Munazzah Arif, who we’re currently seeing as Zeba’s mother in Kafeel, sat down with FUCHSIA for a candid and insightful conversation.
This article is an excerpt from the YouTube interview.
Why Munazzah Said Yes To Kafeel
Munazzah shared that her connection with Kafeel began the moment she read the script. It was her first project of this kind, and she found herself unable to put it down, reading all ten episodes in one go. She genuinely enjoyed the experience and felt drawn into the story immediately.
Initially, when Meesam Naqvi explained the premise to her, she felt there wasn’t a major twist on the surface. At first, that didn’t strike her as something very different. However, when Meesam expressed how strongly he wanted her to take on the role, she took it as a sign. She felt that sometimes messages come indirectly, and this felt like one of those moments pushing her to say yes.
While working on the project, she shared that she put her heart into portraying the role, especially embracing the emotional depth of playing a mother. She acknowledged that she would never defend the character, admitting that Yasmeen was inconsiderate in many ways, particularly when it came to marriage and settling her daughter’s life. For her, accepting those flaws was part of honestly portraying the character.
How Was It Working With Meesam Naqvi?
Munazzah shared that working with Meesam was a highly collaborative and rewarding experience. She described him as an enthusiastic and interactive director who values open communication. For her, having a strong rapport with the director is essential, and she appreciated how Meesam encouraged discussions about characters, emotions, and even real-life references. That mutual understanding, she felt, made the working environment comfortable and creatively fulfilling.
She also spoke about how deeply involved he was in shaping the emotional and visual flow of Kafeel. Together, they discussed the emotional frequency of scenes, the character’s trauma, and how each moment should transition naturally into the next. Munazzah admired his clear vision, especially in the way lighting, framing, and set design were used to reflect emotional warmth or coldness, ultimately enhancing the storytelling and making the drama feel visually and emotionally cohesive.
The Night Zeba Breaks Down – How Was That Scene Shot?
Munazzah shared that the scene where Yasmeen wakes up at night, overwhelmed by anxiety, and sees Asma was emotionally shattering for her as an actor. The moment Zeba breaks down and questions her mother – saying she should have been asked – hit her deeply. She admitted that those lines made her confront Yasmeen’s guilt head-on. In that instant, she felt completely torn, realizing the gravity of what the character had done to her own daughter, a realization that left her emotionally shaken.
She explained that the intensity of the scene largely came from Sanam’s performance. Sanam brought such raw, overflowing emotion that Munazzah felt she had to hold herself back rather than escalate it further. She consciously contained her emotions to match the moment, allowing the pain to simmer instead of spill over. She described the scene as deeply disturbing and powerful, one that shook her not just as an actor, but as someone trying to understand the consequences of a mother’s choices.
Want to hear more? Check out full conversation on FUCHSIA Magazine’s YouTube channel!
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