Ajiya played by iqra aziz in the hit drama Suno Chanda 2 is the personification of problems faced by modern women in Pakistan.
With her new marriage and unfamiliar responsibilities placed on her by her in laws ,we see her facing obstacles Pakistani women are all too familiar with. This is a positive change for female leads
It is refreshing to see a woman on screen who isn’t seen as the epitome of perfection. Women are usually shown as one extreme or the other. One extreme shows them as perfect creatures incapable of making mistakes. Khirad Ashar of Humsafar, who shows little to no character development, is a prime example of this. Or on the other side of the spectrum, women are portrayed as the embodiment of evil. But Ajiya is full of flaws and we see her trying to overcome them and learn from her mistakes, just like anyone would. Suno Chanda 2 displays a spectrum of martial issues
Season two revolves around the martial life of Ajiya and Arsal, and not for the better. The couple constantly argued and fought, to the point the audience got fed up. This took away from what originally made Suno Chanda a hit, which was that love between Arsal and Ajiya blossoming even in the most adverse of conditions. Did we lose the true Ajiya in season two?
However, Ajiya in the start of the season is seen with the same fiery fever we love her for. Voicing many thought’s women leave unsaid in real life, like the anger a wife feels when her husband tells her to do menial chores.
Yet she does these menial tasks because of societal expectations of a dutiful wife.
As the season progressed, we see her give into familial pressure to become a submissive wife and leave her ambition of going to university in the UK. Her dadi constantly saying how unnecessary it is for her to pursue her career highlights the generation gap in Pakistan. Older generations have become ignorant to the problems faced by modern women. Ajiya is seen trying to hang onto her views while still maintaining a healthy marriage. The unexpected villain of the drama.
The villain of Suno Chanda 2 is probably Arsal himself. This is due to his actions within the show, that paint him as an inflexible and patriarchal husband. The audience can’t help but feel for Ajiya, with Arsal continuing to weave plots to show his superiority over Ajiya. In one scene, he wakes up Ajiya in the middle of the night, just for a cup of tea. This was probably a reality check for the audience to see Ajiya so defeated by the pressure to conform. This shows how women are often forced to stay with life partners that mentally and physically drain them. Final thoughts
Although Suno Chanda 2 is a comedy drama and a pretty good one. However, the other characters lack the depth found in Ajiya. She is everyone’s favorite character and Iqra Aziz does justice to her completely. With the end almost approaching, we as the audience hope that Ajiya grows and learns from the adverse conditions she’s been subjected throughout the drama and Arsal also learns from his mistakes and the marriage continues to be a healthy and happy one. The show, which is directed by Ahson Talish, clearly shows how young Pakistani couples face a multitude of problems unknown to our parents. And what a strong imperfect women can do.