Yaaraa
Yaaraa is a Maldivian romantic comedy drama web series produced and directed by Aishath Rishmy. It features an ensemble cast including Aminath Rasheedha, Aishath Rishmy, Mariyam Azza, Ahmed Azmeel, Mohamed Vishal, Ismail Jumaih, Fathimath Sara Adam, Hussain Shadhyaan, Mariyam Waheedha and Nuzuhath Shuaib in main roles. The pilot episode of the series was released on 24 April 2023.[1]
| Yaaraa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written by | Ahmed Iqbal |
| Directed by | Aishath Rishmy |
| Starring | |
| Narrated by |
|
| Music by | Abdul Basith |
| Country of origin | Maldives |
| Original language | Divehi |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 50 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Aishath Rishmy |
| Cinematography | Samaah Ibrahim |
| Editor | Aishath Rishmy |
| Production company | R2Z Productions |
| Release | |
| Original release | April 24, 2023 |
Written by Ahmed Iqbal, the series revolves around polar opposite lives of two sisters who are faced with the reality of relationships. The entirety of the series focuses on the hardships that teach the siblings what it takes to make and break the bond of a lifetime. This film stands as a remarkable achievement in Maldivian cinema, marking the highest number of actors ever featured in a film production, featuring over ninety actors in different roles.[2]
Cast and characters
Main
- Aminath Rasheedha as Zainab Ahmed; a devoted widow who lost her husband, Shareef, twenty-two years ago. With unwavering dedication, she serves as a loving mother to her two daughters, Raaya and Shaaya.
- Aishath Rishmy as Raayaa; the eldest daughter of Zainab and a die-hard fan of Shah Rukh Khan. Ambitious and driven, she sees her life as a fairytale waiting to unfold. Raaya embodies empowerment, balancing her aspirations with a deep commitment to her family, making her a strong and family-oriented woman.
- Mariyam Azza as Shaayaa; youngest child of Zainab, a highly maintained social media influencer and a successful model.
- Ahmed Azmeel as Shinaan Rasheed; the ambitious and family-oriented husband of Raaya. As the eldest and only son in a family of four, Shinaan carries a strong sense of responsibility and strives to make his mark in the world.
- Mohamed Vishal as Naail; the only son of a wealthy family who is well educated son despite his dream to be a musician. He is also the boyfriend of Shaaya whom he meets through his best friend Zak.
- Ali Seezan as Rafkhan (season 2)
- Ismail Jumaih as Zein Malik; a free-spirited individual who has been married twice and considers marriage as a trial. His professional life mirrors his unconventional approach.
- Fathimath Sara Adam as Zaheena "Zak" Abdul Kareem; a spirited and tomboyish girl who thrives on engaging in thought-provoking arguments. Unafraid to challenge family and societal norms, she defies cultural expectations to embrace her independence and serve as a powerful role model for women.
- Hussain Shadhyaan as Abdul "Kelly" Kaleem; the only child of a wealthy family who thrives on drama and craves attention. With a firm belief that marriage and settling down are not for him, Kelly embraces a lifestyle free from commitment, preferring to explore life's adventures without being tied down.
- Mariyam Waheedha as Riyaasha; the adopted child of Zainab and an unfortunate lover.
- Nuzuhath Shuaib as Aminath Rizwana; the sister of Shinaan and the best friend of Raaya. Rizwana holds a strong belief in arranged marriages and she embraces the idea of finding love through a more traditional approach.
- Lamha Latheef as Aneesa "Annie" Fahumee (season 2); Shinan's ex-girlfriend who cheats on him with a rich man.
Recurring
- Ahmed Asim as Fayaz; Shinan's best friend who is married to his high school sweetheart Gulfa. He is a womanizer and a narrow minded person.
- Aishath Gulfa as Gulfa; Fayaz's wife.
- Nathasha Jaleel as Huya Qasim; Raaya's colleague at gym
- Aminath Rishfa as Zeyba; a rich and empowered businesswoman
- Sharaf Abdulla as Eddy; a colleague of Zak
- Aisha Ali as Nasha Ali; the love interest of Zein
- Mariyam Haleem as Ruqiyya; an elderly woman and a friend of Zainab, who defies societal expectations with her lively spirit and social media prowess. Embracing her unique persona, she sees herself as a brand and enjoys flirting.
- Zuleikha Manike as Sofiyya; an elderly woman and a friend of both Zainab and Ruqiyya, who is more invested in social media appearances and has a history of multiple failed marriages.
- Ahmed Ishaar as Sultan Shakir; a wealthy entrepreneur and the boss of Shaaya.
- Maleeha Waheed as D; Shaaya's colleague
- Myeha Adam as Hudha Didi; Shaaya's colleague
- Aminath Silna as Rimsha; Shaaya's colleague
- Shaha Adhunaan as Ferlin Samadh; Shaaya's colleague
- Ahmed Abaan as Bunty; Shaaya's colleague
- Ali Nadheeh as Haisham; Riyasha's ex-boyfriend
- Ismail Rasheed as Ahmed Shafeeu; Shinaan's boss
- Shahuma Ahmed as Riyaazaa
- Sofiyya Mohamed as Shiyaanaa
- Ahmed Shakir as Iqbal; Huya's third husband
- Moosa Aleef as Shinaan's colleague
- Moosa Shinaan as Kokky; Shinaan's colleague
Guest
- Hamid Ali as a customer
- Mariyam Shifa as Zein's first wife
- Irufana Ibrahim as Zein's second wife
- Aminath Rashfa as Zein's third wife
- Ahmed Sunie as photographer
- Ahmed Fizam as Fitte; Shaaya's ex-boyfriend with whom she separated for his humiliating dialect.
- Ali Usam as Dhona; Shaaya's ex-boyfriend with whom she ends her relationship for his unhygienic manner.
- Shimal Hameed as Shimal; Shaaya's ex-boyfriend with whom she cuts ties for posting a photo of her which she does not approve.
- Ibrahim Sobah as Sobah; Raayaa's ex-boyfriend with whom she separated due to his outdated mindset.
- Ismail Aziel Azumeel as young Shinaan Rasheed
- Mariyam Ashfa as Sultan's wife
- Ali Azim as Riyaasha's date
- Ahmed Ifnaz Firag as Ifnaz; Huya's first husband
- Ibrahim Ziyau Mohamed as Ziyau; Huya's second husband
- Razeena Thaufeeq as Razee; Shaaya's designer
- Mohamed Ishfan as Ishfan; Riyaasha's date
- Mohamed Abdul Ghanee as an attendee of Zeyba's event
- Bokitos as an attendee of Zeyba's event
- Hassan Irufan as a musician in Zeyba's event
- Maria Teresa Pagano as herself
- Afnan Ibrahim as Afnan; Raaya's gym client
- Aminath Muhusiana as Moonty
- Mohamed Manik as Annie's boyfriend
- Ilyas Waheed as an attendee of a film event
- Abdulla Azman as a gym trainer
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Network | |||
| 1 | 12 | April 24, 2023 | July 17, 2023 | Baiskoafu | |
| 2 | 12 | October 5, 2023 | TBA | ||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Aishath Rishmy | April 24, 2023 | |
| Zainab Ahmed (Aminath Rasheedha) a devoted widow who lost her husband, Shareef, twenty-two years ago, is excited for the wedding of her eldest daughter, Raaya (Aishath Rishmy), a die-hard Shah Rukh Khan fan and Shinaan (Ahmed Azmeel), an ambitious family-driven man. The wedding is attended by several of their friends, family members and colleagues. | |||||
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Aishath Rishmy | May 1, 2023 | |
| Three months after the wedding, Raaya and Shinaan lives their fairytale life, while her friend, Kelly and Huya believe its temporary. Shaaya is proud of her boyfriend, Naail (Mohamed Vishal), the only son of a wealthy family who is restrained by his parents' plans. Meanwhile, Zak (Fathimath Sara Adam), a spirited, independent woman and the best friend of Naail empowers him to chase his dream to be a musician. | |||||
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Aishath Rishmy | May 8, 2023 | |
| Zainab, her youngest daughter, Shaaya (Mariyam Azza) convince Raaya to chase her dream and sideline her responsibilities towards her family and instead focuses on her husband. Naail's friend, Zein (Ismail Jumaih), a free-spirited individual tries to brainwash Naail into believing that Shaaya is a bad influence on him. | |||||
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Aishath Rishmy | May 15, 2023 | |
| Six months after the wedding, Raayaa feels drained in their relationship due to the minimal efforts from Shinaan. The siblings and friends prepare for Zainab's birthday celebration. | |||||
| 5 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Aishath Rishmy | May 22, 2023 | |
| Kelly exacerbates the growing divide between Raayaa and Shinaan by highlighting Shinaan's perceived irresponsibility, while Rizwana adds to the tension with her traditional perspective. Sulthan attempts to influence Shaaya by emphasizing Naail's immaturity, yet Shaaya remains unfazed and unaffected by his opinions. | |||||
| 6 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Aishath Rishmy | May 29, 2023 | |
| Zak conceals her true emotions for Naail, while Riyaasha grapples with the complexities of her relationship with a married man, Haisham. Despite her friends' disapproval, Riyaasha finds solace in this connection, as it alleviates her sense of loneliness. On the other hand, Zein embarks on a new romantic journey with Nasha, a single cashier at a perfume store, who recently ended a decade-long relationship with her ex-boyfriend. | |||||
| 7 | 7 | "Episode 7" | Aishath Rishmy | June 5, 2023 | |
| Shaaya and Zak clash over workloads, while Raaya and Shinaan argue about family responsibilities but reconcile thanks to Rizwana's advice. In the midst of these conflicts, Kelly feels neglected among friends. Zein reassures Naail about Shaaya's happiness in their relationship. | |||||
| 8 | 8 | "Episode 8" | Aishath Rishmy | June 12, 2023 | |
| Shaaya is troubled by her conflict with Zak but struggles to admit her mistake. Shinaan attempts to have a candid conversation with Raaya, but she becomes defensive. Meanwhile, Zein begins dating Nasha as they get to know each other better, while Zak starts socializing with a new colleague named Eddy. | |||||
| 9 | 9 | "Episode 9" | Aishath Rishmy | June 19, 2023 | |
| Raaya and Kelly reconcile, and Shaaya and Zak celebrate the renewal of their friendship. During a conversation, Naail candidly shares his first impression of Shaaya, which surprises her as it differs from her own initial opinion. | |||||
| 10 | 10 | "Episode 10" | Aishath Rishmy | July 3, 2023 | |
| Zein is eager to fast-track their marriage plans, but Nasha prefers to delay until they know each other better. Shaaya plans a birthday celebration for Naail. While attending an event organized by the accomplished businesswoman Zeyba, Raaya find herself discussing Rafkhan, one of Raaya's past romantic interests. | |||||
| 11 | 11 | "Episode 11" | Aishath Rishmy | July 10, 2023 | |
| The group of friends and family embarks on a picnic outing. During the picnic, Shaaya is engrossed in taking portraits, while Raaya and Shinaan have a minor dispute over responsibilities. Ruqiyya and Sofiyya are occupied creating TikToks. Meanwhile, Kelly appears to be developing feelings for Zak but is too shy to express them openly. | |||||
| 12 | 12 | "Episode 12" | Aishath Rishmy | July 17, 2023 | |
| Shinaan plans an anniversary celebration with the assistance of Raaya's friends, which ends up causing some discontent with Raaya. Their disagreement escalates throughout the night, resulting in Raaya deciding to move out of the house. | |||||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 1 | "Episode 13" | Aishath Rishmy | October 5, 2023 | |
| Raaya and Kelly engage in spying on Shinaan and become increasingly perturbed when Shinaan behaves surprisingly normal, attending work as if nothing unusual had happened. The rest of their friends gather to discuss how to resolve the situation. Shinaan's boss, Ahmed Shafeeu, expresses his dissatisfaction with the team's performance, resulting in a heated confrontation. Both Shinaan and Raaya allow their stubbornness to take the lead. Meanwhile, Naail begins experiencing disturbing dreams involving Shaaya and her boss, Sultan, in compromising situations. | |||||
| 14 | 2 | "Episode 14" | Aishath Rishmy | October 12, 2023 | |
| Raaya and Shinan grapple with a profound sense of loneliness and emptiness in their lives. Zeyba expresses her dissatisfaction with the slow progress of the penthouse design and construction, a project led by Shinan's team. Fayaz seizes the moment to inform Zeyba about the ongoing marital issues between Shinan and Raaya. Meanwhile, Ferlin subtly criticizes Shaaya, suggesting that Sultan favors her over others, leading to some tension among the group. | |||||
| 15 | 3 | "Episode 15" | Aishath Rishmy | October 19, 2023 | |
| Shinan's ex-girlfriend, Annie, joins Raaya's gym, making Raaya feel insecure. Zainab attempts to reconcile Raaya and Shinan during a family lunch, but it ends in a heated argument, leading Shinan to leave. Shaaya advises Raaya to reconsider and reunite with Shinan, but Raaya has a different opinion. | |||||
| 16 | 4 | "Episode 16" | Aishath Rishmy | October 26, 2023 | |
| 17 | 5 | "Episode 17" | Aishath Rishmy | November 2, 2023 | |
Development
Ahmed Iqbal embarked on the screenplay writing process for the film in 2016.[3] Originally envisioned as a feature film, the concept later evolved into a web series spanning four seasons.[3][4] Filming for the project commenced in 2020; however, production was abruptly halted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, causing a temporary suspension of filming activities.[3] The project was officially announced on 28 May 2020 through an Instagram live hosted by director Aishath Rishmy, revealing most of the cast of the series.[5] In the initial stage, the project was revealed to be co-directed with Ravee Farooq, however, Rishmy later confirmed the project with minimal changes in cast and production seat.[6] Apart from the greater Male' region, filming took place in K. Maafushi, Vaavu Atoll, Laamu Atoll and Crossroads.[7] The project was completed in April 2023.[7]
Soundtrack
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kulathah Chaalu" | Mohamed Abdul Ghanee | Barchie | Mariyam Rifqa Rasheed | |
| 2. | "Beynun Vanee Yaaraa" (original song by Ahmed Amir) | Mohamed Abdul Ghanee | Barchie | Mariyam Rifqa Rasheed, Mariyam Ashfa |
Release and reception
The first episode of the series was released on 24 April 2023 through Baiskoafu while the first two episodes of the series was simultaneously premiered on Olympus Cinema.[8]
Alim Abdul Latheef from Sun rated the first two epsisodes highly and wrote: "The series revolves around the intricate dynamics of relationships between spouses, family members, friends, and colleagues. The characters were introduced in an enticing and captivating manner, capturing the audience's attention from the very beginning". Apart from the cinematography, writing and direction, Azza's performance as Shaaya was highlighted by Latheef as the best thing from the series.[9]
References
- Arusham, Ahmed (25 April 2023). ""Yaaraa": streaming of Baiskoafu after a colorful premiere". Mihaaru (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- Latheef, Alim Abdul (25 April 2023). "Yaaraa series available for streaming". Sun (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- Waheedha, Mariyam (9 April 2023). ""Yaaraa" releasing this month". Dhen (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- Nadheem, Ahmed (21 April 2023). "Rishmy paints color on Yaaraa's portrait". Dhauru (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- Mohamed, Nabeel (28 May 2020). "Rishmy from R2Z is working on a big project". MuniAvas (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- Rasheed, Ahmed (4 February 2022). "Rishmy revealed "Yaaraa"". MuniAvas (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- Rasheed, Reeaan (9 April 2023). ""Yaaraa" releasing this month". Vaguthu (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- Adhushan, Ahmed (25 April 2023). "Yaaraa premiered on Baiskoafu". Addu Live (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- Latheef, Alim Abdul (25 April 2023). "No space for criticizing; Yaaraa deserves a 100". Sun (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
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