The new drama serial ‘Sinf-e-Aahan’, produced by superstar Humayun Saeed in collaboration with Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), has stirred a controversy on social media with users questioning some of the dialogues overly glorifying the armed forces at the expense of demeaning other professions.
People commented on a clip from the play doing the rounds on social media wherein a woman could be seen convincing her mother to let her practice law in the military, saying that no other profession in the country gives importance to merit. The character went on to say that judiciary is all about hitting the gavel on the table.
So My dream profession Judiciary is just about hitting the gavel on table.
Bam! Bam! Order in the House! https://t.co/mOcOOLn23v
— Alya (@ElitistaTa) November 29, 2021
A user said that the entertainment industry was being ‘colonized by the powers that be’
The powers that be are bent on colonizing the entire entertainment industry. I sort of feel bad for our actors. Many know how ridiculous these dramas are and how they are being used for propaganda but they too have to make a living. https://t.co/T0wWEFiVJn
— Arsalan Khan (@akkhan81) November 29, 2021
One user asked if the money earned by officers was indeed peanuts, another reference to the viral clip.
A cadet in the PMA earns nearly 60K/month, how much would officers earn (with annual increments + much higher pay scale you can well imagine) if that’s wrong you may sue me or report my account. So ask yourself, are those really peanuts when accommodations are free forever? https://t.co/7J9m9TXREK
— — (@SansCulottic) November 29, 2021
One netizen lamented that her father wants her to marry an army officer because of the many army-inspired dramas being aired on channels.
https://twitter.com/notyourdoctor99/status/1464906189859295241
Some users supported the idea behind the play and said that such productions should be supported.
Sinf-e-Aahan, loosely translated as the ‘Women of Steel’, breeds the premise for strong female characters from different socio-economic backgrounds set to conquer their goals of joining the army. #WomenOfSteel #SinfeAahan pic.twitter.com/YyyNNgFYiv
— Ali علی (@iamAliJatt) November 28, 2021
Another clip from the drama stirred a feud between the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) and Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology (GIKI) students. The clip shows Sajal Aly’s character meeting a family for a prospective Rishta. The man’s mother asked her where she studied and upon hearing “NUST”, she asked why not a foreign university or GIKI.
This led to a social media war between students and alumni of the two top engineering institutions in the country.
https://twitter.com/sheharbanosays/status/1465113991680823296
Husband's mad at that Nust vs Giki comment in #SinfeAahan and now he's searching from where have the production staff graduated from. XD
— Aiman (@aims1297) November 28, 2021
Sinf-e-Aahan Drama cast stars Sajal Aly, Yumna Zaidi, Kubra Khan, Syra Yousuf, and Ramsha Khan.