One of the most underrated educational tools is the media industry. It has an inexplicable consciously and unconsciously influencing effect on people's thinking. As a result, it's crucial to pay attention to what kind of material in drama industries are being produced and what vital lessons they're attempting to instil in society. Their intended audience is mostly housewives, who will form the traits and personalities of future generations. They will pass on their beliefs and ideals to future generations. One thing that I have found particularly troubling and have seen repeatedly in Pakistani shows is how they demonstrate that a good wife is one who forgives in the end. Many dramas attempt to instil in people's brains the idea that a decent loving woman always forgives cheater abusive spouses in order to safeguard our prime ministers' favourite word, "family system." There are numerous dramas that depict this mindset. Let's begin with "Ghar titli ka par", in which Aiman Khan forgives her cheating spouse Shahzad Sheikh in order to save her home. Sara Khan forgives Agha Ali's character in Mere Bewafa, who was a husband who abused and tortured her mentally and physically. Mahira's character forgiven Fawad Khan, who had not trusted her and had thrown her out of his home, in Humsafar. Anya forgives Areesh even though he eloped with his lover while Anya was pregnant with his child in Anaa. In Ishq Tamasha, Aiman Khan forgives Junaid Khan's character for kidnapping her, ruining her life, and murdering her cousin. Finally, in one of our industry's most well-known dramas, Shehrezaat, Mahira Khan's character Falak forgives Salman when he returns to her after cheating on her and leaving her. There are numerous other examples of this type attempting to depict the same flawed premise. It tries to show that no matter how horribly a man treats you, as a woman or "decent" wife, you need him at the end of the day and should forgive him. Even more upsetting is the fact that women in the audience are suggesting for those characters that she should forgive him because he feels sorry, he has changed. That she should give her husband a second chance as this is not how relationships or marriages function. He is a human who has made a mistake and now his wife should let it go.
But it begs the question: how many dramas have shown men forgiving women who have cheated on them if we reverse the roles? How much is that acceptable in society as well? Mere Pass Tum Ho is an example of a character who received a lot of hate and outrage simply because she was a woman who cheated. It's not to suggest that cheating is acceptable; it's unquestionably immoral regardless of gender; the question is why one gender receives greater backlash than the other!
