If heartbreaking had a name, Aik Aur Pakeezah would sit on top of the list. From the moment the first episode begins, to the final minute of the second episode, the drama has audiences in its grip. It was a spellbinding performance from the entire cast, genius storytelling and events and dialogues that struck a deep chord in a society that has witnessed all too many real life cases mirroring Aik Aur Pakeezah.
When Faraz was asked to take off his clothes, our minds reeled in shock, fear gripping our hearts, but when Yaseen indicated to Pakeezah to do the same, it was a disturbing moment we couldn’t push away, much as we wanted to, throughout the two episodes. As the reality of what was about to happen descended on viewers, the story took hold with full intensity. But just as swiftly, the timeline shifted to the past, Pakeezah talking to Faraz over the phone, the two of them discussing wedding attire, and then again, the story moved forward to the present.
Director Kashif Nisar made sure he kept us engaged with non-linear storytelling, anecdotes that revealed not just the relationship between Faraz and Pakeezah, their intention to marry, but also, the trauma and grief of everyone who was affected by the incident. When Akbar smashed Pakeezah’s phone, when Faraz said qabool hai and a tear trickled down Pakeezah’s face, when her mother held back her tears and then finally, when a storm of emotions overcame everyone in the course of the story, from Asghar taking a shower and weeping uncontrollably, to Pakeezah herself, trembling with fear at a knock on the door one moment, taunting Faraz the next, one felt the intensity of every emotion experienced by the characters.
The intentional close-ups throughout the episodes, catching every nuance revealed by the character added to the intensity of the screenplay, specially since the actors delivered their expressions on-point. Pakeezah quietly urged to do english commentary by Yaseen was a twisted yet sinister moment and Sehar Khan beautifully essayed the trauma and helplessness of a victim when she has no choice but to obey.
Pakeezah had brought dishonour to her family and death was a better option than living a life of shame. It was painfully true-to-life that everyone blamed Pakeezah (even more than they blamed Faraz), but no one really thought of bringing the real culprits to task – Yaseen and his partner, who orchestrated the heinous crime. Other than Asghar wanting to torch their shop, the real fallout from the crime was suffered by Pakeezah, who wished herself dead.
Aik Aur Pakeezah also brought our attention to the reality that when both a man and woman are victims of a cyber crime, it is always the woman who has to suffer the major consequences and brave society’s judgements. Faraz could leave the house, even meet his parents and borrow money from them, but Pakeezah was not only shunned by her family, she couldn’t even show her face in broad daylight, even if she covered it, for fear of being recognized. “Main tumhe nahi bacha sakoonga,“ responded Faraz, showing us the cruelty that we impose as a society on victims of cyber crime.
The story showing Pakeezah’s relationship with her brothers, her spirited nature and also her rejection of Yaseen’s advances was important for us to see that this was a young girl like so many others we know or have been, and we could relate to her; playing cricket with her brothers, teasing them on their love interests, and also pursuing a law degree. Even in this, she represented so many other young people who find it hard to study for a tough exam, but keep trying – Pakeezah wasn’t perfect, but she wasn’t a quitter either.
Kashf Foundation narratives always have multiple messaging at the core of their story. And here too, Pakeezah discussing Akbar’s love interest with nonchalance and zero hesitation showed the difference in how brothers and sisters are treated in our society. Pakeezah would never dare discuss the person she liked with her brothers for fear of reprimand, despite their close and affectionate relationship.
Barrister Zubair and Saman’s story added a distraction from the heavy events in Pakeezah’s life and also hinted at a possible silver lining for Pakeezah and Faraz as Saman is concerned and curious about Pakeezah’s sudden wedding and wants to meet her. But will these two lawyers merely facilitate Pakeezah’s journey and help her gain justice or is there more to their relationship? How come they didn’t know much about each other prior to deciding to get married? Is there more than meets the eye with Barrister Zubair, we have to wait to find out. It was great to see Amna Ilyas and Mirza Gohar Rasheed together onscreen, the subtle expressions and tone delivered finely tuned performances.
The makeup department must be lauded for Nameer and Sehar’s appearances. Faraz’s beard was grown out in the present, hinting at him trying to change his appearance after the video, the cleaner shave earlier gave off a different look, and this made it easier to match timelines. The bruises on Pakeezah’s face revealed the beating she had received from Akbar, and the marks were subtle yet noticeable.
Both Sehar Khan and Nameer Khan nailed the jarring trauma of victims of cyber crime. Faraz in his quiet, calm, patient demeanor and Pakeezah, scared one moment, raging the next and finally, defeated in the final moments.
In fact, the entire cast pulled off a flawless performance which made the first two episodes a powerful watch.
Pakeezah’s words to Faraz that they should go far away from home so as not to be seen by the mohallay walay and her family, is a sad reality of log kya kahenge in our society. As was the knowledge that she was living a parallel life, one with her family, studying to become a lawyer, and one, planning a wedding with Faraz that no one in her family knew anything about – many young people can relate to this.
The tragic analogy between Pakeezah and her sense of honour where a broken plate and a crack that Faraz is trying to mend so that it’s nearly invisible was a poetically scripted scene. In the same way, Saman’s stating that she is an independent woman but doesn’t mind asking for help and later, thinking why she couldn’t bring up the question of marriage herself rather than waiting for Zubair was another thought point placed in the narrative for exactly that – a thought to be pondered over.
The narrative has purposely left many parts of the events unanswered for now. E.g. How did Faraz and Pakeezah end up in a room together, did Pakeezah reject Yaseen’s proposal or advances, and what happened immediately after the event, when they both came home.
Just in its first two episodes, Aik Aur Pakeezah has initiated conversations on multiple pressure points in society and we expect this story to take us along on a journey that, although triggering, will deliver valuable messages in a shared digital space that’s becoming increasingly unsafe for the general public, especially for young women.
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Written by Bee Gul and directed by Kashif Nisar, the drama stars Sehar Khan in the titular role alongside Nameer Khan, Amna Ilyas, Gohar Rasheed, Hina Bayat, Nadia Afgan, and Noor Ul Hassan. The drama is presented by GEO Entertainment in collaboration with Kashf Foundation, with production backed by Kashf Foundation.
