KABULI PULAO: PAKISTANI TELEVISION DRAMA, PATRIARCHAL BARGAIN AND DECOLONIAL LOVE

Abstract

In Pakistan, the patriarchal bargain is expressed in various ways due to the deeply rooted societal norms and structures that prioritize male authority and control. Women often navigate this system by making strategic choices to secure their safety, financial stability, or social acceptance within these constraints. Pakistani television dramas often reflect and sometimes challenge societal norms, including those related to gender roles and the patriarchal structure. The portrayal of the patriarchal bargain in these dramas often mirrors real-life situations where characters, especially women, navigate within the confines of societal expectations. In many dramas, female characters might be depicted making patriarchal bargains to ensure their safety, family honour, or stability. In this paper, I argue that a subaltern woman who bargains with the patriarchy can transform into someone agentic by using the theoretical framework including Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s concept of subaltern, Deniz Kandiyoti’s concept of Patriarchal bargain and Frantz Fanon’s decolonial love. For this purpose, I use a Pakistani Urdu drama serial Kabuli Pulao written by Zafar Mairaj. It is used as a case to depict how a subaltern character, Barbeena transforms her relationship from a patriarchal bargain to the expression of decolonial love.