The Patriarchal Paradigm

Pakistani Television's Conflicting Relationship with its Women

Writer | Urooj Mansab

When Nazir Ahmed Dehlvi gave us Akbari and Asghari in Murat Ul Uroos, the chances are, he did not now he was creating a prototype for Pakistani screenwriters of the 21st century to follow.

---

Pakistan’s female population of millions is only worth fitting in two caricatures on the Pakistani television screen. Or so the industry trends suggest. Women are either Khirads - confused, helpless, serving chai and asking their evil mother in laws “Mummy, yeh aap kya keh rahi hain?”; or, they are evil Rabis - ruthless, cunning, and plotting against the Khirads. The blatant categorisation of on screen women as only good or evil, or as the internet says, as a “bitch or bichari”, has been facing immense criticism from the Pakistani viewers and critics. The deep rooted misogyny and reliance, as well as an emphasis, on gender stereotypes suggests that Pakistani television has a conflicting relationship with its women. And a funny one too. By the time you finish reading this, a woman on television has already said “Aap fresh ho jayein, mein chai bana kar lati hoon” to her husband, another woman is crying, and another is plotting revenge.

(Source: @sugarmontings Twitter)

Roots of the rot

The modest damsel and vicious vamp portrayal is not just an entertainment trope, it is a result of a deep rooted conundrum that places women in merely two boxes - labeled good and bad. The dichotomy generally guides people in their judgement of women in the public sphere. The penetration of the ideals shown on screen is the reason for massive criticism and calls for a rehaul.

Kanwal Ahmed, founder of Soul Sisters Pakistan & host of Conversations with Kanwal, has shared her views on the Pakistani drama content on her social media platforms and her web show. She criticised the decision of one of Pakistan’s biggest female stars, Mahira Khan, for choosing conventionally regressive roles. She cited Mahira’s characters in Humsafar and Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay; especially the latter. Having the kind of agency and outreach that Mahira Khan’s voice has now, it is upsetting to see her continue to choose roles that show women as weak, crying and helpless.

“Mummy aap Kya keh rahi hain” se “Aswad aap kya keh rahe hain” ka suffer (pun fully intended). 10 years of promoting how to STAY “patiently” in (violently) emotionally abusive marriages on the top drama channel with the highest ratings.” – Kanwal Ahmed

Kanwal is not the only viewer tired of watching women like her cry on screen. Famous scholar Arfa Syeda Zehra has been a staunch critic of current-age dramas. In an interview to NayaDaur Pakistan she says, It saddens me. The kind of dramas that are being produced on television these days showing women as weak, helpless and wretched characters with no personality, no standing, no opinion, no dreams. How long will we keep writing stories of helpless women? How long?

“A story should motivate people to understand and stand for their rights. Instead, our dramas are portraying such a negative picture of women. If a woman is being suppressed or wronged, if she has no control over her life, she should be able to speak against it. If not with her words, she can defy with her actions. If not that, at least her expressions should convery what she likes and dislikes. We have taken that liberty from the women on our screen." – Arfa Syeda Zehra

Having lived the Haseena Moin era of television, Arfa Zehra is rightfully critical of the effects of regressive content. Her criticism has been echoed on platforms like Something Haute, Galaxy Lollywood and Images Dawn among various others.

"I don't know the agenda and purpose of these damas. Are they trying to say that women are beneath everything? That there is no one more stupid and more useless than a woman? If you portray half of the population of the society like this, what positive change can you bring?” – Arfa Syeda Zehra

Let's not turn it into a school

During the pandemic, Pakistani television screens had to undergo the pain of airing shows like Nand and Jalan - two huge Big Bang Entertainment productions. Both shows are an advanced prototype of all possible flaws the portrayal of women on screen could entail. When rightfully criticised, Fahad Mustafa, the producer of both shows had this to say:

“As a producer, there are hundreds of restrictions on us that we cannot show these subjects; now we’re only left with a handful which are about familial issues, domestic violence, romances or a few social stigmas. I believe TV is meant to entertain, let’s not turn it into a school.”

Let’s not turn it (TV) into a school, says one of the biggest producers in Pakistan. However, it is in fact TV that is still the most viewed medium of entertainment in Pakistan. As gatekeepers of the most consumed and most impactful medium, it seems like the rightful duty of producers like Fahad Mustafa to factor how quickly media shapes the thoughts of its viewers.

He further added, “Nowadays, everything is up for judgement and it is out of my hands. The success, itself, is a testament to the fact that people are watching them; I have not forced you to watch it at gunpoint, the audience is choosing it themselves.”

The people in question, however, have repeatedly criticised the themes of dramas he deems ‘successful’. Twitter, Instagram and the YouTube comment section of Pakistani dramas are a testament to its viewers disapproval. Let’s see a few for ourselves.

(Source: Twitter)

The Pakistani drama industry has come a long way since the infamous Zia Ul Haq’s regime. Labelled the worst period in Pakistani entertainment history, women in the media were mandated to wear the traditional ‘kameez dupatta’, their presence at large was restricted to selling detergents or household products on screen. Women’s agency on screen was juxtaposed as obscenity, which is a notion our country fights to this day. Mandating a dupatta to cover the head has also echoed on screen with dramas showing the ‘modest maidens’ dressed in traditional shalwar kameez and dupatta. If they are lucky and their life has more than one colour, their dupatta isn’t white.

An obsession with women’s virtue and modesty is clear as glass on Pakistani screens.

In more popular dramas like Humsafar (2011) and Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay (2021), we can see the false dichotomy between the modest damsel, who suffers poverty and grief, versus the modern Western tramp, who is trying to seduce the female protagonist’s love interest. In many ways, these media depictions affect our perception of women in real life. Conservatives know this too, which is why dramas like Churails (2020), which depicted the latter Western tramps as the protagonists of the story, received massive backlash. The backlash the show received indicated that not only should the ‘vamps’ not be represented, they should also not exist on our screens. Simply put, you can either be an ‘honourable’ female protagonist or you can not be happy on screen.

Pakistani feminists and women's rights activists are concerned about the portrayal of women in Pakistani dramas. Tasneem Ahmar, who runs a research institute on women-media relationships, says, “99.99% of TV drama in Pakistan is misogynist, patriarchal driven in its depiction and treatment of women issues.”

“No doubt that Pakistani Drama TV serials are hugely popular among all strata of Pakistani society, but unfortunately they waste their potential of doing better in projecting progressive values rather than regressive values vis a vis women’s depiction & support to equal rights.” – Tasneem Ahmar

No matter how incessantly Fahad Mustafa or his fraternity tries to convince that “this is what the masses want”, the playwrights of yesteryear disagree. So do we. The masses consume what is offered to them. If despite massive criticism, the industry can not judge what masses want, or better yet, what masses deserve, it seems like an insult to its viewers to offer the same recipe.

Is the audience to be blamed?

Characters like Shanaya and Azka from Ishq e Laa, Dr. Zubia from Yaqeen Ka Safar, Chammi from Aangan and Anaya from Sabaat are a testament to the audience wanting and appreciating progressive, complex, complete female characters. Characters that are not defined by what they wear or how many buckets of tears they fill. But, by how dynamic their personality is, their response in the face of adversity and their strength that is not defined by the support of a man in their life.

“My spirited heroines were a reaction to the regressive female characters in Urdu literature,'' – the iconic Haseena Moin.

Haseena Moin’s complex, yet progressive characters are still loved by the audience. Dr, Zoya from Dhoop Kinare, Zara from Tanhaiyan and Jahan Ara from Parosi are all ‘Haseena Moin girls’ who would have been vilified for over a dozen episodes if written today.

The problem with the dichotomy is not the storytelling, it is the reliance on and promotion of the idea it sells. It is not “offering what the audience wants”, it is lazy writing that refuses to acknowledge the problems it causes. It refuses to acknowledge its lack of respect for its audience, deeming it too ‘stupid’ to understand complex female characters. Or better yet, too ‘stupid’ to accept dynamic female characters.

A Pakistani woman’s experience is not limited to merely two shelves labelled 'good' and 'bad'. Its multifaceted portrayal has not just been accepted but also appreciated by the viewers. The industry's disinterest in offering better to its audience should feel insulting to an average viewer. For, it continues to shift the blame of its convenient stereotyping on the audience. Unless there is more than just recognition of a need for change, the audience must keep demanding its industry to do better, and offer better.

2021: Year in Review

The Silent Patient: A Loud Literary Impact

Writer | Aleena Nabeel Mir

As part of Medianaama’s 2021: A Year in Review, where the sea of entertainment content is so vast it makes a week feel like a year; sometimes our audience unfortunately doesn’t get the chance to read, watch or hear the latest entertainment content. Nevertheless, no need not despair, as I will be taking the time out to review “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides.

(SOURCE: Goodreads)

“Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive, and will come forth later, in uglier ways”

This quote by Sigmund Freud as part of an excerpt from the book is the very soul and a pivotal part of “The Silent Patient”. To elaborate, the story centers around two main protagonists, the first Alicia Berenson. A talented painter living an idyllic life in north London with her husband Gabriel (a famous photographer) until she shoots him in the head five times. Since she is mentally unstable (the justification given by the authorities) she attempts to end her own life after shooting her husband by slitting her wrists. From there, she is sent to a secure psychiatric facility known as the Grove, where she does not utter a single syllable for six years.

That seems like awfully long time to remain silent, nevertheless, the intrigue doesn’t halt there. Our next main protagonist, Theo Faber, the somewhat tortured psychotherapist with a painful past is convinced that he can help Alicia and find out why she shot her husband all those years ago.

This psychological thriller was an absolute chart topper when it was released in 2019 and still remains relevant today as a major film production is in the works. When it was published 2019 it became the #1 book on the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling list as well as a GoodReads Choice 2019 Winner.

All the well-deserved praise and admiration goes to author Alex Michaelides. Originally from Cyprus, Michaelides has a master’s degree in English Literature from Trinity College, Cambridge and a master’s degree in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. Despite “The Silent Patient” being his debut novel, his Greek heritage and masterful skill in writing can be seen when he impeccably combines Greek mythology and psychotherapy together to create an explosive mystery.

(Source: AFI)

REVIEW

*For those who have not read the book, SPOILERS ahead*

Reading this for the first time, I was drawn to the effortless writing style, Michaelides was a methodical panther patiently waiting to strike with a twist that practically slapped you on the face.

Michaelides starts the novel with a slow burn, establishing the facts. Nevertheless as soon as Theo starts working at the Grove and interacting with Alicia, this is where the tone and the pace accelerate and change dramatically. What was most mesmerizing about this novel was how immersive it was; you wouldn’t have to read the author's biography at the end to tell that a screenwriter wrote the novel, it was so easy as a reader to visualize the story.

While Theo Faber spends much of the story trying to uncover the reason why Alicia shot her husband and chose to not speak about it, he himself remains hidden amongst the shadows, his critical details only being revealed piece by piece like an intricate puzzle as the novel progresses.

The other pieces of the puzzle can only be found and understood through Alicia’s diary entries which were intermixed amongst the chapters from Theo’s perspective. Having these diary entries allowed me as a reader to truly understand Alicia’s fragile state of mind and what led to her undoing. Michaelides beautifully and strategically uses the diary entries to establish the pace and tone of the novel, for instance, as the climax approaches the entries become more frequent and frantic.

Alicia constantly discusses in the entries that she is convinced that she is being stalked by someone: Jean-Felix her gallerist, who is upset that she is switching galleries, her adopted brother-in-law, Max Berenson who is wildly jealous of her husband and tried to assault her or finally her cousin, Paul, who needs money to resolve a gambling debt. To Alicia, all three men have a motive to stalk and bother her. However, it isn’t until the twist is revealed that it is realized that Michaelides cares far more about the why of the narrative than the who and the what. Thus, when the twist is unveiled almost three quarters through, the multiple timelines seamlessly intertwined are brought to light.

Initially, a false illusion is created that all of Theo’s chapters are written in the present tense. Nonetheless, when Theo discovers that his wife, Kathy, is cheating on him and sets out to find out who her lover is, he finds himself at Alicia’s house watching her and Gabriel together. Exposing the mystery stalker as Theo and Kathy’s lover as none other than Alicia’s ‘loving’ husband Gabriel.

When I read the chapter on the twist for the first time, I was in a state of utter shock and disbelief. Fidgeting and confused, I reread the final paragraph multiple times to acknowledge that I was unknowingly reading two timelines together and that actually the true psychopath was the ‘heroic’ psychotherapist himself, Mr. Theo Faber.

As already mentioned before, Michaelides combines Greek mythology and fundamental ideologies of psychotherapy in way that is its surprisingly both understandable and relatable to the reader. This is another area of the book which I really appreciated; such complex stories and principles were written in such way that made me wonder as a reader if I had experienced anything similar.

Another crucial part of the book is the Greek tragedy play by Euripides, “Alcestis”. After Alicia is sent to the Grove she paints one final painting, a nude self-portrait, named “Alcestis”. The story is about a woman named “Alcestis” who sacrifices her life to save her husband’s. When she is later resurrected, she becomes mute as she realizes that her husband had in fact betrayed her.

In Alicia’s case, this is also a direct parallel of her life; when Theo ties Alicia and Gabriel, he asks Gabriel if he should shoot him or Alicia instead, Gabriel says Alicia. This is not the first time Alicia has been brutally betrayed by a significant man in her life, her father did the same when he openly wished that Alicia had died instead of her mother. Thus, Alicia like “Alcestis” becomes mute and lo and behold the true meaning behind the title “The Silent Patient”.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book; I have already persuaded a number of other people to read it, however, there were some areas of the book which could have been strengthened. For instance, there were some characters that were two-dimensional and deserved more backstory such as Max Berenson, the jealous adopted elder brother. Another area worth improving on could have been the initial build-up, while some people like myself appreciated the slow burn at the start, not everyone can be engaged so quickly.

FILM DEVELOPMENT

Already part of the film industry, Michaelides has previously written two screenplays: “The Devil You Know” (2013) and “The Con is On” (2018) unfortunately both were not successful projects. However in 2019, Michaelides struck gold when Annapurna and Plan B, two leading production companies decided to sign on to work together to develop “The Silent Patient” into a film.

Plan B is Brad Pitt’s production company and has created some remarkable and well-known films like, “12 Years a Slave” (2013) and “Moonlight” (2016). It should be noted that both films have in fact won an Oscar for best picture of the year. From Annapurna’s side, the chief content officer and film division president, Sue Naegle and Ivana Lobardi respectively will manage the project. Therefore, it is safe to say that Michaelides shouldn’t worry with the monumental support and backing that he has received for “The Silent Patient”. Could the next big thriller feature film be in the making?

(Source: Annapurna)

(Source: New Regency)

REVIEWS FROM OTHER READERS:

It’s safe to say that I’m not the only one who shares a positive review on “The Silent Patient”, here are two reviews by readers that I have talked to giving their opinion on the book.

Ahmad Tashfeen, 21, Islamabad

The Silent Patient was a nail-biting, yet exhilarating read, as it had a subtle foreshadowing that enticed the reader to imagine multiple conclusions but did not give away the essence of the twists it ultimately unfolds. The high-quality character and story developments have definitely made it a page-turner.

Tehniyat Niazi, 38, Islamabad

Alex Michaelides’ spectacular way of writing is a treat for his readers. Of all the Psychological thriller books I have read, “The Silent Patient” undoubtedly holds first place on my list books. Without giving away any spoilers, I would like to say that Alex Michaelides has used the perfect mix of ingredients to make his debut book the most breathtaking piece. He has been very successful in keeping his readers tiptoeing at every page through his most thrilling, spine-chilling, an electrifying masterpiece.

2021: Year in Review

Landscapers: Cinematic Television

Writer | Fatima Moin

(Source: BT)

With 2021 behind us, Medianaama presents its annual Year in Review series that unearths interesting content that our audience may have missed in the steady stream of media they are surrounded by. For the second and final review of this duology, I would like to direct your attention towards Landscapers; a true crime drama produced by Sky Atlantic, in association with HBO, starring Olivia Coleman (from The Crown and Fleabag) and David Thewlis (from Fargo and I’m Thinking of Ending Things).

To get us started, the show opens with the following text on screen, “In 2014, Susan and Christopher Edwards were convicted of murder and sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison. To this day they maintain their innocence.” Now, as a viewer, my first thought was that I might have accidentally skipped to the end, while my second was that it is probably a courtroom drama, similar to season 2 of Broadchurch (which Olivia Coleman coincidentally also stars in). Spoiler: It’s not. Landscapers is not a whodunnit that leaves the audience speculating about who committed the crime (It’s the Edwardses), or about the intricacies of legal justice; it’s a surreal and fantastical depiction of the realities of the different individuals involved. You, as an audience member, are left to decide, whose perspective you believe, whether it’s the police, Susan Edwards, or her husband, Christopher Edwards.

The show centers around the Edwardses, an older married couple residing in Paris, who for all intents and purposes, seem to have left their home country, England, behind in favor of greener pastures. However, in the very first episode of the limited series, which spans across just four episodes, the cracks begin to show. As financial difficulties weigh down the unassuming couple, it is revealed that their quiet love rests upon a dark secret that is unfolded by the end of the first episode. So, what happens next? Well, you will have to watch the show for yourself to find out, but trust me, it’s worth it.

(Source: HBO)

Cinematic Television

What drove me to recommend Landscapers for our Year in Review, besides the show having slipped under most people’s radar, is the cinematic elements the show uses to tell its story. Despite being based on true events, it makes stylistic choices that are far removed from reality. There is no gritty realism to be found here, with the show opening like a movie set unfurling, as though they accidentally included behind the scenes footage in the final cut. The real Edwardses seem to have a shared love of Classical Cinema, with pricey film memorabilia found in their possession, which is also shown in the screen adaptation. Landscapers takes this and interweaves it into the visual and auditory depictions of Susan and Christoper’s inner worlds. When the color slips away from the screen and a cinematic score reminiscent of the 40s swells, leaving only Susan in technicolor as she ruminates on her current circumstances and half-remembered memories, the audience also feels like they are entering into a dream-like trance right alongside her. It is intimate, immersive, and above all, entertaining.

Some elements from the show that stood out to me were the old-school cross fades used for scene transitions, the CCTV found footage aspect and the projector style footage on the walls of the police station. Miraculously, all this movement from one stylized format to the next never feels jarring, with black and white scenes seamlessly blending in with the scenes in full color, and that is a testament to the great direction by Will Sharpe; an up and coming triple threat, who co-wrote the script for this show and is also a BAFTA winning actor. The unobtrusive changes are also helped along by the police cast of characters who bring a realism to the show that keeps it grounded, while the stylistic choices elevate it above other shows in this genre.

(Source: BT)

Quality over Quantity

With just four episodes, Landscapers is on the shorter end of even the limited series spectrum, but I think had it been any longer, it would drag. As it is, the episodes are paced well, even with the surreal visuals. The show never feels bogged down just for the sake of arthouse pretentiousness, simply because there is rhyme and reason to the stylized format.

As stated before, Landscapers is not eager to assign blame for an injustice and put a pin in it. Instead, it highlights the subjectivity of truth in a situation where each party is coming from a different perspective, believing their truth is the most absolute. The constant use of frame within a frame shots also adds to this presentation of multiple realities. In the end, though, it is Olivia Coleman and David Thewlis’ incredible performance and chemistry that win you over and make you lean in every single time they are questioned about their motivations and love for each other.

In an interview with The Guardian, Will Sharpe said about Landscapers and The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (another project of his worth checking out), “They’re both projects where the central characters are people who are difficult to understand, or who maybe didn’t quite sit in the world in as straightforward a way as they could have done. I wanted to understand these people. I knew I could never fully achieve that, but I wanted to try as best as possible to get into their headspace.”

Landscapers does well at humanizing Susan and Christopher because of the sheer focus it places on their perception of events, with both of them making direct eye contact with the camera in some scenes like they’re justifying their actions to the audience, and urging us to believe them. As the show progresses and delves deeper into Susan's life in particular, there is a sense of understanding created for the escapism, for the need to dramatize and see the past with rose-colored glasses on, all to keep "wishing it away", as Susan admits about her less than idyllic childhood. There is definitely something to the idea that these two people who are riddled with trauma did not fit into an objective reality, so they looked inward and created their own, and so their motivations are not easily made apparent; but that does not make them irredeemable.

Originals

The final pull this show has is that it is an original series in the age of franchises, which alone makes it worth checking out, as it is now available to stream on HBO Max. Olivia Coleman stuns as Susan, and David Thewlis is right there beside her, as an immaculate scene partner. Landscapers is a treat for viewers who love creative storytelling, so check it out and immerse yourself in the dreamscape created by the show.

(Source: Stefania Rosini / HBO)