Women participants need not rush for the cover at the sight of male photographers and waiters. Hyderabad wedding scene is in for a welcome change with female camerapersons and sari-cled waitresses.

A young and beautiful girl, dressed in the most beautiful and expensive attire of her life, ‘the bridal dress’, her face covered with make-up, hands and feet splendidly decorated with henna, bathed head to toe in scents and adorned with jewellery to enhance her beauty, all combining to impart her the most gorgeous look of her life, is sitting alone on the stage surrounded by male photographers, videographers and their assistants. They have been given the licence to watch the bride from every angle and capture her beauty in their cameras. This is more or less the usual scene we come to see more often than not, whenever we attend a Muslim wedding these days. The irony is that the bridegroom after the Nikah would be sitting on the other side without having had a look at his bride yet. I always feel distressed and anguished whenever I see this, and wonder where we are heading to? What has happened to the youth of today and what has happened to the elders who are either mute spectators or in some cases even more enthusiastic participants in such activities?

But recently I happened to attend another Muslim wedding. There, I was in for a surprise. The whole scene was as usual, except that the videographers and the photographers were different. They were two young women, professionally trained with multi-functional cameras along with a group of burqa-clad young girls as their assistants. They were busy taking pictures while taking care not to disturb the guests or cause any discomfort to the bride. I developed an instant liking for them because of their friendly nature. When I went near the stage to wish the bride, one of them said “ Baji, let’s make your portrait with the bride”. As I was carrying my digital camera with me, I said “No, thanks! But I want to take your picture instead!” They were surprised but after a little hesitation they agreed. I was curious to know more about them. Their names were Nazima and Shakeela. They were sisters, both married, and had kids; they had come with their husbands who were also in the same profession, and covered the function in the men’s section. They have been into this profession for six years. They said that they had received encouragement from Muslims who were purdah-conscious.

They do the dubbing, mixing and the editing themselves, as they are professionally trained.
In the same function I was in for another surprise. There were waitresses instead of waiters in the dining hall. Dressed in identical sarees, well-trained and well-mannered, young girls were serving the dinner. We used to hear that such strict purdah system was followed in Muslim nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran etc., but now it seems that people all over the world are becoming more conscious; they have begun to blend the modern needs with the sharia boundaries which is a welcome change. We do hope it becomes a trend soon. I congratulate the organisers of such weddings for making it possible for women to enjoy the function without worrying about hiding themselves from the team of male cameramen and their cameras. This is also a welcome step in the right direction, as it is a good example of the empowerment of women within the Islamic framework. Women have a right to earn, and their economic empowerment will be a boon for society if it is done in a way that it does not violate the basic Islamic principles and values.

If you stay in or around Hyderabad and like to avail the services of Nazima and Shakila, they can be contacted at:

Nazima and Shakeela,
18-13-132/13, Noori Shah
Colony, Bandla Guda, Chandrayangutta, Hyderabad-5, Mobile: 93963-23211
(The writer can be reached at ssaleem123@rediffmail.com)

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