Our world has many dark corners that we dare not explore. We keep away from them hoping to never wander too far from our paths to end up there. There is a lot in our country that we don’t talk about, the social issues are only just one end of the spectrum. Someone once told me that if the house around you is burning down, closing your eyes to it won’t make the house stop burning. We can’t close our eyes to the burning house around us that is depression. It is real and you and I are suffering through it, though we may not talk about it. It is real because it takes lives and the only thing left behind are families who don’t understand why someone they loved found no choice but to take their life.
It is that specific lack of understanding on the part of families and friends that is the actual problem. For those who are suffering from depression, what they need is someone who understands them enough to give them the space that they need.
Kashf Foundation and Television
If you watch TV serials then you must know that creators have started to spread awareness among about social issues. Udaari brought sexual abuse into light and how it impacted a young girl’s life and the choices she was forced to make in her life just to protect her mother from a monster. Rape is something we should be talking about and the drama Udaari made by Kashf Foundation did just that. We saw the girl Zebo suffer through nightmares years after her rape even though the man who raped her had long been presumed dead.
The drama brought into light the fact that tragedies such as sexual abuse have lasting impacts on the victims and their families.
Mode of Entertainment AND Awareness
Drama serials are the one mode of entertainment that can also act as a mode of creating awareness and that is precisely what Kashf Foundation is doing with dramas like Udaari and now with a new drama that is set to air in November called Akhri Station. Akhri Station will be a mini-series consisting of 7 episodes and 7 protagonist, each facing their own set of social issues ranging from prostitution, HIV, substance abuse, mental health, physical violence as well as female empowerment. The lead character in this drama is played by Sanam Saeed who is suffering from depression. The drama also stars well-known actors like Mikaal Zulfiqar and Nimra Bucha.
How Does It Work?
How it works is a little confusing which is why I will clear it up for you. Why must a drama serial be created in order to create awareness? Why can’t we just read an article about it and know more? The answer is really quite simple: empathy. A drama serial creates characters that you love and connect with. You see these characters grow up the way you saw Zebo in Udaari grow up and how she had no choice but to give in to her abuser. You start to understand the impact of such a tragedy on a family and how it is never a one-time thing but rather something that echoes through the entirety of a victim’s life. This allows you to understand the consequences of something we easily overlook, such as depression. But this time, with the help of a drama serial, we talk about it. And we understand it.
Hopefully once this drama serial airs, the struggles of those suffering through depression will be understood a little better and these people will feel a little less alone in the world.
