Writing on the Wall

With the substantial growth in the web-series platform globally, the local industry has also started exploring this digital medium.Earlier this year, Wajahat Rauf’s web series, Enaaya, released on Eros Now and the trend is fast catching on as multiple web series are expected to come out later this year. One of them is producer Sadia Jabbar’s seven-part online series, called Shameless Proposals, which aims to highlight the toxic rishta culture in our part of the world.Instep spoke to the people behind the idea of the web series – writer Saji Gul (of O Rangreza fame) and producer Sadia Jabbar – at a meet and greet session, which was held in Karachi earlier this week.When asked what made them explore the digital medium, given that web series remain a new concept in Pakistan, Saji Gul told Instep, “If you take into account television, what happens is that there are five to six levels of censorship and a writer is left with limited options when it comes to content. And on the small screen you end up watching a desexualized heroine who is ashamed of being a woman or is shown as a victim of self-pity.” He continued, “However, on the flip side, web content allows writers and producers to tell stories without any restrictions and experiment with innovative topics that may not have an audience on TV or in cinemas.” According to Sadia Jabbar, this is the right time to explore and experiment with the digital medium. “If we had ventured into this medium, say almost three years back, we wouldn’t have gotten the support because this was kind of an alien concept in Pakistan. And back then my production house didn’t have the required resources to venture into the world of web. But now the trend has caught on and writers and actors are also ready to explore this platform,” she shared.Directed by Hunny Haroon, the first episode of Shameless Proposals was released on Friday, March 29 and is available on YouTube. Treated with a lighthearted approach, the web series is all about the dynamics that are necessary to get a decent marriage proposal and how typical demands and expectations are much more important than a girl’s educational or social background. Talking about the concept of Shameless Proposals, Sadia revealed that when the idea of making a web series hit her, she thought of taking full advantage of the digital world and bring subjects that are totally different from television and films. “I thought being a woman I will give priority to women and create something that shows the plight of women in our country. So I shared the concept of our desi rishta system with a few writers but to be honest none of them were able to do justice to the idea. However, Saji Gul knew exactly what I wanted and designed the seven-part online series on the subject that every woman can relate to.” Added Saji Gul: “Web series is a private medium and one opts to watch it; nobody is forced to do so. It is not a passive medium, which means that you are ready to take information, which has a different approach behind it; it can be sensitive or bold. When Sadia came to me with this idea, we both agreed that rishta culture is something that everyone can relate to. Sadly, in our society a girl plays the most passive part in the entire proposal process and has to accept whatever the guy’s family decides.” The writer went on to say that in this online series, the girl has a voice and is taking a proactive part in the process. “In Shameless Proposals the audience will see the female character as a living character. It highlights the interaction between a man and a woman and their reactions. As a writer I thought of keeping an abstract setting and various issues like domestic violence have been addressed, keeping in mind the proposal setting. In fact all kinds of people are shown in a particular rishta setting.”Each episode of the seven-part web series is 7-minutes long and will show the girl, Mashriqui (essayed by Ishaa Noor) coming across seven proposals, each with a different demand, and her challenge is to pick one suitor out of the lot. On whether the audience will grasp something out of it, Sadia admitted that she is not sure, but it will definitely start a debate - especially among the youth. Saji maintained that whatever the reactions maybe, it is important to initiate a narrative. “This culture exists in our part of the world and it should be addressed. Be it on TV or the big screen, we usually show a woman from the pre partition era. However, times have changed and a modern Pakistani woman has a voice. It is high time she is heard too,” he said, on a concluding note. 

from The News International - Instep Today https://ift.tt/2I1cuoG