Interplay of spaces in Hamsafar

Spaces take up a major chunk of the drama Hamsafar and help a viewer know a lot about the characters at play. The female protagonist Khirad belongs to a small city, Hyderabad, and lives in a cramped up house with minimal facilities. We find her using her private space as public space as well right in the beginning where she is tutoring a bunch of kids in her home. As soon as the foundations of Khirad’s character are laid down, we are taken to a whole different space where Sara (the rival female character) is shown sitting in a café with her best friend Ashar. This contrast between public and private spaces in a small city like Hyderabad and a big city like Karachi becomes quite evident right from the beginning and a clear class divide is dished out for the viewer.

Moreover, Sara, who is a rich elite of Karachi occupies her time with friends outside her house and her workspace is in her office only. On the other hand, Khirad’s space is only in her house and she does not go out for hang outs etc. The only major characters in Khirad’s life are her mother and her khala (aunt). Also, there is a reference made by Baseerat in one of the episodes which tells us that Farida is an NGO worker, establishing that her working space is outside her house as well. Interplay of public and private spheres indeed reflect a lot about the clear class stratification shown in the drama.