Actor and comedian, Yasir Hussain spoke out against the depiction of violence against women in TV shows.
Yasir appeared as a guest on the FWhy Podcast, where he highlighted the stereotyping of women on TV drama serials, which show them as being subservient and accepting of abuse could shape the minds of viewers, particularly men, in a harmful way.
According to the Badshah Begum star, there is a lack of censorship for TV shows compared to films, which has allowed for the normalization of this harmful content, which can have dangerous implications for society.
Yasir stated that this was a problem that was not being addressed by the country’s censor board, which is currently focused primarily on film censorship. He talked about stereotyping of women through their dressing, stating,
I am involved in an industry where if you want to show a modern girl, her hair will be short and she’ll be wearing jeans and a t-shirt. This is the criteria for being modern. I’ve met a lot of modern women who wear shalwar kameez, their thinking and actions are very modern but they wear shalwar kameez — it doesn’t matter.
He went on to add that “if you want to show a lying, corrupt woman in a drama, her hair will also be short and she’ll be a smoker.” While on the other hand, Yasir stated that all the female characters he’s written have been “very strong”.
Hussain pointed out that modernity should not be defined by clothing or outward appearance. He emphasized the importance of creating strong, complex female characters that challenge traditional gender roles and promote equality.
The actor went on to give an example of the Bollywood film Kabir Singh, which was criticized for its portrayal of toxic masculinity and violence against women.
While acknowledging that Kabir Singh may have depicted similar content, Hussain pointed out that the film had an age restriction in place, while the local dramas are accessible to viewers of all ages.
Check out the full interview here.
Yasir Hussain’s comments on the normalization of violence against women in Pakistani dramas highlight the need for greater censorship and accountability in the country’s entertainment industry.
By challenging harmful stereotypes and promoting gender equality, the industry has the potential to positively shape the attitudes and behaviors of its audience.
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