Pakistani dramas seem to be going through a downfall recently. The industry is producing shows around issues that do not relate to the audience. Scenes revolve around topics such as love, betrayal, extra-marital affairs, and second marriage.
Pakistani television has been receiving a lot of criticism recently. Even the drama actors and actresses, themselves, have been criticizing their own and other dramas. It looks like that as the quantity of shows is increasing their quality is decreasing.
The portrayal of female characters
One of the issues actors are mostly concerned with regarding Pakistani dramas is the portrayal of female characters. Crying and conspiracies are the only things women in dramas do nowadays.
Although, audiences have always loved strong female characters such as Kashaf from Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Khirad from Humsafar, and Anmol from Dil Lagi. Empowered female characters who can stand up to society, and the people around them are appreciated and loved.
Following are the actresses that believe that Pakistani dramas should change the way it represents women:
1. Asma Abbas
In an interview with BBC Asian Network, Asma Abbas said that she is not satisfied with the representation of women her age. She further said that she is often told by her producers and directors to straighten her naturally curly hair. They say that wavy hair looks too beautiful on a poor woman (eh, logic?).
2. Sania Saeed
Additionally, a famous Pakistani drama actress, Sania Saeed, said that there is not enough quality content. She also said that the drama industry is in desperate need of unions and legality and that the ratio of good material to bad dramas produced is lower.
3. Sawera Nadeem
In an interview with The News, Sawera Nadeem also voiced her opinion on the portrayal of women in Pakistani dramas. She wanted shows to bring the diversity of women’s roles to highlight. She said that women are stereotyped in the industry.
4. Mehwish Hayat
Acclaimed Pakistani actress, Mewish Hayat, also criticized the drama industry for stereotyping women’s roles. Mehwish Hayat received Tamgha e Imtiaz for her work. She has starred in many movies, including Load Wedding and Actor in Law. In an interview with BBC Asian Network, Mehwish Hayat said that the reason she has not worked in dramas for the last four years is that there are not enough strong roles for women.
5. Iffat Omar
Iffat Omar is also one of the actresses who believes that Pakistani dramas should improve the way women are represented. She expressed her opinion numerous times while interviewing Mehwish Hayat. She said that many actresses are reluctant to do the roles of damsels in distress. If production houses started making dramas of strong and independent women who have diverse backgrounds, many actresses would be willing to work.
Who is your favorite female character from Pakistani dramas, and why? Let us know in the comments below.
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