Pakistani dramas have gained a large global audience in the last two decades. People within South Asia, as well as the Pakistani diaspora, love to follow these shows and their very realistic storylines. But with the increasing number of channels and dramas that air on three time slots, the quality of the product has been suffering for a while.
Many Pakistani dramas have fallen into the trap of formulaic storylines. Once a certain formula is a hit with the audience, unfortunately, all the stories start following that pattern to achieve high TRP and YouTube views. The biggest tropes we have seen on television are love triangles between the leads, as well as the ever-present saas-bahu issues, which never seem to die down. There is now another hit storyline in town, and it is the family rivalry. The two warring clans of different types have become the new favourite of Pakistani drama makers, and they are inserted in all stories in one way or another. Here is how many of our latest hit dramas achieved big numbers through this formula:
Khaie
Khaie was an experiment gone right in the Pakistani drama realm. The story written by Saqlain Abbas was bloody, and Syed Wajahat Hussain made it look realistic with his top-notch direction. From casting to performances, everything went right with this drama. The whole country followed the family rivalry between Chinar Khan and Zamda, and fans were on the edge of their seats throughout the show’s phenomenal run. The success of Khaie injected this new idea of family rivalries into our drama writing.
Dunyapur
Dunyapur was another big-budget Pakistani drama that aired on Green TV. The show was based on the big rivalry between the Adam and Nawab clans. The three generations of the two families were entangled in a full-scale war, and they were killing each other off. The romantic track, alongside some very strong performances, made Dunyapur a hit with the audience. There have been talks about a second season for the show, and fans would love to see Shahmeer and Anaa come back to continue the blood bath.
Noor Jahan
Noor Jahan was another hit drama which looked like a simple saas-bahu story on the surface. It ended up becoming a lot more with the intrigues and mysteries intertwined with strong performances. Noor Jahan is a Pakistani drama where the basic plot revolves around the family rivalry between Noor Jahan and Noor Bano’s father. This is where the whole mess starts and then transcends two generations.
Main Manto Nahi Hoon
Main Manto Nahi Hoon is another big Pakistani drama that is airing on ARY Digital right now. The show has the biggest star cast possible, and it was able to hook the audience from the very opening. The drama was based on the rivalry between the Amritsari and Binyamin clans. Fans loved it, and it was the rivalry which hooked fans. With the recent detour of the show towards romance, the viewership has been affected. Views and ratings were skyrocketing with the family rivalry plot, and that is something fans wanted to see more of; thus, the formula was working.
Sanwal Yaar Piya
Sanwal Yaar Piya is one of the most anticipated Pakistani dramas of this season. After various cast changes and delays, the show came out with Ahmed Ali Akbar, Feroze Khan, and Durefishan Saleem in the lead. The drama is getting good numbers on both TRP charts and YouTube, and fans like the characters overall. The main conflict in the plot will be the family rivalry between Aliyar and Piya. Their fathers both have a history of crime, and they parted on not very good terms. Meanwhile, Ahmed Ali Akbar’s Sanwal will be the chain linking their past rivalry to the present. Another hit for this plot track.
Main Zameen Tu Aasman
Main Zameen Tu Aasman is a Pakistani drama airing on Green TV. This drama has brought Feroze Khan and Hiba Bukhari together fr the first time. Written by Abdul Khaliq Khan, the writer of Ishq Murshid, there are a few similarities in the plot. We once again have two people from two families with opposing philosophies of how to live your life, fall in love. Once again, they will have to overcome this family rivalry of principles to be together.
Family rivalry in Pakistani dramas is another new instrument which is bringing massive views. Seems like it has become the flavour of the year. In Khaie, the rivalry meant something, and it brought something to the table, while in many new shows, it is just being used to hook the audience initially, like Main Manto Nahi Hoon? Do you find this new trend in Pakistani dramas interesting, or do you think it should be dropped now for fresher storylines? Share in comments!
