It won’t be wrong to say that Mawra Hocane does selective work. The model and actress might have appeared in commercial projects in the early days of her career, but in the recent years, Hocane has taken care to appear in the best of productions. What sets Mawra’s dramas apart from other popular actresses’ dramatic projects is her choice of stories, which are found to be rooted in the culture of Pakistan, and therefore emerge as relatable to the viewers. On her birthday, which happened to be on the September 28, Minute Mirror decided to revisit some of Mawra’s best dramas.
Angan
“Angan” might not have attained commercial popularity, but this serial written by Mustafa Afridi and directed by Muhammed Ehtesham ud Din finds its place amongst the best Pakistani period plays. Based on the novel of the same name by Khadija Mastoor, “Angan” revolved around the limited vocal space women acquired back in the year 1947 despite having solid political views. This partition project starred Mawra as the novel’s protagonist, Aliya along-with Ahad Raza Mir, Sajal Aly, Ahsan Khan, Sonya Hussyn, Hira Mani and many other notable performers.
Sabaat
“Sabaat” gained unparalleled success for its decent handling of class differences and the plights of the upper middle strata. Written by Kashif Anwaar and directed by Shahzad Kashmiri, “Sabaat” starred Mawra along-with Sara Khan, Usman Mukhtar and Ameer Gilani. The serial was shot in Islamabad and won the hearts of millions for its realistic portrayal of the struggles of middle class families to get acceptance in the society. Mawra played the role of Ameer Gilani’s wife who is insulted repeatedly for her lower social background and is therefore kept from entering her beloved’s house as a wife, but manages to attain both place and respect owing to her intelligence and endless efforts as a working woman.
Sammi
“Sammi” was based on revenge marriages, a common act prevalent in feudal families, thus resulting in its setting being Rahim Yar Khan where the mentioned class is in power. “Sammi” was directed by Saif e Hassan and written by Noor ul Huda Shah, who is already known for penning serials based on women rights. Mawra Hocane played the protagonist in “Sammi” and performed against Ahad Raza Mir, whose entry into the drama industry was marked by this very serial.
Ahista Ahista
Also based on domestic violence but such that goes unnoticed, “Ahista Ahista” revolved around eastern brides waiting in Pakistan for fraudulent husbands based outside the country, already married to foreigners. Mawra played the role of the victimized wife, while Adnan Siddiqui played her husband and Sarwat Gilani her rival. “Ahista Ahista” was directed by Haseeb Hassan and written by Aliya Bukhari, shot partly in Pakistan and partly in the west.
Bhanwar
“Bhanwar”, unlike the projects mentioned above, was a telefilm deriving its strength from an interesting story revolving around three characters only. “Bhanwar” was based on an accusation which a daughter and father in law have to face, as the two happen to live alone in a flat after the son’s death. While the father in law decides to look after his son’s widow, the society makes it difficult for them as they start pointing fingers at them for being involved in an illegitimate relationship. “Bhanwar”, although disturbing for its depiction of society’s disgusting interference in people’s matters, was a wonderful telefilm based on strong performances and unforgettable dialogues. Mawra Hocane played the widow while her father in law’s role
