"Kareem" is about a misguided, confused young boy who is lost in today’s society in a deprived area in London where its essential to be involved in street crime and gang activities which he tries his best to not get involved in, but somehow always gets tangled in by his so called friends. He tries instead to learn from positive role models in his home like his older brother Jamal, his mother and father who come from a Muslim background and have pride in their family. Being brought up in a Muslim household makes it harder for him to not break the rules of being a good, obeying, illegitimate son who doesn’t get involved in any sort of crime and constantly practices his faith to help him follow the ‘right path’. Being affiliated with people that are involved in gang culture means he breaks these rules everyday but keeps it discreet as possible by keeping his street life away from home. Peer pressure is definitely what you see, as Kareem struggles to keep up with the norms and rules at home which he actually wants to follow.
This soap is about two sides of ones life and how they want to get rid of the negative side but find it difficult as it’s in their everyday lives. Kareem feels some sort of spiritual bond when he prays, which seems to purify him. However as soon as he leaves his home we see him turn into a devil like persona. Like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde he transforms into a violent, destructive person.
Not only is Kareem struggling to impress his friends, protect his reputation and make his family proud. He is also involved in a relationship that is complicated between him and his girlfriend, Ameera. As he begins to spend more time trying to figure out what he wants to do with life, he doesn’t have time for his girlfriend. As he begins to ignore more and more she starts to get suspicious about what his getting involved in. As he avoids her all the time and doesn’t answer her calls or messages, she begins to show up at his home, when his with his friends and nearly everywhere he goes. She constantly confronts him but he reluctantly answers her with a plain answer like ‘nothing’; not giving her a full explanation makes her determined to find out what is going on as she feels he is in trouble.
In contrast with Ameera’s knowledge, his older brother Jamal has no idea that his brother is involved in crime and his friends are always kept a secret from his family who will forbid him from hanging around with them. Kareem is motivated by his brother’s faith and willpower to stay away from all the negative societal issues and influences in there area. Throughout the soap Jamal is always supportive of Kareem yet Kareem can never brave enough to talk to his brother about what he is going through. Just as he doesn’t want to lose his street credit, he also values his family’s trust and blessing so he never wants to lose that. Here we see Kareem not only pressured by people from the outside but also his family.
The whole way through the soap mise en scene is used to symbolise the differences in his lives, good and bad. Darker lighting is iconic as it presents the evilness and sinister behaviour Kareem shows, his clothing always changes along with his personality which shows his intentions as he wears darker colours, hoodies and woolly hats. This is to help him keep discreet and not be recognised by enemies and police when he is out late at night doing things he shouldn’t be. Bright Lighting and religious clothing is used to represent innocence and purity which clearly exists in Kareem but is overtaken by negative influences.
Kareem can't keep running away from the fact that his religion and his street life are forming clouds in his life and in the soap we see the calm before the storm, everything is builds up nobody knows who he really is. Kareem is stuck in a system which he doesn't know how to get out of, he is a lost child and doesn't know what choice to make, confused young man that needs direction in life. Kareem's mother is his motivation to success as he thrives to make her proud. But will he make her proud, or impress the streets? Either way, what will be the consequences?
This soap is definitely something everyone living in an urban society can relate to in one way or another.
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