Be it playing a protagonist or an antagonist, Pakistani actresses are shattering the glass ceiling with every passing day in the face of age-old patriarchy and male-dominancy. Likewise, dramas that air on ARY Digital are depicting women as strong characters for all the right reasons.
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One of the women people love to hate is of course Gohar, from Nand, played by Faiza Hasan. Not only her dialogues, but her body language and entire character delineate absolute power. Ever since the start of Nand, she has been arguably the most influential character of the show. From choosing Raabi for Saqib to conspiring to end his relationship, she had been truly impulsive and harsh. Not only did she spoil Saqib’s relation, but her thirst for infinite power destroyed her own house, and the house of her other brother, Hasan as well. Even in the recent episodes, when her entire family has abandoned her and she has become insane, her acting of a homeless woman has fans in awe.
Coming to the extensively watched drama, Jalan, Nisha, played by Minal Khan, has broken all records of meanness and jealousy; leaving her fiance for her brother-in-law, marrying him, and ruining her sister’s life, getting frustrated when she comes to know of his monetary losses, eyeing the rich and successful Ahmer again. The expressions on Nisha’s face make her the perfect villain. From the days of her childhood to the present day, she has been a go-getter and she hardly cared about anyone coming in her way, even her sister. She has started to face repercussions in Areej’s face, however, we are yet to know what is written in her fate.
Another Jalan character people are loving is Areej, played by Hajra Yamin. She loved Ahmer since the beginning, even when she knew he is engaged to Nisha. Sure, in a turn of events, she does get married to Ahmer, but he already has his heart filled with the love of Nisha, and then the hate of her. Like a hopeless romantic, she kept waiting for him, with the arms of emotions, wide open, only to be humiliated and ignored. However, in the latest episode, seeing her husband with his ex-fiance, she furiously calls him out and gives him a reality check, so much so that he finally realizes he was wrong all along. She also takes on Nisha, in front of Asfand, threatens her with grave outcomes if she did not leave Ahmer alone.
The exceptional, Ghisi Piti Mohabbat caters the issue of patriarchy and victim-blaming in a rather subtle way. A girl, Samia, played by Ramsha Khan, falls in love, gets married, only to be cheated upon and divorced. Parents, who think money is far more precious than their daughter, get her married to a person twice her age, against her will. However, in a turn of events, her second husband dies and people blame her for the death. From the storyline to the dialogues, Ghisi Piti Mohabbat touches upon many social issues in a fun way, and bruised Samia still stands strong.
Log Kya Kahenge, the story of a scared man, who takes his life without caring about the future of his children and wife, shows how hard it is, in this society, for a woman, to be a single parent. After the demise of her husband, Meerab has now to win bread for her children and mother-in-law. Log Kya Kahenge shows how vulnerable a woman is without her husband, that she not only becomes a victim of cat-calling but is also falsely accused to have contact with other men. Meerab, played by Saheefa Jabbar Khattak, is the epitome of not only resilience but also of bravery.
Which one of these characters of the dramas that air on ARY Digital do you like the most and why? Have your say in the comments’ section below.