Written by: Saman Khalid
Posted on: September 08, 2023 | 
| 中文
Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed in Zindagi Gulzar Hai
The fiery commercial hit Tere Bin, that came to a close last month, had everyone going gaga over the fireworks between Meerub and Murtasim, and rightly so! However, it seems fit to acknowledge that the driving force of this glitzy narrative was the female lead's idiocy and unwarranted stubbornness. While the premise established her as a strong-headed girl who aspired to break out of the shackles of oppression, the actual story reduced her to a dumb caricature of the "empowered" woman whose irrational choices and selfish tendencies drove the viewers up the wall every week. Is Meerub the current definition of strong women in media? If so, it would be tantamount to misinterpreting impulsiveness, egotism and even toxicity as potency.
Wahaj Ali, Hania Amir and Zaviyar Nouman Ejaz in Mujhe Pyar Hua Tha
Apart from Meerab, the leads of other prime time dramas like Maheer from Mujhe Pyar Hua Tha and Kim from Younhi, are also the front-line ambassadors of this repugnant trend of degrading women to further the plot or glorify the male lead. Do we really need such superficial characters with zero development and personality? They were clearly written with little to no thought, and exist for the sole purpose of generating conflict in the story. It is a sad state of affairs because fiction has an incredibly remarkable impact on the audience, which should be channelized in a positive manner. This mind-numbing display of flawed writing and biased characterization makes one look back on the golden days of Pakistani Television with a sigh. Starting from Humsafar's Khirad, whose subtle agency redefined the average Pakistan drama heroine, the industry witnessed many incredible fictional women in the subsequent years.
Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan in Humsafar
Kashaf Murtaza, in particular, is a household name that rings with nostalgic familiarity and unmistakable inspiration for millions of Pakistani drama viewers. The lead female protagonist of the mega-hit Zindagi Gulzar Ha, which set the industry on fire when it came out in 2012, still remains to be the epitome of the portrayal of strong women in Pakistani television. Written by the legendary Umera Ahmed and played to perfection by Sanam Saeed, Kashaf is not just a character, but a sturdy emblem of female empowerment. She is an extremely layered character who is shrouded with responsibilities and burdened with her own demons; but her inner resilience, the verve of her ambition and her unyielding matter-of-fact approach in the face of life's antics is what immortalized Kashaf in the hearts of the masses. Moving forward, Dr. Zubia from Yakeen Ka Safar (2017) and Farah from Diyar-e-Dil (2015) boasted of the brilliance of the writer; Farhat Ishtiaq, and her ability to craft human but impressive female characters that address the nuances of real life. The dynamic cast of Mustafa Afridi's Sang-e-Mar Mar (2017) presented a fresh avenue for the exploration of female potential in a highly patriarchal setup. In the same year, the vigorous women of Momina Duraid’s Udaari, told a timeless tale of bravery and resistance against abuse. Tipping into more contemporary times, Noori from Ranjha Ranjha Kardi (2019) and Momina from Alif (2019) were both characters who went on a tumultuous journey of self-discovery and came out stronger at the end. This is by no means a decisive list, but it covers quite a few noteworthy dramas.
Iqra Aziz and Imran Ashraf in Ranjha Ranjha Kardi
All of them have a few markers in common; a sensitive writing, skilled execution and responsible story-telling. Needless to say, it is a far-cry from the protagonists of current times. Is it simply a form of literary evolution, or have our dramas really embraced this warped image of inspirational women? In my opinion, the present-day over-the-top characters are a huge downgrade from the simplicity and depth of our classics. It is high time that we, as consumers of art, asked for better representation of women shaped by well-rounded characters who can hold their ground and exhibit independence, without crossing into immoral, cartoonish or complacent territory. On the bright side though, the rise of platforms like Green Entertainment brings a promise of revitalizing the industry with the reminiscence of old PTV. It can only be hoped that our content makers and writers realize the importance of good characterization and draw valuable lessons from the gems already existing in the entertainment sphere.
Samiya Mumtaz in Udaari with her on-screen daughter
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