This year Pakistan television industry released more than 50 dramas by the mid of 2021. This is a sign that our entertainment industry is progressing with time. But with the increase in quantity, are they also working towards quality?
If we look in the past, there were only typical, traditional, love stories. The characters were different but the storyline was the same. And to be honest, a majority of the sensible audience left watching Pakistani dramas because of the painful journey of women portrayed in the dramas.
But here in 2021, some dramas have shown the light of hope. These dramas stand out because of their powerful script and true reflection on society.
So, we decided to dedicate this blog to appreciate the best Pakistani dramas 2021 which are different from the run-of-the-mill dramas.
Let’s take a look:
Dil Na Umeed Tou Nahin
Dil Na Umeed Tou Nahin (DNUTN) is a Kashf Foundation Production. It’s written by Amna Mufti and directed by Kashif Nisar. It’s a story of a small-town girl Allah Rakhi who was sold by her parents for a handful of money and gold. She was a little girl at that time and didn’t understand what happened to her. But as she got into her senses, she realized the cage around her. The cage is a Kothi where her job is to please men, attend lavish parties and then give that money to the owner of the Kothi. She’s tired of her life and always looking to escape the situation but failed because of the strong network involved in abducting and selling girls.
DNUTN is a reflection of the dark stories of our society that remains under the cover. It not only sheds light on children abduction, but also street begging, child labour, and the stories of the village girls who want to do something but have their hands tied because of the lack of resources, support, and religious obligations. It’s one of the best Pakistani dramas 2021 of all time. And everyone should watch it once in their lifetime.
Read: Why DNUTN is the best 2021 drama?
Raqeeb Se
Raqeeb Se is a debut drama of the long-celebrated Pakistani singer Hadiqa Kiani. Like DNUTN, it’s also directed by Kashif Nisar. The drama is groundbreaking and breaks all the conventional notions we have set as a society. Raqeeb Se is a story of two lovers who met after 20 years of separation. Noman Ejaz is the lead actor who’s playing the role of Maqsood Sahab.
One night while he was about to sleep, he heard someone knocking on the door and was surprised to see her past (Sakina) standing at the doorstep with her daughter. She’s the one who chooses to marry Rafi over Maqsood Sahab. And when Maqsood saw her standing in front of him, the past take a haul over him. He has a beautiful wife Hajra (Sanya Saeed) to whom he’s compassionate and caring but not connected with love. Deep down in his heart, he still has feelings for Sakina and his life take a twist when his past turned present. He also has a daughter Inshaa (Faryal Mehmood) who’s not happy to receive Sakina at home and started worrying about her mother. The way the story unfolds is a treat to watch.
The expressions, dialogues, simple conversations and lifestyle shown in this drama makes it unbeatable. Also, unlike the other conventional stories, the drama is a great reflection of women empowerment showing how women can survive without making men the centre of the world. If you haven’t watched it yet, you’re missing a great deal of Pakistan’s entertainment. This exceptional story is written by Bee Gul and she has left no stone unturned to make this drama a huge success.
Here’s Why Khuda aur Mohabbat isn’t on the list.
Raqs-e-Bismil
For the first time, Imran Ashraf and Sarah Khan paired for the drama Raqs-e-Bismil and they made the audience mad over them their crazy performances. Musa (Imran Ashraf) is the son of the peer that made him tied to all the religious obligations he had to follow. But all his teachings went in vain when he saw Zohra (Sarah Khan) for the first time. Wrapped in a veil from head to toe, he falls for her eyes and can’t resist himself to follow her home. But later, he found out that Zohra is a dancer at private parties. He tried contacting her but she ditched Moosa’s love for how the peer community labels girls like her and demeans them. This doesn’t stop Moosa from chasing her but let him part ways from his own family.
With the fire he still holds in his heart and his undying love for Zohra, he chose not to bother her anymore so she can continue her life. But their paths crossed again when Moosa came to know about her forceful marriage to a business tycoon who wants to wear Zohra as an achievement and use her for his business advantage. With a gripping story and star-studded line-up, the drama is a not-to-miss for people who love Pakistani dramas. The play is based on Nadeem Aziz’s book Raqs e Bismil and directed by Wajahat Rauf. The journey of Zohra and Musa from denial to acceptance leaves the audience waiting for its next season.
Parizaad
Again the drama based on the novel Parizaad made rounds all over the internet for its exceptional storyline and powerful acting of Ahmed Ali Akbar. The story is of a boy named Parizaad who’s always defeated because of his dark skin. His mother named him Parizaad (son of a fairy) because she wanted him to feel beautiful despite his ugliness. But contrary to her thinking, his name added more to the woes of his life.
Apart from his looks, he’s a kind, intelligent and honest guy. He used to give tuitions in his neighbourhood and also secretly liked a girl Naheed but never got the courage to speak to her. Naheed is a mean girl and used Parizaad to hide her secret relationship with her boyfriend Majid. Instead of becoming her life partner, Pari gets humiliated for dreaming about Naheed. He was about to end his life when he meets Ahmed Nasaaz a poet at the railway station and his life took a curve.
Unlike the other traditional stories, the drama is a reflection of how people with dark skin are deceived in our society. People leave all their qualities behind and only judge them because of their appearances. But Parizaad is strong and struggles to find his way through this cunning, meaningful society. With the first few episodes of the dramas, the audience can’t wait to see how the life of Pari unfolds with time.
Pardes
The audience loves to watch dramas that relates to their life and Pardes is one of them. Directed by Marina Khan and produced by Six Sigma production, the story shed light on two generations. The first span takes the audience through the hardship a family has to go through when the father has to leave his wife and children in a joint family to give them a better lifestyle. The second span shows the grown-ups who have resentment towards their father for not being with them in their childhood. The drama also shows a cunning mother-in-law Mumtaz (Bushra Ansari) who makes Zuby’s life difficult with her evil attitude.
The story is an eye-opener for everyone who says leaving home is a piece of cake. And the better facilities abroad can make everything enjoyable. But it’s hard to face the challenges when the pillar of the family leaves the home and only send money to overcome the absence. With the true depiction and roller-coaster of emotions, the drama is another hit on the list of best Pakistani dramas 2021.
Chupke Chupke
A bit on the lighter side, Chupke Chupke was an entertaining drama aired in Ramadan 2021. With a star-studded cast like Ayeza Khan, Osman Khalid Butt, Meera Sethi, and two emerging actors Arslan Naseer and Faiza Saleem, the drama revolves around traditional joint family dynamics.
On one hand, the sitcom becomes popular because of grabbing so many eyeballs and on the other hand, it also received criticism for some of its themes such as showing a resident son-in-law (ghar damad) who’s also not respected enough to be treated like the member of the family. Secondly, Ayeza Khan as a college student was also unbearable for the audience. But despite the wide critics of this drama, it manages to gain 100 million+ views on Youtube. Also, the drama is well-celebrated across the border as well.
Akhir Kab Tak
Like, Dil Na Umeed Tou Nahin, Akhir Kab Tak is also based on a social issue. It’s a story of two sisters Noor and Fajar. The former is confident, vocal, and don’t like to be dictated by society standards while the latter is naive, scared, and afraid to speak for herself.
The play is underrated in the list of best Pakistani dramas 2021 on Youtube. It shed light on harassment, toxic families, and the ill-treatment of the women in the workforce. Noor’s character played by Ushna Shah is a reflection of a strong woman we wish to see more in top Pakistani dramas.
If you love watching dramas that are close to reality, it shouldn’t be a miss. Also, all the characters in Akhir Kab Tak have justified their role to make it excellent and impactful overall. Gamechanger, isn’t it?
Apart from this list, Dobara and Sinf-e- Ahan has also just started showing a different tale. Let’s see how the story unfolds.
With the list of best Pakistani dramas 2020, we also recommend watching the above. All these are a breath of fresh air among conventional stories.
Do you want to add more to the list of best Pakistani dramas 2021? Mention it in the comments section below.
Next: Best Pakistani Dramas 2022
I prefer books and diaries more than phones and Facebook. Soulfully connected to Pakistan. And I passionately believe that I can change the world through blogging.
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