Best Pakistani Dramas of All Time is today’s Topic. Pakistani Dramas have evolved a great deal over the years. Back in the 1960s and 80s, the writers put in a great deal of effort to come up with original scripts. There was also the trend of making meaningful comedy plays which served a bigger purpose and kept the viewers engaged as well. With the onset of the first private channel, things changed dramatically. There was more focus on making the dramas visually pleasing and there was also a time when the production houses started taking inspiration from Pakistani dramas which aired across the border. Luckily, that did not continue for too long and writers like Umera Ahmed, Faiza Iftikhar, Samira Fazal and others saved the day. The new production houses also put in all their efforts into bringing those viewers back who had stopped watching Pakistani dramas. This started a new wave of Pakistani dramas lead by many new private channels which continue to provide the viewers with quality entertainment even today.
This list contains dramas which aired from 1960s to 2012. Anyone who wants to find out which Pakistani dramas were the best after 2012 can click on the links under this article because those years were covered by reviewit in the annual lists.
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Alif Noon – 1965
Writer: Kamal Ahmed Rizvi
Director: Kamal Ahmed Rizvi
Producer: PTV
Cast: Kamal Ahmed Rizvi, Rafi Khawar & others.
Alif Noon was mainly the story of two friends who were completely different from one another, one was clever and the other one was extremely innocent. Each episode of Alif Noon covered a specific social evil and it did so without getting too serious. The comic timing of the actors involved and the wit of the writer made this series a treat to watch. Alif Noon was the most entertaining social satire till date.
Waris – 1979
Writer: Amjad Islam Amjad
Director: Ghazanfer Ali and Nusrat Thakur.
Producer: PTV
Cast: Abid Ali, Mehboob Alam, Uzma Gillani, Samina Ahmad, Firdous Jamal, Ghayyur Akhtar, Tahira Naqvi, Agha Sikander and others.
This drama is based on a the family of a feudal lord and his sons. The story revolves around the contrast between the sons and the paths they later choose in their lives which also results in family fued and their downfall. The story of Waris portrayed family politics in a gripping manner.
Ankahi – 1982
Writer: Haseena Moin
Director: Shoaib Mansoor and Mohsin Ali
Producer: PTV
Cast: Shehnaz Sheikh, Shakeel, Javed Sheikh, Jamshed Ansari, Saleem Nasir, Qazi Wajid, Behroze Sabzwari, Badar Khalil and others.
The story of one of the classics Ankahi is based on the struggles of a young girl belonging to middle class and how she is adamant on making the ends meet to support her family. This story showed that despite being clumsy and causing one problem after another, Sana is aware of her responsibilities and believes in doing what is right. Ankahi also shows a love triangle with Sana being the one making the final decision.
Tanhaiyan – 1985
Writer: Haseena Moin
Director: Shehzad Khalil
Producer: Shalimar Recording Company
Cast: Shehnaz Sheikh, Marina Khan, Behroze Sabzwari, Qazi Wajid, Yasmin Ismail, Durdana Butt & others.
Tanhaiyan is one of the best family dramas in the history of Pakistani entertainment therefore even today it is considered a classic. Tanhaiyan was a coming of age story which showed the struggles of its leading characters. It had a comic element and was emotional throughout. The strong characterizations and superb performances left a lasting impression on the viewers. It is one of those Pakistani dramas which can never get old.
Dhoop Kinare – 1987
Writer: Haseena Moin
Director: Sahira Kazmi
Producer: PTV
Cast: Rahat Kazmi, Marina Khan, Sajid Hassan, Qazi Wajid, Badar Khalil, Arshad Mehmood, Kehkashan Awan, Ishrat Hashmi, Azra Sherwani, Hameed Wyne and others.
Dhoop Kinare was the finest drama which revolved around the lives of doctors and everything that they go through. This drama showed doctors’ lives in a very magnified and realistic manner. Dhoop Kinare gave everyone an insight that despite going through so much in personal lives, doctors never falter on their responsibilities. The staff room conversations and the love story of Dr. Ahmed Ansari and Dr. Zoya made this drama very special.
Marvi – 1993
Writer: Noor-ul-Huda Shah
Director: Sultana Siddiqui
Producer: PTV
Cast: Ghazal Siddiqui, Hassam Qazi, Mahnoor Baloch, Badar Khalil, Noor Muhammad Lashari & others.
Drama serial Marvi’s story revolved around a girl Marvi who leaves her village to get higher education in the city. This drama highlighted the feudal mindset and showed the importance of taking a stand as well as education. Even now Ghazala Naqvi’s first introduction is Marvi. This drama also had a massive impact on the viewers and proved to be an eye-opener – it was one of the first of its kind.
Aanch – 1993
Writer: Naheed Sultana Akhtar
Director: Tariq Jameel
Producer: PTV Karachi Center
Cast: Shafi Muhammad Shah, Shagufta Ejaz, Sami Saani, Mehak Ali, Shehla Solangi, Ayesha Khan, Mehmood Ali, Qaisar Naqvi, Farheen Nafees, Kunwar Nafees and others.
Aanch drama is one of its kind. Aanch brought to light the kind of story which was rarely discussed or depicted on TV before. It is a story about the relationship between a step mother and her step children. This drama beautifully showcased how perseverance, patience and love showered by a strong and patient woman makes it possible for her to earn a place in her step-children’s hearts.
Dhuwan – 1994
Writer: Ashir Azeem
Director: Sajjad Ahmed
Producer: Sajjad Ahmed
Cast: Ashir Azeem, Nabeel, Wajid Ali Shah, Zubair Khan Achakzai, Nazli Nasr, Nayyar Ejaz, Rija Amir & others.
Drama serial Dhuwan too was a complete package and a must watch for all those people who haven’t watched it. An extremely engaging and powerful play, this drama showed how five friends who were highly educated decided to make their lives more purposeful by helping their country and people. Their friendships and their objectives both kept the viewers hooked. These character made the viewers laugh and cry with them.
Alpha Bravo Charlie – 1998
Writer: Shoaib Mansoor, Zia-ur-Rehman
Director: Shoaib Mansoor
Producer: ISPR, Shoman Productions
Cast: Qasim Khan, Abdullah Mahmood, Faraz Inam, Shahnaaz Khwaja, Aarshid Kazmi, Wiqar Ahmed, Hashmat Shaikh & others.
Alpha Bravo Charlie was a sequel of the mini series Sunehry Din but this drama gained much more popularity as well appreciation than its prequel. Alpha Bravo Charlie was another entertaining, meaningful and simply beautiful drama which showed how different young boys join the armed forces and grew with each other. The leading lady of this play was also its main attraction since her character was unconventional and appealing.
Doraha – 2008
Writer: Umera Ahmed
Director: Mehreen Jabbar
Producer: 7th Sky Entertainment
Cast: Humayun Saeed, Sanam Baloch, Sonia Rehman, Adnan Siddiqui, Badar Khalil & others.
Doraha aired at a time when most people had given up on Pakistani dramas. Doraha’s story was somewhat simple but the performances and the execution was perfect. Doraha was also liked by the viewers because of the cast since all the actors performed really well. This was also the time when Pakistani dramas were short and to the point therefore even if you tune into Doraha today, you will enjoy watching it.
Meri Zaat Zara e Benishan – 2009
Writer: Umera Ahmed
Director: Baber Javed
Producer: 7th Sky Entertainment
Cast: Faysal Qureshi, Samiya Mumtaz, Adnan Siddiqui, Sarwat Gilani, Imran Abbas, Samina Peerzada, Ismat Zaidi and others.
Meri Zaat Zara e Benishan was based on the novel written by Umera Ahmed. It was a story of false accusation that the character of Saba faced and the humiliation and rejection that came along. Saba goes through the worst because the pious and most respected member of the family plots against her only because she can not accept Saba as her daughter in law. Meri Zaat Zarra e Benishaan was a melodrama which covered the destruction that Saba’s entire family faces because of one such incident.
Malal – 2009
Writer: Umera Ahmed
Director: Mehreen Jabbas
Producer: Momina Duraid
Cast: Sarwat Gillani, Deepti Gupta, Faisal Rehman, Imran Abbas, Ismat Zaidi, Shamim Hilali and others.
Malaal was a story of two friends Danish and Zeenia. Zeenia loves Danish but because he ends up succumbing to the pressures, he leaves her in the lurch and gets married to Mahi. Malaal was a story showcasing how wrong decisions can affect everyone’s lives. It also focused on how selfishness ends up getting you nowhere. This drama had one of the best acting performances to its credit and the best part about this drama was that it highlighted the struggles of people of modern day and age in a realistic manner.
The Baraat Series – 2009 to 2012
Writer: Syed Mohammad Ahmed, Khadija Shah, Vasay Chaudhry, Bushra Ansari
Director: Marina Khan, Nadeem Beyg
Producer: Evernew Studio
Cast: Bushra Ansari, Javed Sheikh, Hina Dilpazeer, Saba Hameed,Samina Ahmad, Hassan Niazi, Ayesha Omer, Shehryar Zaidi,
Sana Askari, Arjumand Rahim, Samina Ahmad & others.
The Baraat Series titled Kis Ki Aye Gi Barat had 4 seasons which were thoroughly entertaining. Each season covered the wedding of a particular character. This series was the perfect combination of comedy and drama. Some of the characters were an instant hit and continued to be the highlight of every season.
Daam – 2010
Writer: Umera Ahmed
Director: Mehreen Jabbar
Producer: 7th Sky Entertainment
Cast: Sanam Baloch, Aamina Sheikh, Adeel Hussein, Nimra Bucha, Sanam Saeed, Faisal Shah & others.
Pakistani drama serial Daam was also one of those dramas which contributed greatly to the revival of Pakistani dramas at a time when most of the production houses were too busy copying our neighboring country, writers like Umera Ahmed brought back the charm of Pakistani dramas. Daam was the story of relationships, friendship and deceit beautifully penned down and presented on screen by the best people in the business.
Dastan – 2010
Writer: Samira Fazal
Director: Haissam Hussain
Producer: Momina Duraid
Cast: Sanam Baloch, Samina Peerzada, Saba Qamar, Ahsan Khan, Fawad Khan, Mehreen Raheel, Affan Waheed, Babrik Shah, Saba Hameed, Daniyal Raheel, Anita Camphor and others.
Dastan drama was based on a novel by Razia Butt titled Bano. The story of Dastaan was based on the Indo-Pak partition and how it affected and changed the lives of people involved. The story revolved around the journey of the central character Bano who lived a comfortable life but later the idea of going to Pakistan and becoming a part of the new formed Islamic state made her go through the worst experiences of her life. Bano’s journey was filled with ups and downs and it was conveyed in a brilliant manner which made the viewers feel for Bano and every single character every step of the way.
Mera Saeein – 2010
Writer: Samira Fazal
Director: Babar Javed
Producer: A&B Entertainment
Cast: Amina Sheikh, Sunita Marshall, Noman Ejaz, Mohib Mirza, Beenish Chauhan, Savera Nadeem, Faysal Qureshi, Saba Faisal and others.
Mera Saeein is a story of a feudal lord Malik Wajahat Ali who lets his desires rule him, desire for a son, for power, for wealth and desire to be with women and have a control over them. During this course, he meets a strong-willed woman who believes she can bring a change in Wajahat’s personality but she ends up becoming a rival of her best friend. Mera Saeein was all about greed and emotions that were conveyed brilliantly.
Qaid e Tanhai – 2010
Writer: Umera Ahmed
Director: Babar Javed
Producer: A&B Productions
Cast: Savera Nadeem, Faysal Qureshi, Saba Hameed, Sunita Marshall, Syed Jibran, Neelam Munir, Lubna Aslam, Ismat Zaidi and others.
Qaid e Tanhai is a story of a family that goes through trials and tribulations. A young married couple facing financial difficulties and the mother in law controlling her son which lands his wife in trouble. Qaid e Tanhai is a story of longing and long-distance relationships, it focuses on how when a couple is distant, they start relying on other people for the sake of companionship. In Qaid e Tanhai it is also shown that what goes around comes around because the one who was responsible for distancing the couple ends up all alone too.
Maat – 2011
Writer: Umera Ahmed
Director: Amna Nawaz Khan
Producer: MD Productions
Cast: Saba Qamar, Adnan Siddiqui, Aamina Sheikh, Noor Hassan Rizvi, Shamim Hilali, Asad Malik & others.
The characters in this drama were black and white but this was an enticing play nevertheless. This was the first drama which showed sibling rivalry and one of the few Pakistani dramas in which the negative character stood out more than the positive one. Maat was an extremely popular drama and as a result a lot of writers copied the idea as well. Even now there are some dramas airing on television which are highly inspired from Maat.
Mein Abdul Qadir Hoon – 2011
Writer: Sarwat Nazir
Director: Babar Javed
Producer: A & B Productions
Cast: Fahad Mustafa, Alishba Yusef, Aamina Sheikh, Faysal Qureshi, Sana Askari, Saba Hameed & others.
Mein Abdul Qadir Hoon was one of those very few Pakistani dramas of that time which showed the struggles of a young man and focused on the male protagonist at a time when most stories revolved around women. This was another coming of age story with a spiritual element to it. The role played by Fahad Mustafa in this drama was one of the best performances of his entire acting career which gave him a new introduction.
Roag – 2011
Writer: Faiza Iftikhar
Director: Babar Javed
Producer: A & B Productions
Cast: Asif Raza Mir, Faisal Qureshi, Sumbul Iqbal, Shagufta Ijaz & others.
Drama serial Roag covered the sensitive topic of child rape at a time when such topics were considered extremely tabooed. Apart from this, it also covered many other pressures and challenges faced by young people. Roag set the bar really high and even today the dramas which cover such topics are often compared with it.
Hamsafar – 2011
Writer: Farhat Ishtiaq
Director: Sarmad Khoosat
Producer: MD Productions
Cast: Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Naveen Waqar, Atiqa Odho, Behroze Sabzwari, Hina Bayat, Saba Faisal & others.
Hamsafar was the most gripping play of its time, it also had an unmatched fan following. It was the story of two people who are forced to get married, they fall in love and the rest of the drama covered the ups and downs in their relationship. Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan’s on-screen couple as well the fast pace of this show in the first few weeks won the viewers over completely.
Mere Pass Pass – 2011
Writer: Samira Fazal
Director: Misbah Khalid
Producer: MD Productions
Cast: Deepak Perwani, Nadia Jameel, Moammar Rana, Aysha Khan (senior), Faisal Shah, Ayesha Sana & others.
The story of Mere Pass Pass was unusual; it was the story of a man who falls hopelessly in love with a married woman. The beauty of this play lied in its simplicity, the perfect characterizations and a very engaging screenplay. Every character and actor left a lasting impact. The casting was faultless and all the actors shared superb on screen chemistry. There were times when the camera work wasn’t very impressive but overall the direction and editing was spot on.
Khuda Aur Mohabbat – 2011 & 2017
Writer: Hashim Nadeem
Director:
Season 1: Anjum Shehzad
Season 2: Syed Ali Raza Usama
Producer: Javeria Saud
Cast: Imran Abbas, Sadia Khan, Kubra Khan, Salman Shahid, Firdous Jamal, Khalid Butt, Shafqat Cheema, Fazila Qazi, Rambo and others.
Khuda aur Mohabbat was a drama based on the novel written by Hashim Nadeem. The story of Khuda aur Mohabbat was based on the journey of Hammad who goes from loving a human being to finding the love of his Creator through that. Hammad and Imaan’s short-lived love story was one of a kind. Their love goes through the scrutiny of societal obstacles and they don’t get to be together. This novel was dramatized twice. The first season that aired in 2011 covered half of the novel but the second season that aired in 2017 showed the complete story.
Akbari Asghari – 2011
Writer: Faiza Iftikhar
Director: Haissam Hussain
Producer: Six Sigma Presentation
Cast: Imran Abbas, Fawad Khan, Sanam Baloch, Humaima Malik, Nargis Rasheed, Asma Abbas, Rehan Sheikh, Nasreen Qureshi, Kiran Haq and others.
Akbari Asghari drama was based on the infamous novel Mirat ul Uroos written by Nazir Ahmed Dehlvi. The story highlighted the stark differences between two sisters Akbari and Asghari. This drama has a comic take on the theme of the story and the Punjabi humor made it one of its kind. This drama was a fine example of ‘never judging a book by its cover’ and the realistic portrayal made it a very interesting watch.
Pani Jaisa Pyaar – 2011
Writer: Moomal Shunaid
Director: Sarmad Sultan Khoosat
Producer: Momina Duraid
Cast: Saba Qamar, Mikaal Zulfikar, Juggun Kazim, Ahsan Khan, Samina Peerzada, Babrik Shah, Samina Peerzada, Firdous Jamal and others.
Pani Jaisa Pyaar is a story of rape victim Sana who is put through tough circumstances because of some wrong decisions made by her family. It also showcases how keeping the truth haunts Sana in her marital life but in the end, when she decides to take a stand for herself by putting her self-respect and mental peace before anything else, everything else shapes up. Pani Jaisa Pyaar was one of those few Pakistani dramas which gave a happy ending to a rape victim showing that what they go through is never their fault.
Durr-e-Shehwar – 2012
Writer: Umera Ahmed
Director: Haissam Hussain
Producer: MD Productions & Six Sigma Entertainment
Cast: Sanam Baloch, Samina Peerzada, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Qavi Khan, Nadia Jamil, Noman Ijaz, Umer Naru, Syed Muhammad Ahmed & others.
This drama had some of the most heart-warming, soul-stirring and effective dialogues. Durr-e-Shehwar covered the story of two different generations and their attempts to make their marriages work. Durr-e-Shehwar is a classic which every drama fan must watch. If you haven’t watched it do give it a go, it will transport you in a world of its own right from the get-go. You cannot watch it without crying buckets of tears.
