Women in Pakistani Media
From beloved folk fables such as Heer and Ranjha to the booming film and drama industry, South Asia’s rich tradition and strong appreciation of storytelling reflects a universal desire to share personal experiences and establish emotional connections.
Stories also highlight the social and cultural circumstances of the time and the experiences of people who experienced and ultimately transformed them. When such stories entered the mass media space, as they did in post-partition South Asia, they revealed great capacity to effect social change.
Shahida Kazmi
On the impact of mass media as an agent of social change, I interviewed actor Shahida Kazmi, who performed in radio and television dramas across Pakistan during its early years as a nation. She is also my grandmother.
The eldest of nine children, Shahida was born in 1937 in Panipat, British India to Murtaza Khwaja and Maqbool Jahan Begum. After the 1947 partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan, her father received a position to serve as a civil servant in the Government of Pakistan. The family migrated from Panipat to Karachi, the first capital of Pakistan, and then eventually to Islamabad, the present-day capital city.
Growing up, Shahida took great interest in the performing arts, even though women pursuing such careers found little support at the time. As a result, throughout her college years, Shahida performed only in school productions.
This would all eventually change when Radio Pakistan asked Shahida and her sister Sajida to fill in for a family friend to recite religious poetry for the Radio Pakistan Muhurram Program. Radio Pakistan eventually asked Shahida to audition for hosting roles, much like the roles on today’s morning shows in Pakistan. However, at her audition, she was instead asked to read a script for a drama. Impressed by Shahida’s command of the Urdu language, the auditioner believed she should focus her talents on dramas. The auditioner was actor and radio personality Izhar Kazmi - my grandfather.
After they married, Shahida and Izhar moved to London. My grandfather started a job at BBC Urdu. There, both Izhar and Shahida furthered their careers in the Pakistani media industry. After a few years, the couple returned to Islamabad. By that time, TV dramas had gaining a loyal following. Shahida, now a married woman, was more accepted in the drama industry. With the encouragement of her husband and children, Shahida continued to perform as an actress in various dramas across Pakistan, primarily in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
When listening to Shahida’s story, I became intrigued by the potential ability of storytelling to influence and reshape social values, particularly for women. By exciting people’s imagination, stories allow an individual to create emotional connections with fictitious characters. This sense of empathy can encourage an audience to rethink and reflect on their own social environments.
Evidence of this can be seen in the development of female characters in the Pakistani drama and film industry. Shahida remembers a time when men played female characters, which no longer happens today. Rather, the industry has seen a rise in women actors whose roles are heavily infused with themes of feminism. I specifically wanted to know how the industry had transformed and why. Here are some snippets of my interview with Shahida on the subject:
Question: “What were some of the challenges you faced as a woman in the film industry?”
Shahida: “It was very difficult as a woman to be in the drama industry. There was a notion of Aurat “badnaam hogi” (become of ill repute or infamous).
Question: “Why do you think that was?”
Shahida: “I think it was a misogynistic culture. Men who were actors or singers were considered artists, whereas women were considered to be entertainers. But today, not only are we seeing more actresses, we are seeing much more dynamic female characters. I think this is starting to force the audience to recognize the hard work and dedication it takes to bring these stories to life.”
Question: “You have hinted at this before, but today in Pakistan and in the diaspora, there is frequent use of the phrase ‘log kya khaingay’, (what will people say) when talking about women in media. How have you seen this in the evolvement of the drama and film industry?”
Shahida: “Women, I think, are starting to recognize their own talent. When I was younger, I was embarrassed and reluctant to share my poetry and love for acting with everyone. Your grandfather helped me recognize my talents and pushed me to pursue them. For example, today we see more women coming in lead roles. Even the way women are scripted has changed. They have more powerful story arches that really impact the plot.”
LEARN MORE
Pakistani Radio’s Evolutionary Journey