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Tag: Pakistani dramas

  • Dear ‘Tere Bin’ writer, marital rape is rape

    To Nooran Makhdoom, the writer of the drama ‘Tere Bin’.

    How you chose to write your script is your own business. But to say that a heinous act like marital rape is justified and needed for the script is completely wrong and horrifying, as well as an insight into how the Pakistani entertainment industry keeps alienating women every year.

    This spectacle started on Friday, when the promo for the upcoming episode showed that after accusing Murtasim of cheating on her with Haya, Meerab is raped by her husband as punishment. Social media users were rightfully horrified, which led to a stream of hashtags like ‘Shame on Tere Bin Makers’ and ‘Nooran’, with users beginning to withdraw their support from the once popular drama, and criticising the production team for taking such a heinous step without realising its consequences and impact.

    Instead of listening to your fans and hearing their well-justified complaints about Meerab’s rape, you, Ms. Makhdoom, have instead decided to double down on your stand and defend it. In your statement to Arab News, you said that this is just a drama, and that this had not happened for the first time, so fans should stop complaining about every single episode.

    Now, Ms Makhdoom, we have to point out that you are entirely wrong to dismiss these complaints. Because:

    a. Marital rape is a crime, and many women in Pakistan suffer from it.

    b. Films and dramas are more than just means of entertainment. They are powerful tools to influence audiences.

    Let us break down all of this to you because clearly, you are not aware about the audience you are writing for.

    Marital rape has been declared as a human rights violation by the United Nations High Commissioner For Human Rights in 1993, when they included it in the ‘Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women’. However, in Pakistan where approximately 40% of women have experienced physical or emotional violence in their lifetime, there are no laws that recognise this as an illegal act.

    Already Ms. Makhdoom, you must be aware that the country you are writing dramas for, is one where women are not granted financial independence or any form of security so that if they are suffering from violence, they find some solace and escape. But because of cultural restrictions that prevent women from finding support, as well as a dilapidating justice system that refuses to help survivors, very few women live to see the day when they are able to escape their abusers with ease.

    So to stress on why saying this is ‘just a drama’ is wrong, these kinds of scenes undermine the difficult realities of women in Pakistan. It refuses to acknowledge them as individuals with the right to reject sex from men, whether or not they are married to them. And such actions being normalised by some of the top rated dramas in this country will only further erode the little progress that has improve the rights of women in Pakistan.

    Furthermore, dramas aren’t ‘just dramas’ Ms. Makhdoom, but powerful instruments of change that can influence the masses that are watching them. As a script writer, you do not get to evade the responsibility that comes with being a public figure, because ultimately the public looks up to you and is watching your dramas to learn more about the society around them. Which is why, it speaks volumes about the way our entertainment industry has continued to dig itself further and further into a hole when one of the highest rated dramas of a country which has been declared as the fourth most dangerous country for women, thinks that showing marital rape is okay.

    It’s never okay. And we urge you, Ms. Makhdoom, to stop hiding behind such baseless defences, and actually look down to see the consequences of the narrative you are promoting. Women in Pakistan are in pain. And it is only when public figures like you take responsibility for your actions and stop churning out such debauched dramas for the sake of good ratings, that we can actually progress forward.

  • ‘I stand by it’: Tere Bin writer Nooran Makhdoom defends controversial rape scene

    Trigger warning: victim blaming, discussions of marital rape, assault

    Pakistani drama ‘Tere Bin’ has been in the eye of a social media storm since yesterday a controversial scene from the drama serial went viral on Twitter. In the scene, the female lead Meerab (played by Yumna Zaidi) is raped by her husband Murtasim (played by Wahaj Ali) after she accuses him of attempting to start an affair with Haya.

    Social media users, who had already labelled the drama as problematic for past controversies like slaps, attempted suicide, stalking and poor story pacing, declared that they were dropping their support for the once-popular drama. But it turns out, the writer behind the drama Nooran Makhdoom, is not moved by the backlash, defending it as a ‘a demand of the serial’, in an interview with Arab News Pk.

    “It’s a situation which was the demand of the serial that will lead to the climax,” explained Makhdoom.

    She also went on to defend the story by saying she won’t be changing the script because of fans:

    “If the audience isn’t getting it, I can’t change it,” she said. “It’s just a drama. They should wait for the entire story to unfold instead of taking issue with every episode.”

    Makhdoom also pointed out that such a horrfiying trope is not being used for the first time, and that the entire production team or director had not objected to the scene:

    “It’s not like this has happened onscreen for the first time. It’s just that this project has received such wide recognition that people reacted strongly to the recent twist.”

    Makhdoom also shared with Arab News that she had not initially added the slap and the spit scene, which was added in before filming, but she took complete responsibility for writing the script:

    “If you speak of my social responsibility, I created a story and I stand by it,” she said. “And this is not an unusual occurrence; it has happened before.”

    This revelation has led to more backlash on social media, with hasthags like ‘Shame on Tere Bin makers’ and ‘Nooran’ trending on Twitter, and users calling for a boycott of the drama.

  • ‘Horrifying’: Twitter users slam ‘Tere Bin’ promo for depicting assault

    Trigger warning: discussions of marital rape, assault

    In the topsy-turvy world that is Pakistan right now, ‘Tere Bin’ is playing its part by keeping fans running around in circles. With the love-hate relationship between the main leads Murtasim (played by Wahaj Ali) and Meerab (Yumna Zaidi) switching from adorable to toxic to downright horrifying in the recent episode, fans have had enough.

    The recent episode of the drama tried to one-up itself to see how low it can go in disappointing its viewers, with once again the writers deciding to bring out the Murtasim caught cheating with Haya card, and ending the episode with Meerab’s assault.

    From the promo, viewers can definitely assume that Meerab has been assaulted by her husband and has chosen to leave him.

    Was it necessary that Murtasim, who is currently one of the most feminist male leads on our screens, be thrown under the bus just to churn up some views? Why did the writer even assume that after stalking, slapping and attempted suicide, this ‘love story’ had to hit its peak with the most heinous thing: domestic violence?

    Legal analyst Reema Omer criticised the scene on Twitter, writing:

    “TW: After months of justifying Murtasim slapping, shoving, dragging, asking Meerab to jump off the roof to prove her chastity + other toxic/violent behaviour, even #TereBin fan club is up in arms over the possible marital r*pe suggested by the promo Some silver lining, I guess.”

    Founder of ‘Something Haute, Aamna Isani wrote that she was shocked by the depiction of assault, and how could this possibly be a chance after this that Murtasim’s character would be redeemed.

    Users were tweeting that they were heartbroken at how the writer of the show has completely destroyed Murtasim’s character

    Many were tweeting that this was the end of their support for the drama, given that there is no possible justification to depict marital rape and domestic abuse.

  • Six years later, Sajal Aly, Ahad Raza Mir’s powerful performances in ‘Yakeen Ka Safar’ still enthrall Twitter users

    Pakistani dramas are often seen off with heavy sighs of reliefs because honestly, one less thing to plague our minds on a weekly basis.

    But there are some exceptional acting powerhouses like Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir, who have changed the entertainment industry with their performances as well as their chemistry that no other acting duo has been able to compete with.

    In 2017, ‘Yakeen Ka Safar’ graced our screens, marking the debut of Ahad Raza Mir as Dr Asfandyar, who is shattered after the tragic murder of his brother, Daniyal. While Aly starred as Dr Zubia, who is still devastated by the murder of her mother by her father.

    Seven years after this drama, Twitter users still have not gotten over the duo, who later went on to star together in Aangan (2018) and Ye Dil Mera (2019).

    After a tweet asked their followers to share a clip from one of their favorite dramas, Pakistani Twitter users were quick to champion ‘Yakeen Ka Safar’ as one of the finest productions the entertainment industry has produced.

    https://twitter.com/unhingedbushra/status/1658538852154482690?s=20

    Another actress who has been championed by Twitter users as one of the finest actresses Pakistan has ever seen in Yumna Zaidi, as users shared clips of her tear jerking and powerful performance from ‘Dil Naumeed Tou Nahi’ and ‘Pyar Ke Sadqay’

  • Upcoming Pakistani dramas we’re incredibly excited about

    Upcoming Pakistani dramas we’re incredibly excited about

    There hasn’t been a better time to watch Pakistani dramas than now, what with a whole range of shows and actors set to make their mark on our screens. It looks like finally the entertainment industry has started listening to our calls for something other than the saas-bahu jhagray, because these shows range from celebrating women in sports to satire to exploring the thrills of first love.

    It also looks like Pakistanis are about to see fresh faces as well as some beloved actors make their debute on screen as Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed are coming back once more, and Instagram influencers like Mamia Shahjaffer, Khushhal Khan and Dananeer are set to star as main leads.

    We’re definitely certain that you’re cancelling your plans to set up your movie night after scrolling through our list.

    22 Qadam

    Starring Hareem Farooq and Wahaj Ali, the drama is set to explore the lives of women in sports, through the story of Fari (played by Farooq) who aspires to become a cricketer. Speaking to The Current, Farooq called 22 Qadam “the voice of the unheard” and said that the sole inspiration behind this show was women like Sana Mir:

    “The first person that comes to our mind when you talk about women and cricket is Sana Mir, she’s been an inspiration for so many women out there. It is just about breaking stereotypes and the taboos out there that women can also excel in sports, and if nothing else it makes you more independent and gives you that confidence that allows you to face the world in the best way possible.”

    College Gate

    It looks like the entertainment industry has finally understood that there isn’t any one out there willnigly ready to sit down and listen to another shaadi story about underaged women marrying men twice their age, because we’re finally getting a story about college students and their personal experiences. The show, starring Khaqan Shahnawaz, Mamia Shahjaffer and veteran actress Saba Hameed, promises to be a drama unlike what has been shown before with topics like addiction, peer pressure and depression thrown into the story.

    Barzakh

    Starring power leads Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed along with newcomer model Khushhal Khan, the series has definitely captured our attention, especially the fact that it is written and directed by the mastermind behind Churails (2018), Asim Abbasi. Speaking to Variety, Abbasi said that the inspiration for the series came after the death of his father and watching his own son grow into a young boy:

    “In the aftermath of my father’s passing, and witnessing my son grow into a young boy, I found myself consumed with nostalgia, and memories of times gone and loves lost. And I began to think about my fears – the end of consciousness, the end of imagination, the end of love. And from these fears, grew a story where love was indeed eternal. Where it survived us – making it the ultimate human legacy.”

    Producer of the series Kerjiwal said:

    “‘Barzakh’ is a product of COVID brain – it was a time where like everyone else, Asim and I were talking about love, life, death, losing loved ones, unable to say our goodbyes. There was a sense of loss, but also confusion, because of a lack of completion. Death and parting didn’t seem like a finality like it used to because funerals and weddings were both happening on Zoom.

    This new reality was surreal and to make any sense of it, physical contact or in-person meeting with friends and family became crucial. Hence the idea about a show which essentially was a family reunion came up.”

    101 Talakhien

    This looks like the perfect drama for anyone (especially us) who is bored to death of marriage obsessed culture, and wants something dark and satirical- which is exactly what the show promises to deliver. Zahid Ahmed stars as famous lawyer Rustom Kavasji, who artfully decodes how couples begin to fall apart after getting married.

    Muhabbat Gumshuda Meri

    This seems like a Pakistani version of K-dramas which will explore the thrills of high school relationships, because this trailer has already got us counting down the days to the release. TikTok star Dananeer and model and actor Khushhal Khan are the main leads of the drama and are shown to be complete opposites, who slowly come to fall in love with each other. However, their relationship is threatened by their parents leading to the couple going to any lengths to protect their relationship.

    Idiot

    Fans of Ahmed Ali Akbar who loved him in ‘Parizaad’ and ‘Ehd-e-Wafa’ are in for a treat because the hearthrob has already sparked anticipation with his upcoming film ‘Gunjal’ and now with his drama ‘Idiot’ where he is set to star opposite Mansha Pasha.

  • Hurried ‘Fairy Tale’ finale misses opportunity for feminist ending

    HUM’s drama ‘Fairy Tale’ cemented itself as a household name with a hilarious storyline, stellar performances by actors and a compelling love story. The series had audiences, especially young women, applauding the growing change in how drama’s are abandoning sexist tropes to make empowering stories where for once, the women are smart and men aren’t chauvinists.

    For a lot of women, ‘Fairy Tale’ provided relief that somewhere, some one was listening to them about what they wanted: a feminist rom-com where the male lead respected, cherished and catered to the woman he loves. Farjaad (played by the talented Hamza Sohail) was described by many as a benchmark in how women wanted men in dramas to be: supportive, caring and completely the anti-thesis of what typical male leads in Pakistani dramas are like. In some of the viral clips from the drama that were garnering applaud on social media, Farjaad was considerate of Umeed’s independence, empowering her and stepping up to help her rather than shoving her inside the four walls.

    Which is why discussing the finale is important because rather than following through with the expectations and ending with a bang, with Umeed finally accomplishing her dream by opening a chai cafe and being married to Farjaad, it took a U-turn.

    The drama followed Umeed’s desire to break her father’s restrictions, a feat she manages to accomplish by participating in a game show through which she wins Rs2 crore and becomes the breadwinner of the family. Through Umeed, a lot of Pakistani women found catharsis because finally, a female lead who is financially independent? One, who empowers the women in her life, and doesn’t think twice before schooling a man who tries to lecture her? Is passionate about making her own path and establishing her own business, when currently one of the leading dramas in Pakistan involves slaps and suicide attempts *cough cough Tere Bin*? Umeed was an anomaly, reminiscent of the kind of characters who led the dramas of the 90’s when Haseena Moin was alive, and she was quick to win the audiences over.

    However, these accomplishments were for naught when by the finale, Umeed decides immediately that she isn’t interested in making more money, and gives a speech about how she would rather become an obedient daughter and get married to Farjaad. Like, why bother taking us all for a ride? Why would you explore 30 episodes about a young woman discussing business initiatives, ending with her choosing to give up all of it, and settle to marry?

    Through Farjaad especially, it was rare to see a man in a Pakistani drama own up to his actions, and empower the women in his life (READ: extremely rare), but that finale was a double-take for many audience members because in the first part he threatens to break up with Umeed if she chooses to go on and participate in the game show, something that was unexpected from a guy who told his love interest that he would keep supporting her. Then, when Umeed arrives at his office to apologise to him (why?) he taunts her for being in love with AK (played by Ali Safina). Even though he does apologise for this as well and admits that he isn’t perfect, shouldn’t the finale have ended with Farjaad owning up to his promises by helping Umeed setting up her business?

    These lose threads dangling from the plot will keep fans of the drama anxious about whether asking for a feminist rom-com was too good to be true, or maybe since Season 2 has been announced, some hope is left.

    But had the show kept true to its promise and given women what they wanted, a drama about a woman rejecting patriarchal norms and her father’s strictness to make her own dreams come true, it would have been much nicer.

  • ‘ELITE ordered from Daraz’: Trailer for ‘College Gate’ has the internet divided

    On Wednesday, Green Entertainment has released the trailer for ‘College Gate’, an upcoming series about a group of students. Starring Instagram influencers like Mamia Shajaffar and Khaqan Shahnawaz, the series explores the lives of a group of students and how they tackle parental pressure, love, dating and learn to rely on their friends during the tough moments of their lives.

    However, the trailer has divided the internet, with many users thinking that the series is just plagarised from hit Netflix shows like ‘Elite’ and ‘Class’.

    TBH we have the same question on our mind.

    Others pointed out that despite the fact that the trailer seemed a direct copy of a show about the lives of privileged kids, it did seem like a progressive step that Pakistani dramas were starting to focus on the lives of teenagers!

    We can also agree that it’s good for Pakistani dramas to tackle societal pressure and the anxieties of students growing up in this stage, rather than churn out another series focusing on saas bahu conflicts and the satti vs slutty savitri trope.

    So while we can agree with some folks on Twitter here that the storyline is completely unoriginal but lets not drop the ball so quickly? Pakistani dramas are in desperate need of some revival right now, and its good that some people with logical minds had actually thought about discussing what issues students are facing today.

  • Death clarification: Saeeda Imtiaz posts statement to rubbish death rumours

    Death clarification: Saeeda Imtiaz posts statement to rubbish death rumours

    Actress and model Saeeda Imtiaz rubbished rumours about her death by posting a video, where she revealed that her Instagram and Facebook account had been hacked, leading to the posting of the fake death news.

    Imtiaz also revealed the mental anguish her family and loved ones went through:

    “My family members were incredibly upset, I don’t live with them.. they are here right now to see whether I was okay.”

    Imtiaz also made it clear that she is currently tracing down the people who were responsible for the hacking and will take strong action against them. You can listen to her full statement below:

    Imtiaz’s lawyer, Mian Shahbaz Ahmed, posted the clarification on his Instagram account by slamming the death rumors, and wrote that the ‘Kaptaan’ actor was alive and well.

    Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.

    Model and film actress Saeeda Imtiaz has passed away at her home on Tuesday morning, her team has confirmed in a statement posted on her Instagram account.

    The statement said that Imtiaz was found dead in her room. No cause of death has been given as yet.

    Imtiaz was born in the United Arab Emirates and raised in New York, USA.

    She started her career working as a model, before moving on to the bigger screen in 2012, starring as Jemima Khan in the biographical film about Imran Khan, “Kaptaan: The Making of a Legend”. She also starred in ‘Wajood’ in 2018.

    We send our condolences to her friends and family.

  • 13 years later, Hassan and Bano’s tragic love story in ‘Dastaan’ is still a fan favourite

    Television in Pakistan went through a seismic shift when 13 years ago, the drama ‘Dastaan’ debuted on our screens. Featuring a star-studded cast like Fawad Khan, Sanam Baloch, Saba Qamar and Ahsan Khan, the series was an adaptation of the novel ‘Bano’ by Razia Butt, an exploration of the aftermath of the subcontinent’s partition.

    The main leads, Hassan (played by Khan) and Bano (played by Baloch), are two lovers who meet when their relatives Suraiya and Salim get married. At first Hassan tries to befriend Bano, but Salim refuses to let them marry because he wants to marry her off to another man. However, just as their families approve and both are engaged, Hassan has to leave for University, and then the partition of 1947 takes place after which their lives are completely changed.

    Pakistani dramas today can’t seem to move on from saas-bahu kay jhagray and toxic love stories where women are nothing but a prop for men, so many remember the magic of ‘Dastaan’ especially the tragedy of the love story between Hassan and Bano.

    A viral tweet on Twitter had asked about a couple from a drama series that had devastated them, and the most popular reply in the Pakistani context had to be Hassan and Bano’s tragedy from ‘Dastaan’.

    https://twitter.com/MaryamAmir59627/status/1647221392369147906?s=20
    https://twitter.com/arij_mirza/status/1646962218855182336?s=20

  • After ‘Kuch Ankahi’, ‘Fairy Tale’, Is 2023 the year we’re finally not glorifying toxic masculinity?

    We have been wasting our breath for years, criticising the entertainment industry and asking it to stop scraping the bottom of the barrel to give us another done-to-dust drama about saas-bahu jhagray. It seems like somebody has been listening to our laments. Recent serials, starring the likes of actors such as Mira Sethi, Ali Safina and Wahaj Ali, have us wondering whether the industry has finally begun to understand that toxic masculinity is not something to glorify or even a trait that women think is swoon worthy?

    In the disastrous year that was 2022, we got drama after drama with the same topic: bad boy meets good girl, he’s broken and needs fixing which apparently no therapist can do, his severe mommy issues need to be resolved by some naïve girl who has lived under a bunker all her life and is now the saviour she never signed up to be.

    However, this year with dramas like ‘Kuch Ankahi’, the popular Ramzan show ‘Fairy Tale’ and even Wahaj Ali’s hit ‘Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha’, main leads are stepping away from toxic characteristics that symbolized what patriarchy thinks an ideal man must be like. Instead, men in these dramas are gentler, caring about the women they love and showcasing that being a man is not about being loud and brash, but infact it is about how attentive you are to the people around you.

    ‘Kuch Ankahi’ was like a breath of fresh air for audiences who were nostalgic for the days of Haseena Moin dramas, where the women were fearless and outspoken, not props to the men around them. The women in ‘Kuch Ankahi’ come in different shades of femininity: Samia is a shy homebody who wants to fulfil her parents wishes and get married to the man they pick, while Aliya is the complete opposite because she’s a headstrong, career-obsessed woman who wants to succeed in her retail-estate business. Their differences don’t prevent the siblings from bonding with each other or from standing up for their families. Many have praised the series for depicting a healthy relationship between siblings and called it the desi version of ‘Little Women’.

    https://twitter.com/decalsajal/status/1614558374787432456?s=20

    But what is also heartening to witness in ‘Kuch Ankahi’ is how all the men in the dramas are gentle and actively work around the family, rather than the typical men who lounge around, while the women cook. Agha Ji, the patriarch, champions his daughters, refrains from asking them to do his chores and continuously encourages the girls to pursue their dreams.

    Bilal Abbas’ character, Salman, Aliya’s professional rival in the drama, is also a fan favourite. He’s ambitious but he never resorts to sexist or demeaning jokes to push her out of the game. He is also respective and caring to his mother and even pulls his weight by helping around the house.

    Among the current on-going Ramzan dramas, ‘Fairy Tale’ has been winning hearts across Pakistan because of how it has re-written the grumpy x sunshine trope in a humorous, addictive story where the women lead the show and where the male lead treats women with respect.

    https://twitter.com/phirleayadil_/status/1645468839927508994?s=20

    If audiences were left horrified when the male lead from last year’s ‘Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi’ forced the female lead to keep repeating his name in exchange for her dad’s release, this time they have better content to cheer on. Many Twitter users have found Farjaad’s dedication to Umeed quite moving as he keeps coming back to her despite convincing himself that they’re too different.

    We can not say that we’re okay with the current pacing of ‘Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha’ and how the storyline features the trope of the selfish female lead and the money-obsessed mother-in-law, but credit to Wahaj Ali’s character Saad, the anti-thesis of the typical misogynist Pakistani male lead, if ever there was one. He refuses to engage in abuse or violence to pressurize the woman he likes to be with him, instead supporting Maheer in all of her decisions.

    Might we be witnessing the rebirth of the golden age of Pakistani dramas? Fingers crossed .