How to expand the audience of Pakistani dramas?

[King-Misbah]

Salaam/hello,

I am not into Pakistani dramas, however, today, I was sat alone in my living room and the last episode of this drama: Mera Paas Tum Ho came on. I quickly realised that I am enjoying this so I swiftly read all the back story on Wikipedia.

The ending was extravagant and rather depressing (in a good way). Credit to the director, writer and actors etc as this was some high quality stuff.

Anyway, is there any fans/viewers of this drama serial on PP? What are your opinions of this drama and how can we possibly take Pakistani dramas to the next level?

We need to showcase this brilliance and the great talent that we have in Pakistan. We need to follow the Turkish model and appeal to the wider world. How can we possibly do this? And why isn't the Pakistani industry trying to grow its market and appeal to other countries? May be use subtitles or even dub serials that were a hit in Pakistan. Its all about marketing and creating awareness.

I always knew that Pakistan has immense talent but we fail as a nation to showcase this in an adequate way to the outside world. Furthermore, I am also sorry to say but we do not appreciate our local talent who are no less then other artists from abroad.

I do apologise for the thread being all over the show a little. However, I hope you do get the general gist of it.

 

[sjahmed23]

It can go on Netflix or Amazon, but honestly I don't find any appeal in Pakistani dramas, they have been revolving around the same topic of marriage ever since I can remember and there's nothing new or inspirational about them.

 

[King-Misbah]

It can go on Netflix or Amazon, but honestly I don't find any appeal in Pakistani dramas, they have been revolving around the same topic of marriage ever since I can remember and there's nothing new or inspirational about them.

I do understand your point but yet again if we do not promote our talent then how will we help them to produce more innovative material? Why is that SRK is more appreciated then Adnan Siddique in Pakistan? Siddique is a great actor and in my opinion better then SRK. Pakistani actors should be encouraged so they can experiment more and help Pakistani entertainment reach its potential. We have a laise faire attitude and this isn't helping our entertainment industry to expand.

 

[from_da_lost_dim3nsion]

Our Drama's are doing quiet well actually . Mere pass Tum ho's final episode was shown in movie theaters!. They were catching on in India as well before the crazies took over in that country .

 

[angrypathan]

Across the border is the only place where the audience could be expanded. The rest of the world couldn't care less for our dramas with outdated themes

 

[King-Misbah]

Across the border is the only place where the audience could be expanded. The rest of the world couldn't care less for our dramas with outdated themes

You would be suprised! We just need to market our products more effectively. Some arabs & central Asians watch Bollywood films too. We need to try to capture these foreign audiences too. This will not only generate more money but also help to soften Pakistans image abroad. All about effective marketing and creating a hype!

Look at Ethrugul, that has universal audience due to the fact it was marketed well and available on Netflix. If others can do it, we can do it better.

 

[Pakistanian]

Try to relate to more than just hopeless romantic women. They need to make dramas like Narcos, Ozark, Stranger things, Mad Men, Gray's anatomy, The Office, Sopranos, NYPD blue and so on. My point is Pakistanis need variety, be creative and think out of the box. Pakistani dramas shouldn't be a genre of itself, it needs to be an industry with various genres and that's the only way you'll expand your audience.

 

[sjahmed23]

I do understand your point but yet again if we do not promote our talent then how will we help them to produce more innovative material? Why is that SRK is more appreciated then Adnan Siddique in Pakistan? Siddique is a great actor and in my opinion better then SRK. Pakistani actors should be encouraged so they can experiment more and help Pakistani entertainment reach its potential. We have a laise faire attitude and this isn't helping our entertainment industry to expand.

Im totally for promoting our talent but what I disagree with is the constant theme of household 'drama' revolving around relationship of two people. It gets boring, only desi house wives can absorb that crap, outsiders want something new and inspiring that makes one dream and think, not two cousins trying to get married but they cant because their parents dont get along lol. You think some gora is going to want to watch that?

 

[angrypathan]

You would be suprised! We just need to market our products more effectively. Some arabs & central Asians watch Bollywood films too. We need to try to capture these foreign audiences too. This will not only generate more money but also help to soften Pakistans image abroad. All about effective marketing and creating a hype!

Look at Ethrugul, that has universal audience due to the fact it was marketed well and available on Netflix. If others can do it, we can do it better.

Ertugrul is a masterpiece of a production with a great story centred around struggle and courage, coupled with the idea of it being somewhat historically based. Pakistani dramas centre around petty family politics and marriage, which noone outside the subcontinent finds remotely interesting.

 

[angrypathan]

Try to relate to more than just hopeless romantic women. They need to make dramas like Narcos, Ozark, Stranger things, Mad Men, Gray's anatomy, The Office, Sopranos, NYPD blue and so on. My point is Pakistanis need variety, be creative and think out of the box. Pakistani dramas shouldn't be a genre of itself, it needs to be an industry with various genres and that's the only way you'll expand your audience.

Im totally for promoting our talent but what I disagree with is the constant theme of household 'drama' revolving around relationship of two people. It gets boring, only desi house wives can absorb that crap, outsiders want something new and inspiring that makes one dream and think, not two cousins trying to get married but they cant because their parents dont get along lol. You think some gora is going to want to watch that?

Basically this. The problem is that in an effort to capture foreign audiences they would probably lose a significant proportion of the local one. The saas bahu stuff sells because unfortunately, most of the public is happy to see it

 

[Pakistanian]

Basically this. The problem is that in an effort to capture foreign audiences they would probably lose a significant proportion of the local one. The saas bahu stuff sells because unfortunately, most of the public is happy to see it

I think there is a local audience that would love dramas about action, sports, politics, history, young people, minorities etc Pakistan isa large country so you'll find an audience easily also Bollywood has already started diversifying their genres and many Pakistanis are already hooked onto Bollywood. Just look at the past 10 years and you can see the variety in Bollywood storylines and their commercial success in Pakistan. So there is indeed a big market it's just that the producers/networks want to play it safe and the actors are also too comfortable following the same formula.

 

[introvert]

By making quality web series & movies on platforms like Netflix & Amazon prime video.

I like pak dramas but production quality ,lighting is really cheap & stories are still stuck in same zone as they were 5-6 years ago.

 

[sjahmed23]

I think there is a local audience that would love dramas about action, sports, politics, history, young people, minorities etc Pakistan isa large country so you'll find an audience easily also Bollywood has already started diversifying their genres and many Pakistanis are already hooked onto Bollywood. Just look at the past 10 years and you can see the variety in Bollywood storylines and their commercial success in Pakistan. So there is indeed a big market it's just that the producers/networks want to play it safe and the actors are also too comfortable following the same formula.

What's sad is alot of the actors/directors grew up or studied in the west but they're still too lazy to experiment with something new and want to play it safe because it's easy income. Its a cultural thing with Pakistanis we just want to play it safe and have it easy rather than getting outside of comfort zone to try different things. Whether it be politics, dramas, sports or business it's the same theme, stuck in the past.

 

[Lonewarrior]

Meray Paas Tum Ho Last Episode will be Aired in Cinemas

https://www.researchsnipers.com/meray-paas-tum-ho-last-episode-will-be-aired-in-cinemas/

Spoiler

Spoiler

Not just across Pakistan, Meray Paas Tum Ho finale might be released in cinemas internationally too


https://www.somethinghaute.com/not-just-across-pakistan-meray-paas-tum-ho-might-be-released-in-cinemas-internationally-too/

Meray Paas tum Ho trends worldwide on Twitter

https://www.bolnews.com/latest/2020/01/meray-paas-tum-ho-trends-worldwide-on-twitter/

 

[cricketjoshila]

Zindagi Gulzar hai is v good. Liked it when my wife was watching it.

How close is it to real life in pakistan?

 

[minamino]

Only Pakistanis will watch Pakistani TV Dramas. Other countries find cousin marriages and polygamy disguisting, even in the Mere Paas Tum Hoe also showed the underlying misogyny in Pakistani society where its okay for men to cheat but when a woman does the same, she is shown as a villain and evil person.

 

[Lonewarrior]

Only Pakistanis will watch Pakistani TV Dramas. Other countries find cousin marriages and polygamy disguisting, even in the Mere Paas Tum Hoe also showed the underlying misogyny in Pakistani society where its okay for men to cheat but when a woman does the same, she is shown as a villain and evil person.

did you watched all episodes ?

 

[JaDed]

Our Drama's are doing quiet well actually . Mere pass Tum ho's final episode was shown in movie theaters!. They were catching on in India as well before the crazies took over in that country .

It’s not only that, most Pakistani dramas were available on youtube as well, but the Pakistani dramas target the TV audience of house wives or middle age women not the Upcoming ones who have options to watch Indian webseries or western ones.
So it did well till it was on TV and probably would had if it still was on TV but wouldn’t capture such a huge market.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

You need to increase competition. Currently there is a quota on foreign content like Turkish dramas. The entertainment which is for the most part very liberal has even gone to court to stop them from airing saying that they are corrupting the population with "vulgar" content.

Either lift the quota on foreign content, or greatly expand it, and the local industry will have to either swim or sink.

 

[Ryw]

Only Pakistanis will watch Pakistani TV Dramas. Other countries find cousin marriages and polygamy disguisting, even in the Mere Paas Tum Hoe also showed the underlying misogyny in Pakistani society where its okay for men to cheat but when a woman does the same, she is shown as a villain and evil person.

If you will watch that whole drama serial without feministic liberalistic glasses, you will see Zawar and Mateen cheated too, both of the men lost everything due to that, so its not okay for men to cheat

 

[Lonewarrior]

I do understand your point but yet again if we do not promote our talent then how will we help them to produce more innovative material? Why is that SRK is more appreciated then Adnan Siddique in Pakistan? Siddique is a great actor and in my opinion better then SRK. Pakistani actors should be encouraged so they can experiment more and help Pakistani entertainment reach its potential. We have a laise faire attitude and this isn't helping our entertainment industry to expand.

Our Drama's are doing quiet well actually . Mere pass Tum ho's final episode was shown in movie theaters!. They were catching on in India as well before the crazies took over in that country .

Across the border is the only place where the audience could be expanded. The rest of the world couldn't care less for our dramas with outdated themes

Try to relate to more than just hopeless romantic women. They need to make dramas like Narcos, Ozark, Stranger things, Mad Men, Gray's anatomy, The Office, Sopranos, NYPD blue and so on. My point is Pakistanis need variety, be creative and think out of the box. Pakistani dramas shouldn't be a genre of itself, it needs to be an industry with various genres and that's the only way you'll expand your audience.

Im totally for promoting our talent but what I disagree with is the constant theme of household 'drama' revolving around relationship of two people. It gets boring, only desi house wives can absorb that crap, outsiders want something new and inspiring that makes one dream and think, not two cousins trying to get married but they cant because their parents dont get along lol. You think some gora is going to want to watch that?

By making quality web series & movies on platforms like Netflix & Amazon prime video.

I like pak dramas but production quality ,lighting is really cheap & stories are still stuck in same zone as they were 5-6 years ago.

Zindagi Gulzar hai is v good. Liked it when my wife was watching it.

How close is it to real life in pakistan?

Only Pakistanis will watch Pakistani TV Dramas. Other countries find cousin marriages and polygamy disguisting, even in the Mere Paas Tum Hoe also showed the underlying misogyny in Pakistani society where its okay for men to cheat but when a woman does the same, she is shown as a villain and evil person.

It’s not only that, most Pakistani dramas were available on youtube as well, but the Pakistani dramas target the TV audience of house wives or middle age women not the Upcoming ones who have options to watch Indian webseries or western ones.
So it did well till it was on TV and probably would had if it still was on TV but wouldn’t capture such a huge market.

You need to increase competition. Currently there is a quota on foreign content like Turkish dramas. The entertainment which is for the most part very liberal has even gone to court to stop them from airing saying that they are corrupting the population with "vulgar" content.

Either lift the quota on foreign content, or greatly expand it, and the local industry will have to either swim or sink.

If you will watch that whole drama serial without feministic liberalistic glasses, you will see Zawar and Mateen cheated too, both of the men lost everything due to that, so its not okay for men to cheat

Not sure about the 8th one becoz Hamza Abbasi ha quit the showbiz ....

 

[FearlessRoar]

Pakistan's leading media channels have started their Arabic versions to show their dramas in Arabic. By virtue of this, I think we can grab the Arabic market easily. Also, the Indian Zee network has started a platform to show Pakistani dramas in India.