When Pakistani singer Ali Sethi released ‘Pasoori’ with Coke Studio Pakistan, the song slowly took the entire globe by storm. From musical renditions to dance performances, fans of the melody associated with it in any and every way possible. But along with the tune, what also went viral were the song’s aesthetics. The Bharatnatyam dance, the floral décor and much more.Pasoori was an instant hit, but more so in the neighbouring country, India. A Punjabi song with deep, meaningful lyrics, featuring an Indian dance was the perfect mix to get the country’s attention and have it fall in love with it. As many began to search, it turned out that the woman performing the graceful traditional dance in the beginning was a Pakistani classical dancer and activist Sheema Kermani.While Kermani may have gone viral for her skills previously, currently she is all over the internet for something else entirely. Videos of her being escorted and allegedly manhandled by policewomen in Karachi are being circulated far and wide on the internet, sparking outrage and debate around women’s rights in Pakistan.As per Pakistani newspaper Dawn, Kermani was among the seven Aurat March activists briefly detained by the Sindh Police near the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday. The activists had gathered for a scheduled press- conference demanding a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the upcoming Aurat March event in Karachi. Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar later ordered the release of the detained activists.
Who is Sheema Kermani?
The incident served to push Kermani into the limelight once again with people asking “Who is Sheema Kermani?” and researching her life and background.Kermani is one of Pakistan’s most talented and famed classical dancers, theatre artists and women’s rights activists. She was born on January 16, 1951, in Rawalpindi, Punjab and has spent decades in the fields of performing arts, feminism and progressive politics in Pakistan. Her father served in the Pakistan Army and later became the chairman of Karachi Electric Supply Corporation. Moreover, she traced her paternal roots to Lucknow in India and Kerman in Iran, while her mother’s side hails from Hyderabad Deccan.It was during her school holidays in India that she developed a deep interest in Indian classical dance and art, later pursuing Bharatnatyam. She had been married to Pakistani theatre actor and writer Khalid Ahmed.Due to the dedicated pursuit of her talent, Kermani has been credited for keeping Bharatnatyam alive in the country, despite opposition from conservatives to classical dance forms. Over the years, she has become a major cultural figure in Karachi and across the continent.However, what most remember her by is her bit in Ali Sethi and Shae Gill’s popular Coke Studio Pakistan song Pasoori. The part gained her international praise along with introducing her to a new and younger audience.Apart from dance, Sheema Kermani is also the founder of Tehrik-e-Niswan, also known as the Women’s Movement Cultural Action Group. Since the late 1970s, her organisation has been working on women’s rights, theatre performances and educational and cultural awareness in Pakistan. She openly identifies as a feminist and Marxist.Her work gained massive limelight and significance during the military rule of General Zia-ul-Haq, when strict cultural and religious restrictions were imposed in Pakistan. Kermani continued her dance performances and teaching classes even then.In a country where women are known to be oppressed and their voices suppressed, Sheema Kermani has ensured she gives them a platform to say everything out loud.
