In Pakistan, ‘dirty theatre’ is a hit

312 shares

FOCUS © FRANCE 24

By: Sonia GHEZALI | Shahzaib WAHLAH 6 min

Pakistan's pop culture has seen better days. The combined effects of censorship, religious conservatism and economic crisis have all but obliterated a once flourishing film industry. However, so-called "dirty theatre" has been thriving lately. Tolerated by the authorities, these lucrative vaudeville plays are based on heavy sexual innuendo, misogynistic dialogue and lascivious dances. While this creates a novel distraction, exclusively for male audiences, it does nothing to improve the image of women or boost freedom of speech. Our correspondents report.