Cross-border binge: Why Pakistani dramas are trending in India again - MSN

Shruti Riteish Lad was scrolling through her phone when she stumbled upon a reel with a rather funny dialogue from Pakistani TV series 'Suno Chanda'.

"The show was trending, so I started watching it on YouTube. It was funny and, unlike most Indian dramas, there wasn't much rona dhona," says the 29-year-old HR professional from Mumbai.

This chance discovery opened a Pandora's box of Pakistani dramas for Lad — 'Qurban', 'Mere Humsafar', 'Pyaar Ke Sadqay', 'Tere Bin', 'Ishq Murshid' and many more.

It's not that Indians haven't watched Pakistani shows before. Many still remember the romance dramas of the 1980s such as 'Ankahi' (1982), 'Tanhaiyaan' (1985), and 'Dhoop Kinarey' (1987).

Then came hits like Fawad Khan-Mahira Khan starrer 'Humsafar', Ayeza Khan-Humayun Saeed's 'Mere Paas Tum Ho' and Fawad Khan-Sanam Saeed starrer 'Zindagi Gulzar Hai'. But the TRP chase led to tropes like the misogynist male and wronged heroine, and some regressive themes.

Now, a fresh crop of shows from across the border with feistier female leads, more vulnerable and less toxic heroes as well as varied storylines that tackle issues like body shaming ('Kuch Ankahi') is finding new fans. Rom coms, of course, have an evergreen audience.

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Relatable themes

Ankita Dhar, a PR professional from Bengaluru, tuned in soon after Pakistani heartthrob Fawad Khan made his Bollywood debut. Shows from Pakistan had just started being aired on Indian TV channels like Zee Zindagi back then.

What began for the love of Khan has endured for the love of realistic stories and crisp half-hour episodes. The 30-year-old is currently watching 'Zulm'. "It's a realistic take on a political family and shows how people are like puppets for influential politicians," she says, waiting for a second season.

Pakistani actors like Sajal Aly (who starred with the late Sridevi in the film, 'Mom') feel the shared cultures of both countries get reflected in these dramas and make them more relatable. "Art knows no boundaries. Anything good created in any country should be showcased and made accessible to all," she says.

Shreyashi Mukherjee, a senior producer who was part of the team that brought Pakistani content to Indian TV, says the whole idea was to help the two nations connect.

"There is immense talent in Pakistan, be it drama, music or acting, and we should be exposed to it and vice versa," she feels.

The response to 'Humsafar' and 'Zindagi Gulzar Hai' was phenomenal, Mukherjee says, adding, "Shows like 'Naagin' were playing in India then and Pakistani dramas gave a break to people. The shows gained a huge fan base here, and that's still there."

Pakistani actor Imran Abbas adds that apart from similar cultures, the beautiful, sweet and enchanting language of Urdu also plays an important role in the immense success of Pakistani dramas in India.

He adds, "Art plays a major role in getting people closer and we should let go of the past, the differences and move ahead. My recent film Jee Ve Sohneya Jee (available on Amazon Prime) is a small contribution towards achieving that goal."

Social sagas

Lad speaks of 'Sar-e-Rah', a 2023 Pak miniseries starring Saba Qamar that tells stories of marginalised women and transgender folk. Qamar plays a taxi driver in the show and her compelling performance got Lad interested in 'Pagal Khana', another series, starring Qamar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIOkTk_ml3w

Ayesha T, a marketing professional from Bengaluru, loved Ayeza Khan's 'Chupke Chupke' so much that she made her family watch it, too.

"A 2021 series, led by Ahmed Ali Akbar, 'Parizaad', talks about how people judge one based on their looks and how the perspective of the same people changes towards them once they become rich, and the importance of preserving language.

"'Bakhtawar' (2022), led by Yumna Zaidi, is based on the real-life story of a woman from Lahore who dons the attire of a man to protect herself. Both shows are really interesting," she says, adding that her all-time favourite is 'Mere Paas Tum Ho', the finale of which even had ticketed shows in multiplexes across Pakistan.

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Pakistani actor and producer Humayun Saeed, who starred in 'Mere Paas Tum Ho', points out that another reason for their success could be that Pakistani dramas don't have many explicit scenes due to strict censorship. "But they tell relatable stories, and often focus on family dynamics and politics, which connect with an average desi household."

Music is a major crowd puller as well. Lad says the soundtrack for 'Mere Humsafar' was so good, it was trending all over social media. Farhan Saeed, actor and musician, who starred in the show, says, "Arts and sports are what brings nations closer and help connect. What hurts the most is it becoming a victim of politics."

"In 'Dil Kya Karay', I was surprised to hear Rabindra Sangeet and a tribute to Tagore. The clip even went viral as a reel on social media," says Dhar.

Reeling them in

Reels and shorts on social media are also helping spread the word. Like Lad, Meenakshi Yadu, a 27-year-old game developer from Bengaluru who is currently watching 'Mannat Murad', discovered the content via reels on Facebook. "The stories have proper conclusion with each character meeting their fate like karma has it," she adds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK_G34munLg

Besides the Pakistani channels, Zee Zindagi has also launched an independent YouTube channel. Producer Shailaja Kejriwal, who is credited with bringing Pakistani content to Indian TV, says, "Airing Pakistani shows has been a great success, both in viewership and business. Recently, our first original show 'Abdullapur Ka Devdas' garnered over 10 million views on the first episode."

The dramas are popular among teens as well. Introduced to Pak dramas by his classmate, a 19-year-old student in Jamshedpur, Joydeep Kar is currently watching Abdullahpur Ka Devdas, starring Bilal Abbas Khan and Sara Khan and Jaan-e-Jahan, led by Ayeza Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi. He says these shows have no over-the-top drama or heavy makeup and were a great stressbuster amidst his preparation for Class 12 board exams.

Pakistani Canadian actor Ahad Raza Mir, who stars in 'Dhoop Ki Deewar' which is about two teenagers who lose their fathers in the Indo-Pak conflict, feels such subjects have an instant connect on both sides of the border. "Also, as it's free and easily accessible content, which helps people around the world to tune in whenever they want, it's easier to build a wider fan base," he adds.

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