A review on Pakistani classic telefilm, Achanak! (1993). This telefilm is directed by Iqbal Ansari and written by Asghar Nadeem Syed. Achanak! was part of the PTV ‘Tele-Theater’ program.
+ Crew
- Directed by Iqbal Ansari
- Written by Asghar Nadeem Syed
- Set Design by Qaisar Abbas
+ Note
Achanak! deals with the subject of what it means to be in love with a partner who is significantly older in age and stature. In contrast, the story also tries to unravel the concept of unconditional love between a man and a woman.
+ Main Cast
- Talat Hussain as Ahmed Naseem
- Fazila Qaisar as Saba
- Khalid Zafar as Qadri
- Badar Khalil as Irfan Ki Ammi
- Dilshad Sabir as Irfan
- Wakeel Farooqi as Postman
- Rashida Yaqoob as Nokrani
- Azmat Ansari as Lateef
- Aslam Sheikh as Journalist
- Anil Bhatti as Journalist
- Abu-ul-Kalam as Journalist
+ Plot
Ahmed Naseem is an accomplished Urdu novelist who is fascinated by the differences between a man and a woman in a romantic relationship. During this time, Ahmed Naseem’s young wife Saba has been receiving anonymous love letters but decides to keep it a secret from her husband. How will Naseem react once he discovers his wife’s secret love affair?
+ High Points
i – Achanak is the kind of Long play that keeps its viewers guessing throughout its runtime. The dramatic tension between Naseem and his young wife Saba is imminently felt through their minimal dialogues, disguised as ‘everyday’ small talk. And that is what makes tele theater so special. The play starts off with a premise but refuses to reveal its cards till the very end.
ii – Talat Hussian is once again brilliant as the disgruntled, cynical writer who (like a true artist) blends the fictional world with reality. Naseem is fully self-aware of his shortcomings as a husband and a lover. Although his wife is always loyal and obedient by embracing the role of a perfect housewife, Naseem knows that he lacks the compassion that his wife desires. His afternoon conversations with his fellow intellectual reveal his inner fear of betrayal. Naseem contemplates day and night that his wife might leave him for a more suitable partner. Someone younger, more down to earth. Perhaps Naseem’s articulate perception of the world forces him away from the immediate reality of his wife and family but the angst constantly remains within his subconsciousness.
iii – Fazila Qaisar plays the wife who longs for love and compassion in her life. While Naseem treats her well, he is handicapped when it comes to unconditional love. At first, Saba finds the anonymous romantic letters abhorrent but eventually, they play the strings of her heart with uttermost precision. It’s as if this person knows what she secretly desires out of a relationship. There might be perhaps some viewers who would perceive Saba as an “unfaithful” wife but that would be severely ignoring Naseem’s role in this telefilm. The story never takes sides and evaluates the flaws in both of these main protagonists.
iv – The ending seemed very befitting to the story. Some viewers might have already predicted halfway through the telefilm but nonetheless, the emotional aspect of the writing plays a vital role in luring in the viewers right till the very end.
+ Low Points
i – Although the writing of the telefilm is good for the most part, the character development of our two leads is quite minimal to the context of the story. It is never made clear why Saba decided to marry Naseem in the first place. Was it an arranged marriage without her consent? Or did she merely desire being married to a writer? By not exploring the characters earlier on, the plot suffers a bit later on when the two leads start to drift apart from one another.
ii – Even though I praised the performances from our two leads above, they do not feel on the same page. Talat Hussian’s approach to acting has always been very ‘Theatrical’ and captivating while Fazila Qaisar’s performance is subtle and more grounded. Now, one could say that Naseem is a writer so naturally, his perception of reality would be noticeably more exuberant than others but it unfortunately works against the tone that the show is trying to set. Is Achanak theatrical in tone or set in the real world?
Apart from our main leads of the show, it is the supporting cast which is the biggest letdown. Either their performances are too timid or unnecessarily exaggerated which clashes heavily (once again) with the tone of the play.
iii – There’s a fairly odd scene where Naseem returns home late in the evening on a horse carriage. Usually, horse carriage rides are utilized by tourists from foreigners who want to experience sightseeing in the city for the first time. Narratively, this scene makes no sense but I suppose the horse carriage visually presents itself better than an enclosed taxi.
iv – Visually, Achanak is once again a product of its time. The images are flat and uninteresting to look at, the shot composition is standard filmmaking 101. Of course, with the time and budget that these productions had, one cannot solely blame the director for it.
+ Overall
The series of ‘Tele Theater’ long plays were known for their hard hitting social questions and Achanak is definitely one of their most memorable entries.
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