Television in Pakistan is known to be a woman’s domain; it is not just about female characters but also audiences that mostly comprise women who relate to miseries highlighted on the small screen. When women watch these characters going through a trauma or facing abuse, they are saddened to see the plight of women in Pakistan, in general. Also, they are used to seeing women who are selfless and sacrificing, not self-centred or rebellious.
Keeping that in mind, people are finding it hard to accept Iqra Aziz’s character, Nirma, who is portrayed as a compulsive liar and a bit of a rebel. She is born to a parchoonwala (shopkeeper) but refuses to marry one (played by Ahmed Ali Butt) as this is not the life she wants for herself. Once married, she seemingly lies about being beaten by her husband for not making the perfect meal or ironing his clothes properly. This much can be safely assumed after watching the teasers.
As soon as teasers came out, people started criticizing Jhooti for taking the subject lightly; most people tweeted that this is an insult to victims of domestic violence and in a world where women are already not believed when they speak up, this could be problematic.
Though one cannot deny what the tweets are referring to, there is a possibility the drama actually ends up initiating a much-needed conversation around the concept of abusive marriages/relationships. There could be a bigger point that the narrative aims to make. What could be the reason a woman would lie about domestic violence? Is she making it up entirely or there is some truth to it? There could be anything that is left to one’s interpretation for now!
Nonetheless, it all depends on how Jhooti handles the subject and it is too early to comment on that just as yet. With just the teasers out, one can’t really disregard the whole idea with which the drama has been made. One will have to wait and see.
