Problematic narrative of sister rivalry over a mutual love interest needs to stop in Pakistani dramas

A few years ago, Pakistani television was considered to be superior to the country’s film industry. The reason for the edge was the meaningful and relatable content often churned out by PTV, STN, and then later, some cable and satellite networks.

However, in recent years, dramas based upon ‘unrealistic’ and ‘unpleasant’ themes are becoming common. One such theme includes showing two sisters fighting each other for a ‘man’.

Some dramas pertaining to this theme became famous, Maat, Khamoshi, Kashf and Jalan. Producing dramas in which sisters happen to be interested in the same man are being normalized by directors for the sake of ratings and attention.

Be it Saba Qamar and Amna Sheikh in Maat, Iqra Aziz and Zara Noor Abbas in Khamoshi, or Hira Mani and Sabeena Farooq in Kashf, drama producers are normalizing love triangles with two sisters and a mutual love interest. 

Nisha in ARY’s Jalan, played by Minal Khan risked everything to destroy the life and marriage of her sister Misha but also to grab the man she thought was just perfect and had everything that she ever dreamt of. This drama was a clear-cut case of producers bent on grabbing the ratings, without even thinking about what they were showing in the drama. Nisha’s character tried her best to put up a fight but she had no idea the evil she was faced with in the form of her younger sister.

It is alarming to see the rise in sister rivalry again in Pakistani drama, that too where sisters are pit against each other only because they want to be with the same man.

In Junaid Khan’s latest Ek Jhoota Lafz Mohabbat, the younger sister played by Aiza Awan threatens her brother-in-law of suicide and even cuts her wrist in front of her demanding a divorce for her elder sister. This is the extreme of emotional blackmailing.

More such projects are set to be released in the near future including Yasir Hussain’s directorial debut, Koel starring Mansha Pasha, Fahad Sheikh and Maham Aamir.

This is highly problematic as such stories create a toxic impact on the audience. Television serials are actively viewed by their target audience i.e. the women, and are seen as having some similarity to real-life situations by many. Thus targeting sibling relationships will just add to the negativity and conflict being paraded as entertainment. 

Such dramas also show sisters wishing death upon each other such as Iqra’s character in Khamoshi, or creating trouble for their sibling, such as Sabeena’s character in Kashf.

The more disturbing factor is that in most cases the male love interest is either committed or married to one of the sisters while the other one sets her eyes on him. This also violates the values and norms attached to the brother in law-sister in law relationship in our culture.

In the Ayeza Khan starrer Meherposh, the younger sister plans to poison her elder sister and murder her as she doubts that her husband is in love with her elder sister.

TV dramas hardly show two brothers fighting over a mutual love interest.

Actor Saba Qamar recently called out this wave of content in an interview stating that she is tired of reading scripts where two sisters are falling in love with the same guy and that then entire drama revolves around the problem.

She cited the example of Maat and said that she has also done a play like that but she wouldn’t want to repeat it in her career. 

Television producers should stop churning out regressive content and should also be mindful of their social responsibilities about portraying family ethos on TV screens.