There was a time when the thought of even watching TV was next to impossible, the lack of facilities and technology made it difficult for people to have any source of entertainment. People back then would read newspapers, listen to radio or head out for a cricket match. Life back then was simple and so were the people. The era of 90’s introduced the entertainment that people needed, the black and white screens did not prevent them to go ahead and enjoy a drama on a certain time at a certain day. Times were when the cable would go out after 7 pm. Movies and dramas were a priority and certainly took away all the stress when came to entertainment. The inception of Pakistani Dramas was probably the best days of people back then and how they called it the ‘golden era’ and how we call them the ‘good old days.’

Talking about the Pakistani Dramas, we can’t miss out on how PTV was the only channel that aired some major hit series like Khuda Ki Basti (1969) which was about prevalent social issues of society, and Khuda Ki Basti was also introduced on the syllabi of drama academies in Pune, India and around Europe. This Pakistani Drama was Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s favorite one.

Pakistani Dramas like Ankahi (1982) that starred Shahnaz Sheikh, Behroze Sabzwari, Javed Sheikh and more – was popular because of its witty dialogues and fantastic storyline. Another drama serial that adds to the list of evergreen Pakistani Dramas is Ainak Vala Jin (1993) which was actually the first of its kind, the perfect blend of science fiction and fantasy which was about how a genie is sent to earth from Caucasus Mountains to get his eye sight fixed and very quickly becomes the favorite of the entire family.

Pakistani industry produced some phenomenal dramas that would never bore you, one can easily watch these shows at night snuggled in bed and enjoy them thoroughly. Another cult classic which was something out of the box for that era was the drama called Tanhaaiyaan (1985) which was aired numerous times over the years due to its popularity. For the first time we witnessed two young (sisters) opting the traditional role of men – working jobs, running businesses, earning money and making a living – after their parents passed away and left them in great debt. After 27 years (of not getting enough of Tanhaiyan), a sequel named Tanhaiyan Naye Silsilay was aired in 2012 on ARY Digital and was a super hit.
Pakistani Dramas like Dhuaan, Alpha bravo Charlie, Waris, Alif Noon, Dhoop Kinaare just take the cake and make you wonder that how come the entertainment industry can’t succeed in producing quality shows like these. However there are certain dramas that ARY Digital produced and they were nothing but the best. The list quality Pakistani Dramas did not limit to PTV, STN and MTN, the revival of Pakistani Dramas have too given some major quality shows like :

Pyaare Afzal :

Pyarey Afzal’ won big, clean sweeping the entire TV category at the LSA 2015. This drama has received immense love and popularity, not only in Pakistan, but across the border and all around the globe, the love story of Farah and Afzal won many hearts.

Chup Raho :

Chup Raho is a story of Rameen (Sajal Ali), a woman who is subjected to sexual abuse by her brother-in-law, Numair (Jibran Syed). In an attempt to save her sister Manal’s (Arjumand Rahim) marriage and her own “reputation,” Rameen is forced to bear Numair’s indecent acts in silence. The drama made clear how The quieter you stay about these issues, the more power it gives to the abuser.

Besharam :

Besharam is the show which proves how women in our society are judged based on their preferences of career. If you’re model you’re automatically labeled as besharam. A woman can be many things. If she’s bold that doesn’t confirm that her character is flawed. The problem of our society is that we judge too quickly, people who despised Mishi for being bold never accepted her as the compromising ideal wife who changed for her husband. Guess what? It’s about time we all change our perspectives.

Dil Lagi :

Dil Lagi Produced and directed by Humayun Saeed this love story made waves because of its unique plot and how love can change people, even the ones with hard rock heart who feel nothing but hatred towards others. Mehwish Hayat (Anmol) and Humayun Saeed (Mohid) played their characters well and drama serial took the internet by storm.

Daam :

The story of Daam revolves around two best friends, Maleeha Sami (Aminah Sheikh) and Zara Hidayatullah (Sanam Baloch) and the price that the class difference has to pay. The friendship that had lived through everything during the school days finally shakes when hit by the real, more practical world. The drama highlights that social differences are easily accepted in friendship than they are in making new family relationships. It brings to light how status matters in this materialistic world and how Zara sells her feelings for a price offered by none other than her own best friend.

The Pakistani dramas that aired on ARY Digital are mentioned above and there’s no doubt that this is was the revival of Pakistani entertainment industry. Besides ARY Digital, in today’s era – channels like HUM TV, Urdu 1, Geo TV, TV One, Express and Aaj produce the Pakistani Dramas that were meant for the sake of good entertainment. Some of the Pakistani Dramas that have went viral include Humsafar, Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Shehr-e-Zaat, Dastaan, Maat etc.

Concluding the entire debate – our verdict is that the Pakistani Dramas have flourished a lot and left people in awe. On one side where dramas like Saas bahu and reincarnation is now boring people out of their minds, the Pakistani Cinemas are all about a source of sanity for the people. From 90’s until now – it’s no doubt that people have found a better source of entertainment.