Why Pakistani men are hating on the actress from the Turkish TV drama Ertuğrul
In the last two years since Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan suggested his countrymen watch Turkish drama Ertugrul, the show has reached cult status. The boundaries between reel and real have diminished for fans
Turkish actor Esra Bilgic is the latest victim of moral policing on social media. Image courtesy: @esbilgic/Instagram
In the last two years since Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan suggested his countrymen watch Turkish drama Ertugrul, the show has reached cult status that the boundaries between reel and real have diminished for the fans.
However, Pakistani men who have loved the show’s character as their own people have been offended by Turkish actor Esra Bilgic, who plays the role of Halime Sultan, also fondly known as ‘Halima Baji’.
Let’s see what is the show Diriliş: Ertuğrul and why an actor has offended Pakistani men:
What is Diriliş: Ertuğrul
Set in 13th century Central Asia, the show Diriliş: Ertuğrul follows the life and adventures of Turkic Muslim nomad warrior Ertugrul.
The TV series shows how Ertugrul along with his tribesmen fights with Mongols, the Crusaders and Byzantines for his homeland, which is established by his son Osman as the Ottoman Empire.
The show that was dubbed Turkish Game of Thrones became famous for its vivid depiction of a 13th Century Turkik Asian community and Muslim culture.
The character of Ertugrul marries Seljuk princess Halime Sultan.
What is the controversy
Bilgiç became a fan-favourite and a household name for her portrayal of Halime Sultan in the show. She is also the ambassador of Peshawar Zalmi, a cricket team in the T20 Pakistan Super League {PSL}.
However, Pakistani men showed there is a limit to their fandom when “Halima Baji” shared her latest collaboration with globally famous lingerie company Victoria’s Secret.
After Bilgiç shared a sponsored post from Victoria’s Secret on her Instagram handle, she was subjected to a severe backlash, mostly from Pakistani men, for wearing and endorsing a “revealing” outfit.
The Pakistani moral police shamed her for disrespecting Islam as well as embarassing Ertugrul “brother” while referring to her as Halima bhabhi (sister-in-law).
One user by the handle bilaal_khann9 on Instagram said, “Haleema ye ap kia krrhe hen.. Kia ertugul sardar ne ap se shadi isi leay ki thi? Ap ky bety Osman bey itni bahadri se kufar se lrrhe aur ap idr ye krrhe. (Haleema, what are you doing… did Ertugrul marry you for this? Your son Osman is fighting enemies and you are doing this?)
Another user advised her to “protect your body”.
However, several other social media users as well as some Pakistani news outlets like Daily Pakistan and The Express Tribune slammed the trolls.
“On top of the chart for desi trolls this week is Bilgiç, with her recent feature in Victoria’s Secret advertisement. It seems like they’re under the impression that Bilgiç is actually Halime, and it’s frankly starting to get somewhat embarrassing,” The Express Tribune wrote.
It is not the first that Bilgiç had to face moral policing. She has had to frequently face social media shaming from Pakistani men for her choice of clothings who comment about how she must carry herself and show respect to the character she plays on-screen.
With inputs from agencies
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