''Aurat Raj'' (1979) is one of first Pakistani feminist movies. It was produced and directed by Rangeela. It is a satirical movie and was produced during the grim times for women under the conservative dictator, General Zia-ul-Haq's, socio-politically adverse dictatorship. Ahead of its time, it did not do well commercially at the box office.
The plot is based on a short story of
Shaukat Thanvi
Shaukat Thanvi (2 February 1904 – 4 May 1963) was a Pakistani writer and humorist.women of Pakistan fight back by forming a
feminist movement
The feminist movement (also known as the women's movement, or feminism) refers to a series of social movements and political campaigns for Radical politics, radical and Liberalism, liberal reforms on women's issues created by the inequality b ...
on roads and gain political power too. After gaining political power, in a satirical comedy fantasy scene, the female lead gives a taste of
patriarchy
Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of dominance and privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical anthropological term for families or clans controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males a ...
and
misogyny
Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...
to Pakistani men by converting all of them into women a time. The fantastical scenarios, musical flights and comedic twists in the film have been hailed as interventionist tools and techniques that help to complicate and refashion the present by envisioning radical futures.
Cast
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Rani
''Rani'' in Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, sometimes spelled ''Ranee'', is a Hindu/Sanskrit feminine given name. The term is the female form of the term for princely rulers in South and Southeast Asia and applies equally to the wife of a ...
*
Waheed Murad
Waheed Murad ( ur, ; 2 October 1938 – 23 November 1983), also known as Chocolate Hero, was a Pakistani film actor, producer and script writer. Famous for his charming expressions, attractive personality, tender voice and unusual talent for a ...
*
Sultan Rahi
Sultan Rahi ( ur, ﺳﻠﻄﺎﻥ ﺭﺍﮨﯽ ; June 24, 1938 – January 9, 1996) was a Pakistani actor, producer and screenwriter.
He established himself as one of the leading and most successful actors of Pakistani and Punjabi cinema, and ...
Usman Pirzada
Usman Peerzada is a Pakistani TV and film actor, director and producer. He has acted in many Punjabi and Urdu films. His work includes ''Beyond the Last Mountain'' and ''Kahi Un Kahi''.
Early life
Usman was born to a Muslim family in Lahore in ...
* Khanum
* Waheeda Khan
* Surayya Khan
* Nazar
*
Nanha
Rafi Khawar ( Punjabi, ur, رفیع خاور) (4 August 1942 – 2 June 1986), popularly known as Nanha (Urdu: ننھا), was a Pakistani actor and comedian. He started his film career in 1966 and earned several awards including 3 Nigar ...
* Albela
*
Khalid Saleem Mota
Khalid Saleem Mota is a Pakistani former comedian actor who worked in TV dramas and films during the 1970s and 1980s.
Life and career
Mota was born in 1947 in Chiniot, District Jhang. He received early school education at his home town. Later, ...
* Iqbal Durrani
* Irfan Khoost
* Ali Ahmed
* Ladla
* Chakram
* Saqi
* Shahnawaz
* (Guests: Yousuf Khan, Ali Ejaz, Durdana Rehman, Zahid Khan)
Box office
The film was a "Silver Jubilee" hit, completing 45 weeks in theaters.
See also
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Aurat March
The Aurat March ( ur, or , English: Women's March) is an annual socio-political demonstration in Pakistani cities such as Lahore, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Faisalabad, Multan, Quetta, Karachi, Islamabad and Peshawar to observe International Women ...
Girls at Dhabas
Girls at Dhabas is a multi-city feminist initiative in Pakistan that raises a conversation on women’s access to public space. '' Dhabas'' is a local term for roadside tea-shops that are traditionally male-dominated domains in South Asia. The effo ...