Javed Sheikh’s Role in Angna is Breaking Stereotypes

A few weeks ago, Angna drama created quite an uproar over a controversial slap scene. Like all hubbubs, that one too died and people moved on to discuss either the political mess in the country or the tragic end of Saturdays as a weekend for Pakistanis.

However, the story of four strong sisters, vying hard to have happy, healthy, and positive relationships had piqued our attention. Not cause their troubling marital life kept us hooked, but it was their father ‘Azhar’, essayed by Javed Sheikh, that made us realize how neede\d empowering fathers are in our society.

An Anchor That Holds Them All Together

The character of Azhar is a prototype of an inspirational, self-sacrificing father who believes in bringing up her daughters in a free world. It is often said that giving so much liberty to daughters ends up spoiling them. Azhar proves how wrong that statement is. He empowered his daughters to work and pursue higher education so that they could be independent and capable of acing all fields they step into.

He has taught them ways of the world which is evident in how strongly the girls deal with the challenges, life throws at them. From the very first episodes, we see that he made his daughter Eshal, essayed by Rabab Hashim, take over the family business and confidently deal with professionals at the meeting table. He nurtured them to breathe in a unrestricted world sans any pressure to marry as per society’s demands. We see them studying till the university level, indicating that their academic qualifications were given top priority by their dad.

Azhar’s non-toxic attitude towards his home, wife, and family inculcated the same values in his daughters who grew up pure-hearted, soft, loving, and giving.

A Shield in Dark Days

We have seen Pakistani dramas propagating the narrative that parents are no more responsible for their daughters, once they get married. Azhar was that one father who broke all stereotypes by being a strong guardian and looking after them even if they left their homes to settle into new ones. At the same time, he was never interfering with their lives nor was he a preachy parent who guided them on how to deal with their in-laws or husband.

When Abeeha’s (Areeba Habib) becomes a widow and loses her husband Taimoor (Azfar Rehman), Azhar ensures her daughter is well taken care of. Of course, he was heartbroken. But rose to the occasion to take her home, in his shelter and warmth so she feels at peace, safe, and protected.

Similarly, he safeguarded Ayeza (Kanwa Khan) from Ammar (Asim Mehmood) upon realizing that he has exploited and cheated on his daughter. He broke another stereotype here by imparting a message that a divorced daughter is better than a dead daughter. So much so, he was vengeful and ensured that Ammar pays for his lies and deceitful demeanor.

In the recent episodes, he has finally realized that his youngest son-in-law, Raza (Sajjad Pal) has been minting money out of him. But his daughter Nayab (Laiba Khan) has splendidly brought Sajjad to the book by exposing his reality to the world.

A father we needed on our screens

It’s true that all fathers, in real life or reel life, want their daughters to settle in a safe and happy home. However, very few realize that it’s equally important to empower them, trust them and stand by them when it’s needed. Usually, Pakistani dramas characterizes dads as ‘majboor’, ‘beybas’ and burdened by societal demands. Most of them consider their daughters a weight they want to be free of.

Angna might be a drama with a lot of problematic themes but we are relieved that it exhibited a contemporary father who believes in protecting his daughter’s self-esteem and self-worth. A look at the YouTube comments beneath Angna’s uploaded episode reveals that there are a couple of viewers who realize how Azhar has been like a sun in the lives of Abeeha, Nayab, Eshal, and Aiza.

Let’s not forget that a father-daughter relationship can have a far-reaching influence on the daughter’s life. Freud says that no necessity of childhood is as important as a father’s protection. It is indeed liberating to witness such a story and so many more like the recent Sinf e Ahan and Inkaar in the past where we saw fathers who were involved, supportive, and no less than superheroes!