Azaan Sami Khan bids farewell to Sajal Aly's 'powerful' character Shanaya in Ishq-e-Laa

Ishq-e-Laa's latest episode has fans at the edge of their seats as Sajal Aly's powerful character Shanaya Ahmed passed away. Azaan Sami Khan, who plays her husband in the show, has taken a moment to gather his thoughts and honour the voice of a woman who, like countless others, has been lost to injustice while fighting for the right cause.

"In a world rampant with violence against women and a justice system that is crippled to favour the powerful, Shanaya Ahmed was a figure that represented the countless lives that we as a nation and world have lost to injustice," the actor captioned his Instagram post with a photo of Shanaya's gravesite attached.

He said like many we've lost to the same fight, "she was a figure that idealistically believed their voice could dutifully fight for the right cause," to be heard and regarded but as reality strays from such ideals, these voices are silenced and put away by the bureaucracy and plagued legal systems instead.

As a consequence, Khan believes this "slowly frustrate[s] those fighting for their causes and eventually fade away into nothingness till another such tragedy happens."

Expressing pride over the opportunity to have played a husband to a character like Shanaya, he said "I hope and pray that Ishq-e-Laa can prove to be a drop in the ocean towards a change that is required for anyone who comes forth to have their voices heard."

He singled out the people who made the show great with their acting and vision and the "incredible performance by the one and only Sajal Aly". "Thank you for being a part of this project and being such a great support. Qaiser Hayat Appa and Momina Duraid Bhabi for writing a character like this. Amin Iqbal sir for so painfully yet truthfully executing all of this."

The producer and actor also thanks his fans for messaging him and tagging him in posts. "It truly means the world," he said.

Hum TV's Ishq-e-Laa is a Momina Duraid production and marks Khan's acting debut. The cast also includes Yumna Zaidi, Sohail Sameer, Uzma Hassan, Usman Pirzada and Simi Raheal.

The drama premiered in Oct 2021 and tells a story of three individuals from different socio-economic backgrounds driven by diverse ambitions and how they find their lives intertwined as fate plays a sly game.

While fans are heartbroken over Shanaya's death, they're looking forward to the transformation it'll bring in Khan's character, calling it a new beginning.