Kaneez Paracha

rdf:langString Kaneez Paracha

rdf:langString Kaneez Paracha

rdf:langString Kaneez Paracha

rdf:langString Woman wearing a turquoise sheila, a pink and blue dress and a golden earring smiling

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rdf:langString Nasreen Paracha

rdf:langString Razia Paracha

rdf:langString Saleem Paracha

rdf:langString #94C9EB

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rdf:langString School counsellor

rdf:langString School cook

rdf:langString Student support officer

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rdf:langString Granny Paracha

rdf:langString Tahir Randhawa

rdf:langString Ackley Bridge

rdf:langString Kaneez Paracha is a fictional character from the Channel 4 school drama Ackley Bridge, portrayed by Sunetra Sarker. Kaneez first appeared in the pilot episode of the series, first broadcast on 7 June 2017. Kaneez is the mother of protagonist Nasreen (Amy-Leigh Hickman), as well as Razia (Nazmeen Kauser) and Saleem (Esa Ashraf/Yaseen Khan). Kaneez's storylines in the series have included ending her arranged marriage with her husband Iqbal (Narinder Samra), pursuing a relationship with science teacher Rashid Hyatt (Tony Jayawardena) and becoming a student support officer. Kaneez has been described as a feisty, vocal and passionate woman who has become a prominent voice in her local community. Sarker was attracted to the role of Kaneez due to the lack of Pakistani northerners shown in media, as well as Pakistani women with large personalities. She pushed for Kaneez to have a mixture of northern and Pakistani accents and to be a working-class character, since it differed from the roles she had played previously. Sarker learned Punjabi for the role and was given a voice coach to help her perfect Kaneez's accent. Viewers and critics have praised Kaneez, with her being described as a matriarch, a queen of comedy and a feminist icon. She also won the award for Best TV Character at the 2019 Asian Media Awards.