A number of years back, when I shared a script with a well-known and respected TV director in Pakistan’s theatre business, he requested me to edit it. He said, “You’re being naive if you think the audience is intelligent enough to digest this” (I’m sure he also meant to label me stupid).
I recall being hurt and telling him that he was demeaning our viewers. He simply grinned in an odd way that stated, “Sure,” in no uncertain terms. Keep to yourself and your personal space.
He is, in fact, quite successful right now, insha’Allah. And I’m still here, refusing to modify the scripts on my Google Drive because I think our audience is not stupid.
Dramas like Tere Bin and Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha consistently demonstrate how incorrect I am.
For 100 episodes, Piya Bedardi showed the aforementioned director was correct! It helped my spouse become well-known and earn a consistent salary, but the plot was dreadful. To my horror, 95% of the audience members who wrote to Omair, saw him in person, and generally showed their pleasure in his performance were female!
To be fair to the performers, I can see that Wahaj Ali, Yumna Zaidi, Zaviyar Nauman, and Hania Aamir have performed a masterstroke in their careers to sign them, and they are doing their roles with the utmost credit. Wahaj is amazing!
Omair Rana was fantastic as the crazy Sahir, which is a sign of a very talented actor.
But what is wrong with the people watching? The TRPs of recent shows have skyrocketed despite their strange plots. And guess who’s watching them, salivating over them, and talking endlessly about them? Women.
I’m a female. And I object to being called a foolish audience. I’m proud to have been reared with Haseena Moin’s progressive morals, her progressive material, Shoaib Mansoor’s promotion of the strong woman image, Anwar Maqsood Sb’s comedy, and the courageous Sitara aur Mehrunnisa.
I identified with Tanhayyiaan’s Zara and Sunniya.
I wanted to be just like Zoya from Dhoop Kinaray.
I was inspired by Sana in Ankahi’s bravery and determination.
From Alpha Bravo, Shehnaz Charlie showed me how to be authentic.
