Joyland: A Cinematic Representation of Pakistani Patriarchal Joint Family

Rizwan Bashir Baloch; Abul Hassan; Syed Atef Amjad Ali; Ali Ab Ul Hassan

doi:10.5195/cinej.2025.709

Joyland: A Cinematic Representation of Pakistani Patriarchal Joint Family

Authors

Rizwan Bashir Baloch https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0590-6979
Abul Hassan The University of Lahore https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9446-0109
Syed Atef Amjad Ali The University of Lahore https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5739-7693
Ali Ab Ul Hassan The University of Lahore https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0030-742X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2025.709

Keywords:

Joyland, patriarchy, joint family, sexual relationship, banned film

Abstract

Joyland, a 2022 Pakistani film that gained popularity worldwide but got banned in Pakistan, depicted the problems of patriarchy, suppression of individuals’ self-identity, intervention in sexual and reproduction liberty of married couples, taboos associated with women employment, household participation, and sexual pleasure. This study adopts multimodal discourse analysis which critically discusses the patriarchal influence of Pakistani men in a joint family system, by purposefully selected scenes of the film that showcase the characters’ depiction of being dominated by the ideology of a patriarchal mindset. It further analyzes the role of a man, the eldest in the family, who decides everyone’s fate, irrespective of gender, financial status, or sibling positions in the family. This study also sheds light on how the sexual lives of individuals get affected through joint family pressures, which results in disoriented sexual relationships and indecisive preferences between partners.

Author Biography

Syed Atef Amjad Ali, The University of Lahore

Syed Atef Amjad Ali is Incharge of School of Creative Arts, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan. He is a cultural anthropologist and independent filmmaker based in Lahore, Pakistan

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Published

2025-12-03

How to Cite

Baloch, R. B., Hassan, A., Ali, S. A. A., & Hassan, A. A. U. (2025). Joyland: A Cinematic Representation of Pakistani Patriarchal Joint Family. CINEJ Cinema Journal, 13(2), 194–220. https://doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2025.709

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Issue

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2025): Fall

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Articles

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