Suno Chanda and All That is Wrong With It

The first time I heard of this drama was over social media and people were praising it like anything. As I had a little time on my hands and was looking for some distraction, I decided to give it a go. Note that this drama serial was spoken of as an amazing light hearted fun.

The thing with me is, if I start something, I finish it. To my bad luck, I did happen to finish watching all of the episodes of this so called happy go lucky light hearted Ramazan special drama on Hum TV.

As for me, from the very first episode, I found a lot of things (almost everything) that were wrong and should not have been shown the way they were.

When I started the show, I made a thread on Twitter and talked about what was wrong with the episodes but gave up on that as I was repeating a few things after every other episode and decided I will post a review once I am done with all the episodes.

After watching the first episode of #SunoChanda, I have to say the following:
– Stop showing that forcing people to get married is acceptable
– Kinza needs to stop mooning over a married man
– Stop propagating that if someone is married to you, you get to dictate them

— Hina Tabassum (@KhatriHina) June 9, 2018

So, here goes. Like my Twitter thread, I’m going to mention the issues in bullet points. Because, that way it is easier to keep track of everything.

1. Forced Marriages: Forced marriages are not OK and the media should not portray that they are. Even if they would have ended the drama with showing how the decision was wrong for the children and the parents repented on how they ruined their children’s lives (or at least some years) and how they should have listened to their children instead, would have left a positive impact. But no, they had to show that all is well that ends well. It should be shown that children are individuals with faculties enough to decide what they want and what is right for them. Because if they are not capable enough, they should stay away from the institution of marriage anyway.
2. Respect the Wedding Vows: Not only yours but others too. Showing that mooning over a married man is acceptable (because her mother was endorsing the behaviour) is not acceptable itself. Whatever the problems of the married couple, it does not give a third person the right to butt in! Unless the divorce is finalised, stay away! Here, I am referring to Kinza’s obsession with Arsal. Staring at his pictures and going all shy while talking to him and talking about him. In my thread, I have referred to her as an aasteen ka saanp and I stick by that title for the woman.
3. Marriage does not equal ownership: Propagating that it is completely alright to dictate to someone just because you’re married to them is again feeding into the warped up values the society upholds. This needs to be eradicated. I am not saying that you should not do chores for each other, what I am saying is, that it should be done out love and respect for each other and not because you said your I Do’s. This I state for both the genders.
4. Emotional Blackmailing: This is a weapon that is used at large in our society without even a second thought (not even a first I think). The same had been rampant in this show. Showing it the way it is in media, it normalises the actions which in turn is detrimental for the society at large.
5. Education, Dreams, and Goals: In a society where women struggle with the already prevalent notions that irrespective of how much of a career a woman makes, at the end of the day she has to be in the kitchen cooking, Hum TV is showing that it is completely OK to undermine and devalue a girl’s dreams and goals of getting higher education and making a career for herself as she puts her education to good use. *Slow clap* You are doing exactly what Zia’s Islamisation did to development in Pakistan. I am not saying that a woman cannot dream about getting married and looking after her family in the way of cooking and cleaning and what not but, my point is that woman does not get to mock another whose dreams and ideas for a perfect life are on a different tangent. She gets to have those aims and goals! Respect them!
6. Understand What is Humour: Before calling something hilarious, go do a little research and learn what is humour. Following do not fall under the category of Humour:
   1. Shouting at each other
   2. Making fun of someone’s values
   3. Mocking someone’s customs
   4. Developing misunderstandings between people
   5. Insulting people for who they are
7. Domestic Abuse: This is not OK. Not under any circumstance. Showing that it is completely fine to slap / hit your children for any transgression is normalising the action rather than teaching the society what repercussions it can have. Not just physical on the children, but, mental as well.
8. Re-inculcation of Stereotypes: In our society there are so many stereotypes that have ruined many a good relation, that what is needed is a changed in the collective thinking and assumptions of the society. And, what better way than the media to inculcate these progressive and correct ideas in people’s minds? But, no. If the media is getting TRPs showing those stereotypes where family members are all after each other for their own gain and love is a fickle word thrown around, then that is what they are doing. Why not show real love in relationships? Why not show that people can be trusted? That not everything is fickle?
9. The DJ Character: I don’t have words to express how douche kind of a role this was. Why was everyone in this godforsaken family OK with this kid making videos of everyone and then blackmailing them? That is not journalism for crying out loud! The only time anyone had a problem was when the video was against them. Not only is the kid appreciated for what he is doing, but also given assignments! Another thing to concentrate on is why is the kid not going to school? Why not shown doing homework or projects? We had those when we were kids! Why would the parents even give a 12 to 13 year old a mobile phone. The entire situation is warped!
10. A woman can have a past too: Men in this society need to get over the fact that a woman can have a past. Well… you were out there having an affair with a woman before your marriage. A woman who went on to marry someone else. Likewise, you also married a woman who was in a relationship. If it is OK for you, it OK for her. Get over it already!

Even though best friends to lovers has always been one of my favourite tropes in the romance genre, I do not like the way it is executed here. All you get out of it is, do as your parents say and everything will take care of itself. Nope, I do not subscribe to that kind of ideology.

Thoroughly disappointed in HUM TV for making this kind of a show.