The quality of Pakistani TV dramas of today

[saadibaba]

I was reading this interview of Haseena Moin, one of the most legendary TV writers of our time. She was talking about the making of the sequel to her most famous TV serial called "Tanhaiyan". In general, she sounded very dissapointed with the whole process, how her writing was changed, her dissapointment with the addition of new characters which did not make sense, the direction of Marina Khan, the re-branding of the whole thing etc. in short it seems like they made a mockery of the whole thing and ruined the good name of this iconic TV serial. Just gives you a glimpse into the factors that are making the quality of TV dramas produced nowadays to be so poor (with the exception of a few good ones). Poor writing, poor direction, over the top commercial input and branding, no teamwork, no sense of direction, etc. Interesting interview nonetheless.

It’s never easy to make a sequel of a popular television serial and one that remains, even today, one of the best. Tanhaiyan was aired 27 years ago and broke popularity records even in India, making its writer, Haseena Moin, a household name there.

Now, for the ongoing Olpers Tanhaiyan — Naye Silsilay directed by Marina Khan who also played a central role in the original serial, Moin says she was only commissioned seven episodes while the rest have been penned by Mohammad Ahmed. She also says that she owns the copyright for Tanhaiyan and is not at all pleased with the turn of events.

When Images on Sunday approached Hasina Moin for her views on the subject, this is what she had to say…

Q. Tell us about the serial Tanhaiyan and how you found Shehzad Khalil as a director?

HM: At that time producer Sahira Kazmi was doing a serial for PTV Karachi centre and the first episode had loud comedy. The GM rejected it and as the slot time had to be filled, Shehzad Khalil asked me to write a comedy serial in one month’s time and took me immediately to meet the GM, who asked me what the story was. It was then that out of the blue the story of two sisters came to my mind. He liked it and thus the serial began in 1983. The experience of working with Shehzad was wonderful. He was a thorough gentleman and extremely good in his work.

Q. Coming to the present time, why didn’t you write all the episodes of Tanhaiyan — Naye Silsilay?

HM: Marina asked me to write the sequel in March 2012. Finding the sponsors took a bit long and the writing was delayed. I had told her earlier that I would be leaving for Switzerland in July. The sponsor was found near the end of June and I started writing the episodes, having developed the storyline and characterisation earlier. The old characters were there with the addition of new ones. By the end of July I gave them seven episodes and then left, having agreed to Mohammad Ahmad writing the future episodes. I also had no idea that a brand was being involved.

Q. How much of the original cast is in this new serial?

HM: The original cast from Tanhaiyan are all here, including Marina Khan, Badar Khalil, Qazi Wajid, Behroze Sabswari and Durdana Butt. Shanaz Sheikh who played Sanya refused to act in the sequel.

Q. Why did Shahnaz Sheikh refuse?

HM: She did not provide us with a reason. My guess is that as she had created an image in the past serial with her looks and young age, she didn’t want to spoil it. She has gained weight and has not maintained herself the way Marina has. So the director decided to use her daughters and husband with only a mention of her in the story. Shahnaz even refused the showing of past clips because the producer refused to pay her for it. If he had agreed to it, things would have worked out.

Q. What about the episode writing?

HM: When I came back I called the producer Jalil Akhtar, Marina’s husband, to see the episodes written by Mohammad Ahmad. I had told them in the beginning that I would allow him to write the episodes after checking what he had written when I returned, and that I would write the last episode. Both had agreed to it. When I came back I was surprised to see the turn the serial had taken. I called but there was no response from their side. I found this strange because I was not expecting it. Later some artists told me that a lot of changes had been made even in the episodes that I had written. I wouldn’t have minded the changes if it had been done for the better.

Upset with the situation, I called Marina again to tell her to remove my name from the serial as I knew the episodes were all made and could not be changed. But they couldn’t do that as I had penned the serial and they would be infringing on my copyrights because I owned the story. The brand marketing head was also told to take my name out. He conveyed it to Marina and Jalil Akhtar who realising the situation asked to meet me. I refused. All of a sudden people started calling me, including Mohammad Ahmad and Behroze Sabzwari. I told Behroze meeting anyone was useless now as the serial was made and the damage had been done. Even the viewers can make out that the style of writing is not mine. For me, the additions to the story are meaningless and unnecessary. But I forgave them after they came to my house and apologised, and I have allowed them to continue with the serial.



Q. Are you satisfied with Mohammad Ahmed’s work?

HM: Some of the characters that he introduced like Hakka who stammers, is not funny at all and the other character Apa Begum’s spirit, is senseless. Though he is a good writer, I regret to say that he has not been able to capture the essence of the original Tanhaiyan.

Q. How do you find Marina’s direction?

HM: Marina is not a very powerful director. Some of the scenes which required a climax such as the first one, and Marina’s entrance in the next episode, did not make the impact which was required as they were pivotal to the story. The story might improve later on but then Marina has never directed a serious comedy, which is very difficult to make. She has yet to make her mark as a director. But she is a very good actress, there can be no doubt about that.

Though I am hurt, my blessings are still with Marina Khan and her team.

Q. With increasing branding taking over television productions, what do you think of Olpers’ Tanhaiyan — Naye Silsilay?

HM: I didn’t like the title and asked them to change it which they didn’t agree to. Tanhaiyan is a prestigious serial, not a product. Literature and drama are different things and a dairy product is a different thing. Sponsoring it doesn’t mean you own it. Things have now become so commercialised that tradition, culture and refined taste have taken a backseat. Corporate sponsors can help a lot in promoting culture and literature, but not at the cost of cultural values.

Q. Your past serials had two directors and just one writer, that was you. In this sequel there are two writers and one director.

HM: For nearly 10 years I worked with two directors: Shireen Khan and Mohsin Ali, Zaheer Khan and Shireen Khan, Mohsin Ali and Shoaib Mansoor. The reason for this was that while one episode was being acted out and one of the directors was directing, the other would sit with me and prepare for the next episode as they had to be done very quickly. We gave each other the credit because we worked together as a team, and the result was good.

It’s not the same anymore. Today, a single person wants to take all the credit and thus there is no teamwork. The writer wants accolades, while the director feels he or she has done a good job. It is a very cut-throat situation. This serial could have been better if everyone had worked together. In the past, my directors consulted me at every step. There were no egos or complexes, and monetary gains were not all-important then.

http://dawn.com/2012/11/25/spotlight-haseena-moin-speaks-out/

 

[srh]

Current Pakistani TV dramas sucks big time, generally speaking.

 

[DoosraTeesra]

They were really crappy when they started to copy indian style soaps back in i guess 2004.2005
The quality is much better now IMO. For Example, See Humsafar

 

[PakistanPaindabad]

There has been a huge improvement in Pakistani dramas..

Same real great ones in the past 4-5 years..

 

[Looney]

Shehnaz Sheikh played Zara and Marina played Sania .

 

[saadibaba]

They were really crappy when they started to copy indian style soaps back in i guess 2004.2005
The quality is much better now IMO. For Example, See Humsafar

I agree. Not sure why but all of a sudden all Pak dramas started to copy themselves after Indian soaps, even though our dramas were always considered suoerior than Indian dramas. I guess it must have been due to growing commercialism, the quantity taking precedent over quality, lack of time and effort given to each serial. Some actors from the past who are also working now have said in interviews how they use to rehearse a lot before actual shooting and now the scene is shot without any rehearsals. This paragraph from that interview sheds light on why things are not so great.

It’s not the same anymore. Today, a single person wants to take all the credit and thus there is no teamwork. The writer wants accolades, while the director feels he or she has done a good job. It is a very cut-throat situation. This serial could have been better if everyone had worked together. In the past, my directors consulted me at every step. There were no egos or complexes, and monetary gains were not all-important then.

 

[Looney]

^ I think that was because Indian soaps gained a lot of popularity and people stopped watching Pakistani dramas . I guess senseless censorship may have something to do with it .

 

[0tt0man]

The dramas nowadays are too monotonous. They are usually very well made but lack originality in plot and direction. A definite improvement over the crap that was dished out to the viewers during the early 2000's.

HumSafar is extremely overrated in my opinion. I can understand the crowd it was made for

 

[Looney]

What`s with people watching Turkish dramas ?

Ishq Mamoo

 

[saadibaba]

The recent "good" ones that people talk about are 'Humsafar" and "Shehr-e-Zaat". To me they are a step backwards.

"Humsafar" confirms characters and stories set in deeply patriarchal frameworks. It teaches bourgeois values where in case of the main female lead, honesty is strongly linked with being a good wife and a submissive,self-denying woman.

"Shehr-e-Zaat" is nothing but silly nonsense inspired by the religious right which holds that anyone who does not pray five times a day or is not wearing religion on his/her sleeve can not possibly be a good human being and thats how all the non religious characters in this drama have been portrayed.

While dramas of Haseena and Bajjia were all about strong independent women, making their way in the our male dominated society and being the masters of their own destiny. These new dramas show women as being weak, timid, fragile and unstable with their only route to salvation being submissive wives or stricter Muslims.

 

[saadibaba]

Duplicate post.

 

[MRSN]

Bulbulay is one of the best right now.

 

[kingusama92]

I thought Meri Zaat Zarra e Benishan was class.

Humsafar was okay. Had some good moments and some dull ones.

Pakistani TV might not compare to the classics of old, but it's still decent. Some good ones mixed with some real average shows.

 

[zaid65]

All the current Pakistani dramas and majority of the past dramas ( Haseena Moin, Fatima Surya Bajia) written by the women and in majority of the cases, they have shown the women being the victim ( mostly by another women of the family), add some comedy scenes, now add a title song as well.

Just to give you an idea, the writer of Humsafar, Farhat Ishtiaq has written close to 11 novels and almost all of them have been bought by different TV channels ( mostly by Hum TV).

Majority of the drama audience are women/girls and they love to see this drama baazi, crying, love affairs, ..

Give me Ashfaq Ahmed, Amjad Islam Amjad,..plays over these victimized women's ronna dhonaa..

 

[rockers2012]

In the past, people used to have most of their work done before 8-9 time slot so that they could watch dramas without any interruption.

But not anymore.

That says enough about the quality of dramas that we have these days.

 

[musaarthali]

when Pakistani cricket team provides enough quality drama over the years obviously TV drama quality will be drastically reduced

 

[W63L35]

when Pakistani cricket team provides enough quality drama over the years obviously TV drama quality will be drastically reduced

Nothing can beat your drama queen though....!

 

[musaarthali]

Nothing can beat your drama queen though....!

)

feel sorry for you..there aill be always limit to dreams

 

[GentleMan]

i have watched some pakistani dramas on youtube, i found them having over the top acting..they looked like a drama being recorded as is, not a television show.

my favourite show is loose talk.. and there was another show i stumbled upon on youtube in which a person with a strong baritone voice would narrate humorous stories in front of an audience..the way he narrated the stories he would bring them to life..

otherwise nothing beats pakistani politicians.. shahbaz sharif, raisani and faisal raza abidi are my favourites.

 

[MenInG]

Renowned dramatist and novelist Haseena Moin passed away in Karachi early Friday morning. She was 80. The renowned playwright had been battling cancer for the past few years.

Her funeral will be held at her residence in North Nazimabad after Asr prayers.

Moin is perhaps one of the most celebrated playwrights and scriptwriters to come out of Pakistan and has several accolades under her belt.

These include the Pride of Performance award from the government for her services to the performing arts in the country. She also holds the distinction of penning Pakistan’s first original script, Kiran Kahani, in the early 1970s.

Her best tv dramas include Dhoop Kinary, Ankhai, Tanhaiyan, Ahat, Ansoo and many more.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2291591/renowned-playwright-haseena-moin-passes-away-in-karachi

 

[the Great Khan]

sorry but Pakistani drama's are now unwatchable. Just utter trash.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Most Pakistanis drama are low quality. What we need is to increase the # of imported dramas and films from Iran, Turkey, South Korea, Latin America, etc, and dub them in Urdu. The increased competition should hopefully increase the quality of shows.

 

[Bigboii]

Pakistani TV might not compare to the classics of old, but it's still decent. Some good ones mixed with some real average shows.

Years later you are still correct

unfortunately they have stagnated some are real good but majority are average

What should have happened is the number of quality dramas should have improved but it's stagnated

Worrying signs for the industry

 

[gazza619]

sorry but Pakistani drama's are now unwatchable. Just utter trash.

I suggest you watch one or two episodes of khudah aur muhabbat season 3 on youtube.

 

[PetroDollars]

pakistani dramas all seem to have the same stoylines, it always about love or some family issue.

 

[uberkoen]

pakistani dramas all seem to have the same stoylines, it always about love or some family issue.

This is not true and to all the people saying Pakistani drama's nowadays are trash you guys jus don't watch any Pakistani TV. We have been making and continue to make some amazing TV shows. The only issue nowadays is that there is a quantity over quality. It does not mean quality does not exist but it will be one good drama being aired over 15 bad ones but that's also because unlike in the past we now have several channels dedicated to dramas.

I'd recommend the following for those who have not watched Pakistani drama's recently

Jackson Heights
Aakhri Station
Udaari
Ranjha Ranjha Kardi
Khuda Aur Mohabbat (Season 2 and the ongoing Season 3)
Meri Zaat Zara-e-Benishaan
Sadqay Tumhare
Pyare Afzal
Mera Naam Yousuf Hai
Baaghi
Alif Allah Aur Insaan
Cheekh
Durr-e-Shehwar
Thakan
Maat
Diyar-e-Dil
Daam
Ullu Baraye Farokht Nahi
Main Abdul Qadir Hoon
Rehaai
Mera Saaien
Kaisa Hai Naseeban

 

[MenInG]

Renowned dramatist and novelist Haseena Moin passed away in Karachi early Friday morning. She was 80. The renowned playwright had been battling cancer for the past few years.

Her funeral will be held at her residence in North Nazimabad after Asr prayers.

Moin is perhaps one of the most celebrated playwrights and scriptwriters to come out of Pakistan and has several accolades under her belt.

These include the Pride of Performance award from the government for her services to the performing arts in the country. She also holds the distinction of penning Pakistan’s first original script, Kiran Kahani, in the early 1970s.

Her best tv dramas include Dhoop Kinary, Ankhai, Tanhaiyan, Ahat, Ansoo and many more.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2291591/renowned-playwright-haseena-moin-passes-away-in-karachi

Really saddened by this news - All my childhood memories of Pak TV has her name etched on it

 

[gazza619]

Really love this drama. Available on youtube in HD with subtitles. Beautiful cinematography and music;

https://youtu.be/zNfi9ryIrxg

 

[offstump]

While Pakistani family dramas are well done generally speaking, there are some really bad ones too. Having said that, based on the sheer number being released monthly there is good quality. Now, where Pakistan is really falling behind is moving dramas into other genres such as crime, thrillers, etc. You see some top notch crime serials coming out of India and other countries. I wish Pakistan would branch into this more, so much potential but they always default in saas, bahoo, etc.

 

[saeedhk]

Almost all Pakistani dramas are about marriage; this country is way too much obsessed with marriage.

 

[Kianig89]

With almost every sector of country in abyss it is Pakistan's drama which is breathing life into society the recent drama Ishq Murshid an amalgam of fiction comedy and romance is vowing audience then there is Khaie who has Hollywood movies like Godfather type vibes and then the motivational dramas like 22 qadam and Akhaara