To Mr. Asif Raza Mir and Mr. Babar Javed!
I generally give a lot of credit to A&B Productions for producing drama serials based on novels and thus, encouraging viewers like me to go back and read the novels. I also appreciate the fact that A&B have made issue-based drama serials, focusing on such diverse themes as parental neglect and its aftermath (Roag), the feudals and their shenanigans (Mera Saaein), family issues during a wedding (Shadi Mubarak), black magic and its effects (Kaala Jadu), and issues with aging parents (Maaye Ni). Also, unlike certain other drama serials, which portray religion in a negative or misguided light, A&B Productions has done a great job with Umme Kulsoom and Main Abdul Qadir Hoon.
What has actually prompted me to write this letter are your current on-air drama serials that not only border on extreme but have highly inappropriate dialogues that are repeated in almost every episode.
Let me elaborate
1) Khushboo Ka Ghar
What started out as a heartfelt soap has suddenly turned into a melodrama going nowhere. In almost every episode, you hear dialogues like:
“Abeera manhoos hai; uss kay parents ki death iss liay hogai”
“Rabiah ki shadi ko din hee kitnay huay thay; shohar ko khaa gayee! Aisay sabz qadam kissi kay nahin dekhay!”
“Yeh manhoos (Aiman) meray betay ko khaa gaye”
What is going on? Granted the writer wants to put the point across that none of the deaths happened because of any individual, but these dialogues, repeated time and again, only serve to drive the point home that these girls really did cause the unfortunate events that took place. What is worse is that there is a death in this soap serial every 20 episodes or so, and the entire spate of “sabz qadam” dialogues are repeated.
2) Sabz Qadam
Oh yes, as if the above was not enough to digest four days a week, here comes an actual drama serial, based on a girl whose fiance is shot on the wedding day. The bride is thus declared to be “manhoos” and the dialogues all around “attest” to this fact.
I am only surprised that the editors of the scripts do not screen out such dialogues which are definitely more of a part of Urdu digests than they are among the educated segment of the society. At best, they are only (by being repeated time and again) educating the audience that if something unbecoming happens in the family, it is because of the daughter of the house and her “qismat”.
My request to Mr. Asif Raza Mir and Mr. Baber Javed:
Please ask your script editors to edit out all these sentences which are demeaning to your female viewers all around. The entire effect of the drama serial is spoiled when such dialogues are spewed by the characters. Alarmingly, the frequency of these dialogues is only increasing. As a renowned production house that has produced many mega hit serials last year, I hope you will take this issues seriously, realize your responsibility in shaping the mindset of your viewers and take prompt action!
We look forward to more issue-based drama serials with thought-provoking, in-depth, inspiring dialogues in the future that empower the female population of this country.
Written by Drama Buff ([email protected])
