It isn’t an easy task to find authentic representation of women’s stories in Pakistani dramas. Limited creative freedom to explore sensitive social issues and a refusal by most script writers to recognize that making stories interesting with misogynist tropes won’t work is to blame. But Kuch Ankahi is a wonderful welcome for audiences craving good story telling. A slice of life centered around a family in Karachi where three sisters navigate their way through body shaming, pressure to marry, career ambitions and supporting each other thick and thin. There are multiple reasons why you should include this drama in your to-watch list right away!
1 The similarity to the golden age of PTV dramas
Many users have praised the show’s use of warm tones and feminist narratives that reflect some of the 80s and 90s classics on PTV like Tanhaiyaan, Dhoop Kinaray and Ankahi, which were written by Haseena Moin and featured strong women with incredible stories.
2. Rejecting traditional masculinity
Unlike how recent Pakistani dramas have championed toxic masculinity by romanticizing abusive relationships and toxic men, Kuch Ankahi depicts a world where men and women can exist in harmony. Men are shown doing basic chores, developing close friendships with women and even motivating them to pursue their dreams without adding a romantic element to it, because yes men and women can be platonic friends. The most wholesome example of this has to be the father Agha Jee, who is more than a best friend to his daughters and is quick to remind any man that his daughters are stronger than him.
3. The subtle, yet powerful way the drama champions original storytelling
In an industry where the popularity of a drama depends on following a repeated formulae, and consistently re-using misogynist tropes like the virgin and the whore, the gold digger, or the shallow man-hating feminist, Kuch Ankahi has carved its own space by encouraging audiences, especially the entertainment industry, to respect original story telling, and stop shutting out marginalized voices who deserve platforms for representation. A powerful scene that had circulated widely on social media showed a poster of the film Joyland hanging on a wall. Joyland was censored and widely criticized among conservative critics for featuring a relationship between a transgender woman and a man, but in this moment the drama sent out a solidarity note to storytellers in Pakistan who wanted to bring different perspectives to the screen but were denied the right to do so.
4 Tackling social issues like body shaming, marriage pressure or women’s access to social media
In the past shows like Dil Na Umeed To Nahi were sent notices by PEMRA for changing their content material, as the show tackled the lives of child sex workers and human trafficking. Kuch Ankahi refuses to back away from highlighting the pressures and stigma women face and executes them in a gentle but brilliant manner. Take for instance Parmeesh, the daughter of the Hindu woman Meena, who loves making videos on Tik Tok but is barred from using a mobile phone after her mother discovers her videos. Or Saima, the eldest daughter, who is consistently pressurized by her mother to marry Saif-ur-Rehman.
5 Side characters aren’t just props, but are fleshed out with their own storyline
Pakistani dramas usually categorize characters as either black or white, and keep characters other than the main leads to the background. In Kuch Ankahi, each character is fleshed out with their own background and original purpose, rather than becoming just another prop to the main character’s journey. An interesting example of this could be Saif-ul-Rehman, the man Saima is suppose to marry. Like a lot of sons, he is being forced by his mother to marry of her choice when he actually wishes to marry someone else.
Kuch Ankahi airs every Saturday on 8 pm on ARY digital.
