WRITING SEASON 3 OF KARUHAKURU
A day ago, I wrapped up writing season 3 of Karuhakuru, the first Dhivehi sitcom series. In short, I had a blast writing all the 12 episodes.
In season 3, best of all, I weathered all the pressure that I faced while writing some of the episodes. However, unlike the previous seasons, they were few and far between. But most importantly, I was able to resolve them with show creator Munko and producer Saaji with ease. Thus, I delivered each episode right on time to fit the shooting schedule, including a day for table-reads. Shooting getting delayed, postponed, or canceled due to unforeseen reasons was beyond me.
The season 3 revolves around the funny yet the lovable family of Rasheed coping with the impending COVID 19 and the ultimate lockdown doom. It will be easier for everyone to relate to this situation since we are still living with it. But for this family, staying home for too long has comical side effects. Some characters find a new love for unusual things, and Liu and Liz, an infatuation for Mabrouk. For him, who didn’t?
One of the biggest challenges in writing season 3 was the newest addition to the family. Wish I could reveal this character and the actor portraying the role, but I can already see Saaji eyeballing and breathing fire at me. Worry not, Saaji, I am not going to spoil anything here. But I can peel this much, the new addition is no small feet, but yes, I consider the character a baby, but a very live wire baby. This actor inspired me to shift my writing into fourth gear and pedal to the metal.
However, the greatest challenge was to keep Nai, the leading man of the series, in a face mask throughout the entire season. But actor Raufath, playing Naai with OCD gusto, has given an outstanding performance in all the scenes he appeared with only his eyes exposed. I haven’t heard any other actor doing that for an entire season in a sitcom. Awesome!
Lamha, the heart, and soul of this series, has shown how quickly she has grown into her character as Liu. Her comic timing is spot on, and her acting sublime.
When I heard from the set that Aysha, who plays Liz, has improved so much, I was tempted to make her role very demanding. With each episode, I tested her acting chops. And I must say that she has come out with flying colors. Her bitterness over Kuday’s mishap is a testament that she could rip the screen even with her screams.
Rasheed remains the firm foundation of the family holding everyone together. Actor Nazim does justice to his character as he did with the previous two seasons, but this time with a coolness that would make even cucumbers green with envy. Wait, they are already green, no?
The always out of element Zack, played by National award-winning Ayya, shows why he is such a versatile actor. He can fit himself into any glove. But the character of Zack is a snug fit for him. In this season, he discovers a way to stand with neither of his feet touching the ground.
Finally, I can’t imagine anyone else but Afrah taking the role of eccentric Kuday. He is lucky enough to return home from Bangkok. He recommences his misadventures with the Rasheed family. This time he has more stories to tell about Joan. Or is it John? John or Joan, ingeynu?
Karuhakuru will always remain my sweetest writing experience ever. I am looking forward to spend few more seasons with Rasheed and his family. I also feel that I have grown with each and every one of them—my sincere thanks to the entire cast and crew, especially Orkeyz Inc. Yes, that did the trick. I no longer feel the fiery breath of Saaji anymore.
Cheers!
Mahdi Ahmed 
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