Raqeeb Se

Raqeeb Se is a Pakistani romantic drama television series produced by Momina Duraid, written by Bee Gul and directed by Kashif Nisar. It aired on Hum TV from 20 January 2021 to 26 May 2021 all under MD Productions. Raqeeb Se revolves around the repercussions of a love story stretched around one's entire life. It features an ensemble cast of Hadiqa Kiani, Nauman Ijaz, Sania Saeed, Iqra Aziz, Faryal Mehmood and Saqib Sumeer.

The series received critical acclaim due to its story line and performances of the cast. At 21st Lux Style Awards, it got most number of nominations, and won Best TV Director and two awards for Kiani; Best Emerging Talent in TV and Best TV Actress-Critics' choice.

Plot
The television series is centered around four women and the men around them. Sakina takes her daughter and flees from her abusive husband. She seeks shelter at her former lover, Maqsood Sahab's house and their love story is so tragic and interesting that his wife, Hajra and daughter, Insha, know it by heart.

Hajra consoles Sakina and takes care of her and her daughter while Insha considers it an injustice to her mother.

Cast

 * Hadiqa Kiani as Sakina, a rural woman and a victim of domestic abuse
 * Noman Ejaz as Maqsood
 * Sania Saeed as Hajra
 * Iqra Aziz as Ameera, Sakina's daughter
 * Faryal Mehmood as Insha, Hajra and Maqsood's daughter
 * Saqib Sameer as Rafique, Sakina's husband, later divorced
 * Hamza Sohail as Abdul Rahman a.k.a. Abdul, Insha's love interest
 * Salman Shahid as Masood, Maqsood's elder brother
 * Saba Faisal as Aatka, Masood's wife and Maqsood's sister-in-law
 * Hassan Mir as Kashif, Masood and Aatka's son, Ameera's love interest
 * Ismat Iqbal as Maasi Anaraan, Sakina and Rafique's neighbor

Music
The title song of Raqeeb Se is composed and performed by Hadiqa Kiani who played one of the lead role in the serial, while lyrics were penned by her mother Khawar Kiani, was originally an poem of her. The soundtrack was produced by Ustad Baqir Abbas. It marks the return of the singer to the channel, since she performed the OST of channel's hit drama series Yaqeen Ka Safar in 2016.

Background and development
In September 2020, screenwriter Bee Gul shared the details of her upcoming project Raqeeb Se, directed by Kashif Nisar. In order to avoid the manipulation and exploitation of the social issues due to the misrepresentation, Gul chose to focus on a more meaningful narrative leading her to write Raqeeb Se. She originally conceived the pre-partition Karachi as the setting of the series, however it was then changed to Lahore's setting of contemporary times.

Casting
Singer and vocalist Hadiq Kiani was selected to portray Sakina, one of the leading role of the series, marking her acting debut. Kiani was approached by Duraid to play the role. For the preparation of the character, Kiani used to dress like a rural woman in her daily routine. Veteran actors Naumaan Ijaz and Sania Saeed were selected to portray the roles of Maqsood and Hajra, previously acted together in Jhumka Jaan (2009) Khamoshiyan (2010), Aao Kahani Buntay Hain (2011) and Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016). Young actors such as Iqra Aziz, Faryal Mehmood and Hamza Sohail, son of veteran actor and comedian Sohail Ahmed were cast in prominent roles. Aziz confirmed her casting in September 2021 through her Instagram handle. Theater actor Saqib Sumeer was selected to play the role of Rafique Ali, previously offered to Sohail Ahmed. Likewise, Saba Faisal and Salman Shahid were cast in supporting roles of Aatka and Masood respectively.

Reception
The series received critical acclaim due to performances and story line. Hrithik Sharma of El Viaje Reviews included it into his select list of "Pakistani Gems" and says that "Raqeeb Se is a masterfully written show powered by extraordinary performances, meticulous direction, and euphonious background score". He adds, "The performances are breathtaking. Especially of the three principal characters. Maqsud Saab, played by Nauman Ijaaz brings in exactly the right amounts of charm and helplessness. Hajra, played by Sania Saeed, keeps you wondering whether she is too good to be true, or is she actually happily devoted to Maqsud and Sakeena’s love story. And then, my personal favorite, Hadiqa Kiyani, who towers over every scene and magically dominates every frame that she is part of".

A reviewer from The News International lauded the series for its female portrayal due the multi-faceted and complex female characters. While writing for the same newspaper, Gaitee Ara Siddiqi praised the script of the series and performances particularly of Ijaz, Sumeer and Kiani but stated that Kiani's acting has become repetitive and monotonous after some episodes. In another article published in March 2023, Siddiqi praised the Saeed's character for being "nuanced" and praised the series stating, "another recent top-notch production that explores the complexities and intricacies of relationships without stereotyping them".