Daily Times

‘Cheekh’ is one of the latest and most trending television dramas which just came to an end. Another success after Aisi Hai Tanhai by Big Bang Productions, Cheekh unveiled many loopholes in the prevalent justice system, patriarchal beliefs that hid the male ego and their insecurities, exploitation of the poor by the rich privileged class and much more. From thrill, suspense and a roller coaster of emotions, to the struggle of Mannat, a role played so eloquently by Saba Qamar, in order to get Nayyab the justice she deserved, the serial has everything a quality production has. What is even more exciting, is the fact that this time around, we get to see Bilal Abbas as the not-so cool a hero who plays the role of Wajih, an evil in disguise.

Disappointed by a few recent dramas with poorly written scripts lately, ‘Cheekh’ managed to get our attention. For someone like me who greatly admires the power of a strong message portrayed through the canvas of a stronger production, Cheekh is a treat to watch. To top it all up, Saba Qamar’s come-back as Mannat after the baaghi girl thrilled everyone with her dazzling performance a year ago, is even better than before.

The dewar-bhabi duel starts with the death of Nayyab, a very unfortunate girl with her unending obsession over Wajih to whom her friend Mannat wanted her to marry. Dreaming big, Nayab is all set to start a happy-ever-after life with Wajih until she finds out the kind of a devil resides within him and before she could tell the tale to the world, she is brutally murdered.

The dewar-bhabi duel starts with the death of Nayyab, a very unfortunate girl with her unending obsession over Wajih to whom her friend Mannat wanted her to marry. Dreaming big, Nayab is all set to start a happy-ever-after life with Wajih until she finds out the kind of a devil resides within him and before she could tell the tale to the world, she is brutally murdered

Wajih, a character beautifully played by Bilal Abbas is another wow factor in the serial which gets even more exciting with each episode. It all starts with him murdering Nayyab brutally and afterwards confessing in front of Mannat. Taken aback from what she heard, Mannat decides to avenge the death of her dear friend. Little does she know that fighting back will later cost her all that she had.

As we get a few episodes further, we see all the atrocities inflicted on Manat by Wajih resulting into guilt, remorse and frustration. However, what scares Wajih the most is the death of his own brother Shayan whom he kills accidently. Blinded by the thirst to win and to outperform Mannat in the on-going battle, he fails to realise what monster of a man he has become.

Misogyny reaches to its peak when Aqil Zada, Wajih’s lawyer takes the battle up a notch and turns it into a personal grudge against Mannat for having been thwarted by a woman. We, furthermore witness the fragile male ego being hurt when Yawar is tricked into blabbing his weakness by his wife which results in their divorce later.

Despite some of the viewers deeming the drama as exceedingly depressing, it still was able to move the many of them because the story is just so relatable. With many lessons to learn, the serial has depicted change and the desire to speak up. From the script to the direction of the serial, everything seems like it couldn’t have been perfect.

With women empowerment being the ultimate message, ‘Cheekh’ highlights the flaws in the status quo. Seeking justice has never been easy and so has been speaking about the troubles we face. What keeps us going though, is the courage and will to fight no matter what circumstances.

The writer is a blogger and an activist. She can be reached at maggavall@gmail.com