Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar Responds to Controversy Over Dialogue in Main Manto Nahin Hoon

A recent episode of the drama Main Manto Nahin Hoon sparked controversy on social media after a dialogue about a woman’s body size led to accusations of body shaming. The writer of the play, Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, has now responded to the criticism.

During an appearance on Sheikh Da Podcast, Qamar addressed the backlash surrounding a scene from the fourth episode. In that episode, actress Sajal Aly’s character arrives late to class without completing her homework. When asked about the reason by Humayun Saeed’s character, she explains that marriage discussions at home are distracting her from her studies.

In the same scene, Sajal Aly’s character teasingly asks Humayun Saeed if he is already married, claiming she had bet with her aunt that he must have two or three children by now and that his wife would have “become fat.”

This line triggered criticism online, with viewers calling it an example of body shaming. Many argued that using the word “fat” to describe women in a negative light was insensitive and harmful. Some also suggested that Sajal Aly, being a senior and respected actress, should have objected to the use of such a word in the script.

Responding to the debate, Qamar clarified that in the story, Humayun Saeed’s character (referred to as Manto) does not even have a wife. He explained that the dialogue was fictional and not a commentary on real women. According to him, this was not “body shaming” but what he termed as “nation shaming,” because critics were, in his view, insulting their own people by raising unnecessary controversy.

He added that his dramas are written for audiences who truly understand his work. Those who misinterpret them, he argued, are caught between Urdu and English and fail to grasp the essence of his writing. “The day these people properly understand Urdu, they will also understand my dramas,” Qamar remarked.

Qamar concluded by saying that the real issue in society is the unwillingness to accept and appreciate one’s own people.