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Updated 10 Apr, 2019

Did you catch the ZAB Media Festival's live session this weekend on film and TV with actors Mansha Pasha, Hareem Farooq, Osman Khalid Butt and journalist Fifi Haroon on the panel?

If you didn't, let us brief you on a couple of important things that they spoke about.

The hour-long session moderated by journalist Manal Faheem Khan focused primarily on the representation of women in mainstream media. Although the conversation drifted a few times - there was talk on sexual harassment, excluding women from public spaces, among other things - the panelists all shared interesting thoughts on women's representation in the media.

Here are four takeaways from the session.

There is hardly any accurate representation of the modern Pakistani woman in cinema

Osman Khalid Butt said, "The purpose of a woman [on screen] is to provoke rather than her have agency... If there's a strong female character, that strength is extolled and not shown as the norm, [even though that's] what regular women are. They are heroes, they have agency. There are films that show women with a lot of agency who are makers of change and not just bearers of change, but I feel we still have a long way to go as far as representation of women is concerned."

Also read: Pinky Memsaab fails to do justice to its female leads

Laal Kabootar actor Mansha Pasha added, "Our society thinks women don't have agency, and in a lot of ways TV represents that women don't have that kind of power to make decisions, but slowly and gradually we're moving away from that."

The portrayal of women on TV and in cinema differs due to audience

Mansha Pasha feels cinema can 'get away' with showing gutsier female characters than TV due to the difference in target audience. "I think economics has a huge part to play. A cinema ticket costs Rs800, so we know that a certain bracket of people can afford it, whereas TV is a medium in every household.

"So when we make a film we know only middle to upper middle class will go to see it. Cinema-goers want to see people who represent them, when we do TV we know that a lot of people want to see people who represent them. It's just a matter of catering to a target market, it is a business."

Hareem seconded Mansha, "Our film industry is very small; luckily, there are a lot of female producers out there. To a certain extent we are the decision makers, we have to fight and struggle for certain things, [and at the same time] we do have to think about the market.

"Films are still a luxury, there's a certain audience that is going to come and watch it, not everyone can afford it. As actors and producers we can get away with showing a lot of characters on the big screen that we can't show on TV, which will give us backlash [if it's on the small screen]."

Also read: Parchi tries to break stereotypes with its strong female protagonist, says Hareem Farooq

She recalled the time she "was tensed about whether there would be acceptance of [Parchi lead character] Eman". However, it would've been more stressful had her character been made for television.

The actor added, "We've become lazy as TV producers, we've found the formula because the audience is responding to it. As the audience we should not let this happen."

Also read: Romanticising rape is not okay. So why do Pakistani dramas do it anyway?

OKB remarked, "Our TV industry is ruled by women in prominent positions of power as opposed to cinema, which is a boys' club, and it's quite interesting to see that we peddle in misery when it comes to television.

"We hearken to the golden era of TV, because it didn't peddle in misery, it showed working women. TV at that time was made for the middle class and above, [the audience which] cinema is made for now. People didn't have the luxury of owning a TV back then."

Our society has zero tolerance for women owning their sexuality

"I don't think you need to have a solid hero and a hero's perspective and have a woman in the periphery running around the proverbial tree," stressed Osman Khalid Butt. "Feminism does not mean that you divorce a woman of her sexuality or a man, it's how that sexuality is presented, it's about not showing it from the male gaze."

However, Masha had a different thought on the matter, "I don't believe that men or women will ever not be ornamental. I don't think that will ever happen in film or TV."

Also read: Why do girls posting attractive selfies make people uncomfortable?

OKB jumped back in, speaking on item numbers, "As a society we completely repress a woman's sexuality, her right to own her sexuality and yet in our cinema that's what we love to parade. I am a dancer and I have been dancing since the age of four. I love both forms dancing on screens but it's about the male gaze, how the camera zooms in and lowers to certain body parts."

"I don't think a woman dancing is an item number, but a woman dancing to seductive lyrics [is something completely different]. I feel item numbers have become villanised, everything that happens - rape or domestic abuse - is being linked solely to item numbers, but product commercials also show women utterly and completely consumed by their appearance. That's also a form of objectification.

"[They're showing that] your life doesn't have meaning unless you have perfect silky hair, forget the post colonial hangover with fairness, but in our ads all we're attributing women to are their physical attributes and nothing else. God knows if a woman wears a ghagra choli and dances on screen," he added.

Also read: Why is Pakistan afraid of happy women?

Hareem then asked the audience, "If a man does a solo dance will that also be called an item number?" Her question was met with silence.

"Nobody said yes." And that's the point that the actor was trying to make.

Speaking on reverse sexism, Osman said, "Women have had not that agency since ad infinitum. If a man is objectified he is not threatened, but if a woman is, as a society we react viciously."

Our society constantly puts its women down

With the backlash to Mehwish Hayat's Tamgha-i-Imtiaz win and Eman Suleman's recent LSA nomination refusal still fresh in everyone's minds, Hareem said, "We're living in a time where women receiving such prestigious awards are questioned but nobody stands up and questions when a harasser is getting awards."

Also read: I draw the line when my character is questioned, says Mehwish Hayat to trolls

"My biggest problem with [the backlash to] Mehwish's Tamgha-i-Imtiaz is, how can you question a woman for her achievements but not question a man when a woman says she's harassed by him? Nobody talks about it, nobody questions it. I think Mehwish is a brilliant actress, she's capable of competing on an international level and good for her for winning that award.

"But why does nobody question any harasser who has been called out? Then item numbers should not be questioned either. Let's not talk about objectifying women then because at the end of the day the woman will still be blamed."

Also read: Model Eman Suleman says she doesn't want to share her LSA nomination with an accused harasser

"We have a habit of putting our women down, whatever they do," Fifi chimed in. "We can have the youngest Pakistani woman win a Nobel Peace Prize and we will put her down, we can have a woman who wins an Oscar twice and we will still put her down. What is wrong with us as a nation that we feel the need to do this? Men can be and are feminists. We need to live in a society with those who do support us."

"There's a certain demonisation of women in Pakistan. They can do no right by people. Women are pitted against each other, it's unfortunate and it benefits no one. Women are judged for everything except for their achievements, and that needs to stop now," Mansha concluded.

Comments

N abidai Apr 08, 2019 09:00am
The artists believe that Pakistani society has evolved into the world views of relationships between men and women ! First artists needs to do dramas,and films , that shows how to develop the mind set of tolerance ! Just ,like hate is carefully taught,so, does tolerance ,respect, empathy, love, all needs to be carefully taught,then you can asked the questions ,in this article! Pakistani society is in work in progress ,on all levels!
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Syed irfan ali Apr 08, 2019 09:41am
Spot on... We as a society has a long way to go where women are not judged solely on the basis of their appearance.
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Jamal Apr 08, 2019 11:08am
It will be called an item number if the guy shows too much flesh, does vulgar moves.
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Proud Apr 08, 2019 11:17am
women are supposed to be in purdah and cook and keep the family together. If they do that much, world will be happy.
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Iamnewtoworld Apr 08, 2019 11:44am
I think she is confused about meaning of item number....man doing solo dance can not be termed as item that means in English commodity.....
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ABC Apr 08, 2019 12:30pm
Solo dance is not item number. "In ankhoon ki masti" is not an item number. If a man starts showing his private parts for money then it will be an item number too!!!
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Khalid Apr 08, 2019 12:59pm
Men goes solo, most of the time.
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Hallar Apr 08, 2019 12:59pm
Yes it will if the viewers around him are all females.
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RationalBabu Apr 08, 2019 02:39pm
@Proud, unless it’s sarcasm, I feel truly sorry for you!
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Masoud Apr 08, 2019 03:50pm
Hareem Farooq should understand that Pakistan is a Muslim society and there is a limit to body show. Be it male or female the line of respect and decency should not be crossed. It is immaterial what is happening elsewhere, here in Pakistan it cannot be the same if it crosses the line.
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Umer Apr 08, 2019 04:23pm
Yes for some!
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M. Abdul Apr 08, 2019 04:40pm
I say do it! Produce a male version of an item number, let's see how ut gets received...
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Imran Apr 08, 2019 08:54pm
The question is who will see this item number.
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Waheed Khan Apr 08, 2019 10:45pm
@Proud not entirely factually correct.
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Alijimmyarbab Apr 08, 2019 11:51pm
Carry on with your item numbers no one cares. We should believe in freedom of expression as well as freedom of item numbers.
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Must learn Apr 09, 2019 12:02am
@Masoud Absolutely. Pak has very decent moral values in folk dances, or appropriate dances in weddings or KPK Khattack Dance, but products like ‘ item dances’ are for those who are ‘themselves items’ . A common person in Pak simply don’t like item dances, or even obnoxious songs.
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Farrukh Inam Apr 09, 2019 12:49am
People are confusing equality with equity.
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Laila Apr 09, 2019 01:04am
@Iamnewtoworld but women doing solo dance can be labelled as items which means cômmôdity in English? Your double standards are showing.
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Laila Apr 09, 2019 01:07am
@ABC I have never seen a Pakistani female artist dancer show her private parts in public or while dancing. Why are you confusing things. Private parts are her genitalia. It's forbidden by law to show that in public. Our women dont show that. What the hell are you talking about?
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Laila Apr 09, 2019 01:14am
@Masoud but daily violence against women especially in their homes, rape, erosion of basic human rights, mujra dancing, women hired to dance for ALL male guests, child workers, forced conversions, abduction of our girls, corruption is not against our Muslim society? Nice...
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Laila Apr 09, 2019 01:21am
No Hareem dear, we are a nation of double standards. I recall seeing a tv ad with Fahad Mustafa and another guy on the beach dancing alongside bikini clad western females. Nobody condemned these guys. No labels of beghairty, immorality, calls for censorship. Now had it been a woman....well there would be a national outrage. Look even some readers fail to understand you. One fellow reader thinks item dance is about showing their private parts when in fact private parts are always covered. The misogyny is real. Sigh.
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Arsha Apr 10, 2019 09:07am
@Proud who decides what women are supposed to do?.... Certainly not men I hope and yet it's men who keep trying to ascertain what a woman can or cannot do. But we don't agree with you dictating our lives to us. What about what women want to do? One thing.men definitely should do is not stand in the way of.women and just let them be if they are not causing harm to anyone else
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RIZ Apr 15, 2019 12:30am
Right is right and wrong is wrong not matter what everyone says. Most successful movies even in today's world don't need item numbers or vulgarity. It needs good story and good acting.
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Raja Farhat Abbas Apr 15, 2019 05:41am
@Jamal .I agree with your comment.!
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