Experts weigh in on prevailing gender lens against women in national dramas.

ISLAMABAD -- Dramas, whether on stage or on television, have the power to captivate audiences and convey important messages.

By portraying relatable characters and situations, they can make audiences feel deeply and empathize with the story. On the contrary, if this power is used negatively then it can lead to perpetuating stereotypes, normalizing negative behavior, and distorting society and culture. Such is the case with Pakistani dramas as well.

From 'Chup Raho' to Gul e Rana', 'Kaisa Hai Naseeban' to 'Dil e Veeran' and 'Muqadar' to 'Bashar Momin' are cruel examples of not only whitewashing crimes against women but also normalising Stockholm syndrome; a psychological condition under which people develop positive feelings toward their captors or abusers over time.

The question arises here is that why in the 21st century our dramas are still treading the same path rather than changing the course for something better and positive which can help to improve society.

While talking to reporter, veteran actress and legend of the Pakistani drama industry, Samina Ahmed stated: 'Domestic violence, abuse and crimes against women do exist in our society and must be portrayed in dramas as well but what result we show in the end is the essence of the story. If the story is normalizing such acts without showing any consequences then it's actually reinforcing the act in the society.'

'Television has excessively become commercialized and there is a race going on to catch the eyeballs. TRPS, followers and million views led to businesses deciding the base of such drama due to which in a society like ours, where the majority of people are less educated and suffering from the same social issues, they start to relate themselves with these stories ultimately giving the views and ratings for such dramas,' she added.

Media practitioners and experts have a firm stance that media has a very strong impact and people tend to follow the trends created by media perhaps knowingly or unknowingly.

'Just like in conventional media if fake news is continuously hammered then people start to buy the propaganda and fake news as reality. Same is the case with entertainment media, if negative content is consecutively being portrayed in dramas then it will likely become a reality and a common thing for its audience,' stated Zulqernain Tahir, Senior Journalist and Visiting Faculty Punjab University School of Communication Studies.

'It is an established theory that whatever is...