Shelf expression: Pakistan’s beleaguered artists

IN Media Practice | 18/01/2011

 (Reprinted from The Indian Express, January 18, 2011)

After devastating floods, economic downturn and terrorist attacks, Pakistan spiralled into 2011 to face a new set of shockers. The murder of Punjab governor Salman Taseer on January 4 and the killing of journalist Wali Khan Babar on January 13 have left artists and performers feeling further stifled.

Shakira Masood, owner of Artchowk Gallery in Karachi says, "Pakistani artists have always expressed themselves politically through their work. However, after the recent incidents, it would be hard and maybe unsafe to express one’s feelings." Masood cites an incident which occurred some three years ago, when activists of the Pakistan Peoples Party barged into Karachi’s Shanaakht Festival where an artwork featured Benazir Bhutto sitting on dictator Zia-ul-Haq’s lap. "Art is subjective and not everyone’s cup of tea and hence very easy to misinterpret. The organisers of Shanaakht made the mistake of exhibiting this controversial work at a public forum. The incident was very much like what happened at Art Dubai 2008 where Huma Mulji’s Arabian Delight was viewed in a negative light." Mulji’s installation featured a stuffed camel crammed into a suitcase that offended the locals and had to be removed. An artist herself, Masood feels it is just easier to be keep a low profile. "In these times, if you have an opinion, it’s best not to offend people, given that intolerance is on the rise."

The sentiment is shared by Durriya Kazi, who heads the Visual Studies Department at the University of Karachi and is no stranger to mayhem created by student wings of religious and political parties on campus. "Pakistani art has a lot of political overtones. With the way things are going on in the country, everything has become much more loaded than ever before. However, you can’t say that it is more difficult for artists than it is for the common man," she says. However, Kazi is hopeful that things will change. "There are people who feel and will express what is on their mind, maybe not publicly but on private forums. And, yes, there is hope for the future," Kazi says.

Fear and repression of the arts is nothing new, yet when it affects artists of another variety — those who reach out to a larger audience through TV and music — the impact reverberates across society. A few decades ago, state-owned channel PTV toed the government’s line with its dupatta policy, enforced during the Zia years (in which a female on TV had to have her head covered at all times, whether she was depicted sleeping or brushing her teeth). Then there were the TV plays on family planning and women empowerment during Benazir Bhutto and General Pervez Musharraf’s time.

"Escapist and fantastical shows may be what the audience prefers, but issue-based TV serials have their following also. At one point, PTV ruled the roost, but over the years, the influx of private channels and Indian soaps led to a change in the viewer’s attitude. People are opening up to new themes. With the recent incidents and the growing intolerance, things might have to be toned down, but there is no stopping us. I do feel it is my responsibility to educate people and do my bit for improving the society," says Babar Javed, a director who has a varied portfolio of issue-based plays. His daring TV serial Meri Zaat Zara-e-Benishan, based on a novel of the same name, was about how a "pious" antagonist twists religion for personal gains. The serial registered record-level TRPs.

Another TV serial gaining audiences these days is Mein Abdul Qadir Hoon that focuses on the identity-crisis faced by a Pakistani boy who morphs from a spoilt, rich kid into what can be loosely described as a born-again Muslim — a phenomenon many Pakistani families have seen first-hand. Its producer, Asif Raza Mir, feels that it is the general reticence towards protesting against injustice that has brought Pakistani society to a stage where fear rules. Yet "Naaray marnay say farq nahi parta (Chanting slogans doesn’t make a difference). Change is possible, but we have to stand up for that. No one will come from outside and change anything for us. We have to take the initiative and bring change," he says.

While Mir is optimistic, Taimur Rehman, frontman of the music band Laal (known for its popular, timely and comment-laden ditties), thinks otherwise. "The space for open dialogue has shrunk dramatically in Pakistan over the years. Artists and performers will have to be more conscious of what they are doing because recent incidents have shown how close-minded this society has become. Rather than condemn the cold-blooded murder (of Taseer), people hero-worship the killer. In a country, where rights of women and minorities are not protected, where there is no religious tolerance or safety of life, how do you expect creativity to flourish?" Rehman questions.

Artists, even those who present low-brow theatre, with its tacky glamour and suggestiveness, in urban centres, seem to be treading a fine line. Referring to Veena Malik’s much-watched, dissected and widely-criticised stay at the house of Bigg Boss, a director of Lahore’s low-brow theatre said on condition of anonymity, "I still don’t know what sort of a reaction Veena will get once she is back in Pakistan. We have anyway told our dancers to tone down their dressing and avoid suggestive dance moves. Stage dancers have always been blamed for spreading vulgarity but they are just entertainers and people do want to watch them. It’s another thing that after watching and enjoying the performances, they do feel the need to be morally upright and condemn the same dance," he said. Nazli, a stage performer from Lahore, recalls an incident, "Last night, after I performed to Munni badnaam, a member of the audience sent me a note praising my beauty and asking me to cover my bosom. I think I will comply, lest I am knocked down for spreading fahashi (vulgarity)!"

Their spirits might seem down, but Pakistani artists are not out. They continue to look for and find their place in an increasingly close-minded society.

The writer is a Karachi -based journalist with ‘The News International’