Veteran actress Nadia Jamil recently opened up about toxic masculinity in Pakistani dramas as the popular drama Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi nears its finale.
While some actors have talked about the increase of toxic masculinity in recent dramas, some have ignored the conversation. Nadia Jamil also shared her two cents as she joined the bandwagon.
The actress voiced her concern about the series and scriptwriters have “set the bar so low” for our onscreen “heroes.” Even journalist Fifi Haroon took to Twitter to tweet her thoughts about the drama by calling it “well-developed.”
She further elaborated that young naive girls such as Mahek (Dur-e-Fishan Saleem) are bound to fall in love with men like Shamsher (Danish Taimoor), and dismiss their red flags when they start “behaving better.”
In response, Nadia Jamil pointed out a number of misogynistic acts carried out by the lead character for which he was never held accountable in the show.
She wrote:
Um, he tortures her father and brother and has them locked up. Kidnaps her, humiliates and forces her to marry him against her will, then imprisons her in his house and loses his sh** when she visits her father. He also continues to harass her family and insults the life out of her.
Um. But he tortures her father and brother. Has them locked up. Kidnaps her. Humiliates her and forces her to marry him against her will, then imprisons her in his house and loses his shit when she visits her dad. Continuing to harass her family and insulting the life out of her. https://t.co/WoCdepADJl
— Nadia Jamil (@NJLahori) December 8, 2022
Jamil further added that the majority of Pakistani writers dub toxic and abusive male characters as “heroes,” whereas that is not true in real life.
“In real life, men are decapitating women and beating them to death. At least in this drama, he [Shamsher] didn’t burn her [Mahek] or beat her to a pulp. It’s just that we set the bar so low when we are writing our heroes. Also, now the Shamsher’s wicked father is all remorseful and giving himself up to the police too,” she added
Nothing is implausible. In real life men are decapitating women, beating them to death. Ye to phir bhi didn’t burn her or beat her to a pulp. It’s just that we set the bar so low when we are writing our heroes.
& now evil dad is all remorseful and giving himself up 2 the police https://t.co/eCXqJ5QWJ9— Nadia Jamil (@NJLahori) December 9, 2022
Later, a fan requested the actor to stop contributing to the viewership of such dramas that write toxic men into lauded heroes.
In response, Jamil confessed to playing her part in promoting such narratives. “Toxic masculinity is nauseating. I am a culprit as I watch many dramas propagating it. Even in Habs and Fraud, the men are so controlling and misogynistic,”
Toxic masculinity is nauseating. I am a culprit. I watch many dramas propagating it. Even in Habs and Fraud the men are so controlling and misogynistic. https://t.co/0xqRumy2Fk
— Nadia Jamil (@NJLahori) December 9, 2022