The fourth episode of Kuch Ankahi, which aired on January 28, drew everyone’s attention, but not for the reasons the show’s creators probably anticipated. Not the conversation but the set design, which included a poster for the Pakistani film Joyland, in the scene when Qudsia Ali’s Tanya and Sajal Aly’s Aaliya are arguing over their sister Tanya’s marriage, caused the scene to become viral. Designer Maria B was outraged by the inclusion of Joyland’s poster, and Faysal Quraishi was fed up with it, Faysal Quraishi responds back on Maria B’s criticism of Joyland’s poster in Kuch Ankahi
She expressed dissatisfaction with the billboard’s inclusion, and Faysal Quraishi responds back on Maria B’s criticism of Joyland’s poster in Kuch Ankahi by inquiring as to whether she would have preferred a poster for Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan.
He appeared on Kya Drama Hai show on 24 News HD on Tuesday where he, alongside Rubina Ashraf and Atiqa Odho, reviewed Kuch Ankahi’s fourth episode. As they broke down the almost 40-minute clip scene by scene, the host asked them about the designer’s take on the drama and the posters featured behind Aly in a brief scene.
Odho first justified the use of the posters and said Aly’s character is shown as an “outgoing, extroverted career-driven woman” right after which Quraishi cut her off and said the room is shared by Tanya, an aspiring filmmaker and deemed it fit to use film posters of Pakistani films. “These are posters of our own films, new films. Should we put Pathaan’s poster instead? A film where they are abusing ISI and you’re praising Shah Rukh Khan,” he said. The host then added that perhaps Maria B wouldn’t have had any issue with that since she seems to have a “problem” with Pakistani films.
Quraishi then added, “It’s okay if we put Shah Rukh Khan’s poster but it’s not okay if it’s a Pakistani film? You can have issues with the film, that’s a separate case, but it’s a Pakistani film. End of the argument.”
Odho came back to her point, “That’s the idea about evolution. The industry grows when people take interest and discuss it. So if someone has a problem, it’s their opinion and we should respect that, end of story. As far as the direction is concerned, expectations are very high from Nadeem [Baig]. I have worked with him and he’s a friend of mine. I feel like in this episode, some things were flatly directed, some scenes were very flat for me.”
Maria B had criticised the drama for “promoting” Joyland in an Instagram story that is no longer active. Her criticism of the movie refers to her early reservations about the movie’s representation of transgender persons, which were eventually addressed. The designer has consistently criticised the movie and has said a number of ridiculous things about transgender people.
Joyland is a film directed and written by Saim Sadiq and produced by Apoorva Guru Charan, Sarmad Sultan Khoosat and Lauren Mann. The film’s ensemble cast includes debutantes Junejo, Khan, and Farooq alongside some of Pakistan’s beloved and respected actors like Gilani, Sania Saeed, Sohail Sameer and Salmaan Peerzada.
Joyland has many achievements from being the first ever Pakistani film at the Cannes Film Festival or the first to be considered for an Oscar. It has also won several awards.
