In Muslim Pakistan, theaters that have racy shows for men are thriving

In Muslim Pakistan, theaters that have racy shows for men are thriving

Transcript¹

Pakistani men cram² into so-called "dirty theatres" where women dance suggestively in tight clothes. The theatres survive, despite increasing conservatism.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Every night in Pakistan, men congregate³ in what are referred to as dirty theaters, places where women in tight clothes dance suggestively to blaring music. That might seem out of sync with Pakistan's identity as an overwhelmingly Muslim, conservative country. But as NPR's Diaa Hadid reports from the city of Lahore, the places where these theaters are concentrated are thriving.

DIAA HADID, BYLINE⁴: There's nothing subtle about dirty theater. Consider where we stand on the side of a four-lane highway that slices through Lahore. This is what motorists can see.

There's billboards⁵ the length of two stories of a building with the pictures of the actresses who will be performing tonight alongside a male comedian⁶.

Tonight's show is called "Things Are Out Of Control." Men arrive at a steady clip in gleaming cars, scooters, one guy on a bike. Then we see a rarity - a couple - Afsha and Aslam Ali Shah. He's holding their sleeping toddler, Sabz-Ali. They couldn't find a babysitter.

So what's your favorite thing about the theater? Like, is it the jokes? Is it the dancing?

My NPR colleague Abdul Sattar translates.

ASLAM ALI SHAH: Entertainment or (non-English language spoken).

ABDUL SATTAR, BYLINE: Whatever can make us laugh or smile.

HADID: So the comedy.

SATTAR: The comedy.

ALI SHAH: Exactly.

(LAUGHTER)

HADID: There's a few skits⁷. In one, the headline star, Khushboo Khan, teaches a bumbling comedian how to walk like a model. She jiggles her chest up and down - tam tam. She sticks her bottom out - tam tam. Mostly, the show is racy female dance performances.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

HADID: Khushboo Khan, that headline star, gets the most cheers. She's got long, blond hair and the proportions of Jessica Rabbit. She lies on the floor and gyrates.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

HADID: She wiggles her backside to the crowd...

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

HADID: ...Then her chest.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

HADID: Then Khushboo Khan squats⁸ and a fake fire seems to erupt from her crotch.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

HADID: These performances are what elites⁹ refer to as dirty or obscene theater. But in a show about sex, the word is never mentioned. I go backstage to ask Khushboo Khan about this. She's playful.

It's quite sexy, and it's out there and very witty¹⁰.

KHUSHBOO KHAN: I, sexy (laughter)? Big compliment is me.

HADID: Then she says, yeah, dirty theatre is carefully done because Pakistan's censor¹¹ board has to approve these shows - the dialogues, the dancing, the clothes. That's why she says even though she wears skintight outfits¹², you can't see an inch of her skin from her neck to her ankles.

KHAN: We have no permission. It's not allowed, wearing sleeveless, shorts.

HADID: They try to get away with as much as possible without getting shut down. They have to. Theater workers tell us audiences only want dance routines and bawdy¹³ comedy, but so-called dirty theater, with its blaring music, sequins and seduction, isn't new. It has historical roots in Lahore. The slapstick comedy has long been traditional entertainment in this area. The dancing can be traced back to when the Mughal Empire was situated¹⁴ in the city. Elites used to engage tawaifs, beautiful women who would sing and dance before a crowd.

SUNDUS RASHEED: These were almost like the geishas, very classy women who sort of dictated¹⁵ the culture of the time.

HADID: Sundus Rasheed is a broadcaster and pop culture writer. The status of these women declined as the empire unraveled and the British took over. By the time Pakistan was formed more than seven decades ago, many flocked to the new cinema industry.

RASHEED: But not everybody became a heroine in cinemas, and they started sort of devolving into dancers.

HADID: Others became prostitutes. And the presence of these performances in Pakistan today seems jarring because conservatives have been angered by so much less, like the uproar¹⁶ over a biscuit advertisement two years back. It featured an actress jauntily¹⁷ dancing in traditional, flowy dresses.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: (Singing in non-English language).

HADID: It was briefly¹⁸ banned after a newspaper editor compared the woman's performance to that of the women in dirty theatre. And the religious right wing has been firing up their base by raging against what they call obscenity, like feminists¹⁹ marching on International Women's Day.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Chanting in non-English language).

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Chanting in non-English language).

HADID: One year, religious extremists hurled²⁰ rocks at the women. This year, one group threatened to beat them with sticks. We asked a leader of that group - it's called JUI-F - why dirty theater didn't make them as angry as feminists.

HAFIZ FAHEEM UDDIN: (Non-English language spoken).

HADID: Hafiz Faheem Uddin says women who march with their faces uncovered are unacceptable. As for dirty theater, he says...

UDDIN: (Non-English language spoken).

HADID: You can only convince people through preaching and an invitation to virtue²¹. But maybe the reason why conservatives and culture warriors²² turn a blind eye to so-called dirty theater is about something else - the men who come and see it. At another theater in Lahore, men eagerly cluster around a ticket window. They're here to watch "Kacha Badam." The name is from a viral Indian song. One of the guys sings it.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Singing) Kacha badam, kacha, kacha badam.

HADID: The theater is tucked into an alleyway right beside a mosque²³. So over the call to prayer, Shah Nawaz Ahmed tells us they drove for 6 hours from their hometown for a boys night at the theater.

SHAH NAWAZ AHMED: (Non-English language spoken).

HADID: He says we wanted the front row, but we could only get the 12th.

AHMED: (Non-English language spoken).

HADID: He says the shows refresh their minds when so much of life is frustrating²⁴. But no, Ahmed says, they didn't tell their wives where they were going.

AHMED: (Non-English language spoken).

HADID: He says, they'll find out when we update our status on social media. Another man in line, Asfandyar, says, yeah, there's a double standard.

ASFANDYAR: You will see those people sitting in the hall who will criticize their women and their family to not go outside. But they will be sitting here watching other sisters, other women, doing vulgar dance, doing vulgar jokes.

HADID: It's not OK for the wives and sisters of these men to be dance performers, but it's OK for the men to watch. Backstage after the theatre show, Khushboo Khan laughs.

KHAN: (Laughter).

HADID: She thinks the reason why conservatives and clerics don't protest is because they and their followers²⁵ are in the audience.

Diaa Hadid, NPR News, Lahore.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST: (Singing in non-English language).

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 cram   

v.填塞，塞满，临时抱佛脚，为考试而学习

参考例句：

• There was such a cram in the church.教堂里拥挤得要命。
• The room's full,we can't cram any more people in.屋里满满的，再也挤不进去人了。

3 congregate   

v.(使)集合，聚集

参考例句：

• Now they can offer a digital place for their readers to congregate and talk.现在他们可以为读者提供一个数字化空间，让读者可以聚集和交谈。
• This is a place where swans congregate.这是个天鹅聚集地。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 billboards   

n.广告牌( billboard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Large billboards have disfigured the scenery. 大型告示板已破坏了景色。 来自辞典例句
• Then, put the logo in magazines and on billboards without telling anyone what it means. 接着我们把这个商标刊在杂志和广告看板上，却不跟任何人透漏它的涵意。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年4月号

6 comedian   

n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员

参考例句：

• The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
• The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。

7 skits   

n.讽刺文( skit的名词复数 )；小喜剧；若干；一群

参考例句：

• One of these skits, "The King of Beasts" resembles a traditional frontier prank. 一出滑稽短剧《兽王》酷似传统的边疆闹剧。 来自英汉非文学 - 民俗
• Kids can develop ad campaigns, commercials and skits to illustrate character traits. 孩子们会发动宣传运动，制作广告宣传片和幽默短剧来说明性格品质。 来自互联网

8 squats   

n.蹲坐，蹲姿( squat的名词复数 )；被擅自占用的建筑物v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的第三人称单数 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。

参考例句：

• The square squats in the centre of the city. 广场位于市中心。 来自互联网
• Various squats, lunges, jumps and sprints are incorporated for the humans. 主人们还要进行下蹲、弓步、跳跃和短跑等各项训练。 来自互联网

9 elites   

精华( elite的名词复数 )； 精锐； 上层集团； （统称）掌权人物

参考例句：

• The elites are by their nature a factor contributing to underdevelopment. 这些上层人物天生是助长欠发达的因素。
• Elites always detest gifted and nimble outsiders. 社会名流对天赋聪明、多才多艺的局外人一向嫌恶。

10 witty   

adj.机智的，风趣的

参考例句：

• Her witty remarks added a little salt to the conversation.她的妙语使谈话增添了一些风趣。
• He scored a bull's-eye in their argument with that witty retort.在他们的辩论中他那一句机智的反驳击中了要害。

11 censor   

n./vt.审查，审查员；删改

参考例句：

• The film has not been viewed by the censor.这部影片还未经审查人员审查。
• The play was banned by the censor.该剧本被查禁了。

12 outfits   

n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 )；一套服装；集体；组织v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits. 他把承包工程分包给许多小单位。 来自辞典例句
• Some cyclists carry repair outfits because they may have a puncture. 有些骑自行车的人带修理工具，因为他们车胎可能小孔。 来自辞典例句

13 bawdy   

adj.淫猥的，下流的；n.粗话

参考例句：

• After a few drinks,they were all singing bawdy songs at the top of their voices.喝了几杯酒之后，他们就扯着嗓门唱一些下流歌曲。
• His eyes were shrewd and bawdy.他的一双眼睛机灵而轻佻。

14 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

15 dictated   

v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布

参考例句：

• He dictated a letter to his secretary. 他向秘书口授信稿。
• No person of a strong character likes to be dictated to. 没有一个个性强的人愿受人使唤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 uproar   

n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸

参考例句：

• She could hear the uproar in the room.她能听见房间里的吵闹声。
• His remarks threw the audience into an uproar.他的讲话使听众沸腾起来。

17 jauntily   

adv.心满意足地；洋洋得意地；高兴地；活泼地

参考例句：

• His straw hat stuck jauntily on the side of his head. 他那顶草帽时髦地斜扣在头上。 来自辞典例句
• He returned frowning, his face obstinate but whistling jauntily. 他回来时皱眉蹙额，板着脸，嘴上却快活地吹着口哨。 来自辞典例句

18 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

19 feminists   

n.男女平等主义者，女权扩张论者( feminist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Only 16 percent of young women in a 1990 survey considered themselves feminists. 在1990年的一项调查中，只有16%的年轻女性认为自己是女权主义者。 来自辞典例句
• The organization had many enemies, most notably among feminists. 这个组织有许多敌人，特别是在男女平等主义者中。 来自辞典例句

20 hurled   

v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂

参考例句：

• He hurled a brick through the window. 他往窗户里扔了块砖。
• The strong wind hurled down bits of the roof. 大风把屋顶的瓦片刮了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

22 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

23 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

24 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。