Saturday, February 18, 2012

In Pakistan Controversies Remain The Same – From Anita Ayub (1990) To Mathira (2012)




Pakistan has emerged greatly in terms of media expansion. Once there was only PTV with a limited availability of STN / NTN. Then with millennium Pakistan emerged with many different TV channels. The things and content which were considered as taboo and non-discussable are now accepted in every house and the fun part is families are now found debating on those topics, much openly. The “Never” of yesteryear is a “Must” of today. Definitely media has developed a lot. On the contrary even audience has gained a lot of awareness. The audience simply knows what to “watch” and what to “must watch”.

Controversies are not new in the field of media, be it black and white era, fuji color or east man color – we have seen a lot of controversies including reputed and respected names of today, which were once not even worthy of being discussed. So does it mean with the passage of time intensity and severity of wrongness decreases?

Recently we have seen Veena Malik posing, topless for a foreign magazine (I ask my readers, “Was it her first such shoot? Then why did people exaggerated big time?”). And now we are hearing about Mathira (A VJ), who also posed topless for a dietary magazine which was issued on Valentine’s Day. From few sources Mathira is also known as “Paris Hilton” of Pakistan – Wow that’s a great improvement. After all Pakistan got another Paris besides Karachi. Well this is not a new thing guys. Have you forgotten about the woman who used to call herself Brooke Shields of Pakistan, back in early 90’s? I am definitely talking about Anita Ayub, the first Pakistani woman who wanted to participate in Miss World back in 1993 and the Mullas stopped her by not letting her leave her house and protesting outside her home. Though the celebrity could not participate in the Miss World’s Competition but later she got starred in an Indian movie “Pyar Ka Tarana” directed by every green Dev Anand. The movie was initially banned in Pakistan as it had some “more than usual” exposing which was hard to digest in those days, by Indians as well as Pakistanis.

Anyways, the bottom line is, be it Anita Ayub, Veena Malik or Mathira – they all have happened to be controversial queens. But guys do you really think it matters to them? They are celebrities and associated with media. I don’t get the difference between a woman wearing a see through white dress and dancing under the rain in a Lollywood film, and a woman covering her chest with hands and posing for a shoot. After all it is what they do to earn money, it is their profession. And the fact is people buy and like such stuff – Don’t they?
If people think that Pakistanis must not do such shoots, so tell me what is the reason of such thinking? Islam or Muslim factor? Hell No. Islam never allows movies or TV dramas. Or it does? Secondly its their life, why would they be concerned about others’ opinions. It’s a free economy, a free society and hence they have a free life style. No one stops a traffic constable to ask for bribery, but if any public figure makes any questionable move, every one points fingers on them – what a double standard!

Its time to grow mature and start accepting that Islam and Pakistan; are two different things. Similarly every celebrity needs controversy just like TV channels need TRPs. Believe it and keep your life simple!

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