Adeel Afzal says it's time to stop idolising bad boys

Actor Adeel Afzal, who shot to fame as the soulful Nasaaz in Parizaad, recently sat down for a chat on the Rukhsat podcast. And let's just say, he did not hold back. Adeel tackled the age-old drama question: why do we love the bad boys?

"It has become a part of our collective psyche that we like a person who has power, who can control and protect." And no, Adeel is not talking about emotional intelligence or moral clarity — just good old brute force and charisma. "We are taught as a society to admire such a person," he explained, "because he can take control."

Cue flashbacks to countless dramas where the brooding, toxic lead is somehow the fan favourite. Adeel brought up the legendary Sultan Rahi as a prime example. "People loved violent characters like Sultan Rahi," he said. "They admired him because he was a larger-than-life hero who could take action against the status quo."

There it is, the "he might be terrible but at least he does something" defence. "People see hope in such powerful characters," Adeel continued. It's not about the violence; it's about the aura. Take Behroze Karim from Parizaad - the guy literally kills his wife, but fans couldn't get enough of him. "Behroze Karim was a powerful man," Adeel said. "People loved him because they wanted to be like him, with all the money and power in the world."

But Adeel wasn't just diagnosing the problem, he offered a solution too. "Such characters," he emphasised, "should be shown with a negative ending and not glorified."

Basically, if your favourite character is a walking red flag with a killer wardrobe and a killer past, maybe don't put him on a pedestal.

His observations are especially relevant in light of recent dramas like Qarze Jaan, where fans rallied behind the intense and impulsive Ammar Bakhtiyar instead of the sensible Barrister Burhan.

Adeel's take is a timely reminder that charm shouldn't excuse harm, and maybe, just maybe, it's time our dramas stopped rewarding toxic masculinity with fan love and happy endings. Until then, the bad boy fan club remains worryingly full.