Generally speaking, as Pakistani drama fans, it’s always a pleasure to see known talented faces come together in one show. The better the cast, the more excitement there is for a show. Unfortunately, a great cast cannot always guarantee a great show. While an actor may sign a show which might have looked promising on paper, some stories do not translate well on-screen. For the dramas listed below, this is the case. Despite having a strong cast, interesting, poetic, twisted storylines and great production values, these shows have been an overall disappointment for viewers. Let’s discuss!
1) Bisaat
The first show on the list is “Bisaat.” Starring talented actors like Azfar Rehman, Zain Mirza Baig, Anmol Baloch, Saba Hameed, Ayesha Omer, Sharmeen Ali and Syeda Tuba. The story has been written by Ateeq Inayat and directed by Fahim Burney. With a talented cast, “Bisaat” initially hooked audiences due to its shock-factor storyline, a story so crazy, it became a discussion point. With the topic of infertility in men and the lengths one is willing to go to in order to hide said infertility, a baby-producing plan is hatched within the family. Unfortunately, once the shock wore off, the “ickiness” of the story made its way to the forefront, leaving viewers uncomfortable. The story remains crazy, sure, but it’s also disgusting and the level of deception within even “good” characters is ridiculous.
2) Badzaat
“Badzaat” stars the hit pair of Imran Ashraf and Urwa Hocane, along with Ali Abbas, Mehmood Aslam, Saba Faisal, Nida Mumtaz, Zainab Qayyum, Sidra Niazi, Zoya Nasir, Sajida Syed, Danial Afzal Khan and Zohreh Amir in prominent roles. While Imran Ashraf, Urwa Hocane and Ali Abbas in a love triangle is enough to get viewers excited, the story that has unfolded over the weeks is anything but exciting. Written by Misbah Nosheen and directed by Siraj Ul Haq, “Badzaat” is a consolidated Star Plus drama. Urwa Hocane’s Biya finds herself married to Daniyal, played by Ali Abbas, who is her harasser. Meanwhile, she is in love with Wali (Imran Abbas), a troubled young man with trust issues – but loves Biya completely. Daniyal is cheating on Biya with Wali’s sister (to get revenge), has attempted to set Biya on fire on their wedding night itself and is just an all-round awful human being. But what’s worse is that the entire household is blind to his faults and acts as though they cannot see how traumatized she is on a daily basis. After 26 episodes, the story hasn’t gotten very far and one could easily watch one episode every 3 weeks without missing anything. This is unfortunate for such a talented cast.
3) Ishq E Laa
Written by Qaisra Hayat and directed by Amin Iqbal, “Ishq E Laa” started out with the most promise. Azaan Sami Khan’s debut, starring alongside Saja Aly and Yumna Zaidi, two powerhouse actresses – what more could one want? Well, a lot more, to be honest. While the first few episodes were interesting enough, it did not take long to realize Azaan Sami Khan was in over his head with “Ishq E Laa” as his launchpad. To make matters worse, Sajal Aly’s role was a glorified special appearance and Yumna Zaidi has been sleepwalking through her role as female lead, not necessarily playing Azka in a way that’s even likable. With the show now nearing its wind-up point, it just feels like a missed opportunity. The story did have soul and should have been heart-felt…..but it simply was not. Is it the fault of the acting? The writing? The direction? Or all of the above?
4) Bebasi
There is little to say about “Bebasi” that has not been stated in past reviews. Starring Ali Rehman Khan, Alizeh Shah and Khushhal Khan in lead roles, the story has been written by Aliya Bukhari and directed by Barkat Siddiqui. “Bebasi” is a colossal failure of a show due to one simple point – there isn’t any likable character on the show except Khushhal Khan’s Saahir who, ironically, the female lead tries to paint as the villain any chance she gets. An unlikable male lead in Ahmer (Ali Rehman Khan) and an even more unlikable female lead, Ifra (Alizeh Shah), makes for a tedious show. The show seems to be nearing its ending point, in which case….a happy ending? A sad ending? Does anyone care?
While these shows above started off with much promise, they’ve lost steam (and viewership) at this point.