Pakistani politician, Sharmila Faruqi, has criticized the increasing portrayal of domestic violence in Pakistani drama serials.
On the weekend, Sharmila Faruqi took to her Instagram account and posted a snapshot from the drama serial, Khuda Aur Muhabbat 3. The scene showed Sohail Sameer, playing the character of Nazim Shah, slapping his wife, Sahiba, played by Sunita Marshal in the serial.
In the caption of the post, she said, “Why can’t our dramas show a husband having a normal conversation with his wife?”
“Why do our women have to [face] violence and physical abuse at the drop of a hat? What you show in these dramas is what most of our people will emulate. In the last episode of Khuda Aur Muhabbat, Nazim Shah slaps his wife Sahiba while questioning her about her visit to the mazaar with Mahi.”
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“This could have been a very normal conversation between the couple but unfortunately our writers revel in the fact that once a man is angry he will resort to violence towards the women in his life,” she added. “Can we show some decent man who does believe in respecting a woman?”
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The problematic content of Pakistani dramas
Sharmila Faruqi is very much vocal regarding women’s rights. She earlier had called out actor Gohar Rasheed who said that facing oppression is a choice. He had commented from the scene of his ongoing serial, Laapata, in which he is playing the character of Daniyal who slaps his wife, Falak played by Sarah Khan. However, the scene showed Sarah Khan (Falak) slapping back her husband.
Commenting on his statement, she said that most women bear oppression not because they choose but they don’t have the option to leave or hit back.
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Pakistani serials often become a hot topic discussion on social media regarding its problematic content.