Need actors

Pakistani dramas seem to have a special issue with Pashtuns. Think about this: in the past several years, prime-time dramas focused on the lives of Pashtun people have predominantly represented them as violent, tribal, and rigid characters. The main cast has always consisted of Punjabi or Urdu-speaking actors, and they always speak in Urdu with an accent.

Here is why I think these three things misrepresent one of the largest ethnic groups in Central and South Asia:

Number one: A stereotypical outlook. Guns, violence, extremism, and a disdain for the modern world are some of the recurring traits found in on-screen Pashtun characters. Just like how Indians portray Muslims in their productions to fulfill their own agendas, to some extent, our dramas are doing the exact same thing to Pashtuns. You have to understand that the more our mainstream media shows a certain community in a specific light, the more people in real life start viewing that community through the exact same lens. Many people in real life already look at Pashtuns as "the others," so propagating these ideas in mainstream media only perpetuates prejudices.

Number two: Non-Pashtun actors. I get that most of our mainstream actors have mass appeal and are talented. However, you cannot convince me that these major networks could not find Pashtun actors for these roles who would bring a natural look and cultural fluency, which would also save a lot of preparation time.

Number three: No Pashto. Pashtuns are very proud people. Even if just two Pashtuns sit together, they start speaking in Pashto because they take pride in their language-unlike many of us who shy away from our native tongues. Therefore, having Pashtuns characters speak Urdu on screen has always felt very disorienting to me.

Pakistani dramas are watched by a staggering number of people, both in Pakistan and abroad. It is high time that mainstream dramas move away from this reductionist representation and start depicting Pashtuns as nuanced, multi-layered characters, exactly as they are in real life. Please cast Pashtun actors and keep your scripts in Pashto, because right now it feels like...