Pakistani drama industry has gone through many changes in the past few years. The production houses are much better equipped today than they were before but with the advent of many private channels, the demand for dramas has increased, therefore the writers, directors and actors do not always get the time they need to give their best. The challenges which are faced by all these people involved in making our dramas nowadays are far greater than they were at the time when there was only PTV. The writers, directors, actors and producers have to try extra hard to get the attention of the people because things are far more competitive now then they were when there was only one channel. Even with all this pressure if a writer is able to write a quality script, a producer is willing to experiment, a director does not compromise on quality and an actor manages to live and breathe the role he or she is playing than surely it is a much bigger feat than it was years ago. Although, we often criticize Pakistani dramas but the fact is that even now there are some drama-makers out there who believe in giving their viewers a quality entertainment.
This season in particular has quite a few entertaining and powerful dramas to its credit. The fact that some of these dramas have been on air for more than 20 weeks now and still managed to make it to this list makes them a clear winner. These dramas can easily be termed as the top dramas of this season for a number of reasons which have been stated below. The list is in an alphabetical order:
Besharam
Writer: Sarwat Nazeer
Director: Farooq Rind
Produced By: Six Sigma Productions
A unique love-story showing how two head-strong individuals who come from totally different backgrounds, lifestyles, endorsing an entirely different perspective from one another can make their marriage work together as a team. In the recent years where the writers time & again have heavily relied on showing marital problems, Besharam comes across as a breath of fresh air because it focuses on showing the solutions more. The writer has beautifully conveyed a message that no matter where you come from, if you develop a sense of commitment, love, understanding & respect for your spouse, you can deal with any obstacle that comes your way. This drama has some very unique characters to its credit like Haider, who respects his wife enough to give her the time & space she needs & then Mishail who despite being an independent woman does things to please her husband as he makes her feel secure. Saba Qamar as Mishail & Zahid Ahmed as Haider have given a perfect face to their beautifully written characters. Another bonus of watching Besharam is that it shows how each & every relationship around you deserves time, attention & affection. The chemistry between Saba Qamar & Zahid Ahmed is the strongest point of this drama along with some very strong supporting characters portrayed by Sundas Tariq, Shahista Jabeen, Mehmood Akhtar & Malik Raza so for all the right reasons, Besharam is definitely a must-watch of this season.
Deewana
Writer: Adeel Razzaq
Director: Ahsan Talish
Produced By: Moomal Productions
Deewana falls in the genre of romance, drama, fantasy & has some comic relief to its credit as well. Deewana is such a drama that hasn’t been seen before because the writer came up with a unique idea & came up with such unique characters. As you watch Deewana, it is pretty evident that the writer has done his full research on the subject that he was focusing on & that is why you don’t really find any loopholes in the script. A story of a girl who has been through so much but still succeeds in keeping herself calm & strong, then a story of a boy who is very different to the girl that he has fallen in love with but has given her so much courage that her idea about living a life has changed completely & the story of some individuals who are blinded by the sense of revenge. Deewana is actually a complete package that gives you a little bit of everything, some nicely done romantic scenes, some comic situations & some emotionally overwhelming scenarios all conveyed through some very powerful dialogues & performances. Shehroz Sabzwari & Iqra Aziz have elevated the level of the drama with their outstanding performances & their relationship is the sweetest part of the story. If not for anything else, this drama definitely deserves a go for the sake of Falak & Mehru’s love story.
Dil Lagi
Writer: Faiza Iftikhar
Director: Nadeem Baig
Produced By: Six Sigma Plus
The strong characters, dialogues that blow you away, sleek direction and spell-binding performances make Dil Lagi a must watch. Mohid is an ideal, Anmol a rebel and there is nothing typical about their love story or their characters. The sizzling chemistry between the leads Hamayun Saeed and Mehwish Hayat and their impeccable performances have won them many fans. This play also has some very strong supporting characters to its credit. Saba Hameed, Imran Ashraf and Asma Abbas have given brilliant performances in this drama. Dil Lagi has the kind of characters and the sort of one-liners which stay with you for a long time. It is definitely one of those dramas which will be remembered for a long time even after it ends.
Mein Sitara
Writer: Faiza Iftikhar
Director: Seema Taher Khan
Produced By: TVONE
In this day and age when even the top production houses rely heavily on shortcuts to grab the attention of the viewers, it is truly refreshing to watch a drama which does not bank on clichés at all. Mein Sitara’s biggest strength is a different plot which is daring and poignant. It is the kind of drama which grips its viewers right from the get-go. Mein Sitara is the story of a girl who has to pay a very big price for making her dreams come true. It is also the story of relationships and compromises. A perfect cast, script that dares to be different, a beautiful OST, impressive makeovers and a creative director at the helm of affairs is what makes drama serial Mein Sitara one of the best yet the most underrated drama of this season. Saba Qamar, Aisha Gul, Mikaal Zulfiqar and even Meera have given some of their best performances in this drama.
Udaari
Writer: Farhat Ishtiaq
Director: Mohammad Ehteshamuddin
Producer: Momina Duraid & Kashf Foundation
Udaari is a drama with a purpose and at the same time the makers of the drama have tried their best to make it entertaining enough to keep the viewers hooked. Drama serial Udaari for more than 15 weeks was loved by the viewers for its fast pace and entertainment value even though the primary purpose of the drama was to educate the viewers about child abuse. A dynamic script, few unforgettable performances and the attention to detail make this drama stand out in the crowd. Ahsan Khan’s performance as Imtiaz has given him a new identity even though he has been in the drama industry for a very long time. Farhan Saeed, Urwa Hocane, Sammiya Mumtaz, Bushra Ansari and many of the supporting actors blow you away with their realistic portrayals. The most important aspect of this play is that it is the story of a survivor told in a very sensitive and sensible manner which breaks the chain of dramas which dealt with this topic recklessly.
So, this is our pick of the top 5 dramas of the season. All these dramas are very different to each other still they qualify to be in the list because the quotients of entertainment & well-conveyed messages prevail in all of them & most importantly, they all are unique in their own accord. Do let us know which of these dramas are you following & what are your top 5 favorites of the season?
Fatima Awan & Zahra Mirza.