‘Zindagi Gulzar Hai’ gave us a lot of things. It showed us strong, willful women. Women who would go to any lengths to protect their own. Women who will never shy away from facing any and every hurdle and obstacle that life throws their way. It also gave us some very strong men. Professor Abrar was a man of very strong character who supported those who came to him for help. He also went out of his way to help others. Junaid, Zarun’s father, was another strong man who had given his wife and daughter space to grow. Osama, the last man on the show’s strongest list always stood up for Kashaf when those around her didn’t. However there was one man on the show, who after Kashaf’s father was possibly the weakest character in the drama: Zarun Junaid and we’ll just tell you why
Zarun Junaid was just a really big misogynist
He wanted women to know their place in life from the get go. What place, dare I ask? Anywhere where they can hear a man’s orders properly…
Whether it was his mother, his sister or the woman he is supposed to marry, Zarun constantly puts down the women around him
One might argue that these women were also shown to be the other extreme of the spectrum where they didn’t care much for their family. But that is also an assumption we’re making based on what all Zarun said to his mother while talking to her about the times when she wasn’t there for him. growing up. However, to constantly tell someone that they were horrible as a mother is just…well, bad. Similarly, with his sister, Zarun felt as if her husband/husband–to-be was always in the right and it could only have been Sara jinhoun ne un ki naak mein dum kiye rakha ho ga
Zarun always appeared to be maintaning a moral high ground
As one can sense from some of his dialogues, Zarun thinks that his set of beliefs and morals is better than anyone else’s. Whether it’s telling his girlfriend how to dress up to constantly telling his sister that her husband is an angel and she’s a horrible person, Zarun has
He literally harassed Kashaf into marrying him
Kashaf had always been an extremely headstrong woman. Even after Kashaf and Zarun crossed paths once again, she maintained her distance from him. However, Zarun persistently asked her to marry him, using one way or the other. Whether it was going to Kashaf’s mentor, Professor Abrar, in order to convince her or landing up at her place to talk her family into agreeing to the rishta.
Misrepresented ‘liberal’ women throughout the show
One thing Zarun was very clear about from the very beginning was his dislike of ‘liberal’ women. He claimed that women who wore socially unacceptable clothes and hung out with men were liberal. Liberal women are those who reach for their goals, those who aspire to be better, those who demand equality for themselves. Going by that definition, Kashaf was the most liberal woman of the show.
Zarun didn’t even offer to move to Kashaf’s city when the two decided that they should live together after shaadi…
Instead he assumed that she will move to Islamabad, where he worked.
He didn’t have any concept of space when it came to Kashaf
Even when Kashaf repeatedly told him that she is capable of, and will handle her own issues, he didn’t back down from constantly asking her to share her issues and let him handle them for her. He opened her mail and checked her phone when she wasn’t around. And, well, that’s just not right.
He goes behind his wife’s back to meet his ex-fiance, and a woman who is admittedly still in love with him, however he didn’t make much of it and made an issue out of Kashaf leaving out one insignificant detail which involved Osama asking her for her hand in marriage before Zarun was even in the picture
Zarun didn’t go after his pregnant wife, when she had left because of him, because he hated admitting he was ever wrong
Kashaf had fought with Zarun because he had been going around meeting his ex-fiance, Asmara, and hiding it from Kashaf. Kashaf left the house in anger and went to her mother’s. There is an actual scene where Zarun is convinced he didn’t do anything wrong and he shouldn’t be arguing. It was only when Kashaf had a dream that he had divorced her that she called him HERSELF and came back home. Zarun’s character had absolutely no redemption, even towards the end. Apart from the 2-minute monologue right towards the end, Zarun’s character did not really have a redeeming moment.
Lastly, Zarun toyed around with Kashaf’s feelings, when they were in university, just because Kashaf had bruised his ego by openly stating that she would never be into a man like Zarun Junaid
Zarun tried getting closer to Kashaf over time. Getting her presents from his shopping spree in Dubai, striking conversation with her at ever opportunity. And it is only when Kashaf overhears him bragging to Asmara and Osama that he’s only doing so to get back at her for hurting his ego by saying she will never be attracted to (or want to be friends with) a man like him.
Do you agree with us? Do you not? Let us know in the comments below about what you think!