Credits: Izma Azeem Chughtai
1. Stalking and Harassment are true love.
In a country where women get raped and killed by being stalked by dangerous men, such a narrative is toxic and promotes acceptance towards such action, rather than seeing them as wrong. There should be nothing romantic about a man denying women consent and not maintaining boundaries. This is not true love; it's the sign of a toxic man following you into your life, so please run away whenever you see a man expressing his love by making your life hard.
2. Slapping and abuse is justified
There is no circumstance where abuse is justified and only dramas like Kankar and Chup Raho fully deliver this message to their audience. However, the industry is filled with scenes of violence against women, so who is surprised when the same is mirrored in Pakistan's society?
3. Sensationalizing Rape
There is a strong concept in dramas to show the rapist with empathy in dramas like 'Mere dard ko zubande' and 'Muqabil'. Presenting rapists with humanity and likeability completely erases the victim's torment and trauma. Rape is not a mistake or a bad decision or a source of entertainment. It's a choice, an act of crime that leaves a victim changed throughout their life.
4. Shadi is the endgame
Shadi, shadi and shadi! Which drama does not include a shadi, or is centered on a man or woman getting married and their marital life. Marriage may be a prominent part of the majority's life but it's not the only thing of value in life. This promotion makes viewers think that shadi is the answer to any solution, and without it, all humans can't live.
5. Divorce means the end of your life
Divorce is a part of life like marriage is. Sometimes, it works out and sometimes two people have to call it quits. In Pakistani dramas, divorce is presented as the end. Dramas like KhudParast, Man Mayal, Nazr-e-Bad, and Faisla, show divorce in an obscure way and teach women that divorce is the end of their journey, even if their marriages were already toxic and destructive.
6. Women will always hate each other
A notable factor in most Pakistani drama is the hate amongst female relationships, which is not the same for brotherhood representation. It is a destructive concept to show women that they can never be friends with their friends, saas, bahu, naand, and bhabhi. Why must all women be shown stuck in a battle with each other out of jealously and petty reasons? This narrative is increasing harmful and teaches women to always find other women as their competitors, not friends.
7. Cheating is a man's instinct, but a sin for women.
A man cheats and ends the drama still happy or in a state of receiving sympathy from the viewers due to karma. When a woman cheats? She is represented as the worst character in the whole serial, so cunning and unforgivable. Mere Pass tum hou and Mohabbat Na Kariyo are the biggest examples of where the man is given a second chance as he committed a mistake, but the woman does not receive the same treatment.