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.
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.
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.
4 Child sexual abuse
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.
