Global conversations around artistic freedom and women’s rights in Pakistan have been reignited following the detention of Sheema Kermani, the legendary classical dancer and feminist activist.
Viral footage from May 5, 2026, showed the 75-year-old icon being forcibly manhandled by the Sindh Police in Karachi. Kermani, who gained massive Gen-Z fame for her mesmerizing Bharatnatyam sequence in the 2022 Coke Studio hit Pasoori, remains a symbol of defiance in a country where her art was once banned.
The Incident: Why Was She Detained?
Sheema Kermani and six other organizers of the Aurat March (Women’s March) were detained outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC). The group had gathered to hold a press conference demanding a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for their upcoming march, scheduled for Mother’s Day, May 10, 2026.
The situation turned aggressive when police forcibly removed Kermani from her vehicle. In the viral video, Kermani can be heard shouting, “I am a 75-year-old woman and they are pulling me around like this!” Following her release, Kermani alleged that her saree was torn during the scuffle and that male officers inappropriately touched female activists, sparking outrage among human rights groups who condemned the “high-handedness” of the Karachi authorities.
Who is Sheema Kermani?
Born in 1951, Kermani is not just a dancer; she is a Marxist-feminist who famously defied the military dictatorship of General Zia-ul-Haq in the late 1970s. When classical dance was declared “un-Islamic” and sarees were discouraged, Kermani continued to perform in public wearing sarees and bindis, asserting cultural freedom against state-sponsored conservatism.
To the modern world, she is the “Pasoori Lady.” In the original music video by Ali Sethi and Shae Gill, Kermani provided a soul-stirring Bharatnatyam performance that interpreted the song’s theme of “angst” (Pasoori) through abstract, emotional movements. She later made headlines for criticizing the 2023 Bollywood remake, Pasoori Nu, arguing that original artistic compositions should be respected and left untouched.
What is the ‘Pasoori Effect’?
The global success of the song created what is now known as the Pasoori Effect—a movement where classical South Asian dance is merged with modern reggaeton beats. Kermani’s involvement bridged the gap between traditional heritage and pop culture, inspiring thousands of young dancers to explore classical raga through a contemporary lens.
As the May 10 march approaches, the detention of its most prominent face has turned the administrative delay into a national debate on whether Pakistan is regressing toward the restrictive eras Kermani has spent her life fighting against.