Written by: Hurmat Majid
Posted on: December 30, 2021 | 
| 中文
Sinf-e-Aahan
Sinf-i-Aahan (Women of Steel) is the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)’ latest project, which is quite unexpected on many fronts. Drifting from its norm, the Army’s media wing has decided to tell the tale of six women and their journey of becoming the ‘women of steel’. The project has unabashedly put women in the spotlight, and the male characters have been cast in more of a supporting capacity rather than as protagonists.
Written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Nadeem Baig, the drama takes us through the journeys of six women from six vastly different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, as they go through training and face their fears in pursuit of a commission in the army.
The drama has Sajal Aly, Yumna Zaidi, Kubra Khan, Syra Yusuf and Ramsha Khan in leading roles, while Dananeer Mobeen and Merub Ali have both been cast in major second-lead roles in the story.
The Sinf-e-Aahan girls
Pariwash (Ramsha) is a Baloch girl whose father works as a farmhand, but has big dreams for his eldest daughter. He can easily be given the title of Father of the Year on TV in 2021. The strong relationship between Pariwash and her father, is a kind of subject which has been missing in our television dramas and serials. Shahista (Yumna) has a Masters in Media Studies, has a doting father but who is extremely conservative and restricts her growth and movement. She risks running away from home to give her ISSB (Inter Services Selection Board) exam, rather than missing it because her father did not give her the permission to sit for the exam.
Yumna Zaidi and Meerub Ali in Sinf-e-Aahan
Mahjabeen (Kubra) is shown to be a rich brat from Islamabad who only wants to join the army after she sees a video of General Nigar Johar. Mahjabeen’s mother does not believe in her daughter’s abilities and neither does her father, but they both fail to convince their daughter to give up the idea. Rabiya (Sajjal) has been sitting around waiting for a suitable marriage proposal after graduating as an engineer. She, however, decides that she would rather join the army after getting rejected by another prospective rishta candidate over tea and samosas.
Sajal Ali and Kubra Khan in military uniform in Sinf-e-Aahan
Arzoo (Syra) is shown to be a Christian school teacher who wants better prospects for herself and her family. After pursuing a government officer for five years in the hope of marrying him one day, Arzoo decides to take a chance in life and apply for a commission in the Pakistan Army. Sri-Lankan actress Yehali Tashiya, is also a part of the project and is shown to be a foreign exchange student. This particular plotline has just opened up in the fifth episode, and we hope that her integration into the already existing plotlines would be seamless and relevant. Merub Ali, who plays the role of Gul, Shahista’s younger sister, is also doing a phenomenal job with her acting skills and facial expression.
The men, all of whom are playing supporting roles in the drama, include Ali Rehman Khan, Usman Mukhtar, Shehryar Munawar and Asad Siddiqui. The drama is also Asim Azhar’s acting debut. The singer has also sung the OST for the drama alongside Zeb Bangash.
Male actors.
When it comes to negatives, the drama is quite in-your-face when it comes to praising the army, a little subtlety would not have been lost here. Be it the repeated emphasis on the fact that your connections do not get you into the army, or any other such glorification of the institution, it would have been better to keep the messaging somewhat more nuanced. The other criticism audiences have is that not all the characters’ motivation to join the army is clear or convincing. Rabia, for example, just ups and decides she wants to join the army instead of waiting to be married off to a suitable man. While we understand Arzoo’s reasons for joining the army, her storyline is also not quite convincing, and her family seem to be getting more screentime rather than Arzoo herself. Mahjabeen’s spur-of-the-moment decision to join the army makes sense and seems to be in line with her character’s personality. Also, the fact that her mother’s lack of faith in her only makes her resolve stronger, is something almost all women can relate to.
Dananeer Mobeen as Syeda Sidra
The strongest storylines have come to be Pariwash and Shahista’s, both the girls have chosen to be part of the armed forces to bring honour to their families and to break the barriers that exist in their communities. Syeda Sidra’s storyline may not be the most developed, but her character has certainly got the audiences hooked.
Pariwash (Ramsha Khan) with her parents
The drama is a must-watch and has been getting millions of views on YouTube and TV. However, we would like to see other non-army-based stories of women who have managed to conquer their greatest fears and become Sinf-i-Aahan in other walks of life. That said, kudos to the Pakistan Army for coming up with a purely women-centric project, and telling us stories based on their empowerment and aspirations, rather than daily saas-bahu tiffs.
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