Exploitation of women in Pakistani films criticized
By Our Staff Reporter
LAHORE, March 21: Women had been badly exploited in Pakistani cinema for the past 53 years ever-since the film industry was established and if they were not exposing their bodies to please men, they were shown as helpless non-entities who would not wake up their husbands from sleep to fetch water for them if they were dying.
These views were expressed by TV actress and director Faryal Gohar in her lecture on Women as depicted in electronic media here on Wednesday evening at the British Council. Faryal is currently teaching film at the National College of Arts and is also in process of completing her first book. A number of people from various walks of life were present on the occasion.
Faryal started off by showing some slides of film photographs and posters that show women in some very objectionable outfits and vulgar postures.She then went on to show clips from various films made in different eras comparing of songs and scenes that speak volumes of a woman’s role in Pakistani cinema.
Faryal was of the view that a Pakistani film heroine had nothing to do with cinema except dancing to please their heroes. She said that men walked away with all the applause in the end because they were the ones who were the ultimate saviours. Women had to largely depend on men for solving their problems and deciding their fate, she remarked.
She said these things clearly explained the dichotomy in culture. "Women were supposed to be chaste and decent in real life but on screen they are shown as teasers and a source of pleasure for men. She also stressed the fact that a woman was never shown as a pilot, a decent teacher, a believable doctor or a hard-working agriculturist in a village. This, she said, was because the makers of these films were men who portray these women the way they liked.
She said that the leniency of the censors have allowed more sexuality to enter into films which is making the situation from bad to worse. “The most alarming part of all this is the fact that the few female film directors of the country are also doing the same stuff”, she said.
The lecture was held to celebrate the International Women’s Day 2001 to pay tribute to the working women of Pakistan. A posters exhibition was also arranged in this context which had a dozen posters.
I do hate t/ way women are portrayed in Pakistani films. On one hand they're all helpless victims dependent upon t/ "zamaana" & on t/ other, she's trying to be a tease & swinging from one end of t/ tree to t/ other "thumkofying" in an xtremely vulgar manner. Ultimate theme is you woman= you please everyone including your man, your family, & lets not forget t/ whole zamaana! Forget about your self identity, what your principles are, what you really think & believe. Hence the low self esteem & confidence issues amongst our girls.
This is also prevelant in Hollywood, where if a woman is being portrayed as stong & self reliant & confident, she will show as much skin as is possible & cuss as a show of freedom!
Well Funky, I agree to some extent but at least in American movies women get to sometimes have some other role as well as the damsel in distress, although it’s mostly just a token gesture, otherwise Liz Hurley would never get another job
There again, films are made ultimately to make money, and I wonder if people just don’t want to watch films with women in roles like doctors or lawyers unless they fit the glamour image first and foremost. Look at this quote by Faryal Gohar:
“The most alarming part of all this is the fact that the few female film directors of the country are also doing the same stuff”
If this is true for all movies bollywood,lollywood & holywood ,then it is not Pakistani ppl. fault alone.
On the other hand i dont think Pakistan is even a glancing mentioning worth of a movie industry,it should not bother us as it can be shut without consequences.
The other thing you must remember ,is that movie MIRRORS rather than cause the society to behave .In America women have been working out in large numbers since ‘rosie the rivetter’ of w.w.2 53 yrs long.American movies will have dominent role for female.
Now i would not rather have any movie than aping hollywood incongruous with reality of life in Pakistan.
barque(bijli) yoon akadti hai apne karname pe ke
jaise phir naya hum aashiyaan bana nahi sakte