Sarmad Sehbai’s 'The Blessed Curse' explores power and desire in Pakistan

Sarmad Sehbai’s satirical novel dissects masculinity, politics, and religious power in Pakistan.

Illustration by Phil Jones

By Novanka Laras and Sarah Oktaviany

The Blessed Curse, by Sarmad Sehbai

Sarmad Sehbai’s novel The Blessed Curse offers an unflinching and absurdist exploration of masculinity, power, and political influence in Pakistan. Through the story of Noor Mohammad Ganju, a man trapped in a stifling marriage and consumed by unattainable desires, Sehbai weaves a darkly satirical tale of how political and military power entangles itself with personal ambition and sexual control.

At the heart of The Blessed Curse is Ganju’s frustration—both sexual and existential. Despite being married for fifteen years, he has never seen his wife naked. Their intimacy is constrained by layers of tradition, veils, and societal expectations. When she does allow him near, their encounters are awkward and devoid of passion, reduced to a mechanical act dictated by unseen forces.

This theme of unseen power becomes literal when a mysterious General emerges from Ganju’s telephone, clad in full military regalia. The General commands Ganju to perform, and in an absurd turn of events, Ganju shrinks and moves between the General’s massive thighs. What follows is an unsettling scene where the General orchestrates Ganju’s actions, reducing him to a puppet in a bizarre display of dominance. In the aftermath, Ganju discovers the General’s mustache still attached to the phone’s mouthpiece. When he places it on his own face, the mirror reflects not his image but the authoritative presence of the General himself—a moment that signals his transformation into a man who derives power not from personal agency but through submission to a higher authority.

The novel unfolds as a surreal examination of masculinity, exposing how political and military figures manipulate both sex and identity. Ganju’s struggles mirror broader themes of control, subjugation, and misplaced ambition. His marriage, steeped in family obligations, is a symbol of the entrapment many women in patriarchal societies experience. His wife, the daughter of a revered Sufi divine, finds little fulfillment in their relationship, and her silent suffering highlights the imbalance of power in their household.

Beyond his marriage, Ganju seeks fulfillment elsewhere—particularly in his fascination with a flamboyant prostitute named Lilly Khanum. However, his desires remain unfulfilled, always mediated through the influence of powerful men. Even in his pursuit of pleasure, he is never truly in control.

Sehbai’s satire is rich with metaphors that expose the absurdity of this system. The novel features a series of animate objects and creatures that embody the desperate pursuit of potency by Ganju, the General, and Zahid—an arms dealer obsessed with symbols of wealth and masculinity. A mystical she-donkey, a phallic rooster, and even a potency-enhancing rat all become instruments in their quest for virility. Yet, in the end, it is Ganju’s own swelling erection that leads to his downfall, culminating in his execution at the General’s behest. In a grotesque twist, even in death, Ganju’s severed organ takes on a life of its own, ultimately destroying the very figure who sought to control him.

While the novel is surreal and absurdist, its themes resonate deeply with the realities of Pakistan’s political and military history. Sehbai draws clear parallels between the unchecked power of the country’s ruling elite and the chaotic downfall of figures who overreach. The novel’s structure mirrors the cycle of political assassinations, military takeovers, and power struggles that have shaped Pakistan’s history.

Ganju’s daughter, caught in this web of patriarchal control, rebels against the fate assigned to her. Forced into marriage with a delinquent child husband, she ultimately kills him and flees. Meanwhile, Lilly Khanum, who dares to navigate the male-dominated world on her own terms, meets a violent end when Ganju arranges for acid to be thrown on her face—a grim reflection of the fate many women face when they challenge societal norms.

Sehbai’s prose oscillates between stark realism and absurd exaggeration. The deeply unsettling yet darkly comedic narrative exposes how power operates through absurd rituals and misplaced masculinity. As the novel progresses, Ganju embarks on a pilgrimage to Mecca, ostensibly to atone for his sins. However, his journey is orchestrated by the General, who sends him on a secret mission to secure financial aid from wealthy Arab sheikhs. But instead of fulfilling his orders, Ganju undergoes a genuine religious transformation. His newfound piety, however, is too little, too late. By the novel’s end, his story culminates in a grotesque and surreal climax—his posthumous erection wreaks havoc on an international scale, symbolizing the uncontrollable consequences of unchecked power and desire.

Sehbai’s literary career has been deeply intertwined with his observations of Pakistan’s political landscape. Before becoming a novelist, he traveled across rural Pakistan as a marketing executive, an experience that gave him firsthand insight into the country’s social and religious dynamics. This knowledge permeates The Blessed Curse, particularly in its depictions of Sufi shrines and expressions of popular piety.

Although The Blessed Curse is Sehbai’s only novel and his sole work in English, its creation spans decades. He began writing it in the 1970s, adding to it over the years to reflect Pakistan’s evolving political landscape. Originally spanning nearly 800 pages, the final version—skillfully edited down to 266 pages—preserves its sharp commentary and biting satire.

In addition to his novel, Sehbai has made significant contributions to Urdu and Punjabi literature, writing plays and poetry that explore similar themes of power, tradition, and rebellion. His tenure as the head of Pakistan Television’s theater department also informs the novel’s dramatic, almost theatrical presentation of events.

The Blessed Curse stands as a daring and provocative work that challenges societal norms and political structures. Sehbai’s blend of absurdity, satire, and sharp critique makes it a compelling read for those interested in the intersection of literature and political commentary.

By exposing the farcical lengths to which powerful men go to maintain their dominance—whether through military control, religious posturing, or personal sexual conquest—Sehbai crafts a novel that is as unsettling as it is enlightening. The story of Ganju is not just one of personal failure but a larger allegory for the cycles of power, repression, and eventual downfall that have shaped Pakistan’s history.

With The Blessed Curse, Sehbai cements his legacy as one of Pakistan’s most fearless literary voices, delivering a novel that is both a grotesque satire and a searing political statement.