When Shanakht first began, my mind, of course, immediately assumed that "end-game" would be Annie & Hashim. Looking at the drama's posters, that's what most would think. However, after 17 episodes have passed and we see the track on which this show is headed, we know this is not the case.
"Shanakht" - for those who don't know, this word roughly translates to "identity." While throughout the drama, we've seen Annie (Maya Ali) struggling not only for the right to whole-heartedly embrace her identity, but to have it embraced by her own family and in-laws. We see Rohan (Fahad Mirza) struggling with the same situation, which instantly makes Rohan and Annie the "perfect" fit. But this perfect couple faced their own share of problems. While Annie's family was completely opposed to accepting her, Annie's family was not happy with having a "maulana" as a son-in-law. Both Annie and Rohan won over their in-laws and own families by displaying their good virtues and displaying that being religious did not need to translate to being "judgmental."
Our "perfect" couple of Rohan & Annie, however, do not overly display notions of being perfect. They fight like a normal couple. We see Annie's annoyance at Rohan's reluctance to attend family events. We see Rohan's irritation at Annie ditching work to attend "silly" events with his mother. But despite this very normal marital issues, we see that both parties mutually respect each other, are honest with each other and respect the families of the other.
Then on the other end, we're left with Hashim (Noor Hassan). Hashim has yet to come to terms with his "shanakht." While Hashim initially rejected Annie, shunning her for her beliefs, he now finds himself confused and looking for those beliefs in his UK-raised wife, Faryal (Kanza Wayne). Faryal and Hashim's marriage is the polar opposite of Annie and Rohan's. Despite caring for each other, Faryal and Hashim find themselves unable to respect each other.
Faryal's situation mirrors that of Annie's after marriage - her in-laws are unhappy with Hashim's choice and are not willing to accept her. Each person has their own personality and way of dealing with things and, obviously, Faryal's is not the same as Annie's. Hashim's mother (Shamim Hilali) is still hung up on the fact that Hashim didn't marry Annie and salt is further rubbed on her wounds each time mention is made of how successful Annie is in the workplace and in her own home. This negatively affects her attitude towards Faryal further and we see Hashim's mother playing the "let's compare"game, something that completely irks Faryal. Not only does her mother-in-law's attitude hurt Faryal, but it also seems to have an affect on Hashim, who seems to do everything he can to have Faryal mirror Annie's ways. And logically speaking, what sort of wife would stand for that comparison?
The problem is that with Hashim's current work situation, working with Annie & Rohan, he consistently has the image of a "perfect wife" thrown in his face on a day-to-day basis. Instead of seeing that his own family (namely his mother) are equally responsible for his hostile home environment, he begins to put all the blame on Faryal. This is where the show is open for interpretation, of course: Is it necessary for a daughter-in-law to tolerate the incredibly rude behavior of her mother-in-law? Or is it her job to quietly listen to what her MIL has to say and silently change her perception (as Annie did)? Does one way have to work for different people?
In my personal opinion, Faryal is not a negative character. Hashim accepted her in the UK as she was, with her own distinct personality. She's a nice girl, but a girl who was not prepared to live in Pakistan with her in-laws and had the situation thrown at her. Not only was she expected to simply "deal" with that situation, but her husband fails to understand how uncomfortable her mother-in-law makes her, constantly putting her down and criticizing her. I do appreciate that the show is doing a great job of showing ALL sides here, not painting any particular party as negative.
After episode 17, we're left with Hashim and Faryal at bitter loggerheads in their marriage. After repeatedly having Annie's name thrown in her face, Faryal has inherently learned to dislike Annie (despite initially loving her). In an outburst, Faryal tells Annie that she's tired of hearing everyone praise Annie at her own expense, something which thoroughly embarrasses Hashim and leaves Annie miffed at what's happening in Hashim & Faryal's life. Annie's feelings are understandably hurt, as are Faryal's.
What is refreshing to see from the promo for episode 18 is that, as usual, Annie is honest with Rohan and seeks his help in guiding her next move.
Shanakht has proven to be a beautiful show to watch, neither coming off as preachy or unrealistic. I think everyone at some level can connect to this show, whether it's in the marital aspect or the religious aspect. Hope everyone else is enjoying this one as much as I am!
Happy watching!
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