ISPR and MD Productions’ Ehd-e-Wafa is breaking barriers when it comes to storyline and performances.
The drama is not just the one on-air project where there is no saas-bahu issue but also the one that shows that Pakistan is full of strong people, be it men or women. When the play started, people argued that it will revolve around the main lead comprising Ahad Raza Mir, Wahaj Ali, Ahmed Ali Akbar, and Osman Khalid Butt but the writer and director had other ideas in their minds.
As the drama progressed, they introduced strong women in the story, showing to the world that women in our society are at par if not more important than men.
Spotlight decided to talk to the writer and three of the superwomen introduced during the play, and asked them how it felt to be part of a path-breaking drama, that gave importance to both male and female characters. Read on:
Mustafa Afridi (Writer)
When Ehd-e-Wafa began, the viewers thought that it was going to be an all-boys drama but we have seen many strong female characters in the drama as well. Was that something you had in mind or did it happen by chance?
When I started writing Ehd-e-Wafa, I was clear in my mind that it was going to be about youngsters; by youngsters, I mean both males and females. I wanted to show that Pakistan has a bright future where both strong male and female characters are important, and that’s one of the main reasons why we didn’t discriminate between the two. Both are integral for the future of Pakistan and through the drama, we sent across the important message that both men and women are both important to our society.
In fact, at times women have shown that they are stronger than men, both physically and mentally which is what we are highlighting as well. The female characters on our TV are usually either shown crying or are there as eye candies but in our drama, we have shown them in a true light, helping men achieve their goals and moving ahead with them. You may have noticed that every female character in the drama brings a change in their male counterparts’ life, for the better. How can we ignore strong females in our dramas when more than 50 percent of Pakistan comprises of women!
As a male writer, how difficult it was to write strong female characters?
It wasn’t difficult at all because there are so many examples around us that inspired me during the writing process. There are women who run schools, who are doctors, who help doctors as nurses, who are running multinational companies in Pakistan etc. And even those who are not as privileged, they ensure that their siblings get quality education by working extra hard and for their better future.
Some of them are so strong that not even men can stand beside them; just look at the Nurses in our hospitals, they not only attend the patients but when they die, they ensure that they get ready for the burial. Life and death are part of their daily routine and don’t scare them when in fact many men would lose it if they saw so much death on a regular basis.
A weeping woman might give you ratings but Ehd-e-Wafa proves that a strong woman can make the audience take note and be inspired. All a writer and production team needs is to understand that it is not difficult at all; if done correctly, a little effort can go a long way.
Alizeh Shah (Dua, Doctor)
Alizeh Shah not only plays the love interest of Ahad Raza Mir’s character but also delivers a strong performance as an adopted daughter who takes care of her mother after the sudden demise of her father.
Your character is the most important female character in the drama; did you know it will become as famous as it has now?
Thank you for considering it the most important female character although I never felt that. For me, all the female characters are equally important and well balanced, both written and portrayed. I am truly humbled and happy for the immense amount of love, recognition, and appreciation I have received from the audience.
Which has been your favorite scene in the play, considering there have been many important ones that included you?
This may sound bizarre and unreal but I actually loved playing all the scenes equally because each and every scene was written beautifully. If I have to choose one, then it has to be the scene where Dua’s father passes away because it was the scene where my bubbly character changes into a mature, wiser and more serious character.
Naeema Butt (Shariq’s sister Ghazala, Nurse)
Naeema Butt plays the sister of one of the boys played by Wahaj Ali and is shown to be a nurse who looks after her aged mother as well as her younger brother. In two episodes, she outshines the rest of the performers as she displays anger and love at the same time, without going out of character.
On TV, young and good looking actresses don’t usually opt for sisterly roles because of their scope. Why did you say yes to the role of Shariq’s sister when it was offered to you?
Well, I come from a theater background. I focus on the roles that have some potential to explore and project my acting skills. I found the role of Ghazala in Ehd-e-Wafa to be the one. Also, when I had a chat with Saife Hassan (director) I liked the fact that he comes from theater background and understands theater actors well. After meeting him I was encouraged to opt for this character. I knew that I might be typecast for older roles than my age, but I just followed my heart and said yes!
Did you know that for 2 episodes, you will outshine the boys in the drama with your powerful acting?
My acting training is in Method acting technique that pushes me to be sincere and emotionally expressive in my performance. I did not think about anything else while performing apart from being committed to my role. It’s quite a nice surprise though. I’m currently in the US doing theater and enjoying the great response from the audience and bombarded with hundreds of messages from people all around the world including India (smiles).
Hajra Yamin (Ramsha, News Producer)
Hajra Yamin also comes from theatre background and plays a news producer who teams up with Shariq (Wahaj Ali) and keeps him in check despite his tendency to go overboard.
Did you know that your character in Ehd e Wafa will become huge with the passage of time?
Honestly, I didn’t know it would, and it became huge very unexpectedly. I was initially hired for a few days because of it being an all-boys drama, but then it just took off and I couldn’t be happier.
For a change, Ehd e Wafa includes strong women despite starting off as an all-boys drama. How does it feel to be part of such a play?
One thing that I really like about the storyline is that it’s flexible and the character’s weaknesses and strengths are kept well balanced, be it the boys or the girls. It feels great, as it has a very diverse audience. Because of its reach, it looks like one of those plays which will be remembered.
from HUM TV – Watch Dramas Online https://ift.tt/2O8KDp0
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