Shaista Lodhi has returned to the screen after a three-year long break in a new serial Pardes by Marina Khan.
A spokesperson for Lodhi gave the sneak peak to the story and how her character — a woman who is home while her husband work abroad — develops with each episode.
“Women from desi families are very strong-headed and can do anything for their families, their homes and the people living in it. They are very sacrificing despite the fact that life isn’t very adjusting for them, but they find ways to adjust around it. So the character is very relatable — just like the aunts we see in our homes,” she said.
“These women are very calm and composed and people believe that just because they are involved in everyday domestic affairs, they might not be very intelligent. But a traditional, South Asian woman is very solid — and that is who Zubaida is in this story.”
The storyline of Pardes is being touted as something people can connect with.
The drama is about the left behind families by expatriates abroad. A man living abroad to earn a living while his family are left behind in Pakistan is a common occurrence. According to Lodhi’s spokesperson, the show is about how the husband misses out on a lot of bonding and happiness with his family.
Lodhi was approached by Humayun Saeed to do the project and agreed because of Marina Khan. She learned a lot from her, from punctuality to the particulars of acting — how to look the part, how to turn her into someone who looked tired and exhausted on screen.
In order to get into her character, Lodhi had to change her style and slow down her fast-paced life.
Working with Sarmad Khoosat on the project has now motivated Lodhi to take up more acting projects that come her way.
