''Ankahi'' ( ur, , lit=Unsaid) is an Urdu television drama serial broadcast by PTV in 1982 as is now considered as a cult-classic. It was written by

Haseena Moin Haseena Moin (20 November 1941 – 26 March 2021) was a Pakistani dramatist, playwright and scriptwriter. She wrote several plays for stage, radio, and television. She was the recipient of the Pride of Performance award for her services to the ...

and directed by

Shoaib Mansoor Shoaib Mansoor (Full name, Shoaib Mansoor), ( ur, ; born 4 February 1951 Karachi) is a Pakistani television and film director, writer, producer, lyricist and musician of Muhajir origin. Active in the television industry since 1980, he first ...

and Mohsin Ali. The drama serial featured an ensemble star cast including

Shehnaz Sheikh Shehnaz Sheikh is a Pakistani television actress, host, and theatre director. She has appeared in the drama serials Tanhaiyaan and Ankahi, as well as the show Uncle Sargam. After her successful television career, she left the industry in the mid ...

Shakeel Yousuf Kamal (born 29 May 1938), better known as Shakeel Yousuf, is a Pakistani actor best known for his roles in PTV drama serial Uncle Urfi (1972), as 'Mehboob Ahmed' in PTV's Aangan Terha (1984) and as ''Taimoor Ahmad'' in Ankahi (1982). ...

Javed Sheikh Jawed Sheikh (also spelled Javaid and Javed; born 8 October 1954) is a Pakistani actor, film director and producer who works in Lollywood and Bollywood. He is best known for working in the Hindi films '' Om Shanti Om'', '' My Name Is Anthony G ...

, Saleem Nasir, Jamshed Ansari,

Behroze Sabzwari Behroze Sabzwari ( ur, بہروز سبزواری; born 1957) is an actor from Pakistan, appearing in films, on television, and in voice acting roles alike. Career Behroze began his career in Radio Pakistan as a radio presenter. In the late 1 ...

, Badar Khalil,

Qazi Wajid Wajid Qazi ( ur, ) (26 May 1930– 11 February 2018) was a Pakistani actor. His works include '' Shama'', ''Tanhaiyaan'', ''Dhoop Kinare'', '' Chand Grehan'', ''Zair, Zabar, Pesh'', '' Hawain'', '' Mehndi'', '' Afshan'', '' Khuda Ki Basti'' an ...

, Azra Mansoor,

Khalid Nizami Khalid Nizami is a Pakistani comedian actor and music composer. He is primarily known for playing a comedy role in Haseena Moin's play Ankahi. He has played several comedy characters in PTV dramas since 1970. He composed a song "''Tum Sung Nain ...

, Arshad Mehmood, Tabassum Farooqui and Faisal Bilal. ''Ankahi'' was one of the most popular drama serial in the early 1980s in Pakistan. This cast had then went on to work in a similar Pakistani drama serial Tanhaiyaan in 1986. Ankahi is remembered for its witty dialogue and the candid role of Sana (Shehnaz Sheikh) The show was not only popular in the Pakistan but across the border as well. After a long time (PTV Home) retelecased it daily at 3.00 P.M from 18th Of April 2020 to 2 May 2020, in PTV GOLD Hour.

Synopsis

The story revolves around a young ambitious girl Sana Murad (Shehnaz Sheikh). Due to her father's early death, her family is not so well-off and she dreams of being rich and prosperous like her friend Sara (Misbah Khalid). Her younger brother Jibran has a hole in his heart and they need money for his operation or surgery as well. Hence she applies for a job at an office. She fails the job interview as she is a fresh graduate and lacks the experience and qualifications required, but on her way back, meets the chairman Mr. Siddiqui (Qazi Wajid) who offers her the job anyway. She begins working for the Managing Director of the company Taimur Ahmad ( Yousaf Kamal). Sana is extremely clumsy, irresponsible and does not even know how to type or take dictations which causes Taimur great problems and some hilarious situations for the viewers. At her friend Sara's wedding, her groom Sajjad (Arshad Mehmood)'s best friend Faraz (Javed Sheikh) falls for Sana and starts following her everywhere. He even goes to her office and ends up getting a job there, only to be closer to Sana. Meanwhile her aunt Zakia (Badar Khalil) arrives from America with her son Moby (Behroze Sabzwari) for a visit. Since her ''mamu'' (Saleem Nasir) had written to her that they have become rich, they pretend to be rich even to the extent of convincing their neighbor Timmy (Jamshed Ansari) to act as their butler. After many hilarious antics, the truth is finally revealed and Zakia decides to buy a big house for all to move in. Meanwhile Moby falls in love with Marium (daughter of their tenant). After Moby's insistence, Zakia accepts his marriage with Marium. Jibran becomes friends with Faraz as he frequently comes to their house to see Sana. Sana's family start liking Faraz and Sajjad talks with them for the arrangement of Faraz's marriage with Sana. Jibran goes to the U.S. with his mother for a successful heart operation and returns. Meanwhile Sana gets close to Taimur whose wife Abeer is in a coma and he is looking for happiness with Sana. Taimur, however, accepts his own mistakes and Sana, feeling guilty, resigns from the job. Taimur goes to her home to tell her that she should move on and comes to realize Faraz's love for Sana and tells her that there are 'unsaid' (Ankahi) things that he couldn't say to her and departs. Abeer dies during a surgery, Sana & Faraz go to Taimur's home for condolences. Faraz leaves Taimur's home expecting Sana to go for Taimur but she unexpectedly wants to leave with him reassuring him of her consent for him.

Cast

as Sana Murad * Faisal Bilal as Jibran Murad *

as Taimoor Ahmad *

as Faraz Aafreedi * Badar Khalil as Zakia Begum * Saleem Nasir as Shehryar * Jamshed Ansari as Tameez ud din, Timmy *

as Siddiqui Sahib *

as Moby * Tabassum Farooqi as Maryam * Azra Mansoor as Apa Bi * Misbah Ishaaq as Saira * Arshad Mehmood as Sajjad

Adaptations

The teledrama was adapted into a Theater play titled ''Ankahi 2020'' and premiered on 25 March 2020 at the Karachi Arts Council in which lead role of ''Sana Murad'' was played by

Amna Ilyas Amna Ilyas ( ur, ) is a Pakistani film and television actress, and model. She is the younger sister of models Salma Ilyas and Uzma Ilyas. Amna began her modeling career at the age of seventeen, and a few years later, moved on to acting in 2013. ...

. 2000's Bollywood movie '' Chal Mere Bhai'', unofficial remake of the serial, was loosely based on the series and had the same storyline as of the serial.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ankahi Pakistani drama television series Urdu-language television shows Pakistani television series Pakistan Television Corporation original programming Television shows set in Karachi Pakistani comedy television series