Watching various billboards at Shahrah e Faisal (mostly ladies in lawn prints nowadays), I remembered one incident mentioned by a colleague.
She told that once Haseena Moin viisted their college to cast some female characters for her project. Haseena Moin had this habit of introducing young talent in her dramas and many of us knows actors / actresses introduced in her dramas. Her dramas were not cheap and family oriented. So our colleague was some how selected by Haseena Moin and she talked to the principal about her selection and asked to contact family of the girl. When contacted father of the girl rejected the offer by saying ‘I don’t want ke log mere ghar ki khawateen ko unke chehre se pehchane’.
Now, that person was all for his daughters educations and two of them were doing Chartered Accountancy in Pakistan. One of the daughter also went to a western country for her job and he allowed that.
How do you see this ‘I don’t want ke log mere ghar ki khawateen ko unke chehre se pehchane’?
I don't think that the person is anti-liberal. The film/acting industry has an a reputation for being rather shady. I think the person's hesitation about allowing his daughter be part of a drama was most likely out of concern. In terms of being liberal or not, I've noticed that even people are quite liberal in terms of principles and ideas in general, they are still more protective when it comes to their own family.
The idea that the film industry is shady is not limited to the subcontinent. I've heard people express similar sentiments here as well. I have a British friend whose parents didn't allow her to go into modelling for similar reasons. Her dad's reasoning was that in acting/modelling/showbusiness, it isn't really about talent, skill or what you know, but rather about who you know and what you're willing to do for them (and that's putting it rather lightly). Her father allowed her to go to Qatar for 4 months for a study abroad course at uni, so I don't think he was anti-liberal.
The mahool of showbiz could questionable... Her father was reluctant and made excuse.... We all know... many top stars and models came from red light areas of country or they have family connections....
public recognition of ladies of the home is still a taboo in our society. Show-biz is an extreme, but we are not comfortable in taking names of our ladies in public.
May be the response would be different, if the offer was made to his son instead of his daughter
Maybe, but I think there's general disdain for fame and star life in most conservative families. I don't belong to a religious family, but still, boys in my family aren't allowed to pursue cricket as a profession. One of my male cousins was offered a modelling opportunity by reputable fashion house (through some friends), and my uncle vehemently disapproved. I also remember last time I was in Lahore, my teenage cousin, who is an aspiring medical student, brought a really flashy, brand new and very expensive guitar, and my grandfather was absolutely furious. He thought he's becoming gaane bajane wala loafer. I'm sure you are aware that there's a special word in Punjabi to describe gana bajaney wale and show buisness as a whole, lol.
In my family, we have a strong tradition of sending all rebellious boys to the military (you are spending too much time playing cricket - off you go to a military school). My dad was met with the same fate, but somehow he managed to deceive destiny, and I'm so glad he did. Can't imagine myself as a 'blind' lover of Pakistan army, lol.
liberal/conservative is just a broad label. one can be conservative about one thing, liberal about something else. moreover sometimes both liberal and conservative people want the same thing but out of different ideologies etc.
and even if two people are liberal they may have different ideas on the same thing - to some letting the daughter choose her own destiny is liberal; to another to free her from being seen as a sex object is liberal.
liberal/conservative is just a broad label. one can be conservative about one thing, liberal about something else. moreover sometimes both liberal and conservative people want the same thing but out of different ideologies etc.
and even if two people are liberal they may have different ideas on the same thing - to some letting the daughter choose her own destiny is liberal; to another to free her from being seen as a sex object is liberal.
What do you think is the reason behind such attitude? Is it religion or the part of world, we live has a culture to be over protective about ladies.
What do you think is the reason behind such attitude? Is it religion or the part of world, we live has a culture to be over protective about ladies.
It's just cultural disdain towards women as entertainers. The attitude was prevalent in 19th century European societies as well, where 'ladies' did not perform in theater, and did not sing for money. I don't entirely blame the religion, it is for most part, largely feudalistic. It's an attitude and mindset deeply embedded in class structure.
I'm always literally blown away the amount of absolutely drop dead gorgeous girls I see in my cousins college in Lahore, none of those girls despite their seemingly 'liberal' exterior, rebellious ways, wealthy backgrounds and politically connected fathers would ever consider joining entertainment industry, no matter how much freedom they enjoy in their everyday lives.
