Actors Sanam Saeed, Samiya
Mumtaz, and Faiza Gillani are known for their impactful roles in Pakistani
projects
like ‘Zindagi Gulzar Hai’, ‘Moor’ and ‘Deewangi’. What makes their
current show interesting is how the makers chose six stories of seven women who
redefine the word femme fatale.

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Excerpts from the interview:

Opoyi: All these women are
fierce, fun, and unapologetic. How relatable was it for you?

Faiza: My character is that
of a very responsible, caring person but deep down, she is lonely. I have kids,
I can relate to the mother in her. All the shows are vocal about women’s rights
and that’s where I felt a connection.

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Sanam: I actually don’t
relate to the character because she is conniving, manipulative and insecure.
Zubi (her character) really handles situations well, so I think I have learnt
how not to be gullible and vulnerable.

Samiya: The character I am
playing is the daughter of somebody important, but she is  unable to express her true feelings. When
things start going wrong,  she comes into
her own and realizes that she can’t always have justice on her side. I found
this to be an empowering role.

Opoyi: Being women activists,
do you think the characters resonated with you?

Samiya: The entire web series
resonates with people. This series gives all the characters the strength to
question what they have been born with or been tagged with, and to break
some  molds. So I think it goes with the
feminist agenda.

Opoyi: Has the Pakistani
entertainment industry moved away from stereotypes about women?

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Sanam: I think it’s happening
universally in films and television 
globally. We are just telling a different type of story. We have moved
from rom-com in the west or from ghisi piti aurton ki kahaani (done and dusted
stories of women) here, or even saas bahu ke drama.  With OTT platforms, everyone has been allowed
to tell the other side of human stories.

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There were always a lot of
stories to tell, there were a lot of writers and directors who had these
stories to tell, but we didn’t have the platform to tell these stories. Now
because of the internet and over-the-top platforms, you are not limited by
certain mediums, whether it is censorship or the government. You are free to
express yourself and it’s time for people to tell these stories.