Author: Mehr Jan

Issues once considered too sensitive to discuss or depict are currently getting the strongest spotlight in the electronic and social media. The trend is also reflected in the Pakistani entertainment industry and dramas in particular. Contemporary scriptwriters have ventured into more socially relevant themes, and the viewers too are responding to strong, realistic stories covering themes that may have made the audience uncomfortable in the past.

The issue of domestic abuse of women – be that emotional or physical one is especially relevant to our present-day society. According to a Human Rights Watch Study, it has been estimated that between 20 and 30 percent of women in Pakistan have suffered some form of abuse. Pakistani serials have been showing the challenging circumstances many women face in marriages and relationships quite successfully for the past decade or so, with many plotlines centering around abused female protagonists who are depicted as strong-willed characters which dare to say ‘enough is enough’.

Kankar, Khaani and Khaas

Released in 2013, Kankar (written by Umera Ahmad and directed by Aabis Raza), paved the way for representing women who are headstrong and know when divorce is the only means to attain peace of mind. The show was hailed for showing its woman of substance, a superhero of the sorts who didn’t bow down to traditions and customs, willing to stand up against her own family – and for what she believed was right. Sanam Baloch played that character rather well and reprised her portrayal of the strong victim of abuse in the recently concluded Khaas, directed by Danish Nawaz.

This performance of hers’ has also received many accolades. Faced with a narcissist husband, Saba decides to take a stand for herself, against the wishes of her parents. While this may seem like the ideal stance, many women in similar situations can’t muster the courage to fight for themselves. While these dramas depict scenarios of change and hope, the question remains, are they realistic?

Can a woman think purely for her well-being when making a drastic decision? Will the society accept her views, or better yet, respect them? While it may take time to get there, things have been steadily moving. In Khaani, the heroine (played by Sana Javed) steadfastly takes a stance against the unrelenting advances of her suitor, played by Feroze Khan. Till the climax of the drama, she does not forgive him for a crime he has committed earlier.

Domestic abuse is not gender-specific

Interestingly television serials aren’t capturing women-specific abuse only, for even men have fallen victims to toxic relationships and television series like Balaa (starring Bilal Abbas Khan and Ushna Shah). That drama revolves around the story of Nigar, a girl with a physical disability who would stop at nothing to get her man, even if that means tormenting him by taking everything away from him. The sadistic nature of the protagonist was an eye-opener for many. It showed the lowest levels a person can stoop to, to get their way and that this phenomenon isn’t gender-specific.

Final Word

Here is hoping Pakistani dramas not only depict the empowerment of victims of abuse but also present realism in terms of how such situations are to be tackled when you have to stand for yourself, even if it means standing up against the world.