Mehwish Hayat:Discussion on Gala Biscuit advertisement

Salman Khan October 07, 2020


Mehwish Hayat

For the past few days, a biscuit advertisement in which Mehwish Hayat  Pakistani social media has been under discussion, calling the dance shown 'Mujra' and criticizing the advertisement and the role of the Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) in Pakistan. to be continued.

Critics range from ordinary consumers to government ministers & Mehwish Hayat.  On the other hand, the question was raised, "Does this society hate laughing, smiling, singing, swinging women?" Following the criticism of this advertisement, an advisory has been issued by PEMRA instructing the Pakistan Advertising Association (PAA) and Pakistan Advertisers Society (PAS) to review the content of the advertisement. This advisory is being sharply criticized by progressive circles in Pakistan and is being described as an attempt to limit creativity.


PEMRA notis

What is the guidance given in PEMRA's advisory?

 The advisory said that the content of advertisements for common products broadcast on satellite TV channels, such as biscuits, coffee, etc., was incompatible with these products. The authority said that such a trend was not only increasing public unrest. It is also a violation of acceptable standards of decency in society and Pakistani social and cultural values. PEMRA says there is a need to review advertisements for products such as biscuits. PAS, PAA and PBA are therefore directed to reconsider the public concerns regarding the main idea and content of the advertisements and to review the content of Gala Biscuits under the Electronic Media Code of Conduct. 
Mehwish Hayat In gala biscuit Ad

 Speaking to the BBC, Hamad Tariq, acting secretary general of the Pakistan Advertising Association (PAA), said he had not yet received the advisory, but said at a meeting of the board of directors on October 8. Will be discussed.

What's in the ad? The one-minute, 37-second Gala Biscuit ad was released three days ago.

In the advertisement, actress Mahesh Hayat is seen dancing to the tune of a song 'Mere Des Ka Biscuit Gala' in colorful attire among people from different regional cultures from Balochistan to Sindh.


 

The Gala Biscuit issue is under discussion on social media. Many people want to know, "What is the scale of pornography and who will determine what is obscene and what is not?"If you look at different opinions, there seems to be no answer to this question and everyone is defining pornography in their own way. Following the criticism of the Gala Biscuit advertisement and the PEMRA directive, many have also said that if every other day the art or artist's expression is not to express sharia, non-religion or society and cultural values. Saying that if objections and restrictions are imposed on it, what opportunity is left for an artist to show his creativity?

Many people do not have an opinion, they just walk away with their eyes closed.

Well known author Amna Mufti says that it has never been possible for an artist in Pakistan to openly express his creativity.He said that as an artist, you always 'edit' yourself so that you don't step on the red line drawn by the society. "Artists were already working under the influence of fear and in a very compromising environment, but now it's completely dead." According to Amna Mufti, she has seen the advertisement of the gala very carefully but she did not see anything objectionable in it. He said that if the public rejects any material, it is another matter but they do not accept censorship.He said that if PEMRA saw any objectionable item in the advertisement, it should be clarified.Amna believes that there is a lot of crowdfunding in Pakistan and "a lot of people don't have an opinion of their own, they just close their eyes and walk back and start criticizing."


Referring to Shazia Kushk's dance on state TV, he said that for the past few decades, the culture representing the four provinces in full dress has been promoted on Pakistan's state TV in the same way. Referring to PTI leader Ali Mohammad Khan's tweet against the concept of the state of Madinah and Prime Minister Imran Khan's opposition to absurdity, Amna Mufti said that the Prime Minister is not a representative of any one class or one ideology. ۔ "If he is the prime minister of the people who are criticizing this advertisement, then he is also the prime minister of those who have no objection to this advertisement."

He said that on the one hand it is said to watch the Turkish serial Ertugrul. "Put Ertugrul on one side and a gala ad on the other and then tell me which is more obscene."

 Recently, Prime Minister Imran Khan on his social media advised the youth to read the romantic novel '40 Rules of Love 'by Turkish author Elfik Shafak. Amna says that one day you are advised to read novels like '40 Rules of Love 'for moral training and the next day you are talking about banning cultural dance.

"I still don't understand the standard of pornography,

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The government and the institutions themselves are very confused.

 Amna Mufti says that when an industry in Pakistan works hard and gains a foothold, the government makes every effort to control it.She says it's not just about this one ad, before that there were objections and restrictions on the script of dramas. "The government and the institutions themselves are very confused and they have confused the people," she said.Talking about censorship during her career, Amna Mufti said that she has canceled many projects only because of PEMRA because if a character cannot say a sentence while remaining in his role, then he has to write it. What's the use However, he said that some artists are forced to write censored plays due to their economic situation.

Mehwish Hayat Facebook

Nobody says anything about a man's shirtless ad.

Tasneem Ahmar of Aks, an organization working for women's rights, says it is becoming difficult for artists in Pakistan to express their creativity, but the space for women artists is getting even narrower, because The main focus of the criticism is on the woman, her dress and her movements.
 "In our society, women are kept within a certain limit and it seems that when women are coming out of this limit, they are criticized and it is made difficult for them to do their job," she said. No one says anything about an advertisement for a man without a shirt.
Tasnim says that first of all, there should be no ban, but if there is to be criticism or ban, then treat everyone equally and ban both men and women.

 Tasneem said society has become so stifled that advertisements for women's basic health, family planning and sanitary pads cannot be shown. Referring to Ali Mohammad Khan's tweets, Tasneem said that those who criticize women's clothing in these advertisements and consider it as the root of rape and evil in the society should tell that the little girls who are raped should wear their clothes. What's wrong with me? Sheema Kirmani asks why PEMRA does not say anything when hate speech is shared or when people on TV abuse women like me and use foul language against us. Why aren't these people banned? '

The government is using such tactics to divert attention from the real issues.


 Speaking to the BBC, artist Sheema Kirmani said that differences of opinion were not being tolerated in Pakistani society as there were few opportunities for progressive people to express their creativity.
Sheema Karnami says the government is using such tactics to divert attention from the real issues facing the country, such as rape.She said that the government should pay attention to issues like rape, poverty and unemployment. Referring to censorship during his career, he said that he had faced censorship many times regarding his dance. "Sometimes it is said why do you wear such clothes, why do you wear bandis, you don't look like a Pakistani." Sheema Kirmani wonders on what basis PEMRA has termed this advertisement as a violation of acceptable standards of decency in the society and Pakistani social and cultural values.Sheema Kirmani asks, "Why doesn't PEMRA say anything when hate speech is shared or when people on TV abuse women like me and use foul language against us?" Why aren't these people banned? '
He said that PEMRA needs to review its policies and understand what causes obscenity in the society.

Sarmad said that he has also seen the advertisement but he does not understand what the objection is and he wants someone to name four things and say that these four things are wrong.

Objectors should also explain what they object to.


 Talking to BBC about this, Pakistani director and actor Sarmad Sultan Khost said that all the institutions like Censor Board and PEMRA have been formed, if they have any objection then they should point it out in clear words.

 "Whatever guidelines or standards these institutions have, remove the ambiguity about them once and create a charter that sets out what is allowed and what is not," he said.

 Sarmad said that he has also seen the advertisement but he does not understand what the objection is and he wants someone to name four things and say that these four things are wrong.

Banning are not the answer.


 According to Amna Mufti, ban is not the solution to any problem, things should be made and kept going, it will open people's minds and they will start to understand things and from that later those who come forward will understand that they How to speak


 Tasneem Ahmar believes that restriction on things using the religion card is not a solution and both men and women should be treated equally and the country should not be allowed to become a society of men only. "Let people be aware of what is right and what is wrong."

 The BBC has repeatedly tried to contact PEMRA and relevant government officials regarding the advertisement, the advertising agency and actress Mehwish Hayat, but has not been able to do so.

Discussions on social media

 Opponents of the ad, as well as some government ministers from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), say the ad is absurd and obscene and that such material cannot be allowed in the state of Madinah.

 In this case, the most apparent criticism of the ad has been made by journalist Ansar Abbasi. But while there is no shortage of those who agree with him, he is also being criticized.





 By the way, Ansar Abbasi has innumerable tweets on this issue, in one of which he tagged PEMRA and says, “Mujra will now be aired on TV channels to sell biscuits. Is there an organization called PEMRA here? 'At the same time, he tagged Prime Minister Imran Khan and asked if he would take any action on the issue. Wasn't Pakistan built in the name of Islam?


 But when PEMRA took action yesterday, he shared the advisory issued by PEMRA and wrote, “Alhamdulillah! PEMRA has issued advisory to all TV channels, PBA and concerned agencies for running dance-based advertisements to sell biscuits at public protests and said that our values ​​should be taken care of.

 At the same time, he thanked all those who spoke out against it.

 It may be recalled that even before this, Ansar Abbasi had objected to this while sharing a clip of a show on Pakistan's state-run TV channel Pakistan Television last month. In this seven-second clip, a woman in a workout dress can be seen working out with a male trainer . Well, there are two different views from government ministers on this issue. Ali Mohammad Khan of PTI retweeted Ansar Abbasi's tweet and wrote, "Our government's vision is for a civil state." Prime Minister Imran Khan is against absurdity. "And he is the only Prime Minister of Pakistan who stood at the United Nations and spoke to the world about the great personality, greatness, dignity and civil state of the Prophet of Islam and his Companions." But on the other hand, there are federal ministers like Fawad Chaudhry who wrote sarcastically in response to the tweets of journalists Ansar Abbasi and Ali Muhammad Khan, “Why do you and Ali keep searching for pornography 24 hours a day? Get some creative work done.


Many users are also asking if there would have been such a reaction if there had been a man instead of Mahesh in this advertisement and dance? While many people say that why PEMRA does not show such promptness in banning dramas with substandard content?

 Many people were seen sharing the advertisement of the same biscuit made in the year 2013 and asking where were the people who called the recent advertisement obscene seven years ago?


 

 Most users believe that the 2013 ad featured more dance scenes than ever before, but at the time, no one was critical, nor was there any notification from any government agency.

 Many people also seem to be asking whether the reason is that the then government (PML-N) did not take any action and the current PTI government is more conservative?


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