Five progressive characters we need more of on television

Ever since the airing of Pakistani plays on our television sets, it has remained a favourite of the people. From the times of just one national channel like PTV providing a magnitude of plays to look forward to, to today, where a trove of conglomerates and production houses fight for the viewer’s attention, it has truly been a long journey.

However, bigger than the evolution of the viewer, has been the rise of the character, which has remained the most important as a coup d’état of sorts, changing what is being portrayed on mainstream television.

Looking at five such progressive characters, Instep explores the changes in the wind, which are making Pakistani television a much better place…

Shamim Hilaly in Dil Kiya Karey

Directed by Mehreen Jabbar, the Feroze Khan and Yumna Zaidi starrer carved its own niche when it started airing earlier this year. However, the most noticeable character has been Sohana Begum, essayed by Shamim Hilaly, who has changed the way maternal characters are shown.

Open-minded and supportive, Sohana Begum is truly the sort of grandmother characters that were missing from our television narratives. Additionally, the show has also proven that female characters – with few exceptions – can also be given agency, where they can be fully-developed characters in narratives.

Rehan Sheikhin Inkaar

Another Yumna Zaidi starrer, the Kashif Nisar directorial has really challenged the representation of fathers in our television plays or the lack thereof. Showcasing a father who is willing to understand and support their children, Inkaar has given a new facet to Rehan Sheikh’s acting repertoire, and it’s definitely for the better. Plus, the fact that Inkaar has given a voice to paternal characters definitely is another feather to the cap the show wears proudly.

Emmad Irfani in Cheekh

Despite the dark ethos of the show, the Saba Qamar starrer has swiftly become one of the most popular shows on television at the moment. Be it the whodunit suspense or the sheer acting skills by each and every character in the show, it’s truly one narrative everyone can’t stop talking about. However, a bigger yet underrated addition to the show is definitely Emmad Irfani as Shayan – Mannat’s (Saba Qamar) husband – who changes once again, the concept of miserable, stereotypical husbands. One hopes more shows learn from it and present more than what we’ve seen with the ‘angry young husband’ trope.

Sanam Saeed in Deedan

If there’s one actor, who makes sure her roles are majorly progressive and show a new facet to her skillset, it’s Sanam Saeed. Now, in her latest show, Deedan, she’s once again proven that her characters not only resonate with the public, but also shed light on bringing characters onscreen who have their own voice and reason behind everything.

Strong, powerful, and vocal, Sanam as Resham in Deedan is the type of character one could use to create an archetype which we do need.

Zainab Qayoom (ZQ) in Do Bol

While a myriad of television plays still turn the concept of a stepmother into the same hackneyed concepts that we hear of in fairy tales, it is Do Bol with Zainab Qayoom (ZQ), which challenged the whole idea in a brilliant way. Despite being a step mother, we see an extremely compassionate character who comes in support of her stepdaughter against her own husband whose unfairness knows no bounds. In doing so, the narrative has been successful is bringing a fresh perspective over what had turned into a run-of-the-mill trope to put up on television