Shining stars

The marriage of Lollywood actress, Reema, who had dominated the local film industry for almost two decades, to a US-based cardiologist, has brought forth a flurry of media attention and a wave of comment over the internet. Many have congratulated Reema on her wedding and we join them in this. But there have also been a very large number of snide, or even disparaging remarks, directed generally against her and her status as a performer, and the morality within the film industry in general. This simply reflects the kind of mindset that exists today, with many Pakistanis seeing the entertainment industry as one awash in sin and immorality — when in reality it is about people making a living trying to entertain the rest of us. This attitude has had an impact on the standard of films, theatre and other art forms in our country, with India, for instance moving far ahead of us in this arena, as some of the cinematic productions from that country hit international screens. In our country, confused notions of ‘respectability’ cloud the scene and complicate matters, with women in films still failing to attain the status they deserve as talented individuals engaged in a demanding profession.

The manner in which women involved in the entertainment industry are treated has been reflected most recently in the case involving a Punjab minister and his wife, an actress, who ‘vanished’ soon after giving birth to a baby girl. The minister had reportedly first met the actress at a dance performance. Allegations abound that the Punjab government is trying to cover up the matter with the minister denying any knowledge of it. The central issue remains the position of women in film, notions about their character and the wider beliefs in our society pertaining to women in general. Reema’s marriage has, in many ways, highlighted these. But the real question to be asked is; what we can do to bring in change and alter antiquated ideas rooted in the nature of our society and the manner in which it functions?

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2011.