Aakhir Kab Tak – A stark reminder of the dark side
“He has messaged me multiple times. Despite my having blocked his number repeatedly, he finds ways to DM me, call me from an unknown contact, or simply stalk me outside the house from across the street. He’s threatening to disclose our photographs to my family if I don’t see him again. I want to have nothing to do with him, but I dare not tell my family.”
Sound familiar? This is the story of many young girls in our society – you might know them or … might be them.
Writer-Director duo Radain Shah & Syed Ali Raza Usama have opted to shed light on an issue that is fast becoming a fast-growing cancer in our midst.
The opportunistic male exploits the unsuspecting female, keeps proof in hand in the form of compromising (sometimes not even so compromising) images – and playing on the calculated risk that she won’t talk, for fear of her family’s wrath!
Both Srha Asghar & Ushna Shah are delivering stellar performances – Fajar who recoils into her shell, yet emotes with startling intensity when we least expect it, and Noor, whose courage & out spokenness is a far cry from the regular Pakistani drama heroines.
The flawless chemistry between the Srha-Ushna duo is what’s really catapulting this drama into watchable space and of course, can’t mistake the eerie evilness of Azfar Rehman – what a convincing performance there!
While the storytelling so far in the first few episodes has been both riveting & fast-paced, here’s a question that comes to mind upon watching this spine-chilling scenario played out on screen:
Whose fault is it anyway?
The man who blackmails her?
The girl who risked her future by placing herself in a compromising situation?
OR
The family who has close to zero communication with their daughters & sons – those who are blackmailed & those who do the black mailing.
Here’s the question that many are asking as well:
Do we really need more stories on rape & harassment?
The answer begs another question. Are our women still subjected to rape & harassment? The answer is not perhaps in a simple yes, or no, but rather, how we tell the story.
So far, Aakhir Kab Tak is giving us reasons to relate – this time the story frame & scene of crime has shifted to a college backdrop – a place full of young people, incidentally, the ones who are facing this trauma the most.
If Aakhir Kab Tak does not divert the story line to toxic joint family conspiracies, (which it is currently in danger of falling prey to), we might just see a very meaningful story here. We’re certainly watching as the story warms up…
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Despite Fajar’s suicide attempt, her mother is still bent on getting her married. Marriage is the solution to everything – a sad reality in our society. Her behavior is a clear sign that something is wrong, she is not undergoing depression for no reason at all.
We wish the nurse had told the doctor to refer Fajar to a female doctor or shared her concern with the doctor.
How does one live with constantly degrading & belittling your life partner – the situation in Fajar & Noor’s parent’s marriage. Which leads us to the Dadi & the extreme toxicity. We really wish it was toned down a bit as Fajar & Noor’s story is strong enough to hold our attention on its own. Yes, some injustice to their mother could have been shown, but the extreme humiliation & negativity is beyond understanding.
We are amazed at the girl who is partnering in crime with the teacher…Do you think she should take a stand or are her hands tied?
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The Doctor should loose her license to practice. Pakistani doctors are uneducated and useless. She should have seen that something was wrong with her patient. So many women are abused and forgotten.