When it comes to desi television shows, you already know you can’t forget Pakistani dramas. Offering a different kind of sentimental dimension to stories focused on real life, these shows are mostly based on romance and the family of the main characters. Of late, however, there have also been a number of Pakistani dramas that revolve around social issues, and their impact in reality.
If you’re a fan of these shows, it’s impossible not to be familiar with Zindagi Gulzar Hai, a 2013-2014 serial that aired on the Pakistani television channel Hum TV. Broadcasted originally in Urdu and later in Pashto, Zindagi Gulzar Hai is often considered to be one of the most well-made shows on Pakistani television.
The main story goes as such- the main characters, Kashaf Murtaza and Zaroon Junaid are two people who come from completely different backgrounds and lifestyles. However, that’s only where the differences start- they have totally opposing ideas, personalities, and demeanors, too.
The two meet in university and get off to quite a rocky start, to say the least. This rivals-to-lovers type of story is offset by the very real, sometimes very dangerous social problems they’re both (mostly Kashaf) dealing with. From absent fathers, financial issues, immense sexism, and the entire social institution of marriage being some of the prominent themes in Zindagi Gulzar Hai, it’s clear why the show was received so positively across the country.
Apart from bringing to light this ugly side of the every day, the drama was also highly relatable- not only did it really touch the audience’s hearts through its emotional portrayal of the hurdles of life, but it also made sure to highlight that these are in indeed hardships people go through while simply yearning for peace and happiness.
The show became the highest-viewed Pakistani drama of 2013 and went on to win several awards at the Pakistani Media Awards in the following year. For those who have a soft spot for this kind of story, there are a ton of similar shows for you to binge at the earliest, and I’ve got ten of the best picks for you here.
10. Ishq Jalebi
This is one of the most iconic Pakistani dramas out there. Released in 2021, Ishq Jalebi is a romantic comedy that focuses mostly on the decades-old family business of one Muhammad Boota, an older man who simply wants his catering business to be sustained by his sons.
Unfortunately, things don’t go the way he had hoped, and begrudgingly, he has to hand over the reins to his only son-in-law, and his only grandson. This is where we meet one of the main characters, Basim, as well as his female counterpart, Bela, and just how strongly they refuse to compromise with each other.
Amidst the constant bickering and whatnot, the two are forced to find common ground in order to deal with the ever-changing family situation on Basim’s side. As they grow closer, the unexpected reunion between Muhammad Boota’s sons, their families, and himself turns into a much longer stay due to the pandemic, amongst other things.
With all its balance between humor and more serious topics, this one is definitely a must-watch for Pakistani drama fans.
- Director: Syed Wajahat Hussain
- Screenwriter: Saima Akram Chaudhry
- Starring: Wahaj Ali, Madiha Imam and others
- Total Number of Episodes: 33
- Where to Watch: Geo Entertainment official Youtube channel
9. Pyaarey Afzal
One of the most impressive shows in terms of achievements, Pyaarey Afzal, was nominated for seven different awards at the 14th Lux Style Awards 2015, out of which the show won five in total. Aired in 2013, the show won over the audience almost immediately on release with its all-around attention-grabbing vibe.
This drama is set first in Hyderabad and then in Karachi, with the switch in locations signifying a switch in storylines. It starts off innocently enough- we see Afzal has a crush on a mill owner’s daughter, Farah, who seems to be in a pickle of her own. She’s been trying to resist a marriage her parents want to go through, and her sister comes up with a plan to help.
Though this plan seems to succeed in one way, it fails miserably in another, leaving Afzal heartbroken. After his shift to Karachi, a really strange series of events leads him to become a vigilante with the police. However, the chaos that ensues in both his personal and professional life is nothing that anybody could have expected.
- Director: Nadeem Baig
- Screenwriter: Khalil-Ur-Rehman Qamar
- Starring: Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ayeza Khan, Sana Javed, Sohai Ali Abro, Saba Hameed, Firdous Jamal, Farah Nadeem and others
- Total Number of Episodes: 37
- Where to Watch: ARY Digital official Youtube channel
8. Meray Paas Tum Ho
Aired in 2019 on the Pakistani television network ARY Digital, Meray Paas Tum Ho is a drama that deals more in-depth with the themes of disloyalty and distrust, as compared to the above-mentioned dramas. The story here is mainly focused on the tumultuous marriage between Danish and Mehwish, as well as on their son, Roomi.
The show begins by showing clearly how dedicated Danish is to his little family- but the same sentiment is not returned by his wife. She’s in a constant battle to be the most well-dressed, expensive-looking amongst her friends (and rivals)- a lifestyle that is simply not sustainable for Danish.
The real shocker is when Mehwish cheats on her husband with a rich businessman, whom she later plans to marry without realizing that he, too, in fact, is married already, but hasn’t told her. It seems that Mehwish has brought a whole barrage of misfortunes upon herself, and whether she can battle her way out of the consequences of her mistakes or not is questionable.
- Director: Nadeem Baig
- Screenwriter: Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar
- Starring: Humayun Saeed, Ayeza Khan, Adnan Siddiqui and others
- Total Number of Episodes: 23
- Where to Watch: Zee5, Vi Movies and TV
7. Daam
This show premiered in 2010 and was written by the well-known novelist Umera Ahmad for a total of 18 episodes. In the following years, Daam was also aired on Indian television to much fanfare and received an overall positive reaction from both audiences.
This one is quite interesting, as it’s based on the long friendship between two former classmates, Zara and Maleeha, who come from starkly different financial backgrounds but never let that bother them. However, when they both get to a point where marriage is the foremost question in their lives, things really take a turn for the worst.
What sets off this series of events is when Junaid, Maleeha’s older brother, shows his interest in asking Zara for her hand in marriage. Unlike the usual trope, his family has no opposition to going through with the proposal- except Maleeha. Even though she doesn’t bring it up at first, this later proves to be an issue that snowballs into something much bigger.
Things go awry even further when another old classmate of theirs, Fiza, decides to add her two cents to the conversation without being asked for it. Between problems cropping up in Zara’s family, Junaid’s unwavering love for her, and Fiza’s growing interest in him, relationships get more and more strained, reaching the point of breaking.
- Director: Mehreen Jabbar
- Screenwriter: Umera Ahmad
- Starring: Sanam Baloch, Aamina Sheikh, Adeel Hussain, Nimra Bucha, Sanam Saeed and others
- Total Number of Episodes: 18
- Where to Watch: Eros Now
6. Do Bol
Do Bol was another brainchild of director Syed Wajahat Hussain and producer Nadeem Baig. The show was originally titled ‘Aseer e Mohabbat’, and was aired from March 2019 to May 2019.
The two protagonists, Geeti and Badar, belong to two completely different worlds, with Badar working as Geeti’s father’s manager. He’s considered to be trustworthy and hard-working by the family, and with time, Badar finds himself falling for Geeti. The girl, on the other hand, has no interest in him as such and is looking to propose marriage to her childhood friend Sameer.
Things don’t work out between her and Sameer, and in a startling change of fate, Geeti and Badar find themselves getting wedded to each other soon after. Already beaten down by her misfortune with Sameer, Geeti is in no mindset to accept Badar and her marriage to him under any circumstances.
Whether the two can navigate through all the problems between them and around them, and find some peace at last is what Do Bol is all about.
- Director: Syed Wajahat Hussain
- Screenwriter: Sarwat Nazir
- Starring: Affan Waheed, Hira Mani, Haroon Shahid, Mehmood Aslam and others
- Total Number of Episodes: 30
- Where to Watch: ARY Digital official Youtube channel
5. Suno Chanda
Quite the comedy, Suno Chanda gained traction for not only its plot but also for the quality of characterization done by the writers of the show. As always, our two main leads, Arsalan and Ajiya (fondly called Jiya by her family), and their will-they-won’t-they antics, grab our attention above all else.
The respective parents of the duo have had an agreement in regards to Arsalan and Jiya’s marriage since the two were children, but they themselves are strongly against it. They conspire together to cause a ruckus and disrupt these plans, even pulling their own cousins into the mix to help.
However, what they forget is that feelings are unstoppable, and they do not care for plans. In their attempts to get as far away as possible, they end up falling for each other- creating an even bigger mess this time round. For an all-around good time, I highly recommend trying out Do Bol in your spare time.
- Director: Ahson Talish
- Screenwriter: Saima Akram Chaudhry
- Starring: Iqra Aziz, Farhan Saeed, Nabeel Zuberi, Mashal Khan and others
- Total Number of Episodes: 60 (2 seasons)
- Where to Watch: HUM TV official Youtube channel
4. Fitoor
A more recent drama, Fitoor, was released in 2021 for a total of a whopping 48 episodes and was even nominated twice at the 21st Lux Style Awards in the same year. This show has four main protagonists, who have complex and often strained relationships with each other.
Haider, Hamzal, Dilnasheen, and Mehmal are four individuals who are somehow unable, or in some cases unwilling, to let go of their past, and, as a result, end up in a tangled web of lost love and deep hurt. With Hamza and Dilnasheen head over heels for each other, marriage does not seem too far off, and the two lovebirds are excited to build a life together.
That’s until Haider enters their lives, falling for Dilnasheen in literally no time and changing the trajectory of all their lives forever. If that wasn’t enough, this ex-lover Mehmal has chosen to come back into his life after her own marriage came crashing down, and she has less than innocent intentions in doing so.
Fitoor follows the subsequent heartbreak, pain, love, and strength of these four through the character and plot development of the show, and whether each one of them will come out the other end is entirely up to them.
- Director:Siraj-ul-Haque
- Screenwriter: Zanjabeel Asim Shah
- Starring: Faysal Qureshi, Wahaj Ali, Hiba Bukhari, Kiran Haq, Ismat Zaidi, Saba Hameed, Tanveer Jamal and others
- Total Number of Episodes: 48
- Where to Watch: Geo Entertainment’s official Youtube channel
3. Yeh Dil Mera
If you’re looking for a little bit of a different, more intriguing plot, Yeh Dil Mera is the drama for you. Though it starts off in a typical meet-cute kind of way, this show is much more than just a romance or a comedy, and will for sure peak your interest.
The story begins with Aina working in an oil company called AK Oil after its owner, Aman. The business tycoon immediately falls for the girl and takes it upon himself to woo her with his charming ways. This he does successfully, even proposing to her- but then things start to go downhill.
In no time at all, Aman becomes so cold to Aina that it’s like he’s turned into a different person. Heartbroken, the girl digs deep to find what may be the cause behind this sudden change to hostility in her husband and ends up finding answers that shock her to her core.
Whether Aina should have let the past remain buried, or whether she should’ve married Aman at all given his complete change in personality- all these questions are up in the air for the couple as Aman is brought face-to-face with trauma that he thought would remain hidden forever.
In 2020 and 2021, respectively, Yeh Dil Mera was nominated for a variety of awards at the Pakistan International Screen Awards and the Lux Style Awards
- Director: Aehsun Talish
- Screenwriter: Farhat Ishtiaq
- Starring: Sajal Aly, Ahad Raza Mir, Adnan Siddiqui, Paras Masroor, Zarnish Khan, Mira Sethi and others
- Total Number of Episodes: 33
- Where to Watch: HUM TV official YouTube channel
2. Dil Lagi
Dil Lagi is quite a light-hearted show that you can tune into at any time. Premiering in 2016, the show also gained quite some popularity due to its cast and soundtrack and went on to receive a number of nominations at a variety of television award shows.
The story goes like this- Anmol, living in a quiet neighborhood in Sukkur, Sindh, wants nothing more than to provide for her mother and sister after the unfortunate passing away of her father, who was the sole breadwinner of the family. However, even this simple want of hers is thwarted by a local moneylender, Kifayat Ali.
Having borrowed money from Ali before, her father had made sure to pay off every penny he owed the man, even using his home as the security. However, the small family is an easy target for the goon, and claiming that there is no proof of the loan being repaid, he throws the three out of their own home.
Enter Mohid, an expert in managing real estate (and being a little thuggish himself), employed by Ali to see through the extraction of the family from the house. Little does he know that Anmol has a fire in her that won’t let her back down so easily.
The way the two are in constant conflict, each pushing their own aims to no end, is truly worth watching as it contributes greatly to the chemistry between the two leads.
Director: Nadeem Baig
Screenwriter: Faiza Iftikhar
Starring: Humayun Saeed, Mehwish Hayat, Saba Hameed, Asma Abbas and others
Total Number of Episodes: 25
Where to Watch: ARY Digital official Youtube channel
1. Humsafar
Even for the uninitiated, not knowing Humsafar is not an option. With its crazy viewer ratings and star cast, this drama was quite literally the talk of the town in 2011 and onwards. In no time, it had built a wide and very loyal fanbase, with viewers from all over the world tuning in every week to catch the latest episode.
Due to its international reach and popularity, many claimed that this show was the start of the ‘Golden Age’ of Pakistani television. The show revolved around the Ahsaan family and Khirad and Baseerat, in particular, the only children of their widowed mother.
From strong female characters to unraveling the complexities of the social relationships among family members, Humsafar really struck a chord with literally millions across the globe. It also does not shy away from discussing difficult emotions like guilt, remorse, fear, and jealousy, as well as the impact they have on relationships.
Running for a total of six months on the Pakistani television channel Hum TV, this drama was especially popular with a female audience because of how well the main character, Khirad, was written and portrayed.
- Director: Sarmad Sultan Khoosat
- Screenwriter: Farhat Ishtiaq
- Starring: Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan, Naveen Waqar and others
- Total Number of Episodes: 23
- Where to Watch: HUM TV official Youtube channel
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