Kaneez Paracha

Kaneez Paracha
Ackley Bridge character
First appearance	Episode 1 7 June 2017
Last appearance	Episode 46 11 July 2022
Portrayed by	Sunetra Sarker
In-universe information
Occupation	School cook Student support officer School counsellor
Spouses	Iqbal Paracha (until 2018)
Significant others	Rashid Hyatt
Children	Nasreen Paracha (daughter) Razia Paracha (daughter) Saleem Paracha (son)
Relatives	Granny Paracha (mother) Tahir Randhawa (nephew)

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.