In Pakistani dramas, some actors seem to die in almost every role. Actor and writer Syed Mohammad Ahmed is one of them.
Recently Syed Mohammed Ahmed appeared as a guest on ‘Hasna Mana Hai’ where he shared his favorite death scene.
A fan in the audience asked, “Sir, like you appear in almost all Pakistani dramas, and coincidentally, you often die in them as well. So, which is your favorite death scene?”
Syed Ahmed replied, “The best one was in Sabaat, and the funniest death was in Neeli Zinda Hai. I was hit on the head. The third one, which will be a good death, is coming soon. It’s in the drama Sunn Mere Dil. I’m going to die in a different way, and the camera angle was different too.”
The host asked, “If you had to write your own death scene, how would you write it?”
“I would write it so that there’s just a mention that I’ve passed away quietly in the background, without showing any dramatic scene or anyone crying over it,” The Meray Pass Tum ho actor replied.
He has starred in dramas such as Shaista Shaista, Durr-e-Shehwar, Suno Chanda 2, Sinf-e-Aahan and Radd.
Currently Syed Ahmed is starring in Sunn Mere Dil, written by controversial writer Khalil-Ur Rehman Qamar and directed by Haseeb Hassan.
From the moment it graced our screens, ‘Kuch Ankahi’- with its story of three sisters dealing with marriage pressure, workplace harassment, taking on a challenging careers- seared itself on the Pakistani entertainment industry as a cultural milestone that told a gorgeous story about the bond of sisterhood.
Only 26 episodes long, ‘Kuch Ankahi’ won our hearts with its flawless story telling and brave portrayal of issues that today’s political climate would have prevented them from doing so.
With the final episode coming up on Saturday, our hearts are heavy as we will no longer have to look forward to Shamoo Begum and Agha Jaan kay jhagray, Alia and Salman’s cat and mouse chase and the wholesome love between the three sisters. Let’s look back at the five moments where ‘Kuch Ankahi’ truly proved that it was a masterclass in good story telling.
1 The men in the drama won our hearts.
At a time when dramas today think a hit series needs a man slapping a woman or a girl being forcibly married without her consent, ‘Kuch Ankahi’ set the bar higher by proving that what audiences want is not violence, but well-written characters that are supportive of the women around them. The bond that the father Agha Jaan had with his daughters, and how he kept taking their side regardless of what society told him, moved us to tears. His defence of youngest daughter Tanya and her passion to become a filmmaker, or backing Samiya if she wanted to back out of her marriage at the last minute.
kuch ankahi keeps on getting better, first showed men doing chores, now them knowing how to sew button?? like damn yess, these are basic life skills, and has nothing to w gender.#kuchankahipic.twitter.com/4vowCbv2VD
2. When the show made a breakthrough by supporting Joyland
In a scene in episode four that takes place in Tanya’s room, Aliya stands behind her wall of posters, among which is Saim Sadiq’s film ‘Joyland’, a love story between a transgender woman and a man. It was a small, but powerful display of support towards Pakistani filmmakers.
Was shocked at first. Turned out this is #kuchankahi by @nadeembaigg starring Sajal, Mira Sethi &many more amazing people so it all made sense then.This is the sweetest and smartest way to show support to your fellow artists. Thank you team ! ✨ @KashfFoundation#joylandpic.twitter.com/w0h53BQL1G
3 The nikkah scene that defended the right to divorce clause and urged for women to be aware of their rights in the marriage contract
The nikkah scene from episode 11 received praise on Twitter when Sofia phupoo (played by actress Vaneeza Ahmed) passionately urged the molvi sahab to not cut out the clauses from the nikkah where the woman writes down her demands, highlighting that these are essential for a woman’s safety in marriage, as Islam has rightfully granted them.
Kudos to team Kuch Ankahi for such an excellent drama & raising awareness for this issue in particular. The right of divorce is a clause in Nikah form that everyone including girl’s family are are upon ignoring. It protects a woman in marriage,specially in our patriarchal culture pic.twitter.com/bi0qRrwhuS
With the story of Deepak, the son of the family’s Hindu house helper, the drama dwelled into the growing issue of child abuse, as he is raped by the tailor he works with. Later, when Sofia phupho and the family learn about the crime, they take in Deepak as a family member and enroll him in a good school so that he regains his confidence in a safe environment.
5 Neha and her dream to become a tiktok star
Any woman on screen who isn’t a gharelo good girl married off at the age of 20, is either an awaragard or too bold for society or someone who meets a tragic end. Especially so for women who are obsessed with using social media apps like TikTok . But ‘Kuch Ankahi’ debunks this mindset with the wholesome story of Neha, the daughter of a Hindu working class family, who loves using TikTok. However , she fears her father will beat her if her videos are found. But as the story progresses, Neha finds new-found courage with the support of Taniya to keep making videos, and soon she gets a job as an actress, with her father completely supporting her choice.
‘Kuch Ankahi’ has made an indelible mark on the Pakistani entertainment industry, for tackling sensitive issues like marriage pressure, body shaming, as well as infidelity. However, many audience members won’t know that the writer as well as the actor who plays the dad in the drama, Syed Mohammad Ahmed, has written countless scripts for film and television, including the iconic PTV drama ‘Tum Se Kehna Tha’ which was his debut effort.
Directed by the brilliant Sahira Kazmi, the drama is an adaptation of the Hollywood rom-com ‘While You Were Sleeping’ which is about a young woman, who is accidently mistaken to be the fiancée of a man in a coma. The drama is incredibly funny, with powerful performances by actors Marina Khan and Ali Haider, and if our audiences are hung up on the fact that there are no good dramas out there that outshine the way ‘Kuch Ankahi’ did, here are some reasons why they should definitely check out this cult classic.
1 The powerful chemistry between Hira (played by Khan) and Bilal (played by Haider)
Hira and Bilal are feuding opposites in the beginning of the drama, because the family completely takes her in once they find out she was Saad’s (played by Farhan Ali Agha) fiancee, but Bilal opposes this because he suspects that she is telling a lie. As the episodes progress, their rivalry turns into friendship and then in to love, giving us a healthy and meaningful relationship.
2 Powerful women lead the drama
Powerful, witty Hira immediately captures the hearts of the audience, especially due to the exceptional acting shown by Marina Khan. Hira works in a travel agency under her boss who was her late father’s best friend, and is like father figure to her. She has everything that any woman would want: friends, an apartment and lots of wealth, but deep down, Hira longs for a family so she won’t remain alone. If fans of ‘Kuch Ankahi’ love the sisters and their fierce devotion and dedication to each other, then they will love the way Hira loves and defends her family members, helps her sister in law tackle with the grief from divorce, and especially how drama refuses to pit women against each other.
3 Debunks the stereotype that divorced women can never find happiness
‘Kuch Ankahi’ has definately engaged Pakistani audiences with its refreshing script that provided us with complex female characters who refuse to be dictated around by patriarchal expectations, then they would also find ‘Tum Se Kehna Tha’ addictive because in the same manner, it engages with the societal disgrace that divorcees often face. Through the journey of Meher (played by Seemi Pasha), a divorced woman who is still recovering from the betrayal of her first marriage, she learns to empower herself through becoming friends with Hira, and forming a friendship with Sajjad, another divorcee who encourages her to keep living her best life.
4 Humorous and engaging side characters
A lot of times one of the biggest criticisms of Pakistani dramas has been that the side characters are incredibly dense, and limited to only showing up to push the main lead’s story forward. However the brilliance of Syed Mohammad Ahmed is that in his scripts, each character is interesting and keeps us engaged with the show. In ‘Kuch Ankahi’, fans are in love with the Tiktok star Neeha who is the househelp’s daughter, or Shakeel, the clumsy nephew. In a similar way, in ‘Tumse Ye Kehna Tha’ side characters like the neighbour Gringo or Buwa who add to the humor of the drama.
