GEO TV sure is showing some weird draamay in their series LOVE STORIES
the last time i saw they were showing this teenager kid who’s obsessed with a woman thrice his age, and he’s sitting there and she’s offerring him a smoke and the woman’s daughter likes him and that’s how he met that lady…how W.E.I.R.D
and today they r showing some love story between a girl and umm…her bro in law
oh come on irem. it’s not like they showed the girl run away with her bro-in-law. she backed off, didn’t she?
man, I love Geo’s boldness. this is not to say that their dramas are very good but the themes/stories are generally very interesting even if poorly acted out.
no, I'm serious. I think Geo's wicked. some of their programs are a bit wonky in terms of acting, presentation. but their ideas are fresh.
If PTV could learn and incorporate Geo's bold and professional approach into their programming, they'd go very, very far since they have all the talent.
but imagine if PTV starting showing such draamay PTV conservative hi rahay to acha hae pehle hi the newscsaters dupattas have gone from their head to their shoulders..!
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*Originally posted by digitalsurgeon: *
they also aired a drama by the name of "daira" and i thought it was the crappiest thing that i've seen to date on paki tv.
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I think GEO is fantastic and I totally agree with Sambrilian. They show and discuss issues which are happening in Pakistan but are usually swept under the rug.
I am pretty sure it was GEO/ARY that showed the heart-wrenching drama about discrimination ‘hijras’ face in Pakistan “Thori Si Jagga Chahiye”. Not just that but I love Uljhan Suljhan and Paachas Minute and other shows like Aalim Online.
depends. I’d like them to get somewhat bolder. surely there are issues in the Pak society apart from jageerdars and zameendars and their evil deeds? they should make a drama on that netcafe incident for example. they should have ran much bolder and much longer dramas on the Mukhtaran Mai incident.
while what you say is valid but at the same time, one should be realistic as well. as Anwar Maqsood said that in one of Fatima Bajiya’s plays, Aroosa, Mishi Khan’s character falls into a nehar, almost drowns but when she comes out she’s still wearing the dupatta prim and proper on her head. now, that is an example of over the top Ziaism.
Remember Aalim Online's program where someone asked if he can marry the girl he has been sleeping with?. The answer as you all know was NO, they ar eboth haram on eachother (there was a thread on GS arguing both sides of the answer) but anyway, the aalim saaheb also added another twist which some of us might have missed. He said that it's not only limited to man and woman but if a man is having a 'relationship' with another man, then the other man's sister is also haraam on him. Now, that to me is 'twisted'.
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*Originally posted by digitalsurgeon: *
some topics
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some topics, yes. but not the vast majority of topics. actually even this not entirely accurate. sensitive topics are or at least were dealt with but very, very subtly. so subtle that they lose their punch, IMO.
Mehnaz, hijras are not a big deal. dramas have been made on them even by PTV 'cause they're insignificant and don't matter. a play like "Thori see jaga chahiyay" is not going to change people's opinions on hijras anyway. but a drama on panchayyat backed gang rapes might provoke people into burning such criminals alive and hence, PTV will shy away from airing something like that.
btw, DS, did you read the book on which Daira was based. if you haven't read the book, the film will not make any sense to you at all. and you'll come out thinking it's crap which it is not. the film is not as good as the book but it is certainly a step in the right direction especially compared to the commercial cinema crap.
Mehnaz, hijras are not a big deal. dramas have been made on them even by PTV 'cause they're insignificant and don't matter. a play like "Thori see jaga chahiyay" is not going to change people's opinions on hijras anyway. but a drama on panchayyat backed gang rapes might provoke people into burning such criminals alive and hence, PTV will shy away from airing something like that.
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Oh I know they aren't a big deal given the major issues in Pakistan that do need to be dealt with. At least they discussed something which never gets covered ..... to me, taking on any taboo topic is a huge deal and I'm glad they are taking that step ... even if it is a baby step.
I would love it if they did more discussions/dramas/documentaries on womens' rights and abuse like you have stated.
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*Originally posted by MehnazQ: *
I want them to make more dramas and have more discussions on womens' rights in Pakistan/abuse/acid burnings/child labour.
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Mehnaz all that has been done and is being done. but the message is so diluted that the person loses it in the characters, the situations, story, locations etc.
the women directors of PTV, etc are all very strong women and quite feminist in their outlook, as you can tell from their dramas. people such as Sahira Kazmi, Sultana Siddiqi, Raana Sheikh are not ordinary women. I've not seen women as strong and successful women as these ladies in Canada/west. needless to say I'm very impressed and am a big fan of theirs. they work in the womens' rights bit into every one of the works. too bad the message is just a sidenote or is diluted or is simply ignored by the audience.
also this is a somewhat different discussion but people have often questioned if dramas make an contributions towards educating Pak's public anyway as is often hoped by asking for dramas on more sensitive topics. Pak drama since its start has been brilliant, bringing the issues of the common man and giving it a very realistic treatment. only thing they ever held back on was choice of topics.
but has it made any difference to the Pak society. not really. if you go back and watch even black and white dramas, they comment on the womens' rights, repression of free thought etc but oh so subtly with a healthy use of sarcastic humour. but it hasn't made any inroads and changed public opinion much. but I wonder if it is suppose to make any inroads? maybe it is just entertainment after all and people take it as such.
Well I think they need to move away from dramas and start doing on-air, face-to-face discussions/documentaries with women who have suffered abuse. I know, that in itself is a challenge since what woman would want to go on t.v. and face the wrath of the public. I don't know if the people of Pakistan will welcome something like this.
Take the woman who was gang raped at the orders of the village elders a few months back (thread in Culture forum). She's trying to get support for her school and raise awareness on what she and other women have gone through but there is very little media interest now. If she were willing, Geo or any of the channels could bring awareness through her and others like her. Assuming of course they don't cheapen what happened to her by making it into a mere form of entertainment.
I think hijras are a big deal. For a Pakistani to say they aren't a big deal is very expected. They think that just by not ridiculing them is good enough. And no big deal after that.
Well, do u see any hijras as a professional in Pakistan?. They are all living in the slumps as third class citizens in a third world country. When are we gonna educate our public to stop ridiculing them and help them come part of the mainstream society? Probably, when we start thinking of them as a big deal.
i’m a kaki 
oh come on irem. it’s not like they showed the girl run away with her bro-in-law. she backed off, didn’t she?
u better be kidding 
PTV conservative hi rahay to acha hae 