Cinema: Representations in Commercial Films: Pakistan

This entry examines the representations of women and gender in films of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, keeping in mind the origin of romantic musicals in Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni and Parsi musical theatre. Focusing on the modest chhooi-mooi girl, a popular jutty, a folklore protagonist like Heer, and a dirty dancer, the entry highlights the modesty of the ‘ideal’ chhooi-mooi girl and defiance, tenacity, and decision power of Heer. Discussing the politics of quality and identity, the entry examines the conditions of these two women to find that the chhooi-mooi girl is a quality (a symbol of femininity) while Heer is a symbol of identity (female agency). Real Pakistani women oscillate between the conditions of these two women in their struggle to survive, love a man of their choice, or just live happily. Films reinforce the stereotypes of self-sacrificing, subservient women who either avoid or seek men’s company under the symbolic order