The past few years of Pakistani dramas has been unfortunately very lacking. Compared to the burgeoning, evolving and innovating Cinema and Film scene in the country, Pakistani soaps and serial shows have been woefully stagnant. Fortunately, there seems to be signs of change recently as some show runners have begun experimenting with new dynamics and storylines outside of the domestic family politics centered mainstream scripts.
Parizaad is among the newest of these shows that seek to challenge the already established drama scene with more nuanced storylines. In contrast with dramas set in lavish mansions and definitely upper-middle class and elite surroundings, Parizaad is set in a much more realistic background that most of the country’s middle and lower-middle class is well acquainted with. Considering the fact that most of the country’s middle class in its urban areas has roots in villages and small towns across the country, the background and feel of the drama bears familiarity with what most of the viewers have seen or are at least aware of.
Parizaad tackles issues of class divide, the politics of a small town setting, the much more real politics of a typical rural joint family (compared to the fantastical issues portrayed in the common fare of Pakistani soap serials) whilst also picking a much more nuanced approach towards the depiction of good and bad characters, making you think twice about judging the cast of characters you come across.
The 2021 show is based on a novel of the same name released in 2014. The novel was written by writer Hashim Nadeem. If the name is familiar to any of you it is because he is also the same person who wrote Khuda Aur Muhabbat, the famous drama series from 2011 of the same name has been adapted from this novel as well.
The drama was teased with actor Ahmed Ali Akbar as the titular Parizaad, and the initial interest that the trailers were able to garner was successfully leveraged into viewership for the drama. This has caused Parizaad to become one of the most recognizable characters from modern Pakistani drama series.
The actors in the show have been brilliantly cast and their characterizations are strikingly genuine. Due to this reason, the show has resonated with viewers across class divides across Pakistan with the show being discussed in roadside dhabas as well as online on twitter and other social media in equal measure-though perhaps for varying reasons.
One of the most striking parts of the series include the character of Parizaad himself. The titular hero is portrayed to perfection in the image projected by Hashim Nadeem in his novel. The controversy mostly touted online by people more savvy with the history of racism and colourism in other parts of the world is the use of “Brown-face” by Ahmed Ali Akbar. There have been comparisons being drawn between Parizaad and the Black-face depiction from Robert Downey Jr in the cult classic Tropic Thunder (2008).
Though arguments can be made about the tastelessness of using darker skin to portray a poor, downtrodden individual, there is a much better case that can be made in defense of the cosmetic choice of darkening Ahmed Ali Akbar’s skin in order to better portray the character.
Though the beginnings of colourism in the subcontinent can be attributed to the reign of the Mughals, largely due to the fairer skin of the ruling class (being from western Asian and middle-eastern roots) the bulk of the blame can be placed on the colourism instituted during the British Raj. During this time there was a distinct pattern of power being distributed to those that emulated the British (knowing or unknowingly) by either speaking as they did or prioritizing more fair skinned individuals as they did. The effect of colonialism has led to the celebration of fairer skin and it has been associated with the noble class, while those of the lesser caste of humanity were working outside in the heat, tanning their skin (whether it was a genetic disposition or not, never came into play).
Thus even in modern Pakistan the darker skinned individuals are associated with being of the lower caste, and thus we come to the character of Parizaad.
Right at the start of the show, Parizaad is born into a large family with the father being portrayed as a frustrated individual. He is already bitter and worried about supporting a large family (a commentary on the lack of baby-planning amidst the rural populace) and as he sees his newborn son he is bemused by his naturally dark complexion. His mother names him Parizaad (of the fae folk) much to the father’s chagrin and he comments that such a name would haunt him forever. This foretelling sets the tone of our hero’s early life as he gets to college being a polite and industrious student who is rendered meek and insecure by the constant lifelong bullying he faces inside his home and out.
This story is the tragedy of Parizaads life and the nuanced storytelling aswell as twists including his suicidal thoughts and inner struggles tug at the heartstrings of the viewers in a way that most storytelling in our mainstream entertainment could very well learn from.
Parizaad, at least it’s earlier episodes is a great look at Pakistani culture as well as an acting masterclass as characters from the novel are brought to life. A breath of fresh air that will hopefully inspire more storytellers to adapt, and tell more in-depth narratives in the future.
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