- The Uks Research Centre explores ‘Working Women,’ a Pakistani drama challenging gender norms by Bee Gul and Yasra Rizvi.
- Despite initial resistance, the drama’s relatable characters emphasize the importance of authentic storytelling about real women in Pakistani media.
- Positive trends in recent dramas showcase working women as professionals, breaking stereotypes, with Bee Gul advocating for safeguarding impactful narratives.
In a recent online discussion hosted by The Uks Research Centre, the spotlight was on the critically acclaimed Pakistani drama, ‘Working Women.’
The Pakistani drama with an unconventional plot is the brilliant work of renown writer Bee Gul, the creative mind behind the script, and Yasra Rizvi, the director.
The duo offered a unique perspective on challenging gender norms in Pakistani media and how their drama serial is breaking the stereotypes attached to working women in Pakistani dramas.
During the discussion, Bee Gul expressed the rarity of depicting working women in Pakistani dramas, highlighting that it’s often discouraged. It is challenging to incorporate their social and political views.
This sheds light on the reluctance to showcase the diverse lives of women in the Pakistani drama scene.
Challenges in Pakistani Dramas
Bee Gul’s drama Working women has received a mixed response from the audience, while others are not liking it for its forward-thinking content, many have appreciated it for its different and unique storyline.
The drama faced significant challenges in subverting norms, fearing potential censorship and backlash. The struggle included objections to scenes depicting women smoking, revealing a double standard in on-screen portrayals.
Despite initial resistance from bloggers and viewers, the relatability of the characters became apparent, emphasizing the importance of narrating the stories of real women.
The drama delves into controversial topics, such as forced conversion, rarely discussed in Pakistani entertainment media.
Bee Gul pointed out that even when addressed, these issues are often mishandled, emphasizing the need for realistic storytelling.
The director, Yasra Rizvi, expressed sadness over censorship, but Bee Gul considered bringing such content to the screen a monumental achievement.
Working Women Face Criticism & Threats in Pakistani Dramas
Things do seem to be improving on showing women working outside their homes in dramas.
Generally it was a trend to show the office going women in Pakistani dramas as the ones who were too modern, not family women or very sleazy.
The typical girl-next-door heroine would not be seen working in an office in the drama. However, various dramas on air at the moment have portrayed women as working professionals.
Some of the most popular dramas to do so are Jaisay Apki Marzi which saw the main character going to the office and having a career she did not leave just because she got married.
In Ary’s Mein we see both leading ladies, Mubashira (Ayeza Khan) and Aira (Azekah Daniel) working in the office and leading from the front.
Mannat Murad an ongoing drama on Geo starring Iqra Aziz has also portrayed working women as an equal part of the society where Mannat’s friend in office is not shown as a vamp but someone who is a true friend. It seems like the days of portraying working females as evil vamps are long gone.
Bee Gul acknowledged the drama’s benchmark-setting journey through the censor board, advocating for the safeguarding of such impactful narratives in the entertainment industry.
While critics argued that it might discourage women from stepping out, Bee Gul stood firm, asserting the importance of creating a safe space for working women and portraying their stories authentically in future dramas.
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