REPRESENTATION AND RESISTANCE: A FEMINIST ANALYSIS OF WOMEN’S OPPRESSION IN CONTEMPORARY PAKISTANI CINEMA

Abstract

This study examines portrayal of women in Pakistani cinema nowadays and the depiction of resistance to patriarchal oppression.  Four movies Khuda kay liye, Bol, Verna and Dukthar were selected to investigate development of gender roles develop, the women's marginalization representation, and dimensions of resistance within social and cultural restriction through film narratives and dialogues. The main objective of this study is to examine how some Pakistani films negotiated morality, honor, and power while challenging pervasive patriarchal norms. This study utilizes qualitative theme analysis with an emphasis on dialogue-based film analysis and grounded in feminist film theory, framing theory, and violence theory. Collectively these theoretical frameworks provide a lens for understanding gendered representations, narrative framing, and the depiction of structural and symbolic violence against women. The findings underscore a change towards stories that emphasize women's voices and struggles while replacing submissive female depictions in Pakistani cinema. However, this resistance is often limited and presented within socially acceptable limits, which reflects the persistence of patriarchal control.