The internet is in the middle of a meltdown after a local TV channel aired an interview of Shehroz Sabzwari and Sadaf Kanwal Sabzwari. #SadafKanwal has been trending since last night on Pakistani Twitter, for all the right or wrong reasons? You decide..
The couple’s past controversy
In the past, this couple has been in the controversial limelight. When they got hitched in 2020, as soon as Sadaf Kanwal posted an official announcement of their Nikkah via her Instagram, all hell broke loose. There was a backfire as most people did not appreciate Shehroz’s second marriage and the timing of it.
Sadaf and Shehroz allegedly started seeing each other before Syra and his divorce was not finalised. While we still don’t know the actual truth, Shehroz came to Sadaf’s defence and his narrative has been that he closed all chapters before moving on.
At the time, everyone was in their Sherlock mode by sharing screenshots, comparing timelines and endlessly trolling on the newly wedded couple’s profiles. Syra Yousaf, Shehroz’s ex-wife maintained her silence throughout and handled the entire fiasco quite gracefully.
Why is she trending again?
The host had asked Sadaf the question which took the internet by storm. The host queries Sadaf about her opinion on Aurat March, feminism and equality. Sadaf answers the question by saying that women are not weak, they should not be labelled as ‘beecharis’.
She considered herself to be a strong woman and if she spoke about Aurat March, then it would be a separate debate. As a wife, she considered it her duty to look after her husband and these beliefs were derived from what she saw growing up.
Sadaf further added that the feminism which has been trending nowadays is for liberals only. For her, feminism is taking care of her husband as a dutiful wife. She clearly stated that as a woman, she should know about Shehroz’s needs and not necessarily vice versa.
Her comments stated in the above-mentioned segment of this feature are what sparked this trending social media controversy.
People’s reaction
This time around, interestingly, the internet is divided. There are masses who are totally supporting Sadaf’s stance. If you read their comments, then there is applause for how she has destroyed the feminist narrative.
The masses consider Sadaf’s narrative to be closer to their own societal beliefs. This is from the masses, who are now against the feminist movement and the Aurat March ‘brigade’. They believe that this movement of “desi liberals” is the root cause of obscenity and unrest.
On the other hand, the ‘liberal brigade’ is also up in arms of words on various social media sites. They believe that the irony of this whole interview is that Sadaf Kanwal really does not know what she is talking about. According to them, the fact that Sadaf actually went on to explain her role as a wife was far removed from the actual question she was asked.
Furthermore, the ‘other side’ became incensed about Sadaf going on and on about how she consciously plays the role of an obedient wife and fulfils her duties. Perhaps, her revelation of picking up ‘Sherry’s shoes’ did not go down too well with this stratum of Twitteratis.
They believe that it simply seems to be extremely ignorant on the part of Sadaf as a celebrity to be so far off from such an important issue. They seem to want to take it upon themselves to sit Sadaf down and explain to her the concept of feminism first, and Aurat March subsequently.
Some of her critics have also pointed out that Sadaf herself is a perfect example of feminism. Throughout her interview, she spoke of how she enjoyed equal rights in her marriage. She was quick to say that Shehroz would never object to her choice of attire. She clearly has her own voice due to being a self-made woman, who in the past has made bold career and personal choices and this is precisely what feminism is all about.
The media industry fraternity has shown their disapproval of what they consider to be a negligent stance. Sabeeka Imam challenged Sadaf Kanwal’s idea of feminism.
Shahroz Sabzwari posted in support of his wife.
VJ and actress Anoushey Ashraf found it to be a “low blow”.
The interview has come at a time when the urban society is already in despair. There is rage over why the domestic violence bill has not been passed as yet. One could assume that the general negativity in society is enough to anger people over any personal opinion of a celebrity.
Was the host to be blamed?
As much as Sadaf is being scrutinized, the host should be held responsible for being insensitive. The most cringeworthy part of this interview was the host literally making a mockery of Sadaf’s emotions while asking her about an issue as sensitive as the death of her father. As soon as the host asked Sadaf about her deceased father, she could not control her tears and the first thing the host had to say jovially was: “Let us all cry together.” In any civilized society, this should be unacceptable, however, social media trends do not necessarily adhere to such prerequisites of morality.
There was no question regarding her upcoming projects, talent or craft. Collectively, as a society, we seem to be in dire need of some grace.
