Sheena Jee

     Prior to Zia’s Islamization, the Pakistan of the 80’s was a place where the involvement of women in the workplace was increasingly beginning to be seen as acceptable. It has been a recurrent theme in Haseena Moin dramas, with Zara and Aani in Tanhaiyaan, Sana in Ankahi, Zoya and Sheena in Dhoop Kinaray. What is particular about this representation of women is that there is there is no loss of femininity in the work place. In this drama, we are first introduced to Dr. Sheena Karamat as she is delegating and overseeing the cleaning staff. One would wonder if this is a job befitting one of the most senior doctors at the hospital, but as such a job is characteristic of her gender it is meant to signify her femininity.  Though she is at one point shown up by Zoya, she is all the same considered one of the best doctors at the hospital, particularly by Ahmer Ansari who felt her a capable enough doctor to have her transferred to pediatrics. While she maintains the utmost professionalism while at her job (she was as involved as Ahmer in the bomb blast emergency episode), she does not alienate herself from her sexuality (she is one of the boys but is distinctly feminine). It is this bold sexuality that makes her stand in stark contrast to the other women of the drama, Zoya and Anji, who are still somewhat girlish in personality and mannerisms. Touching up her appearance, fending off Irfan with ease and brazenly flirting with Ahmer Ansari, Sheena is nothing short of a chammak challo in the workplace, albeit mediated with professionalism whenever it is needed. As the unattached unmarried middle aged female who lives alone, she would be instantly villainized by the post 9/11 drama, but Haseena Moin humanizes Sheena by developing her character in the later parts of the play.