To say that this year has given us an overabundance of Ramadan dramas would be an understatement. Alongside the more mainstream ones, which are “Heer Da Hero” (Geo), “Chand Tara” (Hum TV), “Fairy Tale” (Hum TV) and “Tere Aany Se” (Geo), Geo also has special dramas like “Abdullah” and “Makafat.” It has been difficult to wade through these dramas and decide which ones are truly worthwhile. The ranking based on episode 1 was “Tere Aany Se,” “Fairy Tale,” “Heer Da Hero” and Chand Tara.” However, now that we are two weeks into Ramadan and each show has aired 14 episodes, let’s discuss the updated ranking.
1) At the number one spot is Heer Da Hero. Written by Amar Khan and directed by Saima Wasim, this show is so well-written and is laugh-out-loud funny. Amar Khan, Imran Ashraf, Kashif Mehmood, Wasim Abbas and Usman Peerzada are solid in their roles, delivering their lines brilliantly. And of course, the addition of Rahim Pardesi, who is hilarious as the American-Pakistani doctor, has only made the show better. This is a quality show with more than just comedy. There is a meaningful plot underneath it all and with two weeks to go, there’s scope for the content to continue to grow.
2) At the second spot is Fairy Tale. This show has been written by Sarah Majeed and directed by Ali Hassan. “Fairy Tale” is a deeply flawed show in terms of writing and overall storyline. This is not a perfect show. However, while this may be weak on story, it’s strong on chemistry. It’s Sehar Khan and Hamza Sohail who are truly carrying this show with their chemistry and performances. Umeed is a character who could’ve easily been unlikable and over-the-top, but Sehar Khan plays her in an endearing way with Hamza Sohail perfectly balancing her out with his serious, frustrated Farjad. Of course, Ali Safina also brings out the laughs in his role. Is “Fairy Tale” a perfect show? Certainly not, however, the positives allow us to overlook the negatives.
3) At the third spot is “Chand Tara,” which has moved up since the first week. “Chand Tara” is not a bad show and has several strong points. It took five episodes before it began to move up the ranks. Focused on the love story – and now marriage – between Chand (Danish Taimoor) and Tara (Ayeza Khan), the story has been written by Saima Akram Chaudhry and directed by Danish Nawaz. This is a good sow with some meaningful conversations and situations. Ayeza Khan and Danish Taimoor are both great, while Behroze Sabzwari and Aashir Wajahat (who is showing a different side after Pinjra) are also very likable. Honestly, if there’s any real complaint about this show, it’s that it isn’t really funny. This is a comedy without humor – and in the past two episodes, post Chand-Tara’s marriage, the narrative has become very over-the-top in its presentation.
4) In the last spot is the show that started off with the strongest premiere episode, “Tere Aany Se,” written by Samra Bukhari and directed by Zeeshan Ahmed. Now, this is not to say that “Tere Aany Se” is a bad show. In fact, it’s actually quite good. Everyone is performing well, the story is interesting, Komal Meer and Muneeb Butt are cute….what’s the downside? Quite honestly, the only flaw is….it’s simply too loud. The actors, who are all seasoned, experienced actors, have all been given a memo – talk loudly and exaggerate movements. The yelling and over-delivery during dialogues can be headache inducing. Otherwise, honestly, this is an enjoyable show. It would be great, however, if the plot would focus on better aspects of the story (like Rania’s father and her doctor brother) rather than on silly topics like a presumed engagement between Rania and Maheer.
This is the updated ranking for the top 2023 Ramadan dramas in week two. Which one is your favorite?