Burka Avenger | Pakistan's Animated Female Superhero | Updates & Episodes.

[RiazHaq]

Haq's Musings: Burka Avenger- Pakistan's Buka-Clad Female Superhero Fights Terrorists


Pantheon of women superheros has a new entry from Pakistan - the Burka Avenger, a mild mannered school-teacher who fights feudal villains and terrorists getting in the way of girls' education.

The cartoon series in Urdu will begin airing on Pakistan's most-watched GeoTV channel in August this year. It has been conceived by one of Pakistan's best-known pop stars, Aaron Haroon Rashid to emphasize the importance of girls’ education and teach children other lessons, such as tolerance and concern for the environment.

It appears that the series is inspired by the story of Malala Yousufzai, a Pakistan teenage school-girl who miraculously survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban in Swat valley last year. Malala has since become an international icon for girls' education worldwide. The United Nations declared Malala's 16th birthday this year on July 12 as Malala Day to focus on girls' education.

“Each one of our episodes is centered around a moral, which sends out strong social messages to kids,” Rashid told The Associated Press in his first interview about the show. “But it is cloaked in pure entertainment, laughter, action and adventure.”

Responding to a question about the choice of burqa, Rashid said “It’s not a sign of oppression. She is using the burka to hide her identity like other superheroes". “Since she is a woman, we could have dressed her up like Catwoman or Wonder Woman, but that probably wouldn’t have worked in Pakistan,” Rashid added.

The series is set in Halwapur, a fictional town nestled in the soaring mountains and verdant valleys of northern Pakistan, according to The Associated Press. The Burka Avenger’s real identity is Jiya, whose father, Kabbadi Jan, taught her karate which she uses to defeat her enemies. When not dressed as her alter ego, Jiya does not don a burqa, or even a headscarf to cover her hair.

The main villains are Vadero Pajero, a balding, corrupt politician who wears a dollar sign-shaped gold medallion around his neck, and Baba Bandook, an evil man with a bushy black beard and mustache who is drawn to resemble a Taliban commander. Caught in the crossfire are the show’s main child characters: Ashu and her twin brother Immu and their best friend Mooli, who loves munching on radishes along with his pet goat, Golu.

Other major stars featured in Burka Avenger series include Ali Zafar, Ali Azmat and Josh band members. Like other series featuring major superheros, the series will be promoted through mobile apps, video games, music videos and other merchandise in Pakistan.

The series is an indication that Pakistan's mass media are getting serious about major issues confronting the country. It is a very timely to address two major issues Pakistan faces: Girls education and terrorism. The two issue are intertwined because the Taliban terrorists are among the biggest obstacles to educating girls in Pakistan, particularly in the nation's north western region infested by the Taliban. Series such as these have the potential to bring about a social revolution in Pakistan.

Haq's Musings: Burka Avenger- Pakistan's Buka-Clad Female Superhero Fights Terrorists

 

[SHAMK9]

wtf did i just read? this is hilarious

 

[sanddy]

Pakistani superwoman ;Burka Avenger to fight for girls - The Times of India

ISLAMABAD: Wonder Woman and Supergirl now have a Pakistani counterpart in the pantheon of female superheroes, one who shows a lot less skin. Meet Burka Avenger: a mild- mannered teacher with secret martial arts skills who uses a flowing black burka to hide her identity as she fights local thugs seeking to shut down the girls' school where she works. Sadly, it's a battle Pakistanis are all too familiar with in the real world.

The Taliban have blown up hundreds of schools and attacked activists in Pakistan's northwest because they oppose girls' education. The militants sparked worldwide condemnation last fall when they shot 15-year-old schoolgirl activist Malala Yousafzai in the head in an unsuccessful attempt to kill her.

Action in the "Burka Avenger" cartoon series, which is scheduled to start running on Geo TV in early August, is much more lighthearted . The bungling bad guys evoke more laughter than fear and are no match for the Burka Avenger undoubtedly the first South Asian ninja who wields books and pens as weapons.

The Urdu language show is the brainchild of one of Pakistan's biggest pop stars, Aaron Haroon Rashid, known to many as simply Haroon, who conceived of it as a way to emphasize the importance of girls' education and teach children other lessons, such as protecting the environment and not discriminating against others. This last point is critical in a country where Islamist militants wage repeated attacks on religious minorities.

"Each one of our episodes is centered around a moral, which sends out strong social messages to kids," Rashid said. "But it is cloaked in pure entertainment, laughter, action and adventure."

The decision to clothe the superhero in a black burka, also often spelled burqa, a full-length robe commonly worn by conservative Islamic women in Pakistan and Afghanistan, could raise eyebrows because some people view the outfit as a sign of oppression . The Taliban forced women to wear burkas when they took control of Afghanistan in the 1990s.

The version worn by the Burka Avenger shows only her eyes and fingers, though it has a sleeker, more ninjalike look than the bulky robes of an actual burka. Rashid, who is certainly no radical Islamist, said he used a burka to give a local feel to the show, which is billed as the first animated series ever produced in Pakistan. "It's not a sign of oppression. She is using it to hide her identity likeother superheroes," he said.

 

[Kloitra]

Looks badass! Ninja*Spawn.

 

[Marshmallow]

Pakistani superwoman ;Burka Avenger to fight for girls - The Times of India

ISLAMABAD: Wonder Woman and Supergirl now have a Pakistani counterpart in the pantheon of female superheroes, one who shows a lot less skin. Meet Burka Avenger: a mild- mannered teacher with secret martial arts skills who uses a flowing black burka to hide her identity as she fights local thugs seeking to shut down the girls' school where she works. Sadly, it's a battle Pakistanis are all too familiar with in the real world.

The Taliban have blown up hundreds of schools and attacked activists in Pakistan's northwest because they oppose girls' education. The militants sparked worldwide condemnation last fall when they shot 15-year-old schoolgirl activist Malala Yousafzai in the head in an unsuccessful attempt to kill her.

Action in the "Burka Avenger" cartoon series, which is scheduled to start running on Geo TV in early August, is much more lighthearted . The bungling bad guys evoke more laughter than fear and are no match for the Burka Avenger undoubtedly the first South Asian ninja who wields books and pens as weapons.

The Urdu language show is the brainchild of one of Pakistan's biggest pop stars, Aaron Haroon Rashid, known to many as simply Haroon, who conceived of it as a way to emphasize the importance of girls' education and teach children other lessons, such as protecting the environment and not discriminating against others. This last point is critical in a country where Islamist militants wage repeated attacks on religious minorities.

"Each one of our episodes is centered around a moral, which sends out strong social messages to kids," Rashid said. "But it is cloaked in pure entertainment, laughter, action and adventure."

The decision to clothe the superhero in a black burka, also often spelled burqa, a full-length robe commonly worn by conservative Islamic women in Pakistan and Afghanistan, could raise eyebrows because some people view the outfit as a sign of oppression . The Taliban forced women to wear burkas when they took control of Afghanistan in the 1990s.

The version worn by the Burka Avenger shows only her eyes and fingers, though it has a sleeker, more ninjalike look than the bulky robes of an actual burka. Rashid, who is certainly no radical Islamist, said he used a burka to give a local feel to the show, which is billed as the first animated series ever produced in Pakistan. "It's not a sign of oppression. She is using it to hide her identity likeother superheroes," he said.

who made this animated movie?

 

[sanddy]

who made this animated movie?

Geo Network pvt . starting on Geo Tez from July 28 at 6:00 PM,

 

[Marshmallow]

Geo Network pvt . starting on Geo Tez from July 28 at 6:00 PM,

u know alot about our channels and the programs

thnx btw..........

 

[indushek]

u know alot about our channels and the programs

thnx btw..........

Oh the surprise and the latent question

 

[doppelganger]

I think the secret service women of Iran are also dressed like this. Black Ninjas they look like. Cool, and strangely erotic.

 

[Gentelman]

Just Geo or other channels are too showing it??
I guess it is a private serial production and if it is orivate and not spponcered by Geo than its graphics and animation work is much more appreciateable...........

 

[Spring Onion]

looks nice.

Good we should make more animated movies for kids. Its a fun to watch and learn

 

[Contrarian]

Sad to see the blatant attempt to make burqa likeable to little girls.

 

[Spring Onion]

Sad to see the blatant attempt to make burqa likeable to little girls.

ahhh the Indians.

anyway spiderman wears kinda burqa too

 

[Spring Onion]

By the way look at funny twisted version of TOI and original one by ET.


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Catwoman, Wonderwoman, Black Widow — all of them can just back off as Pakistan’s very own super heroine, the Burka Avenger, is all set to save the day. The desi superwoman is a mild-mannered teacher with secret martial art skills, who uses her flowing black burqa to hide her identity and fight thugs seeking to shut down the girls’ school, where she works.

The action-based cartoon, Burka Avenger, is a brainchild of pop singer and former band member of Awaz, Haroon Rashid, and will make its debut on Geo TV in early August. The cartoon is definitely a mirror to our society which suffers at the hands of extremists — those blowing up schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to oppose girls’ education. But limitations only give birth to heroes like Malala Yousafzai and, now, the Burka Avenger.

Haroon asserts that the purpose behind the cartoon is to emphasise the importance of educating girls and also highlight other major issues within the country. “Each one of our episodes is centred on a moral, which sends out strong social messages to kids,” Rashid told The Associated Press in his first interview about the show. “But it is cloaked in pure entertainment, laughter, action and adventure.”

While the West may raise eyebrows over the burka of the Burka Avenger considering it a symbol of oppression, Haroon explicitly states that by no means does it signify a dictatorial custom. Rather the dress was chosen in order to give a more local feel to the show. “It’s not a sign of oppression. She is using the burka to hide her identity like other superheroes,” said Rashid. “Since she is a woman, we could have dressed her up like Catwoman or Wonder Woman, but that probably wouldn’t have worked in Pakistan.”

The Burka Avenger’s true identity is Jiya, whose adopted father, Kabbadi Jan, taught her the karate moves she uses to defeat her enemies. In addition to Jiya, three young kids, twins Immu and Ashu and their best friend Mooli, serve as the show’s other stars. Each of the 13 episodes contains original music by Rashid as well as other popular Pakistani singers including Ali Zafar, Ali Azmat and Josh.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2013

 

[Tshering22]

ahhh the Indians.

anyway spiderman wears kinda burqa too

Only while fighting the villains, dude.

Not when living as peter parker.

Unless you're telling me that this whole ninja-like burka designed is just to hide the superhero's identity.