Kuch Ankahi’s 3rd episode had to be my favorite so far. Samiya’s opening conversation with her father and Alia fixing her car on her own were two of my favorite scenes in that episode. The 4th episode was not as amazing as I was expecting it to be. Even after all these weeks, I do not feel a close connection with the characters and their journeys. Some of the characters are still a mystery. Sehrish and Azfar’s backgrounds in particular have not been revealed yet. Salman and his mother’s scenes are more or less the same in every episode. There were a few scenes and conversations in these two episodes which completely won me over. Tania’s character is gradually growing on me, her friendship with Ali definitely adds more substance to her track. I am glad that we are finally getting to watch dramas in which young people are shown as good friends who understand each other and there is nothing more to the relationship. Abdullah Abid Malik is playing the role well, I am looking forward to watching more of him. He is a definitely a promising newcomer who will hopefully get quality projects in the future as well. Mira Sethi continues to impress even though her character is run-of-the-mill. Sofia Agha’s character was introduced in the recent episode and I must say that Vaneezah Ahmed’s acting skills were much better in Ehd-e-Wafa. Ali Safina’s performance in the latest episode stood out more than any other.
Does Samiya Have Feelings?
Last week’s episode opened with a conversation between Samiya and her father which showed that Agha Jaan understood his daughters. However, even though he assured Samiya that he was going to take a stand for her, he decided to listen to her and went along with whatever happened later on. Unfortunately, he does not have much of a say which is something that I feel does not go well with his overall personality. This was an important and relatable conversation even though it had no impact on Samiya’s present situation, it went to show that everyone around him understood that she needed to speak for herself and that she was not doing that already. Samiya’s character can easily be termed as too-good-to-be-true. She has a lot of pleasant traits as well but the fact that we have so far not been shown how all this sacrificing actually impacts her takes away the human element from this character. Mira Sethi is remarkable in this role, she makes me want to like Samiya but I am still wondering if Samiya is capable of feeling any emotion at all! She looks out for everyone except herself – that is understandable. But how does that affect her? The inner dialogue is completely missing. I am not saying that the writer would have shown Samiya crying or feeling for herself but surely someone such as her would have a battle going on in their own mind and it is only natural to be fearful of the future.
Salman And Alia
Alia continued to be the go-getter who is not always sure about where she is headed but when she is out in the real world, she makes sure that no one around her doubts her confidence for a second. Unlike Samiya, Alia’s insecurities, fears, and desires have been shown in a realistic manner. Her character is well-rounded because there are plenty of scenes showing the motivation behind all the hard work, the thought process as well as the confusion at times. This makes Alia’s character easy to relate to even though there are times when I wonder how Alia and Tania end up being so fierce and independent considering the fact that their mother is so suffocating and the father barely has a voice. Sometimes they come across as misfits but their characters are definitely well-written. Once Alia starts working with Sehrish and Salman moves into Alia’s house, things will get interesting.
Salman and his mother’s scenes lack variation, and the repeated references to soday ki thaili are getting boring. I am sure once she gets to see Alia, she will say just that but do we really need to hear it repeatedly? I also feel that we need to know more about Salman’s background like where is his father, when did he leave/passed away, etc. Do they have other family members? Salman’s life revolves around his work, his interactions with Alia, his friend, and his mother. Alia is a part of his work life, his conversations with his friend, and now a regular part of the conversations he has with his mother thanks to soday ki thaili references. I would love to see more of Salman himself minus Alia just the way we are finding out more about Alia’s character as the story progresses.
Sofia Agha’s Entry
Sofia Agha entered the picture in the recent episode. Since Sofia and Agha Jaan’s first interaction scene had already been shown in the promos, it was not as interesting as it could have been. I also felt that their reactions throughout were slightly over-the-top considering how old they are. The dynamics however are quite interesting since even though they cannot stand each other, Sofia never took the legal route and Agha Jaan lets her have a healthy relationship with his children. The character overall so far does not offer anything grand and her decision regarding Samiya also made me wonder why her nieces thought she could resolve this issue. It is however good to watch another confident, outspoken, and progressive female character in the drama.
Uroosa Siddiqui’s appearance in this episode came as a complete surprise. She is a phenomenal actress and I am waiting to see more of her. Her performance was on point and the character itself is anything but run-of-the-mill!
Poverty, Child Labor, and Exploitation
Through Mina’s character, the writer has shown that even economic independence does not ensure that a woman will not be violated or exploited. Even though she is the sole breadwinner, she gets beaten by her husband and is exploited as well. Her young son had to start working at a young age because the father would not do his part. This entire track reflects the struggles of the poverty-stricken class in society. Tania’s research also revolves around the issue of child labor – a sad reality in our society that is unfortunately considered ‘normal’.
Final Remarks
Kuch Ankahi continues to break certain stereotypes without preaching but at the same time, it also endorses others. The one thing that is annoying me more than any other right now is Irsa Ghazal’s role in the drama. In every other drama, the mothers are shown as over-judgmental critics of their daughters and the fathers are shown as the sane ones. It would have been great if this particular character was not so typical and had some nuances. This mother does not have a single ‘normal’ conversation with her daughters and is clearly toxic. This could be the writer’s way of getting the message across that how important it is for mothers to have healthy communication and relationship with their children. So far, I see it as a typical done-to-death scenario that should have been avoided. Hopefully, as the story progresses, we will see a change in this character and a more meaningful side to this track. Overall, Kuch Ankahi has a few strengths which make it a drama I want to continue watching and reviewing. However, I do feel that it is not thoroughly entertaining, some of the scenes are stretched and the comic element comes across as forced at times. There are certain elements of the dramas that are refreshing, I hope it will only get more interesting in the future.
Are Rafiq and Samiya meant to be together?