Hard-hitting and brilliant: Mahira Khan challenges female oppression in 'Razia' trailer

Mahira Khan, debatably the Pakistan entertainment industry’s most popular face, has remained off the screens for the better part of three years after appearing in her last drama serial, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay, in 2021. The award-winning star is, however, said to make her comeback onto the small screen with an Express Entertainment series that seems to explore the harsh reality of womanhood in Pakistan; Razia.

Khan first released the teaser for the upcoming show earlier in the week. On her Instagram, she penned, “When I heard the story, I said yes in a heartbeat. Grateful to be part of this story… no less the narrator of it.”

While the trailer itself does not reveal too much about what the series will encapsulate, Razia seems to be paving the way for an era of women’s rights in an age where the idea of female oppression dominates the local screen. Khan, who essays the titular role, portrays a woman who asks questions pertaining to the realities of what women have to endure in this country. From aspects ranging from harassment, child marriage, honour killing, to domestic violence, Razia seems an attempt to bring on a wave of feminist discourse.

However, perhaps what sets this short series apart will not be the matters of what this story aims to discuss, but rather what it will not. The trailer showcases the Superstar actor in a monologue, inviting the public around her to listen. The icon is seen to portray an outspoken, what some may call “bold,” character that assures her audience her story does not involve the common tropes that stories often use to justify oppression. The character calls out the all-too-common themes of cruel mothers-in-law, thirst for upper-class romances, and forgiveness of persecution in the name of love; all ideas audiences find themselves observing in domestically produced entertainment.

While Razia aims to pave the path for new avenues of storytelling, audiences can only hope that matters as sensitive and complicated as the mini-series aims to bravely discuss will be handled tastefully. However, while fans wait for episodes to release, the starlet took to Twitter to answer questions pertaining to the project and share in the excitement. While describing the project, she wrote, “There are important messages being told mostly lightly… and sometimes strongly.”

The mini-series, directed, written by Mohsin Ali and produced by Hina Aman, is known to showcase other popular names like Momal Shaikh, Mohib Mirza, Shahzad Mallick, and Parveen Akhbar.