Sanam Saeed has shared an emotional note for Zeba, her character in ARY’s drama Kafeel, as the show transitions into a new chapter and introduces her four children.
Taking to her Instagram account on Friday, Saeed posted a series of stills from the drama and spoke directly to the woman she brought to life on screen.
She described Zeba as “sweet, obedient and naive,” while gently challenging the deeply ingrained idea that being a farmabardar beti should come at the cost of a woman’s future, peace and identity.
“Goodbye sweet, obedient. naive Zeba. It’s one thing to be a farmabardar beti to do right by everyone… but not at the expense of your future, your life, your peace and happiness. It is so important to be aware, have a voice, be confident and to love and respect yourself. You do no one a favor by sacrificing yourself and living in misery, you only have one life,” he began in caption.
She urged women to trust their instincts, saying that the heart and mind can be clouded by loyalty to family, shame, fear, guilt and long-held traditions.
As Kafeel moves forward by introducing Zeba’s children, played by Aashir Wajahat, Areeka Haq, Nooray Zeeshan and Hania Ahmed, Saeed stressed that marriage should not be treated as life’s ultimate goal.
“Shaadi is not the most important thing in life. Self preservation is.. and for that you need an education, you need financial independence and you need to feel safe, be at peace and feel happy and content with who you are and where you are,” she added.
Marriage, she noted, can be beautiful only when both partners respect each other and understand the impact of their behaviour on their children, adding, “Childhood experiences shape the person they will become tomorrow.”
Sanam Saeed also acknowledged the overwhelming response from audiences, particularly women who reached out to say they saw their own lives reflected in Zeba’s story.
“I hope the first chapter of Kafeel was an eye opener, a ray of hope and a warning to young women and their parents,” she concluded.
Written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Meesam Naqvi, Kafeel centres on Zeba, a once intellectually curious woman now balancing a teaching job, household responsibilities and a marriage that drains her emotionally. Her husband Jamshed, played by Emmad Irfani, is shown as insecure and verbally abusive.