Drama serials: Golden Age?
A Pakistani drama serial has brought the nation together once again, reminding people of the ‘80’s when ‘Waris’ and ‘Tanhaiyaan’ are fabled to have left the streets of Lahore deserted.
Pakistani drama had been witnessing a revival for a couple of years now, but not until Humsafar did that scattered babble converge to a deafening roar; confronting the unsuspecting on every corner regardless of consent. It is the kind of all-encompassing popularity that legends are made of, and who but the shallowest snob would begrudge such a culturally defining moment?
So, to bring myself up to speed, I decided to spend one weekend on YouTube catching up on the Pakistani zeitgeist. Closing the dozen or so windows that are usually open on my Chrome at any given time to allow my computer optimum performance and speed, I settled down to plug into the pop-culture rhythm of modern Pakistan.
It didn’t begin very promisingly. The principal characters were immediately defined through tired old tropes of class — poor girl with chadar equal to good and chaste; rich girl in jeans, spoilt and forward. Add to that the poverty-stricken but upright mother on her death bed and (the soon to turn into) evil NGO-aunty mother-in-law, and every tired old cliché in the Pakistani moral universe begins to gnaw at whatever little substance the play had to begin with. These said characters then proceeded to act in the way the middle class writer’s imagination perceives poor people act, or equally rich ones. The women orbiting in their pre-determined paths around the intense and manly object of desire whose taut face and pregnant pauses helped drive the contrived ‘plot’.
While the female characters are painted through a Nazeer Ahmed-esque moral lens of angelic goodness and devilish design, the man’s agreeableness remains superfluous to his desirability, perhaps even detrimental to it; his unreasonable suspicions being proof of his virile masculinity.
Sarah, who in the first 15 minutes is presented as the demure sidekick in Asher’s business, suddenly discovers a histrionic streak that would put Malka-e-Jazbaat, Bahaar to shame.
That there are women who might choose to behave like Sarah when they find out that the love of their life is betrothed to another is not under doubt, neither is the fact that there are women like Khirad who could be led into marrying a stranger because they have no other option; the problematic bit is that all Pakistani plays across the board depict most ‘lovable’ female characters in this light. This is their idea of what people want, and with the unprecedented success of Humsafar, it seems like they’ve got it right.
The play’s popularity amongst the well-to-do, private school-educated classes is the most fascinating aspect of this phenomenon. It is possible that the main reason for it is the charisma of Fawad Khan and the dewy faced Mahira, at least if my class full of 15-year-old girls is any proof, but our perverse obsession with suffering is also another plausible reason for its success. Suffering women in particular seem to be placed on a pedestal; by men because they are the ultimate romantic symbols of womanly sacrifice, by women because it is nice to be validated on screen for life choices that have them personally unfulfilled but socially approved.
Humsafar’s popularity is sad evidence of the systemic erosion of Pakistan’s social consciousness since the enforced piety of Zia’s days. If Haseena Moin was the benchmark of mass popularity back then, then Humsafar is an indicator of our endemic regressiveness.
The sad irony is that Haseena’s heroines challenged the status quo by being their bubbly, independent, if hopelessly romantic selves; in comparison, the Khirads and Sarahs of today are a firm step backward. Those earlier women had time to be just women, with humour, grace and tenacity that lent texture and authenticity to their characters. Today’s specimens perpetually shuffle from one tear-jerker to another; their whole lives one long, painful dirge on the hazards of being a woman in a patriarchal world they have no interest in challenging or shaping. Sassy, single women of the repressed ‘80’s (think Badar Khalil in Tanhaiyan) had the wherewithal to support two grown-up, orphaned nieces without any of them being played for the ‘bechaari’ sentiment that drives most depiction of women today. Besides, female friendship was celebrated, whether amongst college friends, sisters or between aunts and nieces. The Sarah and Khirad model inevitably pits them against one another, rendering them useless without the pivotal man in the middle.
Today’s plays, including Humsafar, are much like Razia Butt novels, just having shifted mediums from the inside pages of a women’s weekly to the 8 o’clock slot on television. Only through this switch the impact of their regressive mindset has widened considerably, entrenching our society’s stereotypes ever more solidly into our consciousness.
Sabahat Zakariya likes the sound of her voice, so she teaches. She also likes the sight of her words, hence she blogs at Silsila-e-Mah-o-Saal.
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
Kudos to the writer – wouldn't consider a melodrama – a resonance of reality and responsibility even in terms of religion!
ok, first of all, it is a DRAMA….not a religious or societal talk show….it was supposed to be meant for entertainment…. no one forced any one to watch this show to make it popular….the viewers had made the choice themselves…..just because people chose to watch a beautifully directed love story doesn't mean they supported Sara/Farida and they believed people like Sara/Farida are sane …. I agree there was nothing unique about the concept, it is an usual story, BUT the way it was executed PLUS the chemistry of the main leads took the cake…. if you really wanna do something good for the society/country, then go ahead do it….throwing trash at others' success will not gain you any good to the society/country….. this show became the lime light because people LOVED it, not because people HATED it…..
AS a WOMAN, I actually liked this drama BECAUSE the main heroin was a strong willed woman with self respect, still she was intelligent and wise enough to know and understand WHAT needs to be done and why.
This article is quite silly
I only watched the drama because of good looks of Fawad (Ashar in the drama) and also enjoyed the zananapan of khizar . there was nothing else to enjoy in the drams, as it was a very typical story where women is so mazloom (pathetic way of depicting a Pakistani women though!!!)
you gave words to what i had in my mind lady.
Kudos to you Sabahat, you have nailed it. Humsafar had a lot of potential with a such a talented cast however, they ran it down to the sewers with the typical indian movie storyline that I for one run away from. After watching Humsafar I went back to plays such as Dhoop Kinaray, Tanhayan & Parosi that supported ideas such as Independence of women, right of adoption, equlity in marriage, etc. More than 10 years later, this play is re-iterating backward and patriarchal notions. I do hope that TV plays regain their viewership but if its through plays like Humsafar then I hope not!
An excellent article Sabahat. A rational critique of the so-called television's renaissance in Pakistan. What happened to depicting a normal human being with varying shades of character rather than stereotypical blacks and whites? Why is it considered so normal in the serial that Khirad wastes five years of life; neither divorced nor committed to her husband without any bit of internal conflict or tension, neither any need for companionship; emotional, physical or sexual? Its a pity we promote such inhuman attitudes on national, mass-endorsed television channels.
With all due respect, I have to disagree with your views regarding Humsafar. I began watching this drama at my mother's insistence and I have not looked back. One of the main reasons why I enjoyed this drama was because of Khirad's character, she is such a strong woman, so noble, upright and full of self respect. Yes she wears a duppatta/chaddar but I did not judge her on that basis. Khirad is an educated young woman, a BSC in maths and physics. She even sets out to pursue a masters in applied maths after her marriage and is the star pupil. After being thrown out of the house, she brings up her daughter by herself. Circumstances force her to foresake her pride and come back to her husband but she has no intention of staying. Even after his apologies to her, she does not succumb like a "desi" heroine, she questions her husband. There were so many positive messages coming out of this drama: the importance of trust, communication between husband and wife, truthfullness, humility, faith in God (done so subtlety) and the list could go on. As for suffering, it is not only the women who suffer in this drama but the man as well. Life is not a bed of roses for anyone. It is life's struggles that make us stronger. Human nature is and will always remain the same. That is why we continue to read classics such as Pride and Prejudice and War and Peace.
Sarmat and his ENTIRE TEAM (especially the cast), including QB, have given us a masterpiece. Humsafar is a brilliant production mashallah and I am one proud Pakistani today! Please give the audience a little credit, I don't think we are so immature that we would classify Humsafar as your average televised "womans weekly". Its not only the women of all ages who are watching this but the men as well!
In Humsafar, Fawad Khan and Mahira aare two beautiful people set in an aesthetically pleasing surrounding and a powerful original score. However, the story was typical and unoriginal. Furthermore, it was frustrating to watch khirad not stand up for herself. I doubt majority of Pakistani women are encouraged to be highly assertive but come onnn…really? I only watched a few episodes and the reason i kept going back to it was due to nothing more than Fawad khan's and Mahira's pretty faces
I had high hopes when i discovered Atiqa odho was playing the mum, but after watching one episode, i realized her script made her appear less talented than she really is. Her acting was not reminiscent of what we've seen from her in the early to mid 90s. i still have a lot to catch up on but i admit, im only watching it because everyone looks pretty and spruced up 
. Shehnaz Sheikh's and Marina Khan's characters in dramas like tanhaiyan and dhoop kinaray were realistic, endearing and complex. When i need a true pakistani drama fix, ill be shuffling through my dvd collection to spend a sunday afternoon appreciating good acting by watching one of those instead.
I did not like this drama and from the start it had a predictable story, it was dull and dragging, only sara's role brought some excitement to it, such serials have been seen hundreds of times before and gone unnoticed, but perhaps a classy defence, clifton, KDA style setup and sophisticated good looking characters from english private schooled backgrounds made all the difference, which drew the elite more to it, would you have watched it if featured the cast of Yeh Zindagi Hay and in a similar setup as that drama? those who say it was meant to portray this atmoshpere, well it could have been modified to fit a colony life as well, would it have gained as much sucess?
I watched the first few episodes just out of curiosity thought it would develop into some interesting urban elite socitey closeted secrets story but it was typical and that Indian soap style twist it took with the mother in law planning the fiasco with khizer was enough for me to get off it, after that I watched it once in a while out of boredom but did not enjoy it one bit, khirad's immpeccable english pronunciation for a paindu girl was most annoying, aspect for me, women were only awed seeing fawad and probably imagining themselves in place of khirad or sara, by the way I have been in sara like situation in real, but despite that I felt no sympathy for her character, though I can say its not easy to let go and move on for many people who outwardly appear brave but are very sensitive inside.
All in all a silly overhyped drama catering to bored aunties and girls of the private english schooled class, but this private english schooled gal did not fall for it.
Well my little cousin is so imbued with humsafar that her rational bit is off, i aksed her simple question about the stereotype of dramas we are having nowadays ,'lone son , poor she male cousin , mami hates her, they get married, mami accuses her of having illicit relation , he hates her now , he throws her out of his house and life ' ,,,,
wasiey the article is nicely written i love the line "but our perverse obsession with suffering is also another plausible reason for its success".
seems like people made a big mistake in switching from Indian soaps to Pakistani dramas…i felt really proud that we got our drama audience back…but so many people can't appreciate this aspect…seconding Sarah…"Class divides exist, hysterical women exist, crazy mom in laws exist, unassuming wives exist and husbands who dont communicate well esp in arranged marriages exist. Or would you pretend none of these are in our society and therefore, this drama is a big joke"…why the author pretends that none of these exist…this is what are society is…and why Khirad kept her mouth shut in the second part of the drama until Ashar read the letter was not being stereotypical but was her personal choice….I have seen so many Khirad like women in our society…innocent, devoted, religious, loving…weak as well as strong…now at least i have found a character to name them with. The article is written in so bad taste and being so judgmental….aiming only at…"why the people like it so much…burst the bubble…burst it"…hurting people with undue and unwanted criticism. My younger sister as well as my 85 years old grandma who would otherwise only watch Geo sat through it. People have been so much entertained!!!
"Besides, female friendship was celebrated, whether amongst college friends, sisters or between aunts and nieces. The Sarah and Khirad model inevitably pits them against one another, rendering them useless without the pivotal man in the middle."
That line is an example of your critique being clouded. If you were expecting a girl to cultivate a friendship with the wife of the man she's obsessively in love with, I want to live where you live with the friends you live with.
As a woman, I was annoyed by many things in the drama – not least of them the last episode when she goes back to him and stays with him even after he says he would've divorced her if her mother asked him to – but at the end of the day, they're telling a story for the sake of telling a story, they're not trying to fit a story to satisfy a checklist of feminist or humanitarian characteristics. Women can be bitchy, the best of friends fight over men and sometimes single mothers try to slave it out without the support of friends – you might not like it, but that's as much of a real story as an unmarried aunt supporting her orphaned nieces.
We just loved criticizing huh… ? Few days ago i read a bunch of articles criticizing the Oscar Lady for "Saving Face" . Ofcourse that bunch of people belong the wanna-be-religious/less educated tier. While you author are a perfect example of the same class and thoughts with some English education.
Humsafar is a true hit…..Sarmad Sultan is very talented person and he really made Humsafar a top-notch.
i agreed… offcourse its the golden era of pakistani dramas…
thx to Pakistani talented persons.. hope for the best Pakistani Drama Industry…
awesomely written.. so true… and loved the punches in it
"The women orbiting in their pre-determined paths around the intense and manly object of desire whose taut face and pregnant pauses helped drive the contrived ‘plot’."
I don't know what's wrong with our TV dramas.
There are other issue need to be discuss and showed, Tanhayan, Angan Tera, Waris etc, are the benchmark for the new comers and the people who are currently associated with media.
Its time to revive the culture our Pakistani culture and mind that there is a difference between our culture & parosi ka culture.
The writer does not understand entertainment and does not understand the closeness humsafar brought to our homes, which I saw after 2o years with families gathering around the tube and throwing their emotions out. Well Done HUM TV