Over the weekend, we saw a controversy unfold. In his new web series, called the ‘Anwernama’, Anwar Maqsood in one of the episodes interviews a Sindhi.

In an attempt to highlight a social issue, Anwar Maqsood also indulged in what we today identify as stereotyping

The Sindhi shown in Maqsood sb’s interview is a person who violates the law of the land and indulges in corrupt practices in order to run away from the responsibilities of earning a livelihood and keeps getting money by cheating the system in place.

People were quick to point out that the episode was an attempt to generalize the Sindhi population, which is very diverse in nature

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Many others also rightly pointed out that it was not considered controversial to indulge in such humor back in his younger days. They felt that it should not be a big deal today and people should learn to loosen up a bit

The problem, however, is that times have changed now. What was considered humorous in those days is now not so anymore. Labels such as racism and stereotyping have become prominent discussions

Both of these phenomenons are known to effect the lives of individuals because people consuming this content might actually emulate it in real life. While it was ok to stereotype an ethnicity or a particular group of people, in today’s world no one indulges in such a behaviour because we give everyone the space to be who they want to be and not generalize notions to the point that they start affecting the lives of individuals.

The reason why such backlash was witnessed was because artists and performers are expected to keep pace with the changes in the society

It is important for them to be sensitized to be able to respect sentiments, not misrepresent anyone and not indulge in stereotyping because it is merely an act of disrespect. This particular case will also push other artists to realize the sphere they work in now, the kind of access the public has and the need to be objective in their narrative creation.

It is also true that the work of Anwar Maqsood has always been reflective of the society. The aim has always been to push the masses to change

While no one can dare doubt the authenticity and dedication of purpose, the matter of fact is that times have changed now. Even if artists want to indulge in societal critique or critique of the system in place via satire or comedy, it has to adapt to modern techniques in order to ensure that no one is disrespected.

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This controversial video as well shows the amount of importance artists now need to give to their words. Had the video been phrased properly, people would have realized that it was not a generalization rather an attempt to show one of the many aspects of the Sindhi life. There is no denying that such issues exist, however, their treatment now needs to change if they are going to be adopted by artists.

This particular event points out how far we have come as a society

There was a time when it was considered perfectly normal to indulge in racism and stereotyping. And since that was the norm, we are often left with the question whether or not to witness history with today’s frame of reference. While that is up for debate, what is evident is that we have come a long way. We are at a point in history where we realize the sensitivities of people, we are starting to talk about the diversity of life, and we are pushing people to be better versions of themselves.

The same issue was faced by a lot of FRIENDS fans, recently when younger audience found many of the jokes, particularly aimed at Chandler and Ross, as homophobic and archaic for current time.

The fact that Mr. Maqsood apologized goes to show he is willing to learn and be adaptive, as an artist and anyone who is willing to accept their mistakes and genuinely learn should be welcomed

He represents a generation which is perhaps in need of catching up, so that the art itself does not die. And this incident is not about targeting a particular person, rather about encouraging change. So the next time you have a conversation about it, instead of being the judge of someone’s character; focus more on what we need to change and the role you and I can play in it.

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