The comments come after a recent interview of his in which he said that women should gang rape men if they wanted equality.
In a recent interview, while talking about women’s equality, the Kaaf Kangana director spoke of women’s rights and how women are portrayed in his dramas.
Khalil had said that he portrays the ‘good women’ through his dramas. He added that a woman’s sole duty was loyalty, and that he believed in equal rights for women, but only at the lower level. He said, “A woman’s only beauty is her self-respect and honour.”
The director did not stop there. Regarding equality between men and women, he added, “If women want equality, they need to do the same things men are doing. Go and rob a bus, abduct a man and gang-rape him. Only then I would know there is equality.”
The writer-cum-director was also of the opinion that when it comes to infidelity, a man was never at fault and it was women who tempted men into cheating on their wives.
He was also supportive of the opinion that when it came to rape, men could not say no and hence women were to blame. “If a man is looking at you, then don’t respond. A man doesn’t have the ability to ignore, but a good woman definitely does,” he added.
His misogynistic remarks received a strong backlash, but that has not stopped the director from expressing his opinion.
Journalist Anum Chagani opined that regressive men should not be allowed to influence culture by making movies and dramas.
https://twitter.com/Anumero_1/status/1189842180573151234?s=20
Another Twitter user referred to him as a ‘proper misogynist’.
https://twitter.com/mahwashajaz_/status/1189557048897343488?s=20
Filmmaker Jami Azaad stated that the ‘types’ of Khalilur Rehman Qamar are present all over media, and that it shows in our TV channels, films and dramas.
https://twitter.com/jamiazaad/status/1190070855801413632?s=20
In another interview given to a local publication, Qamar said that he does not care what the people have to say, attributing the backlash against him to jealousy.
About his critics, he said that such people were sick. In a particularly condescending comment, he stated, “I don’t write for those who lack the skill to comprehend. I have no way of teaching the dumb.”
The director’s views are entirely problematic. Not only does he adhere to the generally held view that a woman is supposed to be ‘good and modest’, but his writing, according to his own words, is about the ‘good woman whose beauty is her self-respect and honour’.
This view could simply be seen as misogyny in the guise of respect for women. The director attempted to portray that he respected women but reveals his misogyny by reducing their existence to their beauty. His ideas of a good woman are nothing but the objectification of women.
Khalilur Rehman’s suggestion of women raping men to achieve equality is not only reflective of a sick mindset that believes in ‘eye for an eye’, it also reveals the that the likes of Khalilur Rehman believe that equality and rights could only be achieved by partaking in the same act that the oppressor engaged in, i.e. domination, suppression and violence.