Post by dariya on Sept 21, 2014 0:55:49 GMT
I enjoy Pakistani dramas as shorter, more socially aware and generally better acted alternatives to Hindi serials. With the development of the Zindagi channel in India, and the crossover of some Pakistani stars into Bollywood (most notably Fawad Khan) they've also been getting attention in India. For good reason, I think.
I have a little story from when I was in India this past summer. I was staying with a colleague's family and their daughter, who's my age, had a lot of inflammatory things to say about Pakistanis (she had this in common with many Indians, unfortunately). Well, I started casually watching the show Noorpur Ki Rani on Zindagi as it had my favorite actress, Sanam Baloch, and as she started to join me she actually became more engrossed in it than I was and even admitted to me that it had changed her perception about Pakistanis. A small improvement, perhaps, but it made me realize how powerful media can be in changing societal attitudes!
One refreshing aspect of these dramas compared to Hindi serials is that they are devoid of the long gazes, reaction shots and overpowering background music which characterizes the latter. Also, because they can't show much PDA between romantic leads, there's often more of a focus on "true" love or love between intellectual/spiritual equals. Not always, but often. Also, on a totally shallow note, these days the Pakistani drama world has a lot of very good looking male leads.
Here are some I can recommend. They can all be found on Youtube, but generally aren't available with English subtitles, with the exception of Zindagi Gulzar Hai.
Mera Naseeb (Sanam Saeed, Syra Yousuf) About two sisters who get trapped in unhappy marriages. My first, and a very good drama. I ate it up in just a few days.
OST:
Dastan (Fawad Khan, Sanam Baloch) Oh Fawad, Fawad, Fawad. Anyone wondering what the big deal is just needs to watch this. A story of two lovers who get separated during Partition. Just about every scene featuring the two leads is magic.
OST:
Dur E Shahwar (Sanam Baloch) A slow but touching story of a young woman's struggles through her first few years of marriage. Most notable for the wonderful Sanam.
Humsafar (Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan) The biggest hit of Pakistani television, and while it didn't live up to the hype for me and takes some improbably turns, it is undeniably a good show. Mahira Khan's performance is great.
OST:
Zindagi Gulzar Hai (Fawad Khan, Sanam Saeed) Sanam is one of the biggest talents of her generation and she plays a complex and relatable character in this show which challenges the hypocrisy of a society that values men over women. Despite the strong social message it doesn't let the romance fall by the wayside, and while Fawad's character is a bit of a jerk in this their dynamic together is great, and the love story one of the more interesting ones I've seen. I highly recommend this one, especially since it's available with subtitles!
OST:
First episode with subs:
Mere Qatil Mere Dildar (Mehwish Hayat, Ehsan Khan) Currently watching this. One key aspect of the plot is hard to buy, but I'm enjoying it, mainly because of a refreshing female lead who actually tells her evil mother-in-law what's what. The setup is interesting and really makes you want to keep watching to find out what's going to happen.
OST:
I have a little story from when I was in India this past summer. I was staying with a colleague's family and their daughter, who's my age, had a lot of inflammatory things to say about Pakistanis (she had this in common with many Indians, unfortunately). Well, I started casually watching the show Noorpur Ki Rani on Zindagi as it had my favorite actress, Sanam Baloch, and as she started to join me she actually became more engrossed in it than I was and even admitted to me that it had changed her perception about Pakistanis. A small improvement, perhaps, but it made me realize how powerful media can be in changing societal attitudes!
One refreshing aspect of these dramas compared to Hindi serials is that they are devoid of the long gazes, reaction shots and overpowering background music which characterizes the latter. Also, because they can't show much PDA between romantic leads, there's often more of a focus on "true" love or love between intellectual/spiritual equals. Not always, but often. Also, on a totally shallow note, these days the Pakistani drama world has a lot of very good looking male leads.
Here are some I can recommend. They can all be found on Youtube, but generally aren't available with English subtitles, with the exception of Zindagi Gulzar Hai.
Mera Naseeb (Sanam Saeed, Syra Yousuf) About two sisters who get trapped in unhappy marriages. My first, and a very good drama. I ate it up in just a few days.
OST:
Dastan (Fawad Khan, Sanam Baloch) Oh Fawad, Fawad, Fawad. Anyone wondering what the big deal is just needs to watch this. A story of two lovers who get separated during Partition. Just about every scene featuring the two leads is magic.
OST:
Dur E Shahwar (Sanam Baloch) A slow but touching story of a young woman's struggles through her first few years of marriage. Most notable for the wonderful Sanam.
Humsafar (Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan) The biggest hit of Pakistani television, and while it didn't live up to the hype for me and takes some improbably turns, it is undeniably a good show. Mahira Khan's performance is great.
OST:
Zindagi Gulzar Hai (Fawad Khan, Sanam Saeed) Sanam is one of the biggest talents of her generation and she plays a complex and relatable character in this show which challenges the hypocrisy of a society that values men over women. Despite the strong social message it doesn't let the romance fall by the wayside, and while Fawad's character is a bit of a jerk in this their dynamic together is great, and the love story one of the more interesting ones I've seen. I highly recommend this one, especially since it's available with subtitles!
OST:
First episode with subs:
Mere Qatil Mere Dildar (Mehwish Hayat, Ehsan Khan) Currently watching this. One key aspect of the plot is hard to buy, but I'm enjoying it, mainly because of a refreshing female lead who actually tells her evil mother-in-law what's what. The setup is interesting and really makes you want to keep watching to find out what's going to happen.
OST: