Portrayal Of Male Protagonist And Masculinity In Pakistani Dramas

Abstract: In Pakistan’s drama industry an iterative incessant pattern has been followed in the portrayal of a stereotypical male-dominated society, where men solely exercise complete power and women endure various forms of maltreatment, oppression, and discrimination, including abuse, blackmail, and sexual violence inflicted upon them by men (Tabassum & Amin, 2020). This study delved into the dynamics of masculinity and the portrayal of male protagonists. The study examined the current trends in portraying male protagonists in Pakistani dramas. It was also interpreted as how masculinity is portrayed in Pakistani dramas through the characters of male protagonists. A qualitative content analysis was conducted using non-probability purposive sampling. Dramas of the last 3 years were analyzed (Using IMDB Ratings and YouTube views). Dramas with over 7 points rating out of 10 on IMDB and over 20 million YouTube Views were selected. One drama of each year was selected with high viewership and showed an unconventional male protagonist. A total of 128 episodes of 3 dramas were taken as a sample. After analyzing all the results, it was concluded that famous Pakistani dramas with high viewership and ratings set some harmful trends and examples in the entertainment industry. They promote unrealistic physical standards, emotional suppression and shallowness, and aggressive and violent nature in the portrayal of male protagonists by glamorizing them with the unethical use of power and wealth. This research will open new venues for researchers to investigate the emerging dynamics in the Pakistani drama industry. Keywords: Protagonist, Masculinity, Gender, Portrayal, Representation.