Pakistani drama Serial ‘Tere Bin’ is trending on Twitter for all the wrong reasons. It opened a new argument all over the social media. Ladies from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh are raising their voices to register on this major crime.
In episode 46 of the popular drama ‘Tere Bin‘. We see Ali’s character, Murtasim, apparently forcing himself on his wife Meerab (Zaidi) as the credits roll. Moreover, in the promo for the next week’s episode, it’s implied that Tere Bin will now include the theme of marital rape. The said sudden change in a fan-favorite character has sent shockwaves through the fanbase of the drama serial.
Many called out the show and its writer for the unnecessary downfall of Murtasim’s character arc. However, the latter has now opened up about the criticism. As the said episode concluded, Meerab slapped Murtasim and spat on his face during an argument. In response, we saw Murtasim grow furious and push Meerab onto the bed and then close the door. The sequence implied that marital rape or assault would take place in the next episode and this is not sitting well with the audience.
What makes matters worse is that the writer of the drama, Nooran Makhdoom, has defended the show. “It’s a situation which was the demand of the serial that will lead to the climax,” she told. “If the audience isn’t getting it, I can’t change it,” she said. “It’s just a drama. They should wait for the entire story to unfold instead of taking issue with every episode,” she said.
“It’s not like this has happened onscreen for the first time,” the writer added. “It’s just that this project has received such wide recognition that people reacted strongly to the recent twist”.
“If you speak of my social responsibility, I created a story and I stand by it,” she said. “And this is not an unusual occurrence; it has happened before.”
Marital Rape and our society
More than a thousand women in South Asia alone suffer from marital rape; yet, their cries are hushed simply because a family’s “private matters” is outside the jurisdiction of traditional courts. This lack of interference in the private sphere by the courts instigates a chain of physical, psychological, and verbal abuse within the family home, which women have no way of avenging. Every society condemns the act of rape and the violation of individual integrity.
Islam does not support marital rape in any case scenario. This topic should be handled elegantly. But the mainstream drama shows this to the extent that it triggers a lot of audiences. India is about to pass a bill on this crime so that women get protected. Bangladesh court is also considering the same. Pakistan has laws but our family system and society does not allow to live women freely. Authorities should consider the issue seriously and avoid it to show it on television glorifying.