From the creators and producers of path breaking dramas such as Udaari, Rehai, Akhri Station and Dil Na Umeed Tou Nahin comes another blockbuster in the making, “Kuch Ankahi”.
The choice of the drama title itself is important for it highlights issues that are left unsaid in our society, the silence that shrouds many social norms and gender biases and prevents us from questioning them or trying to change them, it also alludes towards the inherent gap in understanding between men and women which then manifests itself into unequal and inequitable distribution of roles and responsibilities and at times, also leads to outright discrimination of women and girls.
Dialogues to change mindsets – Mein Victim Nahin Survivor Hoon
Kashf Foundation has been a forerunner in promoting women’s economic empowerment by not only supporting millions of women entrepreneurs through financial products and capacity building but also through its social advocacy initiatives to effectively drive social change and allow audiences to change perceptions, attitudes and current practices. Kashf’s drama productions not only question existing social norms and practices that hold 50% of our society back but also provide solutions on how we can change and address these social issues by deconstructing myths, by basing narratives on real life stories, depicting characters who are true to life and creating dialogue and discussion. Changing the narrative around gender norms requires strong female protagonists, who are human and grounded in reality, who face personal dilemmas and overcome challenges, while transforming social norms and attitudes through their struggle.
The dialogue from Udaari, where the young woman who is sexually abused by her own step father has become iconic and highlights how well-crafted stories can change perceptions, “Mein victim nahin survivor houn.”
Intelligent Comedy Coupled With Romance & Strong female Characters
The idea behind “Kuch Ankahi” emerged during a meeting with celebrated writer Haseena Moin, Roshaneh Zafar of Kashf Foundation and Moneeza Hashmi of Lahore Arts Council & (formerly, with PTV) two years ago as Kashf was wanting to move away from its earlier visceral, serious and true to life story lines. The concept was to build on Haseena Moin’s genre of intelligent comedy and romance coupled with strong female characters and develop a story line that would address gender related biases in a light hearted manner.
Tribute to Haseena Moin
“Kuch Ankahi” is indeed a tribute to Haseena Moin’s legendary status as a stellar story teller and as a writer who was able to create female characters who were intrepid, fearless and with a mind of their own, never submissive and always articulate, something we have missed on our television screens for many decades. Unfortunately, just a day before Haseena Moin was traveling to Lahore to work with the Kashf team on the plot and story line, she fell ill and Pakistan lost one of its most creative and impactful writers. However, she left her invincible spirit with the Kashf team and the challenge was to find a writer and a director who could deliver on the original idea of bringing back comedy and romance with a message and strong female characters who are not afraid to follow their own path to the Pakistani audience.
Desi Pride & Prejudice
The story of “Kuch Ankahi” could be the story of any Pakistani middle class family which is financially struggling and trying to make ends meet. When crafting the initial concept, the story line was also influenced by the timeless Jane Austen novel, Pride and Prejudice, where traditional values collide with social change. This is the story of Agha Jaan’s family, his wife and three daughters and how traditional thinking around women clashes with new developments and opportunities. Like Mrs Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, Shamoo the mother of three daughters struggles daily with the fear that none of her daughters will find suitable matches, for according to her, this is the ultimate goal for any young woman in a our society and will determine her value and self worth. The story line also takes up many other issues like sexual harassment, lack of professional opportunities for women, property inheritance, body shaming, rights of minorities, etc.
Messaging Social issues Through Comedy
In order to pen this story and to add flair and conflict, the first issue for the Kashf team was to identify the writer for the play. The question was, who could fill Haseena Moin’s shoes and it was indeed Kashf’s good fortune that Syed Mohammad Ahmed, who has penned many excellent scripts in much the same vein, agreed to take on the challenge to write the script. It was a labour of love for all parties involved, for projects of such nature can never be attributed to one person alone and with consistent collaboration and ongoing discussions the script writing progressed over a year, and the entire team lived and breathed the characters that will soon be coming on screen.
Talented Ensemble Cast
Kuch Ankahi is directed by Nadeem Baig, who was also involved in the development of the story and script from the beginning and added many new and interesting dimensions to the story line. It has been a well- crafted, well aligned production and process as the casting was done with great thought and alignment with the characters. The drama cast includes the extremely talented and versatile Sajal Aly, Bilal Abbas, Mohammad Ahmad, Irsa Ghazal, Mira Sethi, Vaneeza Ahmed, Qudsia Ali, and many more. The drama is co-produced by Kashf Foundation and Six Sigma.
Release Date Announced
Kuch Ankahi will be airing on ARY Digital on January 14, 2023 and we hope to ring in the new year with a smile!
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