There’s a new TV show in Pakistan focussing on the insecurities of a girl with curly hair and people are just not buying it.
A viral clip from the show called Main Aisi Kiun Hun airing on Express TV shows a character played by actor Syed Jibran calling the lead actor of the show Noor Zafar Khan ugly because of her curly hair. “These hair in natural form make you ugly..and unfortunately now my daughter has also inherited these hair from you. I am the husband of a woman and father of a daughter with ugly hair..this pains me,” he says in the video.
Pakistanis can’t stop cringing.
The description of the show reads: “Why is it that the natural hair on a woman’s head causes so many negative emotions? Why can’t women be accepted in all their natural beauty? ‘Main aisi kiun hun’ targets just this subject”. The show started airing from 7 February.
Pakistani journalist Absa Komal posted a viral clip from the show on Twitter and wrote, “As if our natural obsession with fair complexion wasn’t enough, we are now shaming women with curly hair”.
Singer Meesha Shafi also reacted to the show and said, “no, this can’t be..”.
No this can’t be
— MEESHA SHAFI (@itsmeeshashafi) February 10, 2022
Pakistani users on social media sites, including Twitter and Instagram, are sharply reacting to the show, with some calling it “a new low”, “cringe”, “disgusting”, and simply expressing shock at the storyline.
A Twitter user asked, “how do these actors agree to do such discriminatory/hoax storylines?”
my question is: how do these actors, who also claim being 'influencers' very proudly, agree to do such discriminatory/hoax storylines?
exactly what goes through the head of a person who sees this script, knows what it will look like on the screen, and yet agrees to do it? https://t.co/Rji6AlapTE
— farazdaq (@farazdaqm17) February 10, 2022
On Instagram, a user wrote, “A show I will definitely miss. Thank you for unlocking a new insecurity”.
Another one wrote: “No one has any problem with curly hair. Stop showcasing Pakistan in a negative light”.
Some Pakistani women posted the photos of their curly hair. However, there were some who defended the show, saying that it critiques stigma against curly hair and mainstream Pakistani shows take this approach to highlight problematic issues.
If anything this seems to be critiquing stigma against curly hair, and this is the approach a lot of Pakistani dramas take to spotlight problematic social attitudes. Confused as to how most people in thr QTs and replies don't realise that? https://t.co/ROTTrtKowx
— Afroze (@afrozefz) February 9, 2022
Some users also accepted that stigma around curly hair is real.
no but this actually happens! good for u to think this is absurd but I’ve actually witnessed men do this exact thing w their wives and more. use this to talk about how men justify their anger and abuse by insulting their wife’s appearance and placing themselves as the victim https://t.co/1DdqsW5D7s
— s (@smnuknoww) February 9, 2022
We had a house-help who used to come with her two daughters. One of her daughters hair was curly & every few months she would shave her daughter head with the hope that the new hair that grows out won’t be curly.
Now that I think more, curly hair was never considered beautiful. https://t.co/rIngXHrY7A
— خراب عورت (@KharabAurat) February 9, 2022
Interestingly, an Indian show, also titled ‘Main Aisi Kyunn Hoon’ used to air on Sahara One channel in 2007. The promo uploaded on YouTube shows the protagonist of the show worrying about her grey hair and wondering whether anyone would marry her. The Pakistani makers of the show seem to have got some inspiration from the Indian serial.