Talking about the controversial and sensitive theme of sexual violence and rape certainly is considered taboo in our society but every now and then it is tackled on the TV screens, albeit in a shroud of modest convention. Unfortunately this harsh reality (abuse) does affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of rape victim and their families and television serves its best purpose when it acts as a mirror to society. Where one must acknowledge and appreciate writers who tackle this subject, one also expects them to not trivialize the crime. What we usually see in our plays is the suffering of the victim, the ‘humiliation’ that her family goes through and the fear of a ‘sordid’ secret being exposed in society.
On-going drama serial Sangat, directed by Kashif Nisar, takes the unconventional and rather strange stance of humanizing and almost excusing the rapist of the heinous crime he commits. The story follows the life of Ashy (Saba Qamar) and Adnan (Mikaal Zulfikar), who are living happily together until one night Ashy visits her mother’s house where she is raped by one of the dacoits who break into the house with the intention of robbery. One of the dacoits, Shavez - who has incidentally obsessed over Ashy all her life - takes advantage of the situation and rapes her when he finds her alone in the room.
Here’s the twist: the culprit, Shavez (played by Zahid Ahmed), is more than just a villain in the storyline. Shavez is directly related to the victim and her mother, who treats him as a ‘ghar ka bachcha.’ She finds it impossible to accept that Shavez could commit such a crime. Credit must be given to the director for depicting that the abuser can be someone who is not alien to the family, and simultaneously urging viewers to be more cautious of their surroundings.
The premise then unfolds in typical fashion, where any discussion on sexual abuse by the victim is deemed taboo, until Shavez steps in. Out of a myriad of situations that we are introduced to, one cannot simply accept Shavez’s portrayal without questioning the logic behind it. He is not presented as the villain, rather portrayed as a victim or rather a tragic hero because of the guilt and regret he goes through after raping Ashy. Does his guilt justify or excuse his action?
What comes across as even more bizarre is that most women in the play fail to show hatred towards the perpetuator, despite being aware of his actions. There is Ashy, who never questions him for what he did, or Salma, whose love for him intensifies – and who wishes to marry him – even after finding out the truth. This is where the play baffles one; it apparently endorses the idea of women as emotional and submissive creatures, who have no courage whatsoever to stand up for themselves and bring the culprit to justice.
Pakistani television does suffer from the ‘bechari’ syndrome when portraying women and Sangat toes that same line. However, Sangat, at large, makes one wonder whether an artist considers his moral and social responsibility while taking up a character that is sketched so forgivingly, regardless of his criminal act. Instep spoke to Zahid Ahmed on why he chose such a role.
“I wouldn’t have gone for this role had I found it, or the script, portraying something morally incorrect. But for that, the audience will have to wait till the end. I can’t reveal much but I assure you the end wouldn’t disappoint the viewers,” he asserted.
If Zahid Ahmed says there is a moral end to the story, then we’ll have to leave it at that. There is hope in the fact that director Kashif Nisar is known to do justice to issues of social, political and sexual relevance. However, for now the drama appears to be a strange cliché, airbrushing the brutality and pain of rape.
The saving grace, perhaps, is the character of Ashy who is showing a sense of regained strength as the drama progresses. Without jumping to conclusions, one looks forward to an end that not only leaves a strong message but also encourages women to raise their voice instead of hiding behind displaced guilt and humiliation in something for which they aren’t at fault.