Sexuality is no issue in Pak: Begum Nawazish

Pakistanidrag artiste and Bigg Boss contestant Begum Nawazish Ali feels that her nationis crumbling but sexuality there is anon-issue.
Will you be inwomen’s clothing throughout the show?
It will have to be a50-50. I’ve made it clear that we’re unique individuals. There aretwo atmaans in me: one male and one female. But playing a woman 24/7 isphysically impossible.At the same time, playing the male full-time is notfeasible, because the man in me can be boring. I know it’s going to be atight ropewalk for me. It’s a balancingact.
Will you flirt with the men onscreen?
Main chote-mote baccho ke saath flirt kya karoongi? Thereis only one person jo mere standards ko match kar sakta hai and that is the BiggBoss himself!
The show must also bean escape from the horrific realities of Pakistan.
In the last fewmonths, I’ve been extremely depressed about Pakistan. Hundreds of peopledying, from floods, from fundamentalist violence, and that’s all you hearabout in the news. I have to confess that I have been selfish in accepting thisopportunity.
Being locked up for those many weeks might allow forsome introspection in terms of how I can give something back to Pakistan, how Ican play a slightly more proactive role in repairing it. But yes, I am escapingthe bitter, unpleasant realities of a troubled nation.
It’simportant for my own sanity.
CanPakistani citizens themselves be absolved from the mess they’re in? Youguys have let the army run amuck, to say nothing of bedding Islamist terroristsvia the ISI? Hasn’t elitism destroyed your nation?
Idon’t see the army as an enemy. The army has actually been quite active inrestoring the nation after the devastating floods we’ve faced. But thereare elements in the army, there are elements in the political elite, there areelements in the judiciary.
You can’t blame an entireinstitution. As regards the ISI and its alleged complicity in stokingfundamentalist violence, you have to understand that the game in Pakistan is alittle more complicated. There are a lot of international agencies that are veryactive.
There are the Americans with their own agenda, there isChina, there is India, both of which have their own agendas as well, and thenthere is Iran, which is another ballgame altogether. Pakistan is caught in a webof many intrigues, and its citizens are helpless. With these many sinister mobsplaying under the table games, people are more bothered about their rozi rotithan khatra.
This is a trial by fire that Pakistan will have to gothrough, lekin Pakistaniyo ko jaagna padega. They will have to wake up andsacrifice land, property, money.
Howeasy is it being gay in a theological democracy and increasingfundamentalism?
Sexuality is not on the list of priorities for theplayers in the scramble for Pakistan. As far as sexuality is concerned, it is avery personal business in Pakistan; everybody is free to be whatever they wantto be. I’ve never heard of any discrimination based on sexuality, as faras men are concerned. Men, whether gay or straight, have their way in thismale-dominated society.
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