What a thinker you are SHOMAN!
“Rape is one of the ugliest forms of crimes against women in Pakistan”: Shoaib Mansoor
Shoaib Mansoor is a man who puts forward issues people avoid to talk about. All previous ventures of Shoaib Mansoor, Khuda k liye and Bol, had special message in them. So does Verna. Mahira Khan is playing the ‘lead’ in upcoming project, “Verna”. She is portraying someone who has been a victim of sexual abuse.
Considering his upcoming venture, he just gave a glimpse of his upcoming venture on social media, and we all went gaga over it.
In his recent note on Facebook, he said, “Rape is one of the ugliest forms of crimes against women in Pakistan. Although the women’s movement has tried to grapple with this scourge and worked with the law makers as well as with the law making agencies, the mindsets of the society remains the biggest challenge that needs to be tackled’.
He further adds, “According to Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, one woman is rapped every two hours in Pakistan. Globally Pakistan is ranked third from the bottom as the most dangerous country for women in the world’.
He further adds, “A substantive push is needed to show how rape is clearly used by powerful by the society to humiliate and invoke fear among the vulnerable. All this happens in the context of patriarchy where the bodies of women have become a battle ground for men to fight their battles of honor, power and revenge.”
About Mahira’s acting, “With the thought that a feature film on this sensitive issue can make more impact than years of struggle through smaller interventions on TV or by NGOs, I have made this effort and named in Verna.
I have chained all my three films together since all deal with women empowerment…’ Khuda kay liye Bol, Verna’ I sincerely hope it will not only spark off the process of shifting people’s patriarchal mindsets but will rejuvenate the movement against crime”.
“Most of all I hope that it will at least make women reflect that rape does not rob them of honor, it is something they earn and no one can snatch it away from them. Things happening around me bother me and hence I am forced by my conscience to take them on. My films reflect the anger that I feel on social injustice of all forms. So every time I am about to embark on a film it is my anger that drives my movement of thoughts not the hunger for success and money. It doesn’t mean that I have a thing against films based on pure entertainment. Not at all. By all means they should be made and succeed and I have all due respect for their makers. I am happy at the recent success of Punjab Nahi Jaaon Gi and Namaloom Afrad too and wish success to all other that are in lone to hit the screen. We need these films to rejuvenate the industry in our country. But we also need some to say something thought provoking. I hope I am provoking some thought.’
Shoaib Mansoor is one of those people who have made films on topics that are considered a taboo in our society. A society need such people, who are not afraid to speak up against matters that are brushed under the carpet because “GHAIRAT”!
