Women weep, men creep | Film

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“That [filmmakers] I am known too well to cry and if someone calls me for my USP, I should make use of it,” actress Mawra Hussain insteps after the release of her Bollywood debut film Sanam Teri Kasam. told in an interview. Caliber considers her tears as her USP. There is no need to read between the lines here as this statement is like a knock between the eyes. There was no intention to harm Maura’s acting skills; In fact, the only positive thing about Sanam Teri Kasam was that she was competent as the 23-year-old boongi, the goofy, sassy, ​​but she occupies an influential position. Artist, if submission and suffering are the only two things he can maintain about women, then this is a real problem. And if you’ve been following the many dramas that dominate local television these days, it’s even more obvious because it seems that an actress on television is expected to be the ‘damsel in distress’. How well can it be presented?

Most of Pakistan’s leading television serials are rooted in suffering, pain and victimization, all of which are rooted in a sexist discourse – women are inherently weak, submissive and modest while men are aggressive, oppressive and almost always correct. There are Examples are not hard to find. Amina Sheikh and Ali Khan starrer Pakeezah is a proof of the said disparity. Amina is a passionate, modern-day artist/housewife and yet fails to speak up against her abusive husband every time until one night he divorces her in a fit of sheer, irrational, psychotic rage. is, and all is forgotten the next day. She is still considering living together for the sake of her daughter.

The worst, however, was Sangat, a drama that celebrated a rapist dealing with a serious crime like rape, who finally repents of his ‘mistake’ and that is why it enough to sympathize with (sarcasm, kindness). Ayesha (Saba Qamar) is a caricature of the perfect, paper-towel savior wife – devoted to the kitchen and cleaning up after others, cheerful and flawless (immediately dispel any expectations that gender dynamics might have). of non-conventional imagery). Everything is normal and glamorous until a well-known criminal (Zahid Ahmed) sexually assaults Ayesha. It could have been a breakthrough, morale-boosting series for many real-world rape victims if it showed a woman standing up against a heinous crime and publicly shaming the perpetrator. Instead, the minor encounter between the victim and the abuser takes place behind closed doors and is ironically presented as punishment enough for the perpetrator. And then the child, the product of the rape, is handed over to the rapist for adoption (three cheers for innovation).

More recently, Mann Mayal has served no better purpose than to cover up negative stereotypes over and over again. Mannu, initially an arsonist, withers to a vulnerable woman whose life mostly revolves around men. She uses every trick in the book to woo Salo (Hamza Ali Abbasi) before marrying Mikael (Gohar Rasheed), for whom she loses all her honor and dignity. Just makes room for it. A sassy lifestyle because that’s what women are supposed to do as wives. It’s like all good women should come with a ‘no self-esteem’ tattoo on their ovaries.

However, unfortunately, these are the highest rated dramas on local television. Mannyal’s ratings in particular are going through the roof. At a time when ‘Girls at Dhabas’ are set to redefine the norms of public spaces and the Women of the World Festival is all set to make its debut in a South Asian country, that too ours. , Man Mayal is in fact the most popular topic of discussion on social media forums. Are resigned, meek, miserable women really bankable?

Sarmad Khost, the director of Humsafar, which remains television’s biggest phenomenon till date and in which the lead actress cried with fits like a babbling brook, believes that ratings have a role to play. “As far as ratings and math go, crying women sell television. I don’t know how true that is, but it’s justified that way. The clouds that hang over us are a nation that loves happiness. She observes grief more than celebrating.

Sanam Mehdi Jarchivi, author of Main Bushra fame, also describes such writing as a reflection of the current state of our society. “Such is our society. Even newspapers and social media are full of such stories. Women are suppressed in our society, and as a psychologist I must say that suppression is denied. “There is, and we are all in the denial stage,” she asserted, adding that the public is still not ready to accept women as strong, leading figures and it will take time for them to change their mindset. will “We are the ones who have not accepted a woman standing on one of the biggest international platforms for our country, so yes we are not ready. But then it takes time to develop a taste for bitter things, like coffee or Dark chocolate.”

It would only be fair to say that stereotypes for men are no less harmful. Just as women need to fall within the sphere of a certain moral character, men too need to be the perfect antidote to virtue. After all, what is a damsel in distress without a demonic beast? “Both women and men are stereotyped on television. Ratings dictate the narrative and we all know what gets the highest ratings from our public – the woman should be the victim and the man the abuser, Ali Khan added to the discussion. “An unequal society shapes our mindset and that’s what we immediately gravitate towards. It’s sad because there’s so much going on and I’d like the audience to have a broader perspective and Develop sensitivity to different narratives.”

It seems justified for producers to make something that sells more and is more profitable in their target market, because it is a business after all. But given how pervasive television is as a medium, is it fair to think of it as just a business? As Jharchivi said, “Television is a business that comes with a lot of social responsibility,” and that responsibility needs to be taken very seriously.

It would be an understatement to say that what is being shown is far from the truth. The employment and education statistics of women in Pakistan are alarming and their participation in the labor force is only 24%. Don’t forget the endless incidents of honor killings and acid attacks that threaten a woman’s existence, let alone her empowerment. But all this makes it all the more important to work towards change. Instead of exaggerating negative stereotypes, make people realize that women are doomed and that there is little or no compromise or that men have a God-given power to destroy women. , makers, advertisers and all stakeholders of television. It takes a conscious effort to break away from these unnecessary conventions. If it is true that television affects society, then the notion that television affects society is not false either.

“Crying women and tears are part of the ratings game that’s been imposed on us and it’s killing our creativity,” highlights multi-talented actress Hanna Bayat, who plays one of the stereotype-defining characters. A conscious effort has been made to maintain significant distance. About women “I’ve been through this controversy myself as an anchor and producer of my own show, but I’ve always maintained that why is it that six years down the street people question me and I Asking why my show is not on air, everyone asks me the same question at international airports, which shows that we don’t give people what they want – just. Like some pharmaceuticals that push certain drugs While others may be less expensive and more efficient, we need to learn more about the research side of writing. We obviously can’t work against producers, but we can try and find a happy medium. Our culture can, but it’s not always the crying women who suffer.”

Sarmad, whose recently aired Moor Mahal promises a long list of flexible, active, complex and interesting women and is miles away from a complete and dusty soap opera, also said that such It is unfair to blame the audience for the narratives. “We always blame it on the audience and that’s not enough reason not to think outside the box. Sometimes we’re not ready to break free ourselves but it’s important that we take risks with different genres,” he said. emphasized.

There is nothing wrong with accepting gender roles but distorting, skewing and exaggerating them based on some ideological constructs is something that television really needs to get rid of as it goes deep into households. reaches All we need is a little empathy – gendered empathy that minimizes the harm such stereotypes can perpetuate in the long run. Viewers should also play an equal role. Any producer or creator, who tries to change the paradigms, should be publicly appreciated and talked about in all media forums to raise awareness. Perhaps this balance will not only promote creative content but also help in the development of the nation and rebranding of our national image on the global platform. For example: It’s a woman and her film that recently turned Pakistan’s legislation on its head.