Pakistani Drama Roundup: 2023 Dramas Which Deserve a Special Mention
2023 has come to a close and we are discussing the best and the worst of the year in Pakistani dramas. While compiling the list of top ten dramas this year, there seemed to be an abundance of options. This year saw comedy, drama, mystery, thrillers, politics, romance and much more with something to offer for every sort of viewer. With so many options, narrowing the list down to a top ten was rather difficult – and many deserving dramas were left off the list. This is a list of the shows this past year which were great watches, but got left off the list simply because there wasn’t room on the top ten list. Here are the Pakistani dramas in 2023 which deserve a shoutout.
1) Agar
Writer: Madiha Shahid
Director: Ilyas Kashmiri
Cast: Juggan Kazim, Junaid Khan, Hina Altaf, Usama Khan, Ali Abbas, Maheen Siddiqui, Hina Bayat, Ahmed Randhawa, Hira Soomro, Ismat Zaidi
“Agar” focused on the lives of four siblings and their trials and tribulations. A story of love, resilience, strength and, most of all, family bonds, “Agar” was not a perfect show, but it was a beautiful one with some truly sweet characters.
2) Nauroz
Writer: Kashif Anwar
Director: Shahzad Kashmiri
Cast: Mawra Hocane, Shamyl Khan, Rana Majid Khan, Mahnoor Shaukat and Manzar Sehbai
“Nauroz,” which told the story of a young girl raised in a basement who is introduced to the outside world under strange circumstances, had many positives, including how we should fight for what’s right and use social media and our voice for a good cause. But the strength of “Nauroz” remained with the storytelling focused on Mawra Hocane’s Reshtina and her introduction to the “real” world and – Rana Majid Khan’s Rustam.
3) Jurm
Writer: Shah Yasir
Director: Mehreen Jabbar
Cast: Wahaj Ali, Durr E Fishan Saleem, Tooba Siddiqui, Atiqa Odho and Ehtashamuddin
Mystery unfolds after one night, while Daniyal and Ayla are out spending quality time together, Ayla is abducted – and killed. A crime has been committed, but who is responsible? “Jurm” is an action-packed, well-written show with an engaging story and sent out a strong message – there is large audience demand and appreciation for quality shows with tightly woven, limited episodes.
4) Jhoom
Writer: Hashim Nadeem
Director: Ali Faizan
Cast: Haroon Kadwadi and Zara Noor Abbas in lead roles, this drama also stars Usman Peerzada, Javed Sheikh, Zainab Qayyum, Haaris Waheed, Sidra Niazi and Noreen Gulwani
A story of two broken souls, Aryaan and Maryam, finding each other and facing opposition from society due to an age gap, “Jhoom” also discussed the importance of mental health, the importance of addressing mental health issues with a therapist, child abandonment issues and the need for divorce to be handled with sensitivity – especially when a child is involved. “Jhoom” had a lot of depth to it. An otherwise excellent show, it did lose points for brushing over Sherry’s involvement in an actual crime and Maryam allowing him to make her life decisions instead of holding him accountable.
5) Tinkay Ka Sahara
Writer: Zanjabeel Asim
Director: Zeeshan Ahmed
Cast: Sonya Hussyn, Rubab Hashim, Sami Khan, Haroon Shahid and Saba Faisal
“Tinkay Ka Sahara” followed the lives of two women affected by a tragedy. When Wasay arrives at Durriya’s doorstep with a gun and sets off “warning” shots, Hammad loses his life in the crossfire. Not only showing the frailty of the human life, “Tinkay Ka Sahara” also how angry personalities can cause lifelong damage. Qadr teaches us the power of forgiveness in a story boasting of brilliant performances, particularly from Sonya Hussyn and Sami Khan.
6) Neem
Writer: Kashif Anwar
Director: Shahzad Kashmiri
Cast: Mawra Hocane, Ameer Gilani, Syed Jibran, Arsalan Naseer, Manzar Sehbai, Rana Majid Khan
“Neem” was a personal favorite, a show promising an epic journey of two characters, Ashhad and Zymal, ultimately finding their way to one another – an epic love story with an epic villain. Only “Neem” faltered in its simple lack of focus on its lead characters. While Ashhad and Zymal finally came together in the last three episodes and delivered on that epic romance, the rest of the show faltered with large gaps in storytelling. In the end, it’s the love story which is the heart and soul of “Neem,” a love story which deserved much more attention than what it was given. Someone sign Ameer Gilani and Mawra Hocane in another properly-written romance!
7) Muhabbat Gumshuda Meri
Writer: Rahat Jabeen
Director: Shahid Shafaat
Cast: Khushhal Khan, Dananeer Mobeen, Omair Rana, Ayesha Toor, Farah Sadia, Ali Tahir, Laila Zuberi, Naureen Gulwani, and Ali Raza
An innocent love story between Saim and Zobia, “Muhabbat Gumshuda Meri” highlighted how society judges women with a different yardstick than men. The show was also a look at toxic versus supportive parenting and depicted a realistic journey of young love. The downside? The toxic family members were unrealistically written as heroes at the end when they were, in fact, villains. Still, Khushhal Khan, Dananeer Mobeen, Omair Rana and Ayesha Toor carried this show brilliantly.
8) Sar E Rah
Writer: Adeel Razzaq
Director: Ahmed Bhatti
Cast: Saba Qamar, Hareem Farooq, Sunita Marshall, Saboor Aly and Muneeb Butt
“Sar E Rah” followed Rania who challenges norms when she is forced to step into her father’s role as a taxi driver in order to earn for her family – and encounters passengers with their own troubles along the way. Telling the story of how women are treated in a society which sees them as the inferior gender, “Sar E Rah” reminded us that life does not have to fall into place easily, but what matters is that we strive to do our best to better our circumstances.
9) Gunah
Writer: Mohsin Ali
Director: Adnan Sarwar
Cast: Saba Qamar, Sarmad Khoosat, Juggan Kazim and Rabia Butt.
“Gunah,” one of the stellar mini-series released in 2023, followed the disappearance of Gul. The entire town is in a gossiping uproar over her actions – but as we get to know her husband and her sister, it becomes clear that there’s much more to this disappearance. “Gunah” drives home the importance of storytelling and how a narrative plays out. The culprits are almost immediately known to us – but watching the journey to the truth is the highlight with excellent performances. The downside? “Gunah” spends a lot of time on character development – and then rushes to a conclusion. The finale could have been stronger.
10) Mayi Ri
Writer: Sana Fahad
Director: Meesam Naqvi
Cast: Aina Asif, Samar Abbas, Nauman Ejaz, Maria Wasti, Maya Khan, Saad Faridi, Sajida Syed, Amna Malik, Paras Masroor
Telling the story of child marriage, “Mayi Ri” managed to tell a gripping story that was both enjoyable and educational all at once. It forced viewers to think about and question societal practices, even root for our cute hero and heroine – and then question the ethical nature of rooting for them. Focused on a regressive topic, “Mayi Ri” pushed progressive thoughts in a believable way. “Mayi Ri” was not a perfect show, but it accomplished exactly what it set out to do – it challenged us to think.
11) Jhok Sarkar
Writer: Hashim Nadeem
Director: Saife Hassan
Cast: Farhan Saeed, Asif Raza Mir, Hiba Bukhari, Usman Javed, Hassan Niazi, Saad Azhar, Sakina Samo, Mahenur Haider
Telling the story of good versus evil in a lawless land, “Jhok Sarkar” awoke patriotism within viewers and reminded us why it’s important to follow rules for the greater good. With absolutely brilliant performances in a show where the villains were as captivating as the heroes, “Jhok Sarkar” was an excellent journey. However, intense journeys, especially those promoting youth participation in improving the country, should offer hope and optimism. This is where “Jhok Sarkar” lost points, leaving us with an unsettling finale.
12) Meri Shehzadi
Writer: Zanjabeel Asim Shah
Director: Qasim Ali Mureed
Cast: Qavi Khan, Urwa Hocane, Atiqa Odho, Ali Rehman Khan, Manzoor Qureshi, Farhan Saeed
“Meri Shehzadi” made no qualms about being a Pakistani adaptation of the Princess Diana story. It successfully “localized” the story, allowing Pakistanis to not only relate to the lead character, but also see the correlation between Dania and Princess Diana in regards to their lives and struggles. And yet, on a level, we hoped that Dania would see a happier outcome and maybe – just maybe – the writers would find it in their hearts to give Dania the happy ending Princess Diana was unable to have. Still, there’s something hauntingly poetic about “Meri Shehzadi,” a well-written and beautifully directed story which offered something different to Pakistani drama audiences.
13) Aik Thi Laila
Writer: Faiza Ikftikhar
Director: Yasir Hussain
Cast: Iqra Aziz, Faysal Qureshi, Hassan Ahmed, Saad Khan, Nayyar Aijaz, Gul E Rana, Saad Khan
“Aik Thi Laila” took the audience on a confusing ride. Was Laila missing? Did Laila run away? Was Laila a con artist? The truth of Laila’s disappearance did not come to light until the finale. Ultimately, “Aik Thi Laila” was a story of how easy it is to blame women for the actions of others, a story which kept the audience on their toes. The first mini-series to kick off in January, “Aik Thi Laila” set the stage for this genre in 2023 and deserves a shoutout for its excellent, meaningful story, fun characters and performances.
14) Pinjra
Writer: Asma Nabeel
Director: Najaf Bilgrami
Cast: Omair Rana, Hadiqa Kiani, Sunita Marshall, Zhalay Sarhadi, Adnan Bashir, Sohail Masood, Furqan Qureshi, Ahmed Usman, Aaina Asif, Aashir Wajahat
From start to finish, “Pinjra” was a show cut from a different cloth from the rest. “Pinjra” chose to follow a less treaded path, one that set out to highlight the importance of parenting – and how parenting can affect life-long behaviors in children. The message “Pinjra” drives home is that we, as parents, should be there for our children, support their strengths, help them through their weaknesses and, more thanair Rana, Hadiqa Kiani and Sunita Marshal were all excellent, along with the kid performers. “Pinjra” went through a slow phase and could have easily been 5-6 episodes shorter. And yet, as a finished product, “Pinjra” is unforgettable, a must-watch and will be missed.
15) Qalandar
Writer: Samra Bukhari
Director: Saima Waseem
Cast: Komal Meer, Muneeb Butt, Ali Abbas, Hiba Aziz, Kinza Razzaq, Asma Abbas, Kashif Mehmood, Ali Tahir and Fajar Khan
“Qalandar” followed the story of the sweet and pious Durr E Adan and the mistreatment she endures as the hands of her family, her in-laws and her husband.
As far as guilty pleasure viewing goes, “Qalandar” has been the very definition of that – and yet “Qalandar” relied on the audience to focus on their own faith and their belief in the mercy of God. So often we see stories of wrath and good vs. evil. “Qalandar” chooses to move beyond that and makes a different statement – it’s human nature to make mistakes, but forgiveness is an option. Was “Qalandar” horribly melodramatic? Yes, but it was also horribly enjoyable.
16) Jindo
Writer: Qurban Ali Rao
Director: Anjum Shahzad
Cast: Humaima Malik, Gohar Rasheed, Nazr Ul Hassan, Hajra Yamin, Saleem Mairaj, Samiya Mumtaz, Malik Raza, Mizna Waqas, Faraaz Ali
“Jindo” started off as this magnificent story about female empowerment with women struggling to survive in a land overrun by patriarchy. The show boasted of brilliant production values, excellent performances and an exciting storyline. Unfortunately, it simply went on for too long and the leap did not add any value to the story, only repeating the previous storyline with another generation. “Jindo” should have been in the top ten list, but it did not reach its full potential.
17) Baby Baji
Writer: Mansoor Ahmed Khan
Director: Tehseen Khan
Cast: Samina Ahmed, Munawar Saeed, Saud Qasmi, Javeria Saud, Hassan Ahmed, Sunita Marshal, Junaid Jamshed, Tuba Anwar, Fazal Hassan and Aina Asif
“Baby Baji” brought families together in 2023, audiences from all generations gathering around their television sets to watch a Pakistani drama as “family time.” The show had its share of melodrama, painting grey characters as black or white, over-vilifying some characters and sprinkling in an overdose of tragedy. However, at the heart of it, this has been a show about the stereotypical Pakistani family, complete with love, devotion, loyalty and the ambition to strive for more, neglecting what’s already there. This has been a beautiful story of family togetherness.
A list of seventeen “special mentions” is generally unheard of, but such has been the quality of Pakistani entertainment this year. 2023 has been a good year for Pakistani drama fans. What will 2024 bring?