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Indian viewers might love Fawad Khan for his looks and acting, but his 1947 Partition themed drama Dastaan has still raised quite the furore.
Upset viewers have reported the drama series to I&B ministry and broadcast redressal authority Broadcast Content Complaints Council (BCCC), which was resulted in the issue of a notice to the channel Zee Zindagi, reported Times of India.
Although Dastaan has been edited for Indian viewing and renamed Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam, it appears that viewers still felt that it was portraying Pakistan’s version of the Partition.
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| Sanam Baloch and Fawad Khan in 'Dastaan'. |
Based on Razia Butt’s novel ‘Bano’, Dastaan is based on the separation of a young couple due to the 1947 Partition. Starring Fawad Khan as Hasan and Sanam Baloch as Bano, the drama series shows Bano’s abduction and forced marriage to a Sikh and has instances that have shown Hindus as the perpetrators of the carnage.
Still, there have been viewers in India who were not offended with the serial. Speaking about Dastaan, one Zindagi channel official has said that it was a ‘beautiful, timeless’ love story.
He further added that the response to the drama series has also been positive: “The soap could be set against the backdrop of any country that underwent the harsh reality of Partition. The show was telecast as Dastaan in Pakistan and we have made necessary changes to telecast it for the Indian audience. We have followed all broadcast guidelines.”
While the channel’s executives are to be summoned for a hearing on May 22, a Zee official said that they haven’t received any notice so far. The I&B ministry has not taken any action but notified the concerned authorities. Zindagi channel might be asked to modify the drama further or be advised against its re-telecast in India.
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On DawnNews
Comments (57) Closed
May 12, 2015 01:44pm
Does not make sense to have that show in India. I am sure Pakistan would not want to watch a show on Indian army in a same sense.
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May 12, 2015 02:14pm
Why I&B have not censored it before telecasting.
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May 12, 2015 02:20pm
@ANKIT freedom of speech?
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May 12, 2015 02:26pm
why not telecasting it in original context? dont show if u cant agree.
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May 12, 2015 02:32pm
@usman ... :):):)
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May 12, 2015 02:35pm
There are always 2 sides to a story. It wouldn't hurt to hear the others as well.
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May 12, 2015 02:36pm
@usman .. LOL
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May 12, 2015 02:44pm
So it's a crime to depict the suffering of muslims during partition?
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May 12, 2015 02:45pm
Me and My Mom liked this serial very much...It reminded me of beautiful movie Pinjar...Pakistani serials are good..
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May 12, 2015 02:49pm
But it has already been shown.. Why is the fuss now? I think the viewers are mature enough to understand there is a narrative that exist in both sides as people have suffered across .
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May 12, 2015 03:03pm
Truth hurts!
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May 12, 2015 03:07pm
Better to televise the original version. Indian views can always disagree from the story.
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May 12, 2015 03:08pm
Keep your eyes closed and it would keep you safe from the truth
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May 12, 2015 03:09pm
"it appears that viewers still felt that it was portraying Pakistan’s version of the Partition"
Why go thru all the trouble. Why not make a cheap Bollywood flick with distorted version of history (as usual) to suit the viewers taste and present it.
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May 12, 2015 03:20pm
I will appeal to my govt to give more freedom to information and media.
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May 12, 2015 03:33pm
I believe in freedom of speech and expression no matter right or wrong and I would really like to see unedited version of the drama because if anyone is deprived of their view/ thoughts, we will never what the problem is and what shall be the solution. But that's my view among many others. I hope the drama cintinues broadcastung in India. Good day.
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May 12, 2015 03:41pm
Mus admit that we are more intolerant towards Pakistan and Pakistanis than vice versa.
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May 12, 2015 03:46pm
I thought I should only worry about intolerance in Pakistan. Who knew!
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May 12, 2015 03:51pm
So, we haven't really changed. Our surroundings have changed a lot though.
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May 12, 2015 04:04pm
The drama was not totally biased like most indian movies. This drama also showed parts such as Bano nearly being raped in Pakistan.
It also showed how one Indian friend saved Bano from being raped.
It showed how sikhs helped her to escape finally.
It from a Pakistani perspective its not going to be from Indias. If India did not like the drama it should not have aired it.
Many Indian people come on here and say Pakistan has no freedom of speech. What is this?
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May 12, 2015 04:29pm
@Ridwan
Absolutely not.. But.
Article says..
".. shown Hindus as the perpetrators of the carnage..."
Which is not true.. that is the reason it requires to be censored.
Have you ever seen any Indian movie or serial which shown only Muslims as the perpetrators of the carnage?
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May 12, 2015 04:40pm
@Venkat - Really, what makes you say that? Let's stick to the obvious one...give me a Dawn like "tolerant" example on your side, in both coverage a comments section.
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May 12, 2015 05:24pm
There is hardly any editing i have seen Dastan on you tube there is hardly any difference . For some reason the name has been changed
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May 12, 2015 05:59pm
Why censor the drama? It takes away from the original screenplay. Why cannot the Indian audience digest it?
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May 12, 2015 06:00pm
Muslims suffered during partition and this is a very true depiction of what happend to Muslim women during partition. Wether Indian audiences accept it or not bad things happened to all races and religin followers during partition. Accept the reality and watch it. It's one of the best HumTV Dramas to be aired.
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May 12, 2015 06:05pm
truth always hurts. This time truth hurts Indians as well.
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May 12, 2015 06:14pm
So much for tales of Indian tolerance and viewer maturity.
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May 12, 2015 06:20pm
The largest democracy india doesn't like freedom of speech? Why am I not surprised.
Bollywood has made thousands of partition/independence related mlvies yay have completely portrayed false history bur no one cared then.
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May 12, 2015 06:21pm
We all the times see and hear their version of the story in all the movies and its OK but the biggest democracy in the world has no freedom of speech and ideas. They can not see or accept anything which is not consistent to their myopic mindset.
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May 12, 2015 06:38pm
The show must go on. There has been atrocities from both sides. Listening to both sides can only end the animosity.
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May 12, 2015 07:52pm
@SAQ and even half truth more!!!!!!!!!
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May 12, 2015 08:17pm
@usman talk about freedom of speech??? don't you guys censor/cut scenes in indian movies before release in pakistan? Not just that, any indian movie with objectionable subject/content is not released in pakistan at all
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May 12, 2015 08:21pm
@usman Freedom of speech means u can telecast anything anti government but not anti national,Nation and national government both are different things
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May 12, 2015 08:30pm
Why can't a disputed version not shown to the audience? After, there are varied views to the historic events, always.
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May 12, 2015 08:39pm
@usman Yes freedom of speech and NOT freedom of abuse.
We don't mind Pakistanis making money in India as we know and understand the state of affairs in Pakistan.
But remember, our country our rules. Don't like them, show your work in Pakistan and be happy.
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May 12, 2015 08:42pm
@Hamaad Why couldn't Pakistan digest Aamir Khan's Sarfarosh for same reasons?
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May 12, 2015 09:13pm
@proud-winner : false history ? have any evidence of such falsification or just empty rhetoric?
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May 12, 2015 09:41pm
Indians have made lots of anti-Pakistan films. These films are available in cd shops and people watch them as a fantasy and they do not take them to their hearts. Indians should get out of their narrow mindedness.
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May 12, 2015 10:20pm
Haha. So much for democracy and freedom of speech.
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May 12, 2015 10:29pm
The complete serial has already been shown i have seen it . I have seen Dastan on you tube their is almost no editing. The serial was about a Muslim girl Bano from Ludhiana who wanted to migrate to Pakistan and how she was ill treated and raped by Basanta(a Sikh) . On getting to Pakistan she is disillusioned as she does not find it to be "the land of the pure" as she had imagined . She murders her Muslim employer who tries to rape her . This is a narrative of a Muslim girl similar things happened to Hindu /Sikh women as is shown in Pinjar and Khamosh Pani . If you watch the serial keeping religion out of it you will realize it is about the clash between good and evil .A good serial worth watching with a good message . The people who are protesting about it are only hoping to gain some publicity the complete serial has already been shown the last episode was screened on 1/2 May .
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May 12, 2015 10:30pm
I would say just ban the serial. India has too many issues to work on, who has time to watch TV serials!!??
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May 12, 2015 10:41pm
If Pakistan drama does not portray the Pakistani version then what version it should show? All the Bollywood Anti-Pakistan movies are the versions of India not Pakistan's. The other day when Al-Jazeera showed the UN accepted 1948 version of Indian map showing Kashmir as not part of either Pakistan or India, then Indian Home Ministry closed down Al-Jazeera and packed their bags? When will Indians learn to accept others views may not be same as theirs but can live side by side?
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May 12, 2015 11:06pm
@ Zahid ...... I completely agree with you...
this drama has shown both good & bad sides of ppl of all 3 religions... This is the true picture that happened during partition... Ppl with broad view will accept & appreciate such an un-biased story...
"The drama was not totally biased like most indian movies. This drama also showed parts such as Bano nearly being raped in Pakistan.
It also showed how one Indian friend saved Bano from being raped.
It showed how sikhs helped her to escape finally.
It from a Pakistani perspective its not going to be from Indias. If India did not like the drama it should not have aired it.
Many Indian people come on here and say Pakistan has no freedom of speech. What is this? "...
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May 12, 2015 11:35pm
Partition was tragic event and each side sees from it's own perspective. What happened on ground was horrific. So lets not reopen those topic who did right and who was wrong. There was no logic to that much carnage. Lets not repeat those things like forcible conversion or running away with minority girls etc.
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May 12, 2015 11:37pm
@Rahul I havent watched the movie you mentioned. But there are many anti-pakistan bollywood movies like border, are openly shown on local cable networks and these are seldom noticed
quite recently the film BABY of bollywood was banned by censor board for release in cinemas but it was aired by cable networks without any protest or complaints.
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May 13, 2015 12:08am
@Ridwan Dear Ridwan that time humanity was suffered not Hindu, Muslim or Sikh or any religion. that is a big-big black spot on both countries. we become prey of British policy and now same policy is continuing by our leaders and army (here I say Pakistani Army)
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May 13, 2015 12:22am
@Ridwan Not at all...but show Pinjar as well. Hindu Sikhs were no saints and Muslims in Pakistan were also no angels. There was barbarity, rape, killings on both sides but I guess you guys are never shown the true picture, nor you can see and accept it.
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May 13, 2015 12:36am
India should show more maturity! After all it is a drama!
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May 13, 2015 12:53am
@Ridwan "So it's a crime to depict the suffering of muslims during partition?"
Not a crime for sure, but unfair and immoral to show only one side of the coin in the face of documented sufferings of Hindus and Sikhs too on the wrong side of the border.
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May 13, 2015 01:39am
@Factual we have as many freaks there as here
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May 13, 2015 03:08am
@Malatesh sunny deol!
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May 13, 2015 08:56am
the original version is available on youtube .
and all other beautiful dramas also.
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May 13, 2015 09:11am
@usman Freedom of Speech does not mean crossing lines of limit.
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May 13, 2015 09:12am
@SAQ By twisting.
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May 13, 2015 10:16am
@usman does freedom of speech mean Can anyone have right to lie?
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May 13, 2015 10:47am
Any Indian channel being telecasted in Pakistan..??
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May 13, 2015 12:28pm
@Jatin Mre than 50 channels from India are telecast in Pakistan uninterruptedly for last 25 years or more.
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