Drama serial ‘Udaari‘ has been making waves ever since its first episode was aired on Hum television network in April. The reason behind immense popularity has been the theme of the show, which highlights the prevalent issues in the modern society.
‘Udaari’ is a story of two different worlds, the urban and the rural as it touches on a very sensitive topic of child sexual abuse in the society, with the help of ‘Kashf Foundation’. The story focuses on the social and economic marginalisation of citizens in our society and not only that; it also highlights the uptake of music as a career.
Even after the show’s finale, everybody now knows that such an important topic needs to be addressed and highlighted all the time until it stops. The effort made by the media, cast, crew members and ‘Kashf’ is clear that TV medium is not just for day-to-day saas-bahu dramas, this medium can be used to address the dark side and prevailing evils in the society in order to make a change on the larger scale.
And on that note, ‘Kashf Foundation’, one of Pakistan’s leading microfinance institutions organised an event discussing the taboo topic and the role of media in creating awareness. The event took place at the Pearl Continental Hotel in Lahore on Friday.
The highlight of the event was a conversation between ‘Kashf Foundation’s’ Founder and Managing Director, Roshaneh Zafar and TV/Film actor and social activist Ahsan Khan (now, popularly known as Paa Imtiaz). The conversation explored the role of media in shaping social perceptions and creating awareness regarding pressing social issues in Pakistan.
As we ‘Continue the Udaari Movement’ it can be said that Ahsan Khan is more than just a pretty face, his skills as an ace actor have been seen and appreciated by all. He is now working for the greater good as he goes on to raise awareness about different social issues with different campaigns.
From the ‘He for She’ campaign to the ‘Udaari Movement’, this man has used his popularity for the betterment of the society.
While in conversation with Roshaneh Zafar, the ‘Udaari’ actor talked about the role of media to create a healthy dialogue around the importance of social issues.
“It is high time we as a society recognise that it is our civic duty to preserve the innocence of children by providing them with a conducive environment where they grow into healthy adults,” he said.
“It is our responsibility as actors to educate audiences, and to learn about the myths surrounding child abuse, and how this can be prevented,” added Khan.
While talking about his role in ‘Udaari’, he said that a lot of research was done to put the show together. Not only that, he talked about the challenges he faced while shooting his scenes.
“There were times when I would call the director and tell them that this is something I won’t be able to do,” said Khan.
“Playing the role of a paedophile, looking at the kid like that is something that I cannot even think of,” he said.
He continued to recall the time onset when his co-stars and crew members would give him time to digest and process the scene.
He lauded the work done by the child actor who played the role of Zebo and her parents who supported her throughout despite ‘loog kya soochain gay’.
While talking about preventive methods Ahsan said that this topic is now out in the open and everybody needs to talk about it. The need to educate kids and each other about the ‘good touch’ ‘bad touch’ is very important.
“Sexual harassment can be prevented if parents give more attention to their kids, monitor what they have access to online and talk about it,” said the actor, while talking to the media.
‘Udaari’ has given a chance for people to open up about the issue. People who have been shy, scared can easily talk about it now.
On another note, at the event ‘Kashf Foundation’ celebrated its 20 years mark through an exclusive preview of its music video ’Himmat Ka Safar’.
The video features a special song sung by veteran singer Tahira Syed and Roshaneh Zafar.
The video depicts three inspiring stories of ‘Kashf’ clients and shows how access to microloans has enabled these women to embark on a journey of financial independence and courage.
“The song is the Foundation’s way of recognising women all over Pakistan,” said Roshaneh.
“They are not only homemakers and wives and mothers but also the custodians of their family’s upkeep,” she said.
“Many of them work day and night to provide better lives for their families. This song is our tribute to these incredible women,” she added.
The event concluded with an award ceremony where the clients of ‘Kashf Foundation’ were honoured with a token of appreciation for the hard work done.
More power to you ladies and everyone out there who is making a difference in the society.