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Do Pakistani TV dramas depict working women as selfish, unfavourable characters?

Do Pakistani TV dramas depict working women as selfish, unfavourable characters?

As per TV dramas a middle class woman who supports her family is noble but a wealthy woman with a career is selfish
Updated 09 Jan, 2016

While daytime television is infamous for its easily digestible stereotypes and predictable plotlines revolving around the usual gheralu masley masail, primetime on Pakistani television has managed to provide its audience with fairly nuanced characters and challenging stories.

Despite the purportedly conservative nature of Pakistani culture, working women have been evenly represented. From everyone’s favourite Dr. Zoya of the drama Dhoop Kinarey to Kashaf Murtaza of Zindagi Gulzar Hai, audiences have been open to the idea of women working outside the home.

Marina Khan as Dr. Zoya Ali Khan (R) became an iconic symbol in Pakistani television with her carefree attitude and short hair.
Marina Khan as Dr. Zoya Ali Khan (R) became an iconic symbol in Pakistani television with her carefree attitude and short hair.

Not only are they acceptable but they're often considered motivational role models for young girls. Just as at one time the nation cheered on Dr Zoya as she navigated her way around hospital wards, the nation also rooted for Kashaf as she struggled to get through university and join the elite DMG of the Pakistani civil service.

However, Pakistani dramas also have a caveat firmly in place.

On TV, only some professions are acceptable

There are also plenty of negative role models too, running the full spectrum of careers: from aspiring models, singers and beauticians to writers, doctors and professors.

Stories about models and actresses are usually served up as moral lessons and almost always end in heartbreak and tragedy. Meanwhile, other professions like medicine or teaching are deemed more “honorable’ and the struggles women face to maintain both home life and work are depicted with much more empathy.

What's telling is this: Pakistani dramas reach the limits of their imagination at the point where a capable or talented woman wants a career for the sake of working itself, in order to make the most of her talents. While a single working woman may be portrayed in a positive light because the assumption is that she has to make ends meet, a married woman (especially a wealthy one) with a career is not.

From Shandana of Durr-e-Shehwar to Zara of Izterab, married women with careers are often shown as demanding and inconsiderate. This woman inevitably has a dissatisfied husband in tow who constantly yearns for a simpler life or a simpler girl who will make him parathas every morning.

Nadia Jamil as Shandana in Durr-e-Shehwar
Nadia Jamil as Shandana in Durr-e-Shehwar

In Ahista Ahista, the husband Zorawer completely turns against his first wife whom he had been madly in love with a few months back when his family blackmails him into marrying a typical bholi larki who likes to play with kittens and cooks well.

His loving well-educated, first wife suddenly becomes pathologically violent and angry at the idea of a rival despite her MBA and earlier wishes to be accepted by her husband’s family.

The drama was a tale of a love triangle immersed in a web of lies
The drama was a tale of a love triangle immersed in a web of lies

There is a similar scenario in the recent drama Izteraab , where the heroine Zara loses her husband to a visiting cousin , who….you guessed it…. plays with kittens and knows how to cook. Again in another recent serial on HumSitarey called Rung, the female lead is a doctor blinded by her overweening ambition while her husband and family are neglected.


The message is clear: a married woman should stay at home, especially if she is already wealthy.


According to Pakistani dramas at least, it seems to be a truth universally acknowledged that a married woman in possession of a career must be in the process of losing her husband. The message is clear: a married woman should stay at home, especially if she is already wealthy.

Her career is a negative ambition, a luxury her family often pays the price for. There is a clear value judgment made: a middle class woman who works to support her family is on a noble endeavor and should be supported but a wealthy woman with a career is selfish.

Perhaps the most negative stereotype is reserved for older women who run NGOs .They are often shown to be the worst kind of hypocrites , full of elite western ideas about human rights while being oblivious to the simplest concerns of those in need around them.

Though this may be the most common scenario there are have been a few more nuanced depictions too.

In Thakan the main protagonist Sadaf works to please her greedy family but in the end it is her husband who understands and trusts her enough to stand up for her.

Poster for Thakan.
Poster for Thakan.

Reality is racing far ahead of the story lines we see on our screens as more and more women are joining the work force and using their talents productively. Perhaps it's time the fantasy caught up!


The drama Yahan Pyar Nahi quietly turned the whole stereotype upside down, when the stay at home mother Haleema is convinced her conceited, arrogant husband is having an affair with his old friend Dr. Zunaira. She never suspects the real culprit is her own sweet and innocent cousin till the very end.

Dr. Zunaira was a surprisingly progressive and positive character, who was still cheerful about her life despite going through a divorce and was always kind to her colleague’s stay-at-home wife whom she encourages to be strong and independent. Such characters are rare and but at least they do something to counteract the more negative images we see on our screen.

Dr. Zunaira's character shows resilience.
Dr. Zunaira's character shows resilience.

Reality is racing far ahead of the story lines we see on our screens as more and more women are joining the work force and using their talents productively. Perhaps it's time the fantasy caught up to the reality and gave audiences some better options than the usual unthinking stereotypes of unhappy husbands and neglected children .

At their best Pakistani dramas have been sources of inspiration and illumination for the classes. Their unique position as a medium that matters will only be maintained if drama makers maintain their commitment to authenticity and innovation.


Sadaf Haider blogs at SadafSays.com

Comments

Adnan Jan 08, 2016 04:35pm
Matter of personal choice.
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Kashif Jan 08, 2016 04:41pm
Pakistani drama makers need to maintain their commitment to authenticity and innovation. Hum Tv have done a good job when it comes to revival of drama. Having said this -- all other channels need to set some benchmark and improve the quality of the content.
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Asif Jan 08, 2016 06:19pm
Drama industry is dominated by female writes and directors - I hope they are reading this.
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Raj Patel Jan 08, 2016 06:34pm
Indian subcontinent drama writers has no vision to see women beyond their own limited version of interaction with women. In Indian drama also they portrait women as low esteemed, low intellectuals and always ready to fight with each other and demeaning other women and hardly any role of men caricature in life. Either they are shown suppressed by powerful women character or just act as lay man.
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saeeds Jan 08, 2016 06:45pm
this is not only Pakistan problem. Every loser and unsuccessful person have especial hatred for rich and like other our writers cash it. Hypocrisy or jealousy is always there whenever we compare rich to other class
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Muzaffar Ali Jan 08, 2016 06:46pm
Yes the answer is yes!
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Nadeem Jan 08, 2016 07:07pm
Dramas should show 'what a society should be', i.e. show the characters as role models. Unfortunately today's dramas are spreading the evil more and not teaching any leasons to the viewers.
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Kazim Jan 08, 2016 07:38pm
Pakistani dramas are not allowed in my home. They depict an ugly and depressing side of domestic problems. Always about family politics and some bad sheep in the family. Fact is all families are not like that and it would be nice to see the positive side sometimes. A light comedy drama with the bright side. Move on from this negativity all the time. It also has an impact on people watching this stuff all the time.
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Adnan Mazher Khan Jan 08, 2016 08:18pm
Why do we want our women in "favourable" characters. What message or impact it will carry.
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Sarah Jan 08, 2016 10:23pm
Agree with you Sadaf - we really need some good female leads on screen who are shown to strike a balance between home/career or who at least have some aspirations beyond making parathas. That said, I wanted to point out that the lead in Aahista Aahista was Zawar not Zorawer.
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Vinod Narang Jan 08, 2016 10:25pm
Dramas by HUMTV are as close to reality as they can be. Showing Pakistani actresses in a role of professional is a boost to Pakistani women. This is 21st century and women actresses need to be shown as the role model for the new generation not as the old stay home and take abuse from husband
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MK Jan 08, 2016 10:42pm
I don't understand what's wrong with women working. People MUST understand that Women should be respected in all cadres, its their choice what they want to do. I agree with the article
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Striver Jan 08, 2016 10:56pm
This is unsurprising. In the face of rising feminism in the west, western sitcoms depicted working women similarly. With time this will improve
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zizi Jan 08, 2016 10:57pm
It is amazing how someone can make a living writing about such topics?
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Multinational Bhabi Jan 09, 2016 12:44am
Pakistani dramas are a manifest of Pakistani society. We will always find a reason to judge a woman. Married or Un-Married. Working woman or House Wife
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Umer Salahuddin Jan 09, 2016 02:17am
In most of the Urdu dramas educated women are shown as aggressive in attitude and inclined towards negating their home and children responsibilities which is not true in real life. They are shown in western outfits rejecting eastern clothes which is in contrasts where educated women are working with male colleagues wearing eastern clothes. The in direct message these dramas are showing that only females having western clothes are more successful.
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mehkan Jan 09, 2016 02:32am
I think our drama industry needs to understand the importance of authenticity, quality, innovation and creativity. They need content that is unique in quality. The writers have to be passionate about writing , the director about directing and the actors about acting. The state of many Pakistani dramas is becoming like our country. People go after money, they rise up due to connections and not merit, and the deserving writers never get a chance. We need to have a holistic approach to improve our drama industry. There is a dire need of exceptional talent to help elevate the quality and hence the impact on the general public.
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Friend123 Jan 09, 2016 07:33am
It is nice to watch Pakistani dramas but in the last 50 years lot of things have happened in india. Pakistani cultural evolution has taken slightly different route and it is evident in pakistani movies and TV serials.
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ghinva Raza Jan 09, 2016 10:00am
true!! but u missed on an ongoing serial "Maan" where a home mother faced kind of a situation where the husband had to marry for some financial so called issues...it also has been a bit of a both.. manipulative, rich ,independent working women, vs home mother,strong & considerate women..both played well...
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atharvya Jan 09, 2016 10:06am
i see a jane austen fan..........very good article
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berni Jan 09, 2016 01:50pm
Please improve your English and reduce negativity. For example, suggest some improvements.
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Imran Jan 09, 2016 07:13pm
The favorite theme of Pakistani drama's overwhelmingly remains the 'mazloom aurat'. Basically an innocent female lead character who constantly faces hardship upon hardship at the hands of either her evil mother in law or her evil sister in law or her evil husband or her evil boss at work etc. etc. The poor girl just cannot catch a break. And if by some miracle her husband turns out to be a normal human being he is very conveniently killed usually in the second or third episode in a freak car or motorcycle accident after which, you guessed it, the cycle of pain and suffering for this 'mazloom aurat' begins all over again.
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Fatima Jan 09, 2016 08:53pm
@Sarah Thanks Sarah !
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Fatima Jan 09, 2016 08:56pm
@Imran We blame the drama makers but what about the audience ? why do such serials gain popularity is my question ?
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sadia Jan 09, 2016 10:44pm
dhoup kinare was the best serial .its a source of inspiration for young generation too.my younger sister got inspiration from her and now doing mbbs .
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amd Jan 09, 2016 11:06pm
Grave injustice to a working woman with a career , as if working by a woman for a career is a criminal activity. In fact it is much more difficult to face the outside world than facing home people. Let it be clear that I am not having any contempt for homemakers/housewives
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guest Jan 10, 2016 01:23am
pakistani drama these days = shadi + talaq - shadi again = fun
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Imran Jan 10, 2016 02:18am
@Fatima There is obviously a market for such shows and the audience is mostly women who probably empathize with such character's for one reason or another.
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Sarah Jan 10, 2016 02:12pm
I read a comment here mentioning some recommendations: I think the right step forward starts with the writer's and director's vision. We have seen Mehreen Jabbar and Haissam Hussain doing an amazing job with the scripts they are given - which had the potential to churn out the same run of the mill stereotypes but they ended up translating very well on the screen and gave us some amazing female leads. Take Haniya in Mata-e-Jaan who was an engineer or Sara in Doraha or Zara in Daam. And no one can say these dramas didn't resonate with the audiences. So we really need people at the helm of affairs to come out of this "audience wants to see this" mindset.
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Azka Jan 10, 2016 10:30pm
@Raj Patel You are so very right. Although i am a Pakistani, i used to watch Indian dramas in 8th and 9th grade. But then i stopped because i realized that all the dramas had similar plot lines. The 'susraal' never supported their 'bahoo' in times of need and were always shunned for things they never did.Another cliché is when the girl is poor or middle class, very intelligent self driven and she gets to marry a rich man one way or another and what happens to all her dreams of being self employed? It drives me crazy.
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Azka Jan 10, 2016 10:31pm
Such a thought provoking article. So many people,including me, have stopped watching dramas because of these clichés.
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