In Pakistan, Ramadan is also synonymous with Ramadan entertainment – whether that be Ramadan special dramas, game shows or religious shows, there’s something for everyone. Coming specifically to Pakistani dramas, there are many launches this year, though only a couple appear promising. Here are the offerings this Ramadan season in 2024.
1) Very Filmy
The most promising release of the four, “Very Filmy” has a strong, fresh cast, a good writer-director combination and what appears to be a sweet romance. “Very Filmy” stars Ameer Gillani and Dananeer Mobeen in lead roles, along with Bushra Ansari, Mira Sethi, Ukhano, Nabeel Zuberi, Deepak Perwani, Salma Hassan, Adnan Jaffar and many others. The story has been written by the excellent Mohammed Ahmed and directed by Ali Hassan, fresh off the success of “Fairytale.” From the promos, the story is incredibly filmy, as the title suggests, complete with heavy Bollywood dialogues and over-the-top characters. Assuming the writer-director duo have managed to create a solid storyline along with the madness, this will (hopefully) be an entertaining watch.
2) Dil Pe Dastak
With “Dil Pe Dastak,” the promos have not revealed much about the story at all. With Aena Khan and Khaqan Shahnawaz, the lead pair is fresh and easy on the eyes, making for a youthful lead cast. The show also stars Uzma Beg, Farhan Ali Agha, Arjumand Rahim, Sakina Samoo, Behroze Sabzwari and many other talented names. Writer Hassan Imam is the writer behind Ramadan drama “Tanaa Banaa,” which was a fairly well-written, light-hearted watch, perfect for Ramadan viewing, while director Ali Masud Saeed has a bright style of direction. This could be good – or it could not?
3) Ishqaway
Starring Agha Ali and Nazish Jahangir in lead roles, “Ishqaway” is Har Pal Geo’s production which also stars Maria Wasti, Behroze Sabzwari, Mehmood Aslam and others. The story has been written by Amar Khan and directed by Zahid Mehmood. The cast of this show is good, but unfortunately, the promos are horribly over-the-top with Maria Wasti wanting to be a singer, Agha Ali switching between two personas (which look Ishq Murshid inspired), Mehmood Aslam playing a music teacher and all sorts of other moments of madness. With a loud OST and a storyline which we can’t make heads or tails of, we’re currently on the fence with “Ishaway.”
4) Tere Mere Sapnay
Har Pal Geo has not one, but two Ramadan dramas this year. “Tere Mere Sapnay” is the second, starring Shahzad Sheikh and Sabeena Farooq in lead roles. The story has been written by Samra Bukhari and directed by Ali Faizan. Both Samra Bukhari and Ali Faizan are well-known names in the drama world. Unfortunately, Ali Faizan hasn’t necessarily worked on a comedy before and Samra Bukhari’s last Ramadan drama, “Paristan,” wound up being a disaster. However, this story of love with opposition and family drama has a positive in the form of an exceptionally talented supporting cast including Noor Ul Hassan, Hina Bayat, Saqib Sumeer, Hira Soomro, Madiha Rizvi and Mani. This has a lot of promise.
5) Rafta Rafta
Last, but certainly not least, Green Entertainment has been running for under a year, but has proved to be a channel we cannot take lightly. With their first Ramadan drama, “Rafta Rafta” manages to hit all the right notes with the promos themselves. Starring Zaviyar Ejaz and Saheefa Jabbar as a young married couple struggling through the early years of love and marriage along with their chaotic families, Hina Dilpazeer, Rehan Sheikh and others add to the antics. Written by Hassan Imam and directed by Abdul Khaliq Khan, will “Rafta Rafta” wind up being the surprise hit of the season?
Which of these five shows are you most excited to watch?