We have seen many dramas which are based on the novels of Umera Ahmed and all of them are appreciated across Pakistan and abroad. One of such subject-oriented drama, which has recently got to its ending, is Kankar. Kankar is a message more than a drama. It is the message to all those women who has fallen victim to their husband’s family’s violence. It is a message which is delivered to the women of our society to strengthen their inner-spirit. It is a message to all those men who beat their women that they can never led a happy and respectful life if they engage themselves in activities which lead to putting women in difficult circumstances.
In all developing countries basic human rights are not guaranteed and this can’t be portrayed in a way better than getting it filmed in the form of a drama and conveying the message to the society.
For all those who couldn’t watch the drama for whatsoever reason. Here, is an overview.
Kankar means “stone” or “Pebble” in English. Its meaning has a strong relation with the drama serial. It revolves around a girl named,Kiran. She is a lively girl. For her parents, she has grown up now and it’s time to get suitable match for her. At last, Kiran’s family got one. It is Sikander who sends her proposal. He belongs from a higher class and due to this class difference his mother, Shaista (Sikander’s mother) opposes this relation at first but agrees later under her son’s pressure. Anyway they take the pledge and Kiran is very happy to be his wife. She falls in for him after the marriage but fate and chances take her life somewhere else as Sikander’s other faces began to reveal after some time.
Kiran’s family is class-conscious. Kiran has an elder sister Irim and parents in her family. Their relatives are wealthy and they also want to get a better position in society like them but the status-crazy realties do not like making any relations with them. They prefer kinship in other like-minded and like-status people.
Kiran is a practical girl with realistic opinions about life. She is enlightened and her opinions about love and marriage are based on reality. Thus she is neither rude nor biased about it. She wants to study further and make a career, her father also encourages her but like all mothers, her mum also want to grab a guy for her daughters.
When Kiran got married to Sikander, she was initially very happy but this happiness didn’t last – long. Kiran was time & again beaten by Sikander after some time of their marriage (who used to humiliate her on class & status). Kiran was never happy with this attitude and then finally asked for a divorce. Sikander then got married to his cousin arzoo on the pressure of his mother and kiran also gets married to her cousin who always loved her but was poor and couldn’t tell her the truth. Kiran was leading an average life then. No luxuries of life unlike at Sikander’s home. Later she gets to know about Sikander-Arzoo baby Hashir when Sikander’s mother-in-law sent sweets at Kiran’s place at that moment kiran realized that Sikander has changed but no, she was wrong. After some years Sikander also started to beat Arzoo and she too left her home. Then again a tense situation was created. On the other hand, Kiran was also facing some difficulties in getting settled to the environment of her second husband’s home. These circumstances created a dramatic situation in the serial. Finally in the last episode Arzoo met Kiran (both were cousins) and Kiran told her that she shouldn’t leave Sikander as now they are not just husband-wife but also parents. Kiran was settling at her home and Sikander settled at his own home with her wife and apologized Arzoo about his behavior and assured her that he will never beat her again
The drama carries a strong message to people of our society who often-ly humiliate women and think they are weak. This drama shows that not all women are same and can endure the pain of putting their self-esteem aside. The entire story depict the life of a woman who has faced domestic violence. This is a true picture, how men humiliate women. A strong stance is to be taken by women who suffer such violence and they should respond accordingly. She should be given her due-respect. Women are not weak. They are strong and this is the stronger side of a woman that she endures all pain, but mostly this side is taken as weakness and she is victimized to domestic violence. Every woman is special and every woman needs to be loved and taken-care of by their husbands.
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Cheers
S. Rasool