The second season of the popular drama ‘Fairy Tale’ arrived on our screens after a five month break, and this time the production delivered an empowering, wholesome story revolving around Farjaad and Umeed. If during the last season fans had to deal with the slow burn of the two settling their differences, learning to like each other and then developing a relationship, in this season we watch the two settle into married life and learn to overcome their personality clashes.
Writer Sehar Majeed has left no stones unturned with the insane amount of wholesome, endearing moments she wrote for Farjaad and Umeed. Seriously, don’t watch the show unless you’re in your room alone because jitna hum nahi expect kar rahay thay kay aisa koi Pakistani drama would make us squeal this much.
We know its too early but here are some of our favorite moments so far from the last four episodes where Farjaad and Umeed shine.
1 Starting with the dance sequence in last week’s episode, with shy boy Farjaad stepping up for the couple dance because Umeed requested him to.
I know most ppl r losing it over the poetry but THIS is MY bit! Him, despite all his shyness, which even made her backout cz she got it, taking the 1st step & initiating the couple dance cz she WANTED it. Dancing for e/o is my love language #fairytale2https://t.co/VwrMVwFa4M
2 Or how in episode one, Farjaad proving he’s the only one jis ko Umeed ki naraazgi sambhalni aati hai.
“kabhi kisine socha tha ki hum dono yun ek saath baithkar chai pee rahe honge?” reminds me of “haan toh hum chai peelenge” & how farjaad was probably the one person who thought repeatedly of the two of them, alone in their world, cups of chai in their hands. #fairytale2#farmeedpic.twitter.com/gyLq4Q1AcP
3 Caring fiance setting our standards high by protectively laying his coat over Umeed when she accidently slept over in his office.
this man is going to wake up for the rest of his life with a prayer on his lips. one that he presses into her skin, grateful that he gets to be by her side #fairytale2#farmeedpic.twitter.com/C294DEi30o
5 Afterwards when the two are sitting outside and Farjaad says ‘Kis nay kaha tha itna khoobsurat lagnay ka?” Reham karien humaray upar sir
umeed’s voice goes lower when she asks “abhi aap yahan kyu aa gaye”, & her eyes get coy, almost inviting. my bb wants to hear him flirt but gets SO flustered when farjaad turns on the charm (they keep staring at each other’s lips. A1 performances, guys). #fairytale2#farmeedpic.twitter.com/B9ZdFFUt66
A video of a woman’s reaction to her birthday present from her son has left people emotional. The woman received several dolls from her son – the ones she always wanted as a kid.
The video was posted on the Instagram page GoodNews Movement along with a sweet caption. “Healing the inner child: She had dreamed of owning these dolls since she was a child. For her birthday, her son fulfilled that dream,” it reads.
The video opens to show the woman picking her dolls one by one and gently lining them on a table, tears rolling down her eyes while opening her gifts.
Since being posted, the clip has accumulated close to eight lac views and counting. Additionally, the video has been shared over 40,000 times. People posted varied comments while reacting to the video.
If you’re chronically online like us, then you’ve heard the phrase floating around on this internet a lot – “written by a woman”.
This phrase is used to describe a male character from a book or a drama who is not toxic or misogynistic. He does not pass degrading remarks about women; instead, he is kind and supportive towards them. Which means he was written by a woman.
There are a lot of beloved characters from our television screens that could fit this description, like the Hot Priest from ‘Fleabag’, Otis from ‘Sex Education’ and King George from ‘Queen Charlotte’. But in Pakistan, can we say that male characters written by women are non-problematic and wholesome?
There are female screenwriters like Nooran Makhdoom and Umera Ahmed who seem to be in a competition to see who can horrify their audience the most with the most unbearable male character.
However, very rarely, women screenwriters in Pakistan have written some of our favorite, wholesome and well-rounded male characters who won audiences with charm and attention to female characters.
Farjaad Bahadur from ‘Fairytale’
Farjaad starts off as a warning flag in ‘Fairytale’ as a grumpy businessman who is dismissive of people unimportant to him, sticks to a strict routine. That means when he and Umeed meet, he comes of as a jerk who dismisses her as ‘spoilt’ and not capable of meeting his standards. However, when he starts falling in love with Umeed, we come to see how much Farjaad is a green flag because of the way he immediately reforms to help empower and never wants to tame or control her. Mr I-can’t-come-to-my-own-birthday-because-I’m-working to following the love of his life around and giving her flowers. He drives to a police station in the middle of the night because Umeed is stuck there, then successfully gets her out of there without complaining? Settles arguments without gaslighting or demeaning Umeed, but instead takes her on a chai date?
Who were we before Sarah Majeed introduced this absolutely wholesome character in our lives? We’re glad we don’t know either.
2 Zain from ‘Tanhaiyaan’
No one can talk about the phrase ‘written by a woman’ without mentioning the beloved writer Haseena Moin, who set high standards for men with her beloved dramas like ‘Tanhaiyaan’ and ‘Ankahi’. A key token of her dramas were the strong, empowered women who took destiny in their own hands, refused to sit around and wail to be saved, and the men in their lives respected their power rather than shunning them. Zain from ‘Tanhaiyaan’ was a beloved male character because he respected Zara’s ambition, was caring and considerate to her sister Suniya, and chose not to impose his love on her but respectfully walk away until she was ready to love him back.
3 Maahir from ‘Doobara’
There is a settled notion within Pakistani dramas that a romance must take place between some balding dude who is a self-declared bad boy and some sheltered, naive girl who is barely in her twenties, who must shift between being a full-time therapist, punch bag and mommy to her lover. But rarely do we see this toxic trope switched and audiences are given a beautiful love story like Mehrunnisa and Mahir’s in ‘Dobara’.
Although he is younger than her, Maahir works hard to prove that despite the setback he receives from Mehrunnisa’s family, he is worthy to be her husband. He works hard to get a job, empowers Mehru to start taking life in her own hands and do the things she was always restricted from doing, never standing in the way of her dreams. Kudos to Sarwat Nazir for giving us this absolute gem of a character
4 Adam from ‘Hum Tum’
Saima Akram Chaudhry already won hearts with ‘Suno Chanda’, but we feel that it was ‘Hum Tum’ that was one of her best works and also her most feminist drama because of how it introduced us to empowered female characters, and men who are more ‘female-centric’. We have women who have impressive careers like working in psychology, chemistry and computer science, but it is the men like Adam (played by Ahad Raza Mir) who take care of the chores around the house, is attentive and kind to his little sister and his elder brother Sarmad is a successful chef, a trait mostly associated with women.
Speaking to BBC Urdu about why they chose to say goodbye with a grand gesture, one student revealed that Lala had taken care of them when they were alone in university. “Zakir Lala is one of the oldest employees of our hostel and this was the least that we could do for him,” he said. Lala revealed that he was moved and grateful for the love the students had showered on him. “I did not expect the amount of respect these children had shown me. I am very grateful to God that these students have sent their prayers,” he remarked.
Twitter users have called this a “beautiful tribute” and a thoughtful way to celebrate Zakir Lala’s service.
Our morbid fascination with domestic violence seems have become one of the essential tools required to make a hit drama. There aren’t many television dramas which depict healthy family relations, where women are accepted and loved without being told to lose their identity. Kuch Ankahi, therefore, is an anomaly, a breath of fresh air on our screens because it depicts a supportive family where the father isn’t holding back his daughters from their dreams, women aren’t constantly plotting to one-up each other and the male lead isn’t a toxic, triggering person. It proves that more dramas need to follow its lead and start portraying women in a positive light. On last night’s episode, we witnessed how the youngest sister, Tania, is openly dancing at her sister’s wedding event when a person behind her body shames her, forcing her neighbor to stand up for her.
The moment resonated with viewers and clips of the scene are now being widely shared.
Its the way #KuchAnkahi tells you whats right and whats wrong without making it in your face. Salman’s mom telling off the lady who body shamed Taniya we dont need 100 pages long speeches, just one little dialogue blended in well is enough
What social media users have called the most touching moment in this episode is the scene between the father, Agha Jee, and the eldest daughter Samiya where he witnesses her unhappiness and reminds her that if she refuses, then he will call off the wedding. This kind of empowerment and kindness is rarely depicted in Pakistani dramas, and is teaching fathers to be more gentle to their daughters as Agha Jee assures Samiya that he will keep holding her hand regardless of whether she chooses to get married or not.
#KuchAnkahi winning my heart again! Agha Jaan explains his POV w/out putting down his wife infront of his children. He knows she’s wrong but how he explains her errors in judgement to Samiya – so touching, poignant & free from toxicity. Thank you #MohammadAhmed@KashfFoundationpic.twitter.com/f091XE0Cpm
This kind of warmth and support between the family members is not once-in-a-blue-moon, but a regular occurrence in this drama. Agha Jee never shies away from praising his daughters’ strengths and consistently empowers them to advance further in society. In several episodes, we witness Agha Jee doing his own chores while telling his daughters that they’re not responsible for household duties.
This gentleness and respect towards women isn’t just prevalent in Agha Jee, but extends to all the men in the drama. The way they are completely the anti-thesis to the kind of male lead we have grown up watching is frankly shocking. Like the male lead Salman, who is time and again shown doing his own work. In one scene, he makes his own roti, an act we have only ever seen women perform.
