Apparel in 'Dhoop Kinaray'

If ‘Dhoop Kinaray’ is aimed at propagating Haseena Moin’s interpretation of a proper national discourse within the socio-political context of the Zia regime, it is important to consider the devices she uses to convey a certain set of values and ideals. Each character in the drama is distinguished from the other on the basis of carefully constructed and allocated costume to suit one’s particular nature, profession and lifestyle.

Dr. Ahmer Ansari reminded me of Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ through the way both protagonists are able to move past materially and physically from the unfortunate constraints of their past, but are still haunted by the memories of that time emotionally and psychologically. The drama uses this to explore the question of ‘orphanhood’ within the national sphere, and it is emphasized through Ahmer’s perpetual formal attire. In fact, he is always seen clad in designer suits so classy that Dr. Irfan has to steal one from Ahmer’s dry-cleaning to present a good image of himself in front of Anji’s father. While his position as the leader of the professional sphere and the head doctor requires him to maintain a standard of propriety, his apparel within his domestic life is no different from the public, emphasizing the way his career dominates his entire being, as well as his inability to forget the past completely. 

Zoya’s apparel is interestingly used to further the thematic exploration of medicine as a profession; the first time her femininity is explicitly demonstrated through her party attire, she receives an instant “mun dhoyain” as soon as she enters the public sphere, where lives are at risk and individuality is misplaced. Unlike Sheena, Zoya cannot afford the luxury of expressing her selfhood within the professional domain just yet; she has to prove she is not an anomaly here, and this is developed through the progress of her career as a doctor as well as her relationship with Ahmer, consequently sparking a renewed consciousness of what she wears and how she dresses (like the inauguration of her heels at Ahmer’s party).

Like Zoya, Sheena becomes a vehicle of exploring what it means to be a woman in the

medical profession, but the two women are constructed as foils to one another, not only by being rival contenders for Ahmer’s affections, but also through their positions in the hierarchical structure of the hospital. Sheena is a single, working woman, and while this particular point in Pakistani history allows room for such an individual, she eventually has to succumb to the confines of marriage. Her agenda is winning Ahmer’s companionship, and her age, professional experience and past ties with the patriarch of the work environment gives her the freedom to dress up the way Zoya can’t. Through her flirtatious, playful conversations with male doctors in the hospital, the drama underscores how her single status is her defining feature, and her saaris and make up become complimentary to this reality.

Anji’s father is the drama’s play on Anglicization; his dialogue allies with his suits and Western influenced apparel to highlight a particular kind of professional businessman, and his outlook is similarly dominated by a need to conform to British inspired ideals of propriety and social status. The contrasting apparel of Zoya and Anji’s fathers is significant because it becomes one of the subtle devices the drama uses to depict class. Both men are businessmen, they are different because one hands his daughter a chunk of money for shopping, while the other one falls heavily in debt. Hence, Zoya’s father’s simpler attire becomes reflective of this difference in financial circumstances, but the education and wisdom of both men is represented by their respective costumes.

Fazeelat is the only character in the drama who covers her head, yet her interpretation of religious conventions verges of hilarity as she runs after Zoya “nazar utaarnay” for instance. The way she dresses up for the party she goes to with her patrons becomes a commentary on the dignity with which the lower class domestic help is treated at this particular point in Pakistani history; she is not excluded from beautification or complete integration within the family ties of this household. Mianji’s garb  is reminiscent of the national attire of Pakistan, and a consideration of his age in association with his dressing highlights the multi-faceted impact of partition of people of all classes and age groups. He is closely tied to his roots, and becomes a kind of archive balancing the history of the nation with the present (such as his advice to Ahmer on the importance of moving forward and letting go of the past).