PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN PAKISTANI DRAMAS Research Work By : Kulsoom Bibi

PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN PAKISTANI DRAMAS

Research Work  By : Kulsoom Bibi (Department of Media and Communication Studies, KIU ) 

                                     This research study explores the representation of women in Pakistani private TV dramas and the portrayal of women. Qualitative analysis was conducted of the leading Pakistani entertainment channel “Hum TV” and ARY Digital. The key objective of this study was to examine the attributes of female negative roles (greedy, anti-heroines, selfish etc.) and to identify the stereotypes associated with independent, liberal and rich women. This study has utilized liberal feminist theory that supports laws and regulations that promote gender equality and ban practices that are discriminatory towards women; mainstream liberal feminists, particularly those of a social democratic bent, often support social measures to reduce material inequality. Non-participant observation is used as sampling technique in this study. Research findings show that mostly poor women can do negative things for need of status or money. For this purpose, we select two most famous Drama serial channels ARY Digital an HUM TV. We choose some of the most famous Urdu dramas, which were shown on ARY Digital and HUM TV were considered the population of the present research. Moreover, the selected populations of this study are JALAN (Jealousy), MAIN HAREE PEYAA (I Lost Beloved), MARAY PASS TUM HO (I Have You), BE-BAASI (Helplessness), WAFFA-BE-MOL (Priceless Loyalty), and BE-BAAK (Bold). In selected drama serial shows that women can create a conflict among each other in the family because of jealousy or status.  Rich women did not accept any middle class girl for her son and brother because their status can hurt by them.

                                    The main aim of this research is to observe through non-participant observation of the selected drama serials as to study the stereotypical representation of women in Pakistani private dramas. The content analysis of the visual recordings through the episode wise portrays the women in negative roles in Pakistani private channel dramas. From decades, every writer and director considers that conflict is an important element for TV soap operas. In a variety of ways, these plays create conflict or a struggle between good and bad, right and wrong; the major causes of conflict are disagreements over ideas, conflicts over priorities, and differences in social standing, professional resentment, and suspicious behavior, among other things. The liberal feminist theory argues the freedom of women as like man likewise in the selected dramas most of the women want to spend their life on the way they want for example the girl Waffa, who want to become rich and get education like high class people. The analysis also shows the portrayal of women image as an evil, greedy, jealous and anti heroines. And this study shows that the poor women always dream for being rich and quality of life for achieving .

high status in society and money they can do anything as we mention the drama serial “MARAY PASS TUM HO” the leading character Mehwish was portrayed as selfish greedy, her decision to leave her son and husband for a business, status and luxurious life. Another girl waffa is a poor and she want to leave like rich  that’s why she do extreme things also another girl Nisha also needs rich person and money and a big home she found her own sister’s husband rich and everything he have which Nisha dream for she traps him and get marry with him.

                               We observe that every poor girl needs money, status and reputation in society like rich ones. Behind all these stereotypical acts are money, property and reputation for sake of these things, women do aggressive plains or acts. There should be serious check and balance at media contents, like entertainment, dramas, there is a serious need to inspect all dramas carefully to make ensure that producers and directors and writers don’t portray women in stereotype and violent image, because media is known as powerful tool for social change and education. Media has the capacity to define, record, preserve the human norms, values and culture. Nonetheless, because of insensitivities content that are produced, be likely to project stereotypical generalizations portraying women image. A woman is portrayed as an enemy of another women and scheming about next women every time in most of the drama serials. We observes that the majority of mothers guide their daughters in a wrong path and negative stereotyping of being untrustworthy, obsessed, suspicious, and materialistic is associated with them. Pakistani private channel drama portrayed a conflict between sisters, mother in laws, sister in laws and between cousins when one get marriage another is jealous by her, she was her own sister, cousin or friend and the conflict is arises between them which destroyed many lives and families.