Tallat Azim The title of todays column has been inspired by that TV soap of long-standing, The bold and the beautiful This particular soap has continued for many, many years, and much like those who get elected to our Parliament, the story continues with the offspring and friends/relatives of those who had been in the lead roles previously. While it is true that women are continuously breaking fresh ground in their bid to play a full and effective role in society and those in the Parliament deserve recognition for their efforts in getting a law on sexual harassment through, the fact remains that there are some in the public limelight who could do with toning down their shrillness and their 'I know so much better attitude. Given the bewildering circumstances we find ourselves in, I do not think there is anyone left who knows anything for certain any more, what to talk of better Topping my list of the shrill and the short-sighted is that defender of elusive Islamic culture and Pakistani identity, Bushra Rehman, MNA of PML-Q. She is unstoppable in her tirade against Indian movies and the dangerous impact they will have on our youth. For starters this stance is very hypocritical, because she did not question her leader Pervez Musharraf when he allowed Indian movies to be shown in Pakistan. Cinema is one of the most popular mediums of entertainment in the world and why should our people be denied access to it. They were watching all these on the DVDs in any case. Communication in todays world has become so easy that it is almost impossible to block things out. We should give our youth more credit than thinking that the Indian cinema will so impact their minds that they will forget their own values. There are good and bad Indian movies and perform according to merit at the box office, just like anywhere else. In fact, if we get lucky this might even have a ripple effect and rekindle or reignite the almost dead Pakistani film industry, which has become a distant memory now. The new generation has no recollection of our heroes and heroines of yore. It is not for lack of talent as has been proven by Shoaib Mansoor and Mehreen Jabbar but for lack of patronage. Bushra Rehman is herself a novelist and a writer of romantic stories of repute, which makes her rather harsh stand on Indian cinema a bit untenable. It gives me a lot of pleasure and satisfaction to know that the people of Swat too are back to enjoying movies and all other normal activities long denied to them by the repressive lot who had held them hostage. It is mindsets of repression that have no room in the progressive Pakistan and that cause notices in the lovely Lawrence Gardens that male and female students cannot stroll together, unless they have proof that they are on a study programme, or something equally ridiculous Another shrill and angry young lady from the PML-Q is Marvi Memon. Her plans, it seems, went really awry when the PML-Q took such a thrashing at the polls and worse when Pervez Musharraf was made to vacate the presidency. She just has not been able to compromise with both the situations and is constantly visibly angry at having been denied a possible and youngest-ever minister ship, if only things had gone as predicted Time is on your side Marvi, but only if you learn the tricks of intelligent and diplomatic persuasion as opposed to aggressive posturing. The list of women MNAs who like to be heard loud and clear will not be complete without the belligerent Firdaus Ashiq Awan. She has the tendency to say the most outlandish things The sort one reserves for intimate gossip - exchange sessions with the closest of friends, and that too on live TV talk shows She won the election from the PPP platform in a general election defeating the previous speaker of the National Assembly. She never stops reminding people of that even though I think the vote was more a rejection of the speaker than an endorsement for her and anyone else contesting against him would have won too One thing going for her is the fact that even while the PM sometimes has to offer an apology on her behalf to those she offends, nobody is interested in taking away her portfolio or chiding her publicly. In another kind of poll, she might actually be a candidate for being the only man in the PPP The list will not be complete without the inclusion of Fawzia Wahab who has the unenviable job of defending the indefensible She has the expression of, I wish I could give you a good smack, when listening to unending allegations. Lessons can be taken from the articulate American Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, on how to listen, respond, persuade, discuss without ever losing ones cool or composure. Postscript: Two good things happened amidst so much that was not so good. Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan was called by the president for discussing the legalities of the NRO, which was such a turn around from his earlier behavior. Aitzaz, Raza Rabbani and Sherry Rehman continue to be the good faces of the party with some credibility and a presidency so besieged can still benefit from their advise and input. The organisers of the much awaited Fashion Week went ahead with the event in Karachi, after a delay of three weeks. The four day event will showcase 32 local designers. Even though security fears have curtailed the scope with no foreign models and designers participating, the colourful Fashion Week is bound to uplift spirits of Karachis glitterati. It is this fear of the modern Pakistani woman who is self-aware, ambitious and driven that scares the living daylights out of the actual and closet mullahs. The writer is a freelance columnist.