Week 7's submission

Y U SUFFOCATE US?!

It appears that while the 21^st century Pakistani dramas make special efforts to create a harsh binary between the male, female, the legitimate sphere of their interaction and their agency, the 20^th century drama made special efforts to blur them out precisely so that the nation could focus their concern on more consequential matters. 

This idea was manifested on a number of occasions in Dhoop Kinaray and Hamsafar. In the first episode we see Zoya going to Anji’s house by jumping over the walls and then even Fazilat does the same on one occasion. These macho stunts are hence not reserved for a gender, and even within that gender, for a particular age. This reflects on the fluidity of that era and the openness in accepting dynamic roles for women.

The exact opposite of this is showcased in Hamsafar where Ashar is seen gardening and in that scenario the only role of Khirad is to present him a fancy glasses of orange juice. Her roles are strictly domestic, where domestic is equaled to culinary tasks. Even though Ashar is the only child who has to handle his father’s magnificent business, the possibility of Khirad sharing in that economic agency is never evoked. In Dhoop Kinaray however the major concern in Anji’s life is that she doesn’t want to run her father’s business. The roles of male and female figures hence are not running parallel with annoying distinctions. They submerge into one and other elucidate their worth. Similarly we see Zoya driving herself to every place independently (although they do have a driver) while Khirad is always dropped off by Ashar to the university. The nuance here however is not only that the male/female roles are defined but the extent to which a female can be trusted beyond the boundaries of the household such that the husband literally guards her on every single step the wife takes outside home.

This male/female binary also echoes in the nature of relationships these two gender can have; forbidden and acceptable. The idea of friendship between them is beautifully exhibited in Dhoop Kinaray (Zoya and Dr. Irfan being the vigor and wine of the drama) while is frowned up on in Hamsafar. In Hamsafar in fact it is explicitly stated the girls and boys cannot be associated without a romantic association (Sarah for her best friend Ashar and Khizar for her cousin Sarah). The entire theme is terribly conservative to these gender roles and their interaction.

In Dhoop Kinaray Dr. Irfan makes several casual visits to Anji’s home and Dr. Ahmar to Zoya’s house whereas Ashar’s disapproval by demeanor and expression is reflected on occasions of Khizr’s visit (Yale graduate?!). The environment presented in Hamfasar is not only severely domestic in its definition of what domestic is, but also very suffocating. It points out only the limitations of in the framework of the home and directs that is the only safe and secure place for women. Outside is danger. Dhoop Kinaray is the exact opposite of this theme where Dr. Ahmar makes himself most vulnerable and available to Zoya when they are working outside in the village.

The concern of Hamsafar hence was who a man is and who a woman, and nothing beyond. While Dhoop Kinaray delved further and beyond in the characteristics and traits of either; the demons they withheld and the spark that originated within.