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TUBE TIME: Portraying issues through TV
Television is by far the most powerful and effective medium at present. It is estimated that the number of television sets in the country at present is approximately nine million. “BBC radio” may still bear the emblem for being the main source of news for the rural Pakistanis, but CNN, ZEE news, BBC World and even Al-Jazeera channels are now regularly tuned in for the international and local news on the urban side. On the domestic front, television has also become the main link between the chardiwari and the outside world.
In our society the male may be the sole earner but it is the housewife who is incharge of the household. It is also the female members of the family who are generally confined to the houses and turn to television as the main source of entertainment as well as a link between herself and the society which is not accessible to her. The advertiser and the sponsor realizing that the female member of the household decides the shopping trends, design their advertising campaign in a way thus targeting the female gender.
‘Kirchiyan is a debate about the different views of two human beings, both females, belonging to the same lineage, but having a different upbringing’, states Marina Khan
Television producers and scriptwriters were aware of the facts described above. However, with time the trends have changed, with less concentration on female issues and more on the shallow scripts, glamour and even violence. Many dramas currently aired on television show women as weak and indecisive characters. The channel operators have gone to the extent of showing females being physically abused. The television promos of the dramas Pehli si mohabbat, Chahatae and Razagar that run almost five to ten times a day, each, show the female character being severely manhandled.
The media wallays, may it be producers, writers, actors or channel operators should realize that female gender at least in our society holds a very respected yet fragile status. Portraying negativity especially with reference to women not only sends a wrong message to the viewer but also hampers healthy growth of the society.
Eveready Entertainment is airing two of its products, Kirchiyan and Wafa kay mausam both concentrating on women issues.
Kirchiyan written by Mohammed Ahmed and directed by Marina Khan is a story of Fariha (Atiqa Odho) who has been in the United States for a long time, thus having a liberal personality. After graduating she joins her uncle’s family in Dubai. Fariha’s cousin Adil (Behroz Subzwari) who now runs his father’s business is married to Jabeen (Farah Shah), a wife exposed to the conventional husband and mother-in-law situation. Fariha, not accepting Adil’s manipulation of his wife Jabeen, objects to many issues including Jabeen’s downtrodden attitude towards the pressures and injustice that she faces. She also insists on having a discussion over issues before reaching a judgement. Her friend Hamza (Humayun Saeed) tries to make her understand the difference amongst societies which is difficult for her to understand.
“It is a debate about the different views of two human beings, both females, belonging to the same lineage, but having a different upbringing”, states Marina Khan. Mohammed Ahmed, has an in-depth insight into social issues. Having had experience in classical dance (Bharat-Natiyam) and theatre, his major work as a writer focuses on social issues. Aurat was his bold endeavour that has been widely acclaimed.
Wafa kay Mausam, produced by Sultana Siddiqui’s Moomal productions is yet another serial based on issues related to the female gender. An impressive cast, it includes Samina Peerzada, Marina Khan, Noman Aijaz, Khalid Ahmed, Behroz Subzwari, Mona Lisa and Jamshed Ansari.
The play is written by Naheed Sultana Akhtar and directed by Bakhtiar Ahmed.
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