Tanhayiaan ~ the Loneliness

There is a tune from my childhood. One I remember practicing endlessly on my sister’s Casio piano. The first one I proudly learnt and shared with my family, at eight years old! It is the theme music by Arshad Mehmood, from “Tanhaiyaan”, my favorite Pakistani serial, written by Haseena Moin, which came on PTV in 1986.

Whenever I hear the tune I am transported back to the round wooden door-frame of my beloved TV heroine’s home, the beautiful and brave Zara (no coincidence I love her even more as we share the same first name) played by the brilliant Shahnaz Sheikh. Her pink panther-loving sister, Sanya played by the hilarious Marina Khan. A story of a family like mine. Loving parents with daughters and a happy home. Tragedy strikes, when the girls are away visiting their Zubi khala, (Badar Khalil) in Karachi and their parents die in a tragic car accident, forever changing everything for them.

After their death, the girls discover that their father, a successful actor was so heavily in debt and they have to sell the beautiful home that he had built so lovingly made for the family. None of their family friends or father’s business associates help them and the girls have to leave and go live with their Zubi Khala in Karachi.

As they adjust to a life in a new city, Zara becomes obsessed with buying back her parent’s home. She starts a clothes factory with Saad Salman (Amir Hatmi). Sanya befriends their new home’s landlord, Faran (Qazi Wajid) and forms a love-hate relationship with Qutbutdin (Behrose Sabzwari) whom she jokingly calls, Qabacha.  

The landlord has a sister, the hilarious Apa Begum (Azra Sherwani) who has a trusted servant Barqat (Jamshed Ansari). She wants her brother to get married who falls for and purposes to Zubi Khala.

Meanwhile Zara runs into her childhood friend Zain (Asif Raza Mir). He is engaged to Vida (Yasmeen Ismail). Zara and Vida start working together and their designs become very popular in the market. Zara neglects her sister in her quest to be rich and successful and even agrees to get engaged to Saad, even though no one in her family likes him.

She finally becomes successful enough to buy back her parent’s house. When she goes to Lahore by herself she is plagued by the sad memories of her parents and the past. In a flash she realizes that she has achieved nothing but an empty home.

I love Tanhayiaan for its strength of characters but even more for its message. That the void of loneliness we feel, can only be filled with the love and bond of the closest relationships. In this time of Corona, where we are all focusing inwards, this truth stands so true even today. Our closest and most important assets in life are not things or homes but the warmth of our closest loved ones, friends and family. I’m enjoying watching this legendary cult classic directed by Shahzad Khalil, again on You Tube with my family. Go watch it today!