There has been uproar since Turkish Dramas started launching on every other Pakistani channel. It was initiated by Urdu1, then Express followed it and now Geo TV introduced a new show Noor. I doubt people will stop watching Pakistani Dramas just because a few Turkish shows were launched. Pakistani Dramas will always remain our first priority. Pakistani Drama viewership is too strong to be affected by a few foreign shows but I would agree with the Pakistani stars that have raised their voice against these shows, that it is unfair to them.
Noor is a hit Turkish drama and has been dubbed in various languages and played all across Arabic countries. It was originally aired in 2005-2007. Its original name is “Gümüş” but was aired with the title Noor in the Arabic World and become a household name everywhere. It has also been played in countries like Saudi Arabia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Albania with different titles. It would not be wrong to say that it is the ‘Humsafar’ of the Arabic World. In Saudi Arabia alone, 3-4 million viewers admit to watching the program daily on the Saudi-owned MBC channel. The show’s final episode attracted a record 85 million Arab viewers. In Bulgaria, Noor was also very popular and every episode was watched by at least 2 million viewers. This show encouraged Arabs to visit Turkey and meet their favourite stars, Kivanc and Songul.
The Turkish drama Noor revolves around Mehmet played by Kivanc Tatlitug, who belongs to a rich family which is completely dominated by his grandfather. Mehmet has lost his love Nihat in a car accident and he had never recovered from the shock, his life has become meaningless ever since. His grandfather forces him to marry Noor (Songul Oden), a simple girl from a small town. Mehmet ends up leaving Noor at the altar, but eventually marry her but never truly accept her because for him she was ‘not his wife but his grandfather’s daughter in law’. The story is about Noor’s struggle to make a place in Mehmet’s life and become familiar with the ways of living of the upper class family.
I liked the OST of Noor. Its melody is beautiful and catchy. It is composed by Waqar Ali and sung by Alycia Dias. The melody is taken from the original drama and I must say it is beautiful.
The first episode seemed interesting. The play is very well dubbed in Urdu. And the main attraction of this show is Kivanc Tatlitug, who has become popular in Pakistan through his show Ishq e Mamnu, which went off air recently. Another of his show Manahil aur Khalil also launched on Express the same day as Noor. Will both these shows manage to make a place in viewer’s heart? I foresee a neck to neck competition between these two shows.
Geo TV has invested a lot in its promotion. You can see the advertisement played in every break. Will it be as famous as Ishq e Mamnu? Well the answer is ‘only time will tell.’
Mariam Shafiq