Posted:
Have tried to refrain from the "Skirt-Gate 2013," but wanted to add my two cents in hopes of at least adding a different dimension to the debate, instead of the back and forth over a (not that great looking) denim skirt.
We can talk in circles all day about whether Zoya wearing a miniskirt or not is her ticket to hell. The fact is, it's a big world with lots of people who are all going to practice religion in whatever way is best for them and their beliefs. But in the middle of all of this debating, a few people have raised the question of whether Gul is doing a disservice to Muslims by showing a Muslim girl in a miniskirt. And this is where I actually want to take a minute and point out that I think that with Qubool Hai, Gul has created one of the most dynamic and accurate representations of Muslims (as accurate as a melodramatic Indian soap opera can be) in mainstream media, and as a practicing Muslim myself, it's one of the reasons I appreciate the show most. (Okay, that and Karan's body. Can't help it. Girl's gotta have priorities.)
The contrast between Zoya and Asad is the obvious one -- Asad equates spirituality with a heavy emphasis on tradition and what is "appropriate," and Zoya blows it all to smithereens by finding spirituality in peoples' actions, words, and behaviors. Neither are wrong, they're just different. And isn't that the beauty of religion to begin with? Diverse followers from all over the world ultimately finding universal solace in one common higher power? Whether you wear a hijab or a miniskirt, whether you eat pizza or biryani, whether you're Asad with strict beliefs about "tehzeeb" or Zoya who follows her heart above all else, at the end of the day it's the faith and belief in the same higher power that brings all of these people together.
But it doesn't just end there. It's not a coincidence that the "villains" of this show -- Razia and Tanveer -- are always shown with a dupatta modestly draped over their heads while the "heroines" -- Zoya, Dilshad, and Najma -- are all unveiled. People here disagree about a lot of things, but I think we can all agree that Razia and Tanveer's intentions are filled with a kind of malice, hatred, and ill-will that the non-villanous (and unveiled) women on the show would never even dream of. It's a subtle message, but a powerful one: shallow and superficial understandings of "good vs. evil" are just that. Shallow and superficial. By putting the "villains" of the show in an "appropriately conservative" wardrobe, choosing to unveil their kind-hearted counterparts, and yes, even by putting her lead in a miniskirt, Gul actually sends a message about stopping to think before judging, and about remembering to keep an open mind when it comes to something as vague and subjective as religion. Let's face it, us Muslims kind of have a global PR problem, and in her own melodramatic, over-the-top, only-in-an-Indian-serial kind of way, she's actually managed to create a positive, humanizing, and multidimensional portrayal of a religious community that is too often misunderstood and misrepresented. And for that, if nothing else, I'm grateful to her.
We can talk in circles all day about whether Zoya wearing a miniskirt or not is her ticket to hell. The fact is, it's a big world with lots of people who are all going to practice religion in whatever way is best for them and their beliefs. But in the middle of all of this debating, a few people have raised the question of whether Gul is doing a disservice to Muslims by showing a Muslim girl in a miniskirt. And this is where I actually want to take a minute and point out that I think that with Qubool Hai, Gul has created one of the most dynamic and accurate representations of Muslims (as accurate as a melodramatic Indian soap opera can be) in mainstream media, and as a practicing Muslim myself, it's one of the reasons I appreciate the show most. (Okay, that and Karan's body. Can't help it. Girl's gotta have priorities.)
The contrast between Zoya and Asad is the obvious one -- Asad equates spirituality with a heavy emphasis on tradition and what is "appropriate," and Zoya blows it all to smithereens by finding spirituality in peoples' actions, words, and behaviors. Neither are wrong, they're just different. And isn't that the beauty of religion to begin with? Diverse followers from all over the world ultimately finding universal solace in one common higher power? Whether you wear a hijab or a miniskirt, whether you eat pizza or biryani, whether you're Asad with strict beliefs about "tehzeeb" or Zoya who follows her heart above all else, at the end of the day it's the faith and belief in the same higher power that brings all of these people together.
But it doesn't just end there. It's not a coincidence that the "villains" of this show -- Razia and Tanveer -- are always shown with a dupatta modestly draped over their heads while the "heroines" -- Zoya, Dilshad, and Najma -- are all unveiled. People here disagree about a lot of things, but I think we can all agree that Razia and Tanveer's intentions are filled with a kind of malice, hatred, and ill-will that the non-villanous (and unveiled) women on the show would never even dream of. It's a subtle message, but a powerful one: shallow and superficial understandings of "good vs. evil" are just that. Shallow and superficial. By putting the "villains" of the show in an "appropriately conservative" wardrobe, choosing to unveil their kind-hearted counterparts, and yes, even by putting her lead in a miniskirt, Gul actually sends a message about stopping to think before judging, and about remembering to keep an open mind when it comes to something as vague and subjective as religion. Let's face it, us Muslims kind of have a global PR problem, and in her own melodramatic, over-the-top, only-in-an-Indian-serial kind of way, she's actually managed to create a positive, humanizing, and multidimensional portrayal of a religious community that is too often misunderstood and misrepresented. And for that, if nothing else, I'm grateful to her.
Marathi TV
Ganesh Kartikeya
CID
Anupamaa
