Pakistani men are angry with Turkish actor Esra Bilgic... for a Victoria's Secret ad
If you are a fan of Turkish and Arabic TV shows and films, you would know about Turkish actor, Esra Bilgic. Esra’s portrayal of the character, Halime Sultan in the popular Turkish historical series, Dirilis: Ertugrul. She won hearts in several countries, including Pakistan. The series was dubbed Turkish Game of Thrones.
The show ended in 2019, however, it seems like Esra’s Pakistani male fans are still under the impression that the actor is the real 13th-century queen Halime Sultan. Their shocked comments moral policing the actor Esra show it.
WHY ARE PAKISTANI MEN ANGRY?
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Pakistani men are angry with Esra Bilgic for appearing in Victoria’s Secret advertisement wearing a bra and a blazer. The angry fans called it shameful that Esra would disrespect Islam, the character of Halime Sultan and her fictional husband from the historical series Ertugrul Ghazi.
Some exaggerated their displeasure by wondering why they didn't die before stumbling across her post and others even referred to the actor as bhabhi (sister-in-law).
One user by the handle bilaal_khann9 on Instagram said, "Haleema ye ap kia krrhe hen.. Kia ertugul sardar ne ap se shadi isi leay ki thi? Ap ky bety Osman bey itni bahadri se kufar se lrrhe aur ap idr ye krrhe... استغفراللہ استغفراللہ ? (Haleema, what are you doing? Did Ertugrul marry you for this...)."
Another user said, "Musalman hi yeh gandi cheeze karahe ho to dusro mazheb ka kia shrum nahi hai Ramadan ane wale hai."
It is bizarre that the fans are not able to distinguish between the reel character played by the actor and the real actor herself, policing her to live up to the expectations of a 13th-century royal woman. They also said that since the actor played the role of the queen, she also had the responsibility to uphold the honour of the tribe the character belonged to some 800 years ago.
The moral policing by the Pakistani men were called out by Esra’s other fans – including other Pakistani fans too. While some apologised on behalf of the men, others made a laugh riot out of their demands and fantasies.
An Instagram user defending Esra said, "Pakistani men acting like they’re being forced at gunpoint to follow her. LOWER YOUR GAZE."
NOT THE FIRST TIME…
It is not the first time that actor Esra was shamed by her Pakistani fans, nor is she the only Turkish actor from the popular series to have been trolled either. In 2020, Pakistani men once again protested on Esra’s Instagram against the actor posting a picture in a bra and a blazer outfit.
They seemed very hurt and put off at the actor for breaking their fantasies of an ideal woman based on a 13th-century historical figure. Some even called on the Turkish government to punish her.
It seems like Pakistani men have a phobia for bras, for some reason. They even once were busy debating the colour of the bra of Pakistani actor Mehwish Hayat when she posted a Pakistani Independence Day message in 2021.
Even a male actor from the Turkish series was subject to Pakistani men trolling him. Actor Engin Altan Duzyaten, who plays the lead role of Ertugrul Ghazi, was policed by fans online for posting a picture with his dog on a couch. Angry fans said that allowing a dog inside the house is against Islam and that they were disappointed to see the character of Ertugrul disrespecting the culture.
The Turkish series Dirilis: Ertugrul is quite popular in Muslim countries and even some non-Muslim countries in South America. In Pakistan, its Prime Minister Imran Khan endorsed the show saying it is a must-watch.