Battling the Stigma of Breast Cancer With Ali Xeeshan and Asma Nabeel
Featuring the brave Asma Nabeel, Ali Xeeshan's latest campaign is urging women to look beyond the breast cancer stigma & creates awareness of its detection.
Ali Xeeshan has once again set the bar high with his latest Parday Mein Parwah campaign. The campaign features breast cancer battling screenwriter, Asma Nabeel who was undergoing chemotherapy during the days of the shoot. Asma Nabeel is a motivational speaker and is also the CEO of Pink Warrior Films.
Previously, the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam was lit in purple to observe PINKtober. However, this move was heavily criticised by some netizens. Soon social media platforms flooded with offensive comments suggesting that the word ‘breast’ is sexual and it’s shameful for women to seek healthcare if medical issues arise within ‘that’ part of the body. Ali Xeeshan has picked up on this exact deplorable narrative for his Parday Mein Parwah campaign, urging women to look beyond these loathsome beliefs when it comes to something as alarming and life-threatening as breast cancer.
“1 in every 9 women in Pakistan suffers from breast cancer and almost half of them die, every year. The major cause being their hesitation to check themselves that can prevent the disease at an early stage. Ali Xeeshan collaborated with the pink warrior; Asma Nabeel and brought to life a dupatta that reminds you to check yourselves while safeguarding your modesty. Kyon ke ab Parday Mein Parwah zaroori hai.”
The video included statistics on breast cancer cases revealing, every year about 85000 cases are reported in Pakistan, with almost half of these patients succumbing to illness. This has made it a highly prevalent ailment amongst women across the world – and Pakistan in specific. “To protect a woman’s modesty, and talk about the illness is kept under wraps,” Ali Xeeshan said.
In the video, Asma Nabeel recites the following lines from her own poetry:
“Mat roko, mat toko, kay baat hai sehat ki meri [don’t stop, don’t interrupt, this is an issue about my health].”
While speaking on the thought behind this powerful campaign, Ali Xeeshan explained how in South Asian countries, a dupatta is a symbol of modesty. Because of this modesty, most women become shy when it comes to breast cancer. This inspired him to design a dupatta which is illustrative of modesty but also simultaneously serves as a reminder for women to medically examine themselves for cancer as it has the words ‘Mere Parday Mein Parwah Hai’ sewn into it. Asma Nabeel has beautifully showcased the piece and has made it even more sentimental and powerful since she herself is currently battling breast cancer.
The shoot has been a collaboration between Hot Water Bottle Films and Visual Prophecy while Beenish Pervez has served as the stylist for the shoot who also has done a remarkable job with the styling.
The heartfelt and eye-opening campaign that Ali Xeeshan and Asma Nabeel have put out will hopefully give women the nudge they require to begin taking care of their health and also put an end to the appalling narratives as they are proving to be detrimental to women’s health.
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