Arts: Music and Portraits in Pakistani Dramas

In Chand Grehen, we still see the pre-Zia era of Pakistani dramas. The arts are still not condemned as anti-Islamic although we start seeing the stigmatization of artisans such as Gulbahar when Guddu complains that he is picked on at school because his mother is a “gaana bajaney wali” which is followed by a frown on Gulbahar’s face. She attempts to cover it up by placing it as a lie told to him. However, art and music continue to feature in Chand Grehen such as in episode 3 when Lal Hussain Shah and his friends are at a mehfil of a courtesan held at LHS’s place. The emphasis of art can mostly be seen in the lives of the wealthy and they are not just portrayed but are celebrated.

In Dhoop Kinarey, art is featured in a subtle manner through paintings hanging on the wall, portraits of people and music. In the first episode, Dr Ahmer soliloquizes while he gazes upon the portrait of his “Baba jee”. There are portraits hanging in nearly all the residences. Zoya listens to a record while contemplating on her relationship with Dr Ahmer which becomes  cause for serious concern for Fasi. However, their effect is to assist in the background and create a certain mood but neither music nor art feature as a theme or act in themselves as do in Chand Grehen.

In Humsafar, the only form of music is the title song ‘Woh Humsafar’ sung by Quratulain Balouch and it is solely used as a dramatizing tool, to create a mood or evoke the feelings of the characters within the viewer. Nowhere in the middle-class homes in Hyderabad do we see hanging portraits. On the other hand, the upper-class homes in Karachi have subtle hints of hanging pictures albeit only of sceneries. A picture frame is gifted to Sara by Ashr and Khirad although Sara mentions she would hang it in her room albeit with a hint of sarcasm. Pictures of real-life people are kept locked up in a bathroom cabinet. Music is not heard or sung in the entire drama. Thus, for the 21^st Century drama viewers, the significance and portrayal of art  through portrait and music is lost from the drama medium.