Television in Pakistan has always enjoyed a superior status; at a time when only PTV existed, roads would infamously clear out and people would plan their social activities around the 8pm serial scheduled for the day. I have witnessed the kind of cult following serials like Ankahi and Tanhaiyan, for example, had back then.
That popularity has not diminished but in fact has amplified over the years. There may not be one focal point, as there was with one PTV, but popular TV artists now enjoy a status like never before. TV artistes can be seen everywhere, from films, on music shows, on fashion catwalks, on magazine covers, commercials…you name it. The reason is the continuing popularity of drama serials.
These are my three favourite drama serials these days; here’s what I love about them and what I wish I could change…
Dil Kya Kare
Written by Asma Nabeel, directed by Mehreen Jabbar and featuring Feroze Khan, Yumna Zaidi and Mirza Zain Baig in pivotal roles, Dil Kya Kare is essentially a love triangle between the three protagonists. While there is nothing extraordinary about the story itself (yet) what makes it compelling is the sophisticated way of story telling, the performances (Feroze Khan, Yumna Zaidi, Shamim Hilaly and Marina Khan especially) as well as the progressive nuances throughout each episode. DKK is women centric and promotes healthy prototypes, whether it’s Faryal (Maryam Nafees) being unperturbed when her proposal is revoked because there have been two deaths in her family (her prospective in-laws feel she may bring them bad luck and she is all too delighted to be rid of such regressive people) or whether it’s Saadi (Mirza Zain Baig) shown making tea and doing other household chores, an anomaly for the quintessential testosterone fueled Pakistani male. There are numerous such instances.
If there was one thing I’d modify about DKK so far, it would be the endless dream sequences that slow down the story’s pace. I also have an inkling that Saadi is going to be killed off and that won’t go down well, I feel. Aiman has already lost both her parents in an air crash and for her to also lose the love of her life would be unfair beyond apprehension. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.
Ranjha Ranjha Kardi
Written by Faiza Iftikhar and directed by Kashif Nisar, Ranjha Ranjha Kardi is the riveting tale of an ambitious young girl, Noori, who works her way from being a rag-picker’s daughter in the village to moving to the city, falling in love and facing betrayal and eventually ending up married in a privileged household albeit to a mentally challenged young man. RRK, once again, makes one proud of the level of acting our TV actors are capable of. Accolades should be handed out to both Iqra Aziz (Noori) and Imran Ashraf (Bhola) for making their extremely complex characters appear effortless. But it’s also the cast beyond them – Asma Abbas especially – that keep the story alive.
We’re at a point in the story where Noori has accepted her fate as being married to Bhola; she’s been told to learn to live with the insufficiencies of the situation. But she’s also shown to be a passionate young girl and we know that Sahir (played well by Syed Jibran) is about to return to her life. How this will pan out is what’ll keep one intrigued.
Cheekh
Written by Zanjabeel Asim Shah and directed by Badar Mehmood, Cheekh began as the suspense thriller that hooked everyone on. It began as the story of three best friends – Mannat, Nayab and Haya – who are so close that Mannat is married to Haya’s brother Shayan while Haya and Mannat are trying to convince the younger brother, Wajih, to marry Nayab. Nayab is from a relatively poor family and is shown to be quite besotted with Wajih. The first episode set the pace of the play – Nayab, at Haya’s house for a dholki – is apparently assaulted, falls from the rooftop and eventually dies after giving the police a lead as to who may have pushed her. The next few episodes provide delicious twists and turns, keeping one fixated with this whodunit situation.
I had hoped that Cheekh would remain a murder mystery till the end but the murderer was just recently revealed and now it will unravel as the plight to get justice for Nayab. It will now be a case of Mannat, played well by Saba Qamar, fighting her brother in law and culprit Wajih, the versatile Bilal Abbas Khan who has taken on the negative role very well. I’m not too excited by the new fight for justice situation and hope Cheekh will manage to retain one’s interest.
Also to watch: Period play Aangan, an adaptation of Khadija Mastoor’s acclaimed novel. The direction may be all over the place but it’s the camera work and some of the scenes and performances – Chammi (Sajal Aly), Jameel (Ahad Raza Mir), Aaliya (Mawra Hocane), Dadi (Zaib Rehman), Mazhar (Omair Rana), Tehmina (Hira Mani) and Safdar (Ahsan Khan) light things up when they’re on screen - that are keeping it afloat. There’s also drama serial Bandish, revolving around black magic and providing a heavy dose of horror to prime time television, that has people hooked. I find it too scary to watch but you should if you have an appetite for out of body experiences.