KARACHI: Over the years, most Pakistani dramas really have failed to impress when it comes to their characters. For most of the part, the villains are as one dimensional as can be. If the villain is a man, then we’ll be forced to watch a toxic male who cannot handle rejection and thus, will kidnap our heroine and exert his dominance over her. Or, if the villains in the Pakistani dramas are meant to be women, they are either a mother-in-law who cannot stand their son being in a happy marriage or a jilted lover (usually a cousin) who wanted to marry our hero but couldn’t. In both cases, the women will make it their life’s mission to torture the poor bride. But, once in a blue moon we’re graced with characters who don’t need to scream and shout and don’t need to kidnap anyone to show how evil they actually are. These villains in the currently airing Pakistani dramas are so devious and what makes them so special is that they have everyone fooled. The casting for these characters could not have been better and we cannot help but love to hate them.
A sociopath like Haya
Tere Bin has been ruling our screen for the past few months. While everyone is going gaga over Wahaj Ali and Yumna Zaidi’s chemistry on screen, there is one character who we cannot get enough of and that is Haya.
Played by Sabeena Farooq, Haya is one of those villains in Pakistani dramas that give us the chills. She has one thing on her mind and that is to get married to Murtasim. And she will do so at any cost. From black magic to physical violence, she is on a war path. Haya doesn’t even care about the relationships and the lives she’s destroying in her wake! And she does so, so blatantly but also so skillfully that she doesn’t raise alarm bells for even the smartest people like Ma Begum and Murtasim.
Farooq embodies the role of the villain ever so wonderfully. Between her cold calculating demeanor to the actual devastation when Murtasim turns her away, she embodies Haya’s character so convincingly! The very fact that we want to reach out to our screens and slap her silly proves just how convincing she is as an actor!
A narcissist like Fardeen
Mere Bann Jao is a drama that serves as a reminder of how girls are easily manipulated by men who they trust and how that trust is used as leverage over them. And what makes this drama worth watching is the way Azfar Rehman has played the role of the narcissistic Fardeen down to a tee.
The premise of the drama is a horror story we’ve all heard before. Fardeen is someone who has a very westernized mindset and for some reason finds himself drawn to his very desi cousin Azmiya. Simple and submissive, he uses her naivety against her by convincing her to send him her nudes on the premise they are getting married anyways. Things go south when Azmiya refuses to get intimate with him and in a fit of rage, he divorces her. Yet somehow, the two families reconcile and they decide to get the two remarried only for Azmiya to realize just how messed up the situation is and so, she runs away before the event.
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Now, Fardeen is a narcissist and it’s a huge blow to his ego that Azmiya rejected him. And so, he makes it his mission to torture her to teach her a lesson. On the surface, he’s convinced everyone that the past is the past and he’s moved on. But the reality is, he’s constantly plotting against Azmiya to the extent he threatens to release her nudes. His revenge porn plot gets so out of hand that Azmiya nearly commits suicide but Fardeen just doesn’t care. His only purpose is to humiliate her the way he believes she humiliated him.
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Throughout the drama, Fardeen lies and manages to convince both families that he is the good guy and that Azmiya is telling tall tales when the reality is the complete opposite. No one could have pulled off such a complex character the way Afzar Rehman has with Fardeen. This is one of those villains in a Pakistani drama who make you feel uncomfortable at just how good they are at being terrible human beings.
An obsession like Areeb’s
To be fair, Areeb (Zaviyaar Nouman) from Mujhe Pyar Hua Tha doesn’t fit in with what we expect a villain in a drama to be. For many, they feel like he really does love Maheer (Haania Aamir) and will go to the ends of the Earth for her. But in reality, he has an unhealthy obsession with her and is borderline stalking her and causing more harm in her life than good.
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Did Areeb love Maheer? Yes. But he wasn’t able to convince his mother and is still unable to take a stand against her. So, how did he expect Maheer to live happily in his house? And now that Maheer is married, shouldn’t he let go of her and not interfere in her marital life? But Areeb is constantly calling her, showing up unannounced and demanding that she break off familial relationships for him. It’s starting to feel like he’s obsessed with the idea of Maheer rather than Maheer herself. He isn’t taking into account what she says, especially when she tells him to leave her alone and he doesn’t care about the problems he’s causing in her life. Simply because he only cares about himself.
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A determination like Shagufta’s
For most of the part, Kuch Ankahi is a wholesome drama. It makes us laugh and it makes us cry. And most importantly, there is no right or wrong when it comes to the characters. No character is inherently bad and so character is completely good. They have their good qualities and they have their flaws. Expect for Shagufta. She’s insane!
Played by Uroosa Siddiqui, Shagufta is a woman we are actually fearful of! And it’s because the woman has no fear. Unlike most female villains in Pakistani dramas, she plots and plans out in the open. She lets everyone know of her plans. She taunts Saifullah’s mother on the phone and even shows up to his wedding! She’s cold and calculating and it makes us wonder if she really loves Saifullah or if she just wants a man she can control?
Uroosa Siddiqui does a brilliant job in her portrayal. Her expressions are enough to let us know just how what evil plan she’s concocting and her smile is enough for us to know just how she thinks she’s won!
Needless to say, these characters and their portrayals have upped the villain game in our dramas!
