Cheekh

Cheekh (Urdu: چیخ‎; lit: 'Scream') is a 2019 Pakistani crime-drama television series created and produced by Fahad Mustafa and Dr. Ali Kazmi under their production house, Big Bang Entertainment.[1][2] It features Saba Qamar and Bilal Abbas in leads while Aijaz Aslam, Maira Khan, Emmad Irfani and Azekah Daniel in supportive roles. The serial began on ARY Digital on January 5, 2019. The show was acclaimed by critics and viewer and it was one of the most successful show of ARY Digital at that time. It was replaced by Mere Paas Tum Ho.[3][4][5][6][7]

Cheekh
GenreDrama
Crime
Created byFahad Mustafa
Written byZanjabeel Asim Shah
Directed byBadar Mehmood
StarringSaba Qamar
Emmad Irfani
Bilal Abbas
Aijaz Aslam
Azekah Daniel
Theme music composerWaqar Ali
Opening theme"Mere Maula"
Singer
Asrar
Lyricist
 Sabir Zafar
Country of originPakistan
Original language(s)Urdu
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes30
Production
Producer(s)Fahad Mustafa
Dr. Ali Kazmi
Production location(s)Karachi, Sindh
Editor(s)Masood Khan
Camera setupMulti-camera setup
Running timeApproximately 40 minutes
Production company(s)Big Bang Entertainment
DistributorARY Television Network
Release
Original networkARY Digital
Picture format1080i (HDTV)
Audio formatStereo
First shown inPakistan
Original release5 January (2019-01-05) –
10 August 2019 (2019-08-10)

Plot summary

Mannat (Saba Qamar), Haya (Azekah Daniel), and Nayab (Ushna Shah) are all close friends. Wajih (Bilal Abbas Khan), Yawer (Aijaz Aslam), Shayaan (Emmad Irfani), and Haya are siblings. Mannat is married to Shayaan. Her In-Laws are shown as quite wealthy. However, Nayab is poor. Her mother died and she lives with her father Ramzaan (Noor-ul-Hassan), greedy step-mother (Saima Qureshi) and her 2 step-sisters. Nayab gets murdered after a rape attempt and physical violence on the night of her friend Haya's engagement. Nayab is rushed to the hospital where she soon dies. As Nayab breathes her last, she indicates in her testimony before Mannat & the police the identity of her assailant by calling him 'Raja' (a nickname which the women in the family jokingly use for Wajih). Mannat - after hearing this, files an F.I.R. F.I.R against him which creates havoc in Mannat's relationship with her In-Laws. As the story unfolds, the viewers are made to see straight through Mannat's in-laws' so-called perfect aristocratic facade and how each member of the family is either directly part of or indirectly aiding & abetting in eliminating Nayab. Mannat's husband is really supportive of his wife because he has studied in America and is beginning to doubt his brother based on all that he hears regarding this case. He is on the path of the righteousness and truth. In addition to the main plot, there are several sub-plots in which we are made to see that all the main characters involved in the death of Nayab (Yawer, Wajih, Haya and even Shahwar) have their own dark side and that they seem to have skeletons in their closet (they are hiding something) which makes the main story line all the more sensational & interesting. The story meanders through a series of interesting twists & turns, with police, lawyers, courts and even street goons participating in an effort to shield & cover-up the real culprit and drag Mannat away from getting her hands round Wajih's throat, until - as fate would have it, the truth is as plain as a nose on our face. Finally the curtain falls with the culprit getting his comeuppance and justice being served.[8]

Cast
  • Saba Qamar as Mannat Shayan: Shayan's wife; Wajih, Yawer, and Haya's sister-in-law; Nayab's friend.[1]
  • Bilal Abbas Khan as Wajih Taseer: Haya, Yawer, and Shayan's younger brother; Mannat's brother-in-law.[5][9]
  • Aijaz Aslam as Yawer Taseer: Haya, Shayan, and Wajih's elder brother; Shewar's husband.[10]
  • Emmad Irfani as Shayan Taseer: Mannat's husband; Wajih, Haya, and Yawar's brother; Shehwar's brother-in-law.[11]
  • Maira Khan[12] as Shehwar: Yawer's wife; Wajih, Shayaan, and Haya's sister-in-law.[13]
  • Azekah Daniel as Haya Taseer: Mannat and Nayab's friend; Wajih, Yawar, and Shayaan's sister.[14]
  • Ushna Shah as Nayab; Mannat and Haya's friend (Episodes 1–3).[15]
  • Gul-e-Rana as Mannat's mother.
  • Noor-ul-Hassan as Ramzaan: Nayab's father; Shamsa's husband.
  • Saima Qureshi as Shamsa; Nayab's step-mother, Ramzaan's second wife.
  • Nayyar Ejaz as Inspector Aamir Khan.
  • Shabbir Jan as Lawyer.
  • Junaid Akhter as Asad: Haya's ex-fiancé; Mannat and Nayaab's friend.
  • Shehryar Zaidi as Sulaiman; Asad's father. (Episodes 9–11)
  • Birjees Farooqui as Asad's mother. (Episodes 9–10)
  • Asfar Khan as Wajih's driver.

Production

On being asked about why she chose the character of Mannat, Qamar told ARY News, "If I can connect with a character, I do it and If I don’t, I opt out."[16] A Badar Mehmood's directorial and produced by Big Bang Entertainment, who had previously taken initiative against social issues through their serials Aisi Hai Tanhai, Mubarak Ho Beti Hui Hai, and Meri Guriya. In early October 2018, Qamar posted a video about being a part of the project.[17] Bilal Abbas Khan was chosen for playing the antagonist, along with Azekah Daniel, Aijaz Aslam, Emmad Irfani as supporting cast, while Ushna Shah came in as an extended cameo role.[16] It marks the second on-screen appearance of Khan, Daniel and Shah after Balaa. The first teaser of the drama, which was a narration, features some of the renowned actors and personalities, including Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Sanam Baloch, Sarwat Gilani, Maria Wasti, Sania Saeed, Shaista Lodhi, and Marina Khan.[18][19][20]

Reception

The show immediately gained popularity, and became the most popular serial of 2019 after airing its first few episodes.[21][22] It started off very well, averaging 6.4 TRPs.[23][24] The first episode gained 7.5, while second episode gained 7.2.[25][26] The role of Qamar and Khan was appreciated by critics. A reviewer from The Express Tribune wrote, "Her (Qamar)'s performance clearly stands out from other cast members, especially her dialogue delivery and outstanding facial expressions".[27] Sheeba Khan of DAWN wrote about Khan's performance as praise-worthy while criticized the story, saying, "I fail to understand why writers insist on making mothers so weak".[28] According to the review of The Nation, it was the third blockbuster serial for Khan after O Rangreza and Balaa.[29] Critics also praised the character of Shayan, portrayed by Emmad Irfani.[30][31] A reviewer from DAWN called him a "New Pakistani Hero".[11]

International Broadcast
Country Network Local title Series premiere
 Iran MBC Persia فریاد April 2020
 United Arab Emirates MBC Bollywood صرخة انتقام April 2020[32]

Ratings
Episode Broadcast date Weekly rank

(in ratings)

 Television Rating Points (TRP) YouTube viewership
(in millions)(in viewership)
1 5 January 2019 1 7.4 [25] 7.6
2 12 January 2019 1 7.2[26] 5.1
3 19 January 2019 1 7.84[33] 4.3
4 26 January 2019 1 7.84 4.7
5 2 February 2019 1 7.92[34] 4.8
6 9 February 2019 1 7.7[35] 4.5
7 16 February 2019 1 7.21[36] 4.2
8 23 February 2019 1 7.1[37] 4.7
9 2 March 2019 1 7.2[38] 3.9
10 10 March 2019 1 7.32 3.4
11 16 March 2019 1 tbd 4.1

Soundtrack
Cheekh - OST
Soundtrack album by
Asrar
Released25 January 2019 (2019-01-25)
Recorded2019
GenreTelevision soundtrack
Length(4:32)
LanguageUrdu
LabelARY Digital
Music video
"Cheekh" OST on YouTube

The title song is Mere Maula, sung and composed by Asrar. The music was composed by (?) and the lyrics were written by Sabir Zafar.

gollark: Here are the results of causation plotted against correlation.
gollark: Oh, I see, I thingied the variables.
gollark: Why is desmos regressioning backwards?!
gollark: Randomized controlled trials.
gollark: This is true and not false.

References
  1. "Bilal, Saba to feature in Cheekh". The Nation. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  2. "'Cheekh' actress Saba Qamar says she chooses her projects wisely". ARY News. 6 January 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  3. https://www.entertainmentpk.com/breaking-mere-pass-tum-ho-airing-date-confirmed/
  4. "Injustice and evil that exists in the society, Saba Qamar talks about Cheekh". Daily Pakistan. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  5. Shirazi, Maria. "Catching up with Bilal Abbas Khan". The News International. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  6. Khan, Sheeba (31 January 2019). "Will Cheekh be the drama that actually punishes the rapist?". DAWN. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  7. "'Cheekh' episode 6 — Bilal Abbas Khan is scary as the coldblooded murderer". Daily Times. 10 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  8. "So the audiences finally know who killed Nayab in Cheekh!". ARYNEWS. 11 February 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  9. Zia, Iman (8 February 2019). "People Think Bilal Abbas Khan Is The Psycho Villain In "Cheekh" But Is There Enough Proof?". MangoBaaz. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  10. Desk, H. I. P. (6 October 2018). "Exclusive: Aijaz Aslam to play a pivotal role in Saba Qamar, Bilal Abbas starrer Cheekh!". HIP. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  11. Khan, Sheeba (10 April 2019). "TV drama Cheekh presents a new Pakistani 'hero': a husband who actually trusts his wife". Images. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  12. Haq, Irfan Ul (20 October 2018). "Maira Khan tells us what to expect from TV drama Cheekh". DAWN. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  13. "Audiences are worried about Maira Khan's character in 'Cheekh'". ARYNEWS. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  14. "60 Seconds With Azekah Daniel | Kaleidoscope - MAG THE WEEKLY". Mag - The Weekly. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  15. "WATCH: Pakistani TV actress Ushna Shah fly like a superwoman". Dunya News. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  16. "The uniqueness of the role was why I chose 'Cheekh': Saba Qamar". Daily Times. 13 January 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  17. "Saba Qamar on Instagram: "What a brilliant actor and a superb performer. Working on this new project is going to be fun! @bilalabbas_khan #Cheekh #bigbang…"". Instagram. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  18. Desk, Instep. "Upcoming plays of 2019". The News International. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  19. "Cheekh: Mystery begins after Nayab's last breath". The Nation. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  20. "'Cheekh' second episode portends a clever whodunit". Daily Times. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  21. "'Cheekh' review: An edgy Pakistani crime thriller". Gulf News. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  22. Isani, Aamna Haider. "Three TV dramas that you should be watching". The News International. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  23. "'Cheekho for your own right!' — Badar Mehmood". Daily Times. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  24. "Cheekh– The fight of power and trust". The Nation. 26 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  25. "Television Rating Point - Cheekh". Instagram. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  26. "Big Bang Entertainment's Cheekh - ARY Digital on ARY Digital #NoMoreSilence #SabaQamarZaman…". Instagram. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  27. "5 reasons why Cheekh is unlike any Pakistani drama so far". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  28. Khan, Sheeba (16 March 2019). "TV drama Cheekh will keep you hooked even after it reveals the murderer". DAWN. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  29. "Bilal Abbas raises the bar of acting in 'Cheekh'". The Nation. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  30. "#Cheekh: How Emmad Irfani won millions of hearts in just two scenes". ARY NEWS. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  31. Saleem, Shahjehan. "Five progressive characters we need more of on television". The News International. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  32. "Bilal Abbas | Famous Drama Cheekh | air on MBC Arabia in Ramadan 2020". Entertainment Zone. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  33. "ARY Digital on Instagram: "Engaging twists! Thank you for pouring in your love for #Cheekh on #ARYDigital @bilalabbas_khan @sabaqamarzaman @aijazzaslamofficial"". Instagram. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  34. "Television Rating Points". Instagram. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  35. "ARY Digital on Instagram". Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  36. "ARY Digital on Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  37. says (16 March 2019). "Cheekh | Episode 8-11 | Review | Saba Qamar | Bilal Abbas". OxGadgets. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  38. "'Cheekh' Episode 9 — tension intensifies between Wajih and Mannat". Daily Times. 6 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
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