Just when we felt the drama was being dragged, Kashf left us speechless with a heartbreaking yet meaningful end. Here are some of our favorite dialogues and instances from the finale.

P.S: For everyone not familiar with the story, the drama revolves around the life of a pious girl, Kashf, who realized her dreams were predictions of the future, leading her greedy family to use this gift for their benefit and earn money from telling others their future. 

1. ‘Hota wohi hai, jo Khuda chahta hai’

During the final meeting of Kashf & Wajhdaan, on the rooftop, this one-liner was Kashf’s response to all his complains. We see Wajhdaan, who was now showing symptoms of developing a mental disorder, repeating this phrase continuously (emphasizing upon the message of the drama serial). A profound dialogue that beautifully sums up our lives (and the entire play too – at the end of the day, everything aligned with Kashf’s dreams, in other words, God’s will). 

2. Kashf’s final advice to her ‘mureeds’

The last message of Kashf to everyone who visited the aastana for the last time was to pray (‘namaz parho’) and ask God (‘dua maango’) directly, as he listens to everyone. The whole plot was based around Kashf being a mediator between God and his people but she implicitly discloses that God has a direct connection with his creation and this culture (portrayed in the show) should not be promoted.

3. Warning to Zoya 

After Zoya (Kashf’s sister) succeeds in marrying Wajhdaan, by wrong means, Kashf warns her that everyone will be left empty handed at the end of the day (‘kisi ke haath kuch nahi ayega’). Despite getting what Zoya desperately wanted, the drama teaches us that one can never find true happiness and peace by obtaining something by hurting others or conspiring against them.

4. Kashf’s peaceful death

The death scene made everyone shed tears with brilliant performance by Hira Mani. The episode began as a preparation of a believer’s death, who had surrendered to God. She offered fajar, wore itar, drank Aab-e-Zam-Zam (holy water) and died in sujood, while offering prayers. A perfect conclusion to the show!

How did you all like the end of Kashf? Let us know @femmerang on Instagram.

Sanya Mithani is a content writer at Femmerang. She’s a lifestyle Instagram blogger passionate about books. Follow her on Instagram @bookshelf.and.closet.

If someone asks you about famous male characters in our Pakistani dramas, some names like Ashar from Humsafar, Zaroon from Zindagi Gulzar Hai or to take a more recent example, Danish from Meray Paas Tum Ho, are bound to cross your mind. As audience, we tend to ignore the toxic traits of these male protagonists and celebrate their charisma on the silver screen. Pakistani dramas have clearly blurred the lines between cuteness and dominance. 

After constantly being fed the same doses of toxic masculinity, seeing some unconventional male characters in our recent dramas left me astonished. Here is my top 5, who broke away from this norm.

5. Munshi Jee from Pyaar ke Sadqay (2020):

Whether Abdullah is your favourite or not, there isn’t anyone who isn’t fond of Munshi Jee AKA Mahjabeen ke abba. His wife might be considered one of the most fortunate wives in the Pakistani dramas, who isn’t belittled by her husband rather her inputs are appreciated and her husband confides in her. When on one hand we see Imtiaz Bhai from Kashf never missing an opportunity to disparage his daughters, Munshi Jee had a soft spot for Mahjabeen, despite being familiar with her eccentricity & mischiefs. He is a man who cared more about his family and resisted giving in to Sarwar’s evil intentions to save his repo!

4. Saad from Ehd-e-Wafa (2019):

Saad deserves admiration for normalizing a girl’s single mother living with her at her in-laws. His character is empathetic and doesn’t compel his love-interest, Dua, to marry him. He won her heart (and ours too) by showing continuous support, respecting her ambitions and confessing his feelings in the most decent manner. Isn’t he just perfect?

3. Shayaan from Cheekh (2019):

Not sure if we all loved Shayaan more or started fangirling over Emaad Irfani after his performance in Cheekh. Shayaan is undoubtedly the ideal husband of Pakistani dramas, who stood by his wife through the thick and thin. Such a person would be labelled as joru ka gulaam in our society, leaving his family & wealth behind, to support his partner, but did our Shayaan care about log kya kahenge? No! He cared only about Mannat & her well-being!

2. Wajdaan from Kashf (2020):

I don’t recall seeing a man voluntarily working for (and under) his love-interest and forgoing his ghairat (the most favorite word of Pakistani men in dramas, jbtw). Wajdaan is definitely an exceptional case. We had expected him to cut all ties with Kashf after being insulted countless times by her father and their engagement also being called off. But, our dearest protagonist understands pressures from Kashf’s family & neither holds her accountable nor puts forward uncalled for demands. From what we know about his character, it would be too early and unfair to judge his marriage with Zoya, which is being indicated in every other episode. Let’s see what more twists the story unfolds!

1. Hassan from Sabaat (2020):

How could the new heartthrob of Pakistan not make it to our list!? The majority did not see him developing into such a compassionate and pragmatic character. He gives his wife, Anaya due credits for knocking some sense into him, when he was turning into Miraal’s puppet, helps her around with ghar ke kaam, and chose his wife’s self-respect (which was being compromised) over a life of aish o aram (luxuries and comforts). Regardless of the ups and downs we have seen or will see of this character, we cannot shut our eyes to the mesmerizing moments between Hassan and Anaya & their lovely chemistry. 

Honorable mention: Aziz Sahab from Sabaat (2020):

Sabaat gave us yet another character to cherish. This father-daughter duo has captivated us. We realize Anaya is more comfortable sharing and discussing issues with her father, even after her marriage. He is not only a father but a confidante for Anaya too. Moreover, his emphasis on his daughter’s education and the scene where he encourages her to initiate a women’s rights campaign at university beautifully depicts their relationship. Although Fareed Sahab (Hassan’s dad) too showed endless affection for his daughter, his love became toxic for other characters, such as his wife & son. We really want Fareed Sahab to take some notes from Aziz Sabab!

Which is your favourite male character from our recent dramas? Do you think our dramas are now showing a more progressive thinking and moving away from illustrating typical controlling men?

Watched all the holiday movies we recommended? Wanna switch to reading now but don’t know which book to pick up next? Worry not! We’ve got you covered. 

Below is a rather unusual list of holiday reads. Let us know @femmerang if you read any of them!  

1. Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Christmas is all about love, hope, acceptance, and Wonder manages to convey all these messages through one novel. A heartwarming story about a young boy and his struggles due to his rare facial deformation, this book will bring tears to your eyes while making you count your blessings. Also, it will teach you to never judge people based on their looks, as we are unaware of what they are facing or who they truly are. 

P.S: There’s a movie adaptation by the same title, which you can watch after completing the book too! 

2. If I stay by Gayle Forman

Ever read a book narrated by a dead person? If not, then this is your time to do so. 

If I stay, a book about choices, whether to stay or to leave this world, will put you in a dilemma too. Should Mia’s subconsciously alive self decide to fulfill commitments with her love interest, Adam, and come back to life or join her parents and little brother in heaven (supposedly) after a brutal car accident? It’s her decision to make. This book is capable of making you experience life in between the two worlds. 

P.S: There is a movie of this one too, in case you haven’t watched!

3. The Beginning Of The World In The Middle Of The Night by Jen Campbell:

Although the title is very long, surprisingly, the book is quite short. Based on multiple short stories, this book will give you another perspective about fairytales and renowned myths. 

“But what if Jack took those magic beans and planted them inside himself, instead?”

Interweaving stories we all grew up with, with contemporary era, Campbell’s unconventional style of story telling makes it a compelling, exciting and cheerful read. 

P.S: How beautiful is that cover. An element from each short story has been illustrated inside the heart – so clever!

4. Caraval by Stephanie Garber:

What’s festivity without some carnival-ish feel? The magical Caraval is an escape from cruel realities of Scarlett and Dontella Dragna. A life-long dream, which might turn into a nightmare; a mere game that would cost someone their life, and a search that might end with a thrilling revelation. There is just so much to explore in 450-pages.

P.S: Especially recommended for those who have read and enjoyed The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.

5. A Pocket Full Of Rye by Agatha Christie:

The Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, is your perfect pick for the year-end. Indulge yourself into the crazy case of rye, found in the pockets of Mr. Fortescue, who has been murdered using taxine. This Miss Marple mystery is a definite page-turner that will keep you hooked till the very end and shock you when the killer is unveiled. Inspired by a nursery rhyme, A Pocket Full of Rye, is a case where you will doubt everyone’s intentions. 

Will the most unlikely person turn out to be guilty or was it Mr. Fortescue’s past that was haunting him? Read to know!  

Bonus Agatha Christie recommendation (in case you cannot get enough of her writing): 

Appointment with death – Mrs. Boynton, a controlling woman is found dead while vacationing with her family. Her demise is not mourned by anyone rather turns out to be emancipation from her dominance. 24 hours to solve the case. That is it. And Hercule Poirot, the famous Belgium detective is on it. Will he be successful in revealing who committed this heinous crime?

Sanya Mithani is a content writer at Femmerang. She’s a lifestyle Instagram blogger passionate about books. Follow her on Instagram @bookshelf.and.closet.

Literature has always played an important role in forming a particular image about women and the constructing certain gender norms. We tend to idealize the characters we admire and try to imitate them in our lives. Sometimes, we also align our beliefs with the ones of the author, if the story is able to make such an impact.

A book such as Eleanor & Park may seem like an ordinary romance novel but the portrayal of the female protagonist, Eleanor, helps to make some important deductions about how women are represented in contemporary literature by female authors.

Having the name of the main character as the title of a novel usually signifies he/she is a strong character. In the case of Eleanor & Park, while two characters share the title, we know the focus is on Eleanor, as her name appears first. Also, it is noteworthy how Rowell cleverly named her character. Eleanor relates to light/brightness (often associated with the Queen Eleanor in the story) but her character attempts to stay low and not draw attention to herself. Ironically, we also see her as a highly sensitive girl who instead of standing up against the bullies, wouldn’t dare utter a word and chooses to remain silent.

After building a weak image of Eleanor, we are made aware of her family background (separated parents), physical appearance, which didn’t fit the definition of the usual beauty standards (bullied as a ‘fat chipette’), and constant indications to her manly personality, be it attraction towards Park’s comic books or her wearing ‘a giant men’s shirt’. As a critical reader, it meant that if a woman does not have certain feminine traits, she should not be recognized as one. We also know that Eleanor is an honors student yet her intelligence is overpowered by her appearance.  

Our love affair with beauty:

Despite this, her love-interest to-be, Park, finds her very red curly hair, with dark brown eyes, appealing. As we see the novel normalizing these features as beautiful, reference to her ‘white skin’ later, proves us wrong. Being a reader from Pakistan, a country that obsesses over white complexion, from finding gori bahus (daughter-in-laws) to endorsing whitening products to become ‘beautiful’, such colorist remarks can be extremely harmful for the youth and the wider audience. In the 21^st century, when we should be promoting the idea of being comfortable in our own skin, reading such literature that uses ‘whiteness’ of a female character as a scale of beauty, can hinder that progression, and further undermine the image of women with darker complexions.

Not only that, Park’s comparison of Eleanor with his mother, reminded me of the common desi mindset – neglecting a woman’s individual personality and finding similarities between her personality and a man’s epitome of womanhood.

The Damsel and The Distressed:

The imposition of patriarchal values continued in the story with Eleanor’s mother grabbing books with male protagonists at random, when packing to shift, and the ones around women (or equally about them) not making the cut – Oliver’s Story was given preference instead of Love-story and Little Men was included but not Little Women.

Fast forwarding to the end, Eleanor eventually becomes a victim of violence and receives threats from her evil stepdad, Richie.  She  is saved by Park, who drives Eleanor to her uncle in Minnesota. Eleanor’s rescue was not unexpected but ending with them parting confirms that only the ‘ideal’ woman deserves permanent happiness and to be loved. Park ultimately goes to prom with another girl but the damsel in distress Eleanor does not forgo her attachment with him.

From the desi mindset we come from, Park would resemble any typical South-Asian male, who would not want to be associated with a woman, coming from such a background. Thought of as a matter of integrity, cutting ties with Eleanor and moving on seemed like the most appropriate thing to do. Eleanor, being a naïve, innocent girl, is still hopeful for it to work.

Eleanor & Park is one of the most celebrated novels of Rainbow Rowell and would have been an exemplary and inspiring work, in my opinion, if Eleanor was shown as a strong-minded woman, an attribute that drew Park’s attention. Seeing such a woman who confronted her fears instead of escaping could be a source of courage for many.

We can only expect to see a positive change in the way female protagonists are depicted in books, in the near future.