Sar-e-Rah dropped its most anticipated episode this Saturday which explored the struggles of a transgender boy who tries to gain acceptance from his family by studying hard.
The episode delved into how Sarim (played by Muneeb Butt) is bullied by his step-mother and brother a because of the fact that he is an intersex man, who is regularly pushed away from spending time with them. However, Sarim and his father have a close bond, who encourages him to work hard and is the only one who embraces his true nature rather than hiding it away.
In a scene that is gaining praises on Twitter, the father and Sarim are sitting near a beach where he teaches his son that there is no shame in wanting to be feminine, and he can choose to be whatever he likes because it won’t diminish his father’s love for him.
Prominent transgender activist Mehrub Moiz Awan praised this scene for its ‘beautiful message’.
‘What a beautiful message! Who wrote this scene?’ she wrote.
Actress Iffat Omar also sent praises to this scene
Many users praised the way this episode depicted the relationship between the father and son, as portrayed by Nabeel Zafar and Butt’s moving acting. They lauded the show for handling a tabooed in a delicate manner, and showing how important it is for parent’s to empathize with and support their children.
“The relationship between Sarang & his father is beautiful in #SarERah this week. This father is honest with his son, loves & supports him – what every child needs, but particularly those struggling against society. Nabeel Zafar & Muneeb Butt are brilliant,” one user wrote.
Another user praised how the show was uplifting the minorities that it depicted on screen:
“Best thing about #SareRah is that its not depressing. There is always hope and light at the end and thats what makes it special.”
In a time when censorship overrules freedom of thought, and many drama creators refuse to engage with the audience they are creating stories for, this user praised Sar-e-Rah for taking a bold step in crafting unique stories that tackled social issues in a sensitive but thorough manner.
“#SareRah @arydigitalasia a breath of fresh air,every minute worth spent. Meticulously crafted stories reflect talent, passion and time spent to study each one. Brought alive by superb acting,a rare positive take on negative social issues,absolutely no loose ends.”
Unfortunately this message did not resonate with everyone, as harsh critics like fashion designer Maria B once more stepped up to criticize the drama for promoting vulgarity and encouraging the acceptance of the transgender community. On her Instagram stories, the fashion designer said:
“So this is how you sell your soul…well done Pakistan.
So this kid is intersex??? And instead of following sharia and getting corrective help to become male or female, his DAD is telling him to be gender fluid!!! Like transgenders.
Now will you wake up Pakistan??
Is the agenda still not clear? Lannat on all the people who sold their souls and will contribute to the destruction of our kids.”
