2023 in Pakistani dramas: A mixed bag of spunk, grit, and subtlety

With 2023 coming to a close, it is safe to say that the year saw some evolution in Pakistan’s drama landscape — we no longer have to sit through one-dimensional storytelling of the evil saas bechari bahu variety and there’s definitely more to the palette than what we’ve seen in recent years. However, what has hardly changed is the fact that most stories continue to feature drama around the khandaan and there is not enough experimentation with genres such as thrillers, murder mysteries, horror etc, and without the plots heavily featuring family goings-on.

A welcome addition to the mix has been the new drama channel Green Entertainment, which is pushing boundaries when it comes to content as well as form. Channels such as Express TV and ARY Digital have also experimented with limited series and in some cases produced pretty interesting results.

All in all, 2023 has been a mixed bag, with some dramas dominating conversations for reasons good and bad. Let’s take a brief look at a few of them.

Fairytale

A Momina Duraid production, written by Sarah Majeed and directed by Ali Hasan, Fairytale tells the story of Umeed, a young girl, who is happy, imperfect, makes mistakes, and wants to live life as well and as fully as she can. With its light take on life, Fairytale is a romance with all the usual tropes but each depicted with a refreshingly modern take. The drama became so popular among young Pakistanis that the team ended up creating a second season soon after — something that wasn’t part of the original plan.

Fairytale’s characters are immensely fun, and the chemistry between the heroine and the hero is what keeps the show alive. If you’re up for humour, some light fun, and something really relatable, Fairytale is just the show for you.

Kuch Ankahi

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Kuch Ankahi was perhaps this year’s critical success. Despite a simple, and to some extent traditional, story of relatives circling a man with only female offspring for his property, the drama’s take on the issue is what makes it refreshing.

While the drama’s overall texture is light, it is through its subtlety that it manages to drive home the message that daughters are enough and good enough. Sajal Aly, Mira Sethi, Mohammad Ahmed, Irsa Ghazal, Vaneeza Ahmed, and Qudsia Ali, all played their characters beautifully and those familiar with classic Pakistani dramas of the 1980s will perhaps find hints of Tanhaiyaan and Ankahi in it.

The drama is a real treat, delivering a great message and excellent performances. If I had to pick just one drama to watch from this year, it’d be Kuch Ankahi.

Sar-e-Rah

This miniseries tells the story of Rania, a young woman who takes to driving her father’s cab after he falls ill. The storytelling here is unique with the audience not only getting to know Rania, but also four others who were passengers in her cab through different points in the series.

Sar-e-Rah effortlessly explores topics that our society usually finds difficult to have conversations on, such as infertility, gender identity, and women empowerment.

Saba Qamar’s portrayal of Rania is superb — no one could have played her better. Sunita Marshall, Saboor Aly, Muneeb Butt, and Hareem Farooq also shine in their roles with excellent performances.

Sar-e-Rah did excellent on the innovation front, not only when it comes to the topics it explored but also when it comes to the storytelling device adopted. Do check it out so you’re not left wanting.

Gunah

A mini-series of just six episodes, Gunah is an excellent mystery drama that’ll leave you flabbergasted by the time you reach the finale. The drama starts with a woman, Gul Noor (Juggun Kazim), going missing. Her husband, Malik Hayat Khan (Sarmad Khoosat), is hopping mad, and her sister Gul Meher (Saba Qamar) is not helping.

Enter SHO Sabiha (Rabia Butt), who turns out to be a force to be reckoned with, ultimately getting to the bottom of Noor’s disappearance. At the risk of spoiling the story for those who haven’t seen it, Gunah tackles an extremely sensitive topic. The acting is a bit exaggerated at some points, but for the most part, Gunah remains an engaging watch.

Despite the six episodes, the drama is moderately paced and does not extend in duration beyond what makes for efficient and sufficient storytelling. If you haven’t seen it yet, you can easily binge through it over the weekend.

Kabli Pulao

Kabli Pulao aired on Green Entertainment and ended up collecting a tonne of praise, not just for the drama, but also the network itself, making audiences wonder what else could be coming up on the then newish channel.

Telling the story of Haji Mushtaq (portrayed by Muhammad Ehteshamuddin) and Barbeena, an Afghan refugee widow (Sabeena Farooq), how they get married and how their relationship evolves, Kabli Pulao explores the challenges that people from different cultures experience when trying to develop relationships.

Ehteshamuddin’s portrayal of Haji Mushtaq intricately captures the character’s depth with the drama courageously exploring an unconventional love story. The drama’s commitment to shedding light on refugee struggles marks a refreshing departure from mainstream storytelling.

Farooq’s acting prowess in the role of Barbeena keeps one eagerly anticipating each episode. A seamless blend of a compelling storyline and outstanding performances, Kabli Pulao has a lot to offer and was one of the best stories that 2023 served.

Mayi Ri

Starring Aina Asif and Samar Abbas Jafri, Mayi Ri began as a cautionary tale portraying the hardships endured by the victims of child marriage. While it transitions into a story revolving more around family politics as opposed to focusing more strongly on the turbulence surrounding underage marriages, the drama does come back to the original message, albeit rather abruptly.

Mayi Ri depicts some of the worst traits from our society — particularly when it comes to parents sealing the fates of their children, poor treatment of women by their husbands, men resorting to multiple marriages at the expense of their existing families, and many other social ills.

Child marriage is a criminal offence in Pakistan and while many potential victims may not know that, this drama effectively conveys that they can approach the law to seek protection.

Baby Baji

If there’s been a drama that dominated conversations in 2023, it was Baby Baji. For better or for worse, the drama was pretty addictive, and even a guilty pleasure of sorts, particularly when it came to some of its iconic characters such as Azra (played by Javeria Saud) and Baby Baji (Samina Ahmad) herself. The drama does not carry much depth, and perhaps depth wasn’t intended either. Most characters are clear stereotypes — they are either angels or they’re demons, and there isn’t much in between.

To be taken as fast food television, the storytelling in Baby Baji isn’t like your average slowburn Pakistani drama. Slapstick, the drama still tries to deliver a moral message, but fundamentally it entertains and that seems to be its main, if not only, goal. Perhaps check it out for a few episodes? You could get hooked!

Shanaas

Shanaas was a special addition to this year’s list of unconventional content. It is the story of a young woman Aneesa (played by Hajra Yamin) who finds out rather unceremoniously that she was adopted as a baby. The drama is fundamentally Aneesa’s struggle to find her biological parents, a journey through which she encounters a range of characters connected to her history.

The drama explores the topics of adoption and class differences in a sensitive and thoughtful manner, thanks to the excellent script and remarkable acting by Hajra Yamin, Sania Saeed, Shamim Hilaly, Yasra Rizvi, and others.

Shanaas is an honest effort at exploring a sensitive topic, in a sensitive and tasteful manner, with the writer, the director, and the actors, all doing justice to their respective roles. This one’s a must watch!

Bandish 2

Last but not least, Bandish 2, not to be confused with the story of Bandish (or Bandish 1) added a touch of horror to the local drama landscape. As the name indicates, the story deals with the themes of jealousy, anger, and ‘revenge’ of some sort by engaging a practitioner of black magic and the drama ends with a lesson as to why one should never pursue such routes.

The horror elements in Bandish 2 do not come anywhere close to Bandish, and the story has ‘more family drama, less horror’ for long stretches with the plot being dragged more than needed. The saving grace here was the outstanding performances by Sania Saeed, Amna Ilyas, Affan Waheed, and child star Hoorain Ikya Ali, amongst others.

Overall, the drama isn’t remarkable, but still worth a mention for experimenting with the horror genre. Despite having an audience, there remains a serious dearth of horror on local television, let alone quality content from the genre — I’m not sure why. But, if you want to check out some local horror content, Bandish 2 isn’t too bad for a one-time watch.

This year was a mishmash of sorts when it comes to Pakistani dramas, but now with more platforms out there, here’s hoping that 2024 will serve up more quality along with the quantity.