This study investigated the interplay between religion, patriarchal culture, and the social status of women as portrayed in cinema. The data was derived from the analysis of three independent Urdu films produced in Pakistan. The films analyzed in this study were Silent Waters, directed by female filmmaker Sabiha Sumar, and In the Name of God and Speak, both directed by male filmmaker Shoaib Mansoor. The aim of analyzing these films was to highlight how the filmmakers utilized a discourse similar to colonial discourse to depict the intricacies of women's oppression. Based on narratives and discourse analysis of these films, the findings suggest that the prevailing discourse in the films centered on the criticism of patriarchal culture and Islamic conservatism that structure and undermine women’s status in Pakistani families and society. The discourse portrayed women as active agents who are battling against patriarchal norms and religious extremism to achieve liberation from oppression within both their families and society. The study findings enhance our understanding of how colonial discourse is reproduced in the cinematic productions of Pakistan, particularly in the process of reflecting on women’s issues and empowerment in Pakistan.

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