Rasm-e-Duniya, starring Armeena Rana Khan, Samina Peerzada, Sami Khan and Bilal Abbas, has faced a lot of criticism from audiences for resorting to the familiar trope – the dukhiyaari damsel.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXTzVzn31Ec Let’s break down the play. The protagonist is Haya (Armeena Khan) who is pressured into marrying Harib (Sami Khan) by her family. But the situation takes an ugly turn since Haya and Harib’s elder brother, Farris (Bilal Abbas), were in love with each other. Mussarat (Samina Pirzada) is Farris and Harib’s mother, and was incidentally in love with Haya’s father, Tabrez. Since Mussarat was unable to marry Tabrez, she is extremely bitter and wants everyone around her to be as miserable as she is. Thus, she decides to stop Haya from marrying the love of her life. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Facebook[/caption] Resultantly, Farris is heartbroken after seeing the love of his life being wed to his brother. Thus, he decides to do the classic dukhi hero thing – wallow. Instead of going back to London, he decides to stay in the city and stalk his former girlfriend (what a picture of mental health) and ends up finding a stalker friend in return who is none other than Haya! Haya the Stalker is beautifully silly. The character is extremely ill-developed so far and was recently found narrating the tale of her parents’ divorce with statements like,

“My father never stopped my mother from doing anything, but she decided to get a divorce because my father wouldn’t let her start her own business.”

Written by Zafar Mairaj who has also recently penned down Muqabil, another drama that deals with a victim of sexual abuse, Sangat has hundreds of snags and a few redeeming points. The plot Ashi (Saba Qamar) is a cheerful, bright woman married to Adnan (Mikaal Zulfiqar) and lives with him in their house along with her sister-in-law, Farah (Kiran Haq) and mother-in-law (Samina Ahmed). It’s all hunky dory. Adnan is a doting husband, Ashi is a dutiful wife. But they can’t have kids because Adnan needs to undergo medical treatment in order for Ashi to conceive, a matter which he is delaying. Ashi’s mother (Saba Faisal) is a professor whose colleague’s son, Shavez (Zahid Ahmed) was sort of obsessed with Ashi. One night, Ashi is visiting her mother when Shavez and two of his friends arrive to rob Ashi’s mother’s house. Shavez locks Ashi in her room and rapes her. His friends want to rape her as well but Shavez stops them and in that occurrence, his face becomes visible to Ashi. She recognises him but says nothing. Her mother realises that Ashi has been raped but asks her to stay silent. Ashi’s mother doesn’t see Shavez’s face and later when she meets him, she asks for his help and they bond because Ashi’s mother is just that nice. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] A few weeks later, just when Ashi is picking people from a line-up that the police has arranged for her to identify her attacker, she realises she is pregnant. She says nothing to Adnan about the reality of the baby’s paternity. Only Ashi, her psychotherapist/psychiatrist and Ashi’s mother know that Ashi had been assaulted that night. When the child is born, everyone is ecstatic, but a few weeks later they find out that their daughter, Sangat, has blood cancer and would require DNA testing for bone marrow treatment. It is this when Adnan finds out that Sangat is not his daughter. On the other hand, Ashi’s mother and Shavez have become best friends. She is found trying to get him employed, figuring out his relationships for him and she goes as far as allowing him to stay at her house. Shavez is found trying to ask for forgiveness from God and is trying to make amends. He is still a jerk, though, because he is rude and horrible to the girl who loves him, Salma (Sonia Mishal) and is willing to give up everything for him. What Sangat managed to get right Before we dig into what Sangat got absolutely and undoubtedly wrong, let’s first point to the few things it got pretty much right. It was spot on about discussing the effects of sexual abuse on a woman. The shame and the guilt she deals with after such a trauma is not something that can be taken lightly. She lives with it like living with dead weight. Sangat also got this aspect of attackers often being people you trust and know right, and dealt with it well. There is a long monologue by Adnan in which he talks about how society treats rape victims. He talks at length and passionately about how there is a huge culture of victim blaming that stops victims from coming forward with their stories or seeking justice. Sangat explored a much ignored reality of how women, especially mothers, force their daughters to stay silent in the face of abuse. In a long detailed dialogue between Ashi and her mother, Ashi’s mother successfully manages to convince Ashi that if she dared tell her husband about what happened on the night of the robbery, Adnan would most certainly not accept her. This behaviour and the many circumstances that came forth after hiding this fact is catastrophic in many ways. Had Ashi trusted her husband, had Ashi’s mother stood by her and continued to be supportive of her daughter, it would have created problems, sure; but nowhere near as the ones that came to pass later. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] What Sangat definitely got wrong First and foremost, the undue emphasis on how the rapist isn’t really a bad guy, he was just a guy who took some bad decisions because of his troubled life etc, is one of the most problematic aspects of Sangat. Shavez is shown as someone who has compassion and is helpful but suddenly turns into a psychotic angry person as well as the occasional rapist. This raises about a billion questions (read = discrepancies) about his character. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] The political statement Shavez makes on mainstream media in a society like Pakistan where slut-shaming and victim blaming is already an accepted practice, where people are more than happy to absolve criminal behaviour against women, is nothing short of irresponsible writing. We also do not see much about what made Shavez commit this crime. We see more of his path to redemption than the path he took to commit this crime – which subconsciously humanises Shavez for the audiences. In another scene we see Shavez tell Salma what he did to Ashi and she listens to everything and then says,

“But I will always love you, I can never hate you.”

Aah, Ramazan.

Shaan-e-Ramazan. Ehtram-e-Ramazan. Naimat-e-Ramazan.

Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

Hold your horses. Because in few minutes it will be,

“Moti moti auntiyaan kidhar hain?”  (Where are all the fat aunties?) “Aam khaye ga aam?”  (Do you want to eat mango?)

“Who are you to question Jinnah?”

“I have gotten a lot of offers to be part of Ramazan shows and make guest appearances but I didn’t do them because I don’t agree with this ideology. There are so many question marks in this entire thing. Honestly, it seems as though Ramazan has nothing to do with religion anymore.”

Currently airing on Urdu 1 and starring Saba Qamar, Ali Kazmi, Sarmad Khoosat, Irfan Khoosat, Nadia Afghan and Saba Faisal, is a drama called Baaghi. This drama explores the life of Fouzia Azeem aka Qandeel Baloch, the social media superstar who was murdered by her brother in the name of honour. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQB-MjnTeP4 Qamar plays Fouzia Batool – a sparky, witty woman residing in a small village in Punjab. She’s not your average village damsel; she harasses her harassers and talks back to anyone who dare oppress her.

Filled with an inviting antagonism and natural charm, Fouzia’s personality is a firecracker. She dances at weddings and sings Noor Jehan songs. She’s a girl fully aware of her rights and her abilities. She claims she wants to be famous and believes that she’s just equal to any man.

What’s interesting about the show is how it reveals more about Fouzia Azeem than her more famous counterpart, Qandeel. It’s more intimate and personal and we really delve deep into the character’s thoughts and surroundings. From the first episode, we can note that Fouzia, the character, is fiercely independent. She dances at a wedding, while both the male and female gaze follows her around in disdain. From her interaction with her mother, we can note that Fouzia’s character has many layers that illustrate her loving nature – making her a magnetic character both in and off screen.

It will be extremely difficult to successfully depict Fouzia as the girl who was unabashedly herself without showing the negative light that surrounded Qandeel. It is important that Baaghi explores these events not as a justified reaction of society but a brutal and inhumane response by the people. All the negativity that surrounded Qandeel’s life was an accurate example of the inherent misogyny that runs rampant in our society and I hope Baaghi reveals it for its raw and horrible connotations.

All photos: Screenshots

We had a helper at home who we called maasi (maid). We never thought it was wrong or degrading. That was up until someone called me that word during a fight and I felt deeply wronged. I was 14, easily hurt, and crying about it to someone and they consoled me by saying,

“Maa-si: Maa (mother) and si (like). Being a maasi means like a mother. What is there to cry about?”

That stopped my tears momentarily and gave me something to think about.

Mai. Maasi. Kaam waali. Bhangan. Choori – these aren’t just job titles designated for the lowest and the most disenfranchised women of our country; they are also chosen insults.

“You really look like a maasi today,” you’d say if your friend isn’t looking her best. “I can’t wear this, I’ll look like a kaam waali,” you’d whine if you don’t like your outfit.

Imagine the chagrin when you see a morning show glorifying the ‘maasi’ culture. Furthermore, a show that is casually reinforcing the idea that the only thing a housemaid is capable of doing is being an aide to the lady of the house while she acts like a domestic goddess. In the absolutely cringe-worthy program, hosted by Sanam Jung, housemaids were tested, competed against and the program eventually prized Maasi No 1. Of course, while watching it, it also dropped your IQ level and your conscience down the proverbial gutter.

In our spick and span cosy drawing rooms which are kept spick and span by some poor exploited help, we like to comment on how lazy our domestic helpers have become. In our designer outfits and pearls, we like to point out how badly our help smells all day as they’re running around doing our chores. In our expensive and extravagant television sets, we broadcast a mockery of underpaid women, calling it ‘entertainment’.

According to a survey by The Labour Force, in 2014-2015, there were around 100,000 live-in workers in the country. Most of them are illiterate, most of them are untrained, and many of them are underage. Women account to about 27% of live-in workers and their average salary is between Rs5,000 to 10,000 per month ($50 to 100). There is virtually no strict federal/provincial law that protects these workers, except for one ordinance that speaks about providing them with healthcare.

Around 47 cases of violence against child domestic workers were reported from January 2010 to December 2014. In 2015, a Domestic Workers (Employment Rights) Bill was passed. However, this bill has had no impact on the actual situations many of these unfortunate individuals have to face. Posh families employ these children, treat them as slaves, abuse them, exploit them, rape them and often kill them as a result of the continued torture; in 2016, police recovered a beaten, bruised, abused 10-year-old child from the house of a session’s judge.

Maasi No 1, regardless of its attempt to teach people about the importance and respect of domestic helpers, simply celebrates the weaknesses of these women by using them as nothing more than props to a privilege-fest.

When it comes to Pakistani dramas in 2017, there has been a diverse range to choose from. There are dramas that fray towards the whimsical side, as well as those that have empowering messages about relevant social issues. A conversation about Pakistani dramas, however, is incomplete without criticism on the portrayal of the roti dhoti aurtein (miserable women) of our society. Listed below are the top and flop dramas of 2017 so far: Baaghi The drama is consistently scoring high Television Rating Points (TRP) and gaining a strong word of mouth due to its incredible script. Saba Qamar’s portrayal of Fouzia Batool aka Qandeel Baloch is one of the audience’s top favourites now.

Qamar’s depiction of Fouzia, as she frequently likes to assert in the play, is both courageous and heart-rending. In the recent most episode of Baaghi, Fouzia is offered the opportunity to become a model in the midst of her struggle to live with an abusive husband (Ali Kazmi). This creates an important dramatic arc in the story since it was also the turning point in Qandeel’s real life, which led her to enter the media industry.

Baaghi is definitely worth a watch every week.

Qasim (Bilal) is Sassi’s cousin who is hopelessly in love with her and Sassi resents it, being the kind of girl who would hate it if things got too boring or too easy for her liking. Written by Saji Gul and directed by Kashif Nisar, the play explores the various roles within which our society pigeonholes women.

The play also explores an interesting contrast between relationships. Khayam the poet is married to a silent, under-confident, and unromantic Mumtaz (Irsa Ghazal), while Qasim, the shy and sensitive poet, is in love with the firecracker that is Sassi.

Owing to its strong dialogues, powerful performances and a lovely soundtrack, O Rungreza also makes it to the top of the watch list.

Shuja hopes to move to London in order to make a better life for himself and uses Hira to exert pressure on her parents to make it happen. The play is full of clichés (good guy with a nagging wife/poor wife with an evil husband) and gets preachy at times but it is still a ‘different’ story that is making the audience tune in.

The heroine of the drama, Saba (Iqra Aziz) wants to marry Zohaib (Muneeb Butt) but Usman keeps reminding her of his sister’s death as a result of wanting to defy the norms that he had set for her.

Ghairat is another intense drama and is definitely a must watch.

Suhana’s story seems very clichéd but the dialogues are beautiful and the story keeps shifting in and out of intrigue to keep the audience hooked.

This is definitely one of those plays you can binge-watch.

The play has multiple storylines, which tend to tangle midway: Reena Begum (Ushna Shah) is a beggar turned courtesan who is now filled with even more ambition than before. Basit (Shehzad Sheikh), Nazish (Kubra Khan) and Shahzeb (Mikaal Zulfiqar) form a love triangle with Nazish in the middle. And then there is Shamu (Imran Ashraf) the transgender, who is now a heteronormative but a slightly effeminate hair and makeup artist.

What started with a lot of potential is now a mess of dragging plotlines and forced tension.

Every episode since then has been a snail-paced repetition of the basic premise. The plot makes for an interesting and possibly excellent feature length film but fails to engross the audience week after week for 20-plus episodes.

Written by Samira Fazal and directed by Furqan Khan, it truly wastes the potential of professional actors like Ayesha Khan, Alyy Khan and young actors like Ramsha Khan and Feroze Khan.

What was unfortunate about Rasm e Duniya was that the performances of the front-runners of the drama were absolutely superb but the story and the plot itself were incredibly weak and implausible which brought the entire energy down.

By the end, it just seemed like a glorification of domestic and emotional abuse and the finale was as hurried as it was ridiculous. Written by Imran Nazir and directed by Roomi Insha, this multi starrer play may have started off correctly by getting some psychological dilemmas of abusive and vengeful individuals right, but there was so much that it got absolutely wrong that it’s difficult to salvage any saving grace out of it.

If the story flounders, and fails to retain the interest or if the drama is too over-packed, the audience will ultimately decide to tune out because there is no dearth of content. The stronger the story or plot is, the better the chance of being remembered for the next 20 odd weeks

I’m not going to lie, I’m a fan of red-carpet events. The pretty dresses, the sparkly jewellery, the glitz, the glamour, the hair and makeup – I love it all. Does that make me a bad feminist? I really hope not. I wholeheartedly believe in a woman’s right and choice to celebrate her looks, her body and her sexuality. But at the same time, it also sets me off when the media reduces a woman to merely that – just a pretty face. At the trailer launch for her upcoming film, Mahira Khan was questioned by a few reporters regarding those controversial pictures with Ranbir Kapoor. Even though Mahira politely answered those questions, I was left baffled as to why the media would ask her such a personal question when she was there to promote her work. She was not there in a personal capacity, nor was it an interview where it is permissible to ask questions of a more personal nature. But what seemed to be the priority of the reporters was to be the first to get the scoop, professionalism be damned. They did not seem to think it important to ask her about her character, if it’s different from any she has done before, or about the experience of working with an esteemed director like Shoaib Mansoor. The preview of her upcoming film Verna shows Mahira beating the living daylights out of a man, but of course, the reporters didn’t find that of any value or interest. No, Mahira’s personal life was “better scoop”. Asking famous women shallow or personal questions is both extremely sexist, and extremely common. Not just in Pakistan, but female celebrities all over the world are subjected to answering boring, superficial or intensely personal questions that men are simply not asked. The instances are simply too many to number. Deepika Padukone was repeatedly asked how she worked with Ranbir Kapoor, her former boyfriend, instead of questions pertaining to her movie itself. Sunny Leone was asked by a journalist if he was being “morally corrupted” just because he was interviewing her. Katrina Kaif was questioned more about her leaked bikini pictures than she was for movies she promoted. Sexist questions aren’t even limited to Bollywood. While promoting Baywatch, Priyanka Chopra was frequently asked ‘intelligent’ questions like how she kept her focus with Dwayne Johnson around, and the size of her male co-stars' genitals. Female athletes get the same third-rate treatment that is considered socially acceptable when it comes to women. Sania Mirza, after winning another title for her country, was asked when she planned on getting “settled” and having babies. https://www.facebook.com/BuzzFeedIndia/videos/1650910341636113/ There have since been several video compilations of the kinds of questions women are subjected to and the result has me cringing and enraged at the same time, because all women get asked is,

“Who are you wearing?” “What diet are you doing to lose weight?” “What kind of underwear goes with this dress?”

The times, however, they are a-changing. More and more female celebrities are now speaking up and calling out reporters who ask them sexist questions. Scarlett Johansson openly wondered why she was asked about her diet and how she got in shape while Robert Downey Jr was asked existential questions about playing a superhero.

American actress Reese Witherspoon even started the #AskHerMore campaign before the 2015 Oscars, in an attempt to be asked questions other than,

“Who are you wearing tonight?”

“Do you ask the same question to a male cricketer?”

Increasingly, female celebrities feel more confident in opening up and sharing their thoughts with the media, and are hence shutting sexist questions down. But it’s still too ingrained as a norm for our industries, isn’t it? Why aren’t we changing the way we look at female celebrities? Why aren’t we asking them better questions?

In this day and age, cinema is thriving on gender role reversals and women are now more in the forefront than ever, are working just as hard, and in many cases are the sole crowd-pullers. To reduce such talented and successful individuals to merely the clothes they wear or the colour of their nail polish, simply because they happen to be women, is nothing less than regressive and archaic.

Some miseries are avoidable. If you speak to victims of sexual abuse and sexual harassment, they’ll tell you they wished they had spoken up. Done something to stop it. Wished somehow they could have had the opportunity to stop it from happening. They live with this guilt, among other negative feelings for years. This is why educating masses ,especially parents is essential. More than children and individuals alone, educational systems and parents should be given lessons on how to deal with such situations and what can be done to prevent such instances from happening. One such way is fairly simple – teach your children about good touch and bad touch. Teach them about personal distance and individual space. Moreover, parents should be vigilant and alert when it comes to children. If the child is alone with someone, drop in unexpectedly to check up on them. Recently, an account was shared on Facebook where a female child was being molested by her male servant in the car. The servant was apparently touching the young girl everywhere, and at one point lifted his kameez and pushed the girl's face between his legs and covered it. When the individual who came across this incident, spoke to the child’s family, he was turned away. Understandably, because someone knocking on your door and informing you that your child has been sexually assaulted may be disturbing and hence too much to take in. Nevertheless, it is extremely important to take notice of such episodes and not turn a blind eye. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Children don’t know when they are being taken advantage of, and this is why sexual abuse is an important matter to educate children on. It’s a pity this subject isn’t taught at schools, and it’s even more pitiful that parents would rather shove this awareness issue under the carpet instead of addressing it and realising that the best way to protect our children is to educate them and to help them be cognizant of predators. In the aforementioned incident, it was a noble deed for the Samaritan to inform the parents, but they chose to draw a veil over it. People usually don't want to get involved in such occurrences or contact authorities for that matter. Most of them are afraid of what people might say and don’t want to be part of the stigma that exists. However, it is absolutely crucial to understand here that this is an epidemic and if people just live in denial about the existence of this menace, it is not going to go away.  The only solution is awareness. Here are a few things we can do to deal with this: Talk to your children Children need to be taught about boundaries, for example who can hug them and who cannot. Teach them about appropriate and inappropriate touch and create an atmosphere where your child can comfortably confide in you regarding such issues. Mommy and Daddy can hug you and pick you up,but if a stranger tries to do that, it should not be acceptable. Most kids have this inbuilt ability to sense danger and unfamiliar surroundings but it is always better to teach children to reinforce this instinct even more. Listen to your children This is as important as talking to your children. When your child tells you he or she feels uncomfortable with someone,  immediately pay attention. If they run away from particular people for some reason, pay attention. Perhaps they are unable to verbalise it but their instincts are never wrong. In some cases, nightmares, anxiety attacks and withdrawal symptoms in children are also signs of abuse. Art therapy and psychologists involvement Thanks to the crazily omnipresent stigma about mental illness in our society, people think that the only people who go to therapists are insane people. This is completely untrue and unhelpful as well as dangerous. It is always good to have therapists and therapeutic measures for children as well as adults. Most good schools have in-house therapists and “safe spaces” where children can say and express whatever they want without being judged and feared. This needs to happen more and more in Pakistan. Get schools involved Schools should educate children about sexual abuse as much as parents. There should be classes and teachers should be well-versed in the terms and rules of this issue to educate children appropriately. The school itself should also have strict personal distance laws. Moreover, most good schools have systems in place where children’s designated guardian is the only one who can pick them and drop them – but in Pakistani parenting terms, the picking and dropping culture is mostly left on maids and drivers. This needs to be regulated. House help – if trusted with this big responsibility of picking and dropping our children – should be thoroughly vetted before being entrusted with this. It is always better to have school-designated vans and pick and drop services to avoid this sort of behaviour. It doesn't necessarily mean that child abuse might never happen in a school van – it’s just that there’s a slightly lesser chance of that happening compared to the former situation where a child is alone with the servant in the car for that long. Law enforcement I heard about a recent precedent where house help were required to file their details at a nearby police station and a written affidavit that such and such person is employed at such and such house. This is an important step, because in case the help is found behaving in an untoward manner towards the children, they know that they can be reported and even arrested. Nanny cams aren’t a bad idea Thanks to technology, it’s not impossible to keep a literal check on your children. Some time ago, I came across a video on Facebook where a nanny was seen on CCTV camera physically abusing an infant. No matter where you are, you can keep an eye on the home via IP cameras that can be installed in your home and you can see the audio/video from wherever you are on your phone. Set rules for people you know – and you don’t know We live in a very tactile society – almost everyone’s a hugger. And that is great. But it’s only okay for adults. With little kids, it’s okay to ask people to be a little careful. Don’t care if you sound rude. Do it. Tell your children only to shake hands and smile politely, instead of being hugged or kissed too much by strangers or certain family relatives.

It was discovered in 2011 that over 20 million Facebook users were underage. As a result, millions of underage children are susceptible to online predators who could exploit and abuse them. This also means these underage individuals are accessing information that is not necessarily suitable for their age. It was easier back in the day. You had one TV set that barely aired a few channels. When there was something inappropriate, you could switch it off or ask the children to leave the room. It’s doubly difficult today to control the information children receive. If the 50,000 television channels aren’t telling them things that aren’t suitable for them, it will be their mobile phone or a friend’s Twitter that will tell them something they shouldn’t be discussing at that age. Keeping this in mind, Facebook has launched an app tailored for young users. It will not be used for advertising and parents will have control of it. It sounds okay, for the most part. But the bottom line here is that just because there’s a Facebook Messenger Kids app, doesn’t mean there should be a dearth of parenting. Facebook is not the parent, you are. Messaging, filters, checking in and photo sharing as well as instant connection with friends and family is all great – but it comes at the cost of the social media pressure that leaves many adults flustered and floundering. In addition, there is still a lack of control that parents would fear if children have their independent apps. As a parent, I’d have been happier if kids could wait until they were 13 to use Facebook. But time is traveling faster than our expectations. According to the BBC story, Facebook is looking to tap into the next-generation users before Snapchat. By making it ‘kid-friendly’, it again shows that as a corporation, Facebook is more concerned about getting more users than worrying about what their app might do to the users. What kind of an impact would it have on their mental health? How safe are their guidelines and how can they absolutely and without fail ensure that their app won’t let in any predators or abusers or any other criminal users on their platform? Recent surveys and studies tell us how the use of social media can trigger depression and anxiety amongst individuals – and we’re talking about grown adults here. People who have established social and professional lives – the mad race for social media clout has given many individuals emotional and mental health struggles. Another important reason why the use of social media for children should be questioned is because of the various body image issues young girls might develop. Where every photo is filtered and every photograph tells you only half the story of what is really going on behind the scenes, young girls may grow up with an increasing pressure to look and appear perfect in their photos and get ‘likes’ for their impeccable hair and makeup on Instagram. The picture perfect magazine covers have long contributed to mental health and body dysmorphic disorders in the young women of today – adding Instagram pressure and Snapchat follower count to this mix could prove quite problematic. However, since we, as parents, can’t always stop technology from affecting our kids, the best approach has to be creating conversations about these issues, talking to our children about them and making sure there is enough emphasis on children accepting themselves and others when it comes to pressure and conformity, a key feature of adolescent growth. All of this makes modern day parenting more and more challenging and difficult – there is one more medium that requires constant vigilance and guidance from the parents’ side. But as the debate keeps veering towards the direction of ‘if you can’t beat em, join em’, it is probably better that Facebook has introduced this tool to cater to its underage audience. It is only my hope that this does not increase mental health issues in our children and adolescents. Imagine them being under the pressure we, as adults, are in now. Likes. Shares. Comments. Gifs. Oh the horror!

 I remember watching Jumanji about hundreds of times when I was a kid. I remember the drumbeats of Jumanji, inducing fear in my sibling and my cousins as we’d bite our fingernails every time we’d hear those dreaded beats. And then, of course, the fantastic Robin Williams as Alan Parrish, who was the life of the film itself.

It has been a great couple of years for the Pakistani film industry. We’ve finally gained some solid footing and have managed to get audiences excited about Pakistani films. Dukhtar, Moor and Saawan have received critical acclaim for being sensitive, powerful films, whereas commercially successful ventures like Na Maloom Afraad, Actor in Law, Punjab Nahi Jaungi and Jawaani Phir Nahin Aani have attracted large audiences to the cinemas, which has been, especially for Pakistani movies, a rare occurrence in the past. Not only is there a gradual progression in quality, script and cinematography, there is a definite increase in the volume of films being produced. All in all, things are looking up for the Pakistani film industry. The industry itself has changed for the better as well. Thanks to social media and multifarious channels, our actors, directors and other crew members are now exposed to raw public opinion, and lots of it. They are bombarded with opinions in a much faster way than they were ever before, and it often becomes a test of their courage and patience that they now have to survive in an all-changing, volatile, fast-paced communication medium. Not only do they have to survive, they have to remain relevant. Older film actors and actresses have a tougher time utilising and navigating through social media. Where in the olden days these celebrities would be able to get away with saying anything to anyone, social media, a great equaliser, is a much harsher judge. And as the adage goes, “The internet never forgets”. Because hello, screenshots. Shaan Shahid, Pakistani film star and controversy’s oft-favourite child, has a film in the theatres these days, titled Arth 2. Inspired by Mahesh Bhatt’s film of the same name, the film is written, directed and produced by Shahid himself, and I find it lovely and refreshing that he’s actually doing soulful, romantic movies instead of war films where he was often, as I like to call him, Commander Killjoy. I have been a long-time fan of Shahid, despite his various comments and controversies. I remember my breath catching in my throat when I saw his beautiful face sprawled across the billboards in Karachi for a mobile company ad. Shahid’s star power is as irrefutable as it is massive. But at the end of the day, what Shahid, or his managers, as he insists, have been doing with his social media platforms is nothing less than appalling. As a film star who has thousands of followers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, Shahid often takes to these platforms to ‘connect’ with his fans. And of late, in lieu of connecting, he usually ends up spewing extremely politically incorrect balderdash. The internet, however, like the North, remembers. First, Shahid’s films Yalghaar and 021 did not fare well critically. Then, a couple of years ago, Shahid bashed Mawra Hocane for supporting the Bollywood film Phantom, and called for the #BanMawra campaign. He also lambasted many actors for going to India to act in Bollywood films. Yet here he is, basing his own production on a Bollywood film. Of late, he has been bashing ‘reviewers’ and bloggers for giving his film bad reviews. Ironically, Shahid is himself found retweeting and sharing problematic opinions on his social media pages. https://twitter.com/fahim_parekh/status/945211915189587968 https://twitter.com/BanoBee/status/945229736552337408 If this wasn’t outrageous and unprofessional already, he then proceeded to blame his manager for tweeting things from his account, and yet offered a strange explanation about why he wouldn’t fire his manager for posting something so terrible: https://twitter.com/mshaanshahid/status/945224332728561664 https://twitter.com/mshaanshahid/status/945306862811000834 It is perplexing to see why Shahid is behaving the way he is, and has in the past. Is it because he is afraid of his film crashing? Does he think he can bully people into saying nice things, or does he honestly not understand that everyone on social media may not necessarily subscribe to his opinions? The film, and media industry in general, is a brutal, volatile business. It makes and breaks people within minutes. The process has especially accelerated and is more open to the public since the advent of social media and communication technology. The idea of a celebrity culture has taken a different shape and meaning, and stars are now often made by the kind of connection and engagement they have with fans and other stars on social media. https://twitter.com/Shumyl/status/945227304699080704 This is why managers are expected to know how to handle these situations and not tick off people who disagree with them. However, Shahid has not gotten the memo, and instead insists on riding this social media wave in the most old school way possible. So dearest Shahid – your fans love you and believe me, we want to continue loving you. But you can’t treat people like this, you absolutely cannot. The 90s are over. The days of the angry Jutt are long gone, and while your bullets will definitely not kill any villains like they did in your movies, your social media posts will surely kill the hero in our hearts that we have loved for so long.

Pakistan has seen a rise in its drama industry, as every year we get to see different, thought-provoking stories unfold on our screens. This year, too, had a lot of interesting dramas with strong messages and unique characters. While we await 2018, there are certain upcoming dramas that have caught my eye. Here is a list of the best dramas of 2017 and the dramas we are looking forward to in 2018. 1. O Rungreza Written by Saji Gul and directed by Kashif Nisar, this Sajal Aly, Bilal Abbas and Irsa Ghazal-starrer has been the top favourite of the year. It raked in high ratings and Sajal and Bilal have been absolutely phenomenal in it. O Rungreza’s strongest part is its ground-breaking heroine. It breaks the mould of the standard, weepy damsel who revels in her victimhood and expects a man to be her knight in shining armour. One of the many reasons why O Rungreza is a game-changer is because of how Sassi (Sajal) is seen as strong and flawed in view of the male hypocrisy. Saji Gul has beautifully captivated the essence of a strong woman and has also shown, through various characters, the problems with toxic masculinity and submissive feminineness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPtyiVKaBNk 2. Baaghi Written by Shazia Khan and Umera Ahmed and directed by Farooq Rind, Baaghi stars Saba Qamar as the late social media starlet Qandeel Baloch. Saba’s powerful acting and empathic portrayal as “Kanwal” Baloch made Baaghi an instant hit as well as an important drama of the year. It was very brave of Saba to take on this role and bring the attention of the regular misogynist audience towards the actual plight of someone like Qandeel, a middle class girl working towards social mobility via the entertainment medium. The play also stars Osman Khalid Butt, Ali Kazmi, Sarmad Khoosat, Khalid Malik and Saba Faisal in key roles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQB-MjnTeP4 3. Yaqeen Ka Safar Written by Farhat Ishtiaq and directed by Shahzad Kashmiri, the play became a sleeper hit over a period of time. Due to its intense theme and the onscreen presence of fresh faces such as Ahad Raza Mir and Sajal Aly, the serial was applauded by majority of the viewers. Ishtiaq masterfully crafted a popular romance and Ahad and Sajal’s chemistry drove many audiences into crazy fandom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvOPIjXdrSY 4. Ghairat Written by Edison Idrees Masih and directed by Ahmed Bhatti, Ghairat is the story of what happens when the men of the family are obsessed with ‘honour’ and use it to manipulate the women of the family. It also explores many other important themes such as internalised misogyny and economic independence. Starring Iqra Aziz, Syed Jibran, Fazeela Qazi and Muneeb Butt, it did have some editing problems (some of the double episodes were far too lengthy for comfort), but overall, for its strong performances and important themes, Ghairat is on the must-watch list of the year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru6W4cC5yUE 5. Daldal Written by Qaisera Hayat and directed by Sirajul Haque, Daldal stars Zahid Ahmed, Armeena Khan, Muneeb, Abid Ali and Amna Abbas. The core theme of Daldal is human trafficking and the consequences of illegal immigration. Zahid stars as Shuja who leaves Pakistan because he is frustrated with his circumstances. He illegally immigrates to England where he imagines he will earn in ‘pounds’ but unfortunately ends up facing many troubles there. For a powerful message and equally strong performances, Daldal was one of the strongest dramas of the year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_c6Ude87BU 1. Aangan A serial set during the Partition era, Aangan is based on a story by Khadija Mastoor. It is written by Mustafa Afridi of the Sang-e-Mar Mar fame and is being directed by Ehteshamuddin (Preet Na Kariyo Koi, Udaari). It’s set to star Mawra Hocane, Ahsan Khan, Sonya Hussain, Sajal and Ahad. Encasing as some of the biggest names in the business, this serial is one of the most awaited ones of 2018. 2. Aangan Written by Faiza Iftikhar and directed by Qasim Mureed, this drama is about a loud, squabbling Punjabi family who lives together and fights together. While the main plot is typical, the dialogues are extremely powerful and high-paced. The banter is funny and intelligent and by way of humour touches upon various serious themes. The cast includes Mansha Pasha, Samina Ahmed, Qavi Khan, Paras Masroor, Uzma Hassan, Noorul Hassan, Hassan Ahmed, Iffat Umer, Zainab Qayyum and Waseem Abbas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSokn5Yhsvg 3. Meeras This upcoming drama stars Saboor Aly, Mohsin Abbas Haider, Savera Nadeem and Fahad Sheikh. It is written by Hina Aman and produced under the banner of Big Bang Entertainment. From the teasers and the trailers, it looks like it will be a very interesting watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH4y51F_YBk 4. Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila Starring Yumna Zaidi, Noman Ijaz, Saman Ansari and Sakina Sammo, this play is written by Bee Gul and directed by Kashif Nisar. The central character, Sila, is someone who does not want to marry her fiancé and is always afraid and nervous of making the commitment. Her father lives abroad and blames her mother for any fault that happens in the house. Joi (Noman) is harassing both the mother and daughter while he pretends to be a well-wisher of the family. For the classic predatory behaviour and how silence is often the biggest hurdle in getting justice for victims, this is a good drama to watch and observe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wNsx3LK5cY 5. Pagli Starring Hira Salman, Noorul Hasan Rizvi, Asim Azhar and Hina Altaf, Pagli is one drama that you can binge-watch later but continue watching for its strong dialogues and intriguing storyline. Based on a novel by Shoukat Thanvi, the serial revolves around the character of Gulrukh who suffers from a dissociative fugue. For a unique storyline and Hira Mani’s wonderful performance as well as the banter between Asim and Mahmood Aslam, Pagli is something to look forward to every week! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcgqbNhbRDc While we bid farewell to 2017 and thank it for giving us some thought-provoking and captivating dramas, we are anxiously waiting to see how the aforementioned serials will fare in the coming year, and by the looks of it, we will be spending a lot of time glued to our screens. Happy New Year!