A video of a religious scholar from Pakistan commenting on a television show that two actors' marriage would be considered valid in real life if they performed a nikah in a drama has triggered an outrage on social media. Although the show was televised during Ramadan 2023, it went viral recently, Dialogue Pakistan reported.
In the clip, a group of religious scholars are shown participating in a show on a private TV channel when one of them asked another if nikah ceremonies performed between actors in TV dramas could be considered valid marriages.
The cleric responded: "Yes, certainly. If a nikah is performed in a TV drama scene with two witnesses present, then it will be considered a valid marriage."
The remark drew severe backlash from celebrities and the general public, with model-turned-actor Nadia Hussain stating that statements like these can not only promote obscenity but also encourage violence against women. She added that nikah scenes in dramas are filmed in a way that none of the elements are real.
“The names of the actors, the two witnesses present, the maulvi performing the ceremony, the signatures on the Nikahnama – none of it is real. It's just scribble, and the Nikahnama isn't even registered with the union council," Nadia said, pointing out that only when a nikah is registered with the union council does it become valid and the union is formalised.
"If religious scholars are saying that staged nikah in TV dramas are considered real marriages, then they are giving a clean chit to promoting obscenity," the actor said.
Meanwhile, several social media users did not hold back from criticising the cleric's statement with some jokingly congratulating actors Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan after they performed a nikah as part of a drama.
Some also congratulated actor Salman Khan (in jest, of course) for no longer being single.
An X user Parvez Baig (@ParvezBaig16) said, "This is what happens when we give too much power & importance to so-called religious scholars." Another user Babar Ahmad (@TheBabarAhmad) added, "Performing a nikah ceremony on TV doesn't mean actors are married in real life. Nikkah requires legal procedures for recognition.
Entertainment is not equal to legal marriage."
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