Pakistani TV actress Mawra Hocane on playing a doctor in 'Jafaa'

What do you do if you’re married to a man who has significant mental health crises? What if you’re a new bride and you didn’t know what you were stepping into? You’ve always been successful and you’ve always achieved the best in life, but what happens, when one of the significant milestones you’ve come to, aka marriage, becomes the largest challenge you’ll ever face? Mawra Hocane’s character in Pakistani TV show, Jafaa (loosely translated as rudeness or betrayal, in a more poetic sense) displays all that and more.

The noted Pakistani actress is known to choose scripts with messages and strong themes that shed light on women’s issues. Hocane was previously seen in Nauroz and Neem, both shows heavily centred around women’s issues, and she spoke at length about how she has gotten more mindful of the scripts she chooses.

Being self-aware

“I remember promoting some of my work in 2018 and I met really young girls who told me they looked up to me and it really hit me,” Hocane says while speaking to City Times, “I was just going about doing my own thing, but I realised that it’s not just about the producer’s money that you have to be responsible for. It’s also about who I am, how I am on social media, and the work that I do.”

In Jafaa, Mawra plays a young woman who is often gaslighted by her husband. Her husband, Hassan (played by Mohib Mirza), has mental health issues that he has been grappling with but isn't exactly forthright about. The show has many nuances that Hocane felt drawn to. “I’ve seen so many people going through this,” she says about Dr. Zara, her character in Jafaa. “There are certain things that happen between the privacy of two people, and if you go out and tell someone, this is what happened to me, they will probably call you crazy. Or they’d say, 'but what’s the big deal?' Jafaa has those kinds of scenes.”

Pakistani dramas often touch upon social messages and ‘lessons’. Jafaa does so as well, but without being preachy.

Relatable character

Dr Zara is a medical doctor who most young women can relate to. “Sometimes women want to believe they have no clue what’s going on because pointing it [out] would create even bigger problems,” Hocane says, offering insight into her character. “Especially girls who have topped their school, their medical studies, who are high achievers, they cannot imagine that they will fail at their marriage. They are in denial because accepting this would mean looking for a solution, and sometimes you don’t even have a solution. I spoke to someone who is a gynaecologist, my director Danish (Nawaz) got me to speak to them, and I realised that these doctors who go through such high-pressure situations, the way that they cope with everything is … okay how can I fix it? I think that is what Dr Zara does too.”

Jafaa, written by Samira Fazal and directed by Danish Nawaz, is a big hit with audiences with their episodes raking in millions of views on YouTube. The show also stars Usman Mukhtar, Sehar Khan and Anam Gohar. Hocane’s track follows Dr Zara as she tries to navigate a troubled marriage. Her husband (Mirza) has severe anger issues and lashes out at the smallest of instances, such as her working at odd hours (she’s a gynaecologist on duty) or spending too much time with her own family. The show is gathering widespread appreciation for showing ‘red flag’ characters who often go unnoticed. "When you’re starting a project, you don’t know how [the] public will receive it, but I’m glad that people are picking up on the nuances,” she says.

• In love with a ghost? What makes Pakistani drama Barzakh's theme unique

• Entertainment