Karachi : Pakistani drama industries have a profound impact on the minds of our society. The
industry has produced well-known and popular dramas that left an everlasting impression on its
audience, however, in these dramas, the portrayal of female leads being a perfect wife,
daughter, daughter-in-law and career woman is highly alerting. The imposition of such an image
on society leaves burdening expectations on the young minds of women in Pakistan where their
individualism gets charred and their identities get associated with the following roles they play,
they are nothing beside that.
The drama industry has produced many female leads who tend to be perfect in all
aspects, a brilliant mind, who tops her in class, the most obedient and responsible child of a
parent as well as their pride, a perfect wife and daughters-in-law, who take care of their in-laws
and cooks the savouring dishes that wins her husband heart. She is low maintenance and a
successful career woman who leaves at 8:00 am for her job after she is done making everyone
breakfast. In contrast, the portrayal of male leads tends to be reckless, lazy, laid back or
toxically obsessive of female leads. Most of these dramas promote the idea that a young
woman can fix a lazy man or a man can have a change of heart once he falls in love. A decade
ago, the blockbuster drama serial “Zindagi Gulzar hai” had a similar type of female lead named
"Kashaf" who was a perfect daughter, wife and career woman in contrast, the male lead
“Zaroon" was from a privileged background who wanted a traditional perfect wife who can
maintain both his home and career. The typical examples set in these types of dramas where
females tend to be perfect at their roles and males can make messes and mistakes make us
question how this type of mindset affects the young women who from a young age are taught
to shoulder their burdens on their own. Messages like these have become a norm now, we're
only further normalizing our young women to take over the emotional burden of others.
The goal is to bring attention to the portrayal and normalization of such types of
characters that may create unparalleled expectations laid on the shoulders of young women,
it's a whole cycle that needs to be broken so women can seek their individualism aside from the
roles they are forced to carry. The writers need to take into consideration such portrayal so this
does not become a societal norm.
BY : Ayesha Liaquat.
media science student at Szabist University.
Karachi,ayeshaliaquat.2004@gmail.com
