I couldn’t help but to be vulnerable after watching your video. I belong to a village with a privileged background i was able to attend English medium schools in the city. One of the factors that made me hate my culture, traditions and even my mother tongue was the bullying I experienced at the hands of my peers and teachers. Even one day on PTM my teacher told my mother that i speak Urdu in Punjabi accent but I’ll get better at it with the mutual efforts. I feel so heavy right now while writing about that day because back then my mother was also told that we should feel shame in speaking punjabi. Ironically my siblings also made fun of me because of this incident. Hence that’s where this internalised hatred for OWN culture started in a child’s head. I had to learn what’s cool and what’s Eww from English accent, vocab, dressing, music taste and what not. I also taunted the hell out of people closer to me in order to make them give up paindu styles in different aspects. It was super difficult but eventually i was so successful that when i got into medical college, my teachers asked me if I’m an overseas student or what. I look back and conclude it wasn’t a success but an overcoat which I stuffed myself into. Now as a 27 years old I feel so lost. I’ve explored international music so much that I’m unsure if I have either psychologically acquired or extended my taste for it. Do i authentically like it or its the years of familiarity talking? How do i reconnect with my ancestral legacies? How do i own them the way the deserve? Your points have shaken so many things within me. I feel so disconnected from my own culture that even getting back to it feels alien and weird. How can a person like me detox themselves out of this cultural imperialism? How do i find my authentic self in this chaos? I’ll welcome any suggestions. Obviously it won’t be easy for me. But what should be the realistic goal? Is it to modernise our culture or to integrate it in our lives in its original form? How can an individual play a role in establishing a collective identity as a Pakistani? Do we need to acknowledge the burger identity as legitimate? Also, sometimes i think elites control what’s fashionable in clothing. Wohi jo cheez kal tk inko paindu lgti thi usi ko dobara la k reinvention and innovation k naam p introduce kra k cool advertise kia jata h. Kia rang hain waise dunya k bhi. I hope i made the point. Thanks for making this vide🌸
This video made me immensely thankful to my parents for raising us on a healthy diet of Sindhi and Urdu music, books and stories. We added English and Punjabi as we grew older. I used to feel left out because I didn't know many of the western musicians, but now I kinda enjoy my status as connoisseur of local music and languages among my friends. Thank you for making these videos.
I watched all 33 mins and did not lose focus for a min. I am 200% a 'victim' in the sense that growing up my school, my upbringing, my burger islamabadi friends and circles around me all came together (some of them not knowing they were doing this consciously) to get me to detach from my culture. A lot of the people who did this to me don't know it was done to them too...yet at the same time I'm AWARE of how distanced I am from my culture and I live with this 'pain' of sorts where I can't understand what they're referring to in some lyrics, what they're talking about in a regional drama/movie...for all the reasons you have discussed. And there's many people like me although some are still not ready to accept that we are willingly participating in the erasure of our own culture by celebrating each time someone from amongst us gets western validation 😢 Anyway great video Sabahat as always!
i started watching at 1.5x speed but later slowed it to 1x, aap itnay khoobsoorat aur parhe likhay tareekay say baat karti hain boht maza aya and loved your perspective on this topic. Gave me something to think about!
This is such a good video. Your comparison with Indian artists is apt too - these artists don't "need" western validation, they are big enough in their own country/world. Coachella is just a minor cherry on top. Same goes for south Korean artists (bts, blackpink), Nigerian artists (burna boy, Fireboy DML, tems, efc), Latin American artists (bad bunny). They are so huge and actually make money in their parts of the world that the others have to notice. It's unfortunate that Pakistan isn't really able to sustain artists in that way... Heck, so many actors actually live abroad now. As a side note, I recently saw Ali sethi in San Francisco. While half the crowd was there just for pasoori I'm sure, he would often talk about "ghazals" and sing some which I've never heard before. You are right he would be so much more appreciated in Lahore, but then again he was so visibly queer during his performance, something we are not ready to accept
it’s thought provoking what you’re talking about… as a pakistani who found out and came to terms with my internalised hate, racism and inferiority complex only after moving away, i could argue about many things. but one thing which i’m sure of is that in pakistan, you are only taught, in majority, to look outside. think externally. so basically you’re taught to disconnect from your roots even though, constantly you have small tiny reminders and practices around you which remind you of our rituals and traditions, but it’s not enough to realise. i only really became profoundly interested in my pakistani/indian history once i found myself in a foreign land where they value their language, their food, their songs, their creators, their writers and actively promote them to be a part of the zeitgeist. and yet also the realisation of the role of south asia in western history and its contribution through art and crafts, fashion in particular. So i understand your frustration. But pakistanis, who don’t live in a rich closed off bubble, are taught to hit their own foot with a hammer (direct urdu translation 😉) you know what happened with the release of joyland… it speaks volume of how a large part of the society reacts to change and new perspectives. so we ourselves need to feel empowered enough to demand the arts and culture to be respected and nurtured, the powerful and political haven’t ever given two shits… but there’s much hope. you need to hear the right voices which can lead you to feel curious, not inferior. that and the colonial hangover we need to recover from. getting shortlisted for an oscar or winning a grammy is an invitation to discover pakistani culture or even rediscover it. seeing it as validation of your existence however is another thing which is a product of the conditioning of the modern pakistani society…
Watched the whole thing and totally relate to it. I have been guilty of watching thousands of Indian and other reaction videos of pak songs, trailers, osts and feeling proud. I probably will lessen it so much
Yes I'm from India. As a lover of both ghazals and jazz music, AA is the worst thing that could have happened to my autoplay 🥺. Also, on Natu Natu - the actors didn't perform at the Oscars but they did go there and promote like crazy with changed accents and all. There is a big push to promote the film and its director as "pan India". There is too much to say about the politics of all this but just wanted to mention it.
You should make more videos. I have felt in past as well that you articulate these cultural issues quite beautifully and I feel myself nodding in agreement to most of what you describe in them. You don't know how much annoyance I have felt over the years that people around me have increasingly stopped remembering the art created by their own and have blindly followed what popular culture has thrown in their face. And that popular culture is dictated by this increasing divide between what we are and what we wish to be. And as rubbing salt to wound, people like us are labeled as cynics or slanderers because we are perceived as ones who have to find fault in everything. And I am embarrassed to admit that I have to sometimes toe the line just to feel included. On a separate note, I would like to hear more about the examples you gave in the start of video, e.g. Sharmeen Obaid or Joyland. Because I think your point can be extended for them too. I've watched Joyland and despite being an above average movie, I too think the movie suffers from the same ideological fit that's necessary for a piece of art or the artist to find validation in the west. Apart from being a collaboration of Pakistani filmmaker with American one, it is a taboo story that presents so many of those topics that western audience can relate to, and probably wants from a country like Pakistan, even if it gets preachy in presenting those topics. Hope I'll get your review on that in some other video as well. Keep on doing the great work! 😊👏
"Time and logic finite hoti hain." That's epic. I felt it. Very logical. You have this beautiful talent of logically explaining things. You should definitely think of monetize this. Btw, are you a socialist though??
@@feminustani alright. I love your contents. You have a solid head above your shoulder. And I'm for capitalism though. Hope you're not a Marxist. That I despise. Anyways loads of love to you ma'am. Have a great one.
First off, I really enjoy all your videos. I feel there two aspects to this topic that you detailed. One is purely the creative direction of artists. Second is the business aspect of arts. ... For artists (especially) in Pakistan, the reality of making a decent living doing creative work is so slim that I don't blame them for making the most out of whatever opportunity is presented to them. As for the business side, corporations/record labels/management firms create buzz and/or milk a situation for maximum exposure of their talent. And it's the same with offering token diversity as media companies expand their market into different regions. Is it bad or good? As a mafia boss would say, "It's nothing personal... just business" ... Out of curiosity, I have a question for you: What do you hope could happen by making these art criticism (genre) videos? -An artist might get an idea for a new direction to explore their creativity? -Educating the masses about these topics? (If so, then I feel you can tone down the academic language. As right now you're attracting the 'urban elite' {like myself}). -Creating for the sake of creation itself? An expression of your thoughts, opinions & frustrations? (which is a good enough reason to do this tbh). ... Keep up your expression!
Hey. I appreciate the detailed comment. About your question, it’s a mix of all these imperatives. For this particular video, my intended audience IS the Pakistani elite. They are the ones unable to grasp any of this, so it’s fine if the language veers towards the academic, I feel.
Hi Sabahat- great video! Just a thought- when you refer to “diluted diaspora culture”- is there such a thing as a diluted culture or is it just a creation of new cultures. It’s like saying pink is a diluted form of red- which it is, but also a separate entity in itself? So saying artists like Sethi or Hasán Raheem are cut off from their roots or don’t have an ecosystem to continue older forms like ghazal- isn’t that anti-growth almost? Maybe diaspora culture isn’t diluted but a culture of its own and that’s how cultures grow and change? And isn’t it this diaspora that gave us authors like Rushdie and Naipaul? Anyway just some thoughts inspired by your video. Great work as always ❤️
Thanks for your thoughtful engagement, Sapna. I agree that diaspora culture is a culture of its own. This video (as most of what I do and care about in life) is about people living IN Pakistan and trying to make them understand that diaspora is indeed a different culture. Diluted or not, it stems from different imperatives and realities. Too many kids in Pakistan look at ‘brown representation’ and celebrate it mindlessly as if brown is equal to Pakistani. Why this is important is because (as I say in the video) even the marginalised in the west are often more privileged than the middle classes in Pakistan. They have the means to become part of western media hegemony that gives the false impression of diversity to a kid living in a different geography. Stories and ideas are, of course, universal too, but they become powerful and relevant when they touch upon universal themes via specificity.
Agreed. But isn’t that a bit like saying those diaspora kids are more privileged than you lot- their wins aren’t your wins. And yes the western media does have this tokenism aspect but maybe these kids just need to feel “seen”? With all the negative coverage about Pakistan maybe they just want to say “there’s more to us than just that, take us out of the oppression of living here with all the social/economic/political issues and we are as talented as anyone else!” Obviously there would be nothing better than quality content made by Pakistanis living in Pakistan, but 1. Self actualization can only be achieved once your basic needs are met which is far from the case in Pakistan for most, 2. We don’t nurture artistic talent or have an appreciation anymore of why the Arts are essential, and 3. Perhaps our self loathing runs so deep that what we need is some real therapy as a nation as to why that is? It seems there’s no lack of Pakistani content or award shows but maybe the quality is not all that because we don’t truly want to see ourselves which makes true art impossible. So in light of all this if Pakistanis living in Pakistan want to claim and celebrate some of these wins it’s almost understandable?
Yes, definitely. It IS saying that diaspora kids are more privileged by almost every metric. And I have no issues with them wanting to feel seen in their environment, but that’s THEIR concern, not a Pakistani kid’s living in a blatantly repressive Muslim country. That’s the distinction a Pakistani child needs to be able to draw. That diaspora and Pakistani are not the same. As for your numbered points. Agree with all. The video starts with the underlying assumption that all of this is true and understood, and then where do we go from there? Be happy about diaspora achievements but they will always give kids living within Pakistan a false sense of representation. After they have celebrated the global wins, they should ask the real questions, what is happening in Pakistan? What should happen? Why isn’t it happening?
What's wrong with a Western validation. It's not like we made bad films and songs. Let's be real. American people have a large film industry. Because of this people want to explore other films. Like parasite won an oscar, which put their film on a radar. Bong joon Ho once said that once you overcame the barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to wonderful films. Hollywood took inspiration from other filmmakers of Europe Asian and Latin America, I am not saying it is be all and end all. Even Miyazaki hated oscar. You don't need oscar to be legendary, but it does give your industry some what a little confidence. But I respect your opinion
Exactly, main bhi yehi kehta hun ki hum indians ko zyada khush nahi hona chahiye jab indians nominate hote hain Oscars ke liye. Bhai wo americans ka award hai
I really agree to some points but I also think this video by the end is just kind of failing to understand Gen Z preferences and consumption patterns. Young people today will listen to what's given to them. They listened to Paar chana de when it was given to them, they appreciated Tajdare haram when it was resung by Atif Aslam. Saying that they don't really know their roots and how to judge what's good or bad- I am sorry but that makes no sense..... It sounds patronising and even elitist to me.
There is the american industry, turkish industy , bollywood etc.... At the end of the day, what you give attention to is what you value and what matters to you.
Kudos Sabahat! There’s so much to unpack here! One example you could have added, but may have been before your time, was how Qawwali & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan became mainstream with the burgers, elites, & the non-discerning listeners AFTER his western collaborations. Peter Gabriel’s “Passion” the soundtrack to the film The Last Temptation of Christ; “Night Song” with Michael Brooks; soundtrack with Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder for Dead Man Walking are some examples. Most importantly, I watched all 33+ minutes of it without losing interest despite it being basically a monologue. Since you are rightfully critical of the lack of discernment by the average Pakistani, and the lack of interest in the Urdu language, or exposure to its literary forms (ghazal/ nazm and other genres); I would love to see you improve your Urdu pronunciation of the guttural ق. You are far too intelligent to hide behind the “regional differences in pronunciation” excuse us Punjabis use. It is a bit sus actually as I’ve seen many friends & family use the ق as a veiled barb against the “ethnic minority” of the “Urdu speakers” or mohajirs. Or mock those who use it. After all, when addressing a wider, non-regional audience, in a language with its own rules and sounds, and when being critical of those who ignore Urdu literature, it is ironic that the correct pronunciation of the same Urdu language is being ignored. I used to think that at least we don’t say Gaalib & Galat (before I corrected my ق sound) or even کھوبصورت instead of خوبصورت or کھراب instead of خراب but watching Pakistani dramas today, and young people talk in Pakistan, you might think you’re in India, listening to Hindi. Not the Bollywood Urdu/ Hindustani of the 70’s or early 80’s but the shudh Hindi sanitized of the sounds of Urdu. In a way, it’s the same kind of disrespect or lack of care of our own culture, our language. Whereas when we try to learn French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, or Portuguese hum ulta tung jaate hain sahi to correct our pronunciation in those languages. Mostly because people who are proud of their language are quite unforgiving, and/ or actually won’t understand what we are saying. Pronunciation is my pet peeve. Most people won’t even have noticed in this day and age. Interestingly, that goes back to the point you were making about the lack of knowledge & discernment of the average audience. Having said that , shall be sharing this brilliant video with all my relevant chat groups, and on my social media. Excellent!
Thank you, Zarminae. And as you suspected, yes, I do have my feelings about variants of a language. English also has dozens, possibly hundreds of accents, and all of them are ‘correct’ in their own regard. So, no, I don’t really believe in the hegemony of accents, although saying the right Q would be cool and I do try it sometimes, but I’m not at all hung up on Urdu as the only language that represents me or my culture. When I initially started Feminustani I used to translate EVERYTHING into Urdu in an attempt at linguistic purity, now I sprinkle English pretty liberally where I feel I just have to get the point across. That’s the advantage of video being a less formal medium. I am a proud Punjabi and if we were to give a nativist argument, which I do not consider this video to be (I consider it to be more an anti-imperialist argument, and there’s a difference) I would actually make all Feminustanis in Punjabi, for that is the language of MY land. Joining various contiguous and related non-western cultural forms to create new wholes is just fine by me. Punjabi Urdu, to me, is as legitimate as Karacki or Lacknawi Urdu. Punjab and Sindh come together to form such beautiful wholes in folk tradition (like love legends and songs). So, I get it, as much as this video can be seen as some sort of plea for linguistic or cultural purity, it isn’t. The ideal route for me is to be deeply immersed in our cultures, and that can take many forms. It isn’t restricted to textbook knowledge of Urdu alone. For instance, for me, it takes the route of punjabi folk songs.
I messed up something while working in Premiere Pro (my nemesis). I doubt I have the wherewithal to do anything about it now. Hazards of working alone from start to finish
This video applies to India. Recent awards to RRR are all token awards, just like every 20/30 years they give Miss World/ Miss Universe to any Indian. And if you talk about this, you are a 'nationalist'.
These US Global awards sounds more like " The World Series" lol , between don't you think money plays vital role in all this, Rajinikjanth was paid 100 crores for one of his role why would anyone in that industry seek foreign validation when you can make serious money locally. Humarey ha tu bhool hi jaey kio key artist jitna marzee talended ho hamrey logey ney use Kanjer or marasee jaisey naam sey hee pukarna hai
Internationally dominant culture icons belong to the internationally dominant countries. Shakespeare would not be known in India without the expansion of the British empire all over the world. Kalidas or Ghalib are not internationally famous because they don't belong to dominant and powerful countries like the US.
7.00 to 8.00. hahah well then its nit the achievement of a Pakistani, its someone who even is not calling herself Pakistan engaging in "cultural appropriation" that also of the same culture people are associating her with. Very crookedly funny..
@@feminustani He was. Our generation grew up watching him on TV and some of his stuff was pretty good. But not good enough to listen to 20 years later the way junoon, vital signs, karavan etc are. (Politics and personality aside)
@@feminustani it's tragic how I'll have to watch that now. But my point was that his contemporaries included people like najam sheraz, amir zaki, hadiqa, Asad Ahmad and so many more. Abrar pales in comparison on talent
Most of our childhood stars have become those horrible persons now. Doesn't mean the art they created has also become horrible too. Btw @Feminustani this could be an interesting topic for your future videos as well. Art vs Artist. And that too from a Pakistani point of view because in west debate started after MeToo and resultant cancel culture, but in Pakistan these artists have grown to be distasteful and hateful mostly in their political affiliations, which might not be as grave a sin as sexual harassment or rape. So will that Art vs Artist debate apply on these local artists as well? What would your opinion be on this?
آپ کا ویڈیو سمجھ میں نہیں آیا آپ کہنا کیا چاہ رہی ہیں ۔آپ نے کیا فاطمہ بھٹو کی کتاب پڑھی ہے اسی موضوع پر گلوبل سافٹ طاقت کیسے کام کرتا ہے؟ آپ دلچسپی لی گئی میں کتاب کا نام یہاں ڈال دوں گا ۔ آپ کا حق ہے آپ جہاں بھی رہیں شاید آپ امریکہ میں ر ہتی ہیں جس سے کچھ حد تک کانٹروڈکشن دیکھ سکتا ہے آپ کے رہنے میں اور بات کرنے میں ۔شکریہ
ہاں، یہ ایک پیچیدہ موضوع ہے اور اسے سمجھنا تھوڑا مشکل ہے۔ میرا نقطہً نظر فاطمہ بھٹو وغیرہ کی سوچ سے عین مختلف ہے۔ رہی بات امریکہ میں رہنے کی تو یہ اہم نقطہ ہے، لیکن اگر میری اس وڈیو میں دی گئ منطق کو سمجھیں تو میں امریکہ میں پاکستان کے بارے میں اردو میں وڈیو بنا کر عین وہی کر رہی یوں جس کا وڈیو میں پرچار ہے
@@feminustani آپ نے آخری جو دلیل دی کہ اردو میں ویڈیو بنایا کافی مضبوط ہے۔ چند نکتے قابل غور ہیں دنیا کی کوئی بھی زبان اگر طاقت رکھے گی تو وہ دوسری زبانوں پر قابو پالے گی مثال کے طور پر اردو میں کئی الفاظ ترکی عربی انگریزی کے آ رہے ہیں۔ تو یہاں زبان سے محبت سے زیادہ اس زبان پر کام کرنا اہم ہے کیا ہماری کتابیں جو کہ بڑے یونیورسٹی کالج میں پڑھائی جاتی ہیں اردو میں ہیں کہ نہیں اگر نہیں ہیں تو پھر وہ زبان صرف گھر تک محدود رہ جائے گی ۔اس میں بھی ماں باپ کا زور ہو گا کہ ہمارے بچے انگریزی بولیں ۔ دوسرا نقطہ کرپشن کا ہے کہ ہمارے یہاں جو awards ملتے ہیں جس کے بارے میں کی ویڈیوز بن چکے ہیں مثال کے طور پر مہوش حیات ۔یہاں تک کہ انڈیا کے بھی ایوارڈ میں وہ ایمانداری نہیں اگر اس کا موازنہ یورپ یا ویسٹرن سوسائٹی کے awardsسے کیا جائے ۔اس پر obession کی شکایت کرنا کافی حد تک درست نہیں ہے ۔ تیسرا نکتہ یہ ہے کہ ان لوگوں کے obsession کی بات کر رہی ہیں اس کی تعداد کم ہے کیونکہ پاکستان آپ جائیں تو وہاں کے بیچارے کو اتنا سوچنے کا ان کو موقع ہی نہیں کے گرامی اور آسکر کیا کر رہا ہے۔آپ کو اپنی رائے کا حق ہے ۔آپ ویڈیو بناتے رہیں گے بہت شکریہ
I couldn’t help but to be vulnerable after watching your video. I belong to a village with a privileged background i was able to attend English medium schools in the city. One of the factors that made me hate my culture, traditions and even my mother tongue was the bullying I experienced at the hands of my peers and teachers. Even one day on PTM my teacher told my mother that i speak Urdu in Punjabi accent but I’ll get better at it with the mutual efforts. I feel so heavy right now while writing about that day because back then my mother was also told that we should feel shame in speaking punjabi. Ironically my siblings also made fun of me because of this incident. Hence that’s where this internalised hatred for OWN culture started in a child’s head. I had to learn what’s cool and what’s Eww from English accent, vocab, dressing, music taste and what not. I also taunted the hell out of people closer to me in order to make them give up paindu styles in different aspects. It was super difficult but eventually i was so successful that when i got into medical college, my teachers asked me if I’m an overseas student or what. I look back and conclude it wasn’t a success but an overcoat which I stuffed myself into. Now as a 27 years old I feel so lost. I’ve explored international music so much that I’m unsure if I have either psychologically acquired or extended my taste for it. Do i authentically like it or its the years of familiarity talking? How do i reconnect with my ancestral legacies? How do i own them the way the deserve? Your points have shaken so many things within me. I feel so disconnected from my own culture that even getting back to it feels alien and weird. How can a person like me detox themselves out of this cultural imperialism? How do i find my authentic self in this chaos? I’ll welcome any suggestions. Obviously it won’t be easy for me. But what should be the realistic goal? Is it to modernise our culture or to integrate it in our lives in its original form? How can an individual play a role in establishing a collective identity as a Pakistani? Do we need to acknowledge the burger identity as legitimate?
Also, sometimes i think elites control what’s fashionable in clothing. Wohi jo cheez kal tk inko paindu lgti thi usi ko dobara la k reinvention and innovation k naam p introduce kra k cool advertise kia jata h. Kia rang hain waise dunya k bhi. I hope i made the point. Thanks for making this vide🌸
i think alot of people can relate to this....
@@anarkali_217 and it’s an unfortunate shared experience
This video made me immensely thankful to my parents for raising us on a healthy diet of Sindhi and Urdu music, books and stories. We added English and Punjabi as we grew older. I used to feel left out because I didn't know many of the western musicians, but now I kinda enjoy my status as connoisseur of local music and languages among my friends. Thank you for making these videos.
‘Pakistan aik jardhon say ukrdha howa mulk’ uffffff kia analogy hai- painfully true!!!
I watched all 33 mins and did not lose focus for a min. I am 200% a 'victim' in the sense that growing up my school, my upbringing, my burger islamabadi friends and circles around me all came together (some of them not knowing they were doing this consciously) to get me to detach from my culture. A lot of the people who did this to me don't know it was done to them too...yet at the same time I'm AWARE of how distanced I am from my culture and I live with this 'pain' of sorts where I can't understand what they're referring to in some lyrics, what they're talking about in a regional drama/movie...for all the reasons you have discussed. And there's many people like me although some are still not ready to accept that we are willingly participating in the erasure of our own culture by celebrating each time someone from amongst us gets western validation 😢
Anyway great video Sabahat as always!
i started watching at 1.5x speed but later slowed it to 1x, aap itnay khoobsoorat aur parhe likhay tareekay say baat karti hain boht maza aya and loved your perspective on this topic. Gave me something to think about!
Difficult conversations. Good analysis ❤❤❤❤
This is such a good video. Your comparison with Indian artists is apt too - these artists don't "need" western validation, they are big enough in their own country/world. Coachella is just a minor cherry on top.
Same goes for south Korean artists (bts, blackpink), Nigerian artists (burna boy, Fireboy DML, tems, efc), Latin American artists (bad bunny). They are so huge and actually make money in their parts of the world that the others have to notice. It's unfortunate that Pakistan isn't really able to sustain artists in that way... Heck, so many actors actually live abroad now.
As a side note, I recently saw Ali sethi in San Francisco. While half the crowd was there just for pasoori I'm sure, he would often talk about "ghazals" and sing some which I've never heard before. You are right he would be so much more appreciated in Lahore, but then again he was so visibly queer during his performance, something we are not ready to accept
Thank you for such deep and wonderful engagement, and for taking the conversation forward in such meaningful ways
Wow. Youve got another subscriber for life. Thank you for your poignant and eloquent style.
it’s thought provoking what you’re talking about… as a pakistani who found out and came to terms with my internalised hate, racism and inferiority complex only after moving away, i could argue about many things. but one thing which i’m sure of is that in pakistan, you are only taught, in majority, to look outside. think externally. so basically you’re taught to disconnect from your roots even though, constantly you have small tiny reminders and practices around you which remind you of our rituals and traditions, but it’s not enough to realise. i only really became profoundly interested in my pakistani/indian history once i found myself in a foreign land where they value their language, their food, their songs, their creators, their writers and actively promote them to be a part of the zeitgeist. and yet also the realisation of the role of south asia in western history and its contribution through art and crafts, fashion in particular. So i understand your frustration. But pakistanis, who don’t live in a rich closed off bubble, are taught to hit their own foot with a hammer (direct urdu translation 😉) you know what happened with the release of joyland… it speaks volume of how a large part of the society reacts to change and new perspectives. so we ourselves need to feel empowered enough to demand the arts and culture to be respected and nurtured, the powerful and political haven’t ever given two shits… but there’s much hope. you need to hear the right voices which can lead you to feel curious, not inferior. that and the colonial hangover we need to recover from. getting shortlisted for an oscar or winning a grammy is an invitation to discover pakistani culture or even rediscover it. seeing it as validation of your existence however is another thing which is a product of the conditioning of the modern pakistani society…
Halfway through this video, but just here to say: thank-you! Stellar, stellar work.
Wa....wa....attt.....supper.....maja aa geya...thanks for this ....
Kya khubsurat video ha yar. Wah 👏 very articulate.
Thank you for this insightful take. You've earned a subscriber.
The Use of Urdu language and pronunciation => Masha Allah.
P.S. Our artists need international platforms to increase their pay cheques in Pakistan.
Wow wow wow, now following you on Twitter ❤❤❤❤
terrible godawful ptsd inducing audio but subbed regardless, 🤗post more media critiques please.
It's really great video, it shows how our nation praises or endorse only those artists who are recognized globally..... It's really Afsosnak...
Watched the whole thing and totally relate to it. I have been guilty of watching thousands of Indian and other reaction videos of pak songs, trailers, osts and feeling proud. I probably will lessen it so much
Amazing. Always raising the right questions and making us look within ! My vote for next PM is for Feminustani !
You raised some thought-provoking points.
this was incredibly insightful. thank you!
Thank you for calling out Arooj Aftab. I've been in disbelief over what she not only gets away with but is even rewarded for.
Interesting to hear this from (I’m assuming) an Indian
Yes I'm from India. As a lover of both ghazals and jazz music, AA is the worst thing that could have happened to my autoplay 🥺. Also, on Natu Natu - the actors didn't perform at the Oscars but they did go there and promote like crazy with changed accents and all. There is a big push to promote the film and its director as "pan India". There is too much to say about the politics of all this but just wanted to mention it.
Discovred your channel few days ago ..ur perspective is very refreshing nd novel. .best of luck ..keep it up
You should make more videos. I have felt in past as well that you articulate these cultural issues quite beautifully and I feel myself nodding in agreement to most of what you describe in them.
You don't know how much annoyance I have felt over the years that people around me have increasingly stopped remembering the art created by their own and have blindly followed what popular culture has thrown in their face. And that popular culture is dictated by this increasing divide between what we are and what we wish to be. And as rubbing salt to wound, people like us are labeled as cynics or slanderers because we are perceived as ones who have to find fault in everything. And I am embarrassed to admit that I have to sometimes toe the line just to feel included.
On a separate note, I would like to hear more about the examples you gave in the start of video, e.g. Sharmeen Obaid or Joyland. Because I think your point can be extended for them too. I've watched Joyland and despite being an above average movie, I too think the movie suffers from the same ideological fit that's necessary for a piece of art or the artist to find validation in the west. Apart from being a collaboration of Pakistani filmmaker with American one, it is a taboo story that presents so many of those topics that western audience can relate to, and probably wants from a country like Pakistan, even if it gets preachy in presenting those topics. Hope I'll get your review on that in some other video as well. Keep on doing the great work! 😊👏
"Time and logic finite hoti hain." That's epic. I felt it. Very logical. You have this beautiful talent of logically explaining things. You should definitely think of monetize this. Btw, are you a socialist though??
Yeah, democratic socialist, possibly
@@feminustani alright. I love your contents. You have a solid head above your shoulder. And I'm for capitalism though. Hope you're not a Marxist. That I despise. Anyways loads of love to you ma'am. Have a great one.
First off, I really enjoy all your videos.
I feel there two aspects to this topic that you detailed.
One is purely the creative direction of artists.
Second is the business aspect of arts.
...
For artists (especially) in Pakistan, the reality of making a decent living doing creative work is so slim that I don't blame them for making the most out of whatever opportunity is presented to them.
As for the business side, corporations/record labels/management firms create buzz and/or milk a situation for maximum exposure of their talent.
And it's the same with offering token diversity as media companies expand their market into different regions.
Is it bad or good? As a mafia boss would say, "It's nothing personal... just business"
...
Out of curiosity, I have a question for you:
What do you hope could happen by making these art criticism (genre) videos?
-An artist might get an idea for a new direction to explore their creativity?
-Educating the masses about these topics? (If so, then I feel you can tone down the academic language. As right now you're attracting the 'urban elite' {like myself}).
-Creating for the sake of creation itself? An expression of your thoughts, opinions & frustrations? (which is a good enough reason to do this tbh).
...
Keep up your expression!
Hey. I appreciate the detailed comment. About your question, it’s a mix of all these imperatives. For this particular video, my intended audience IS the Pakistani elite. They are the ones unable to grasp any of this, so it’s fine if the language veers towards the academic, I feel.
@@feminustani I didn't think of that :D ... that makes sense.
Keep up your good work, really enjoy your content.
Thank you! I learned a lot.
You provide very good analysis.
I appreciate your work
good video. In exchange a suggestion that the background lighting and face lighting are mixing up. The BG should be a bit dark to differentiate.
Thank you sabahat
Hi Sabahat- great video! Just a thought- when you refer to “diluted diaspora culture”- is there such a thing as a diluted culture or is it just a creation of new cultures. It’s like saying pink is a diluted form of red- which it is, but also a separate entity in itself? So saying artists like Sethi or Hasán Raheem are cut off from their roots or don’t have an ecosystem to continue older forms like ghazal- isn’t that anti-growth almost? Maybe diaspora culture isn’t diluted but a culture of its own and that’s how cultures grow and change? And isn’t it this diaspora that gave us authors like Rushdie and Naipaul? Anyway just some thoughts inspired by your video. Great work as always ❤️
Thanks for your thoughtful engagement, Sapna. I agree that diaspora culture is a culture of its own. This video (as most of what I do and care about in life) is about people living IN Pakistan and trying to make them understand that diaspora is indeed a different culture. Diluted or not, it stems from different imperatives and realities. Too many kids in Pakistan look at ‘brown representation’ and celebrate it mindlessly as if brown is equal to Pakistani. Why this is important is because (as I say in the video) even the marginalised in the west are often more privileged than the middle classes in Pakistan. They have the means to become part of western media hegemony that gives the false impression of diversity to a kid living in a different geography. Stories and ideas are, of course, universal too, but they become powerful and relevant when they touch upon universal themes via specificity.
Agreed. But isn’t that a bit like saying those diaspora kids are more privileged than you lot- their wins aren’t your wins. And yes the western media does have this tokenism aspect but maybe these kids just need to feel “seen”? With all the negative coverage about Pakistan maybe they just want to say “there’s more to us than just that, take us out of the oppression of living here with all the social/economic/political issues and we are as talented as anyone else!”
Obviously there would be nothing better than quality content made by Pakistanis living in Pakistan, but
1. Self actualization can only be achieved once your basic needs are met which is far from the case in Pakistan for most,
2. We don’t nurture artistic talent or have an appreciation anymore of why the Arts are essential, and
3. Perhaps our self loathing runs so deep that what we need is some real therapy as a nation as to why that is?
It seems there’s no lack of Pakistani content or award shows but maybe the quality is not all that because we don’t truly want to see ourselves which makes true art impossible.
So in light of all this if Pakistanis living in Pakistan want to claim and celebrate some of these wins it’s almost understandable?
Yes, definitely. It IS saying that diaspora kids are more privileged by almost every metric. And I have no issues with them wanting to feel seen in their environment, but that’s THEIR concern, not a Pakistani kid’s living in a blatantly repressive Muslim country. That’s the distinction a Pakistani child needs to be able to draw. That diaspora and Pakistani are not the same.
As for your numbered points. Agree with all. The video starts with the underlying assumption that all of this is true and understood, and then where do we go from there? Be happy about diaspora achievements but they will always give kids living within Pakistan a false sense of representation. After they have celebrated the global wins, they should ask the real questions, what is happening in Pakistan? What should happen? Why isn’t it happening?
You are incredible!
What's wrong with a Western validation. It's not like we made bad films and songs. Let's be real. American people have a large film industry. Because of this people want to explore other films. Like parasite won an oscar, which put their film on a radar. Bong joon Ho once said that once you overcame the barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to wonderful films. Hollywood took inspiration from other filmmakers of Europe Asian and Latin America, I am not saying it is be all and end all. Even Miyazaki hated oscar. You don't need oscar to be legendary, but it does give your industry some what a little confidence. But I respect your opinion
Well said
بہت خوب
The layers!!!!!!
outstanding as always
Kurhiye Toon tan Brain, dimag Zihan Hilaata. Mainu Lagda c USSR ne hi Fuddu Banaaya, hun lagda USSR ne Lefty bna ke Brain hi khațam karța.
Jioundi Reh
Exactly, main bhi yehi kehta hun ki hum indians ko zyada khush nahi hona chahiye jab indians nominate hote hain Oscars ke liye. Bhai wo americans ka award hai
I really agree to some points but I also think this video by the end is just kind of failing to understand Gen Z preferences and consumption patterns. Young people today will listen to what's given to them. They listened to Paar chana de when it was given to them, they appreciated Tajdare haram when it was resung by Atif Aslam. Saying that they don't really know their roots and how to judge what's good or bad- I am sorry but that makes no sense..... It sounds patronising and even elitist to me.
There is the american industry, turkish industy , bollywood etc....
At the end of the day, what you give attention to is what you value and what matters to you.
back to watch this again
😭
Hello I'm writing a book on "westernization of Pakistan" I would like your thought on that as well, will you collaborate please?
Too much truth
Great video Sabahat.
Thank you v much
Sabahat is baar phir kamal kar dia
Kudos Sabahat! There’s so much to unpack here!
One example you could have added, but may have been before your time, was how Qawwali & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan became mainstream with the burgers, elites, & the non-discerning listeners AFTER his western collaborations. Peter Gabriel’s “Passion” the soundtrack to the film The Last Temptation of Christ; “Night Song” with Michael Brooks; soundtrack with Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder for Dead Man Walking are some examples.
Most importantly, I watched all 33+ minutes of it without losing interest despite it being basically a monologue.
Since you are rightfully critical of the lack of discernment by the average Pakistani, and the lack of interest in the Urdu language, or exposure to its literary forms (ghazal/ nazm and other genres); I would love to see you improve your Urdu pronunciation of the guttural ق.
You are far too intelligent to hide behind the “regional differences in pronunciation” excuse us Punjabis use. It is a bit sus actually as I’ve seen many friends & family use the ق as a veiled barb against the “ethnic minority” of the “Urdu speakers” or mohajirs. Or mock those who use it.
After all, when addressing a wider, non-regional audience, in a language with its own rules and sounds, and when being critical of those who ignore Urdu literature, it is ironic that the correct pronunciation of the same Urdu language is being ignored.
I used to think that at least we don’t say Gaalib & Galat (before I corrected my ق sound) or even کھوبصورت instead of خوبصورت or کھراب instead of خراب but watching Pakistani dramas today, and young people talk in Pakistan, you might think you’re in India, listening to Hindi. Not the Bollywood Urdu/ Hindustani of the 70’s or early 80’s but the shudh Hindi sanitized of the sounds of Urdu.
In a way, it’s the same kind of disrespect or lack of care of our own culture, our language. Whereas when we try to learn French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, or Portuguese hum ulta tung jaate hain sahi to correct our pronunciation in those languages. Mostly because people who are proud of their language are quite unforgiving, and/ or actually won’t understand what we are saying.
Pronunciation is my pet peeve. Most people won’t even have noticed in this day and age. Interestingly, that goes back to the point you were making about the lack of knowledge & discernment of the average audience.
Having said that , shall be sharing this brilliant video with all my relevant chat groups, and on my social media. Excellent!
Thank you, Zarminae.
And as you suspected, yes, I do have my feelings about variants of a language. English also has dozens, possibly hundreds of accents, and all of them are ‘correct’ in their own regard. So, no, I don’t really believe in the hegemony of accents, although saying the right Q would be cool and I do try it sometimes, but I’m not at all hung up on Urdu as the only language that represents me or my culture.
When I initially started Feminustani I used to translate EVERYTHING into Urdu in an attempt at linguistic purity, now I sprinkle English pretty liberally where I feel I just have to get the point across. That’s the advantage of video being a less formal medium. I am a proud Punjabi and if we were to give a nativist argument, which I do not consider this video to be (I consider it to be more an anti-imperialist argument, and there’s a difference) I would actually make all Feminustanis in Punjabi, for that is the language of MY land. Joining various contiguous and related non-western cultural forms to create new wholes is just fine by me. Punjabi Urdu, to me, is as legitimate as Karacki or Lacknawi Urdu. Punjab and Sindh come together to form such beautiful wholes in folk tradition (like love legends and songs). So, I get it, as much as this video can be seen as some sort of plea for linguistic or cultural purity, it isn’t.
The ideal route for me is to be deeply immersed in our cultures, and that can take many forms. It isn’t restricted to textbook knowledge of Urdu alone. For instance, for me, it takes the route of punjabi folk songs.
Uff ap bohat mahnat karti hain kon sochta hai itna 😢 yahan tou dang tapao chalta hai
❤
8:45 Urooj sounds flat compared to our classical stalwarts like Begum Akhtar
no voice - watching from Pakistan
Mam you are very sweet I like your voice very much 😊😊😊
Please fix the audio. Can only hear on right channel
I messed up something while working in Premiere Pro (my nemesis). I doubt I have the wherewithal to do anything about it now. Hazards of working alone from start to finish
I thought it was my headphones 😂
This video applies to India.
Recent awards to RRR are all token awards, just like every 20/30 years they give Miss World/ Miss Universe to any Indian.
And if you talk about this, you are a 'nationalist'.
Whether tokenism or not but if it opens up newer markets then it's good
Itna sach 😂 uff
30 sal ho gy Pakistan ma aj pehli bar suna arooj ko😂
These US Global awards sounds more like " The World Series" lol , between don't you think money plays vital role in all this, Rajinikjanth was paid 100 crores for one of his role why would anyone in that industry seek foreign validation when you can make serious money locally. Humarey ha tu bhool hi jaey kio key artist jitna marzee talended ho hamrey logey ney use Kanjer or marasee jaisey naam sey hee pukarna hai
Yes, that is a very valid and important point, and one I didn’t get into, because there were too many things to say as it is
Internationally dominant culture icons belong to the internationally dominant countries. Shakespeare would not be known in India without the expansion of the British empire all over the world. Kalidas or Ghalib are not internationally famous because they don't belong to dominant and powerful countries like the US.
Content is superb but voice quality is worse
Too much truth for me. Hmm.. are you "Foreign funded"
7.00 to 8.00. hahah well then its nit the achievement of a Pakistani, its someone who even is not calling herself Pakistan engaging in "cultural appropriation" that also of the same culture people are associating her with. Very crookedly funny..
Brilliant, as always. But please stop plugging abrar everywhere, he’s an objectively horrible person
That is true, but he is also objectively one of Pakistan’s most innovative and interesting artists.
@@feminustani He was. Our generation grew up watching him on TV and some of his stuff was pretty good. But not good enough to listen to 20 years later the way junoon, vital signs, karavan etc are. (Politics and personality aside)
Unfortunately, I beg to differ there. I have a whole video in me on why he was so great.
@@feminustani it's tragic how I'll have to watch that now. But my point was that his contemporaries included people like najam sheraz, amir zaki, hadiqa, Asad Ahmad and so many more. Abrar pales in comparison on talent
Most of our childhood stars have become those horrible persons now. Doesn't mean the art they created has also become horrible too.
Btw @Feminustani this could be an interesting topic for your future videos as well. Art vs Artist. And that too from a Pakistani point of view because in west debate started after MeToo and resultant cancel culture, but in Pakistan these artists have grown to be distasteful and hateful mostly in their political affiliations, which might not be as grave a sin as sexual harassment or rape. So will that Art vs Artist debate apply on these local artists as well? What would your opinion be on this?
Bahut zaroori baatein kar Rahi Hain aap।. Bharat ka masla bhi Aisa hi hai. Natu Natu jaise mamooli geet ke kaseede kadhe ja rahe hain.
Main Tuhadi Kaafi Videos dekhi.
Par tusi Boli, zuban te gall nee keetee.
Jado 60% Kol apni Zuban hi nahi, tan Baaki Bimarian te gall Karni Fazool a
ہر شے بارے کھول کھول کے گل کرنا ضروری نئیں ہوندا۔ میں اک وڈیو پنجابی زبان چ کیتی اے، باقی ساریاں اردو چ نے۔ ایناں گلاں دا وی کوئ مقصد اے نا
آپ کا ویڈیو سمجھ میں نہیں آیا آپ کہنا کیا چاہ رہی ہیں ۔آپ نے کیا فاطمہ بھٹو کی کتاب پڑھی ہے اسی موضوع پر گلوبل سافٹ طاقت کیسے کام کرتا ہے؟ آپ دلچسپی لی گئی میں کتاب کا نام یہاں ڈال دوں گا ۔
آپ کا حق ہے آپ جہاں بھی رہیں شاید آپ امریکہ میں ر ہتی ہیں جس سے کچھ حد تک کانٹروڈکشن دیکھ سکتا ہے آپ کے رہنے میں اور بات کرنے میں ۔شکریہ
ہاں، یہ ایک پیچیدہ موضوع ہے اور اسے سمجھنا تھوڑا مشکل ہے۔ میرا نقطہً نظر فاطمہ بھٹو وغیرہ کی سوچ سے عین مختلف ہے۔ رہی بات امریکہ میں رہنے کی تو یہ اہم نقطہ ہے، لیکن اگر میری اس وڈیو میں دی گئ منطق کو سمجھیں تو میں امریکہ میں پاکستان کے بارے میں اردو میں وڈیو بنا کر عین وہی کر رہی یوں جس کا وڈیو میں پرچار ہے
@@feminustani آپ نے آخری جو دلیل دی کہ اردو میں ویڈیو بنایا کافی مضبوط ہے۔
چند نکتے قابل غور ہیں
دنیا کی کوئی بھی زبان اگر طاقت رکھے گی تو وہ دوسری زبانوں پر قابو پالے گی مثال کے طور پر اردو میں کئی الفاظ ترکی عربی انگریزی کے آ رہے ہیں۔ تو یہاں زبان سے محبت سے زیادہ اس زبان پر کام کرنا اہم ہے کیا ہماری کتابیں جو کہ بڑے یونیورسٹی کالج میں پڑھائی جاتی ہیں اردو میں ہیں کہ نہیں اگر نہیں ہیں تو پھر وہ زبان صرف گھر تک محدود رہ جائے گی ۔اس میں بھی ماں باپ کا زور ہو گا کہ ہمارے بچے انگریزی بولیں ۔
دوسرا نقطہ کرپشن کا ہے کہ ہمارے یہاں جو awards ملتے ہیں جس کے بارے میں کی ویڈیوز بن چکے ہیں مثال کے طور پر مہوش حیات ۔یہاں تک کہ انڈیا کے بھی ایوارڈ میں وہ ایمانداری نہیں اگر اس کا موازنہ یورپ یا ویسٹرن سوسائٹی کے awardsسے کیا جائے ۔اس پر obession کی شکایت کرنا کافی حد تک درست نہیں ہے ۔
تیسرا نکتہ یہ ہے کہ ان لوگوں کے obsession کی بات کر رہی ہیں اس کی تعداد کم ہے کیونکہ پاکستان آپ جائیں تو وہاں کے بیچارے کو اتنا سوچنے کا ان کو موقع ہی نہیں کے گرامی اور آسکر کیا کر رہا ہے۔آپ کو اپنی رائے کا حق ہے ۔آپ ویڈیو بناتے رہیں گے بہت شکریہ