Off The Beaten Track
The television industry is undergoing a sea change, as more and more television productions are going off the beaten track, as can be seen from the different plays on air nowadays. For example, Bas Tera Saath Ho has an extremely strong female lead whereas the male lead is the male version of Cinderella. The story, penned by the late Saira Raza, revolves around the dynamics of a family, where the protagonist, Farhan Saeed (Anas), is being forced to pay for the sins of his late father, who married of his own volition and was thus disowned by his grandfather.
He is treated like the hired help; in fact, worse than the domestic staff in the house as he has no legal claim to the ancestral property. The female lead, Ansa, played by Sana Javed, is the exact opposite and is hell bent on claiming what is rightfully and legally hers. This is a sort of role reversal and that is what adds to the novelty factor of this production, making it different from what is generally seen on television.
Aik Muhabbat Aur revolves around a very strong female lead also, played by Maya Ali, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, who has a very troubled and traumatic past, as she has been a victim of domestic violence and has survived a traumatic union. She lives independently but as is the norm in our society, is constantly reminded of the fact that she couldn’t make her marriage work and is therefore, not a good example for the young women around her. Her professional achievements are downplayed and her marital status or lack of it, is a cause of great concern for her parents.
The mothers do not appear to play a very sympathetic role in these television productions. Another case in point is Dr. Bahu where Kubra Khan’s mother, Marina Khan, is constantly berating and castigating her for not complying with the norms of her husband’s household. Again, societal pressures play a role, and the mothers, I guess, are only passing on what they were taught by their parents. Whenever Kubra tries to take a stand for herself, the mother accuses her of being rebellious and ungrateful.
It is a positive development to see television plays making an effort to destigmatise divorce; a case in point is Kafeel. Aik Muhabbat Aur is another example, where the protagonist is a divorcée and a single mother and despite all the social pressures she has to confront, is single-mindedly forging ahead in her career and is also raising a daughter. Her mother, played by Samia Mumtaz, is depicted as another typical mother, who is constantly reminding her daughter that she is a single woman and therefore, should be careful in her dealings with others.
A divorced woman is considered as available in our society, and therefore, the views expressed by the parents only reflect the general perceptions and beliefs of society. As we live in an extremely patriarchal society, women are viewed as second class citizens and the true success of a woman lies in her ability to be a good wife, mother and daughter-in-law. Although she might be an extremely successful professional, but if she is unable to make a success of her marriage, all that is considered secondary.
Again, the society is scared of single or divorced women because they are round pegs in square holes. Married women consider them a threat and do not want to associate with them, especially if they happen to be young, attractive and successful. Generally, single or divorced women do not fit into predetermined moulds and are therefore, considered as misfits in a society, where the label of marriage is crucial for establishing your status as a respectable woman. Without a man by your side, you are still considered not to have made it.
Television productions are trying to alter some of these ingrained prejudices in our society, by combating and challenging societal beliefs and perceptions. Finally, we see strong female leads, determined to stand up for what they believe in and hell bent on carving their own path in life, with or without a man by their side. The kind of hatke television productions on air nowadays are, undoubtedly, some of the finest we have seen so far, and the popularity of these productions guarantees that there will be more of such in the future. We can look forward to some stellar work produced by our television industry, which will confront and challenge some of the inbuilt beliefs and prejudices and help in changing the mindset of this society.
Happy viewing!
Gaitee Ara Siddiqi
2 Kashmir Road
Lahore
Tel: 0092 305 6104252
The writer is an educationist and can be reached at gaiteeara@hotmail.com.
