KARACHI: Over the years, our dramas have churned out the same stories over and over again. And one recurring theme in those dramas has been that women are damsels in distress, victims of all sorts of abuse, reduced to crying messes. However, in a surprising turn of events, this year we have been blessed with not just one but four dramas that are women centric, where the women actually have a backbone! Between Green TV Entertainment and Express TV, here are our favourite women centric dramas currently ruling our screens.
Shanaas
Green Entertainment took on a mammoth of a task by choosing to tell a story like Shanaas. However, when you have a director like Yasra Rizvi and a cast including Hajra Yamin and Sania Saeed in the leads, it is no surprise that they did it so well!
Shanaas tells the story of a young woman whose life takes a one-eighty when she learns that she is an adopted child. As Aneesa (Hajra Yamin) gets over the emotional shock, she sets off on a mission to find out the truth about her life, about her mother and all the secrets her father and grandmother have been hiding.
Aneesa is the kind of woman who we all aspire to be like. Headstrong and fearless, she will go to the ends to discover the truth, whether it means going to the police station alone or meeting shady people who claim to have answers. But she is also in touch with her emotions. In a heartwarming scene, Aneesa acknowledges how her (adoptive) mother might be feeling and reassures her that no matter what happens, she will always love her.
What makes Shanaas so special is the relationship between mother and daughter. While Aneesa might be adopted, Mahrukh (Sania Saeed) loves her like her own. So much so, she doesn’t hold her daughter back from finding out the truth, in fact supports Aneesa, all while admitting she feels jealous. Mahrukh is such a wholesome character and is a breath of fresh air! Both women are a force to be reckoned with!
22 Qadam
Another Green Entertainment drama which proves women are capable of just about anything! This sports drama features Hareem Farooq in the lead. 22 Qadam tells the story of Farheen who, by Pakistani society, has an unusual dream and that is to be a cricketer! With a supportive father and a comically outraged mother, she sets out to pursue her passion.
From finding loopholes in tournament rules to challenging the boys in a street match, Farheen’s passion for the sport is infectious. So much so, she even manages to help discover her sister’s skill in the sport as well. However, as enthusiastic as Farheen is, her journey isn’t without its own hurdles. But if there is one lesson we learn from 22 Qadam, it is to never give up and brave through all the hardships!
Farheen’s story is not the only inspirational story in the drama. We see other members in her team who don’t have as supportive of a family as Farheen does but still manage to show up to pursue their dreams!
The drama is a truly refreshing watch for showcasing women who are ambitious, passionate, work towards elevating each other and are so much more than what society thinks of them.
Working Women
Green Entertainment and Yasra Rizvi finally decided to get over the troupe that “a woman’s worst enemy is another woman” and instead decided to tell a story about women coming together to help each other out. This woman centric drama will warm your heart but will also anger you (for all the right reasons).
Directed by Yasra Rizvi and written by Bee Gul, the drama features quite the impressive cast including Maria Wasti, Anoushay Abbasi, Srha Asghar, Faiza Gillani, Ilsa Hareem, Jenna Hussain, Yasra Rizvi and Bee Gul. It tells the story of women from very different backgrounds coming together to help each other out.
Nusrat (Maria Wasti) is a single real estate agent who is constantly being berated by ex-flame come friend Zulfi (Adnan Jaffar). He accuses her of trying to act cold to come off as more attractive and goes as far as trying to get her to admit that she’s sad and lonely because she isn’t married. Zulfi also gets on her case for living alone. However, most of his jibes come from a place of rejection because we later learn that he still loves Nusrat who does not reciprocate (especially since he’s married and trying for a baby).
Then we have Sadia (Anoushay Abbasi). She’s loud mouthed and fearless. Whether it’s beating her brother in law for hitting her sister or swindling a man trying to get her to sleep with him, she isn’t afraid to stand her ground. All the while, she is constantly being put down by her perv of a brother in law who clearly doesn’t view her as a sister. Instead, he goes on to assassinate her character for working in a beauty parlor.
In the midst of these two women are Amber (Srha Asghar) who is trying to escape her troubled home life and a mysterious runaway bride who, with the rest of the three women, end up at Nusrat’s house seeking refuge. What is clear is that both the girls have run away from something that troubled them and that they have found a safe spot.
The men in the drama anger viewers and so do the patriarchal norms that have been embedded in the women (like Sadia’s sister). But the drama also showcases women standing by each other, through thick and thin, which make for wholesome moments. The drama also focuses on the strength of the women who will not be abused and will protect themselves.
Razia
Express TV’s Razia is one do not want to miss! It’s the kind of drama that gives us a bitter dose of reality. Through the portrayal of little Razia we begin to understand just how deeply embedded misogyny is in our society.
From the very get go, Mahira Khan, the narrator of the drama grabs our attention. Dressed in a modern twist to our desi attire, she is a force to be reckoned with. She asks all the questions and voices all the thoughts that women have been forced to silence because no one wants to admit that women are not given their rights. She is a symbol of what most Pakistani women want to be.
Little Razia, on the other hand, is symbolic of what most Pakistani women are. Looked down upon, abused, and treated so terribly that we begin to hate our own gender. But Razia is also smart and isn’t one to give up. Through all the unfairness and mistreatment, she perseveres. If it isn’t seeking her happiness in her friend Mannu and bike riding, she eventually seeks solace in her studies. Her father, the creeps around her and the patriarchal society cannot and will not bring her down. That is exactly how Pakistani women manage to survive as well!
It goes without saying that in just two episodes the young actors have done such a brilliant job that it is unbelievable!
