The quarter century I’ve spent writing opinion pieces has taught me a few things about life. The first is frustrating. The herd instinct. As opinion writers, most of us are obsessed with more or less the same things. In the process, many important stories are suppressed. The increasing shallowness of the South Asian intellectual tradition can be largely attributed to this.
The second thing that stands out is the politicization of everything. Economics, religion, family, entertainment, even sport (especially cricket), all politics in South Asian factories.
The third concerns the danger posed by political tribalism. Tribalism may be doing a lot in the West right now, but it swept every South Asian country into a post-truth society ages ago. In Pakistan, differences grew so great that part of society thought it was a good idea to kill yourself to kill others. Shouldn’t a country that has suffered so much at the hands of the tribes in such a short period of time be more careful when it comes to dealing with and resolving differences?
The fourth and the last: One rarely learns from mistakes and therefore this piece and those I wrote on 04/19/2018 entitled “A deviating note” will always be unpopular because they do not correspond to the black and white interpretation the reality. Reality is always messy for this writer. Grey, brown, yellow and often unsightly.
In our long, torturous history of tribal warfare, the nicest things always become collateral damage. Creativity and culture are the two biggest victims. The third is the idea of a true celebrity. And just look at how they are all being punished. Let’s start with the most provocative examples first. Mainly because you will most likely not like what is supposed to be said. And yet someone has to say it because you know it has to be said.
In the recent political debates, one thing has become surprisingly clear. An overwhelming majority of Pakistani celebrities still side with Imran Khan. In a land where multiple narrative arcs feed on your imagination and collide, it’s hard to digest. Artists, entertainers and, in short, celebrities of all kinds occupy a cultural space where they benefit and reinforce the pluralism that religious fanaticism seeks to undermine. Mr Khan has consistently chosen to ally himself with groups whose views are clouded by religious intolerance. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the Jamaat-e-Islami was his favored ally. In the war on terror, his advocacy against crackdowns on fanatics grew to such an extent that the TTP nominated him for the Pakistani state’s negotiations with them. Long before that, he had found a way to be called Taliban Khan. And yet so many celebs still like him.
I don’t think anyone has caused such an uproar online as Mahira Khan did when she tweeted a message with the name Imran Khan followed by the Pakistani flag emojis and hands raised in prayer. Online, she has endured repulsive attacks from troll armies for a long time. In Pakistani politics, anti-liberal trolls are usually associated with the PTI and Mahira Khan, like most celebrities, is considered a liberal. So is it a textbook case of cognitive dissonance? Social media was too quick to judge.
Samina Peerzada and Shan Shahid are also very vocal. Seems to have been just yesterday when in real life she and her husband faced controversy from the clergy in a divorce scene on a TV series. Clergymen shouted that the divorce was real because it was a TV scene seen by countless witnesses. Those haunted by religious bigotry shouldn’t side with their known pacifiers, the critics say. And so their liking for Imran Khan, the PTI or their government made little sense and they either had to be bought or brainwashed.
This last abominable attitude is downright tragic because it robs thinking people of their capacity to act. The thinking people who have already given us much to be thankful and proud of. Is it possible to disagree with them politically and respect them personally at the same time? Absolutely.
I can give you a hundred heartbreaking explanations as to why a celebrity who has faced misogynist attacks throughout her career would empathize with a politician who has allegedly blamed rape victims’ clothing for their ordeals. Just as they love their state, and their state loves it so naturally, they end up sympathizing with it too, albeit at a personal cost. Decades of religious indoctrination leads them to believe that their career choice is actually wrong, and so they pay for it as soon as they can. Do you remember I once told you an episode where a famous singer told me that singing is a sin? Finally, as one Twitter critic put it, it all has to do with the PBCDs (Pakistan Born Conwired Desis), the cultural contradictions of Pakistan’s upper-middle class. But none of these explanations means anything. Why? Because you go to such lengths to disrespect their individual choices. Are you then better than all these fanatics who have little regard for their career choices?
Politics be damned. In order for a healthy society to grow, it needs far more cultural products than power dynamics. Have you wondered why a nation of storytellers stopped telling good stories? Why do even some of our best platforms like Coke Studio spend more time recycling old content? Why is it that we use the past tense most of the time when we talk about our entertainment industry? Because we left them all to their fate. Because there is neither a support system nor an efficient market for their talents. You will be surprised at how little or less often they are paid for their hard work.
Back in the 1990s, when PTV was the only major network, I remember many well-known drama actors emerging from the one-number wagon in exceptionally shabby condition. Are you wondering why many comedians choose to be a prop on late-night variety shows on news channels rather than perform in their own space? Because there is job security and the certainty of being paid on time.
I can’t believe a nation of wayward and politics-obsessed viewers would criticize their celebrities for having political opinions. The fact that our celebrities, performers and performers have survived despite these sordid conditions should be enough to give them unconditional respect. Politics may have a short fuse, but it also has a shorter shelf life. Culture and entertainment have a far more lasting effect.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 30, 2022.
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